1. Weight Control. Leafy greens are extremely low in calories, yet super high in nutrients. Make them the base of your lunch and dinner and weight control can be breeze.

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When I had a weight problem years ago and joined weight watchers, I learned that there are some kinds of vegetables that you can eat pounds of and still lose weight. As an over-eater, this was great news to me! While on weight watchers I’d cook two-pound bags of vegetables in a large pot and eat the whole thing. Greens are among the vegetables you can eat in unlimited quantities and still lose weight. Three cups of most kinds of greens contain less than 100 calories. I lost 20 pounds in a few months.

Of course, you can’t add high calorie ingredients like butter and creamy dressings, but you can season with herbs and spices, lemon, and low calories salad dressings.

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If you’re trying to lose weight, but unable to master portion control, do consider satiating your need to chew and swallow with hefty helpings of greens as part of your meals.

Try them like this:

RAW: Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or lemon and a little (no more than one tablespoon) olive oil to flavor them. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and crushed pepper

COOKED: Boil the greens in fat free reduced sodium chicken broth or water and add some chopped garlic and lemon juice. Cook until the leaves are tender.

Serve with broiled, or baked chicken, or fish and a baked sweet potato, or some brown rice.

2. Youthful Skin. Leafy greens like Kale, Spinach and Swiss Chard contain antioxidants including beta carotene, which helps renew and repair your skin.

I was traveling recently and did an experiment. Usually when I take the red-eye from LA to New York and get no sleep, when I arrive, my skin looks sallow and scary. On my last trip, before leaving, I ate a pound of greens that I’d prepared with chopped garlic and a bit of olive oil.

The next morning, instead of looking like the zombie I usually do after an overnight flight, my skin had an amazing healthy glow.

Greens also contain folate, a vital nutrient for DNA repair and lutein, which balances the lipids in the skin, increasing hydration and elasticity. Lutein also protects against sun damage that ages the skin

3. Clear Skin. While researching a book I wrote about preventing acne, I discovered that leafy greens have clear skin benefits.

The long held belief that diet has no bearing on acne has been debunked. Studies have shown that high glycemic foods do trigger breakouts in some people. High glycemic foods are those that contain refined grains and refined sugars that cause a spike in blood glucose level, which your body tries to lower by producing more insulin and male hormones. These hormones cause the sebaceous glands to produce more oil, in turn, blocking pores. Too much sebum in the pores causes the acne bacterium (propionibacterium acnes) to over propagate, inflaming the pore causing a pimple.

Switching to a low-glycemic diet, which includes leafy greens, has proven to be effective. (Other low-glycemic foods that benefit acne include whole grains, fish, and green tea.)

Leafy greens are chock full of inflammation fighting ingredients and they also contain lots of fiber, which helps keep blood sugar levels in check.

4. Beauty. Yes, leafy greens (and other high color vegetables) can actually make you prettier. Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Well, a recent article in the LA Times by Karen Ravn referenced a study done at The University of St. Andrews in Scotland, that sought to find out how many fruits and vegetables a person would have to eat, and for how long before this could be detected in the skin. According to the article, scientists have long known that the pigments that give vegetables their color, “carotenoids,” accumulate in the skin and give it color, too. Apparently, they enhance our natural coloring and when we see someone whose skin reflects these enhanced carotenoids, they appear healthier and more attractive to our eye.

In the study, they showed undergraduate students sets of pictures; for each set of faces one reflected the look of having ingested about 3.3 servings of high color fruits and vegetables, and one did not. The students deemed the fruit/veggie eaters to be more attractive than the non-high color food eaters. More servings were associated with more attractiveness.

So, eat lots of leafy greens (as well as other high color vegetable and fruits) and you may find yourself getting more compliments than you used to.

5. Better Brain function. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, dark leafy greens may protect against cognitive decline in older adults. This is attributed to the high folate content of the greens. Studies performed at Tufts University concluded that a diet high in folate protected against decline in verbal fluency and another cognitive test called spatial copying wherein subjects were asked to copy shapes and figures.

