Darya Pino, Ph.D: 10 Overrated Health Foods Like it or not, we tend to believe whatever we are exposed to in the media and in advertisements. In nutrition, this usually means that as a society we all follow the same diet fads, glorifying some foods over others in the quest for better health. (It's okay, I love salmon and coconut water as much as you do.) Problem is, though, more often than not the news or the health claims made by food manufacturers vastly overstate any potential health benefits, because it makes a more compelling story and sells more products. Our own confirmation biases tend to make us believe what we're told, we confidently share our insight with our friends, and suddenly our grocery stores are filled with health foods that really aren't all they are cracked up to be. Here are my 10 picks for the most overrated health foods. Top 10 Most Overrated Health Foods What are your least favorite health foods? Originally published at Summer Tomato, where you can find more healthy eating tips.
5 Foods You Should Grow in Your Own Backyard" Wait, fruit trees? Maybe you've heard they're expensive, take forever to grow and die if you even look at them funny. Furthermore, you don't have enough space in your backyard for an orchard. While it's true that apple trees require a little bit of work, backyard growers are in luck. The benefits of growing your own apples are also great. serves up its own ‘Plate’ The Healthy Eating Plate, a visual guide that provides a blueprint for eating a healthy meal, was unveiled today by nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in conjunction with colleagues at Harvard Health Publications. Similar to the U.S. government’s MyPlate, the Healthy Eating Plate is simple and easy to understand — and it addresses important deficiencies in the MyPlate icon. “Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating,” said Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH. Comparing the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate with the USDA’s MyPlate shows the shortcomings in the government’s guide. “Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. The sections of the Healthy Eating Plate include: Vegetables: Eat an abundant variety, the more the better.
Raw Food Nutrition - Raw Foods with More Nutrients Raw nuts have healthy fats that are essential to the body. Raw nuts can help lower the LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or "bad," cholesterol level in the blood. Raw nuts can reduce your risk of blood clots and can improve the healthy lining of your arteries When nuts are roasted at a temperature higher than 170 degrees, those disease-fighting fats get broken down into free radicals that do just the opposite: contribute to plaque and cardiovascular disease. Did you know that nuts are also among the best sources of Vitamin E? Alissa Cohen is the internationally recognized author of Living on Live Food, a raw food chef and the owner of Boston's renowned Grezzo restaurant, and a certified fitness trainer, nutritional consultant and mind-body therapist. This month, Cohen is making her expertise available nationwide with the launch of an online shop in partnership with OpenSky at AlissaCohen.com.
Lose Weight Fast With Apple Cider Vinegar - Natural Weight Loss Benefits | How To Lose Weight Fast How to Lose Weight Fast - Apple Cider Vinegar by Terry Goodman Many people mistakenly believe that in order to lose weight fast, they have to shell out tons of cash for expensive weight loss supplements. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Many of the best diet supplements are both natural and inexpensive. Below, we will take a look at why apple cider vinegar works so well as a weight loss aid and how it’s perfectly suited to help dieters lose weight fast. Apple cider vinegar has been a well-known diet aid for years. Apple cider vinegar, in particular, has several noted benefits as it relates to weight loss. The use of apple cider vinegar to help dieters lost weight fast is easy enough. If you’re interested in utilizing apple cider vinegar as a weight loss aid you’ll need to purchase the following: chamomile tea, cinnamon powder, raw honey and organic (or natural) apple cider vinegar.
Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee Update 4/2014: Be sure to check out my new, improved cold-brewed iced coffee tutorial with step-by-step instructions and lessons learned since first posting about cold-brewed iced coffee. I started making my iced coffee this way a couple of years ago, thanks to this New York Times recipe that convinced me to do so. You add coffee grounds to cold water and let it sit at room temperature for several hours. Then you strain it through a coffee filter, and the result is a deep, rich, dark, and caffeine-packed glass of iced coffee. It’s a concentrate, so you’ll want to dilute it with water unless you’re in need of a serious buzz. I use a ratio of about 2/3 of the concentrate to 1/3 water, stir in a spoonful of sugar and some half-and-half, and finally I plop in some coffee ice cubes. And a lot more energized. Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee Total time Author: Kare Recipe type: Beverage Add the coffee grounds and the water to a large jar or pitcher. Adapted from the New York Times
edible weeds untitled Don’t eat less—eat smarter. Try these ridiculously easy food trade-offs to banish your gut for good By: Emily G. Photo Credit: Thinkstock food swaps intro You can beat belly fat on a full stomach—as long as you choose the right foods. Eat your way to a six-pack. Rolled Oats or Bran Cereal for Breadcrumbs You traded Wonder Bread for wheat and nixed white rice in favor of brown, but there are plenty of other, less obvious, swaps you can make to increase your intake of whole grains. Bing: Burn belly fat! Avocado for Butter This may sound a little adventurous, but you won’t taste the difference: Switch out half of the butter in a cookie recipe for mashed avocado. Cauliflower for Rice Cauliflower is the low-carb dieter’s go-to food. Learn the secret to eating carbs without gaining weight. Spinach for Iceberg Lettuce When it comes to weight loss, any kind of vegetable gets the green light, but if you really want to ditch that spare tire, choose dark leafy greens over iceberg lettuce.
DIY Satsuma Candle A friend of mine DIYed her own candles, made from the peels of Satsuma oranges, for a recent dinner party. I was so excited by this simple yet clever idea, I had to share the tutorial on HonestlyWTF. My only regret is not discovering this sooner when Satsumas were at their absolute peak in December. Hopefully, you’ll still be able to snatch up a few at your local grocery store or farmer’s market and impress your guests at your next dinner party! The stem side of the Satsuma will be the bottom and base of the candle. Because Satsumas are known for their loosely attached peels, the orange should easily be removed. Once the flesh of the orange is taken out, the pith connecting the outer stem should remain. Pour a few glugs of olive oil into the orange, leaving just the very tip of the pith exposed. Depending on the length of the pith, the candle should burn for at least a couple of hours. (all images via HonestlyWTF)
Vegan Recipes : High Protein and Oil-Free Basil Pesto I’m a huge fan of anything that can be spread, drizzled, dipped, and of course, spoon fed from a bowl. Over the past couple years, I’ve found my favourite versions of the following: I’ve had dinner guests beg for these recipes. I’ve had vegan skeptics go weak in the knees over this cheeze spread on a sandwich. I make these recipes again and again because they are quick, healthy, and I tend to have many of the ingredients on hand. However, I would make pesto much more often (weekly? But, I’m impatient my friends. And new friends. And navy beans in pesto. Whaaa? Before you think I’ve gone mad, hear me out. My week off must have been good to me because this pesto surpassed my expectations. It called my name from the fridge, only this time, I didn’t have to fight it. High Protein & Oil-Free Basil Pesto This is far from a traditional tasting pesto, but it’s so delicious I couldn’t stop eating it! Yield: 1.5 cups (see below for nutritional info) Ingredients: I kid you not, this stuff is addicting.