Obesity is a multi-layered health issue in America.  Many health advocates are calling out sodas, fast food, lifestyle and genetics as culprits on the list of those to blame for the crisis.  Now there is a new name to add to the list of usual suspects in the fight against weight gain: obesogens.

Researchers have targeted obesogens which are chemicals that disrupt the function of hormonal systems.  An article from MSNBC details how they “enter our bodies from a variety of sources — natural hormones found in soy products, hormones administered to animals, plastics in some food and drink packaging, ingredients added to processed foods, and pesticides sprayed on produce.  They act in a variety of ways: by mimicking human hormones such as estrogen, by misprogramming stem cells to become fat cells and, researchers think, by altering the function of genes.”

This research gives us more evidence and reason to advocate for organically grown whole foods.  As the article suggests, you can enjoy the foods you love, just make sure they are from natural sources free of antibiotics and chemicals.

Do you think that burgers and fries should remain off the list of foods for someone trying to lose weight even if they are of the all natural variety?
 

Tags: Food, diet, obesity, weight loss by Integrative Nutrition
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Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett hopes so.  He wants to inspire the residents of his city to be healthier and lose weight.  Mayor Cornett’s appeal is in response to his city listed as of one of the unhealthiest in America.  The OKC Million community challenge to lose a total of 1,000,000 pounds is open to all and everyone is encouraged to join.  Individuals, families, friends, corporations, churches, local organizations, community groups, sports teams, police departments, fire departments and schools are all welcome. 

When Oklahoma City residents join the site www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com they have access to nutrition information, recipes, weight loss programs and success stories.  Sounds like a recipe for success! 

Watch this report from NBC Nightly News to see how Mayor Cornett’s city is accepting the challenge.

How healthy is your city?

Tags: Nutrition News, diet, obesity, weight loss by Integrative Nutrition
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Is your pantry stocked with Fruit Roll-ups, Goldfish, Twinkies, and Cheez-it’s?  Could you describe your family as “grazers” who walk by the refrigerator or pantry and grab a handful of whatever looks appealing several times a day?  Have parents gotten used to snacks as a way to stop whining or avoid tantrums?  It’s not unusual to see children snacking at recess, after school, before and after sporting events; basically at every extracurricular activity.  Parents are getting bombarded with requests for snacks and quite often the preferred choice is packaged processed foods:  cookies, crackers and sodas. 

With the increase in activities, marketers target busy parents and kids with mini packs of cookies and other junk foods.  This makes it easy for moms to toss into backpacks for afterschool snacks.  The New York Times reports that, “According to the Agriculture Department, American children get 40 percent of their calories from food of poor nutritional quality.” 

Perhaps it’s time to reassess snack time.  Please comment and let us know how your family snacks.

Tags: Food, Nutrition News, diet by Integrative Nutrition
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The New York City Mayor is at it again.  In the past few years, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was successful in getting chain restaurants to visibly display calories, and remove trans fats.  Now the Mayor has turned his attention to curbing the salt intake of city residents.

The mayor’s plan, which is voluntary, aims to cut the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant foods in the city by 25 percent over five years.  Since the sodium in salt causes high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes, the Mayor’s plan is to improve the overall health of New Yorkers.

It sounds like the Mayor is on the right track in his quest to help New Yorkers get healthy, but will a voluntary plan do the trick?  If “Eighty percent of the salt in Americans’ diets comes from packaged or restaurant food,” as the New York Times reports; is the answer for better health to reduce the salt in those foods or to reduce those foods?

Tags: Nutrition News, diet by Integrative Nutrition
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Counting calories to lose weight is a tedious way to accomplish the goal.  Weighing food, reading labels, and feeling hungry are all part of the frustrations that go along with a calorie restrictive diet.  Restaurants in New York City and across the country have even started to post calorie amounts on menu items in an effort to help people make healthier choices.  However, a recent study in the New York Times shows that many restaurant foods and frozen meals contain much higher calorie content than what they stated.  The Times reports that “at Denny’s, a serving of grits, listed at 80 calories, tested at 258. The label on Lean Cuisine’s shrimp and angel-hair pasta says it has 220 calories, but the researchers measured it at 319. They found 344 calories in a Wendy’s grilled chicken wrap listed at 260.” 

