March 30th, 2009 by AmyJo
Grapefruit seems to be one of those foods that you either love, or hate, or force yourself to eat because it is supposedly so good for you. But maybe if you actually knew why it is so good for you, you’ll stop having to force feed yourself this superstar fruit.
If you think Vitamin C is all that grapefruit has to offer, you are SO wrong. While it does provide a good amount of your DV for vitamin C, you actually get more than double the amount of that vitamin C from kiwi than from grapefruit. Among the more outstanding qualities of grapefruit, are the lycopene and antioxidant content as well as soluble fiber.
The pink and red colors of grapefruit come from Read the rest of this entry »
March 26th, 2009 by AmyJo
Subway is seriously underrated for the nutrition you can get on the quick and cheap. With so many great offerings, you just have to know what you want and you can steam roll that line as you load on the nutrition.
First of all, start with Subway’s higher fiber bread choices, that would be either the Honey Oat (5g fiber for a 6″ roll) or 9-Grain Wheat (4g fiber for a 6″roll). Automatically you’ll knock out a good chunk of your daily fiber requirement, and double that if you get a foot long sub.
Then choose a nice low-fat meat choice. Pile on that Read the rest of this entry »
March 23rd, 2009 by AmyJo
As I was chowing down on my salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil the other day, I thought to myself, I wonder what nutritional value vinegar has for me? I know it adds flavor to things, but is it healthy? So I did some research, and you, lucky you, are the beneficiaries of my curiosity.
It turns out that vinegar actually boasts some unusual, but stellar qualities. Take calcium absorption for example. Vinegar contains acetic acid which allows our bodies to absorb all the vitamins and minerals from our food, particularly calcium. So, that’s why dark leafy greens pair ideally with Read the rest of this entry »
March 19th, 2009 by AmyJo
Cholesterol: the health issue that only old, fat people have to worry about, right? WRONG. Oh, so very, very wrong! In fact, high cholesterol is one of those things that’s deceptively silent and starts to build even from an early age.
First, let’s correct a few misunderstandings about cholesterol. All cholesterol is not all bad. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood and all the cells of your body that forms cell membranes and comprise some hormones needed for other bodily functions. So, basically, you need cholesterol. But you don’t need a lot; too much of it in the bloodstream Read the rest of this entry »
March 16th, 2009 by AmyJo
March 12th, 2009 by AmyJo
I love bell pepeprs. I love them so much that they used to be the face of Nutrition for the Naive. And they are a super food too, full of every kind of goodness your body needs and thrives on.
Any brightly colored vegetable is going to be some of the most nutrient dense food you can eat. Peppers are full of antioxidants which fight free-radicals (that cause cancer) and they also protect your heart with their high levels of B6 and folic acid. In fact, there Read the rest of this entry »
March 9th, 2009 by AmyJo
No, it’s not another Spice Girl. I’m talking about a real spice. A delicious spice, a healthy spice that can, in fact, make your body go “zigazig ha!”
New research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that consuming a 3g of cinnamon (a little over 1/2 teaspoon) can help reduce the amount of insulin your body secretes after a meal. That means hope for those with type 2 diabetes and others with insulin sensitivity. More research needs to be done on the topic, but these tests are promising. If you tend to have unstable blood sugar levels, try Read the rest of this entry »
March 3rd, 2009 by AmyJo
You know it as the “sunshine vitamin,” and lately you’ve probably noticed a lot of news on additional health benefits of vitamin D. “Vitamin D fights common colds!” “Vitamin D fights cancer!” “Vitamin D fights Multiple Sclerosis!” How can it be that vitamin D boasts all those curative properties? Is it true?
Well, the primary function of Read the rest of this entry »
March 1st, 2009 by AmyJo
You thought you knew about nutrition, and then BAM! You get slapped with someone asking you why high fructose corn syrup is worse for you than sugar. Can you tell them? The majority of people, including myself before I did some serious research, couldn’t give a clear answer. But the answer is actually a pretty easy one.
Most high fructose corn syrups (HFCS) contains about 42 or 55% fructose and the rest glucose. This is roughly the same proportions as table sugar (sucrose) which is half fructose, half glucose. GASP! But what about Read the rest of this entry »
