Archive: Nutrition and Fitness
Is That Right? Cranberry Raisinets rich with antioxidants?
Those new Cranberry Raisinets sure sound as though they'd be good for you. Nestle's press release announcing the new product's launch this summer called the chocolate-covered cranberries a "better-for-you indulgence rich with natural fruit antioxidants." "Cranberries," the press release continues, are "the most popular of the superfruits" and "combine exceptional...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
More fodder for the fat-but-healthy debate
One of the most divisive and emotional debates regarding obesity is whether being fat automatically equals being unhealthy. While many experts point to mounds of evidence linking excess weight to such life-shortening conditions as cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, others argue that those conditions aren't necessarily caused by...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 5, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Milk from nuts, beans or udders -- which does your body best?
If you opt for soy milk or almond milk instead of cow's milk, are you getting comparable nutrition value to what moo juice delivers? This week's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column looks at the ongoing controversy surrounding cows' milk: Is the white stuff an essential, nutrition-packed building block of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 3, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Is That Right? Pistachios are lowest-calorie, lowest-fat nut?
You can't blame the folks who sell pistachios for trying hard to boost the nuts' image. The recalls of pistachios potentially contaminated with salmonella earlier this year surely put a big dent in both sales and the nuts' reputation. But the new ad campaign for Wonderful Pistachios may be relying...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 30, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Do we really need front-of-package nutrition labels?
I confess: I'm one of those obnoxious people who creates a menu for the entire week's meals, then shops just for what's on the list. My trips to the grocery store are less about shopping than about simply buying. So maybe I'm not the target audience for the front-of-package nutrition...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
For food labels, first calories, now carbon footprints?
Folks who balk at requirements that restaurants post nutrition data on their menus are going to love this idea: In addition to providing information about calories and fat content, how about an assessment of the food's impact on the environment? As Friday's New York Times reported, Sweden is experimenting with...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 26, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Smart Choices ceases food-label program
Smart Choices, the food-industry created and funded front-of-package food labeling system that gained notoriety for designating sugary Froot Loops cereal as nutritious has called a halt to the program. Citing recent inquiries from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who both expressed concern that...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 23, 2009; 04:38 PM ET | Comments (4)
Is That Right? French's mustard shares just one ingredient with mayo, ketchup?
The interactive graphic allowing consumers to compare French's yellow mustard with fellow condiments mayonnaise and ketchup would be kind of cool -- if it weren't so misleading. French's really shouldn't have to work too hard to establish that's it's pretty healthful, as far as sandwich-toppers go. After all, it's extremely...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 23, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
How, and how not, to diagnose a food allergy
If you have an allergic reaction that you think was caused by a certain food, it's important to have a medical professional -- preferably an allergist -- confirm that connection.
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 22, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
What school lunches should look like
If the Institute of Medicine gets its way, kids who eat school-provided breakfast and lunch may soon be consuming more apples and oranges and fewer tater tots. The IOM, an independent organization (one of the four National Academies) that advise the federal government on health and nutrition matters, issued a...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 20, 2009; 12:01 PM ET | Comments (4)
Is That Right? "Decreasing salt intake is advisable"
The federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued in 2005, tell us that "Decreasing salt intake is advisable" for reducing the risk of hypertension and, by extension, cardiovascular disease. But new research questions the wisdom of counseling Americans to consume no more than 2,300 milligrams--about a teaspoon--of salt daily, as...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 16, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Nutty Cheese Update: Yummy!
As I wrote in this morning's posting, I didn't start my almond-based cheese until too late in the day yesterday to get a photo of the final product into the blog. Here's how my cheese turned out: Yummy! Garlicky almond cheese tastes great on crackers. (Sophie Huget) It's not much...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 13, 2009; 02:17 PM ET | Comments (0)
Kids, Calories and Corner Stores
Trying to get kids to eat more healthfully is like trying to keep kittens in a box: You make progress in one area -- say, school lunches -- only to find that the kids jump for the junk food first chance they get. But in too many instances, kids seeking...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 12, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Is That Right? Bologna Beats PB&J
In response to my Tuesday blog about donating healthful food to shelters for the homeless, a reader reported feeling ill at ease with his or her church's long-standing practice of donating bologna sandwiches to the homeless. That got me wondering about bologna's nutrition profile. (It also got me craving a...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 9, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
First Look: Calories on Fast-Food Menus Don't Change Choices
Oops. Remember how requiring fast-food chain restaurants to post calorie counts for food items on their menu boards was supposed to help people make better food choices? If the results of the first study to measure the impact of that initiative are any indication, we might want to rethink the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 7, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Food for Homeless People
What's better to bring to the homeless shelter, a bag of apples or a tray of lasagna? Probably the apples. But the good-hearted, well-meaning folks who donate food to shelters often choose otherwise. So says Juliette Tahar, founder of the nonprofit organization Healthy Living, Inc. and the subject of this...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Is That Right? 7-Up "Antioxidant"
The copy advertising new Cherry 7-Up Antioxidant says, "There's never been a more delicious way to cherry pick your antioxidant." That's antioxidant, singular. The drink's Web site calls the product a "healthy boost" whose "splash of antioxidant" will "help you through your day." The antioxidant at hand is Vitamin E,...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 2, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Mid-Life Obesity Predicts Women's Later Health Woes
Women, want to enjoy good health in your golden years? Lose weight. Now. A study published online last night in the British Medical Journal shows that women who are overweight in midlife are at increased risk of various health problems, from chronic diseases to cognitive impairment, once they pass age...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 30, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
Is That Right? Goldfish Crackers Provide 1/3 Serving of Real Vegetables
Let me be clear: I have nothing against Goldfish crackers. I agree with Cristin Dillon-Jones, Self magazine's "Eat Like Me" blogger, who wrote in a guest blog for The Checkup this summer that occasional treats such as Goldfish can be part of a healthful diet. Not every food we put...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 25, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
What Do You Eat When You've Got the Flu?
