Food Labels 101

Keep these food-label terms in mind next time you're browsing the grocery aisles:

No Added Sugar — No sugars were added during processing (does NOT mean sugar-free).

Fat Free — No more than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.

Low Fat — 3 grams of fat or less per serving.

Reduced Fat — 25% or more less fat than a serving of the regular version.

Calorie Free — No more than 5 calories per serving.

Low Calorie — No more than 40 calories per serving.

Light or Lite — About 30% fewer calories than the regular version and 50% less fat.

High Fiber — 5 grams or more of fiber and 3 grams or fewer of fat per serving.

Good Source of Fiber — 2.5 to 4.9 grams of fiber per serving.

Cold Pasteurized — Actually means "irradiated" — the food has been exposed to ionizing radiation to kill bacteria, viruses or insects. Read more about this process on Wikipedia.

Cage-Free — Hens aren't confined to tiny cages and are allowed to roam around and spread their wings. However, "cage-free" doesn't always mean "cruelty-free." Read more about it.

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Always Hungry? How to Tell if You Really Need to Eat

Our appetite signal can't be trusted. For proof, just look at all the overweight people in this country, who consume more calories than their bodies need. The next time you get the urge to eat, here's how to tell if your hunger is genuine:

1. Look for a slow build. Physical hunger comes on gradually, while emotional hunger is sudden.

2. Listen for the growl. When your stomach is truly empty, it'll feel hollow, and you'll experience gurgling and hunger pangs.

3. Ask yourself what you're hungry for. True hunger can be satisfied with any food. If only a particular food will do, you're not really hungry. (Hint: If you want that cake instead of an apple you aren't truly hungry!)

PLUS: 8 Ways to Control Cravings

4. Wait 10 minutes. Hit the timer on the stove or the one on your sports watch and distract yourself with a task until you hear the ding. Usually by that time, if it's a craving, it will have passed.

5. Drink eight ounces of water. Many people confuse hunger with thirst, thinking they need food when their bodies actually need fluids. So drink a glass of water, then wait 10 minutes. If you're still hungry, it's legitimate.

6. Stick something else in your mouth. If gum, a lollipop, or a mint satisfies you, it's an oral craving, not hunger.

Get more tips on healthy living from our free newsletters.

Plus:
The Best Weight Loss Secrets
20 Secrets Your Waiter Won't Tell You
15 Foods You Should Never Buy Again
13 Hotel Secrets You Should Know
15 Secrets From the ER
10 Secrets For Healthier Grocery Shopping
13 Things You Should Know About Sleep
13 Things Baristas Won't Tell You
13 Things You Never Knew About Your Weight
11 Secrets of Getting Better Doctor Care
13 Things Your Supermarket Isn't Telling You
13 Hotel Secrets

Get more insider secrets!

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3 ways to relax and refresh this summer

Istockphoto

By Kimberly Holland

Reclaim summer's carefree spirit by adapting these three simple tips from life coach Victoria Moran, author of Living a Charmed Life.

Health.com: Beat the top summer health hazards

Get on island time
When you're not at work, consciously switch from busy-life mode to vacation mode—you know, the one where you're not annoyed by a slow store clerk or frantic to get to the next thing on your schedule. "When you're away, you look at everything in a completely different way," Moran says. "You're more relaxed and patient, and you enjoy everything more."

Health.com: Head-to-toe solutions for stress

Add little bits of fun
You don't have to make big trips to the beach to enjoy the summer. Each morning, think: "What can I do today that will make it an amazing day?" Moran suggests. Maybe it's sipping lemonade on the patio before work or catching fireflies with your kids after dinner. Create your own personal list of simple pleasures, and work them into your day.

Health.com: Find your ultimate happiness

Get outside
Just 30 minutes in the sun can boost your mood, according to a University of Michigan study. So "go for a morning walk or a lunchtime stroll. It'll lift your spirits way up naturally," Moran says.

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4 age-defying carbs to help you live longer

By Nicci Micco, M.S., editor-at-large forEatingWell Magazine

Lately, I've been noticing fine lines on my face and a growth patch of gray near my right temple. So when one of my colleagues suggested we write about "age-defying carbs," I said, "Sign me up!" I'd read the recentArchives of Internal Medicine study to which my co-worker was referring and knew it didn't provide evidence that I could save the time and money I spend to get my hair highlighted by eating whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, barley and the like. (Go ahead: call me vain! Better yet, don't; instead, click here to find out which foods can help your skin look great!)

What the study did show was that eating more whole grains (and fewer refined ones) might help you to live longer. Why? Scientists suspect that the fiber in grains reduces your risk of dying from cardiovascular, respiratory and infectious diseases. (Related link: 5 Ways to Get More Fiber.) Adding years to your life is even better than smoothing out your face and warding off new grays, no? (See? I'm not that vain.)

