Diet-and

Blabbing about your New Year’s diet or whatever your big 2012 goal may be may hurt your chances of actually doing whatever it is you intend to do this year, say psychology studies.

People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study.

Women with celiac disease are more likely than the general population to report symptoms of depression and disordered eating according to researchers.

Lean beef can contribute to a heart-healthy diet in the same way lean white meats can, according to nutritional scientists.

Age-old remedies could hold the key to treating a wide range of serious medical problems, as well as keeping skin firmer and less wrinkled, according to scientists from London’s Kingston University.

Roughly three million Americans suffer from peanut allergies; yet current diagnostic methods don’t detect every case. New findings by University of Virginia scientists, however, may allow for the development of more sensitive diagnostic tools and a better understanding of nut allergies.

We know that the typical American diet — filled with processed food and added sugar — is making us fat. But it’s also making us depressed, according “The Happiness Diet,” a new book that links food to feelings.

Dieters who can’t stomach the idea of going hungry seven days a week just got good news: You might be able to drop more weight if you cut back on carbs just two days a week.

Up to three quarters of elderly people in parts of India have vitamin C deficiency, a study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for human health, playing a role from maintenance and repair of tissues to antioxidant activities.

Targeting children aged six to 12 with school-based programmes that encourage healthy eating, physical activity and positive attitudes to body image are among a range of interventions that can help reduce levels of obesity, according to a new review of the evidence.

Females who consume lots of fruit, vegetables and grains have a lower risk of stroke, even if they have a history of cardiovascular disease, compared to women who don’t, researchers from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, reported in Stroke.

New research suggests that a calorie-restricted diet higher in protein – mostly from dairy foods – and lower in carbohydrates coupled with daily exercise has a major positive impact on bone health in overweight and obese young women.

Protein — not sugar — stimulates cells keeping us thin and awake, a new study suggests.

According to new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association large disparities exist in obesity and other chronic diseases across racial/ethnic groups in the United States.

A nutrient-poor diet filled with added sugars and unhealthy trans fats is known to cause high cholesterol, so it sure makes sense try and fix the problem with healthy food.

A low-calorie diet eliminates insulin dependence and leads to improved heart function in obese patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study.

When it comes to the heart, vitamin D can be a double-edged sword.

Many American teenagers may be eating fewer fruits and vegetables each day than nationwide guidelines recommend for this age group, a CDC report suggests.

People who are underweight have a 40 percent higher risk of dying in the first month after surgery than patients who are overweight, according to new research released on Monday.

A new study that takes a complete snapshot of adolescent cardiovascular health in the United States reveals a dismal picture of teens who are likely to die of heart disease at a younger age than adults do today, reports Northwestern Medicine research.

Apples are out and Kiwis are in, now it’s three kiwis a day to keep the doctor away. Individuals from southern China can be proud of their native fruit once again, as new research shows the furry fruit lowering blood pressure.

Research performed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and published recently in the journal Crop Science has demonstrated that mineral levels in new varieties of broccoli have not declined since 1975, and that the broccoli contains the same levels of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium and other minerals that have made the vegetable a healthy staple of American diets for decades.

While eating lots of cured meats is associated with greater weight gain and a higher obesity rate, the consumption of fish is linked to lower glucose concentrations and a smaller risk of developing diabetes.

A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that consumption of dairy foods and higher protein resulted in improvements in markers of bone formation and reductions in markers of bone degradation in overweight and obese young women over 16 weeks of diet- and exercise-induced weight loss.

What you eat plays a critical role in determining whether or not you develop cancer, indicates a new report published in the journal Nature. Pancreatic cancer takes nearly 20 years to develop in the body, but its onset, growth, and spread is largely determined by the types of food a person eats, and whether or not those foods feed or starve the cancer cells.

Stomach acid has long been blamed for acid reflux, heartburn and other ills. But now some experts are starting to think that the problems may lie not just in the acid coming up from the stomach but in the food going down.

A new national study of eating out and income shows that fast-food dining becomes more common as earnings increase from low to middle incomes, weakening the popular notion that fast food should be blamed for higher rates of obesity among the poor.

Many people indulge far too often in trans-fat-heavy foods because it makes them feel good, even though they know these foods may not be good for their hearts and their waistlines.