I recently read a book by Dharma Singh Khasala called Brain Longevity and he talks about helping his patients reverse the effects of dementia through a variety of means including stress reduction, exercise, and diet. He says that the brain needs proper nutrition and his dietary recommendation includes lots of kale and other dark leafy vegetables.

Dr. Terry Wahls, a TED TALK lecturer claims to have cured her Multiple Sclerosis with a diet that includes dark leafy greens. In her lecture, “Minding Your Mitochondria,” she recommends a “hunter gatherer” diet, which eschews processed foods and favors things we would hunt or pick, including fish, grass fed meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and plenty of GREENS. She says for optimum health people should eat three cups of green leaves a day. Three cups is a dinner plate piled high. She says that kale has the most nutrition, per calorie, of ANY plant. It contains B vitamins, plus A, C, K and minerals. B Vitamins protect your brain cells and mitochondria. Vitamin A and C support your immune cells, Vitamin K keeps your blood vessels and bones healthy and minerals are co-factors for hundreds of different enzymes in your body.

Watch her lecture below:

:

While you may not have MS or dementia, if greens can palliate those conditions, they can assist your brain, too. Having a healthy, well functioning brain can certainly enhance your life.

6. Disease prevention. Greens contain vitamins: A, B2, B6, C, E, folate, calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium, zinc, fiber, which according to The Cleveland Clinic, are important to keep your heart healthy.

The folate in leafy greens helps reduce levels of homocysteine, which can contribute to cardiovascular disease and also cause strokes.

A Harvard study showed that diets high in magnesium reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac failure in women. Greens are a great source of magnesium. Magnesium is an element in the chlorophyll molecule, which gives plants their green color. Any green leafy vegetable you eat will give you magnesium, thus helping to reduce your risk of heart disease.

According to Dr. Terry Whals, eating a plate of greens a day will also dramatically reduce your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Green vegetables like Kale and collards also contain isothiocyanates (ITCs) which is a compound with proven anti-cancer activities.

A friend whose family is predisposed to skin cancer was the first one to tell me about the anti-cancer benefit of leafy greens. Her children’s pediatrician has them eating tons of spinach and kale to protect them.

Hope I’ve persuaded you to eat your greens. They really are good for you!

If you really don’t like them, consider making “green smoothies” to help them go down. Put greens in a blender with coconut water, a bunch of berries and a bit of stevia or agave and you can whip up a drink that barely tastes like vegetables. Also, the blending makes the nutrients available to you body even more quickly than when you eat the leaves whole.

You might also prefer “crispy greens.” Coat kale or spinach in a little olive oil, spread on baking sheet and cook in the oven until crisp (about 15 minutes). Yummy!

As always, I wish you good health and great beauty!

Toni Ann Johnson is the author of VIBRATING YOUTH and VIBRANT AND CLEAR. For more information on the articles referenced above, “like” Vibrating Youth on Facebook.

www.vibratingyouth.com

www.toniannjohnson.com

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Child Obesity is a real problem in this country. ” Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. The numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children are overweight or obese” – Let’s Move Organization.  Our first lady, Michelle Obama launched an initiative called ” Let’s Move” It is dedicated to solving the problem of childhood obesity. They provided helpful information to parents to educate them about healthy eating as well as supporting environments that support healthy choices.

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I must admit that I fall victim and find myself in the drive thru sometimes, but I am making a conscious effort not to do this anymore. It is too important. Healthy eating starts when they’re young and we as parents are their only example of how to make healthy choices.

There is a great resource that I use as a guideline which was also implemented by the First Lady, Michelle Obama. It’s called Choose My Plate.  It is a revision of the old food pyramid and provides guidelines for healthy eating. Check out this great article on Choose My Plate.  Try this recipe for Chicken Nuggets.  Your kids will love it! And guess what? It’s healthy!

It’s time we all make a stance and work towards ending child obesity. Our future depends on it.

