Category: Wellness (Page 49 of 116)

“Portion Distortion”

February 9, 2012 / Staff

Does offering smaller portions in restaurants help people to eat less?

Well, there is a recent study which suggests that this could be the case, indeed.

It turns out that people are willing to downsize but you have to ask them to do it.

When offered a smaller portion and being told that they would be cutting out 200 calories by doing so, a third of diners out of several hundred in the survey took the smaller portion.

Calorie labeling isn’t enough. And portion size needs to be determined before the order is filled to be effective.

It’s a part of our automated response mechanism.

Still, Schwartz says many people think restaurant portions are too big. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest dietary guidelines recommend smaller portions of grains like rice and noodles than what was served at the Chinese restaurant in the study. For example, the USDA recommends that a man (like me) between 19 and 30 years old eat no more than 8 ounces of grains a day. The full serving size of rice or noodles at the Chinese food restaurant was 10 ounces — and that’s just the side for lunch.

Nutrition, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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Avoid The Mid-Afternoon Munchies

February 8, 2012 / Staff

The Mid-afternoon slump that leaves you drowsy and craving junk food can be avoided by replacing some of your old habits with new healthier habits.

Eating low calorie snacks full of preservatives don’t really do the trick. Opt, instead, for healthy high fiber foods that help you to break the destructive cycle caused by eating the empty calories in nutritionally void foods.

Maybe some quiet time or a brisk walk will do the trick.

Experiment to see what works best for you.

Feeling bad about yourself, facing a “sugar crash” later and too much caffeine may get you over the hump but only for a very short time and will ultimately leave you feeling more diminished later.

“Most people have a lull around 3 p.m. If you’re stressed out and all you can find is junk food from the vending machine down the hall, you may start this cycle that can lead to even more stress,” she says. “Having some fruits and vegetables readily available lets you indulge in something sweet that tastes good and has nutritional value, without the snowball effect.”

Nutrition, Quality Control, Resources, Wellness

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There Is A Risk Of Hepatitis C From Amateur Tattoos

February 8, 2012 / Staff

Risk of hepatitis C from amateur tattoos is a real concern.

There are between 75 percent and 85 percent of people infected with hepatitis C who develop chronic infection, which can eventually cause serious liver diseases like cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer.

There are an estimated 3.2 million Americans who have chronic hepatitis C, about half of whom are unaware of it. (The initial infection most often causes no symptoms.)

Hepatitis C is passed through contact with infected blood. In the U.S., there are roughly 18,000 new infections each year, most of which occur when people who inject heroin and similar drugs share tainted needles or syringes.

Quality Control, Resources, Wellness

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Tired All The Time? The Reasons Might Surprise You

February 7, 2012 / Staff

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Being tired all the time can be attributed to over scheduling and hectic lifestyles, however, there may be more serious reasons for chronic fatigue.

Check with your physician to see if you may be suffering from one of these five surprising reasons for chronic fatigue.

Quality Control, Research, Resources, Wellness

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Americans Are Consuming Too Much Salt

February 7, 2012 / Staff

It seems that Americans are getting too much sodium in their diets.

Excess sodium raises blood pressure and makes it difficult to lose weight.
Hypertension can lead to heart attack and stroke so it is worth monitoring your diet to eliminate excess salt.

Currently, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends the average individual should consume a limit of 2,300 milligrams per day. But the average person’s actual sodium consumption per day – 3,300 milligrams, according to the report. And that doesn’t include salt added at the table.

Since sodium acts a preservative it is found in many processed foods.

Breads, rolls, lunch meats and pizza are just some of the worst culprits contributing to excessive sodium in our daily diets.

Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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