June 2, 2015

Arsenic Warning! How Risky Is Your Rice?

Consumer Reports most recent testing and analysis gave us some new information on the risk of arsenic exposure in infants and children through rice cereal and other rice products. They looked at data released by the Food and Drug Administration in 2013 on the inorganic arsenic content of 656 processed rice-containing products. They found that rice cereal and rice pasta can have much more inorganic arsenic—a carcinogen—than their previous test showed. According to the results of their new tests, one serving of either could put kids over the maximum amount of rice they recommend they should have in a week. Rice cakes supply […]
May 26, 2015

Obesity Cure Simply Too Simple

Are you a Feaster, Emotional Eater or Constant Craver? If so, you are among an increasing number of obese people struggling with weight issues and the confusion caused by a wealth of diet and exercise advice, Robert Matthews writes. Obesity: huge problem, simple solution – eat less, exercise more. That’s it. But with more than half of the UAE population now struggling with weight issues, that message from health officials clearly is not working. This month, World Health Organisation statistics revealed that more than a third of men and almost half of women over 18 are not merely overweight, but clinically obese. That means they face much […]
May 26, 2015

Harmful Trans Fat Ingredients Lurk In Supermarket Foods

A new analysis by Environmental Working Group has found that harmful artificial trans fatty acids lurk in more than 27 percent of more than 84,000 processed foods common in American supermarkets.  Another 10 percent contain ingredients likely to contain trans fat. EWG analysts used information from EWG’s Food Scores database and mobile app to determine which foods contained partially hydrogenated oils and other ingredients that harbor trans fat. The interactive, searchable tool rates more than 84,000 foods and 5,000 ingredients based on nutrition, ingredient and processing concerns. In most cases, the products’ trans fat content on the nutrition label doesn’t add up. The reason: an obscure […]
May 26, 2015

Science Says: Fast Food Great for Post Workout Refuel

Are you religious in your workouts?  Do you find your bland, post workout re-fuels to be lacking in satisfaction? Well, I’ve got some real, science-backed news for you that I’m betting you’re going to love… Leave The Sports Drink, Take The Fast Food! Does this sound like you? You finish work at your job, or your home, you want to make it to the gym before the 6 o’clock crowd comes in, so you put off dinner.  You spend over an hour doing cardio and weight training, drinking only sports water to keep you going. And when you’re finally done, […]
May 20, 2015

10 Tips To Fill Your Tummy

By Marijke Durning at ScrubsMag.com Oh boy…it’s 3am and you have the urge to snack. So what can you do about these hunger pangs  without adding a pile of calories to your daily allotment? First of all, although we were taught to eat three square meals per day, grazing-eating small amounts often-is actually healthier for your body. The trick is to be sure that you don’t overdo the grazing! Second, when looking for snack foods, although the sugary stuff is often handy, it’s best to choose foods that have fat, fiber and protein. This will give your body fuel to stay on […]
May 19, 2015

Unexpected Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract

Scientists have isolated the unique molecule that provides olive oil with its multitude of health and life-extending benefits. Known as oleuropein, it is the polyphenol that can help lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent cancer, protect against oxidative damage, and help guard against cognitive decline. Oleuropein provides the distinctive tangy, pungent, almost bitter flavor found in high quality extra virgin olive oils. It’s also responsible for most of olive oil’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and disease-fighting characteristics. In fact, when oleuropein was given to animals with tumors, the tumors completely regressed and disappeared in 9 to 12 days! The olive tree (Olea europaea) produces oleuropein abundantly […]
May 19, 2015

Weight Loss Products Part 6: Garcinia Plus Meratrim® Gold

By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, LDN Garcinia Plus Meratrim® Gold™ by NutriGold® is a combination of Super Citrimax® Garcinia Cambogia extract at 1500mg (60% Hydroxycitric Acid or HCA) in two caps combined with a proprietary blend of Meratrim® 400mg Sphaeranthus indicus extract and garcinia mangostana extract aiming to help with weight reduction and promote a healthy body weight. A low dose of calcium (100mg) and potassium (210mg) accompany the ingredients. Based on research surrounding these compounds, the product could potentially aid in weight loss for some individuals when combined with a healthy diet and physical activity but consumers should also […]
May 12, 2015

