April 10th, 2010 by Peggy Polaneczky, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Opinion, Research, True Stories
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I’ve been waiting for this soup for weeks. Eleven weeks, to be exact. That’s how long I was enrolled in a research diet study, and unable to eat anything other than the food they provided me, which was nowhere near as delicious as this soup.
The study is designed to compare the effects of three different diets — the American Diet, the Mediterrnean Diet, and a high-protein diet — on weight loss and cardiovascular disease risk.
I randomized to the American Diet, meaning that Thursday’s lunch was a slice of pizza with potato chips and an afternoon snack of Oreos and chocolate pudding, Saturday’s lunch was hamburger and fries, and the most veggies I ever saw at one sitting was a measly stalk of broccoli.
Despite this, I lost 30 pounds over the 11 weeks of the study, primarily because my caloric intake was only 1,200 calories per day, carefully calculated based on my basal metabolic rate. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Blog that Ate Manhattan*
April 9th, 2010 by Medgadget in Better Health Network, News, Opinion
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Primary care doctors and nutritionists will soon have a new threat in the fight against obesity. KFC is going national with its new “Double Down” sandwich on April 12.
This 540 calorie, 32g of fat, 1380mg of sodium “sandwich” replaces the bread or bun with two pieces of fried chicken.
In a somewhat hyperbolic article at Consumerist.com, its predicted that the new fast-food sandwich will “start killing people” nationwide next week.
Product page: Double Down…
More: Introducing The Vegan Double Down!
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
March 20th, 2010 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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How much does a shopping cart full of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables cost? Let’s see:
Oranges (4.25 lbs @ $1.28/lb): $5.44
Bananas (2.66 lbs @ $0.48/lb): $1.28
Grapes (2.50 lbs @ $2.78/lb): $6.95
Green Onions (one bunch): $0.66
Asparagus (1.00 lbs @ $1.47/lb): $1.47
Apples (2.79 lbs @ $1.46/lb): $4.07
Nectarines(1.53 lbs @ $1.98/lb): $3.03
English Cucumbers ($1.78 each): $3.56
Tomatoes (1.37 lbs @ $2.78/lb): $3.81
Strawberries (1.00 lb @ $1.37/lb): $1.37
Bag of carrots (1 lb): $1.48
Mini sweet peppers (2 lb bag): $4.98
That’s $38.10 for 21.1 pounds of fruit and vegetables. That’s $1.80 per pound. Interestingly, that’s cheaper than just about everything else you can buy in a grocery store whether it’s boxed, canned, processed, fresh or frozen. It’s also interesting that this is what you’ll pay for the right to eat fast food. Go to any McDonald’s and you’ll spend about $5 for a value meal, which I suspect doesn’t even reach 3lbs of weight. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Happy Hospitalist*
March 18th, 2010 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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A reader pointed me out to this current food pyramid subsidy model showing what the daily recommended servings are for each category of food compared with how the federal farm subsidy programs actually work against the goal of a healthy nation. You can click on the image to enlarge it and take a close look at how powerful lobby groups have become.
There is no reason why dairy and meat farmers should be getting 50 billion dollars in farm subsidies. And if we are playing the subsidy game (which I think is a fraud), why are vegetables, one of the most healthy things we can put in our mouth, getting slaughtered at the table of entitlement handouts? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Happy Hospitalist*
March 14th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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Comfort food is usually home made and carries some emotional significance with it. During times of stress or illness people often turn to “comfort foods” to feel better. Most everyone has a favorite comfort food and comfort foods are not necessarily one’s favorite food. Ask yourself…what is my favorite food? Then ask “At the end of a long day, when I’m tired and stressed or sick in bed, what food would I like a loved one (mom) to fix for me?
Comfort foods are often fattening or unhealthy…macaroni and cheese, chocolate cake, fried chicken, chocolate pudding. Foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar are often connected to childhood and make you feel homey and good. And different cultures have different comfort foods. Rarely is yogurt or a handful of almonds a comfort food in any culture. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
