Category: Healthy Diet
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Healthy Diet for December 21 – A Little Light on a SAD Subject
Winter solstice—the shortest day in a season of long, dark nights. Many people suffer from the “winter blues” or its more severe form, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the National Mental Health Association, an estimated 25 percent of the population suffers from mild winter SAD, and about 5 percent, from its more severe form.…
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Healthy Diet for December 20 – Check Fluids – Have You Winterized?
As you perspire in the summer heat, drinking to quench your thirst is usually automatic. Now that it’s winter, remember that cold weather can be risky for dehydration, too, and not just for those who sweat from rigorous outdoor winter activities. Water is part of your body’s cooling system. In very cold weather, as in…
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Healthy Diet for December 19 – Solutions, Not Excuses
“It’s snowing.” “The dog ate my shoes.” “My walking partner moved.” Dump the barriers to active living. Focus on solutions instead! “No time.” Fit active living “in between”; even 10 minutes here and there make a difference. Try for 60 minutes daily. “Sweating ruins my hair.” Enjoy rigorous activity after work or on weekends when…
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Healthy Diet for December 18 – Wal-Nuts to You!
Today’s nutrition advice is getting nutty! Eating a small handful of walnuts (eight to eleven nuts) or other nuts is good for you. Because the unsaturated fatty acids in nuts don’t raise cholesterol levels, nuts are heart-healthy. What’s more, walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that help keep blood vessels from clogging…
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Healthy Diet for December 17 – Eggs – Another Option
Buying eggs isn’t as easy as it used to be. The options aren’t just medium, large, and jumbo. What should you buy? Brown (versus white), organic, fertile, or free-range eggs: there are no nutritional advantages. For a single egg, each has about 10 percent of your day’s protein need. Eggs supply vitamins A, D, and…
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Healthy Diet for December 16 – Tired Blood?
Ever said tired blood is why you felt so tired? Maybe you simply need more sleep. Or maybe you really are anemic. Tired blood actually is a good way to define anemia. With anemia, blood cells can’t carry as much oxygen to blood cells to make energy because the red blood cells are smaller or…
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Healthy Diet for December 15 – Use Your Nog-gin
Does eggnog add seasonal flavor to holiday parties? Does hot buttered rum warm you up on cold December nights? Then enjoy. But before a few sips become a few cups, consider this: True eggnog has 340 calories (from sweeteners and fat) per cup. From egg yolks and full-fat milk, much of its 20 fat grams…
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Healthy Diet for December 14 – Season of Giving
Just eleven more days until Christmas! Feeling time-pressed to finish your shopping? Then consider gifts to help others and yourself stay fit. What would encourage the people on your list to get 60 minutes of moderate physical activity every day? Here are some ideas: A fitness gift certificate. Consider: fitness club membership, sports equipment store,…
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Healthy Diet for December 13 – Through Thick or Thin
Love the creamy thickness of chowder? The velvety smoothness of vegetable bisque? The heartiness of harvest stew? The full body of these dishes often comes from heavy cream, a flour-butter roux, or egg yolks—adding calories, fat, and cholesterol, too. Try these healthful culinary tricks to get you through the thick or thin of soup, stew,…
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Healthy Diet for December 12 – Just a Cup of Herbal Tea
Hot herbal tea on a chilly December day—sounds good! Ginger citrus tea, tension-relief herbal tea, peppermint tea all sound healthful. But are herbal teas any better for you than traditional teas? Green, black, or oolong—tea appears to have health-promoting benefits. However, the health benefits of herbal teas haven’t been studied; neither their benefits nor safety…