Monthly Archives: March 2014

A Mediterranean Cruise is Good for the Heart

A Mediterranean Cruise is Good for the Heart

In our society, we are surrounded by fad diets that claim to do this or that for our health. Some of these diets have been shown to have no beneficial effects while others are being backed up by science to have positive effects on health. More studies are showing an advantage in following a MediterraneanContinue Reading

Stickers May Make Healthy Eating Habits Stick

Stickers May Make Healthy Eating Habits Stick

Getting young children to eat fruits and vegetables is a challenge that many parents face. Faced with this challenge parents have come up with a variety of ways to get their children to eat their fruits and vegetables. One common trick is to offer the child a reward to get them to try a biteContinue Reading

Can Chia Seed Improve Your Health and Lower Your Weight?

Can Chia Seed Improve Your Health and Lower Your Weight?

A clinical study was done on overweight adults to determine the effectiveness of chia seed. The hypothesis of this study was that certain contents in chia seed would promote weight loss and improve risk factors for disease. The results of this study found no significant difference, meaning the hypothesis was rejected. Chia seed does notContinue Reading

Hunger and Cravings may Decrease with Weight Loss

Hunger and Cravings may Decrease with Weight Loss

This study examined the changes in hunger and cravings with a weight loss intervention program within a work-site. The study found that at baseline cravings were more frequent and intense in people with a BMI over 25. As the participants lost weight, their frequency and intensity of cravings decreased along with their hunger. The studyContinue Reading

Is Just Eating Healthy Really Enough for PCOS?

Is Just Eating Healthy Really Enough for PCOS?

     For women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) obesity is a big issue. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy body weight is highly recommended because it helps reduce all other symptoms, one of which is high insulin resistance. Doctors have recommended a low glycemic (low-GI) diet (the recommended diet for diabetics) without aContinue Reading

Artificial Sweeteners Versus Sugar Sweeteners

Artificial Sweeteners Versus Sugar Sweeteners

“Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverage consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men” is an analysis of a prospective cohort study that compares the effect of sugar-sweetened beverages and artificial sweetened beverages on type 2 diabetes. The study found that sugar-sweetened beverages do increase the risk of type 2 diabetes but artificial sweeteners doContinue Reading

Are Multivitamins Really Worth the Money?

Are Multivitamins Really Worth the Money?

The paper titled Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Men, does not support the use of multivitamins’ in the prevention of cardiovascular disease for men. Compared with the placebo, there were no significant differences in the risk of cardiovascular events. The events include Myocardial Infarction (MI), stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. TheContinue Reading

Lowering Blood Pressure through the Mediterranean Diet

Lowering Blood Pressure through the Mediterranean Diet

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a major contributor to the risk for multiple cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and overall heart health.  “In 2003, the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure estimated that hypertension affects approximately 1 billion people worldwide” (1).  Treatments used for lowering blood pressureContinue Reading

Looking for a healthy smile? Try probiotics!

Looking for a healthy smile? Try probiotics!

Scientific evidence suggests that probiotics may play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy smile. Results from a recent study provide strong evidence that probiotics can decrease the risk of carries, protect against oral disease and improve overall oral health (2). These results, along with other research, offer a new approach to the future ofContinue Reading

Going Gluten-Free: Are We Getting Enough Nutrients?

Going Gluten-Free: Are We Getting Enough Nutrients?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the G.I. tract and it has many symptoms involved. The best way to help prevent these symptoms is by going on a gluten-free diet. But what about the nutrients that gluten lacks that these people are losing? The study performed by Shepherd, SJ and Gibson, PR inContinue Reading