If you want to lose weight and you are relying on restaurant food and frozen meals, you may want to think again.  An apple has only 44 calories, a banana 65, broccoli 32 and spinach comes in at only 8. 

Eating food that is naturally low in calories but high in nutrition is the way to go when you are looking to lose a few pounds.  Fast food and frozen meals will only keep you starving for more. 

What do you do to keep the pounds off? 

Tags: Nutrition News, diet by Integrative Nutrition
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Are you someone who knows what you should be doing for better health, but you’re just not doing it?  Do you set lofty goals for yourself that you know you’ll never reach?  Do you eat foods that you know are hard to digest or give you an allergic reaction?  You aren’t alone.  Many people are well aware of the steps they need to take to feel better and live a life that is free of chronic health issues.  Quite often we sabotage ourselves and complain that a healthy lifestyle is out of reach.  That’s where a support system is very useful.  Take this quiz with Christi Collins, The Boston Health Coach, to help you identify any areas where you may be sabotaging your health (either intentionally or subconsciously) and provide you with easy changes you can make immediately to start improving your health. 

Christi is an Integrative Nutrition graduate.  She suffered with severe stomach pain that couldn’t be explained by any doctors or specialists, throughout her college years.  After being diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Christi spent 8 years trying desperately to get rid of it.

Christi now lives almost completely symptom-free. She is an author, speaker, mother and a health counselor. As the Boston Health Coach, Christi guides others on their journey to vibrant health and happiness. Join us on Thursday to hear about Christi’s incredible journey.

Tags: About Graduates of IIN, About IIN, Food, diet by Integrative Nutrition
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The days are officially shorter and colder.  The clocks were turned back over the weekend, marking the beginning of Daylight Savings Time.  This time of year, with fewer hours of sunlight and much of our day spent inside, also lead many people into their yearly winter blues.  The winter blues aka Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), affects people who do not normally experience depression throughout the warmer months, or causes a marked increase in their depressive symptoms during the winter months.  People with SAD often eat and sleep excessively and crave sugary or starchy foods. 
A recent article in the New York Times suggests a lower depression risk linked to the Mediterranean Diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil and fish.  If you are someone who is susceptible to the winter blues, try eating a diet rich in whole foods, and essential nutrients.  Open the blinds and let the sun shine in during the daylight hours.  Try to keep your home and work environment shining with as much natural light as possible during the day.  Everyone needs a winter break.  Perhaps you can also schedule a getaway to a sunny spot during the coldest part of winter.  With the proper line of defense in place, you can survive the winter blues.  How do the winter months affect you?  Do you have special practices to avoid getting the blues? 

Tags: Nutrition News, diet by Integrative Nutrition
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Nearly everyone has tried some type of diet to lose weight.  There’s the Grapefruit Diet, The Lemonade Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet, The Zone Diet, The South Beach Diet and now there’s a Cookie Diet.  The New York Times reports on a recent fad diet that permits six prepackaged cookies a day, plus one “real” meal, for example, skinless chicken and steamed vegetables.  The diet restricts the dieter to between 800 and 1,000 calories a day.  The nutritional content is quite vague. The reported cookies contain protein derived from meat, eggs, milk and other sources. They also contain microcrystalline cellulose — a plant fiber that acts as a bulking agent, emulsifier and thickener — and are sweetened with sugar.  For those who find cookies irresistible perhaps a diet centered around the sugary sweet is perfect.  However, if you are concerned with getting the proper amount of nutrition are cookies and an 800 calorie restriction the best choice?  Is this weight loss plan sustainable?  Critics of a cookie diet are not convinced.  Weight-loss plans that center around a diet of below 1,000 calories do not lead to long-lasting weight loss and can result in potassium deficiency, heart palpitations, and weakened kidney function, among other serious problems.  Why not try lifestyle changes, such as increasing leafy greens, regular exercise, and water?  Have you tried a cookie diet or another similar fad diet?  What were your results? For more information read, the article in The New York Times.
 

Tags: Food, Nutrition News, diet by Joshua Rosenthal
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