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Peanut Butter
WHY YOU AVOID IT: It is high in fat and calories (16 grams of fat and 188 calories per two tablespoons).
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T: They can lower the risk for heart disease. Nuts are fabulous sources of heart-healthy, unsaturated fats. They also provide essential fatty acids that your body needs daily.

Avocado
WHY YOU AVOID IT: They’re high in fat (half of one has 14.8 grams).
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T: They boast a lot of monounsaturated “good” fat, which means that they can help decrease the risk of heart disease when eaten in moderation. They’ve also been found to help prevent certain kinds of oral cancers.

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Potatoes
WHY YOU AVOID IT: They are often served fried or fully loaded with butter, cheese and bacon bits, which can kill your healthy-eating habits.
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T: Take away the extra fat and deep frying and a baked potato is an exceptionally healthful low-calorie, high-fiber food that offers vitamin C, vitamin B6, copper, potassium and manganese. Plus, a medium-size baked sweet potato weighs in at just 103 calories, which you can easily turn into a balanced meal.

Chocolate
WHY YOU AVOID IT: It’s sweet, it’s sugary, it’s high in fat and calories. Hello—it’s chocolate.
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T: Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, healthy compounds that can protect your heart. Flavonoids can increase blood flow and ease inflammation and may even decrease the buildup of “bad” cholesterol.

Click HERE to find out why high-cholesterol eggs, sugary grape juice, and coffee full of caffeine can actually be good for you!

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1) Carrot Cake Muffins:

Don’t let the word “carrot” fool you! One serving of a carrot cake muffin from a bakery or fast food chain can give you about 680 calories and 40 grams of fat.

2) Doughnuts:

Because doughnuts are fried, they contain higher amounts of calories and fat. One honey-glazed doughnut contains 200 calories and more sugar than you need for the entire day!

3) Frozen Waffles:

Store bought frozen waffles are basically refined grain combined with sugar and trans fat. It lacks health promoting vitamins, minerals and fiber. If you like to top yours with butter and syrup, that only increases the calorie count.

4) Bacon, Ham and Sausage

These are processed meats, which means that they are high in fat and sodium. In the long run, consuming these foods regularly can lead to heart problems. Sodium nitrite, which is found in most processed meat, has been closely associated with a higher risk of cancer. Yikes!

Instead of these foods, choose a healthier breakfast that’s rich in protein, calcium, and potassium and you will start off your new year and new diet plan on the right foot. Good Luck!

Get health tips, recipes and more at yoplait.com/yoplaittoday.

“Healthified” Fluffy Orange Fruit Dip [Recipe]

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Prep Time: 5 min

Start to Finish: 15 min

Makes: 16 servings

Ingredients:

3 cartons (6 oz each) Yoplait® Light Lemon Cream Pie yogurt or Yoplait® Original Lemon Burst yogurt

1 package (4-serving size) instant sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding mix

1 container (8 oz) frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed

8 cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries

1 8- to 9-inch purchased or prepared angel food cake, cubed

Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt and one-fourth of the pudding mix until smooth. Gradually add remaining pudding mix to yogurt mixture, whisking until smooth after each addition. Fold in whipped topping, half at a time. Serve lemon cream and berries over cubed cake. If desired, garnish with mint sprigs.

Get health tips, recipes and more at yoplait.com/yoplaittoday.

Give The New Year A Healthy Start

“Healthified” Fluffy Orange Fruit Dip [Recipe]

6 Tips To Fit Into That Little Black Dress Again

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The key to raising healthy kids is teaching them how to make healthy decisions. To do this, you must be informed about health issues that affect your child and be willing to take an active role as a parent. Childhood obesity is the biggest health threat facing kids.Follow these steps, and you can take action to stimulate healthy decision-making and prevent obesity:

Step 1

Begin with a healthy pregnancy. Make sure you consume the recommended amounts vitamins and nutrients. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that pregnant women require higher daily amounts of vitamin A (770 mcg), calcium (1,000 mg), iron (27 mg), vitamin C (85 mg), vitamin B12 (2.6 mcg), folate (600 mcg) and folic acid (400 mcg). Some prenatal vitamins now provide DHA Omega-3 to support brain and eye development.

