In the News: Sleep Deprivation Increases Hunger

Researchers at Columbia University in New York have observed that sleep deprived individuals consume more calories the day after than if they had a good night's sleep.  According to the study, women consume 329 more calories and men consume 269 extra.
In addition to consuming more calories, the study participants seemed to gravitate to high-fat, high-protein foods when sleep deprived, especially ice cream.


Regularly consuming an additional 300 calories per day would add up to about 30 pounds of weight gain over the course of a year, thus increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses associated with being overweight and obesity.


The first thing I thought when I read this study was, "Oh, right.  Freshman fifteen."  College students get waaaaaaaaaaay less sleep than they need.  And we realize it.  Well, most of us do.  But we choose to do nothing about it, or just take lots of naps.  Anyway, we all need to get the right amount of sleep (at least 7-8 hrs per night), or else we will feel it in more ways than one.

In the News: Cereal Helps Prevent Hypertension

According to a report my the American Heart Association (AHA), having a bowl of cereal each morning could cut your risk of hypertension by up to 20%.  They added that whole grain varieties of cereal were much healthier and reduced hypertension risk more than non-whole grain varieties.

"Compared with men who never ate cereal, those who averaged one serving per week had a 7% lower risk of hypertension. Those who consumed cereal more frequently had even greater reductions in risk: Two to six weekly servings were associated with an 11% lower risk, and one or more servings per day were associated with a 19% lower risk." (Health.com)

About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has hypertension, a major risk factor for kidney problems, heart attacks, and strokes. The AHA estimates that hypertension costs the country an estimated $90 billion in health-care and other costs each year.

Popcorn...A Health Food?

True? Yes. Surprising? Probably so.

Although, if you think about the base ingredient in popcorn - whole corn kernels.  This means that popcorn is a whole grain product (and I'm very surprised the marketing teams haven't caught onto this yet).  Popcorn actually contains a whole load of fiber that is good for you, but also high levels of polyphenols (an antioxidant).  Because of these antioxidants, popcorn has been linked to lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Okay, okay so now that I know popcorn is good for me, can I go out and buy some at my local grocery store? Not yet.  As you may have guessed by now, the heaps of oil and butter on top of popcorn tend to limit or even overpower popcorn's benefits.  Eating fiber along with dozens of grams of fats and trans fats isn't going to get you ready for swimsuit season.  The best way to prepare popcorn is to air-pop it (Presto 114316 04820 PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper), but if you must buy microwave popcorn, get a naked or lightly salted variety (definitely don't go for the ultra-super-butter-explosion types).  Also, keep the portion size down - share a bag with a friend, or buy the 100 calorie bags if you plan to snack alone.

In short, popcorn is not only a healthier snack than most chips or crackers with refined flour, but helps to curb food cravings - just don't slather it with butter.

0g Trans Fat? Guess Again.

Labels LIE!! Perhaps a theme that will continue to arise in my posts as I move forward.  Just because the nutrition information on a food package says '0g Trans Fat' does not mean that there is NO trans fat.

Counter intuitive? I think so.

The FDA allows for the claim of zero grams of trans fat as long as the product has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.  This means you are probably still eating trans fat.

How can I tell if my food has trans fat if the labels are lying to me? Surprisingly, it's pretty simple.  Just check the ingredients list - you know, the one in size 4 font under the nutritional information.  If you see the phrase 'partially hydrogenated,'  then the product contains trans fat.

Why is trans fat bad? First, trans fats are non-essential and provide no benefit to humans through consumption.  Second, trans fats actually raise bad cholesterol levels (LDL) while lowering good cholesterol levels (HDL), thus increasing risk of heart disease.  Other effects of trans fat include increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, liver dysfunction, infertility (in women), and depression.

Although I don't think it's necessary to stop buying products with partially hydrogenated ingredients, I do believe everyone should have the facts, and know that according to the FDA, one half gram equals zero grams.


Worried about your cholesterol levels? Check out:
10 Ways to Lower Your Cholestrol in just 5 Days
cholesterol: 51 Ways To Fight High Cholesterol
21 NATURAL WAYS TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL SO YOU LIVE LONGER