Are you a "feed a fever, starve a cold" person? Or do you "feed a cold, starve a fever"? In reality, you shouldn't starve either a cold or a fever. To the extent that you can, you should try to keep eating (and drinking) nutritious foods and beverages while you're...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 22, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Is That Right? High-Fiber Cereals Taste Better These Days
Want a fiber-filled breakfast cereal that also happens to taste delicious? Get thee to Costco for a box of Kirkland Signature Spiced Pecan cereal. That's the only one of 18 high-fiber cereals evaluated by Consumer Reports to earn the rank of "Excellent" from the magazine's team of tasters. The Spiced...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 18, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Constipated? Avoid These Foods
By Danielle Svetcov I'm already preparing for the day my daughter is old enough to ask me why (in God's name) I wrote a cookbook entitled The Un-Constipated Gourmet: Secrets to a Moveable Feast - 125 Recipes for the Regularity Challenged. I've got a three-part reply all set to go....
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
Is That Right? New Lunchables Are 'Wholesome'
You've got to hand it to the folks at Kraft. They are pretty darned crafty. The company's recently added a new line of Lunchables to its repertoire. Earlier incarnations of the packaged-lunch products have often been cited as poor choices for kids' lunches because of all the calories, fat and...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
What's for (School) Lunch?
(Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post) This week's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column about school lunches encourages parents who are concerned about what their kids are eating at school to go see and taste for themselves. The experience might be reassuring -- or eye-opening. If you can't carve out...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 8, 2009; 10:15 AM ET | Comments (1)
The Inside Scoop on Michelle Obama's Arms
Among today's important health-news stories, from swine flu to health-care reform, there's one item that's muscling its way to the top: Women's Health magazine has revealed Michelle Obama's secrets for sculpting sleek arms. While many -- including MisFits columnist Vicky Hallett -- have speculated as to what kind of workout...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 8, 2009; 09:32 AM ET | Comments (13)
Is That Right? Alli Weight-Loss Drug is Safe
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced August 24 that it's reviewing cases of liver injury among people using the weight-loss drug orlistat, found in the prescription drug Xenical and the over-the-counter product Alli. The FDA says it received 32 reports of serious liver injury among patients using those drugs...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Going Gluten-Free
Having an autoimmune disease that makes your body unable to digest certain common foods is not anyone's idea of a good time. But as I note in this week's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column, being diagnosed with celiac disease often comes as a relief to people who have suffered...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 1, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (18)
Kids, Weight and Body Image
Research posted last Wednesday in the online journal BMC Public Health reports that when 4,254 Canadian kids ages 10 and 11 were asked to indicate how much they agreed with the simple statement "I like the way I look," 7.3 percent of the girls and 7.8 percent of the boys...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 31, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Is That Right? Pop-Tarts are "Made with Real Fruit"
Full disclosure: I love Pop-Tarts. I can't allow them in the house because I could eat a whole box in a sitting. But that doesn't mean I'm going to look the other way when Kellogg's, maker of the popular toaster pastries, makes a misleading claim on the Pop-Tarts package. The...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 28, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Heart Association Says Scale Back the Sweet Tooth
(James M. Thresher For The Washington Post) Do you have any idea how much added sugar you can safely eat in a day? The American Heart Association's new statement on the matter, published yesterday in AHA's journal Circulation, may surprise many: While the average American is accustomed to ingesting...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 26, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Just How Nutritious Are Those Summer Fruits and Veggies?