5 tips for eating out with kids

Step 2

Take an active role in your child’s health care. Discuss concerns about important issues, such as circumcision, medications and vaccinations with the pediatrician. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Step 3

Provide a supportive environment. Children excel when they feel safe and comfortable. By creating a welcoming, open atmosphere at home, your child will be less likely to seek gratification in other ways, such as overeating, drugs, alcohol, promiscuous behavior or some other unhealthy alternative.

Click here for more tips

Are you really there for your kids?

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I looked at over 150 different ways to “lose weight without dieting.” Of these only 13 didn’t actually involve dieting.

1. Take vitamins.

2. Begin exercising.

3. Eat slower.

4. Use smaller plates, cups, and utensils.

5. Don’t eat in front of the computer or television.

6. Eat with other people.

7. Focus on why you are overeating.

8. Eat at regular times.

9. Don’t be in a rush to lose weight.

10. Pack any leftovers first.

11. Don’t go to bed too late.

12. Find a stress reliever.

13. Only bring to the table what you plan to eat.

I think it is pretty safe to say that I will not be dropping as many pounds as I hoped with these techniques. the only one I feel comfortable saying will make a significant impact is exercising, but I already do that.

Then I started thinking, when did changing the food you eat, the amount of food you eat, and the quality of food you eat stop becoming a diet?

So if you are looking for a way to keep eating the food you love without dieting, don’t believe everything you read. Go with what is safe and what everyone says, “Everything is fine in moderation.” Now, if only sweets didn’t taste so good that would make it much easier!

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6 Common Dieting Myths

Calorie Conscious Cocktails

3 Ab Moves to Tone Up!

[From BlackDoctor.org]

There are so many people out there that think the key to weight loss is to eat less and exercise more, but that simply isn’t the case. It’s a lot more complicated than that. Some people need to eat more to lose weight. And some who are already exercising need to do less, but at a higher intensity.

The goal with this article is to show you 10 ways that you can manipulate your diet – adding in some places, subtracting in others – to start losing weight the next time you open your mouth with the intention of putting something in.

1. Start your engine
I’m a mother, but I’m not your mother. So I can’t order you to eat breakfast. But if you don’t, you’re putting your number-one fat-burning tool in time-out. It takes calories to digest calories, so eating in the morning fires up your metabolism.

Perfect breakfasts: Try a cup of whole-grain cereal with 1 percent low-fat milk and a banana, or two pieces of whole-wheat toast with two tablespoons of peanut butter and an apple. If you hate breakfast food, or have to eat on the fly, take a turkey sandwich (going easy on the mayo) or a slice of leftover cheese pizza and go.

2. Run with the snack pack
Here’s where I disagree with your mother. She discouraged you from eating between meals-probably so you’d eat more of her delicious boiled-liver casserole-but I want you to have a snack handy at all times.

Here’s why: If breakfast stokes up your metabolic fires, then snacks keep them going between meals. And planning your snacks in advance keeps you from making a mid-morning Chips Ahoy run.

Perfect snacks: Include one of the following two or three times a day: an ounce of nuts, pretzels, or string cheese; a medium piece of fruit; six graham cracker squares; or six cups of low-fat microwave popcorn.

3. Practice fiber-opting
I’m not out to turn you into a vegetarian or anything, but fiber-rich foods are about the only free pass you’ll get in the nutrition world. They have few calories and make you feel full. Your goal is to eat 25 grams of fiber every day (Americans typically consume just 12 grams daily).

Where the fiber is: Eat at least three servings of vegetables and two fruit portions daily; and add beans to salads and soups. Choose whole-grain breads over those made with refined flour. And for breakfast, pick the highest-fiber cereal that doesn’t taste like cardboard.

To read about 7 more ways to lose weight, click here.

10 Ways to Eat Healthy

Is Junk Food Your Friend or Enemy?

To adults, the ultimate sign of fame might be an Oscar, or a Vogue cover, or maybe a star on the Walk of Fame. But when it comes to kids, you’re just not somebody until you appear on an episode of Sesame Street.

