The average American consumes 3,400 milligrams of sodium, roughly 1.5 teaspoons of salt, per day. However most of our dietary sodium comes not from the salt shaker at the dinner table, but from processed and prepared foods such as breads, crackers, cheese, and even products that don’t taste “salty,” like breakfast cereals. This week, the […] Continue reading
Category: Features
Super-Tasters and Non-Tasters: Is it Better to Be Average?
By Guy Crosby, PhD, CFS Our sense of taste and smell is clearly linked to our overall health status. Many studies have shown that the flavor of food is by far the most important factor in determining what foods we choose to eat (1). Continue reading
Updated Nutrition Facts Panel makes significant progress with “added sugars,” but there is room for improvement
In the first major overhaul of the Nutrition Facts Panel in over two decades, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today numerous changes that will be implemented within the next few years. One of the most important updates will be a line disclosing “added sugars,” along with a corresponding 10 percent-Daily Value—representing a limit […] Continue reading
Public health win: San Francisco law requires health warnings on sugary drink advertising
“WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. This is a message from the City and County of San Francisco.” If you live in San Francisco, you will soon be seeing this message on billboards and bus shelters, as the city is set to become the first in the U.S. […] Continue reading
Does putting on a few pounds help you cheat death? No!
A recent study by Afzal et al., published in JAMA, concluded that the BMI associated with the lowest all-cause mortality (death from any cause) has shifted upwards over the course of three decades, and that optimal body weight for decreasing mortality currently falls in the overweight category (BMI 25-29.9) (1). This finding has received its […] Continue reading
The Whole (Grain) is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
Whole grains—think brown rice, steel cut oats, and quinoa—are composed of three edible parts, the fiber-filled bran, the vitamin-packed germ, and the starchy endosperm. Alternatively, refined grains like white rice, bread, and pasta, are all endosperm, as the refining process strips away the bran and germ and all the nutrients they contain. Even though many […] Continue reading
NEW! Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate
The Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate is a visual guide to encourage children to eat well and keep moving. It was created by nutrition experts at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, based on the best available science. The Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate is designed to enhance the visual guidance provided by the U.S. […] Continue reading
New Dietary Guidelines remove restriction on total fat and set limit for added sugars but censor conclusions of the scientific advisory committee
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines have been released, with updates including limiting added-sugar intake to less than 10 percent of daily calories, and the removal of the restriction on the percentage of calories from total fat. The new guidelines also emphasize healthy eating patterns, with the following key recommendations: Continue reading
Healthy Gift Guide — 17 ideas for giving “the gift of health”
Shopping for holiday gifts is at the top of many people’s to-do lists. And while so-called “health nuts” used to be the primary recipients of wellness-boosting presents, the reality is that everyone can benefit from being given “the gift of health.” This holiday season, consider adopting a health theme for your holiday shopping. To help, […] Continue reading
Prioritize Plants For Healthy Holiday Cooking
We created five nourishing dishes that add up to one healthy holiday meal, bursting with delicious flavor. Wow your guests with the variety of colors and flavors, all while serving them nutritious, vegetable-filled fare with minimal meat – better for both you and the environment. You can cook all of the recipes, or pick just […] Continue reading