Joy Bauer is a registered dietitian and the nutrition expert for the Today Show. She’s also the best-selling author behind several health books including Your Inner Skinny. You can visit her atJoyBauer.com, or follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.
Few nutrition research findings have brought me more pleasure than the discovery that chocolate can actually be good for you! We now have a large body of research showing that dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, reduce clotting, and benefit overall heart health. But before you dive head-first into the nearest heart-shaped box of candy this Valentine’s Day, here’s what you need to know about choosing chocolates with the most health power.
Chocolate owes its health benefits to a category of antioxidants called flavonoids. Flavonoids and other beneficial phytochemicals are found in cocoa solids, and dark chocolate contains a higher proportion of cocoa solids than milk chocolate, making it the more heart-healthy choice. That’s because milk chocolate contains more added milk and sugar, which dilutes the cocoa content. White chocolate contains no cocoa solids, only cocoa butter, which means it’s not officially chocolate and doesn’t deliver any health-promoting flavonoids. Read Full Post >
You’ve probably heard them all: put your fork down in between bites, snack on fruit when you want something sweet, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Diet tips can start to sound monotonous after a while, and maybe even obvious. But if they were so obvious, wouldn’t we be more apt to follow them? We went in search of some of the best diet tips you’ve never heard before, and a few notable dietitians gave us some great material that we know will help you kick-off your healthy new year’s habits!
Tips for Hunger Pangs
“At your first hint of feeling full, place your napkin over your plate.” – Mary Hartley, RD, MPH and director of nutrition for Calorie Count
“Wait for hunger to eat… hunger is the sign the body needs food. If you feel tempted to snack, but aren’t hungry, set a 20 minute timer and distract yourself.” Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, ACSM
Tips for Portioning and Serving Sizes
“Cut your sandwich into four pieces, it makes it easier to leave the last piece.” – Hartley
“Use small serving spoons. Even four spoonfuls will still be a little.” – Hartley Read Full Post >
Joy Bauer is today’s guest author. Joy is a registered dietitian and the nutrition expert for the Today Show. She’s also the best-selling author behind several health books including Your Inner Skinny. You can visit her at JoyBauer.com.
I’ve heard all sorts of “statistics” about how much weight the average person gains during the holidays: 5 pounds, 8 pounds, 10 pounds. But what’s the truth? A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the average person “only” gains about a pound between mid-November and the beginning of January. That’s slightly comforting. The bad news is, the researchers found that the extra holiday padding didn’t come off during the following year – and slapping on an extra pound every time Thanksgiving rolls around can add up to a BIG gain.
Have no fear! You can still enjoy the special sweets and treats of the season without blowing your diet if you strategize. Here are some of my best tips to keep you on the straight and narrow (for the most part, anyway!) as the season’s festivities swing into full gear. Read Full Post >
A best-selling author, the nutrition expert for Today Show and the name behind a private dietetic practice, you could say Joy Bauer knows a thing or two about health and nutrition. A registered dietitian, Joy is one of the few who make healthy living approachable, manageable and realistic. That’s why we wanted to talk with her about the current state of nutrition. With obesity numbers continuing to rise in the face of a more attuned focus on our health, we wanted to check in to see if the country is as on track as we’d like to think it is.
“I think that we’re in a pretty good place in terms of people being really interested and wanting information on healthy eating and healthy living and exercising – so that’s great,” she says.
Watch our interview to hear more from her on the state of nutrition, plus common diet myths that we all fall prey to and what the snacks in the Today Show green room look like!
What is this world coming to when 7′ feet, 1″ basketball great Shaquille O’Neal is on a diet? I mean, isn’t this guy the Michael Phelps of the basketball court?
With the 2009 season at a close for Shaq’s Phoenix Suns, this 325-pound athlete is determined to maintain his weight or maybe even better, lose a few pounds during the off season with the help of registered dietitian Joy Bauer. Criticized for having his bulk slow him down on the court, Shaq is ready to start preparing for the pre-season in his off-season. Read Full Post >
Few nutrition research findings have brought me more pleasure than the discovery that chocolate can actually be good for you! We now have a large body of research showing that dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, reduce clotting, and benefit overall heart health. But before you dive head-first into the nearest heart-shaped box of candy this Valentine’s Day, here’s what you need to know about choosing chocolates with the most health power.
