Which Diet Plans are the Best?
In 2017, the U.S. News and World’s Report evaluated and ranked 40 diets with input from a panel of health experts (you can visit https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/experts to check out the list of experts). According to the U.S. News site, in order for a diet to be top-rated, it had to be safe, relatively easy to follow, […]
Three Meals, Six Meals, or Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss: Which is Most Effective?
In Western civilization, the three daily meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as we know them today – have been the gold standard” of eating since probably late 18th to early 19th century.1 However, in more recent times, the method of increased eating frequency (i.e., eating small amounts of food every 2–3 hours) has gained […]
The Psychology of Habit
How to Establish and Maintain Healthy Habits A healthy diet and regular physical activity can be used to improve one’s quality of life and feeling of well-being…but we must take action to incorporate these healthy habits into our daily lives if we want to experience the positive results. Taking action to change unhealthy habits can […]
Satiety Science: The Benefits of Resistant Starch
Resistant starch: What is it? Resistant starch is mentioned in books dating back to the 1920s, but there appears to be a gap in research from the mid-20s to the 1980s, when the topic started regaining attention. Resistant starch is, according to Asp et al, “any starch or starch digestion products that are not digested […]
Over the Counter Weight-loss Supplements: Healthy or Harmful?
Common sense tells us that there is no single pill, drink, or food that will make us “magically” lose weight without needing to restrict caloric intake. But I imagine most of us would love it if one such miracle drug existed, and the marketers of weight-loss supplements know this. They know we’d probably happily drink […]
Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diets: New Study Brings Good News for Both Sides
In a new and exciting study published in the Journal of the American Medicine Association, researchers explored whether the human body responds better to a low-fat diet or a low-carbohydrate diet. This is a question hotly debated among fitness and nutrition enthusiasts as well as everyday people hoping to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. […]
Healthy Weight-loss Plans and the Internet: YouTube as a Source of Information for Individuals Seeking to Lose Weight
I N T R O D U C T I O NAccording to Pew Research Center, eight out of 10 adult internet users (59% of the adult United States population) use the internet as a source of information on health-related issues, which makes seeking healthcare information the third most popular online activity in the United […]
Don’t Be Fooled by Low-fat Processed Foods
Supermarket shelves are lined with countless low-fat products, but consumers should be wary and read their labels carefully. Many of those low-fat treats are highly processed and filled with added sugars to compensate for the removal of fat. According to an article on Healthline.com, a cup of low-fat yogurt has 47 grams of sugar, much […]
What’s the Deal with Detox / Cleanse Regimens?
WHAT IS A “DETOX” OR “CLEANSE” DIET? “Detoxification” or “detox” regimens, also called “cleanses” or “flushes,” have been suggested as a means of removing toxins from your body and/or losing weight. During a cleanse, solid foods are often replaced with liquids such as water with lemon, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper; green tea; or freshly […]
Beat the Bloat with These Simple Remedies
At any time, a human has an average of 100 to 200cc of gas within their gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This volume increases in the postprandial period, or the period of time after consuming a meal. Meals containing lactose, fructose, sorbitol, legumes, and complex carbohydrates can cause bloating because these foods are not fully digested in […]
Artificial Sweeteners: Past and Present
Since before we fully uncovered the detrimental health effects of added sugars, people understood that too much of the sweet stuff could wreak havoc on our waistlines, and artificial sweeteners were quickly welcomed as a way to have our cake and eat it too. The first sugar substitute introduced to the market was saccharin in […]
Viral Infection or Bacterial Infection? Know the Difference
You are feverish with a wicked sore throat, stuffed up nose, and body aches. Last time you had a sore throat and fever, the doctor prescribed you an antibiotic and you felt better after two or three days of taking the medicine. This time, however, after the examination, she simply instructs you to take ibuprofen […]
