Category: Food/Nutrition Columnist

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Food manufacturers and restaurants can no longer take the sodium issue with a grain of salt. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines, the American Heart Association, as well as state and local municipalities have salt on their radar screens and they are pushing for more regulations to lower intakes. There has even been a suggestion that foods high in salt need warning labels.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – With the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day and no more 1,500 milligrams for those over age 51, salt is in the crosshairs.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Approximately 60 million Americans are prediabetic, yet few know they are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next decade. A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed a simple blood test, hemoglobin A1c, (also known as HbA1c) could screen for prediabetes.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – A new study concludes that 9 out of 10 Americans fall short on key nutrients. Though 11 gap nutrients were identified, potassium, fiber, vitamin D and calcium had the biggest shortfall when it came to meeting daily recommendations.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Every 24 hours, there are 4,100 new cases of diabetes diagnosed in the US. It is estimated that children born today have a 1 in 3 chance of having diabetes in their lifetime. Being diagnosed with diabetes is a jolt – emotionally, physically and even socially. A person is asked to lose weight, change the way they eat, exercise, and take medication. It can be overwhelming.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – As we ring in the New Year and resolve to eat better, exercise more, and lose weight, here are some health tips to get you started.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The desire not to initiate life-sustaining medical care — commonly called a DNR (do not resuscitate) — is widely respected by the medical community. The desire to withhold or withdraw nutrition and hydration at the end of life is far more controversial.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Thirteen percent of adults suffer from migraines, with women outnumbering men 3 to 1. Although 99% of women and 93% of men will have headaches during their lifetime, migraine headaches are different. They are unrelenting, lasting anywhere from 4 to 72 hours, and they interfere with your normal activity. Experts feel 80% to 90% of migraines have a genetic base, which simply means someone else in your family suffered as well.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Everywhere you turn there is news about the importance of vitamin D, yet it is estimated that two-thirds of the world’s population does not get enough of this important nutrient. New guidelines, just issued from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies of Sciences, recommends higher intakes of vitamin D for Americans and Canadians.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Even if you and your partner are healthy, being severely overweight affects the frequency of intercourse. This alone, reduces the chance of pregnancy. It is estimated that excess weight decreases the possibility of pregnancy by 30%. This means 30 out of every 100 overweight women will have trouble achieving a healthy pregnancy and carrying a baby to term.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt, Hardee’s Monster Thickburger, and Friendly’s Grilled Cheese Burger Melt are all high calorie, attention-grabbing menu items that are pumping sales and creating buzz for chains. At the same time, policy makers are touting calorie posting, healthier menu choices, and smaller portions as needed strategies to fight the war on obesity.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – With the passage of Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, nutrition labeling on restaurant menus becomes a national platform. Regardless of the shift in power at the November election, it is unlikely that this part of the bill will be changed by the future Congress.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Thursday, November 4th is nutritionDay in the US. It is part of a global initiative, nutritionDay Worldwide, to raise awareness of the prevalence and impact of undernutrition among patients in healthcare facilities. On nutritionDay, dietitians worldwide will record a snapshot of what their patients are eating along with basic information on the patient’s history and condition.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Everyone has a can of Campbell soup with the familiar red and white label on the shelf in the kitchen cabinet. Some of us grew up on casseroles based on cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup. Many of our mothers made homemade mac & cheese by using Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup. The Campbell brand is 115 years old and it is keeping up with the times.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Whole wheat foods are a major source of healthy whole grains yet millions of American can’t eat gluten, a protein found in wheat. It’s estimated that 1 in every 133 people is sensitive to gluten and the numbers are rising, especially among older adults. Eating foods with gluten results in chronic inflammation of the small intestine that impairs its ability to absorb nutrients. Wheat contains the most gluten, but other grains like barley, rye, and triticale contain some too and need to be avoided as well.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Almost half of all the money we spend on food is spent eating out. Studies have shown that the foods we choose away from home are higher in calories, sugar, fat and saturated fat. Eat breakfast out and you’ll average 74 more calories than breakfast at home. Lunch out can add over 155 calories, compared to brown bag or at-home lunch. Eat dinner out and you’ll pack on 140-plus extra calories. What’s the solution? Try these sensible food swaps.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – I applaud Mrs. Obama’s challenge to restaurants to offer healthy menu options and her continued commitment to lower the risk for childhood obesity. But I have reservations when the medical health care reform bill mandates that restaurants post nutrition information and many states are considering a sin tax on soda and candy. Legislating what people put in their mouths is not the best approach. Mandating healthy choices could backfire because health advice evolves and changes.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Why should you care about probiotics? Because of our low fiber intake, most Americans eat less than half of the daily recommendation, our limited intake of fermented foods (like sauerkraut), and our overuse of antibiotics, many of us have altered the balance of microbes in our gut. Probiotics are helpful microbes and most of us don’t have enough of them living in our digestive tract.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – According to recent research 61% of us look at nutrition labels. Some just look and wonder – what is all this information? Others check out the amount of calories, fat, trans fat, sodium or sugar in a food. Few look at the bottom of the label to consider the amount of vitamins and minerals in the food. Two vitamins (A and C) and two minerals (calcium and iron) are required on every nutrition label. Some companies add more but these additions are voluntary. What can these 4 nutrients tell you?

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – On the nutrition label, the section on carbohydrate and protein contains a good deal of information, but not everyone knows how to make use of it. The amount of carbohydrate and protein you eat depends on how you divide your calories for the day. Carb values can be as low as 30% of daily calories or as high as 70%. Protein usually stays between 10% and 20% but up to 40% of daily calories is considered okay by some researchers.