Many soups and sauces are highly processed, so examine the ingredient lists closely to avoid the Big Four at-risk ingredients and non-cane sugars.Many soups and sauces are highly processed, so examine the ingredient lists closely to... more
A new test conducted for Consumer Reports magazine found toxic bisphenol A leaching into food from nearly all canned goods, even those labeled as being "BPA-free" and "organic." The magazine tested items such as canned corn, chili, tomato sauce and corned beef, and found BPA levels varied widely, but some BPA was found in nearly all of them.A new test conducted for Consumer Reports magazine found toxic bisphenol A leaching... more
Diana Raleva, the authority on how to use Superfoods to improve mental and physical health, discusses how elimination and moderation have -- and will always -- fail us... and how to use our deepest instinctual cravings to our advantage. By ADDING healthy comfort food in. Yes, healthy comfort food -- like raw chocolate and other Superfoods.Diana Raleva, the authority on how to use Superfoods to improve mental and physical... more
"Wouldn't it be nice if foods came with labels to explain how healthy they are? Well, yes, you're right: They do. OK, but wouldn't it be even nicer if the food industry just got together and told us which of their processed food products constitute healthier choices?
Maybe they could just slap a big checkmark on the front of the package that screams, "don't think; just eat this."
Welcome to the bizarre world of the Smart Choices Program, where Lucky Charms cereal is one such "smart choice" for confused consumers wondering if the latest colorful marshmallow addition tips the marshmallow-to-sugary-oat ratio to something suitable only for honeybees and hummingbirds.
Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes and just about any other commercial breakfast cereal also get the Smart Choices seal of approval, a big green checkmark, apparently for being a smarter choice for breakfast compared to rock candy.
It's healthy, trust us " ----
I'm sure you've all seen the stupid commercials..."Wouldn't it be nice if foods came with labels to explain how healthy they are? Well,... more
When I was in elementary school, Wednesdays were beefaroni day. My pops and I called it “barfaroni,” and we made sure to pack a lunch for me on Wedesdays. Not every kid was lucky enough to have a family like mine or can afford to pack a lunch even once a week. Millions of kids across the U.S. rely on the National School Lunch program for their mid-day meals during the school year. These lunches are usually heavy on the starch, salt, and mystery meat and lacking anything you might call “real food.”
Did you know that federal funding only pays for about 82% of the cost of school meals? It’s no wonder that our country’s kids are eating the way they are! Without proper funding, schools can’t afford to stop serving the barfaroni. Slow Food USA is looking to change all that with their Time for Lunch Campaign...When I was in elementary school, Wednesdays were beefaroni day. My pops and I called... more
New imaging technology provides insight into abnormalities in the brain circuitry of patients with anorexia nervosa (commonly known as anorexia) that may contribute to the puzzling symptoms found in people with the eating disorder. In a review paper published on line in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Walter Kaye, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues describe dysfunction in certain neural circuits of the brain which may help explain why people develop anorexia in the first place, and behaviors such as the relentless pursuit of dieting and weight loss.
"Currently, we don't have very effective means of treating people with anorexia," said Kaye. "Consequently, many patients with the disorder remain ill for years or eventually die from the disease, which has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder."
A better understanding of the underlying neurobiology - how behavior is coded in the brain and contributes to anorexia —is likely to result in more effective treatments, according to the researchers.
Childhood personality and temperament may increase an individual's vulnerability to developing anorexia. Predisposing factors, some suspected to be inherited, such as perfectionism, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive tendencies may precede the onset of an eating disorders. These traits become intensified during adolescence as a consequence of many factors such as hormonal changes, stress and culture.
"Adolescence is a time of transition, when individuals must learn to balance immediate and long-term needs and goals in order to achieve independence," said Kaye. "For such individuals, learning to cope with mixed societal messages and pressures may be overwhelming, exacerbating underlying traits of anxiety and a desire to perfectly achieve."
Once a patient develops anorexia, starvation and malnutrition cause profound effects on the brain and other organ systems. Such changes include neuro-chemical imbalances, which may, in turn, exaggerate the preexisting traits and accelerate the disease process.
"Individuals with anorexia tend to report that dieting reduces anxiety, while eating increases it," said Kaye. "This is very different from most individuals, who experience hunger as unpleasant." The powerful drive to avoid being anxious drives actually weight loss in anorexia nervosa, triggering the out-of-control spiral that results in severe emaciation and malnutrition.
In addition, people with anorexia nervosa tend to not experience pleasure or live "in the moment." They often have exaggerated and obsessive worry about the consequences of their behaviors, looking for rules when there are none, and are overly concerned about making mistakes. Co-author Julie L. Fudge of the Department of Psychiatry & Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Rochester Medical Center, notes that imaging studies suggest that individuals with anorexia have an imbalance between circuits in the brain that regulate reward and emotion (the ventral or limbic circuit) and circuits that are associated with consequences and planning ahead (the dorsal or cognitive circuit.)
"Brain-imaging studies also show that individuals with anorexia have alterations in those parts of the brain involved with bodily sensations, such as sensing the rewarding aspects of pleasurable foods," said co-author Martin Paulus, UC San Diego professor of psychiatry, who heads UC San Diego's Laboratory of Biological Dynamics and Theoretical Medicine. "Anorexics may literally not recognize when they are hungry."
