An employee selects from an assortment of fresh vegetables to create a salad. Filling your daily plate with a wide variety of fresh vegetables is an important part of a healthy eating plan. Nutrilite Headquarters, Buena Park, Calif.
All the recent media attention about calories has me scratching my head. I think it’s safe to say that most researchers agree that not all calories are equal. Take 100 calories of broccoli and 100 calories of sugary soda. Yes, they have the same number of calories. The difference lies in what the body does with the calories in each of these foods. One provides hunger-curbing fiber along with antioxidants and other nutrients. The other sends your blood sugar soaring, shifting your pancreas into overdrive to secrete excess insulin. Turns out, the quality of calories you consume is as important as quantity, especially when it comes to weight loss.
A colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables. New research shows that a low intake of vegetables and fruit is among the leading dietary risk factors for mortality around the world. Aim to eat 5-9 servings per day (mostly vegetables) in a variety of colors.
Eating well isn’t rocket science. Study after study confirms that a healthy diet is a plant-based diet. Yes, you could dive deep into the research, like our Nutrilite scientists do, to uncover the amazing synergy of plant compounds and their impact on our health. But sometimes a simple rule-of-thumb is all you need. One of the easiest ways to improve your diet is to do one thing: Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits (mostly vegetables) in a wide variety of colors, every day.
A blanket of snow makes a tranquil scene as we ride a ski lift up the mountain. Wherever you may be on your journey to optimal health, may joyous moments find you around every bend. Telluride, Colo. March 2019. Photo: F. Rehnborg
Last month, I was spending time with my family in Telluride when one of the biggest snowstorms of the last 25 years descended on Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. We had no choice but to hunker down and wait for it to pass. When the storm had finally subsided, it left behind an incredible blanket of snow, and I was excited about hitting the slopes to take on one of my favorite runs. Sadly, my excitement was short-lived. An out-of-control snowboarder blindsided me, leaving me with three broken ribs, a punctured lung and one painful ride to the emergency room.
A couple sitting on a bed. Most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function optimally.
We all know the refreshing feeling of getting a good night’s sleep. You greet the new day with energy, a clear mind and positive mood. But, just what is it about sleep that makes it so critical to good health and how can you get enough? UC Berkeley Professor Matthew Walker captured all the essentials in his book Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. It’s easy to see why he’s the director of the university’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab. Sure, he’s well qualified, but Dr. Walker really loves sleep and wants all of us to love sleep, too. His book is a fascinating read. For me, six facts about sleep really captured my attention.
Woman making a heart hand symbol over her stomach. Three lifestyle factors — no smoking, less stress, and regular exercise — are things you can do right now to improve the health of your gut microbiome. Love your gut, and your gut will love you right back!
The human microbiome – the bacterial community that calls the human body home – continues to fascinate me. I am not alone. Last year, over 9,000 articles were published in the scientific literature on the subject, many about the bacterial community that lives in the human gut (the gut microbiome). In a previous post, I talked about how the health of your gut bacteria depends on your diet. Now, emerging research suggests that there are three things you can do right now to improve the health of your gut microbiome.
