The Hot Dog Dilemma

Beware the quarter-pound franks

We all know they aren’t good for us, but sometimes a hot dog just hits the spot. (Can you say “barbecues” and “sports”?") The frankfurter belongs in the American Hall of Food Fame, right there with apple pie and its frequent dining companion, the potato chip. Read More >>

A Bone-Building Dynamic Duo: Vitamin D Plus Calcium

A perfect example of how a vitamin works with a mineral to benefit the body

Perhaps you’ve already heard that not getting enough dietary calcium and vitamin D increases your risk of low bone-mineral density and stress fractures. Here are some practical ways to increase your intake of this bone-building duo. Read More >>

Make Tonight Pasta Night!

Adding fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals

There’s never been a better time to switch to whole grains. You can pick from several brands of whole grain or whole grain–blend pastas. You can even find whole wheat lasagna noodles in some supermarkets. If you’re just starting to venture into whole grain pasta, start with Barilla Plus—it looks and tastes the most like white pasta—and graduate to the 100% whole grain brands when you are ready. Read More >>

Eat Breakfast at Home to Avoid Trans Fats

Staying "heart healthy"

Some fast-food chains have jumped on the trans-free train and successfully eliminated these fats from most of their choices. Other chains have not. A quick look at the nutrition information for Jack in the Box breakfast items clearly shows that these fats are still on the menu. Read More >>

Save Money While Cutting Extra Calories!

Soda is responsible for a lot of unwanted extras

Add it up: sodas, booze, and coffee drinks wreak havoc on your weight and wallet.

Think about how much money you spend in a week’s time just on beverages. Do you order soda along with your fast food? Do you stock the refrigerator with soda, bottled teas, and such? Do you order one of those fancy coffee drinks that run you over three bucks a pop? Do you drink alcohol when dining out? Each soda you order in a restaurant is about $2; each glass of wine or cup of coffee is about $3 to $4. If you just cut out two of these a day, you could save $6 a day or $42 a week or $2,184 a year.  Read More >>

Make Your Own Frozen Entrees

And save money while improving your health

For a little bit of food and a whole lot of packaging, a frozen entree can run you anywhere from $3 to $5 apiece. But you can make your own frozen meals by using microwave containers that are about the size and shape of typical frozen entrees. This is a big health bonus if you need to limit your sodium, because most frozen dinners are loaded with it—some even have as much as 1,500 milligrams (enough for an entire day).  Read More >>

Happy Music May Lead to Happy Blood Vessels

Good medicine for your cardiovascular system

When is the last time you purposely played some joyful music and gave yourself a few moments of pleasure and inspiration? Well, you might want to start making this a daily dalliance. A small study from the Preventive Cardiology program at the University of Maryland measured blood vessel function in 10 people while they listened to music that they said gave them a sense of joy. The researchers discovered that their blood vessels dilated (expanded) by 26%. Read More >>

Is Laughter the Best Medicine?

Studies point to humor’s benefits

More studies need to be done, of course, but it sure looks like there are some potential health benefits to filling as much of your day as possible with laughter and positive emotions such as joy, hope, and optimism. Read More >>

Keeping Your Mouth Clean May Help Your Heart

Study results from the Periodontal Disease Center, University of Buffalo

How clean is your mouth? Believe it or not, the answer to that question might help or hurt your heart. The higher the amount of two types of oral bacteria and the higher the total number of bacteria in the mouth, the higher the risk of heart attack. Read More >>

Rice-A-Roni Savory Whole Grain Blends Roasted Garlic Italiano

A side dish for two

It’s a small box of a new rice mix now in the boxed grain section of your supermarket. Each box makes 2 servings and is a blend of whole grain brown rice with orzo (tiny pasta that resembles large grains of rice). Easy to make and delicious too! Read More >>