Remember those high-fructose corn syrup commercials that said it wasn’t so bad? Well, a new study found that many foods sweetened with HFCS contain mercury. The most shocking news of all is that the FDA and the High-Fructose Corn Industry have known about this potential toxin since at least 2005 and have said nothing.

Another group of researchers tested products directly from the supermarket and one in three products contained mercury. These included products like jelly, ketchup and sodas. So even though we thought our greatest threat to mercury poisoning was through fish, it turns out that many of our everyday grocery store items may contain this harmful substance.

It does take a large amount of mercury to cause any serious health problems, but as a general guideline try to stay away from the processed foods found in the inner aisles of your grocery store and stick with the less processed, fresher foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables for better health.

Find out more about the mercury contamination.

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips by Joshua Rosenthal
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Last week Alice Waters, a leader in the organic food movement, hosted a dozen dinners prepared with organic food to celebrate Obama’s rise to office. She brought in Obama’s favorite chef from Chicago, Rick Bayless and other famous chefs like Dan Barber and Tom Colicchio.

Waters believes that if she gets President Obama on board with a White House organic garden, more people will be inspired to grow their own food. How cool would that be?

Many people struggle with buying organic food because it tends to be more expensive, but if people learned to grow some food at home and purchase ingredients wisely, more people could have access to fresh food. Waters also maintains that by growing our own food we are not only eating well, but also taking care of the land.

For information on how you can grow your own food check out this nonprofit group Kitchen Gardeners International. You can also find out more about the petition for a garden on the White House lawn.

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Politics by Joshua Rosenthal
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Newsweek recently came out with an article outlining the most popular diets for 2009. Some say eating Twinkies for breakfast, lunch and dinner are the way to ultimate health.

The Fat-Free Diet: This diet claims that you can eat whatever you want and not gain weight as long as it has zero fat. Fat-free products are often loaded with sugar and have little nutritional content. 

The Couch-Potato Diet: This one claims that if you cut back on calories you can lose weight without working out. The truth is exercise has more benefits than just losing weight and it is important to get up and move for at least 30 minutes a day.

The Detox Plan: Many people like to do a cleanse, such as the Master Cleanse, for a few days to clean out the toxins. This detoxing works really well for some people and not for others. Sometimes all you need to do is eliminate one food, like sugar, and add more fruits and vegetables for a simple detox.

The Beef and Bacon Diet: This is based on the Atkins diet. This diet suggests that if you stick to meat and cut out the carbs, you’ll lose weight. Some people do really well on this, but consuming large amounts of red meat is not good for long-term health.

These diets do seem to have one thing in common. None of them talk about eating more fruits and vegetables, which is probably why they are so popular in America.

Good health is really quite simply. Reduce junk foods and increase whole foods, like vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Before going on any diet, ask yourself, “Why do I want to be healthy?” Once you have your answer, whatever diet you choose will be much more successful. 

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
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In the midst of the inauguration ceremony and the inaugural balls did you happen to catch this new Starbucks commercial? Starbucks launched a new grassroots campaign to get people to volunteer in their community for a more sustainable environment. In the commercial they ask the audience, “Are you in?” This is very similar to our slogan, “Are you IIN?” How cool!

While Starbucks has received criticism throughout the years, I commend this new campaign. Think of what your neighborhood would look like if everyone volunteered five or more hours to make it better. Starbucks is partnering with HandsOn Network, a national nonprofit that inspires people to take action that changes the world, for the campaign. 

Here are some great lines from the Starbucks commercial that I think ring true to making a difference:

“Come on everybody. We can do it.
Let’s all join together every woman and man.
And lend a hand all across the land. Join in.
Together we’re moving forward to a brighter day.
We have the tools and the skills and we’re capable to change the world and to make it more sustainable.
Together we are strong and our bonds are unbreakable. If we act bold we can attain the goal.”

Are you IIN?

Tags: About IIN, Healthy Tips, Relationships, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
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Today, Barack Obama was sworn into office as the 44^th President of the United States of America. How exciting!

As with every new beginning there is uncertainty and fear, but also excitement. In the next four years Obama will be making big changes that will impact our economy, educational system, healthcare and much more. This is “a change we can believe in.”

Here are a few plans Obama has outlined for the coming years.

Economy:

Obama administration plans to take immediate action to create good jobs in America and provide relief for families who have lost their jobs and homes. He is also planning a rapid, aggressive response to our financial crisis.

Expand and create national service programs:

Obama will call on Americans to serve their country by doing 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Here are some areas where Americans can put in some hours.

• Health Corps to serve in the nation’s clinics and hospitals.
• Clean Energy Corps to achieve the goal of energy independence
• Classroom Corps to help underserved schools
• Veterans Corps to support the Americans who serve in harm’s way

Healthcare:

Obama plans to offer affordable, accessible healthcare for all Americans. The plan will enable patients to make healthcare decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company authorities.

To find out more on the Obama administration plans for our country visit The Office of the President-Elect.

Tags: Career, Politics, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
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The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), a large peanut distributing company recalled its peanut paste and butter products produced in its Blakely, Ga. facility because they could potentially be contaminated with salmonella bacteria. None of the recalled peanut butter or paste is sold directly to consumers, but to companies that produce cookies, cakes and ice cream. Health officials have linked a few illnesses and deaths to the contaminated peanut products.

This is definitely a wakeup call for consumers of processed foods. You never know what you’re going to get. Pre-packaged foods are convenient, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it’s always a good idea to be a label detective. Look at the ingredients so you know exactly what you are putting into your body. In general, try to limit the amount of processed foods you consume and opt for the homemade snacks with veggies, whole grains and fruit. Here are some recipes to get you started.

