March 1st was the official release date for my new book, Nutrition Diva’s Secrets for a Healthy Diet. After working on hard on the book for the last year with my wonderful editor, Emily Rothschild, and the great folks at Quick and Dirty Tips, it’s so exciting to be holding the actual book in my hand!
If you’d like to check it out, there are sample chapters and all kinds of other goodies on the book’s QDT webpage. Continue reading “Read a sample chapter of my new book!”
[Updated March 9th] Thanks to Darya Pino from SummerTomato.com, Ben Greenfield of BenGreenfieldFitness.com, and Gloria Tsang of Healthcastle.com, the folks at Vokle.com, and all of you who joined us for our live round-table on breakfast. It was a fascinating discussion! For those of you who might be interested in looking at some of the primary research that we discussed, I’ve posted links to those studies below. Continue reading “Debunking Breakfast: A Live Webcast”
Q. I’ve listened to your podcast on fish oil and omega-3s and shared it with some people I know who take fish oil. But today my physician told me that my “bad” cholesterol is borderline and that a way to get it down without statins would be to take fish oil twice a day. I’m wondering what you think about that.
A. In the podcast you’re referring to, I was talking mostly about prophylactic or preventive use of fish oil supplements. Here’s the point I was trying to make: Taking fish oil supplements, which are high in omega-3s, is one way to balance out diet that’s too high in omega-6 fats. But another way to improve that balance is to reduce your intake of omega-6. Reducing omega-6 intake (which come mostly from vegetable oils and processed foods) can reduce the need to take fish oil supplements.
Q. Are you familiar with Dr. Robert Lustig’s presentation on fructose, called “Sugar, The Bitter Truth” ?
What’s your opinion on this? Shouldn’t pure fructose sweeteners (which are marketed as low calorie) be banned? According to this presentation, wouldn’t it be a good idea to substitute all sucrose with a larger amount of maltose?
A. Although I respect Dr. Lustig and his work, your questions are the perfect illustration of just how badly this viral video has confused the issue among consumers (and more than a few professionals). Here’s what always seems to get lost in the biochemical mumbo-jumbo: Dr. Lustig’s observations apply to the dangers of excessive fructose intake.
Recent research has me rethinking the conventional wisdom on free radicals and antioxidants. Learn how free radicals benefit your health and get my latest recommendations on how to get the right amount of antioxidants without going overboard in this week’s podcast.
People buy organic foods for lots of reasons: They are produced without chemical fertilizers and pesticides and (in the case of animal products) without hormones and antibiotics. But a 100% organic diet may not be possible. So people often ask me which foods are most important to buy organic. Here’s my short list, in order of priority:
Of all food types, pesticide residues are most common in fruits and vegetables. According to the FDA’s most recent (2007) Pesticide Monitoring Program Report, pesticides were detected in slightly over a third of all fruits and vegetables (domestic and imported) tested.
You’re probably familiar with the Environmental Working Group’s list of the Dirty Dozen–12 commonly eaten fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues. I talked about the Dirty Dozen in my podcast on getting the biggest bang for your organic dollar. Continue reading “Avoiding Pesticides: Beyond the Dirty Dozen”
Serves 4
Chilled broccoli salad is a super-nutritious side dish. But instead of a heavy mayonnaise-based dressing, try this delicious Asian-inspired alternative instead!
2 bunches fresh broccoli (about 6 cups chopped)
1/2 red or vidalia onion, diced
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup blanched almonds, slivered or chopped
The usual prescription for a healthy lifestyle includes a healthy diet and regular exercise. But there’s another critical element that often gets overlooked: Sleep. Experts recommend a minimum of 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. Yet most American adults report that they get 6 hours of sleep or less on most nights.
Need a little extra motivation to make getting enough sleep more of a priority? Here are five compelling reasons to turn off the television or computer and hit the hay:
Reason #1: Skimping on sleep increases stress hormones, which accelerates the aging process.
Reason #2: Under-sleeping increases insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
Reason #3: Sleep deprivation affects hormones that regulate appetite–making you feel hungrier than you would if you were well-rested.
Reason #4: If you’re losing weight, getting more sleep enhances fat loss (as opposed to lean-tissue loss).
Reason #5: Women who sleep more than eight hours a night have a 72% lower incidence of breast cancer than those who regularly sleep fewer than six hours a night.
I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point! If you are taking good care of your health in every other way, don’t cheat yourself on a good night’s sleep. If you think you don’t have time to get more sleep, just think of how much more you will be able to accomplish when your body and brain are fully rested and energized. Stop thinking of sleep as a luxury and start thinking of it as an essential part of your prescription for a long and healthy life. For more information on how to improve the quality of your sleep, check these tips for healthy sleep
References:
Knutson KL, Van Cauter E. Associations between sleep loss and increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008;1129:287-304. Link to article
Nedeltcheva AV, Kilkus JM, et al. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Oct 5;153(7):435-41. Link to study.
Verkasalo PK, Lillberg K, et al. Sleep duration and breast cancer: a prospective cohort study. Cancer Res. 2005 Oct 15;65(20):9595-600. Link to study