Combine Nuts and Olive Oil With Mediterranean Diet

Consuming plant-based Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil or mixed nuts can lead to improved cognitive function in older adults, suggests a new study. Spanish researchers Emilio Ros, M.D., Ph.D., and Ciber Fisiopatologia along with colleagues compared a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts with a low-fat control diet. The randomized clinical trial included 447 cognitively healthy volunteers (223 were women; average age was nearly 67 years) who were at high cardiovascular risk and were enrolled in the Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea nutrition intervention. The authors measured cognitive change over time with a battery of neuropsychological tests and they […]
May 6, 2015

Do Natural Weight Loss Product Work? Part 4: Super Citrimax®

By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, LDN The Super Citrimax® product by NOW supplement brand aims to improve blood sugars while also promoting a healthy body weight. A low dose of calcium (100mg), iodine from kelp (300mcg) and naturally occurring sodium (15mg) accompany the ingredients that will likely be more active in accomplishing said benefits: ChromeMate® provides 200mcg chromium and the Super CitriMax is a Garcinia cambogia extract containing active ingredient Hydroxycitric Acid or HCA at 1.5grams. Garcinia cambogia is often used as a tool for weight loss. This product also contains 200mg of Panax Ginseng Root Extract which is commonly […]
May 5, 2015

New Strategy to Overcome “Emotional Eating”

Even when faced with life-threatening diseases related to their corpulence, most overweight people simply cannot manage to eat less. One overlooked reason for today’s obesity epidemic is a stress-induced disorder known as “emotional eating.” Consuming certain foods, especially high-glycemic carbohydrates, bolsters “feel-good” brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin that are depleted by stress. While increasing brain serotonin levels through high-carbohydrate meals can help elevate mood in the short term, ingesting ever-greater amounts of dietary carbohydrates often leads to weight gain and a cascade of ill health effects throughout the body. To stand any chance of success, programs designed to help people […]
April 29, 2015

Are Natural Weight Loss Products Safe? Part 3: Bitter Orange

By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, LDN The active component in Nature’s Way Bitter Orange product has been studied with interest for its role in weight loss, and despite much caution with regards to side effects, has proven relatively safe in some animal and human research. ­­­­The product has shown some efficacy for modest weight loss and has made its way onto the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list when consumed as a food (peel, flower or leaf). However, when taking the extract which acts like a stimulant to the sympathetic nervous system, or the body’s fight-or-flight system, there are some […]
April 29, 2015

Try These Cancer-Preventing Foods

Cancer is responsible for 1 out of every 4 deaths in the U.S.A. One of the best cancer-prevention tools for health is eating the right foods, but finding the motivation to eat right sometimes alludes us until we, or someone we love, is faced with a deadly disease. Garlic, produces sulfur compounds and allicin. Sulfur compounds detoxify the body and help prevent cancer. Allicin thins the blood and reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer. It’s best to eat garlic after it has been crushed so that these cancer-fighting compounds can form. Dried garlic or roasted garlic doesn’t […]
April 28, 2015

Apple Polyphenols and Longevity

In the last year alone, scientists from three different laboratories have published studies that demonstrate how polyphenol molecules derived from apples extend life span in various species by as much as 12%. These researchers are unraveling the various mechanisms of action that give apple polyphenols such promise as anti-aging nutrients. Initial findings show that apple polyphenols modulate multiple signaling molecules to delay the onset of age-related disorders. They may also mimic the actions of calorie restriction, a known antiaging technique. One polyphenol, phloridzin, which is heavily concentrated in the skin of the apple, also potently suppresses several processes leading to glycation, […]