Don't Miss:
6 More Compelling Reasons You Should Keep Carbs in Your Diet
7 Anti-Aging Superfoods

Plus, I love whole grains: aside from delivering more nutrients, including fiber, they're nuttier and chewier than refined grains. But if you're among the folks who still aren't sold (studies show that many people aren't getting even one full serving of whole grains a day), I have some easy ideas to help you up your intake:

1. Eat oatmeal for breakfast. The fiber in oats is the soluble kind that is associated with heart health and—bonus!—will help you feel fuller for longer.
   
2. Cook a big pot of quinoa (or barley) to use for lunches all week. Use it as a base for whatever vegetables and herbs you have on hand (or that you're craving that day); mix in a little olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle on slivered almonds and a couple teaspoons of dried cranberries, mmm...
   Recipes to Try: Warm Quinoa Salad with Edamame & Tarragon and 6 More Quinoa Recipes
   
3. Have whole-grain pasta dishes for dinner. You'll get about 6 grams of fiber per serving. My 3-year-old is obsessed with pasta, so we have it often—usually supplemented with veggies, beans and sometimes a lean source of protein, like chicken.
   
4. Snack on popcorn. It's a whole grain. Seriously!

What's your favorite way to get your whole grains?

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Food Fight: Meal Delivery Plans Vie for Supremacy

By Jason Knapfel - DietsInReview.com

So, you say that you just don't have time to think about what it takes to eat a healthy diet? While we should all make healthy eating a top priority, sometimes it gets lost in the busy shuffle of life. That's probably why meal delivery services have become a growing trend in the diet industry.

While Nutrisystem controls more than half of the meal delivery market, according to Marketdata Enterprises, an independent market research company, the other companies are catching up. For instance, eDiets saw sales for their meal delivery service rise 85 percent in the first quarter of 2011.

The benefits to healthy meal delivery services are obvious: you get the convenience of healthy food sent right to your doorstep with all the thinking done for you. All you have to do is work on your willpower. If you prefer the convenience, here are some of the more popular meal delivery plans available:

Bistro M.D.

Created by Dr. Caroline Cederquist, there are a few things that set Bistro M.D. apart from the pack. Besides offering healthy and nutritiously prepared meals to their customers, the calorie levels are varied in order to minimize plateaus so that your body won't get used to an exact routine. It also offers the wildly popular 17 Day Diet meal plan as a choice in their meal offerings.

Biggest Loser Meal Delivery Plan

The Biggest Loser has become one of the most popular reality-based shows on TV. Taking advantage of that popularity, they have branded various health products, including a meal delivery plan. Partnering with eDiets, one of the veterans in the online dieting space, the nutrition experts and doctors of the Biggest Loser have created meals that will have you eating like the show's contestants.

Diet to Go

Diet to Go offers everything from Mexican-style burritos to curried shrimp with basmati rice, all while meeting the guidelines of the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association. Meals also come with sides such as fresh fruit, yogurt smoothies, coleslaw, or Terra veggie chips, to name a few.

Trim360

With Trim360, there are three meal-delivery plans to choose from, which vary according to the number of meals you order. What sets Trim360's plan apart is their focus on the idea of eating many times a day in small caloric increments. You will eat every two to three hours, seven times per day.

NutriSystem

NutriSystem is a juggernaut in the diet industry, which goes with being around for nearly 40 years. The company offers both shelf-stable and frozen-fresh foods, the latter of which was just introduced this year. For years they've used celebrities to prove their worth, like Dan Marino and Marie Osmond, have recently turned to featuring real people with real weight loss.

Jenny Craig

Another giant in the diet industry, and lover of celebrity spokespeople, Jenny Craig offers a home delivery service to its members called Jenny Direct. While Jenny Craig made its name with their in-person centers where you check in and pick up your food, Jenny Direct has your meals and snacks conveniently delivered to you.

The choices are numerous, and you'll ultimately have to decide which best suits your dietary needs, budget, taste, and overall preference. Learn more about each and help educate your decision by clicking on any diet name above to see its complete review at DietsInReview.com.

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Do paper toilet seat covers work?

By Trystan L. Bass Posted Mon Jun 6, 2011 2:07pm PDT More from Green Picks blog

Most every public restroom in the U.S. offers a dispenser of paper covers to "protect" you while sitting on the toilet. But from what? And why? Isn't this just a waste of paper?

If the toilet seat is wet, that disposable paper cover will immediately get wet as well. Your backside won't be kept dry or clean. So this can't be the reason people use them. It's more effective to use a tissue to wipe off any moisture, if necessary.

