What is oleic acid and how much do you need?

Most people are familiar with the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, but what is oleic acid, and why is it important? Oleic acid is a naturally occurring, odorless, colorless oil. Oleic acid is found in flaxseed oil, borage (a Mediterranean herb) oil, evening primrose oil, olive oil (less in virgin olive oil), pecan oil, canola oil, peanut oil, macadamia oil, sunflower oil, grape seed oil, sea buckthorn oil and sesame oil. You can also find it in animal fat. Oleic acid at appropriate levels has been implicated in cancer prevention in some (but not all studies), and reduces cholesterol levels.

3, 6, 9: What are the different omega fatty acids?

Essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) are indeed essential for your health, but they cannot be produced in the body, so you need to get them from foods or supplements. Ideally, your diet would have a healthy balance of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, but the modern American diet tends to be richer in omega-6. Unless you are following a Mediterranean diet, you could probably use some more omega-3! Let’s take a look at what the different “omegas” do.

Meet SAM-e, your friend for hurting joints

SAM-e (pronounced Sammy) just might be your new best friend. He’s a great friend to have around because he doesn’t like to see you in pain. He tries to ease those inflamed joints so you can do more of the things you love like playing an instrument, cooking, woodworking, crafts -- whatever it may be. And when you’re feeling down, he does his best to give you a boost. SAM-e is very helpful, so let us introduce you to him right now!

Sports nutrition guide for high-intensity athletes

In my younger days, I was a track and field athlete. But I had no idea about sports nutrition. However, I did pay attention to what made me perform better or worse. Having more carbs was fine, especially for running, jumping and other cardiovascular exercises. But fats and greasy foods made my body more sluggish. A runner might eat more carbohydrates because his muscles will use them for energy, whereas fats and proteins are converted to energy much slower.

Almonds May Help Lower Cholesterol

Almonds are everywhere — as a replacement for dairy milk, crumbled on pastries and ground into nut butter. Now, more research is supporting almonds as weapons in the fight against high cholesterol.

Be Proactive and Eat Just the Right Amount of Protein

Protein seems to be one of those nutrients where people resort to extremes. Some people consume more protein than they need because they want to be strong and lean, while others aren't getting quite enough because they haven't fine-tuned their plant-based diet. High-protein diets are among some of the most popular for weight loss, but they may actually come with unwanted side effects like weight gain and greater risk of death in people with heart disease risk factors. But somewhere in the middle is a healthy, balanced protein diet that is just right for the average man or woman.

Minty guacamole! A healthy guac for your Cinco de Mayo festivities

Minty guacamole! It’s healthy, it’s tasty, and it’s sure to impress your friends and family this Cinco de Mayo. Let’s guac and roll!

Health effects of late-night meals

Do you eat a good portion of your daily calories at night, when you finally have time to wind down? If so, you’re not alone! Most of us know that we should be eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. But we don’t. So what are the consequences if we don’t?

Keep your sodium and potassium in check

Sodium and potassium are electrolytes. They drive many of the chemical reactions that occur in the body, causing everything from heartbeats to nerve impulses to digestion of food. And although both sodium and potassium are important, too much of one isn’t a good thing. While the body can usually balance these electrolytes itself, it doesn't take much to disrupt their balance and cause health problems.

What are processed foods, exactly?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a processed food has undergone a transformation to extend shelf life or to make it more palatable. Examples include dehydrated fruits, frozen vegetables, and sausages. Frozen produce would be considered “minimally” processed, while the sausage, especially if it is filled with nitrates and flavorings, fits our more common perception of processed food.

Douse inflammation by keeping infections under control

Your body constantly fights off a multitude of minor infections, but some still persist. And when they do, they may cause you problems. There’s increasing evidence that chronic low-grade infections may cause inflammation affecting the whole body. This is because inflammation is the body’s attempt to protect itself and remove the harmful issues. Let’s look at the heart for example. There appears to be a link between infections and heart disease. In certain cases, chronic infections may cause inflammation such as arteriosclerosis (“narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque”) in your heart and make your heart age prematurely. Infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses or even parasites.

How nutrition complements addiction recovery

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. It is considered a brain disease because studies have shown that drugs and alcohol physically change the structure of the brain and how the brain works. Research has shown that a majority of addicts suffer from biochemical, nutritional, and metabolic disorders, including depleted or malfunctioning brain chemicals called neurotransmitters and hypoglycemia (or low blood sugar), which causes a wide range of symptoms.