World Vegetarian Day

World Vegetarian Day is a great time to be aware of how the overconsumption of meat effects the world. You don't have to completely abstain from meat to make a difference. Just eat less of it and you'll be doing the whole world a favor. Livestock is a leading cause of deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.fao.org/agriculture/lead/themes0/climate/en/

Cherish your body. Know that the healthiest way to eat includes plenty of colorful plant-based foods.

Eat for Muscle Soreness

Feeling sore after working out? These foods support the healing process, helping alleviate the pain while building stronger muscles.

The Best Food to Eat for Muscle Soreness

"Your muscles might feel sore after a run or overdoing it at the gym, particularly if you don't normally exercise as rigorously. This occurs due to muscle damage and the buildup of natural waste products in your cells. Eating the right foods before and after physical activity can help your muscles heal faster, ease soreness and pain and even protect against muscle damage in the first place." - Nadia Haris

Dietary Fat Myths

Dietary fats have gotten a bad name.
Know the facts from the myths with Everyday Health.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/myths-and-facts-about-dietary-fat-and-your-heart/

"If you have heart disease or conditions like atrial fibrillation, you may have been told that a diet low in saturated fats will help. For heart health, you may have believed that a low-fat diet would protect you. But now that some studies report links between saturated fats and heart disease may not be that strong, what should you do?"

Modern Diet

The modern American diet is responsible for many of the health issues in our country. Business Insider's 11 charts highlight exactly what those problems are.

See them here: http://www.businessinsider.com/whats-wrong-with-the-modern-diet-charts-2014-2
Are there any reasons you feel belong on the list?

Happy New Year!

Have a happy New Year, everyone! Have fun and be safe.

Is health and fitness in your list of New Year's resolutions? Understanding what foods you'd be better off without is crucial to staying fit and healthy. After all, your results are mostly attributed to diet! Get over the temptations of junk food and its marketing by understanding how the business works. Business Insider shares the top industry-changing innovations by fast food chains in 2013.

http://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-innovations-of-2013-2013-12

Have you eaten any of these this year? Will you be eating any of them next year? It's up to you!

Low Calorie Alcohol

Going for drinks this weekend? Keep it fitness friendly by knowing what you're ingesting. Get Drunk Not Fat knows how to drink when keeping up a diet.

"Pure alcohol is very high in calories.  For instance Everclear has 226 calories per 1.5 oz and is 190 proof (95%) alcohol, the rest basically is water.  Technically Everclear is the lowest calorie alcohol if you compare it to the alcohol percentage. Calories vary from drink to drink but they key to getting the most bang for your buck is picking drinks with the best Calorie from Alcohol ratio.  Here are some examples..." 

- Get Drunk Not Fat

Train, Eat, Sleep

TGIF! Remember this fitness advice over the weekend!

50 Health Tips

Implement a few of these 50 simple health tips from Whole Living into your everyday life and your body will thank you for it!

http://www.wholeliving.com/136136/50-simple-health-tips

Exercise Hard to Eat Less

Have a strong appetite? Getting a good workout can help regulate hunger and cravings.

"Strenuous exercise seems to dull the urge to eat afterward better than gentler workouts, several new studies show, adding to a growing body of science suggesting that intense exercise may have unique benefits."

Read more: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/11/how-exercise-can-help-us-eat-less/

Eating Bugs for Protein

There's a great free source of protein right outside of your door. As an American, "food" is probably the last thing on your mind when looking at a bug. However, for many people around the world, it's a great source nutrition! Would you or have you ever eaten a bug for the health benefits?

"A few years back, my husband and I were eating in a Mexican restaurant in New York City when the table next to us started laughing and carrying on about their appetizer. A father and teenage son were eating, while the mother and daughter were clearly declining the offering. When they offered us a bite — and told us they were eating were chapulines, or grasshoppers — my husband and I passed, saying that we were just too full to partake."

