Diet

The postpartum phase is not a time for restriction, deprivation or elimination, especially when breastfeeding. During this time, you need to be consuming enough calories to account for what you’re giving out, and you have to consider that proper postpartum nutrition is vital for both physical and mental health. You can utilize food strategically to balance your hormones, mood and energy levels, but with so much information out there, it can get a little overwhelming when deciding exactly what you should be eating. For me, it has been very helpful to focus on three things: Reducing my consumption of processed foods, balancing my blood sugar and eating foods that reduce inflammation. Read the story at In The Know

We humans can’t stop playing with our food. Just think of all the different ways of serving potatoes – entire books have been written about potato recipes alone. The restaurant industry was born from our love of flavouring food in new and interesting ways. My team’s analysis of the oldest charred food remains ever found show that jazzing up your dinner is a human habit dating back at least 70,000 years. Imagine ancient people sharing a meal. You would be forgiven for picturing people tearing into raw ingredients or maybe roasting meat over a fire as that is the stereotype. But our new study showed both Neanderthals and Homo sapienshad complex diets involving several steps of preparation, and took effort with seasoning and using plants with bitter and sharp flavours. This degree of culin...

Lab-grown alternatives mimic traditional products consumers have long considered 'natural'. Does that mean they're 'natural' too? GettyImages/Anetlanda Strolling down the aisle of any supermarket, consumers are met with ‘natural’ claims left, right, and centre. But in Europe, no legal definition of the term ‘natural’ exists. What is meant by ‘all natural ingredients’, ‘100% natural’, and ‘natural colours’ – claims commonplace on-pack – is therefore open to interpretation. At the same time, on the global stage, novel technologies are coming to market. Precision fermentation technology is producing bio-identical dairy proteins and real meat is being grown in labs from animal stem cells. Both of these lab-grown alternatives mimic traditional, familiar products consumers have long considered...

Collagen is found in all sorts of pills, powders, liquids and gummies, all of which offer the promise of better skin and nails and an eternally youthful look. This popular supplement also has other purported health perks, including gut health benefits.  But should you buy into the hype? Supplements aren't exactly cheap, and collagen is no exception. Luckily for your wallet, it's actually better to get collagen from the foods you eat rather than popping a pill. Below, we'll help you understand what collagen actually is and the role it plays in your body -- so you can make the best nutrition decisions for you. What is collagen and what does it do? Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and therefore, fairly important in maintaining your body's functions. Registered dietitian...

Our diet plays a huge role in the overall health of our skin. Keep reading for 15 common foods that can contribute to healthier, glowing skin — and check out a quick and easy smoothie recipe at the bottom of the page containing some of these skin-enriching ingredients! Water Water keeps your body hydrated and refreshed and helps maintain your skin’s elasticity. People who drink large amounts of water are less likely to have scars, wrinkles and soft lines and won’t show as many signs of aging as those who don’t. Tomatoes Tomatoes are fantastic to use in homemade face masks if you want to revive the glow in dull skin. They’re also a helpful remedy for sunburn. Add them to juices or salads. Get the full list at In the Know

The ancient Greeks were on to something when they referred to olive oil as an "elixir of youth and health." Centuries later, research offers evidence about the benefits of olive oil in our daily diets. Consuming more than half a tablespoon of olive oil a day may lower heart disease risk, a 2020 study found. And earlier this year, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that people who ate more than half a tablespoon per day had lower rates of premature death from cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and other causes compared to people who never or rarely consumed olive oil. "Olive oil is the hallmark of the Mediterranean diet, and its link to lower mortality is well established in southern European countries. Read the article at heart.org

In countries such as the UK, US and Canada, ultra-processed foods now account for 50 percent or more of calories consumed. This is concerning, given that these foods have been linked to a number of different health conditions, including a greater risk of obesity and various chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia. Ultra-processed foods are concoctions of various industrial ingredients (such as emulsifiers, thickeners, and artificial flavors) amalgamated into food products by a series of manufacturing processes. Sugary drinks and many breakfast cereals are ultra-processed foods, as are more recent innovations, such as so-called 'plant-based' burgers, which are typically made of protein isolates and other chemicals to make the products palatable. The intense industri...

You may be wondering how to cut down sugar and what the benefits of doing so might be. Sugar is often demonized by health and wellness gurus, but is it really all that bad for us? We’ve spoken to the experts to get their view on sugar and how best to reduce your sugar intake. It is important to know how much sugar is in the foods you’re eating in order to make informed dietary choices. We’ve broken down how you can identify the sugar content of your food and how to read product labels, which are often confusing. Increasing your protein intake is a great way to curb your appetite, as protein has been shown to increase feelings of satiety and fullness. Read the full story at Fit and Well

If you're into lifting weights, knowing the right foods to eat—and avoiding the wrong ones—is integral to your overall success. Working out and maintaining a proper diet go hand in hand, since the food choices you make will directly impact how you feel when exercising, as well as your performance. The goal of pumping iron is to build muscle—not put on unwanted fat. We are here to point out the absolute worst foods for weight lifting, so you ensure you stay on the right track. Eat This, Not That! spoke with Melissa Pfeister, founder of the health and wellness brand Stripped with Melissa and member of the ETNT Medical Expert Board, who points out the many foods for weight lifters to stay away from. Read the full story at Eat This

dinburgh [Scotland], July 30 (ANI): Children rate foods they perceive to be natural as having greater levels of taste, safety, and desire than the ones they perceive to be manufactured, suggests the findings of a recent study. Researchers say the tendency in adults to prefer natural food is well documented. However, the latest findings found this food bias exists in early and middle childhood as well. Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Yale studied the preferences of more than 374 adults and children in the United States when presented with apples and orange juice and told of their origins. In one study, 137 children aged six to 10 years old were shown three apples. They were told one was grown on a farm, one was made in a lab, and another grown on a tree inside a lab. Re...