Category: Fact or Fiction?
The straight dope on nutrition myths, trends, and fads
Tune in to the TODAY show March 14th
What have you always wanted to know about coffee? I’ll be on the TODAY show this Thursday (3/14) to talk about America’s obsession with coffee and how it may be helping (or harming) our health. Tell the TODAY how you feel about your coffee and tweet your questions to the producers using the tag #caffeinatednation. We’ll be answering many of those questions during the segment, which should air about 8:20am (ET).
While you’re waiting, check out this week’s Nutrition Diva episode on diet-betting.A surprising number of people are finding success by signing up for programs that use financial rewards—or penalties—to motivate them to achieve their goals. It might be just the thing to jump-start your efforts, or to boost you across the finish line.
In fact, the folks at DietBet.com have set up a special game for Nutrition Diva fans to support each other in a friendly weight-loss wager. Check it out here. (Disclosure: DietBet.com is a new sponsor of the Nutirtion Diva podcast.)
And if you’re trying to watch your weight, you won’t want to miss this quick tip on the foods that are LEAST likely to satisfy your appetite.
This week: soda and osteoporosis, aspartame and arthritis, high cost of healthcare, plus turkey tips
I know this is a week when most of us put our nutritional concerns on the shelf, but if you’re in the market for some tips on how to enjoy the feast without doing yourself too much damage, check out my pre-Turkey Day interview with Tom Hall on WYPR-FM.org.
And when you’re ready to turn your attention back to matters nutritional, this week’s podcast reviews the latest research on soda and bone health. Soda drinkers seem to have thinner bones, but is it something in the soda itself or other lifestyle habits?
While we’re on the topic of soda, find out whether diet soda could be the next arthritis treatment. And while we’re on the topic of dieting, I’ve got some advice on how to lose weight without triggering painful gallstones in the Nutrition Diva newsletter.
I also published an open letter to my health insurance company this week, which triggered a good discussion on the Nutrition Diva Facebook Page. It’s a complicated topic…I’d love to get your views.
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
This Week: How to Overhaul Your Diet, Nutrition Q&A, Turkey Myths
I often hear from people who feel that they need to overhaul their diet but don’t know where to start. Trying to change everything at once often backfires. Instead, I think it makes sense to start with the stuff that will have the biggest impact. Here are my top 5 suggestions.
From the Q&A files:
- Can triglycerides ever be too low?
- Does vitamin D in skin cream get into your blood?
- Is it safe to drink hot beverages through a straw?
- Are calcium-fortified foods better than supplements?
And finally, the straight dope on some common turkey-day myths).
Truth about TCBY’s new Super Fro-Yo, Perils of Unplanned Eating, and more
With the eye of Sandy bearing down quickly, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll have power, so I will post a quick update while I still can!
Last week’s Nutrition Diva podcast talks about unplanned eating and how these “calories of opportunity” can sabotage a healthy diet. This week, I went on an undercover stake out [LIVE VIDEO] to get the “scoop” on TCBY’s new Super Fro Yo, which they are promoting as a “guilt-free indulgence.” Get all the gripping details here.
Speaking of yogurt, the Nutrition Diva newsletter featured a listener question about what happens to the nutrients in milk when you make it into yogurt and another on the value of calcium-fortified foods. Are they any better than supplements?
Finally, I was honored to be nominated for Best Health and Lifestyle podcast in the 2012 Stitcher Awards. I’m always flattered to be nominated for these things but, to tell you the truth, I’m unwilling to subject my network to the relentless “get out the vote” effort that winning requires. Still, it’s nice to be noticed. (If you do want to vote, which you can do daily, you can do that here.)
Stay safe in the storm! If you lose power, save the canned goods and pasta and eat the most perishable items first! I’ll see you when it’s over.
This week: Genetics and nutrition, cocoa nibs, egg yolks, and more
The connection between genetics and nutrition seems to be on many people’s minds these days. In a recent Nutrition Diva podcast, I discussed a new DNA test that supposedly reveals exactly what foods and supplements you should be eating. And in the ND newsletter, I fielded a question from a reader who had been told to eliminate tropical fruit from her diet because her ancestors stemmed from Northern Europe. In truth, I think our nutrition choices affect how our genes behave much more than our genes dictate our nutritional needs.
Other topics I covered in the last two weeks include the pros and cons of cocoa nibs, blood tests that supposedly reveal hidden food sensitivities, as well as my take on sensational headlines about egg yolks being as dangerous as smoking. Finally, check the What’s Cooking blog on recipe.com for some recipes for Jerusalem artichokes.
This week:sports nutrition for armchair athletes
As the 2012 Summer Olympics draw to a close, I have some tips for armchair athletes that may have been inspired to dig out the running shoes or renew the pool membership! This week’s Nutrition Diva podcast includes a quiz to test your sports nutrition savvy and, in this week’s What’s Cooking Blog, some recipes that will help boost your performance. As you’ll read, caffeine is actually a safe and effective way to get a better workout–and this week’s Nutrition Diva newsletter covers an alternative caffeine source that claims to be healthier. But is it? Finally, some wise words on how to choose between the lesser of two evils…and when there is no need to , in this week’s Quick and Dirty Blog post.
Nutrition Round-Up: carbs and weight gain, prebiotics, sports nutrition tips, and your questions answered
This week’s round-up is turbo-charged with two weeks’ worth of nutrition advice and commentary (due to the fact that I failed to post a round-up last week)!
Let’s start with the headliners: In last week’s Nutrition Diva podcast, I took a closer look at all the media buzz around the latest study on carbs and weight gain. As usual, there’s a little more to the story than the sound-bytes would suggest. Also in the news, almonds turn out to be less caloric than we thought.
Speaking of nuts (and no, I am not referring to my dear readers!), a fan wrote in with a question about PB2, the new low-fat peanut butter(like) product taking calorie-counters by storm. Sometimes, less really is less. While we’re on the subject of calories, here’s a quick and dirty tip for a reader who wondered whether it makes more sense to focus on fat or calories when selecting non-dairy milk.
Over on the What’s Cooking blog, I have a post on selenium, what it does for you, and where you get it, including some yum recipes. You’ll find more great recipes in this post on starting the day off right with a vegetable-packed breakfast.
Wondering about the difference between prebiotics and probiotics? Check out this recent episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast (which features a special guest appearance from Everyday Einstein!). I got to pull out more fancy scientific terminology–words like ‘convective’ and ‘evaporative’–in this post on whether drinking hot tea cools you down faster than a cold beverage.
And, finally(whew!), this month’s Smart Nutrition segment with Tom Hall on WYPR-FM in Baltimore focuses on sports nutrition tips for serious athletes as well as weekend warriors.
That should keep you busy until next week!