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.

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.

What’s the big deal about fiber?

Inadequate consumption of fiber is reported to be one of the biggest public health concerns for the majority of the U.S. population. So a good recommendation during this nutrition month of March is to incorporate more fiber into our diets. However, as consumers, we may not be clear why we really should include more fiber in our diets. It is one thing to say that we need to increase our fiber intake, but the message might be more readily accepted if it was more clearly explained to us what fiber is, what it does and where to find it. With so many misconceptions out there, many people don’t really have a clear understanding about the critical role fiber plays in our bodies.

Why doctors need better nutrition training in med school

Extensive research has shown a link between the food you eat and your health. But even still, nutrition receives little, if any, attention in medical practices, due in part to the lack of nutrition education in medical school curricula. Nutrition is considered one of the most important prevention strategies for obesity-related conditions including heart disease, cancer Type 2 diabetes, stroke and hypertension. This is a big issue -- more than a third of American adults are obese, the CDC says.

Can antioxidants be too much of a good thing?

Antioxidants seem to be a “cure-all” for just about anything and everything. We hear about antioxidant-rich superfoods in the news, and advertisements are dripping with promises for better health. They're known for their ability to fight free radicals, and this is good news. Free radicals make you age faster and deteriorate your health. But does that mean you should load up on anything labeled “antioxidant”? Not necessarily. Here’s why.

Is fasting healthy?

People fast for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it’s religious, other times it’s to lose weight or to rid the body of toxins. And there are different types of fasts too. Some people don’t eat or drink anything for a period of time, while others partake in a limited amount of food or drink, like only juice or teas. There’s also intermittent fasting, which is kind of like interval training your diet – you go through intervals of fasting and not fasting, on and off. One common approach to intermittent fasting is following a pattern of eating only during an eight-hour window of the day, and fasting the rest of the day. But is it healthy to go without eating for a period of time? Let’s be proactive and examine the potential benefits and risks.

How much magnesium do you really need?

By now, there should be no dispute that magnesium is an extremely important mineral for optimal health. Every organ in the body, especially the heart, muscles and kidneys, needs magnesium. It is required for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body and is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. Around 50-60 percent of all the magnesium in the body is found in the skeleton, about 27 percent is found in muscle, 6-7 percent is found in other cells, and less than 1 percent is found outside of cells. It is required for healthy teeth and bones, activating enzymes and energy production.

Probiotics: bacteria to promote a strong gut and immune system

The root of the word probiotic comes from the Greek word pro, meaning "promoting" and biotic, meaning "life." And you’ll find it in more places than just your Greek yogurt. Probiotics can also be found in kombucha drinks, kefir and supplements.