Big changes like cutting out all carbs or training for a marathon are great—but you don’t have to remake yourself to have a dramatic impact on your health. Try a few of these baby steps to get you started in the right direction. Add a fruit or veggie to every meal Not ready to give up a bad habit yet? Start by creating an easy good-for-you habit instead. “Less than one in three individuals gets even two servings of fruits…
Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that the standard prescription for weight loss is to reduce the amount of calories you consume. But a new study, published Tuesday in JAMA, may turn that advice on its head. It found that people who cut back on added sugar, refined grains and highly processed foods while concentrating on eating plenty of vegetables and whole foods — without worrying about counting calories or limiting portion sizes — lost significant amounts…
The study of more than 34,000 people is the first to investigate the environmental impacts of both food choices and farm production systems A study of the diets of 34,000 people confirms that a diet high in fruit and vegetables is better for the planet than one high in animal products. The study also finds that organic food provides significant, additional climate benefits for plant-based diets, but not for diets with only moderate contribution from plant products. This is the…
As we enter a new year, it’s a great time to consider a few ways of adding greater value to our lives. Engaging the world of plants will improve our sense of well-being, happiness and health, whether that means growing our own food in containers or a garden, nurturing indoor plants or simply walking in a green space. In terms of growing the healthiest food, the latest research has found that not all varieties are created equal. Certain varieties of…
What you eat can have a huge impact on your mental health, which many people who deal with mental health conditions have learned firsthand. I have clinical depression and general anxiety disorder, and I feel much more stable when I’m eating regularly and prioritizing fresh foods. Previous research has shown that diet can affect mental health conditions like depression, ADHD, and anxiety. But according to a new study, the foods that impact your mental health change as you age. Researchers…
All the more reason to ditch all that red meat. Men and women go through many rituals to try to attract a mate, whether it’s putting on perfume or cologne, wearing an outfit they feel good in, making a few jokes, or studying up on a subject to try to impress the person they’re interested in. For men, however, there appears to be one simple thing they can do to get a few dates, and it has nothing to do…
This small change to your diet could be enough to reduce the risk of depression. A Mediterranean diet including fruits, vegetables and legumes can prevent depression, a large new study finds. People only had to make relatively small changes to see the benefits. The scientist think that depression could be partly down to a lack of essential nutrients. The study included 15,093 people who were followed over 10 years. People who reported eating more nuts, fruits and vegetables were considered…
A healthy diet as you’re growing up may help you have a higher IQ, while a diet high in processed foods, fat and sugar may result in a lower IQ, according to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health in February 2011. Many of the same foods typically recommended for a healthy diet may also be good for your IQ. Fish and Omega-3 Sources Omega-3 fats, found in many types of fish and seafood, walnuts and…
Diet could be a powerful mode of prevention. A new study suggests that a gut-healthy diet may play a powerful role in preventing one of the most feared diseases in America. Mounting research continues to show the links between the health of the gut and that of the brain. Now, a new study from Lund University in Sweden finds that unhealthy intestinal flora can accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The report, published Feb. 8 in the journal Scientific Reports,…
An annual report by the Environmental Working Group found that nearly 70% of samples of 48 types of conventionally grown produce were contaminated with pesticide residues. That’s down 6.6 percentage points from last year. The EWG Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, released Wednesday, ranks pesticide contamination of popular fruits and vegetables based on more than 36,000 samples of produce tested by the US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. This year, strawberries remained at the top…