February 25th, 2009 by AmyJo
A shout-out to Gwen Stefani for teaching us all to spell bananas properly. And now that we’ve passed the elementary spelling bee, let’s move on to some more useful information about b-a-n-a-n-a-s.
One of the most versatile fruits, bananas are chuck full of benefits for the whole body. Main reason: it’s famous mineral: potassium. Potassium is one of the most crucial electrolytes, (little charges in your body that power you up and maintain proper fluid balance) in your body. This means that athletes love them after a tough workout to restore electrolytes lost in profuse sweating. Those suffering from diarrhea love them to restore their Read the rest of this entry »
February 23rd, 2009 by AmyJo
Let’s be honest. I’m a little obsessed with oral hygene. But some faithful flossing and brushing never hurt anyone. In fact, you might get an added health bonus besides just minty fresh breath.
Research shows that periodontal disease (inflammation of the gums caused from plaque build up) and heart disease Read the rest of this entry »
February 19th, 2009 by AmyJo
Sometimes it seems like a mean trick that our bodies play on us. We are stressed out, we have a bazillion things to do, no time to do it all, and then to top it off, our clothes start to fit bad– the muffin top appears, and we get even more stressed out. Ahh. How do we stop Read the rest of this entry »
February 18th, 2009 by AmyJo
It may be America’s favorite salty snack, but your bag of Lay’s potato chips might be fraught with cancer causing chemicals.
A chemical called Acrylamide is a white odorless solid that was discovered in foods in 2002. Acrylamide forms in starchy foods that are fried, roasted, or baked, at temperatures above 248 F So watch out you potato chips and French fry lovers! Although the chemical has been shown to cause harmful effects only in high doses, the FDA is strongly Read the rest of this entry »
February 16th, 2009 by AmyJo
I love America. I love capitalism and freedom and modern medicine and higher education and all the wonders of the Western world. Minus one thing. Our pathetic “western” diet. High in artery clogging saturated fat, it isn’t exactly a recipe for long-lived prosperity.What to do? Go Read the rest of this entry »
February 12th, 2009 by AmyJo
Next time you’re prowling around the kitchen for a midnight snack, just go back to sleep. You’re not really hungry, you’re dreaming…
Wake-up call! Studies show that when healthy adults get 4 hours of sleep for even just 2 nights in a row, the hunger causing hormone, called ghrelin, in our bodies increases by 28%! Resultant of the increase in ghrelin, study participant’s appetites also increased by an enormous 23%. Getting less than 6 hours of sleep on a regular basis will have a similarly poor effect on your decision making skills: aka, resisting junk Read the rest of this entry »
February 10th, 2009 by AmyJo
In a perfect world, chocolate cake would be nutritious, soda would build bones like milk, and food would have negative calories. Sadly, our world is far from perfect, chocolate cake is far from nutritious, soda destroys your bones, BUT, some foods DO have negative calories. Well, one in three ain’t bad.
You’ve heard it said that celery is a dieter’s best friend, but why? Celery is one of those foods that had very few calories. In fact, one stalk has a mere 6 calories. So you can munch away until your jaw aches, and you’ll still have only consumed less than 50 calories. In fact, because your body actually Read the rest of this entry »
February 4th, 2009 by AmyJo
I recently read an article about mindfulness and how it improves so many areas of your life, including your health! If that sounds strange, just think about it for a minute (no pun intended).
Specifically related to nutrition, when we take time to think about and savor foods, such as the unique flavors in a pasta dish, or the Read the rest of this entry »
February 1st, 2009 by AmyJo
Syndrome X… scientists sure are getting creative with disease naming these days. What’s next Disease Y and Illness Z? But regardless of the lackluster name, the term merits understanding, both for preventive reasons and for improving overall health.
Metabolic syndrome X, also called Insulin resistance syndrome , is a series of risk factors that put you at risk for diabetes and heart disease. These risk factors inclue: high blood pressure, high blood sugar/inability to utilize insulin, high levels of triglycerides (a fat found in your blood), too much abdominal fat around your waist, and low levels of the good cholesterol. If you have at least 3 of these risk factors, you have Syndrome X and are at a great risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, a stroke, or a heart attack. Booo! Let’s help you fix this before it’s too late.
Good news, the cure is Read the rest of this entry »
