May 23 2013

It might seem against all logic, but adding a little olive oil or a handful of nuts to your diet each day may help keep your mind clear, researchers reported on Monday. It’s the same diet that’s also been shown to reduce deaths from heart attacks and strokes.

The researchers found that people who ate these healthy fats were less likely to show the early signs of  dementia than those who stuck to a more traditional diet.  And this was done in Spain -- where people are already eating a so-called Mediterranean diet.

“Our findings support increasing evidence on the protective effects of the Mediterranean Diet on cognitive function,” Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez of the University of Navarra in Spain and colleagues reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

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May 23 2013

Last week, a 105-year-old Texas woman announced the secret to her longevity: eating bacon with every meal. While this story is worth mentioning for the sheer audacity of her claim, it conjures up the debate over meat’s role in the American diet and just how essential it is – or isn’t – for our bodies and our environment.

I have made no secret about being a devoted vegan for decades; my husband is too, and we have raised our teenage son accordingly. Over the years, emerging data has validated this very personal decision, including rising chemical levels in chicken and recent research regarding a compound found in red meat and how it affects the gut and the heart.

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May 22 2013

Whether you earn your living working up a sweat, or squeeze in workouts when you can, it's easy to fall prey to eating errors that unintentionally hold you back from getting the most out of your workouts. Here are five common missteps I see, and how to correct them to reap the rewards of your hard work.

Eating too little fat

Despite my recommendations to include good fats at every meal, like avocado, nuts, seeds, and coconut oil, some of my clients remain fat phobic, and will scale back, fearing that fat is "fattening."

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May 22 2013

The thing is, in today’s day and age, with America undergoing so many difficult times due to high unemployment rates, terroristic threats and a shifting moral compass, more and more people are suffering from negative stress. Negative stress takes a toll on our daily lives and our health and can lead to high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, anxiety and depression, among other problems, so I feel this question is very appropriate.

Rest assured, there are many things you can do before you run out to get a pill. Here’s a list of some of the most effective natural stress reducers.

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