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Timi Gustafson RD
The Healthy Diner -
How to Eat Right
And Still Have Fun
HC, 336 pp. $29.95
Now at amazon.com
The True Cost of Healthy Eating
A common argument why Americans don’t eat better is that healthy food costs too much. A new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attempts to dispel this widely held belief by comparing the prices of healthy and less healthy foods. When analyzing costs per calorie, per edible gram and per average portion sizes, some highly nutritious foods such as grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy products turn out to be cheaper than protein foods like meats and processed items, which are typically higher in saturated fat, added sugars and sodium.
Price/Value Calculations Are Difficult to Make
For the study, the researchers looked into nearly 4,500 different food items. “Healthy foods” were defined as products containing at least half a serving of one of the major food groups recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans of 2010, including vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and proteins, as well as only moderate amounts of saturated fats, added sugars and sodium. Read more »
At a Newspaper Near You…
A weekly column by Timi Gustafson R.D. on issues of health, nutrition and lifestyle is now available at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer/Seattlepi.com – Go to Articles »
Stigma Makes It Harder to Overcome Obesity
Obesity rates may be on the rise worldwide, but thinness continues to be the standard for physical beauty and attractiveness. Conversely, obesity is often linked with poor body image and low self-esteem, which only adds to the struggle with weight and weight-related health problems.
“Modern Western culture emphasizes thinness, denigrates excess weight and stigmatizes obese individuals, making it likely that obese people internalize these messages and feel badly about their physical presence that brands them,” said Dr. Kelly D. Brownell and Dr. Marlene B. Schwartz of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University in a study report on obesity and body image. Read more »
Minding Our Business
By David Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP
I believe we should diligently regulate food marketing to children. You may believe I should mind my own business. I agree.
There doesn’t seem to be much we can agree on these days across the spectrum of ideologies and politics. But if there is something, it’s that decent adults look out for the well-being of their children. Loving Parents and Grandparents, Inc. could be the most powerful special interest group of all time.
The well-being of children is, to varying degrees, the business of every responsible adult. And it’s business we should be minding a whole lot better. The evidence that we have failed to mind this business adequately is overwhelming and incontrovertible, and all but common knowledge. Read more »
The Many Health Benefits of Reading
Reading is a rapidly vanishing skill. Why trudge through a newspaper when you can watch the news on television? Why buy a novel or a biography in print form when you can listen to it on audio disk? Why bother with instruction manuals when it’s all explained via video clips on YouTube? Is there any need for the printed word anymore?
The answer is a resounding yes. Your mind likes reading and it actually has a number of important health effects you can’t get in any other way. “Reading gives you a unique pause button for comprehension and insight,” said Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University. “Typically, when you read, you have more time to think. When you watch a film or listen to a tape, you don’t press that pause button.” Reading, she said, requires a great deal of concentration, which calls your intelligence to action. You are forced to follow a specific narrative, and for this you must activate your imagination. “There’s a richness that reading gives you, an opportunity to probe more than with any other medium.” Read more »
Seven Secrets of Skinny – Lose Weight Without Dieting
Did you know there are some things you can do right now to help you lose weight without depriving yourself? Check out this list of “skinny secrets”!
You snooze, you lose
As a Registered Dietitian and sleep aficionado, I have been fascinated by recent research on the relationship between sleep and weight. (I love studies that make me feel good about my laziness). Scientists have long suspected that skimping on sleep can add extra inches to your waistline. Proof is adding up in the research that has been conducted in the last decade. Read more »
Everything You Need to Know About Nutrition, Health and Fitness…
The most recent scientific studies, breakthrough research results, new laws and policies – the list of health news never ends. In all the confusion, it can be hard to separate facts from fiction. SEE ALL POSTS »
No Matter How Often You Tried Or Failed…
You may say: “I have been here before.” Programs like these don’t work for me. Well, you are invited to give it another try, because this one may just be right for you. SEE ALL POSTS »
The New Series About Healthy Eating as a Lifestyle
Consistently maintaining healthy eating habits is not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Yes, there are temptations everywhere that can make you fall off the proverbial wagon. When you eat out or travel, it can be especially hard to stick to your ideal diet. As a dietitian and health counselor who also travels extensively, I had to develop my own strategies to always eat healthy and stay fit and do as I preach to others. I don’t deny the difficulties, but it gets easier over time, especially when you have a plan. Read more »