First Lady Michelle Obama was given that honor recently, making a stop on Sesame Street and meeting up with Elmo to talk about – what else? – exercise and healthy eating! Those infamous arms don’t come naturally, you know. Below, check out her Sesame Street segment, then flip through a gallery of other black celebs who have graced the legendary street.

Organic food is all the craze these days, but does it REALLY matter what kind of food you buy?

[From BlackDoctor.org]

There was a time when organic foods were limited to trendy health food stores, but today you can find them beautifly displayed in traditional supermakets.

The U.S. organic food industry surpassed $10 billion in consumer sales in 2003, according to the Organic Trade Association, which estimates the market has grown 17 percent to 21 percent each year since 1997.

Exactly what can you be assured of getting if a product is marked organic — and what are the pros and cons?

“Organic means the agricultural product from livestock or crop has met certain standards,” said Joan Shaffer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which regulates organic standards.

If meat, poultry, eggs or dairy products are labeled organic, they must come from animals given no antibiotics or growth hormones, according to the USDA. Organic produce is made without using “most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation,” the USDA says.

If a label says “certified organic,” it means the agricultural products have been grown and processed according to USDA’s national organic standards and then certified by one of the USDA-accredited certification organizations.

The certifying agent reviews applications from farmers and processors for certification eligibility, explains the USDA. Then, qualified inspectors perform annual onsite inspections to be sure the growers comply with standards. The standards spring from the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, passed by Congress to establish national standards.

The USDA does not make any claims that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious.

Ryan Zinn, a spokesman for the Minnesota-based Organic Consumers Association, said organic foods are safer and healthier.

“We can’t say organic foods are totally free of pesticides, because there is some pesticide [residue] in the ground water,” he said. “But there’s really a lot of emerging evidence to suggest that organic foods are higher in nutrients.”

A study published in 2004 in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry compared organically and conventionally grown yellow plums, finding that ascorbic acid, vitamin E and beta-carotene levels were higher in organic plums. But some other nutrients, including quercetin, a bioflavonoid, were higher in conventional plums, the researchers found.

Some pesticides, Zinn said, have been tied to health problems. For instance, methyl bromide has been linked with cancer, he said. “All these pesticides that have been used aren’t going to kill you outright,” he added, “but the cumulative effect is not good.”

But not everyone is convinced that organic automatically means healthier or pesticide-free foods…

To read the rest of this article, click here.

Here are 5 organic foods you really DO benefit from eating

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A new study claims that sad parents are more likely to give their kids bad food. Does this sound far-fetched, or right up your alley?

[From Science Daily]

Mothers with many negative thoughts and feelings are more likely to give their children unhealthy food. This is shown in a study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) in collaboration with the University of Oslo.

This is the first research project in the world that analyses children’s diets combined with both psychological and sociodemographic variables in the mother. As part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, a total of 27,763 mothers were asked how often and how much their 18 month old child ate of 36 types of food and drink. By this age, children learn to prefer sweet and fatty food over healthy food.

“We found that mothers who were emotionally unstable, anxious, angry, sad, had poor self-confidence or a negative view of the world were far more likely to give their child sweet and fatty foods. At the same time, there was no link between maternal personality and how healthy a diet the child got in the form of fruit and vegetables,” explains psychologist Eivind Ystrøm at the NIPH.

These maternal personality traits fall under a collective name of high negative affectivity (negative emotions). These people often have a lower stress threshold, giving up quicker when faced with obstacles – e.g. in a disagreement – and often experience lack of control of the child.

“I think that mothers compensate for this either by trying to force healthy food into their child or hold the sweet-bag strings extra tightly,” Ystrøm continues. “Paradoxically, they try to balance poor control by actually using more control. With force and restrictions they increase desire which quickly results in resistance in the form of tantrums which these mothers are also bad at resisting. Also, earlier studies have shown that controlling behaviour among parents is linked with a more sugar-rich diet among children.”

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Are you the key to your kid’s healthy weight?

