Diet & Fitness Blog: The Week in Review

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The diet and fitness blog is maintained by eDiets.com Senior Copy Editor Dorian Wagner, unless otherwise noted. eDiets.com reserves the right to delete any comments we deem inappropriate.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

The Week in Review

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By Joanne Eglash
eDiets Healthy Lifestyle Columnist

Is it just me... or is it hot in here?
If you suffer from hot flashes, three new studies may have some soothing suggestions. Colleagues at the University of Illinois, University of Maryland in Baltimore, and the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University evaluated the roles of genes, obesity and alcohol consumption in hot flashes. Their research shows that although you can't control all factors (such as genes), quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight seem to lower your risks of hot flashes. If you were seeking additional motivation for losing weight and/or stopping smoking, you've got it!

Don't believe the hype
Have you noticed the increasing number of food boxes and containers boasting about their good-for-you contents? It's all too easy to just grab those items and pat yourself on the back. In particular, if you have kids in the house, you may put even more emphasis on purchasing products that are healthy. But if you automatically assume that a box with a label such as "excellent source of nutrition" means that the contents are good for your children, it's time to change your ways! A nutritionist and her colleagues recently studied the nutritional quality of a variety of so-called kids' foods with labels boasting about their nutritional value. What the Agricultural Research Service experts discovered: more than 50 percent of those products were actually high in sodium added sugar, and/or saturated fat. The message for parents: ignore the artwork and ads on those food products, and focus on the detailed nutritional information showing the exact amount of saturated food, sodium, and added sugar (which is often hidden in smaller text on the side or back!).

Soup... a secret weight-loss weapon
Sip that soup before supper - if you choose wisely, it can help with weight loss goals, say researchers. A new study confirming previous medical research indicates that enjoying a serving of low-calorie soup before a meal just might help you reduce your overall calorie intake. The researchers at Penn State University emphasized, however, that the choice of soup counts. Ordering a bowl of melted-cheese covered buttery French onion soup filled with croutons, for example, may please your taste buds momentarily. But you definitely won't be delighted by the results on the scale!

Are you nuts about nuts?
Good news - with a catch-22 for nut lovers. A variety of nutrition studies have shown that eating a moderate amount of nuts provides you with healthy fats and assorted nutritional benefits. Several researchers now say that almonds in particular just might help with weight loss and/or maintenance. In addition, almonds may help to lower the risk of chronic diseases. Now here's the caveat for carefree crunchers, however: be aware that the research results are preliminary, and that none of them indicate that eating all the nuts that you want is a wise move. Just one ounce of almonds totals 160 calories. Yes, those almonds contain magnesium, vitamin E, potassium, monounsaturated fat (the good kind of fat), protein, and even fiber - but they can still add up to excess calories.

For more information about Joanne Eglash, visit her Web site.