Read more about it here: http://www.babble.com/body-mind/the-protein-source-in-your-own-backyard-that-has-everyone-buzzing/

All About Eggs

‪Eggs‬ are delicious and teeming with ‪‎nutrition‬! Learn 12 useful and interesting facts about them on Crunchy Betty.

http://www.crunchybetty.com/12-things-you-should-know-about-and-do-with-your-eggs

"2. Pastured Eggs have higher nutritional value than commercial eggs. Especially when it comes to vitamin D. We’re talking 4-6 times more vitamin D.Most of this can be attributed to a pastured hen’s own access to ample sunlight and critters and grass that, in addition, has had access to ample sunlight.
Check out all the other nutritional benefits to pastured eggs, according to Mother Earth News."

Side Effects of Soda

We all know that ‎soda isn't healthy, but do you know exactly what it does to your body and how that affects your behavior? Mind Body Green shares 7 side effects of drinking this popular beverage.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5524/7-Side-Effects-of-Soda.html

Eat Fat to Lose Fat

Fat free alternatives may have a fewer calories, but does cutting fat out of your diet actually help in losing body fat? Fats are an essential part of your diet and are necessary for your body to process food and nutrients the way it needs to in order to use stored fat as fuel. Coach Calorie shares the details.

"Fat is one of those essential macronutrients.  More specifically, we are talking about essential fatty acids (EFAs). When your body doesn’t get in enough of the nutrients it needs, it will send out hunger signals to tell you to eat until it does get them. Essential fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body, so they need to be consumed through your diet.Omega-3 and omega-6 are the two essential fatty acids we must ingest because the body cannot synthesize them. Most of us get in enough of the omega-6 fatty acids, but are lacking with the omega-3s. Good sources of EFAs include seeds, nuts, and fish. I like to supplement with fish oil to get my EFAs. Essential fatty acids might be the only essential fats, but saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats play a large role in the body too." - Tony Schober 

Learn more about it: http://www.coachcalorie.com/eat-fat-to-lose-fat/

Eggs: Whites vs Yolks

The debate over the health risks of yolk is strong, but do you know the actual nutritional difference between it and eggs whites? FitSugar has the charts side by side for comparison.

http://www.fitsugar.com/Egg-Whites-Healthier-Than-Egg-Yolks-364527

Have you ever considered skipping on egg yolks?

Soda's Myths and Facts

Soda's been even more of a hot health topic than usual ever since NY mayor Bloomberg's attempt to enforce a ban on large sugary drinks. There are many rumors about the dangers of soda, but which of them are actually true? The Huffington Post discusses.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/13/soda-myths-facts-sugary-drinks_n_2863045.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

8 "Healthy" Mistakes

Remember, moderation is key! Just because it's healthy doesn't mean it's alright to overdo it.
Prevention Magazine shares 8 "healthy" mistakes might just be holding back your progress.

1. You went gluten-free "just because"

2. You swore off sweets

3. You cut out carbs to speed up weight loss

4. You seriously upped your fiber intake

5. You eat micro-portions all day long

6. You nosh before and after workouts

7. You still eat low-fat foods

8. You always go for the salad

Read more: http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-tips/8-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight/1-you-went-gluten-free--just-because#ixzz2EOoB6FSy

10 Strategies to Burn Fat

Losing weight requires a complete lifestyle change that includes a cleaner diet and more movement. However, if you're looking to adopt a few habits and strategies to help speed up the process, Fitness Magazine has got 10 tips for you! Keep yourself nourished and diet-minded and you'll be sure to get the results you're looking for.

No crazy gimmicks or deprivation diets here. These 10 smart new strategies will help you shed fat and keep it off.
Use fat to burn fat.
Trying yet again to lose those last 10 pounds? We hear you. In fact, 50 percent of women say that within six months they gain back any weight they've managed to ditch. And more than a quarter have dieted so many times they've lost track of the number. Well, get ready to stop the endless yo-yoing: Science has finally come up with simple, groundbreaking solutions for lasting weight loss. We checked in with the top experts in the field and scoured the latest research to bring you the skinny on everything you need to reach your slim-down goals and stay there.
Make your fat burn fat.Seriously: Your flab can help you shed pounds. How? Just as there's more than one kind of fat in food, there's more than one type in your body. White fat is the bad stuff you want to zap. But a second kind, brown fat, actually torches calories. "Up to 80 percent of adults have brown fat deposits in their bodies," says Aaron M. Cypess, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School. This good fat is powerful because it's packed with mitochondria, the parts of cells that generate heat. When activated, as little as two ounces of brown fat can gobble up as much as 20 percent of your body's calories.
Exercise is one of the best ways to get your brown fat in gear. In a study, scientists at Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute discovered that working out releases a hormone called irisin, which converts white fat to brown. Exercise for a half hour at least five days a week to turn up the burn.

