Food and Diet. Find daily health food tips and ideas from Dr. David Samadi. Discover healthy food for healthy living. Explore major food issues and debates related to health such as buying and cooking with organic food, genetically modified food (GMO versus Non-GMO), nutrition, dieting epidemic, obesity, disease prevention, best digestion foods.
. Dark chocolate
a. Dark chocolate is packed with flavonoids and antioxidants, both of which can reduce inflammation and help prevent blood clots.
b. Research shows that inflammation is associated with aging and age-related diseases, so anti-inflammatory foods may be a key to a longer life.
Read MoreDid you know that a healthy amount of zinc in your diet has been linked to an improved immune system and faster wound healing? Some studies have linked proper zinc intake to reduced severity and duration of the common cold, improved thyroid function, more effective blood clotting, and even decreased effects of age-related macular degeneration. A June 2015 study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that zinc may also play an important role in regulating heartbeat — a potential advancement in the fight against arrhythmia-related heart failure.
Read MoreReducing your salt or sodium intake is an important step in reducing hypertension or high blood pressure. When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked? Do you ask and do you know what your blood pressure is? These are questions everyone should have answers to. It is often referred to as “the silent killer” as it often has no warning signs or symptoms. That’s why it’s important to have it checked regularly and why it is always checked at any visit to a doctor’s office.
Read MoreScore a touchdown this fall by serving up great-tasting healthy food at your next tailgate. Typically foods associated with tailgating are loaded with fat, sugar and calories. By the time you’ve eaten your way through hamburgers, brats, buffalo wings, chips and dip, cookies, and other desserts all washed down with high calorie alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, it’s not uncommon to have already consumed more than 1,200 calories before you’ve even entered the stadium. And that’s not counting the calories you add on from foods and beverages sold at the stadium.
Read MoreDid you know belly fat is the worst fat we can have on our bodies? Belly fat is something both men and women find creeps up onto their bodies. Visceral fat is a type of belly fat that lives deep in the body and wraps itself around the organs, causing long-term risk for chronic diseases. A new study has linked obesity and sodium intake so closely that cutting down on salt might be the best way to shed that belly fat. Think of it this way, for every extra gram of salt eat in a day (just a 1/5 of a teaspoon) or about the amount found in tiny salt packets, the risk of obesity increases by 25% according to the research from the Queen Mary University in London. Researchers speculate that sodium alters our metabolism, changing the way we absorb fat.
Read MoreWe all get the occassional cold and cough especially when you work in a school or office where others around you are sick. The question is, what are the things you can do to fight it off? It starts with food. A weakened immune system is what protects you from a whole host of infections like cold and cough, skin infections and respiratory ailments. There are 7 immune-strengthening foods that you should eat an abundance of during peak cough and cold times throughout the year. Here you go.
Read MoreWe just spoke about a recent study yesterday that showed eating small amounts of meat as a protein-rich food could make for a stronger heart. But now another study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that vegetarians had a 32% lower risk of heart disease compared to their meat-eating counterparts. Heart disease is a tricky thing to generalize when it comes to prevention. The rise of genomic sequencing and the genetic testing capabilities that have come out of that are increasing the knowledge around individual risk factors and preventative qualities.
Read MoreIf exercise is not your thing and yet you have excess belly fat that doesn’t want to budge, is it possible to lose your muffin top without resorting to breaking a sweat? It’s possible but only with a lot of dedication and diligence by adopting a healthy eating pattern along with other habits. It’s always best to combine exercise with a healthy diet to get the best results but for those who won’t or can’t exercise, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Read MoreWhat is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in the body’s cells. Our bodies make cholesterol in order to make other substances like vitamin D or hormones. It also makes substances to help us digest food. Cholesterol is also found in the food we eat. Foods that we eat that contain cholesterol include poultry, meat, and dairy products. When we eat foods like this that are high in saturated and trans-fats, our livers produce even more cholesterol. When our bodies produce too much cholesterol, plaque develops in the walls of the arteries. This can lead to serious health conditions such as blood clots, stroke, or heart attack.
