Category Archives: Nutrition

Why Do Nails Split, Crack or Peel? – Possible Nutritional Causes

Why Do Nails Split, Crack or Peel? – Possible Nutritional Causes

If you are getting splitting, brittle or peeling nails once in a while, you are not alone.  It seems strange when your healthy, strong, beautiful nails one day start peeling and splitting; and you wonder why that is happening to you.  You are thinking back and wondering what did you change in your daily routineContinue 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

Does Breastfeeding Improve Child Intelligence?

Does Breastfeeding Improve Child Intelligence?

A recent study was designed to show differences in cognitive outcomes among breastfed infants at three intervals of 9 months, 2 years, 4 years, and kindergarten.  In the past there have been numerous publications to determine the benefits of breastfeeding on childhood development with mixed results.  This study was meant to show a relationship betweenContinue Reading

Oil Pulling Over Mouthwash

Oil Pulling Over Mouthwash

Oil pulling is the practice of pulling, or swishing, oils (most commonly coconut, sesame, or sunflower oils) in the mouth. It may be a new way to use these oils that you haven’t ever thought of, but in reality this practice has been around for quite a while and is actually a common folk remedy.Continue 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

The Nordic Diet: Shed Your Post-Baby Weight Quickly

The Nordic Diet: Shed Your Post-Baby Weight Quickly

Pregnancy is a significant life event for women, involving changes in lifestyle habits and eating patterns, as well as gestational weight gain. The natural gestational weight gain is typically a high concern for expectant mothers, as postpartum weight retention can lead to obesity, decreased libido, and poor self-esteem1. However, according to a recent study, adherenceContinue Reading

The New Diet: Listening to When You are Hungry….Then Eat.

The New Diet: Listening to When You are Hungry….Then Eat.

Diets that restrict calories have been proven to help the public lose weight, however, most gain the weight back in a short period of time after stopping the diet. In the article entitled, “Sensory-Based Nutrition Pilot Intervention for Women,” the researchers evaluated the effects on women’s weight and overall feelings towards food as they attendContinue 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