But while that double cheeseburger or glazed doughnut might temporarily improve your mood, research from Spain suggests the feeling won’t last.

Under pressure at work? Though exercise generally does improve productivity, long workouts might not do much if you’re dealing with extreme stress, finds a new study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Our self-images are bound with the products we buy, the money we possess and, I now gather, the portions of food we eat.

New research published online recently suggests that following a vegetarian diet and exercising at least three times a week significantly reduces the risk of diabetes among African Americans, who are normally twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.

The government has some thoughts on how to make the federally financed school lunch program more nutritious: A quarter-cup of tomato paste on pizza will no longer be considered a vegetable. Cut back on potatoes and add more fresh peaches, apples, spinach and broccoli. And hold the salt.

Flax Seed is an easy way to add nutrition to your meals. Flax Seed is solid source of calcium, protein, iron and fiber. Its also high in Omega 3.

The feel of cold steel in your hand. The heft of a barbell across your shoulders. In my opinion, these are the makings of a great workout. The benefits of weight lifting are countless, from increased fat burn and better posture to muscle definition and increased confidence. Simply put, it makes you feel like one tough chick.

A recent study has found that a childhood behavioral intervention to lower dietary intake of total fat and saturated fat and increase consumption of foods that are good sources of dietary fiber resulted in significantly lower fasting plasma glucose levels and lower systolic blood pressure when study participants were re-evaluated in young adulthood.

You’d think I’d get tired of greens. But this week while I was buying a nice bunch of beets at the market and another customer asked the vendor to cut off the greens from her beets, I jumped at the chance to get two bunches of free greens.

Does diet really make a difference when it comes to breast cancer?
Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, this is the perfect time to answer this question.

Just ask anyone who has ever tried to shed extra pounds: Losing weight can be hard, but it’s keeping this extra weight off that is often most daunting.

Any dieter knows that it’s hard to keep off weight you’ve lost. Now a study finds that even a year after dieters shed a good chunk of weight quickly, their hormones were still insisting, “Eat! Eat! Eat!”

Dinner for one can be a conundrum. If you never know when you’re going to be home it’s difficult to plan. If you’ve been cooking for a family for years and now your children are out of the house, you may be flummoxed by the idea of preparing a meal for just one person. Or say you’re divorced, and some nights your children are with their other parent. How do you plan a dinner for yourself?

A once-buff Utah personal trainer has deliberately stopped exercising and watching his diet in an effort to empathize with overweight clients.

A healthy diet is especially important during the menopause — a period in which the risk of suffering from health problems increases. The results show that all of those groups studied have a deficient intake of vitamin D.

While many parents worry whether their vegetarian or vegan children will receive adequate nutrition for their growing bodies, the American Dietetic Association says such diets, as long as they are well-planned, are appropriate for all phases of life, including childhood and adolescence.

Just like that Energy Star tag helps you choose your appliances, a new report says a rating symbol on the front of every soup can, cereal box and yogurt container could help hurried shoppers go home with the healthiest foods.

A University of Georgia researcher on Friday was awarded a $1.2 million federal grant to study the nutritional benefits of pecans and offer those findings to help promote the nuts, which are fetching record prices thanks to exploding demand in China and other markets overseas.

This stew recipe will keep for five days in the refrigerator and is best eaten a day after it is made. Add the basil just before serving.

Researchers reporting online in the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, on October 13th have found another good reason to eat your green vegetables, although it may or may not win any arguments with kids at the dinner table.

Learn how to cook brown rice for a macrobiotic diet in this free how-to video on a macrobiotics diet and cooking recipes.

Foods that are good for the waistline are also good for the bottom line. That’s the conclusion of a report out Thursday from the Hudson Institute, a non-partisan policy research organization.

New research has found that if you want some of the many health benefits associated with cruciferous vegetables, you need to eat the real thing.

  Depending on your definition of "sport," you could be spending your time doing something highly active (tennis, anyone?) or something that's barely a step up off the couch (we're looking at you, bowlers). So what are really the "healthiest" sports? We set out to find which recreational activities give [...]

Education and mentoring targeting obesity has been shown to have a significant impact on teen diet and physical activity, according to a new study.