What’s more important when it comes to your kids: athletics or academics?

[From BlackDoctor.org]

As the warm weather settles in, maybe it is time to dust off those running shoes and make your way to the grocery store. There are a lot of healthy foods that can help you lose the weight you want and keep it off. Here are the ten simple healthy eating habits:

1. What to eat – No magic food causes weight loss and no food is inherently fattening. Eat a variety of foods from meat, legumes, dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables and small amount of fat daily. Vegetables and fruits are a great source of vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates in fruits, milk, grains and legumes will give you quick energy for the first 2 hours while protein in milk, meat and legumes will keep you satisfied for 4 hours. The fat in meat and milk as well as fat added to foods will keep you satisfied for 6 hours.

2. Where to eat – Eliminate eating in the car, bus, train, walking, standing or on the phone. Make time to eat meals and snacks by sitting down at a table. Read about the dangers of driving and eating.

3. When to eat - Eat breakfast and two other meals each day. People who eat breakfast are less likely to snack in the evening. Eat at least every 4 to 6 hours when awake rather than waiting until your stomach starts growling.

4. How much to eat - Calories count. Choose smaller portion sizes. Forget those super sizes as they are expensive to your waistline.

5. Shopping & eating out – If you don’t buy it or make it, food has a hard time finding its way into your mouth. Shop from a grocery list and after a meal when you are not hungry to limit impulse buying. In restaurants, if you aren’t sure how a food is prepared ask. When your food is served, divide off what you are going to eat and take the rest home for the next meal. Just because food is presented to you at a buffet doesn’t mean you have to eat or sample everything just because it is included in the price of a meal. Make food and portion sizes before you start eating.

To read 5 more healthy eating habits, click here.

Trying to lose? Here are 10 healthy weight loss habits.

A lot of foods say they’re organic, but that doesn’t make them better. Here are 5 foods that ARE better all-natural.

[From Glamour.com]

You’ve probably heard the buzz about organic food and seen the label popping up on everything from produce to that pizza. But most people still have doubts. As a physician, I’m constantly asked–by patients, friends, even professionals at conferences–”Is it really important to eat organic?” I always say yes, primarily because eating organic is simply healthier. Studies show that organic fruits and vegetables can have an average of 25 percent more nutrients than conventional produce. And eating organic meat limits your exposure to synthetic hormones that may pose risks to women in their childbearing years.

Of course, organic foods may not always be available or affordable; some cost an estimated 10 to 40 percent more–a steep price hike, especially in this economy. So how can you determine which are the most important foods to buy “green”? To answer that, I looked at the foods women eat most, then considered which ones are the worst offenders when grown or raised according to mainstream methods. Eating these five things organic will go a long way toward protecting your body, and will also make for fewer toxic chemicals in our air and water–and a generally healthier planet.

1. Dairy

Organic dairy can have a big impact on your health and the environment, but the truth is young women don’t drink a lot of milk. They do, however, still reach for yogurt. Like all organic dairy, organic yogurts are made without the use of hormones and antibiotics–two of the things women tell me they worry about most–and can have higher levels of omega-3s, the heart-healthy fats we Americans don’t get enough of, as well as beta-carotene, which may play a role in cancer prevention. I like varieties such as Horizon Organic and Stonyfield Farm, but any dairy product with the USDA Organic seal is probably a good choice. A food can’t carry the seal unless it’s made without toxic chemicals, antibiotics or synthetic hormones, and contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients. (“Hormone-free” dairy products are better than their conventional counterparts, but they may not have as many omega-3s as organics.)

Organic dairy can also be much less damaging to the environment. We’ve already started to see how, as millions of people have switched, farming practices have improved in a way that will help reduce greenhouse gases. That’s a good prescription for your health and the planet.
2. Lettuce

Conventional lettuce–especially imported salad greens–has some of the highest levels of pesticides in any food, according to data from the USDA. But that’s not the only reason it’s near the top of my list of organic foods for women. It’s number two because women also tend to eat salads far more often than men do, which means that pound for pound, you’re exposed to higher amounts of these chemicals.