It’s not just the peanut paste that should be of concern these days. Processed foods have other ingredients that your body is just not meant to handle like, food coloring, sweeteners and preservatives. When food is highly processed, it loses many of its vital nutrients.

By adding more whole grains, fruits and vegetables to your diet, you will find that you are less likely to crave processed foods.

Until the FDA issues another statement regarding the safety of peanut butter, it is advised to stay away from products with peanuts.

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips by Joshua Rosenthal
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The executive director of school food in New York City, David Berkowitz, has left his position. Under his administration the school district hired a consulting chef, created salad bars and added dozens of healthier options while replacing the whole milk with low-fat or skim milk. He was also part of an effort to get more produce into the schools. The jury is still out as to whether or not he will be replaced.

The good news is authorities recognize the importance of healthier lunch options for kids and are making every effort to improve cafeteria food, like putting a tax on soda. All of this change is great, especially as new research indicates that an adult’s propensity to put on weight is directly affected by early childhood diet.

A lot more needs to be done and that is why this year Integrative Nutrition is starting a Healthy Schools/Healthy Children Program. We are offering scholarships to school principals and food service directors and each of our students will have a chance to adopt a school in their area and work to make healthier changes. Hundreds of our graduates are already out in their communities cleaning up school food and teaching children and teachers about whole foods because they have a passion to keep our future America healthy.

Let us know if you’re interested in being part of this change.

Tags: About IIN, Food, Politics, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
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One of the main reasons people don’t cook is because they think they don’t have the time. Can you relate? How many times have you opened a cookbook and seen a recipe for lasagna that looks delicious, but calls for a lot of ingredients and hours of labor? The good news is good food does not need to be complicated. If you want a fancy, tasty meal, go out to a restaurant. You don’t need to be a gourmet chef at home; you need to be able to feed yourself and those you love in a nourishing, convenient way. Feel better?

It takes under five minutes to prepare a piece of fish or meat, two or three minutes to prepare greens and an additional five minutes of cooking time for each. If you decide to make a more complicated meal, make your main ingredients, like grains, vegetables, from scratch, and complement them with canned or frozen foods.

You don’t have to start from scratch at each meal. Why not cook once and eat two or three times? Whenever you cook, make extra. Take grains as an example. You can cook your favorite grain in the morning and use some for a hot breakfast cereal, perhaps adding some sweet flavor, like fresh fruit or raisins, and something hearty, like tahini or nut butter. Then you can add some different flavor to the leftover grains, or put them into a soup and take it to work for lunch. In the evening, you can add vegetables and protein, and stir-fry the remainder with oil to give it some extra sizzle. You can also put leftover food into the fridge in small containers for a great, healthy, wholesome snack in between meals.

Cooking nutritious meals can be quite simple and delicious. If you have a favorite recipe that you think others would enjoy, please share them here.

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Recipes by Joshua Rosenthal
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Nutrition news can be confusing. One day scientists are saying to drink milk the next day they’re saying it’s not as good for you as once believed. It’s no wonder people don’t know what to eat. “Conflicting results are part and parcel of the scientific process,” says one researcher.

Here’s a sample of how scientists study the benefits of certain foods and vitamins.

Types of studies:

Randomized clinical trials: In these studies researchers randomly assign one group of people to do one thing, such as take a vitamin, but assign another group to take a placebo pill (which doesn’t have any active ingredients).

Observational studies: In these studies doctors observe different groups, such as people who choose to take vitamins and those that don’t. The doctors follow both groups for many years, then take note on how the groups did. This type of study is not as reliable because there could be some other genetic or environmental factors about the people who choose to take the pill compared to others.

Laboratory studies: Studies done on animals and cells are more controversial and doctors rarely give advice based on their results. More scientists are moving away from these types of studies.  

It’s good to be an informed consumer. Along with knowing how a study is conducted it’s also a good idea to know who is funding the study because the results may be favorable to the company paying the bills.

Integrative Nutrition brings you the most up-to-date research on nutrition from world-renowned speakers. Learn more about our program and how you can become more informed.

Tags: About IIN, Healthy Tips, Politics, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
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Most people have been on a diet at some point in their lives. In fact an estimated 80 million Americans go on diets every year, spending more than $30 billion annually on programs and products. We are bombarded by diet books, pills and meal delivery systems, but what works and what doesn’t? Which diet creates lasting results? Sure it would be nice to go on the Cookie Diet, but is that realistic?

A recent article on CNN, outlined the top diets:

The Structure House Weight Loss Plan. This diet takes a holistic approach to weight loss, asking you to fill your life with things other than food. It also focuses on the why behind overeating.

The Step Diet. This plan helps you establish a lifestyle regimen that combines walking with step-building techniques, like parking further away or taking the stairs. The approach to weight loss also suggests cutting back on what you normally eat.

The Eating Well Diet. This diet focuses on behavioral changes, including finding and facing eating triggers, eating and shopping mindfully, and cultivating regular, joyful exercise habits.

The Best Life Diet. This plan helps you establish eating habits for life by taking you through three phases.

The Solution. This approach targets five root causes of weight problems: unbalanced eating, low energy, body shame, setting ineffective limits, and weak self-nurturing skills.

For more of the top diets, click here.

Years ago diet books outlined what to eat and not to eat, but now nutrition experts recognize that it’s not only about adjusting the food you consume, but also making lifestyle adjustments. Have you tried any of these diets?

Tags: Healthy Tips by Joshua Rosenthal
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