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Diets That Don't Work—And A Look At What Does
Tweet Share on Facebook January 17, 2013 CommentFad diets are just that: fads. Although I still like my hula-hoop and I'd enjoy dancing the twist, fads are only successful while they last, and then … they're gone. Diets, on the other hand, cannot be fads. We don't want good health to come and go, nor do we want to shoot for success that will be temporary and perhaps even cause more harm than good.
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Foods and Beverages Nutrition Experts Avoid
Tweet Share on Facebook January 17, 2013 CommentAs a registered dietitian, many people are interested in what foods I eat, and just as often, what would never land on my plate. All foods fit, I say to them, and to my patients. Anything in moderation. But truth be told, there are foods that—barring a deserted-island situation—I wouldn't touch. White bread, Spam, sugary breakfast cereals, soda, cheese doodles, and Doritos: Not for me. I avoid foods that offer very limited, if any, nutritional benefit. While I have a few exceptions, at this point, those kinds of foods don't even taste good to me.
I asked my registered dietitian (RD) friends, with whom I've enjoyed good food and cocktails, what foods they avoid:
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Stomach Flu Survival Guide: Family Edition
Tweet Share on Facebook January 15, 2013 CommentIt's high season for the so-called "stomach flu"—a viral form of gastroenteritis that causes vomiting as well as diarrhea.
Of note, the stomach flu is a misnomer: it's not actually caused by an influenza virus at all, but rather from an assorted variety of other viruses. Gastroenteritis caused by a rotavirus is more likely to affect kids, whereas both adults and kids are equally susceptible to gastroenteritis caused by highly-contagious noroviruses.
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Meals with Mitzi
Tweet Share on Facebook January 14, 2013 CommentIf you're like me, you ate too much over the holidays. I'm trying to cut back my calorie intake for a few more weeks until I hit my goal weight.
Keeping that in mind, I adjusted my daily diet regimen one day last week and only ate three meals, as I find this is a real key to managing my own weight.
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Need Fitness Motivation? There's an Avatar for That
Tweet Share on Facebook January 11, 2013 CommentAccording to findings published in the Journal of Marketing Research, people tend to have a "now or whenever" mentality when it comes to results. We'd like our rewards now, thank you—but if we have to wait, it doesn't matter so much when they arrive.
It's why we're willing to pay considerably more to have something shipped tomorrow, but not much more to have it shipped in seven days rather than 10. It's probably also why, if we can't have rock-hard abs tomorrow, it seems like it doesn't matter whether we start that aerial yoga class today or next week. Or whenever.
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School Over Scalpels
Tweet Share on Facebook January 11, 2013 CommentIn some ways, it wouldn't even matter if the over-interpretations of the recent and already notorious meta-analysis about obesity and mortality were true, and we could get as fat as we might like with impunity. Alas, for all who favor that idea, it is not true—the adverse health effects of obesity are decisively established.
But in some ways, it wouldn't matter. Even the controversial new study confirms that severe obesity leads to an increased risk of early death—and severe obesity is the kind we are now producing most expeditiously.
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Food Trends: What's In Store for 2013
Tweet Share on Facebook January 10, 2013 Comment"Trending" on social media channels has introduced us to hot topics in the world of celebs, fashion, fitness, tragedies, celebrations, and, of course, politics. But there's no trend that captures my attention more than food trends, predicting what will be on our plates, in our refrigerators, and in our diets in the new year. Just as with other trends, the directions we take with food and eating behaviors change from year to year, but here's a glimpse of some of the expert food forecasts and how you can make the most of them:
[See Ditch Resolutions, and Find Real Solutions]
• It's not just about what's on your plate, it's also about how it got there. Food trends expert Phil Lempert, aka "supermarket guru," says, "The most dramatic food changes are not what consumers are eating, rather who is doing the shopping and how consumers are eating."
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Can Social Media Help You Lose Weight?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 10, 2013 CommentAt the start of the New Year, when weight loss is often a priority, building a support team to help keep us on track can be extremely helpful. This might typically consist of family members, friends, co-workers, or perhaps even a nutritionist or registered dietitian. But today, support can also be found online. Plenty of Web sites focus on losing weight, and include communities that provide support and encouragement. Since many of us spend a lot of time on social media sites—maybe too much if you ask my husband!—why not use these platforms as another tool for support? In fact, one study suggests employees participating in a workplace wellness program who also joined the company's Facebook page, run by a registered dietitian, stayed with the program longer than those who didn't.
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Is All Fiber Created Equal?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 9, 2013 CommentFiber, fiber, fiber. It's the theme of 2013 and for a good reason. Besides keeping our bodies, well, regular, a diet high in fiber is a great weight loss tool, lowers cholesterol, and reduces the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. It keeps us feeling full, and when you're full, you eat less between meals. Easy enough, right?
Not so fast. All fiber is not created equal, and if you aren't careful, putting too much of the wrong kinds of fiber in your body can leave you with an upset tummy. Not to worry; I've created a complete guide of the best fiber-rich foods and those with a red flag to steer clear of.
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Performance Foods: What and When to Eat Before Your Next Workout
Tweet Share on Facebook January 9, 2013 CommentIt's happened to the best of us: You head out for a run or to a class at the gym with just a bottle of water, and midway through your workout, you bonk. You hit the wall and feel lightheaded, weak, or just plain out of steam.
In fact, it happened to me this past weekend when I woke up just 30 minutes before an outdoor boot camp. I managed to grab a waffle out of my daughter's hand and nibbled on it as I sprinted up the hill to the park. I was doing fine until the instructor asked us to do two-leg jump ups on a rather high park bench. My brain said "yes," but my legs said "no" and ultimately, I had to sit out the drill.