One such brain region is the anterior insula, which is critically important for interoception, or the self-awareness of internal body signals. In addition to a failure to respond appropriately to signals of hunger, symptoms of anorexia - such as distorted body image and diminished motivation to change - could be related to disturbed interoceptive awareness.
"Anorexia is very complicNew imaging technology provides insight into abnormalities in the brain circuitry of... more
Can a college student survive on a 100% raw/vegan diet?
This short documentary film follows two extremely lively and enthusiastic pre-med students at Maharishi University, Antwan and Yahya, though a month of their experiment eating a 100% raw/vegan diet. The story of their experiences, both challenges and benefits, on the raw food diet shows if and how it is possible for a college student to survive going raw.Can a college student survive on a 100% raw/vegan diet?
This short documentary... more
Do you want to improve your digestion and make your immune system stronger? You don’t have to do much, just include yogurt into your daily ration.
This dairy product has been known to people for hundreds of years. It contains lots of nutrients which help the organism to cope with infections. Eat yogurt every day and soon you’ll notice how helpful it is!Do you want to improve your digestion and make your immune system stronger? You... more
This is great. It tells you exactly what is the worst possible thing to get, with some HUGE surprises (I really didn't expect to see Chic fil a or Arby's on the list) and with healthier replacements from the same restaurant.This is great. It tells you exactly what is the worst possible thing to get, with... more
Everyone who eats sugar should put down their lollipops immediately, if not sooner and READ this!Everyone who eats sugar should put down their lollipops immediately, if not sooner and... more
"Food prices are climbing, and some might be looking to fast foods and packaged foods for their cheap bites. But low cost doesn’t have to mean low quality. In fact, some of the most inexpensive things you can buy are the best things for you. At the grocery store, getting the most nutrition for the least amount of money means hanging out on the peripheries—near the fruits and veggies, the meat and dairy, and the bulk grains—while avoiding the expensive packaged interior. By doing so, not only will your kitchen be stocked with excellent foods, your wallet won’t be empty.
Although that bag of 99¢ Cheetos may look like a bargain, knowing that you’re not getting much in the way of nutrition or sustenance makes it seem less like a deal and more like a dupe. Choosing one of these twenty items, or the countless number of similarly nutritious ones, might just stretch that dollar from a snack into a meal.""Food prices are climbing, and some might be looking to fast foods and packaged foods... more
"Conventional wisdom holds that women know more about nutrition than men. No surprise there: they tend to be more careful about what they eat, whether in the home or dining out, and they often strongly influence the food decisions of their children and significant others. Research backs it up—according to a 2007 study, seventy percent of women say they try to eat healthy food, compared to less than sixty percent of men. And women are 52 percent more likely to think of the calories they eat than men.
Despite their best efforts, women have been hit hardest by the massive American weight gain that’s taken place over the last forty years—according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, women now consume 22 percent more calories each day than they did in 1971, where men only consume seven percent more. And those who dine out frequently have even more cause for concern; according to a 2006 survey, women who eat foods prepared outside the home more than five times per week consume almost 300 more calories per day than other women.""Conventional wisdom holds that women know more about nutrition than men. No surprise... more
A look at how a once vacant lot on Chicago's South side now offers green collar jobs and training to ex-offenders, and fresh produce to a community consumed by chips and soda.A look at how a once vacant lot on Chicago's South side now offers green collar jobs... more
Adrienne makes a goumet raw four course lunch for her friend Grant, no cooking, but totally delicious.Adrienne makes a goumet raw four course lunch for her friend Grant, no cooking, but... more
another possible first... an organic fruit and vegetable garden to replace part of the south facing White House lawn.
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"...Claire Strader won the most votes in a national online election to name candidates to fill the role of "White House Farmer."
"Strader's name will be forwarded to President Barack Obama, along with the names of the second- and third-place finishers -- Carrie Anne Little of Mother Earth Farm, in Puyallup, Wash., and Margaret Lloyd of Home Farming in Davis, Calif. -- for consideration."
"This new post would be charged with implementing what could turn out to be your most symbolically resonant step in building a new American food culture. And that is this: tear out five prime south-facing acres of the White House lawn and plant in their place an organic fruit and vegetable garden."another possible first... an organic fruit and vegetable garden to replace part of the... more
There could be more rat hair, urine and droppings in wholemeal bread this year for two reasons. First, according to pest control agencies, rat infestations are on the rise as the nasty rodents take shelter in warm homes during this cold winter. Demand for Britain's rat catchers is up 15 percent. Second, the abundance of wheat following last year's harvest has made it hard for some farmers to store it securely.
Farmers deny this to be the case, calling it a scaremongering tactic. Still, this makes me want to vomit.There could be more rat hair, urine and droppings in wholemeal bread this year for two... more
It's getting harder to avoid GM foods.
Certified organic, locally grown food....the only way to go. It's getting harder to avoid GM foods.
Certified organic, locally grown food....the... more
Big thanks to wegomakit for his comments on "The South Central Diet." To check out the pod, go here: http://current.com/items/89275311_the_south_central_dietBig thanks to wegomakit for his comments on "The South Central Diet." To check out... more
South L.A. is a "food desert," with few supermarkets and a lot of land in between them. This video chronicles the extraordinary efforts of Healthy Eating Active Communities (HEAC) student Lae Schmidt to obtain the quality and variety of fruits and vegetables she desires.South L.A. is a "food desert," with few supermarkets and a lot of land in between... more
