fiber

Movies are a passion of mine. It’s especially important to me now that I’m a parent of two youngsters and spend so much time home-bound. Butterless popcorn is a great little snack while you’re watching a new DVD release. If you think that it’s healthy, there’s a kernel of truth to that.

There’s a new reason to pop some of your favorite movie-viewing snack, sans the slabs of butter. According to findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, popcorn contains more antioxidants and dietary fiber than any other snack food.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that affects the large intestine (colon) and comes with symptoms such as cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation. While it doesn’t cause permanent damage to the colon, it can be severely uncomfortable.

As many as one in 10 people is estimated to have IBS. Its exact cause is unknown, but treatments are known. Many of those people who rely on dietary adjustments often turn to bran to help improve their symptoms caused by IBS. But a Dutch study of 275 patients shines a not-so-favorable light on that approach.

I recently had the incredible opportunity to interview Elizabeth Ward, a registered dietitian and author of Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During and After Pregnancy. She was gracious and knowledgeable and consented to a brief interview during BlogHer ‘09, where she shared her tips and hints for living a healthy lifestyle.

Prunes aren’t on the top of everyone’s favorite snack list. But the dried plum, often relegated to a snack that only our grandparents nosh on, should be on your menu as well.

Plums aren’t just good for regularity. Research shows that they also promote bone and heart health. A study revealed that the polyphenols, a chemical substance found in plants, found in prunes boosted the formation of bones and increases their density.

This week, we LOVE Figamajigs – and not just for its fun and funky name. Figamajigs are dark chocolate-covered fig bars that are a delicious and natural way to make you feel like you’re eating a decadent chocolate candy bar when you’re actually eating something that is 100 percent healthy and 100 percent delish!!

Figamajigs have a few different products to choose from: the original fig bar, almond fig bar and raspberry fig bar. Each bar contains 130 or 150 calories. There are also bite-sized Figamajig candies that are equally yummy and perfect for when you want a bag of M&Ms but don’t want the repercussions that come after eating one.