Stretch Your Food Dollar, Not Your Belt

Americans at all income levels have responded to the economic downturn of the last year by reducing consumer spending. And spending on food is no exception, as cost conscious food shoppers are always sensitive to prices. In fact, the cost of food hit record prices in 2007 and 2008 as a result of the record prices of energy and agricultural commodities-putting further pressure on American consumers when it comes to shopping for food. (more ...)

Nutrition, Obesity and Colon Cancer Risk

What is obesity? People who are obese have an abnormally high and unhealthy proportion of body fat. Currently, the most common formula to measure obesity is based on weight and height, which is referred to as body mass index (BMI). BMI is the ratio of weight (in kilograms) to height (in meters) squared. (more ...)

The egg: It’s a healthy food

A number of years ago, the egg was given a bad rap — that cholesterol in eggs (all of the cholesterol in the egg is in the yolk) resulted in artery-clogging cholesterol in blood.

However, a number of studies have shown that this is not true. For example, the Harvard School of Public Health looked at a population of 117,000 nurses who had been followed for eight to 14 years and found no difference in heart disease risk between those who ate one egg a week and those who ate more than one egg a day. (more ...)

Proteins can play role in bone health

Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become spongy and are easily broken. It usually occurs at the onset of old age, when peoples’ lifestyles change significantly. Reduced physical activity, decreased intake of nutrients, increased use of medications such as glucocorticoids or a sudden decline in the female hormone, estrogen, all can contribute to the condition. (more ...)

Fighting fat involves ‘caloric deficit’ tactic

The results from the Karolinska Institute study have important implications regarding interventions to reduce or prevent obesity. Fat mass depends on two factors: the number of adipocytes and the amount of fat each adipocyte stores. Comparisons of adipocyte numbers in obese and lean people showed that the number of adipocytes increases more rapidly between birth and adulthood in obese people and that the total number of adipocytes in adults, while constant, is also higher in obese people. There also was no difference in the rate of adipocyte turnover between obese and lean people. (more ...)

Keep healthy fatty acid ratios with N.D. seed oil

Although most people think first of fish oil when omega-3’s are mentioned, the oils from seeds grown in North Dakota are rich sources of ALA, which is an essential fat for humans. Even the meat from animals, especially those allowed to graze on range grass, is a significant source of ALA. (more ...)

Soybean - A versatile plant food worth splurging on

Soy is an annual plant that has been a major source of dietary protein in Asian countries for thousands of years. Soybeans are high in nutritional value as a nonanimal source of eight essential amino acids, which makes them a complete plant protein. (more ...)

Have the winter blues? Think Mediterranean

It’s been cold enough, recently, to think about warmer climes. Consider the Mediterranean. At least, consider the “Mediterranean diet.” If you don’t know about the Mediterranean diet, you should. It’s a matter of heart health. (more ...)

Some foods provide benefits beyond basic nutrition

The tenet “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” espoused by Hippocrates nearly 2,500 years ago, is receiving renewed interest. (more ...)