One of the happiest days of my life was when I found out that chocolate (yes, chocolate!) was actually good for me. The rich, creamy candy I’d been surreptitiously snacking on since I was a kid was packed with heart-healthy antioxidants.
I gleefully loaded up my shopping cart with bars and bags of chocolate — dark, of course — and gorged myself silly.
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By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D.
Continue reading…Kids love to snack. Growing kids have dietary needs so eating is essential to proper growth. It is not unusual for a child to feel as if he is always hungry. Hunger is not the problem. Overeating and poor food choices are the problem. A child will grab anything that sounds good when the urge to snack hits. It is important to provide healthy snacks in easy access to encourage a child to eat better and make better food choices. If you make apples in an easy to reach place as opposed to chocolate chip cookies the child will reach for the apple. Opportunity is often the root of poor food choices. If the child is used to eating unhealthy foods when he is craving to munch on something soon it will turn into craving junk food.
July 21, 2011 — A new study suggests that one path to successful weight loss might be culinary boredom.
Researchers found that when people were offered the same food over and over again, they tended to eat less overall.
The study expands on a growing body of research suggesting that the unprecedented level of variety in the American diet may be a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.
It also advances the notion that reducing food choices may be a useful strategy for weight loss.
The study appears in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
American Society for Nutrition spokeswoman Shelly McGuire tells WebMD that variety is still good for dieters when it comes to healthy foods.
McGuire is an associate professor of nutrition at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash.
“People don’t get fat from eating a variety of fruits and vegetables,” she says. “But
Continue reading…July 19, 2011 — Despite a steady drumbeat of warnings that obesity causes serious health problems and increases the risk of premature death, it has become a problem in every state, the CDC says in a new report.
What is more, obesity prevalence was 30% or higher in 12 states in 2010, compared to nine states in 2009.