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.
Believe it or not, eating banana peels can help you lose weight. Nutritionists are touting banana peels as the new weight loss super food. Now maybe you're not into eating the banana peel in its natural state, but guess what? You can throw the peel whole in your smoothie along with the whole fruit, which will add creaminess. So why are peels the new superfood? Read on.
Read MoreWe've talked about all types of weight loss strategies and trends recently on the blog. From intermittent fasting and weight loss myths to juicing and detoxing for losing weight, there are sure no shortages of tips. However, we wanted to bring it back to basics and to something that often overlooked as a weight loss strategy, and that's self-esteem. More often than not, people lose weight thinking they will develop self-esteem and while this can seem the case in the beginning of a massive weight loss journey, deeper self-esteem issues can make for a long and difficult or vicious cycle of crash diets and starving yourself.
Read MoreAccording to a new study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking coffee may lower inflammation and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. The study found that people who drank coffee were about 50 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to people who did not drink coffee. The scientists believe that the reason for a reduction in the risk for type 2 diabetes could be the effect coffee has on the reducing the amount of inflammation in the body.
Read MoreOne of the numerous complications that affect eyesight as we get older is a condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This chronic eye disease affects as many as 15 million Americans and millions more around the world. It’s the number one cause of severe vision loss and legal blindness of people over the age of 60 in the U.S.
Read MoreEggs have been touted as the ideal protein-delivery system for the last 30 years. Add it to any meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner, and pack a 6-gram protein punch. Protein fuels the muscles, boosts metabolism and keeps hunger at bay. But as versatile as these little round, white delectables, it's hard to eat them every day. The good news is there are a number of surprising superfoods that pack even more protein than eggs.
Read MoreA new study was published in the journal, Neuropsychopharmacology found that the saturated fats had a similar effect on our brains as drugs. The more saturated fat we eat, the less we enjoy it…and the more we crave it in order to get the same “high.” The scientists studied rats which are used for experimentation because their genetic, biological and behavior characteristics resemble those of humans. One group was fed a low-fat diet with equal amounts of monounsaturated fat derived from palm oil and the third was a diet high in saturated fat.
Read MoreWe invest a lot of money in our fresh fruits and vegetables and overall produce purchases each week. When preparing these items, we often throw away half of the apple or other weird parts on the product themselves and discard before cooking. The truth is you aren't just tossing a few dollars in the garbage, but you're also throwing away some serious nutritional benefits.
Read MoreOur liquid diet is often an aspect of our eating habits we overlook, thinking that it's not affecting our overall health that much. Well that's the wrong approach. The majority of Americans are not aware or fully engaged in their drinking habits but they actually have a profound effect on our health. Many nutritionists refer to these drinks as "sugar-sweetened beverages" that most people don't think are sweetened.
Read MoreFood poisoning occurs when a person eats food that is contaminated with infected with bacteria, parasites, or viruses. It is also known as a food-borne illness. Food can become contaminated rather easily such as when processing it, producing it, handling it, or cooking it. Therefore, it is very important to handle and prepare food correctly. It is the toxins within the infectious organisms that contaminate the food.
Read MoreNo bread, no problem, right? Does this sound familiar? "I want to lose weight, so I'll stop eating bread." Sounds simple enough, sign me up. Well let's explore this. Many people are under so many misnomers about bread. the low-carb craze is going strong —pasta is overrated and bread is on its way out. But we cannot lump all grains into the same category. The effects on the body are vastly different when cutting say refined grains from your diet compared to whole grains. Here's why.
Read MoreWe recently touched on the health benefits of coconut oil, which helps from everything to regulating our blood sugar levels to weight loss. The fats from coconut have special fat compounds called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that have been shown to help the liver burn fat. So, to take the coconut trend even further, enter coconut vinegar.
Read MoreVitamin C is arguably the best known vitamin but many people misunderstood its value and the daily amount. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that should be included as part of your daily diet. And luckily, as a water-soluble vitamin, too much won't hurt you. Vitamin C helps modify precursor proteins in order for collagen production. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It is used to make and strengthen skin cartilage, tendons, ligaments, bones and teeth. Vitamin C also acts as one of the main antioxidants in the body. It protects cells from potentially damaging by-products.
Read MoreBerries are extremely high in vitamin C, high in fiber, and low in calories. Vitamin C is important to helping our body reduce tension and boost the immune system. Fiber helps to regulate our blood sugar levels. Regulating blood sugar levels is important because drastic changes in our blood sugar can cause us to have mood swings, which may contribute to anxiety.
Read MoreAbout 1/3 of all Americans eat and drink their calories away from home. Fortunately, slowly but surely many restaurants are beginning to offer healthier, lower calorie menu items, making it easier to eat nutritious while traveling. Another thing that will help is by the end of 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require calorie and other nutrition labeling for standard menu items in all restaurant chains with 20 or more locations. Many of these restaurants have already complied with this ruling.
Read MoreFirstly, let’s briefly touch on the unhealthy dietary fats: saturated fat and trans fat. These fats are commonly found in animal food sources. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) and can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes. Trans fats are most often a result of food processing and are often referred to as synthetic or industrial. Synthetic trans fats can increase LDL and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol), thus increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Read MoreThere has been so much about coffee in the news these past few months. A number of significant studies have look at its effects on reducing everything from heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Now a new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that regularly drinking coffee doesn't increase the chance of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity. Here's what you need to know.
Read MoreWhen we say the word “diet” what exactly do we mean? Most of us associate the word with “trying to lose weight.” But the actual definition of the word diet means “the food and beverages a person usually eats and drinks.” So if we all agree that we eat and drink something every day, then aren’t we all on a “diet?” My point is that all of us are on a diet or a way of eating and it’s best to strive to make your diet meet your own individual nutrient needs keeping you as healthy as possible.
Read MoreThe truth is what you snack on in between meals goes a long way, especially in keeping your metabolism burning. If you have a regular exercise routine, it can also help continue to tone your muscles throughout the day. But oftentimes, snack time gets mistaken for a time to treat yourself, but that can lead to unwanted weight gain. Here's 7 snacks to avoid at all costs.
Read MoreThis type of deficiency causes anemia in the body, which means the body doesn't have enough red blood cells. Certain conditions include Crohn's disease, celiac disease, pernicious anemia, alcoholism and make it hard for the body to absorb enough of the vitamin. Lack of this essential vitamin can cause fatigue, and even in some severe cases paralysis and nerve damage. Treatment with a balanced diet or B12 supplements or shots brings levels back to normal.
Read MoreLet's start with why we eat fruits and vegetables. These nutrient-rich foods are truly good for you in every way and they nourish the body in a natural way. Fruits and vegetables actually protect the body from developing chronic disease, fighting inflammation, and low energy. But now a new report shows that only 13% of Americans actually eat enough produce.
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