Read MoreWhen we think of heart healthy food, we don't necessarily think of steak, but now researchers say it could help when consumed in moderation. New findings released in the journal, Nutrition showed that eating meat can actually give your heart a boost, similar to the impact of quitting smoking, limiting your sodium intake or more physical activity. Scientists analyzed data of nearly 2,000 women in the U.K.'s largest adult twin registry. They analyzed how much protein a person ate as well as dietary intake of seven amino acids which are the building blocks of protein are known to have heart-healthy properties.
Read MoreMost of us would rather treat high cholesterol naturally if at all possible. But depending on your cholesterol level, many physicians will prescribe medication such as a statin. Statins can be effective in lowering cholesterol but may also cause adverse side effects for some individuals. First, always listen to your physician and never quit taking your medication without consulting them but do ask questions to thoroughly understand all the options that can be helpful in lowering your cholesterol.
Read MoreWhat you eat matters more than anything, but how you eat and when also matter. Usually when we talk about our diet, we start to squirm in our seats, but if we never commit to making small changes, living an unhealthy lifestyle will always be a reality. Believe it or not, counting calories is not the secret, neither is starving yourself. Here are 5 diet changes you can make tomorrow.
Read MoreBreakfast is the both the most important meal of the day and one of the hardest to prepare with our busy mornings. But these 7 breakfast ideas can be prepared in a jiffy or even parts of it the night before. Breakfast gives you the energy you need for the day and starts up your metabolism, a.k.a. your fat-burning engine. Consider these 7 ideas tomorrow morning.
Read MoreWe have some work to do when it comes to ending the seemingly never-ending cycle of sugar cravings as well as nutrient deficiency. The average American consumes approximately one third of a pound of sugar each day, translating into nearly 130 pounds of sugar per person every year. As a nation sugar usage exceeds 9 million tons a year. But what are the results of us consuming all this sugar? Well, believe it or not, sugar also affects our hormones and a woman's menstrual period. Here's why.
Read MoreProtein fuels the muscles, boosts metabolism and keeps hunger at bay. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It revs up your metabolism, builds up your energy for the day and makes you just feel good. The key? Eat a high-protein and low carb balanced breakfast. And don't forget your morning booster, coffee. More studies revealed in 2015 alone showed the caffeine, chlorogenic acid and antioxidants in coffee help fight chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes. 3-4 cups of black coffee per day are optimal.
Read MoreFor the past several years there has been a dietary term called “clean eating” or “eating clean” that has followed on the heels of the organic, local and slow food movements. Clean eating simply means eating foods in their most natural, whole state as possible while reducing the intake of processed and packaged foods to a bare minimum. Foods eliminated would be prepared items such as frozen pizza, boxed or canned goods, sugary desserts, soft drinks, or anything that contains unnecessary food additives such as high fructose corn syrup, other added sugars, excess salt or chemical preservatives.
Read MoreWe make a lot of excuses when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Not enough money, it's too expensive to buy produce, I'm too busy to exercise — These are just a few of those excuses. Now part of it is that there is so much information out there about how to live a healthy life and what habits really translate to that and it's overwhelming. It can be frustrating and sometimes advice can seem quite complicated. We have 5 simple ways you can improve your health starting today. Gone are the days of debating what matters for your health. Here's what you need to know.
Read MoreWant to know a secret to raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted children? Eat meals together as a family as often as you can. This one simple yet often hard to make happen activity is so important it should be a main priority of strengthening your family. Once you have children, sitting down to eat a meal as a family is difficult when competing with conflicting schedules and other factors – jobs, sport practices and games, school meetings, club activities – it’s a struggle but it is vital to giving your child the advantage they need to succeed in this world.
Read MoreOur bodies seek to achieve a sense of balance on a daily basis. Reaching this goal is essential for optimal energy and well-being throughout the day. If we don’t reach that goal each day, we often slowly begin to see issues arise such as digestive problems, weight gain, infections and illness, more stress and moodiness, and low energy. Over a long period of time without balance, hormonal imbalance and chronic disease can develop.
Read MoreYou may have read or heard about the high school science teacher, John Cisna, from Iowa who had three of his students do a semester project featuring him eating nothing but food from McDonalds for 90 days. The purpose of this experiment was to see if he could lose weight and how it would affect his health. In September 2013, John Cisna, who was obese weighing 280 pounds, wanted to see if it was possible to eat only fast food, yet by controlling his calorie level and balancing nutrients, could he actually lose weight in the process. What he found out was a resounding “yes.”
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