What Are Tomatoes Good For?

 

tomatoes-nutrition-factsThere are hundreds of them – varieties of tomato, that is – tiny types like grape, plum, and cherry for snacking pleasure, firm, petite Romas, good for cooked foods, and hefty beefsteak, ideal for BLTs and burgers.

The colors can vary as well, from the palest pink to yellow, and even purple. Preparations of tomato are endless: sun-dried, fried green, stew, sauce, paste, ketchup, juice, Bruschetta, veggie soup, pizza, salsa, salad…

Some advice: refrigerating tomatoes halts the ripening process and diminishes the flavor and texture…

04 May 2015

High Intensity Interval Training and Intermittent Fasting—Two Winning Ways to Reach and Maintain Your Ideal Weight

 

body-fat-percentageIf you want to alter your body composition, you cannot overlook exercise. However, some forms of exercise are clearly more effective than others in this regard.

Most people who exercise are still focusing on slow endurance-type exercises, such as running on a treadmill, which is not only time consuming but ineffective as well—especially for weight loss…

04 May 2015

Time Outdoors Helps Kids Respect and Connect with Nature

 
Aging

Aging

If you live in North America, the unusually long cold winter may have had you cooped up indoors for far too long. Now that the weather is finally feeling like spring and summer, you’re probably thrilled to spend more time outdoors… and hopefully your kids are too.

One of the most beneficial activities for children is simply…

04 May 2015

Want Firmer, Flatter Abs? Stop Doing Sit-ups – Use This “Hand Trick” Instead

 

hqdefault (4)If you ask just about anyone what their main fitness goals are, flat, toned and defined abdominals is usually at the top of their list. However, from a fitness standpoint, the aspiration for the “perfect set of abs” should be balanced with the type of training that will best enhance the overall strength of the entire core’s function.

04 May 2015

Study Links Potassium to Fewer Strokes in Women

 

vegetables-herbsPotassium is a mineral and an electrolyte that conducts electricity in your body. It plays an important role in heart function, skeletal health, digestion, and muscular function, and is essential for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs in your body.

Despite the fact that potassium is available in many foods, especially fruits and vegetables, only 2 percent of US adults get the recommended daily amount of 4,700 milligrams (mg).

04 May 2015

What Are Tomatillos Good For?

 

tomatillos-nutrition-factsIt’s ironic that even though the Aztecs probably used them as one of their staple crops, it may have been Spanish conquistadors who introduced tomatillos (which translates to “little tomatoes” in Spanish) to the New World, after first carrying them back to Spain.

Sometimes called husk cherries or tomato verde, tomatillos are a small, green Mexican fruit with a Japanese lantern-type shell surrounding it…

03 May 2015

Long-Term Use of Pills for Anxiety and Sleep Linked to Dementia

 

benzodiazepines-sleeping-pillsUp to 43 percent of older adults use benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, Ativan, etc.) for anxiety and insomnia, often chronically, even though their long-term effectiveness and safety remain unproven.1

International guidelines recommend short-term use of benzodiazepines, because they cause withdrawal symptoms that make discontinuation problematic. Despite this, many seniors take them for years instead of a few weeks, as is recommended…

03 May 2015

The Intermittent Fasting Dilemma: How Many Meals Per Day Should You Eat?

 

meals-per-dayThe intermittent fasting approach has been getting increased recognition these days. But 10 years ago, it was a different story.

When I introduced The Warrior Diet concept about 12 years ago, it was highly criticized by mainstream fitness authorities as an “extreme and dangerous” approach to dieting. Telling people to skip breakfast and lunch was like committing dietary heresy…

03 May 2015

How Home Gardeners Can Change the Local Food System

 

imagesAccording to a survey by Gardeners’ World magazine, 80 percent of gardeners reported being happy and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners. This feeling of well being can have other more-far reaching implications for your physical health as well. According to research from Johns Hopkins, having a cheerful temperament can significantly reduce your odds of suffering a heart attack or sudden cardiac death.

03 May 2015

Can Water Go Bad?

 

downloadWater is essential for life, and we typically assume that water is “clean” or “good” provided you’re not getting your water from a contaminated source. But can water ever “go bad”?

If you have a water filtration system in your home, it may not occur to you that your water could become contaminated after a while—until you go to clean out the holding tank, that is…

03 May 2015