Read the 10 tips here: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/tips/diet-tips/how-to-lose-fat-for-good/?page=1

Eat This Before You Run

Do you know what snacks are the best to eat before you go for a run? FitSugar has a chart of the foods you should and shouldn't consider as well as when to eat it!

Read more here: http://www.fitsugar.com/What-Eat-Before-Run-24108225

Time	Food Ideas	Foods to Avoid
2 hours before	300- to 400-calorie meal containing carbs, protein, and healthy fats: Cooked quinoa and grilled chicken Whole wheat pasta with cheese and veggies Peanut butter and jelly sandwich Greek yogurt with blueberries and sliced almonds Wrap filled with grilled fish, avocado, and mango	Tons of fibrous veggies: Broccoli, onions, beans High-fat foods that are hard to digest: Burgers, fries, ice cream

Keep reading to find out what to eat (and what to avoid) an hour or 15 minutes before a run.

Time	Food Ideas	Foods to Avoid
1 hour before	150-calorie snack containing easily digestible carbs and a little protein: Whole wheat toast with nut butter Whole grain crackers and hummus Small bowl of cereal Half a fruit and nut bar Cheese stick and carrots	Gas-producing fruits: Pear Apple Melon
15 to 30 minutes before	Small serving of easily digestible carbs: Banana Applesauce A few saltine crackers Raisins	Large serving of protein and carbs, and high-saturated fat and high-fiber foods: Pasta Bagel and cream cheese Fried chicken Granola bar (high in calories and fiber)

50 Healthiest Foods

The  most nutritious foods are right at your fingertips. Do you frequently include any of these into your diet? If not, you're missing out on some of the healthiest foods in existence.
See the complete list and slideshow on The Huffington Post!

"And so we turned to some of our favorite medical and nutritional experts to come up with this list of 50 of the healthiest foods, presented alphabetically. Pad your grocery list with these and you'll be on your way to a healthier, more vibrant diet. Of course, even as we editors finished the list, we started thinking of more ("How could carrots not be on the list?" "What about black pepper?"). So we plan to follow up with a second list of healthy foods. Let us know in the comments which of your favorites we skipped and they could appear soon."

See them here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/29/healthy-food-healthiest-list_n_1636409.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Intuitive Eating

Diets can be painful and frustrating. Even worse, all of the calorie-counting and deprivation of certain delicious, energizing foods can paint out food to be an enemy rather than a source of nutrition and life. For Americans, most of the trouble for obesity seems to lie in our tendency to eat greasy, unhealthy foods in portions that are much larger than we'd ever require. Eating this way isn't what your body want or needs.
Intuitive eating is a dieting philosophy that encourages you to stay in tune with your body's needs to keep yourself satisfied and healthy. You eat until you're 80% full and intake the nutrition you require to be happy and healthy. Calorie counting or food-loathing is strongly against this philosophy. A blog on The Province discusses this thought in detail.

"Are you tired of repeated dieting without results? Do you feel you are at war with food? There is a nutritional philosophy called “intuitive eating” that may help free you from the power of food. What does it entail?
Intuitive eating involves listening to your body’s natural cues and signals like hunger and fullness and mastering your own feelings and internal dialogue (whether negative or positive) about your body and food. Intuitive eating abandons the old diet mentality of counting calories and fat grams that our culture has been stuck in for far too long — a diet mentality that doesn’t always allow us to accept ourselves as we are, and one that can further deepen our negative relationships to food."

Read more: http://blogs.theprovince.com/2012/02/20/intuitive-eating-listening-to-your-bodys-cues-to-lose-weight/