Nutrition/Healthy Eating Articles

Did you know that if your gut is in a rut, chances are your health is out of sorts too? The gut, also known as the gastrointestinal (or GI) tract, hosts trillions of bacteria that can have profound effects on digestive health and overall wellness, which is why it’s a good idea to consume prebiotics and probiotics—dietary dynamos that work in concert to populate the gut with “micro- flora” that keep you healthy.

The skin is the body’s largest organ, accounting for 20% of body weight and serving primarily as a physical barrier against microorganisms, ultraviolet (UV) light, abrasions, dehydration and pollution. Loaded with sensory nerve endings, skin regulates body temperature, excretes waste and synthesizes vitamin D. Human skin has three layers:newsletter_teaser: The skin is the body’s largest organ, accounting for 20% of body weight and serving primarily as a physical barrier against microorganisms, ultraviolet (UV) light, abrasions, dehydration and pollution. Loaded with sensory nerve endings, skin regulates body temperature, excretes waste and synthesizes vitamin D. Human skin has three layers:

No doubt personal trainers were surprised and confused after learning about a recent Annals of Internal Medicine study challenging the long-held association between saturated-fat intake and heart disease. Some media reports pounced on the study results, essentially giving green-light messages to eat more red meats and butter.

Should your clients take them, or shouldn’t they? Supplements, that is. One day the news media are report- ing that dietary supplements don’t pre- vent disease and may actually threaten our health; the next day another study says that supplements can help to thwart disease or can fill nutrient gaps in our diets. What should health and fitness professionals tell clients when asked about supplements?

The term orthorexia nervosa (ON), referring to an obsession with dietary virtue, has become increasingly common since it was coined just over 10 years ago. Steven Bratman, MD, initially introduced the term in an article in the October 1997 issue of Yoga Journal, as a somewhat “tongue in cheek” way of describing an unhealthy obsession with healthful eating (Bratman 1997; Mathieu 2005).

If you really are what you eat, would you qualify as a hydrophile? Translated from ancient Greek, the word literally means “loving water.” In terms of food and nutrition, it describes water-loving foods that can be very satisfying owing to their capacities for attracting and retaining water. In other words, they fill you up in a healthy way because they fill up first.

Data on more than 73,000 participants in the Adventist Health Study strongly suggest that consuming a plant-based diet results in a more sustainable environment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions while improving longevity.

Fickle produce marketers and shoppers in North America would do well to take a page from French supermarket chain Intermarché, which recently started a campaign to put farmers’ most “inglorious” produce in the spotlight—at a significant discount to shoppers.The plan highlights food waste by showing consumers that produce need not be perfectly shaped, symmetrical or unblemished to be delicious or nutritious.

If clients could meaningfully impact ingrained eating behavior by subtly fine-tuning their thinking patterns about exercise, would you try to help them do that? Consider these new findings from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab as an opportunity to move people in the right direction.

What if kids would eat more fruits and vegetables (FV) as sides on restaurant menus, but restaurants were simply failing to give them the option? A study that asked kids about it suggests this could well be the case.