Disease not spread via toilet seats 

(Photo: Getty Images)

What protection can a layer of thin paper provide? According to multiple medical experts, it's virtually impossible to catch a disease by sitting on a toilet seat. The Center for Disease Control reminds Americans that you can't catch sexually transmitted diseases, whether pubic lice or HIV/AIDS, from toilet seats, because the organisms that spread such diseases simply cannot live on the surface of the seat.

On WebMD, Dr. Abigail Salyers, president of the American Society for Microbiology, states: "To my knowledge, no one has ever acquired an STD on the toilet seat -- unless they were having sex on the toilet seat!"

Dr. Brian Robert Thornton, a microbiologist and professor at the University of San Francisco agrees:  "Toilet seats are actually not a source of contagion. Even though they seem gross, they're touched by a part of you that stays in your pants all day.  You need to worry more about your orifices."

As the Columbia University's Health Promotion Program sums up: "Because toilet seats are not major culprits in spreading disease, paper or plastic seat covers offer little more than peace of mind."

Computers covered in more bacteria than toilets

In fact, you have more to fear from bathroom faucets, counters, and door handles than from commodes. Or at your desk -- computers are consistently covered in more bacteria than toilets.

A 2004 study compared typical offices in four major U.S. cities and found that the computer keyboards were covered in 3,300 bacteria per square inch and the computer mouse had 1,700 bacteria per square inch. The cleanest surface tested in the offices was the toilet seat, which had only 49 bacteria per square inch. A different study in 2008 had similar results. Computer keyboards were five times as dirty as toilet seats, according to a microbiologist.

So, forget the paper toilet seat covers and save a few trees. But remember to wash your hands after using the toilet and especially after using the computer!

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Tips to help you beat food addiction

Planning is essential when counting calories.Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Fluff

Food addiction is something I have fought for most of my life. It was only during the past few months that I have been able to get a grip on my eating habits. I know that food addiction is a problem among many Americans and decided that it was time I shared the information I had learned. I hope the following tips can help you begin the road to recovery so that you can help yourself beat the addiction.

Stop Buying Bad Foods

It may sound obvious, but if you continue to bring bad foods into your home, you will continue to eat them. I have found that if I just stop buying bad foods, I have an easier time eating healthier foods. The simple reason is I'm not about to get in the car and drive down to the local grocery store to grab a snack and chances are you won't either. I won't lie. It can be hard not to purchase the foods you've been buying. You may even seem lost the first time you go shopping. A great way to prevent this is to be prepared. Make a menu for the week that includes snack foods that are healthy, such as fruit, whole grain snacks and low-fat dairy products. You should also evaluate your family's favorite meals to ensure that they are healthy. If not, you can start looking for ways to make the meals healthier.

Keep a Food Journal

Another problem I faced was having a bite of this and that while I cooked meals. The problem is all those little bites add up. In all honesty, you need to keep track of any food or drink that goes in your mouth. This will give you a better idea of how many calories you're consuming. Not only do you need to track the food you eat, but you should also be aware of how you feel before and after eating. You need to make note of whether or not you were actually hungry, if you were mindlessly eating or if the food filled you up. Last, but not least, you should also discuss how you feel emotionally. Were you depressed when you broke down and ate that pint of ice cream? Understanding your emotions can help you better understand your food addiction. Once you pinpoint the underlining emotions, you can work on better ways for dealing with your feelings.

Eat to Fuel, Not to Entertain

As a foodie, I will tell that it's difficult to look at food as fuel, rather than entertainment. Over the past decade, food has become more of an activity than a chore. People not only watch cooking shows, but spend hours creating complicated meals for their guests. We have come to the point that food is just as entertaining as a good movie. Many of us even turn to food because of boredom. One way you can start looking at food as fuel is to make your meals mundane. For example, eat the same thing for lunch every day. Another thing you can do is to only choose foods that offer nutritional value. If something is filled with empty calories, it shouldn't be going in your body.

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7 tricks to get more out of cardio workouts

Get more out of your cardio workouts with a few tweaks to your routine.Credit: sxc.hu/ctr, ctr

Dreading the treadmill or elliptical machine for your next workout? You could be dealing with cardio workout burnout, which means it's time to ramp things up and make some tweaks to your usual routine. I've found that changing my cardio routineevery two weeks keeps me motivated, and also helps me burn more calories per session. Whether you're a fan of spinning, like to run on the treadmill, or you're addicted to the elliptical machine, it's time to change things up!

Here are seven simple tricks for getting more out of your cardio workouts:

1. Jump into circuit training. Whether you're running on the treadmill, logging a few miles on the stationery bike or burning up calories on the elliptical, you can take things to the next level with a circuit training routine. Throw in a series of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, crunches and other resistance exercises every 8 to 10 minutes of your cardio routine and you'll get much more out of your workout.

