A review of 19 studies about the effects of soy foods on hot flashes in women concludes that soy foods work in decreasing them. Mark Messina, executive director of the Soy Nutrition Institute, says it takes two servings of soy foods (soy milk, tofu, edamame, soy nuts, for example) each day to see the results.
HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAM – Soy foods decrease hot flashes (1:30 mp3)
Super nutrients give you and your food extra bang for the buck. Sarah-Jane Bedwell is a registered dietician and recommends adding four super nutrients into your daily diet that are found in a variety of healthy foods. They include carotenoids, Omega-3 fatty acids, and, folic acid (a B vitamin).
The raw food diet has been gaining in popularity over the last decade. While not a recognized diet for a particular health condition it is often followed by people who are vegan – who consume no animal products. Registered dietician Andrea Giancoli with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says raw foodists believe cooking destroys the enzymes in foods, which is true with over-cooked vegetables, however, she says our normal digestive system does that anyway.
Portion sizes in America are super-sized compared to other countries. Drop Dead Healthy author A.J. Jacobs refers to it as “portion inflation.” Simply put – Jacobs says American just eat too much food. While writing his book on his quest for a healthier lifestyle – he found these five things that were crucial to controlling his portions. His first tip: Use small plates and small forks.
A balanced plate is really a lopsided plate with more fruits and vegetables than anything else. If you’re looking to serve more nutritionally balanced meals in your home, registered dietician Sarah Jane Bedwell has some suggestions on how to do that. She says to start showcasing fruits and vegetables instead of treating them as a side dish.
There’s no getting around what butter is…fat.
Registered dietician Laura Wilford with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board says butter has many good attributes – including that it’s a natural dairy product -and she says it is just fine to eat in moderation.
Reading labels can be beneficial when you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Sarah-Jane Bedwell, a Registered Dietician and blogger for Self magazine, says what is said on the front of a product’s packaging isn’t as important as what you find on the back.
A new oat with claims of more heart healthiness could be at a store near you in a few years. The University of Wisconsin has developed a new oat variety that it says is more “heart healthy” because it contains more “betaglucan” which helps lower cholesterol.
Filling food pantries to help our neighbors in need is a good thing. But what sort of foods are the healthiest to donate? As the economy has declined, the need for food donations has risen. But, it takes some label reading to make sure the foods we are donating are within the range of healthy. More and more pantries are partnering with local farmers to provide more fruits and vegetables – which are good for everyone – but as individual donors we are often limited to giving canned food items. But which canned foods are the healthiest?
HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAM – Healthy donations (1:30 mp3)
University of Missouri Cooperative Extension – Ways Food Pantries are increasing healthier donations
The What We Eat in America survey finds adults snacking a lot. Rhonda Sebastian is a nutritionist at the Food Surveys Research Group, part of the USDA Agrcultural Research Service, who tells Brownfield the top categories for snacking are alcoholic beverages, sodas, potato chips and other savory snacks and candies – They make up half of what American adults are snacking on. A few healthier choices are fruit, fruit juices, seeds and nuts. But, overall, Sebastian says, American’s snacks contain too many calories and too few nutrients.
HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAM – What we’re snacking on (1:30 mp3)
ARS – Snacking patterns of U.S. adults
