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Foods that Increase Inflammation

A few weeks ago, I took a look at inflammation in the body and how it affects your appetite. What is inflammation? Basically, inflammation is when your immune system kicks into overdrive. Something sends your body into defense mode, and that’s a problem — your immune system cells stay activated when they aren’t needed. Inflammation can be a warning sign for heart disease (it can weaken artery walls in your heart) and other serious health issues! Inflammation can also trigger major medical problems. Certain foods can make things worse. On the positive side (if there is a positive side here), … Continue reading →

Inflammation and Your Appetite

Are you suffering from inflammation? Inflammation is a condition where your immune system is kicked into overdrive by stress, lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, or exposure to toxins. Your body wants to fight something off. Inflammation can lead to weight gain, arthritis, and heart disease. Why? In a healthy, normal weight person, the body produces a hormone called leptin to control appetite and metabolism. When body fat increases, leptin levels rise to tell the brain to decrease appetite and speed up metabolism. In an obese person, the body isn’t getting the message from leptin — it may not be … Continue reading →

Celiac Disease and Crohn’s Disease Share Genetic Links

While not everything is known about celiac disease or Crohn’s disease, we do know that both of these diseases tend to run in families. It also seems as though people who have celiac disease, as a group, have a higher rate than the rest of the population for also having Crohn’s disease. A study reveals that these two diseases actually share some genetic traits. People who have celiac disease have difficulties with foods that contain gluten. Gluten is found in foods like bread, crackers, and pasta (to name just a few). It is in wheat, barley and rye. While most … Continue reading →

Why Does My Body Need Selenium?

If you look at the list of vitamins and minerals on your multivitamin, you might find selenium there. Selenium is a “trace mineral” — one that your body needs, but only in very small amounts. What does selenium do for the body? This mineral is used by proteins in the body to make antioxidants called selenoproteins. Antioxidants are good things — they help prevent cell damage from free radicals. Selenoproteins also help the immune system function and assist in regulating thyroid function. Many people get their necessary selenium from foods — plant foods in particular. The selenium content of grains … Continue reading →

Is Your Toddler Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Probably not… at least according to medical experts. A new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reveals that at least 40% of American infants and toddlers aren’t getting enough vitamin D. What’s more, the study also found that there has been an increase in the number of rickets (a vitamin D deficiency disease) cases in several states in the last few years. Doctors say millions of American children are vitamin D deficient and that number is likely to increase if parents don’t start adjusting their kids’ diet or modifying their schedules to allow toddlers to spend … Continue reading →

Thinking about Cravings

I just sat down and ate a bag of reduced-fat microwave popcorn with Magic Shell chocolate syrup on top. It’s not as gross as it sounds, really! (I like salty and sweet together.) That snack was my compromise. What I REALLY wanted was to head to Cold Stone Creamery and get a crazy ice cream concoction. My sweet tooth was in overdrive, and I had to do something. The choco-popcorn satisfied the craving without making me feel too guilty about eating something bad for me. According to a study from Tufts University, most women experience strong cravings — more than … Continue reading →

Making Healthy Choices at the Thanksgiving Dinner Table

For many people who watch what they eat on a daily basis Thanksgiving is the one day of the year that they throw caution to the wind and devour whatever their stomachs desire. Not my sister-in-law. In fact, she won’t eat a bite of turkey (or ham) today. Rather, she’ll fill her plate with samples of all of the fabulous side dishes that surround the sliced up bird. It’s not because she’s a vegetarian; rather she believes that she’s doing her body good by skipping the meat dishes and eating the lower calorie menu options. (To each her own I … Continue reading →

Cayenne Pepper

Hot red peppers aren’t just for spicy foods! Cayenne pepper has a host of medicinal uses, too. Cayenne pepper is native to subtropical and tropical zones around the world — in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. The spice has probably been used for thousands of years! Explorer Christopher Columbus is the first Westerner credited with taking note of food flavored with hot red pepper. There isn’t much in the way of literary evidence of cayenne pepper; there is no word for cayenne in ancient tongues like Chinese, Latin, Sanskrit, and Hebrew. Perhaps the first appearance of hot red pepper … Continue reading →

New York Steps Up to the Plate

New Yorkers are known for being an independent bunch and they are by their very nature survivors. This week, New York steps up to the plate in the area of fitness as the New York City’s health department announced that restaurants in New York City have to phase out artificial fats that are widely used in frying, baked goods and other food products. Trans fats, as they are known as, raise the bad LDL cholesterol levels and lower the HDL cholesterol. This can increase inflammation of the internal organs and is considered a major contributor to heart disease. The chairman … Continue reading →