The Fat Flush plan

Scary as it may sound, the Fat Flush Diet is an amazingly delicious and smart way to detox your body and kick-start eating habits afresh.

The science of self affirmations

Do you think it's really corny to stand in front of the mirror every morning and tell yourself that you're beautiful? Contrary to what the self-help "SNL" satirist Stuart Smalley would have you believe, affirmations are in fact a highly effective way of improving mood and self-esteem when practiced on a long-term basis.

Why belly fat is extra bad

Every responsible adult knows that having excess fat is unhealthy, but few understand that having a protruding belly is actually worse for overall health than is having fat equally distributed across the body.

New hope for melanoma

A revolutionary new FDA-approved drug will bring a bit of relief to melanoma patients. According to the U.S. News and World Report's website, the Bristol-Myers Squibb's injectable drug, Yervoy, was approved last Friday. 

Crapstic, the new plastic

In the spirit of conservation and world sustainability, a small startup company in Sacramento has taken waste-efficiency to the next level. The company, Micromidas, has developed technology that promises to transform human waste into biodegradable plastic.

Stop and think before you drink

Many people aren't aware of the number of calories they consume daily simply through drinks. With the plethora of sodas, juices, alcohols, teas and coffee-concoctions one comes into contact with every day, it's hard not to engage in a little liquid indulgence. The problem with drinking calories is the lack of feeling or thought that goes into it. For many people, dieters included, healthy eating is a sort of mind game that requires a little bit of math, and strategic planning. A breakfast of two eggs and a piece of toast, about 275 calories, is going to feel more hearty in your stomach than will a 16 oz. Odwalla, also about 275 calories.

A nutritional case study: avocado

If there's one food in the world I cannot get enough of, it's most certainly avocado. This little fruit packs a great punch for hair, skin and brain health. Besides its great taste and malleable texture, it also has a long history of growing in the Americas.

Navigating the holiday food season

Between Thanksgiving and New Year's, the winter holiday season offers some of the best food to eat all year long. In my family, it's cream cheese mashed potatoes, Irish soda bread, apple pie and a Christmas turducken - a duck inside of a chicken, inside of turkey, cooked altogether as one.

If your holiday season is anything like mine, you might find yourself attending a slew of holiday parties filled with these types of irresistible foods. Before jumping in with two feet, and a metaphorical hunger the size of two stomachs, take heed of a few healthful holiday hints.

The Albacore to Omega of health

Fish burps are not the most appetizing experience.

Stevia: The extract that’s a sweet deal

Stevia is a sweetener and herbal supplement derived from crushing the leaves of the Stevia plant. It is native to South America and has been added to yerba mate drinks for centuries. It is favored as a sweetener because it has no calories and, in concentrated amounts, is far sweeter than granule sugar. Stevia is not an artificial sweetener because it is naturally obtained, and thus has inherent benefits over other non-calorie sweeteners.

Golden grocery shopping

Grocery shopping can often be a daunting task. Between the variety of stores to choose from - Trader Joe's, Ralphs, Food for Less, Henry's, Costco, farmers' markets - and the enormous range of food products available - a list far longer than the space allotted here - grocery shopping has become a new art. Finding the right balance of foods is just as important a part of nutritional education as the right way to prepare foods.

No matter what store you pick to shop at, the golden rule of grocery shopping will never steer you wrong: shop the perimeter. All along the perimeter walls of a grocery store are the fresh food items, including meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables, fish and other dairy products. There you will find the items that contain the highest nutritional content.

Making a case for probiotics

While the notion of "good germs" may appear to be rather oxymoronic, the relationship between the human gut and probiotics is anything but that. Probiotics are, in fact, the body's good germs. There are over 400 types of good bacteria in a single person's digestive system.

Gluten-free meets glutton-free

"Gluten-free is good for me." It's pretty trite, I know, but it's something that could really help out obese America. Let me explain.

Gluten is an inflammatory protein in wheat, barley, oat and rye. It acts like a "glue" for breads and cakes that keeps the consistency moist and fluffy. Gluten is also contained in items that you might not expect, including soups, soy sauce, veggie burgers, communion wafers, salad dressings, imitation crab, processed meats and most types of beer.

The best way to start your day

Ever wonder why commercials for kids' cereals always seem to end with the phrase, "part of your balanced breakfast?" The cynic would answer, "Because it's a great marketing ploy." The health-conscious individual, and myself included, would say, "Because they're right."

After a full night of rest, the body needs to be replenished in order to kick start metabolism. A morning meal signals the body to get focused for the upcoming day's tasks.

Why fiber is fabulous

There are many reasons why fiber is fabulous. As a member of the carbohydrate, aka "sugar" family, fiber is a gastrointestinal god send. Not only does it keep your system regular, but it also helps to promote weight loss.

‘Clean up’ your brain

We all know that chowing down on chips, fries and cookies does not equal a balanced diet, but something you probably don't know is how to counteract the damage once its been done. 

The problem with eating foods like these is that they are high in processed, or ‘simple,' sugars. When digested in the body, free radicals are created as a by-product. 

The Vitamin D dilemma

Almost every American child has at some point in their lives given themselves a ‘milk mustache.' Even celebrities like Bernie Mac, Serena Williams and the Olsen twins have donned the mustache for "Got Milk."

Fitness benefits

For many of us co-eds, regular exercise gets lost at the bottom of the to-do list amidst papers, exams, leadership involvement and social activities. After high school, many people that used to participate in organized sports find themselves too busy or not "talented enough" to play on sports teams. Full story

Campus health and wellness

As a brand new transfer student to USD last fall, I was very nervous about the food situation on campus. A typical college student would fear the ominous "freshman fifteen," - or, to stay loyal to the alliteration, "transfer twenty" - as a result of the high availability of all-you-can-eat dinners, late night chow-downs and lack of required P. Full story