Boost your daily nutrition intake by preparing and enjoying a fresh salad packed with greens and protein.

In America, obesity rates are decreasing slightly across most demographic groups, unlike the last two years.

Solid nutrition is as important as exercise in a successful weight loss battle. To know how to lose weight by making good eating habits work for you, watch this video.

How good is coconut oil for you? Nowadays in gym and in vitamin shops, they mention to have some coconut oil in our diet. Is it supposed to be good for you? If yes, in what ways, and what are some good tips to use it in our diet?

Want to double fruit sales in schools? A new Cornell University study shows it is as easy as putting the fruit in a colorful bowl. According to research presented this week at the American Dietetic Association Conference in San Diego, CA by Brian Wansink, Professor at Cornell University, “Moving the fruit increased sales by 104%.”

Hi, Dr. Melina. I read your response to a question a few weeks ago, and I don’t think I have an eating disorder, but I feel like I’m addicted to food. Is there anything that I can do? I’m desperate to lose weight.

Can controversial high fructose corn syrup change its name to “corn sugar”? Not so fast, says the FDA.

“Do you know what GMO stands for and what it is?” While some people either knew what it was or at least had heard of it, I was surprised by the number of people who had never heard of GMO. This article is dedicated to those of you who looked at me with wonder, and then shook your head “no.”

What should we eat? Answers abound in the media, all of which rely on their interpretation of recent medical literature to come up with recommendations for the healthiest diet. But what if you could answer this question at a molecular level — that’s precisely what some biologists have done.

Luckily, making meals at home provides the freedom to change recipes and substitute ingredients. Use these healthy recipe substitutions to keep your home-cooked meals (and home-baked desserts!) good for the body and soul.

Research by the University of Liverpool has found that intervention policies that promote healthy eating could cut the death rate for cardiovascular disease (CVD) by up to 50%.

I'm not sure where you heard that running and walking one mile burns the same number of calories, but as you found out with your experiment, this statement is not correct. Distance itself does not really determine total calories burned. How long you exercise, how fast/hard you exercise, how much [...]

Spending time in front of the television is linked to an increased consumption of unhealthy snacks and drinks according to a recent review by Loughborough University experts.

A new study suggests that high dietary salt intake and obesity work together to trigger an abnormal activation of a cellular protein called Rac1.

This is a terrific question. Many of my friends and patients spend hundreds of dollars every year on facial creams to prevent skin aging, but most don't pay nearly as much attention to the impact that what they eat has on their skin. Two of the most important aspects of [...]

Listening to some foodie types, you would think that anything that has been remotely industrially processed was as deadly as nerve poison. Yet even food snobs eat plenty of processed food. It’s just the right kind of processed food.

For the first time, new research shows that patterns of alcohol consumption — a drink or two every night, or several cocktails on Friday and Saturday nights only — may be more important in determining alcohol’s influence on heart health than the total amount consumed.

Obesity is growing at alarming rates worldwide, and the biggest culprit is overeating. In a study of brain circuits that control hunger and satiety, Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that molecular mechanisms controlling free radicals — molecules tied to aging and tissue damage — are at the heart of increased appetite in diet-induced obesity.

Nutrition & Fitness Expert JJ Virgin of www.JJVirgin.com shares a smart tip about improving your nutrition by adding healthy foods to your diet.

Americans by and large consume too much salt, more than twice the one teaspoon they should each day. Is reducing salt important for good health? The answer is a resounding YES!

The average American increased their consumption of HFCS (mostly from sugar sweetened drinks and processed food) from zero to more than 60 pounds per person per year. During that time period, obesity rates have more than tripled and diabetes incidence has increased more than seven-fold. Not perhaps the only cause, but a fact that cannot be ignored.

A new study gauging the impact of consuming more fish oil showed a marked reduction both in inflammation and, surprisingly, in anxiety among a cohort of healthy young people.

It’s hard to eat just one potato chip, and a new study may explain why.

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the sweet and tangy flavor of tomatoes. Whether you buy them at the farmstand, the supermarket or grow your own, there are a few things you should know about tomatoes. What's in a tomato? Tomatoes are excellent sources of potassium and several vitamins: [...]