Posts

The researchers logged the dietary intake of 23,039 women, then tracked their rates of endometrial cancer over 24 years. At the end of that time, 506 women had been diagnosed with type I endometrial cancer (the kind that’s related to estrogen levels). Only one habit was significantly linked to the big C: drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda, fruit punch, and lemonade. The women who downed 2 or more servings of sugary drinks each week were 78 percent more likely to develop type I endometrial cancer than those who avoided the drinks altogether....

Hello garlic lovers! This Meatless Monday, I’m serving up Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup). The recipe comes from Howard Hillman’s book, “Great Peasant Dishes of the World.” While you’ll find many variations for Sopa de Ajo, this recipe is the basic version with traditional ingredients: water, stale white bread, olive oil, garlic, red pepper and salt. I love the simplicity of the basic recipe, redolent with garlic flavor. I’m one of the garlic lovers, you see....

Scientists at the University of Warwick Medical School in the UK have been studying how strawberries interact with a specific protective protein in the body called “Nrf2.” Their findings may tempt you to add the berries to every meal: Strawberries activate the Nrf2 protein, which in turn decreases blood lipids and “bad” cholesterol. Essentially, this mighty berry was shown to prevent the buildup of compounds that directly cause heart attacks and diabetes....

How to buyPick fragrant berries that are red from the tops to the tips, as they don’t continue to ripen after harvest. Buy organic: Strawberries are more likely than most fruits to have pesticide residue. (Check out these other fruits and veggies to always buy organic.) How to storeKeep in the fridge. Don’t rinse them or remove green tops until ready to use. Quick Strawberry Jamprep-to-table time: 50 minutes Makes 2 cups...

(Burn calories and build muscle—all while boosting your mood—with our 21-Day Walk a Little, Lose a Lot Challenge!) Single-Leg Hip BridgeWhy:How: You already know that strong glutes help power you forward with each step. But you might not realize that one side is probably stronger than the other. Over time, this imbalance can cause a shift in your pelvis, causing pain in the lower back and putting you at risk for sciatica....

The research: Researchers at the University of Arizona exposed the virus to carvacrol and found the oregano component breaks down the infectious disease’s protective protein coating, leaving its delicate genetic material unprotected. “Carvacrol also breaks down the virus’s RNA, leaving little behind that is recognizable as the virus particle,” says study coauthor Kelly Bright, PhD, an environmental scientist. What it means: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 15 people are infected with norovirus each year....

After looking at over 70 separate samples of data concerning brain activity before, during, and after a moment-of-truth-type event, researchers found that as you gear up for something that will give you any sort of feedback (like a performance, an exam, or even waiting for medical results), we experience what’s called temporal decline—in other words, a temporary dip in our expectations before we’re about to hear the results. It’s a process called sobering up....

Traditional enchiladas are made with a corn or flour tortilla stuffed with some kind of meat and cheese filling, topped off with a tomato based sauce and even more cheese. Over here, I have a slightly different take on enchiladas for you. Subbing out the processed, carb-heavy tortilla for Swiss chard is a bold move in the health direction. And using a green tahini instead of a tomato sauce and cheese still nails that indulgent creamy texture (but in a still-bathing-suit-season sort of way)....

Scientists at the Center for Neuropsychiatry at China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan conducted a yearlong study involving three different groups of volunteers under the age of 25. One group practiced tai chi (the ancient martial art that emphasizes breathing and slow, focused movements) for at least two hours a week, another group walked briskly for a minimum of two hours a week, and a third didn’t follow any specific exercise plan....

Elevated language for mere germination, perhaps, but that’s how a new group of researchers is talking about plant breeding. Most of the seeds used to grow our collective garden of food aren’t free—they’re patented by institutions and large seed companies, which own them and require licenses for anyone who wants to use them. This is font after the image. here is another inline image 3rd image added using wysiwyg editor media button This is a test of an inline image fix with wysiwig....

That’s the idea driving Barnraiser, a crowdfunding platform dedicated to supporting a slew of healthy food, farming, educational, and social projects across the country. MORE: Is Indoor Vertical Farming the Future of Food? Think of it like the Kickstarter of the sustainable food movement. After all, it works just the same: Browse projects and causes on Barnraiser.us—keep a small family-run farm in operation or help open a locally-sourced supper club, for example—then contribute as little or as much as you’d like....

Many of those living with Alzheimer’s are genetically predisposed to the condition, but one-third of cases can be attributed torisk factors like diabetes, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity—the last of which is the most prevalent risk factor in the US, UK, and Europe. Why? Physical activity keeps blood flowing and boosts oxygen consumption, both of which help your brain function better, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Exercise also makes the brain work more efficiently, which helps to preserve the function that’s left....

Why it works Electroacupuncture lowers blood levels of the hunger-regulating hormone leptin, researchers say. Leptin normally tells you when you’re full, but if you’re overweight, leptin can become chronically elevated, leading to resistance and missing of the “full” signal. Electro acupuncture seems to act on the hypothalamus, the brain area that releases hunger hormones, and has a calming effect, which can reduce stress eating, says Daniel Hsu, a licensed acupuncturist in New York City....

At least that’s the argument that an international team of researchers (read: real scientists, not self-proclaimed Paleo wellness experts with blogs) have made in The Quarterly Review of Biology. After poring over the anthropological, physiological, and genetic data, they concluded that there’s a big discrepancy between the original Paleo diet and our modern take on it. More specifically, our ancestors ate a lot of carbs. MORE: 7 Ways To Go Paleo on a Budget Turns out, early humans needed a lot of glucose to meet the metabolic demands of their growing brains, as well as help moms-to-be supply steady energy to their growing fetuses....

Here’s how it works: “Vitamin D, whether ingested or produced in the skin after sun exposure, must be metabolized to its active form—calcitriol—to exert its biological effects,” says study author Louise Wamberg, M.D., Ph.D. To do this, your body uses compounds called enzymes, including some that your fat tissue produces. But that doesn’t mean more fat makes for better vitamin D breakdown, Dr. Wamberg says. In the first part of a new study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, she and her co-authors analyzed fat cells from 20 heavy women and 20 who were normal weight....

Researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University questioned hundreds of people living in a wine-producing region of western Germany. Of the roughly 950 respondents, nearly 25% of the group reported at least mild signs of alcohol intolerance—signs that are often chalked up to other issues. The most common symptoms included flushed skin, itching, nasal congestion, and increased heart rate. And here’s the worst part: Women were almost twice as likely as men to suffer from wine allergies, says study author Heinz Decker, PhD, who led the research effort....

That’s what Milwaukee-based homebrew enthusiast Theera Rastasarn may eventually hope to offer the risk-taking, beer-slugging world after he made his own wheat ale with wastewater from his local sewer plant. Yep, you read that right: That’s homebrew from home sludge. MORE: The Incredibly Awesome Way Beer Can Lower Your Cancer RIsk While this wonder brew won’t be available on tap at your local pub anytime soon, this wastewater engineer—that’s literally Rastasarn’s day job at Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources—did manage to wow Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery with the taste of his sewer ale....

There’s a new food-branded technology, and it’s something you’ll find at your farmers’ market: carrot. These days, unadulterated vegetables are so rare in our modern food culture that they start to look new: “Carrot uses an innovative combination of nutrients to provide a seamless experience for your digestive system.” That’s the spiel from Introducing Carrot, a new short by Philadelphia-based filmmaker Dan Angelucci. The film was meant to be—and is—a spot-on parody of every tech-promoting video out there....

Your Program