Category Archives: Foods

Weight Loss with Probiotics

Weight Loss with Probiotics

The latest study suggests not only can probiotics help you lose some weight; they also regulate inflammation that is caused by extra weight and regulate some hormones to help lose extra weight. The Journal of American College of Nutrition recently published an article “Effects of Probiotic Yogurt on Fat Distribution and Gene Expression on ProinflammatoryContinue Reading

Benefits of Potatoes

Benefits of Potatoes

My husband grew up on a farm in Idaho and since being married to him, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write about potatoes.  Usually when looking at fruits and vegetables, it is easy for the average nutrition-conscious shopper to associate certain colors of vegetables with a higher level of nutritional value.  For example, the luscious green color of broccoli, theContinue Reading

Ideal Healthy Snacks for “On The Go”

Ideal Healthy Snacks for “On The Go”

Snacking throughout the day is ideal for preventing overeating during meals and for preventing night-time cravings. In order to be effective in our busy lives, snacks must be portable. Size of a snack matters for portability. Also, the energy consumed from a snack should be adjusted for individual requirements. So, how much food one shouldContinue Reading

Probiotics Effect on Blood Pressure

Probiotics Effect on Blood Pressure

Probiotics are microorganisms found in our gut that aid our health.  Probiotics can be found is some yogurts and supplements.  A study done by School of Medicine and Griffith Health Institute analyzed the effect that consuming probiotics had on blood pressure.  543 adults were analyzed from nine different studies. Researchers found that those who consumedContinue Reading

Does a Diverse Diet Affect Our Microflora?

Does a Diverse Diet Affect Our Microflora?

Year-after-year nutritionists keep teaching us to eat varieties of foods to get the most nutrients. Who would argue this concept? The more diverse foods are consumed the greater chance we have of getting different nutrients from the different sources. When we think about health of our microflora we think of addition of probiotics or prebioticsContinue Reading

The Simple Truth about Simple Sugars – Comparing High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sucrose

The Simple Truth about Simple Sugars – Comparing High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sucrose

A recent peer-reviewed article in the Nutrition Research Journal titled, “High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose have equivalent effects on energy-regulating hormones at normal human consumption levels,” authors Zhiping Yu, Joshua Lowndes, and James Rippe hypothesized that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and sucrose have essentially the same effect on human metabolism. 1 The results ofContinue Reading

Some Not So Sweet News About Sugar

Some Not So Sweet News About Sugar

Added sugar has infiltrated the food industry because of its ability to mask other, less desirable flavors. The average American consumes about 130 lbs. of sugar a year (1). When we compare how much we were eating back in 1822 to how much we eat now, we find that on average we eat 725 gramsContinue Reading

Smile! Probiotics are Good for Your Teeth Too!

Smile! Probiotics are Good for Your Teeth Too!

In mid 2013, researchers in India conducted a randomized trial that looked at probiotic use and its oral health benefits in school children. This study, conducted on students between the ages of 14-17, showed a significant increase in plaque reduction by feeding the students a common dairy product called curd. Although these results have beenContinue Reading

Caffeine: Memory Enhancer?

Caffeine: Memory Enhancer?

In a recent study published in Nature Neuroscience in January 2014 and entitled, “Post-Study Caffeine Administration Enhances Memory Consolidation in Humans”, researchers examined the effects of caffeine administration on memory fortification after subjects studied certain images (1). Caffeine was given following the study session and after 24 hours, there was a significant increase in memoryContinue Reading

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