Start your salad with an organic bed of greens, and if there’s another veggie you always throw in–whether that’s cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, peas, or imported broccoli and carrots (all high in pesticides that the Environmental Protection Agency considers toxic)–make that organic too. Washing produce is always a good idea, but don’t believe that necessarily eliminates all the possible health risks of pesticides; pesticide levels are measured after produce is scrubbed.

The health benefits here bear repeating: You’ll get as much as 25 percent more antioxidants compared with conventional produce–that’s like an extra serving of fruits and vegetables every day, a boost that we know could lower the risk of heart disease and some cancers.

What are three other delicious organic items? Click here to find out.

So maybe eating organic isn’t for you. But when you find out what’s in those TV dinners, you might change your mind….

Junk food: Friend or foe?

[From BlackDoctor.org]

Studies of American eating habits reveal that almost a quarter of the calories we consume come from nutrient-poor selections – better known as “junk food.” If one-fourth of what we eat is junk food, a plan for weight reduction should emphasize eating differently, not just eating less as many nutrition experts advise for weight loss. And if you have a healthy weight, you should still eat less junk food to prevent weight gain and chronic diseases, like cancer.

Too Many Calories from Sodas, Sweets and Desserts

In a recent study that surveyed 4,700 people, soft drinks were the number one source of calories. They accounted for 7.1 percent of the calories the people in this study consumed. Altogether, the categories of soft drinks, sweets and desserts, and alcoholic beverages made up 23.8 percent of total calorie intake. Salty snacks and fruit-flavored drinks added another five percent of calories. Since all of these foods are relatively concentrated in calories, you don’t have to eat a lot of them to increase your daily calorie total.

Another study revealed that people who eat a lot of junk food suffer nutritionally. This study looked at the impact of salty snack foods like potato chips, corn chips, crackers, pretzels and cheese curls. Those who ate the most of these high-fat salty snack foods had diets high in total and saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables. These people scored poorly for dietary healthfulness.

Score High Points for Health

Studies of nutrient-poor food consumption highlight several important messages…

To find out what they are, click here.

Click here for 10 easy steps to weight loss.

Can less calories help you gain memory?

Want to lose that extra belly fat?  You’re going to have to do a lot more than crunches to get rid of that jiggly belly.

(From sheknows.com)

Belly fat is considered to be the most dangerous types of fat in the body. An excess spare tire or pot belly raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses more than fat found on other parts of your body.

And if you’ve tried in vain to lose the large muffin top by doing countless crunches, restricting calories and decreasing the fat in your diet, you’ll be happy to learn that the secret of a flat belly is a diet featuring fat – and not necessarily hundreds of crunches every week.

In their book Flat Belly Diet!, Vaccariello and Sass explain that new research reveals that monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), like those found in olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocados and dark chocolate (yes!), not only make weight loss easier, but may also target belly fat specifically.

A MUFA at every meal
What makes MUFAs healthy as compared to other fats, like saturated and trans, which are maligned in the media? MUFAs are unsaturated fats, which have been shown to lower bad cholesterol, prevent hardening of the arteries, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Additionally, research has linked MUFAs to reduced rates of Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, breast cancer, lower blood pressure, brain health, lung function, anti-inflammation, lower body weight and reduced belly fat.

Vaccariello and Sass recommend a MUFA at every meal. What does that mean? Ditching your fat-fearing approach to losing weight and sinking your teeth into satisfying, delicious foods that are rich in monounsaturated fats, such as nuts, nut butters and nut oils; seeds and seed butter; canola and olive oils; olives and tapenade; avocados; edamame (soybeans); and even dark chocolate.

However, this doesn’t mean the sky is the limit on fat intake. One of the Flat Belly Diet! principles is to stick to 400 calories per meal and to include a serving of MUFA-rich foods (the book has a handy MUFA serving chart). And don’t worry if you think 400 calories isn’t enough to satisfy you. According to the authors, eating a MUFA-rich diet will keep the hunger pangs at bay; plus they also recommend that you eat every four hours.