2. Change up your elliptical machine routine. I'm a big fan of the elliptical trainer at the gym but I've noticed that my body gets used to the routine really, really quickly. If you're not breaking a sweat after a few weeks of the same routine, you need to step things up! I either turn up the resistance on the elliptical machine or add weights. Doing incline intervals for a few minutes, followed by a lower incline, is another way to get the most out of your elliptical workouts.

3. Run hills on the treadmill. If you can't head outdoors for some hill running, play with your treadmill's settings instead. Increasing and decreasing the incline on your treadmill can give your cardio routine a boost and help you burn more calories per hour.

4. Start your routine with jump roping. Jump roping for 10 to 12 minutes before your regular cardio session will increase your heart rate quickly and may give your workout that much-needed boost. Just make sure to warm up for a few minutes before you start skipping, and try to keep moving all the way through.

5. Cycle it out. Increase your range of motion if you're used to doing only treadmill and elliptical workouts by biking for ten to fifteen minutes. Cycling indoors will give your lower body an amazing workout and will still keep up the calorie burn. Remember you can also increase the resistance level on the bike if you want a more intense workout.

6. Wear ankle weights. Make your body work harder doing your regular routine by throwing on a pair of ankle weights. The extra weight will add some resistance to your workout, and you'll definitely feel the burn after fifteen to twenty minutes of your usual routine.

7. Take it to the extreme -- but only for a minute. Challenge your body and mind by pushing yourself to the max on whatever cardio machine you're using '" but only for a minute. Doing this at least three to four times per hour session will make you push just a little bit harder and helps to build endurance. Remember you only need to sustain this super-high level of intensity for a minute to reap the benefits.

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7 Foods That Soothe Summer Ailments

Oatmeal

As 100-year-old Russian peasants can attest, oatmeal is great for your insides, but it also works wonders on irritated skin. If your kids are unlucky enough to run into some poison ivy or oak on their summer adventures, make a poultice by placing cooked, cooled oatmeal into a cotton cloth and apply to the affected area(s). 
Learn how to turn this remedy into a soothing, full body treatment!

Peppermint

Drinking everyday peppermint tea can fight headaches, indigestion, bloating or gas, and cold and flu symptoms. You can also use this powerful herb topically to soothe itchy, irritated skin caused by hives, poison ivy, or poison oak.
Learn how to make and apply a healing peppermint paste.

Vanilla Extract

Summer travel can lead to anxiety and car-sickness, and plain old vanilla extract is a great remedy for both. To treat a nervous stomach or nausea, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to 2 tablespoons of warm water mixed with honey. Vanilla’s soothing scent alone can calm nerves. 
Learn how to easily create a fragrant massage oil to combat nervousness and jitters.

Ginger

This great root just might come in handy during long summer road trips. If someone in your family is prone to carsickness, bring along some ginger, which is a well-known nausea and upset-stomach fighter. Peel and slice a 1-inch section of the root and steep it in hot water for at least 10 minutes for a potent (and spicy) ginger tea. 
Try these on-the-go ways to get your ginger fix, too!

Honey

Everybody knows that honey is great for relieving a sore throat or helping with a cough, but did you know it’s also a natural antibiotic that can treat minor burns? It’s true; honey has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties that may work even better than antibiotic ointment when applied to burns. Simply apply it directly to the affected area and cover with a piece of gauze or band-aid.
Plus did you know baking soda can help soothe sunburn? Here's how!

Cinnamon

If summer fun has led to a generally upset stomach in your child, try adding some cinnamon to their diet. The spice is known to help soothe an upset digestive tract â€" just don’t overdo it. Start with a little bit and then work up to a teaspoon or so a day. 
Here are some easy ways to incorporate cinnamon in your kids' snacks!

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Meatless Monday: The Trouble With Soy

Image courtesy of Creative Commons.

Written by Melanie Kozlan, Four Green Steps.com

Before opting for soy as a dairy alternative, it might be wise to stick with soy alternatives, made from rice or hemp (Hemp milk contains all ten essential amino acids). Despite the soybean industry pushing Soy as the most accessible health food, soy can have incredible health risks including cancer, brain damage, hormonal issues, thyroid dysfunction,diabetes, digestive issues and is even know to cause development difficulties in infants.

Soybeans contain an incredible amount of plant-based estrogen that is known to copy our bodies own estrogen and cause health issues. This is made worse by the fact that most soybeans are highly genetically modified and contain a significant amount of unidentified chemicals; not only are the long term health effects of genetically modified plants untested, the USDA has allowed GMO corporations to police themselves and conduct their own health and safety assessments. To make matters worse, infamous chemical company Monsanto (creator of Agent Orange) seems to have a monopoly on the soy market-currently owning 90% of it, a huge jump from the 2% they owned in 1996.

Learn more about soy and how you can take action to make it safer- Visit Millions Against Monsanto

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