There are many compelling reasons to exercise. Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the incidence of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. It improves mental health, fosters strong muscles and strong bones. It also makes most participants happier and improves our looks.
Physical activity also burns calories. In the past few decades exercise has therefore become one arm of the two pronged approach to combat overweight and obesity. Exercise is the calories expended in the equati… Continue
Do you live in a healthy neighborhood?
Is there such a thing as an unhealthy neighborhood?
Personal choice has a big impact on many aspects of our health, but do we really have the wherewithal to choose our lifestyle, or do most of us fall into a pattern determined by what’s easy to do and what everyone else is doing? Sure, there are a few motivated individuals who swim against the stream and set their own trend. Most of us don’t. Whether we realize it or not, we follow the lead of our parents… Continue
Coca-Cola’s CEO Muhtar Kent recently wrote a much viewed op-ed in the Wall Street Journal titled “Coke Didn't Make America Fat,” in which he claims Americans need more exercise, not another tax, and should “enjoy the simple pleasures of a Coca-Cola.”
While it’s perfectly understandable that Mr. Kent would fight the soda tax idea—not because it threaten… Continue
The World Health Organization or WHO projected that by the year 2015, close to 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and about 700 million will be obese.
WHO defines overweight and obesity as “abnormal or excessiv… Continue
I’ve always wondered why banana bread is called banana bread and not banana cake.
Is it because it’s baked in a bread pan, and not in a round pan? Is the name designed to make us feel be… Continue
A survey of 2900 individuals found those living near more fast food restaurants and convenience stores to be 25% more likely to be obese. The Canadian survey looked at food sources within 800 and 1600 meters of homes. If there were more grocery stores versus restaurants/convenience the likelihood of obesity decreased. The link between restaurants/convenience stores versus grocery stores also decreased with distances greater than 1600 meters.
This was a short survey I found interesting and decid… Continue
I’m very skeptical of promises that sound too good to be true.
No field is as rife with these as the diet industry, where new dream diets are invented daily and claim to have found a magic trick allowing us to eat as much as we want yet lose weight.
But here’s one worth checking out: Can eating more fruit help you shed weight?
This diet is worth a second look because we have many other good reasons to increase our fruit consumption—fruit and vegetables are an important component of a… Continue
A recent New York Times article says the debate over a tax on sugary soft drinks is starting to fizz over.
The story quotes President Obama as saying taxing sugary drinks is an idea worth exploring, and that “every study that’s been done about obesity shows that there is as high a correlation between increased soda consumption and obesity.”
A… Continue
Recently, some heavy hitters in health research and obesity prevention have stepped up support for a new form of sin tax that is gaining momentum toward a "Fat Tax" in which a levy of 1 cent per ounce would be added to soda's and soft drinks. This will lead to a 15-20% increase in the price of a bottle of coke, pepsi or other soda's. Will it help stem the obesity epidemic or save money on health care? Read… Continue
Added by TC on September 20, 2009 at 8:36am —
1 Comment
The American Heart Association’s (AHA) new guidelines published in late August were a refreshing point of clarity contrasting with the vagueness typical of nutrition advice designed not to offend any major food lobby.
The new statement, published in Circulation, replaces AHA’s hazier 2006 one to “minimize the intake of beverages and foods with added sugars,” and provides detailed guidance by recommending an… Continue
We think we`re healthier than we actually are, suggests a new survey from market
research leader Mintel.
Surveying Americans about their health, Mintel found
people`s perceptions strongly contradict national statistics about obesity,
illness and wellness.
Seven in 10 survey respondents (71%) told Mintel they t… Continue
Added by David on September 12, 2009 at 5:29pm —
1 Comment
I can’t believe the summer vacation is over and kids will be going back to school this week. This summer went by way too fast!
I was happy to get a letter from my daughter’s elementary school announcing new snack policies—the school will not be giving out any more snacks, will not give food as incentives, prizes or rewards, and birthday celebrations at school will become "food free." Parents are being encouraged to send healthy snacks from home, including fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables… Continue
A recent study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, found that a high intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains and low intake of sodium, sweetened beverages, and red and processed meats was associated with reduced ri… Continue
I was disturbed by a short exchange I had with my ten-year old-daughter today. I told her we would be cooking a cholesterol-free dinner tonight, because one of our guests is trying to lower her cholesterol without medication, to which my dear daughter replied, “She should eat Cheerios.”
Apparently General Mills’ health claims—prominently displayed on every box—have reached my daughter, and she accepts them as fact.
Skimming through the New York Times later in the day, I read an Associated Pres… Continue
One of the best things to enjoy on a warm summer day is a cold watermelon. What could be better? Sweet, crisp, refreshing, red and nutritiously healthy.
My husband sees it as a personal failure when we open a watermelon and find a pinkish disappointment that tastes like a cucumber. He feels there must be a fool-proof way to pick the perfect fruit.
Alas, there’s no secret method, but I can offer a few tips for choosing a good watermelon:
Tapping: Tap the watermelon with the pa… Continue
A study published in the journal of Obesity examined the health and fitness of new recruits for Boston-area emergency services. The study included 370 firefighter, emergency medical technician, and paramedic recruits with an average age of 26 years-old between October 2004 and June 2007. Out of the 370 recruits, 1 out of 5 were of normal weight, ~44% were overweight, and 33% were obese. The weight of the young recruits is significantly higher than older veteran firefighters from the 1980's and 1… Continue
With healthcare reform on many people’s minds, and awareness of the rising and overwhelming costs of chronic disease, I want to bring to your attention two recent articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), both of which study the effects of lifestyle factors on two all-too-common chronic illnesses in two different populations.
The first study by Forman et al looks at the r… Continue
One-third of American kids are overweight or obese. Obesity rates among kids have tripled in the past thirty years. Many experts blame not only the food environment we live in—comprised of endless opportunities to eat foods of minimal nutritional value—but also the massive bombardment of advertising our kids are exposed to, baiting them to consume these foods.
According to the Federal Trade Commission… Continue
The New York Times called it “one of the scariest movies of the year.”
I wouldn’t know, since I generally avoid horror films, but while Robert Kenner’s Food, Inc. is indeed deeply disturbing and isn’t the light entertainment typically screened in the heat of summer, it’s an important movie to watch, and it does offer a hopeful note and an action plan. I bet you’ll be moved by this movie, and understand more than ever that there’s plenty we can do to affect our own diet and th… Continue
Celebrate Independence weekend by gaining independence from the horrible food that robs us of our freedom -- by making us fat, sick and miserable.
John McDougall MD explains how utterly, completely, totally simple it is.
Source: VegSourceContinue
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Oh, I wish I could run a healthy restaurant or food store selling healthy prepared goodies... but it takes a lot of money and a lot of effort to compete with big ones!
................ :(
Good advise! Luckily, I haven't had any of those problems.
I had a healthy veggie meal with Brazilian Nut Roast en Croûte I made from scratch with potatoes, carrots, and peas on the side... and I even made my own gravy from scratch... :)
See pos...
I had a healthy Thanksgiving at home with my family. It took a big effort and long time to cook everything but it was worth it!
I made a Brazilian Nut Roast en Croûte from scratch the day before just to be sure it came out OK. Also, I made vegg...
From Ask Dr. Mao:
Stuffed with stuffing, filled with turkey, crammed with cookies, and saturated with alcohol. Now what? Holidays call for celebration, and many of us know the consequences that come from overindulging in alcohol and food. Somet...