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Diet and Fitness Tips to Help You Sleep
Tweet Share on Facebook September 11, 2012 CommentAh, sleep. While some slip between the sheets and easily fall into a sound slumber, many of us fail to get enough of those coveted zzz's. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 30 percent of American workers—about 40.6 million of us—average no more than six hours of sleep a day. The recommended amount of sleep is about seven to nine hours per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation, which says that any less than that is linked to increased risk of diabetes, heart problems, depression, and substance abuse. Lack of sleep can also increase appetite and the risk for future weight gain or obesity.
In fact, the findings of two small, unpublished studies presented at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggest that sleep deprivation could affect diet by increasing a preference for less healthy food and by dampening decision-making ability—especially in the face of fatty, caloric options.
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5 Sources of Hidden Gluten in Your Diet
Tweet Share on Facebook September 11, 2012 CommentLet's say you've been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, or a wheat allergy. While the prospect of life without wheat was a hard pill to swallow at first, the bright side was that at least—finally—you'd start feeling better. Now it's been weeks since you tossed out your pretzels, said goodbye to your morning bagel, and bid adieu to those flaky croissants.
So why aren't you feeling better?
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Help Seeds Grow—in Your Garden and Your Life
Tweet Share on Facebook September 10, 2012 CommentOnce you start gardening, it won't take long for you to see everything that happens in your garden as a lesson for life. As an entrepreneur, seed-sowing particularly hits home for me. As with each new business venture, I try to give every seed the best conditions, use the highest-quality supplies, and provide it with proper care. I pay attention to what happens, measure my results, and learn from each experience to continually improve my outcomes.
Through the years, I've discovered some ways to help seeds grow, both in the garden and in life. Here are some tips:
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Facts and Myths About Fueling Up Before Your Workout
Tweet Share on Facebook September 10, 2012 CommentAs a sports nutritionist, I work with people whose workout regimens span a range of activity, from strength training and dance classes to racing in 5Ks and 50 milers.
While there's no question that my clients need tailored recommendations for fueling their activity, it amazes me how many of them don't eat properly before a workout. Even more concerning is the misguided idea among some that avoiding food before workouts is somehow better because it "helps the body burn more fat." False. In this post, I'll shed some light on fueling up for your best workout.
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Mastering the Art of Food Shopping
Tweet Share on Facebook September 7, 2012 Comment"Plan ahead." That's one of the most common suggestions you hear in regard to following a healthy diet. I know I say that to my patients all the time, advising them to equip their homes and offices with healthy foods. I put it this way—you wouldn't go into battle without ammunition, so how can you expect to eat well if you're not surrounding yourself with healthy fare?
But healthy eating hinges on healthy food shopping. With these tips, I'll help you master the art of effective food shopping.
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The Working Parent Dilemma: Less Time for Healthy Meals?
Tweet Share on Facebook September 7, 2012 CommentIn late August, an unfriendly headline popped up, and pointed an accusing finger straight at moms with careers: "Working Moms Spend Less Time Daily on Kids' Diet and Exercise," it read. The source of the story was a news release from Cornell University, outlining the findings of a study that will be published in December in the journal Economics and Human Biology. The researchers found that working moms spend about three and a half fewer hours per day on items such as grocery shopping, cooking, and playing with their children, compared to stay-at-home moms. In the interest of saving time, working moms were also more likely to grab prepared foods from grocery stores or restaurants.
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Inside a Dietitian's Lunchbox
Tweet Share on Facebook September 6, 2012 CommentSummer is almost officially over. The days are getting shorter, yet it seems like your to-do list is getting longer. I understand how packing a proper lunch can be forgotten amidst the hectic "back-to-school" season. As a dietitian, people seek my advice about how to balance a healthy diet with a chaotic schedule. Every month, in this blog, I'll be asking a registered dietitian within my nutrition practice, Nutritious Life, what one of her favorite brown bag meals is and why. Read on to learn what Stacia is packing up for lunch, and pick up some healthful tips from an expert!
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Whole Grains, Whole Diet
Tweet Share on Facebook September 6, 2012 CommentWhen we turn the calendar page to September, thoughts of crisp weather and colorful leaves come to mind. Not whole grains. But September is Whole Grains Month, so get ready to add some flair to your sandwich, pasta dish, and breakfast cereal.
More and more Americans are saying yes to whole grains. Since 2010, roughly 55 percent of consumers have ditched white bread for whole-wheat or whole-grain varieties, according to the Shopping for Health 2012 Survey, released in July by the Food Marketing Institute and Prevention magazine. And 2010 also gave rise to something unprecedented: Sales of whole-wheat bread eclipsed sales of white bread, as noted by supermarket guru Phil Lempert.
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Tending Your Inner Ecosystem
Tweet Share on Facebook September 5, 2012 CommentMost people give little thought to the teeming, diverse, and industrious community of bacteria that reside in their intestines. But each of us hosts an entire ecosystem of microscopic organisms—often referred to as "microflora," or "gut flora"—whose existence has evolved with humankind for millennia. To give you a sense of just how large and diverse this population is, consider these fun flora facts: our colons are home to bacteria from at least 400 different species (and possibly many more), with each gram of content hosting up to one trillion individual bacteria. Not surprisingly, two-thirds of our stool is actually comprised of dead bacteria! And how's this for mind-blowing: You carry around more bacterial DNA than your own human DNA.
The more squeamish among us may prefer to ignore their unwitting role as landlord to this invisible community. But do so at your own risk! These friendly bacteria have important roles in metabolizing our food, producing vitamins, and protecting us from infectious overgrowth of harmful yeast and disease-causing bacteria. Beyond these established roles, there is a growing body of research investigating associations between the health of one's gut flora and the health of one's body.
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Turn to the Pros to Help Your Garden Grow
Tweet Share on Facebook September 5, 2012 CommentGrowing up, many of us "did for ourselves"—we walked the dog, mowed the lawn, fixed our bikes, and helped cook and clean. In fact, that work ethic of ours is probably part of what's helping us be successful today. However, as work keeps us busier and busier, we may not think twice about hiring others to help us with some of the chores we used to do for ourselves. Let's face it, it's nice to come home to a clean house, trimmed lawn, and dry-cleaned clothes without having to push the vacuum cleaner or lawn mower, or iron the shirts ourselves. It's no different with our home garden.
Sure, there are lots of ways to relax and enjoy yourself gardening, but if time is truly at a premium, then there's no reason why you can't turn to the experts for your home garden as well. In fact, there are a whole slew of gardening-related services you probably didn't realize you could contract out. You are only a phone call away from getting in on one of the biggest movements in the nation right now—gardening. You could be hosting a dinner party in your new garden this very weekend, without even having to clean dirt out from under your fingernails. (And yes, you can cater it.)
