Martina Cartwright, PhD, RD
Article Archive
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:
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“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” —Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Change one habit. Changing too many habits at once can weaken willpower. Cultivating keystone habits has a ripple effect, improving other areas of life (Duhigg 2012; Hofmann et al. 2012).
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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 “microflora” that keep mind and body healthy.
Read More Many food products contain extra protein. Here’s a list of the most common protein boosters:
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Sales of foods with “protein” on the label are skyrocketing, and new product launches of high-protein foods are soaring (Stagnito Media 2013). American shoppers want more protein in everything from cereals to snack foods, but in a society where protein intake is already adequate, are consumers getting too much of a good thing?
Nutrition and fitness professionals trumpeting the weight-loss and muscle-building benefits of dietary protein are instrumental in educating consumers hungry for information about the type, amount and timing needed for optimal health.
Not all proteins are created equal. We divide them into the “complete” proteins like soy and animal sources, which contain all nine essential amino acids (EAA), and the incomplete proteins found in most vegetables and grains, which lack one or more EAAs. This would seem to complicate life for vegans, but it turns out that building complete dietary proteins is easy for those who know how to “complement.”
Read More ??Trent is a 20-year-old college student and intercollegiate football player who works outs daily and wants that extra competitive edge. Trent tells his trainer he’s been experiencing headaches, insomnia, rapid heart rate, irritability, upset stomach and facial flushing. He wonders if energy drinks are causing his misery.
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Everyone needs a quick pick-me-up now and then, but are we becoming a nation of energy addicts? So it would seem, based on skyrocketing sales of caffeine-infused products. Today’s 24/7 culture, long work hours and poor sleep habits drain stamina and encourage us to guzzle liquid pep to combat daily sluggishness. Energy drinks, with edgy names and catchy slogans, have captured the youth market, igniting sales—and side effects (Seifert et al. 2011).
Read More In a culture that associates dietary fat with culinary coronaries and diabetes, Americans have
embraced low-fat diets as a path to wellness. True, an overabundance of energy-dense fat can
enlarge waistlines, but restricting dietary fat limits essential fatty acid (EFA) intake. When it
comes to health, the type of fat matters.
Read More By Martina M. Cartwright, PhD, RD
Winter is nearly over, but is your metabolism still in hibernation? Even if your metabolic rate is slower than a snail climbing a hill of molasses, there are ways to ignite your calorie-burning machine. The key to a supercharged metabolism is stoking the metabolic engine with exercise, food and lifestyle habits that boost energy expenditure.
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