Category: Food/Nutrition Columnist

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – This is the group of nutrients you want to eat less of – less fat, less saturated fat, less trans fat, less cholesterol and less sodium. Cutting down on these nutrients reduces your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Okay, so what are you aiming for when we say less?

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The nutrition label is intended to help grocery shoppers make informed decisions about what they eat and drink. Research, however, suggests that food labels are not always the most effective communication tool. Older consumers, parents and women are the major users. But, even in these groups there is confusion about the information listed. Let’s try and decode some of the information available to you on food labels.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Every food in the US, both imported and domestic, that is larger than a Lifesaver package and has a food label, must display an ingredient listing and a nutrition facts panel, more commonly known as the nutrition label. Understanding and using these effectively offers you a wealth of information to make healthy food choices.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – There are over 400 fruits and vegetables available, but surveys show that the top selling are potatoes, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions and carrots. Branch out when you shop. Try some that are unfamiliar. Ready-to eat fruits and vegetables – cut-up melons, sliced pineapples, fresh fruit salads, celery and carrot sticks, trimmed and washed vegetables, and mixed salad greens are widely available. Many supermarkets offer well-stocked salad bars for a build-your-own salad. Be inventive.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – A study was recently published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showing that foods sold in popular restaurant chains and grocery stores contained more calories than advertised. This began the usual firestorm about companies trying to defraud the public and finger pointing about why Americans are getting fat. The implication being that the public shouldn’t trust the food labels they read.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The current economic turmoil will have a marked effect on our nation’s food supply and possibly our shopping habits for years to come. For those who suffered through the Great Depression of the 1930’s, frugality became the order of the day. We may be heading there again. Food purchasing patterns, usually immune to economic downturns, have not escaped our current lousy economy.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Most of us give little thought to the rows of canned foods found in supermarkets. But, did you know that the availability of safe, canned foods happened just a little over 100 years ago? Canned foods are often thought of as stepchildren; less favorable choices than fresh or frozen. Is that really the case?

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – If numbers could talk, the picture is grim. The estimate of Americans who are overweight is on the rise, with those who are significantly overweight growing at the fastest pace. Economically, the picture is bleak. The direct and indirect cost of extra pounds is a serious financial drain on the US economy.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – You don’t pay much attention to what you eat. You order French fries without a thought. You like sugared cereal. You drink soda and you make fun of your friends who get up to run in the morning. Despite all this you are probably eating better than you did 10 years ago. How can that be, you ask?

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Semen quality and antioxidants linked –Men who ate more meat and whole milk dairy foods had lower semen quality than those who ate antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy foods. (read on)

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Calories are calories, whether they come from apples or chocolate fudge. Every time you eat, you take in calories. All foods, except water, have some. Your body is a machine that uses food calories as fuel. All these facts are true. But, still myths about calories abound. Let’s debunk a few.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Everyone loves to talk about food and give advice. That’s great because you can learn a lot of good information. Sadly, some of this information isn’t grounded in fact. Food and nutrition myths abound – let’s bust a few of them and get to the facts.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – We’ve been told that 1 to 3 alcoholic drinks a day are healthy. Does this advice hold true as we get older? Baby boomers may be in for a rude awakening. Newer information is showing that low to moderate intakes of alcohol have a negative effect on health as we age.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – In the past, people with diabetes were told they could not eat sugar because it would make their blood sugar to go up too high, In fact, there is a long-standing myth that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. It’s not true.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – There were no big gains in the war on obesity, new research studies show. Both the Rand Corp., a nonprofit think tank that focuses on public policy and two research paper studies showed that menu-labeling initiatives and fast food franchise bans are not accomplishing their intended job of improving eating habits.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – No matter where you live, there is a coffee shop on every corner and many of us cannot get through the day without our special cup of “joe.” Is your coffee habit adding to your expanding waistline? What are the researchers saying?

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – There is no doubt that berries are one of nature’s special products offering the highest concentration of antioxidants in any food. Berries hold potential clinical applications in areas such as cancer prevention, memory loss, and lowered cardiovascular risk. Most of the evidence currently comes from animal and cell tissue studies with limited human research, but the evidence is promising. Here’s why you should eat more berries.

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – I’d like to advocate that any dialogue about food would start with “we.” We need to eat better. We need to choose healthier foods. We need to eat more reasonable portions. We need to read food labels to make better choices. We need to be good role models for our children. We need to exercise more and use up the calories we consume. We need more food and nutrition education.