Flat belly recipes
In addition to a 4-Day Anti-Bloat Jumpstart, guidelines on living a MUFA-rich lifestyle, making healthy snacks and eating out without straying from your MUFA a meal plan, the Flat Belly Diet! has a delicious selection of MUFA-rich recipes that make it easy to reach your flat belly fitness goals. Here are four of the many mouthwatering recipes (each at around 400 calories) the Flat Belly Diet! has to offer.

Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal
Serves 1

To make this a flat belly meal, serve with 1 cup skim milk.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup quick oats
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 tablespoons pecans, toasted and chopped (MUFA)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves

Directions:
1. In a saucepan over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and oats. Cook, stirring, for 90 seconds.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Reduce heat to low and stir in the pumpkin mixture.

Click here for more recipes.

If you’ve reached your weight loss goal and want to know how to maintain it, here are some tips on eating healthy.

(From ehow.com)

1. Maintain a low-fat diet after weight loss, but not one that is too restrictive. It is important to allow yourself a few splurges after your initial weight loss or you risk abandoning the diet due to frustration.

2. Eat breakfast every day. A healthy breakfast will jump start your metabolism, provide you with energy and help you avoid overeating at lunch.

3.Pay attention to portion size. It is important to eat just until you are satisfied, not until you are full.

4. Exercise regularly. An effective fitness routine should include no less than 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 days a week. Help prevent burnout by choosing activities that you actually enjoy and mix up your fitness regimen regularly to prevent boredom.

5. Eat three moderate-size meals a day. Skipping meals can cause you to become excessively hungry and result in overeating at your next meal.

If you’re one of those people who can’t or won’t give up fast food, here’s some tips on how to enjoy without going overboard.

Fast-Food Chain:
Burger King

If You Usually Order:
A Whopper with cheese and a side salad.

Make It Healthier:
Satisfy your burger craving (and cut out almost 500 calories) by replacing the Whopper with a hamburger from the kids’ menu. (Kids’ menus offer smaller portions.)

Better Yet:
Order the Tender Grilled Chicken Sandwich — there’s no crispy fried stuff and no creamy sauce, and you can ask them to double up on the lettuce and tomato for an extra helping of vegetables.

For more go here.

[From BlackDoctor.org]

Childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate, but experts say parents are more powerful than they imagine at helping kids fight the problem.

About 17 percent of U.S. children and teens, aged 2 to 19, are overweight, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. But three studies presented at this week’s Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting, in San Francisco, offer ways to help kids get to healthier weights.

Mothers in families where food is sometimes scarce due to money problems have a tendency to give their children high-calorie foods to boost overall calories or foods to stimulate the appetite — two practices they should avoid if they want their child to remain at a healthy weight, said Emily Feinberg, an assistant professor of maternal and child health at Boston University School of Public Health and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston Medical Center.

In her study, Feinberg interviewed 248 mothers of normal and overweight black and Haitian children, aged 2 to 12.

She found that 28 percent of them had shortages of food from time to time. When that happened, 43 percent used nutritional drinks such as high-calorie instant breakfast drinks, and 12 percent used substances to stimulate appetite, such as traditional Haitian teas, in a well-meaning effort to be sure the children got adequate nutrition. Instead, Feinberg said, these low-income mothers should “try in general not to focus as much on calories but on the quality of the diet. Instead of a nutritional drink supplement, we would recommend increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables.”

Helping your child have good self-esteem can also motivate him or her to lose weight, found Kiti Freier, a pediatric psychologist at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif., and director of the Growing Fit Program there.

When she interviewed 118 overweight children participating in a 12-week program, she found that good self-image was even more important than how much excess weight they carried in predicting whether they were ready to lose excess weight.

“Their readiness to change relates to whether they felt supported, not how big they were,” she said. The message for parents of chubby children is clear: Don’t point out how much overweight they are. Instead, try something like this: “We love you so much. We want you to be healthy and have a long life,” Freier said. Then offer them a plan and support.

To read the rest of the article, click here.