More and more big corporations are reevaluating their finances and finding ways to cut costs. This won’t be a big surprise for many of you, but one of the ways is through healthcare. Right now, companies pay an exorbitant amount of money on healthcare for their sick employees. Many people in corporate America are overworked, stressed out and not eating whole foods. Can you relate? This sends them to the doctor for medications and as their health declines to the operating room.

Tags: About IIN, Healthy Tips by Joshua Rosenthal
1 Comment »

Have you ever noticed that eating certain foods just have you wanting more? According to Dr. Louis Aronne author of The Skinny there are certain foods that trigger your hunger instead of relieving it.

These include:

• Juice
• Sugary cereals
• Alcohol
• Bread
• Pasta
• Sweets

While these trigger foods may be different for everyone, this list doesn’t seem far off. Dr. Aronne is probably not talking about 100% fruit juice or whole grain bread, but rather bread made with white flour and juice made from concentrate. You can still enjoy these foods, but just stick with the less processed variety. Opt for whole grains for your pasta, bread and cereals, 100% fruit for your juice, dark chocolate or fruit for your sweets, and limit alcohol intake.

Are there other foods that trigger your hunger that you don’t see on this list?

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips by Joshua Rosenthal
No Comments »

Jello, doughnuts, French fries, soda and candy bars are not the typical foods you think of when you envision healthy eating, right? The odd thing is that’s what most hospitals serve in their vending machines and cafeterias. Have you noticed that? These junk foods are rather the foods you might serve a patient if you want them to be a repeat customer.

Why do hospitals serve these foods? Is it because they are cheap, quick and easy? Instead of serving sick people processed foods that will send their blood sugar levels on a roller coaster ride and lead to weight gain and diabetes maybe hospitals should opt for whole grains like brown rice, vegetables and fruit like broccoli and apples. It’s a lot easier to give someone vegetarian lentil soup than a quadruple bypass surgery. Yes?

I’m curious to see what types of foods your local hospital serves. Share with us. Is there a Dunkin Dounuts or vending machines lining the walls of your hospital? What do you think it will take for hospitals to switch over their food to healthier options? Do you want to be a part of that change?

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
8 Comments »

Magazine advertisements and TV commercials have a big impact on the way most Americans feel about their bodies.

Recently, a few studies have found that no matter how good our intentions are to eat well our brains behave in just the opposite way we would expect them to when it comes to diet and exercise. The research suggests that when most people see a magazine advertisement or commercial about dieting or exercise they are likely to eat more. Have you found this to be true?

Media can be really overwhelming sometimes. It’s good to take a break from TV and reading magazines every now and then and enjoy other things like the outdoors. If you find that you are negatively influenced by commercials or advertisements take a step back. Get some friends together and go for a walk in the park or take a yoga class.

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
No Comments »

Fat has become a bad word. Men and women work their whole lives to avoid weight gain by cutting calories, exercising and going on extreme diets. That’s exhausting!

In a recent Newsweek interview two women talk about how tired they were with battling cravings, fighting fat and waging the war against weight gain. What do they do instead? Embrace their bodies and promote health at every size. In their new book Fat-o-Sphere: Stop Dieting and Declare a Truce With Your Body they talk about their more weight-neutral approach to living life. The book talks about a healthier approach to living and it’s a lot more fun than constantly comparing yourself to the “thin ideal.”

Many people suffer their whole lives because they are unhappy with their bodies. They have low self-esteem because they don’t look like the models on billboards, in magazines or on TV. The good news is those models don’t look like that either.

There is an important distinction to make. While counting calories, fighting cravings and consistently weighing yourself is exhausting and takes the joy away from other life activities, this is not to say that you should go to the next drive-thru. Rather, by choosing to eat mostly whole grains, vegetables, and fruits and limiting the amount of processed foods you eat your body will find its comfortable weight. By feeding yourself with whole foods you will not only feel good on the inside, but also the outside.

Can you relate to this? Have you been victim of counting calories, weighing yourself constantly and resisting every cravings?

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
2 Comments »

Today, 100 naturopathic doctors and supporters met on Capitol Hill to advocate for an overhaul of the nation’s healthcare system.

“The healthcare system must address the underlying factors that lead to chronic disease,” says Karen Howard, Executive Director of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. “Nearly 40% of all U.S. deaths are from heart disease, and more than two thirds of Americans are overweight. We need to move past this broken model and create a system that focuses on overall health, wellness and enabling the body’s natural healing process.”

This is the change we need. By empowering people to take charge of their health by incorporating more whole foods, exercise and stress reducing activities we can significantly lower the amount of money we spend on medications and operations.

This is exactly what Integrative Nutrition students are doing. Yes, we are a school, but we are also a movement. Students and graduates are out in their communities teaching men, women and children the importance of whole grains, fruits and vegetables as well as balancing other aspects their lives.

Do you want to be a part of this movement?

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips, Politics, Uncategorized by Joshua Rosenthal
2 Comments »