Nutrition

Nutrition Articles

10 healthy diet staples for your emergency food kit

When crafting an emergency supply of foods, one should avoid convenience foods like frozen dinners and canned soups, which typically contain excessive amounts of salt, fat, calories, preservatives, and added sugars. Better choices are healthy nonperishable items and frozen foods that can be used to make many meals. Experts recommend keeping a supply of a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, canned meats, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milks, healthy fats, soup stock, and seasonings. (Locked) More »

Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet, one meal at a time

The Mediterranean diet is touted for its health benefits, which include a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and potentially even improvements to the gut bacteria, which may reduce harmful inflammation inside the body. Making some simple changes to your current diet can help improve your health. These include switching to olive oil as the primary fat, eating more whole grains and less processed food and sugar and reducing red meat consumption. Whenever possible, base your daily diet on a base of vegetables, fruits and plant-based options. (Locked) More »

Seed of the month: Quinoa

Although it’s classified as a seed, quinoa is usually eaten like a whole grain, as a side dish or added to salads and soups. Quinoa is rich in high-quality protein, making it a good choice for people trying to eat a more heart-friendly, plant-based diet. More »

Can scheduled fasting improve your health?

Skipping meals may actually be a good health practice. Intermittent fasting, which refers to limiting food intake to certain hours of the day or even restricting calories on certain days of the week, may bring numerous health benefits, including better cognitive performance, weight loss, and potentially longer life. Consult your doctor first. (Locked) More »

Is it safe to eat fish?

Fish are considered an important part of a healthy diet. And even though fish may contain low levels of toxins or microplastics, doctors still advise eating fish at least twice a week. This is because the benefits of eating fish exceed the risks. Studies involving hundreds of thousands of people over decades have found that people who eat one or two 3-ounce servings of fish per week have a nearly 40% reduction in death from heart disease—the No. 1 cause of death in the United States and other developed nations. (Locked) More »

Seed of the month: Sunflower

Sunflower seeds are a good source of vitamin E and several minerals. Hulled, roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds can be added to soups, salads, and trail mixes. More »

Staying healthy when you’re raising young grandchildren

Caring full-time for a grandchild can have lots of health risks for older adults, such as muscle tears from lifting children or fractures from brittle bones that can’t support the increasing weight of a child. Such risks are in addition to those of being anyone’s caregiver, such as not eating right or exercising enough. Grandparent caregivers can help protect health by setting a rigid sleep schedule for everyone in the house, exercising with grandchildren as they ride bikes or run around, and serving healthy adult foods. (Locked) More »

The high cost of a poor diet

What people choose to eat has a big impact on their cardiovascular health. The dietary habits of the nation as a whole also have a major effect on the country’s economic health. About 45% of the costs associated with heart disease, stroke, and diabetes is related to unhealthy diets. The dietary habits that appear to have the biggest effect are not eating enough nuts, seeds, and seafood omega-3 fatty acids. Among foods to avoid, sugary beverages and processed meats seem to contribute the most to higher costs. Each year, unhealthy diets cost the United States an average of about $300 per person in medical costs, which translates to $50 billion nationwide. (Locked) More »