I spent time last week sitting on a beach chair in Ocean City (wearing plenty of sunscreen!) reading Julia Child's delightful memoir My Life in France. Apart from her riveting account of living (and eating) in France during the late 1940s and 1950s, the thing that struck me most about...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 25, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Back to School with Bento Boxes
(Julia Ewan for The Washington Post) As students return to school today in District of Columbia public schools and in other jurisdictions over the next two weeks, there's lots of buzz about school nutrition programs (which I'll be writing about in my "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column on...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Is That Right? Rice Krispies Boost Immunity
They snap. They crackle. They pop. But do they support immunity? Kellogg's has reformulated its Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies cereals, fortifying them with vitamins A, C, and E and a bunch of B vitamins. The boxes and ads now tout that "each and every box" of Krispies has ingredients...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Seven Secrets of Highly Obese People
(Courtesy of David Zinczenko) By David Zinczenko Why do some people simply pack on the pounds effortlessly? It's not always genetics and it's not always gluttony and you can't always blame it on lack of exercise. Indeed, getting fat is often a result of some simple -- and easily...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 19, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (41)
In Defense of Goldfish
By Cristin Dillon-Jones I am a registered dietitian and, yes, I eat Goldfish crackers. I eat them quite frequently, in fact. I also eat ice cream, pizza and French fries. What kind of a dietitian am I? I am a practical one because I know that eating the "perfect" diet...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 18, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Is That Right? Cancer Society Birthday Cake
What to make of the American Cancer Society's new birthday cake recipe? The ACS had a nice, though kind of unsettling, idea with its campaign to celebrate birthdays as a remarkable achievement for cancer survivors. As part of that campaign, the organization sponsored a competition for students at the Culinary...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 14, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
Is a Soda Tax Fair?
(Washington Post Photo Illustration) As I reported in April, Yale professor Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, and Thomas Frieden, health commissioner for the city of New York, have renewed their push for a soda tax as a means of curbing obesity. In...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (34)
Women Eat Daintily Around Men
Young women tend to choose lower-calorie meals when dining with males than when eating with other women, a new study shows. Reporting online in the journal Appetite, researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, observed students in university cafeterias. When women ate with men, they skimped on their food; the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 10, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (18)
Kids Should Get Moving -- But With Supervision
Kids who sit around a lot -- especially in front of television and computer screens -- tend to have higher blood pressure than their more active peers, whether they're chubby or thin. That's what one new study shows. And kids in school gym classes are getting injured much more frequently...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 5, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Jennifer & Julia
One of the easiest ways I know of to add Vitamin C, fiber and a bunch of other healthful nutrients to my family's diet is to use onions in just about every dinner I cook. The pungent bulbs, members of the allium family, provide a dose of fiber, an even...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Is That Right? "Eating organic food just makes sense."
"Eating organic food just makes sense." That's what Safeway says in the section of its Web site devoted to the grocery chain's "O" line of organic foods. But new research casts doubt on that assertion. A study in the September issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed all...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 31, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (26)
Sarkozy's Cautionary Tale
We still don't know exactly why French President Nicolas Sarkozy fell ill during his jog the other day: Reports say he grew faint, had to lie down and was then taken to the hospital, where he was kept overnight for observation before being released. He's reportedly fine now, with no...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 29, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Sobering Salads
The other evening my daughter came home after dining out with a group of friends. When I asked what she had for dinner, she reported, a hint of virtue in her tone, that she'd had a salad. A buffalo chicken salad. Oh, dear. Was it time to have The...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 28, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Should the Surgeon General be Slender?
Regina Benjamin is President Obama's nominee for surgeon general. (Photo By Marvin Joseph) By all accounts, Regina Benjamin is a smart, accomplished person, a caring and skilled physician and a real go-getter. Yet, by all appearances, she also is overweight. Does that make her a poor choice for the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 22, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (44)
Space-Age Snacks
My reminiscences surrounding the 40th anniversary of man's landing on the moon inevitably include longings for the original Space Food Sticks, those pencil-thin treats that we ate because, well, they were made for astronauts. Turns out those sticks, which came in a handful of flavors including chocolate and peanut butter...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Veggie Tales
Since taking up yoga a few years ago, I've pondered whether I should become a vegetarian. Many yogis are vegetarians, partly because killing animals violates the yogic principle of ahimsa, or noninjury. Yogis also tend to be pretty health-conscious and tuned in to the benefits a vegetarian diet can offer,...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 14, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (21)
Cutting Calories Might Extend Life -- For Monkeys, At Least
Cutting way back on calories may make for longer life. So suggests a study of rhesus monkeys published today in the journal Science. The new research shows that fewer rhesus monkeys who ate a calorie-restricted diet had died in a 20-year period than those whose diets weren't restricted (only 50...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 10, 2009; 12:17 PM ET | Comments (5)
Weighty Thoughts
How many times a day do you think about your weight? I believe there are people out there who can honestly say they never, or at least rarely, think about how much they weigh. I have several friends whose weight doesn't seem to fluctuate, who appear to eat when they're...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 7, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
The Fat of the Land
Lordy, we're fat. The annual state-of-our-waistlines report issued last week by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation mapped out the nation's obesity situation, state by state. It's not a pretty picture. Only in one state, Colorado, are fewer than 1 in 5 adults obese. In...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
What's on Your July 4 Menu?
(By Julia Ewan -- The Washington Post) Some holidays make you choose between sticking to healthful eating habits and indulging in traditional favorite foods. I usually try to strike a balance at, say, Thanksgiving time, eating mostly healthful stuff but allowing myself enough treats that I don't feel deprived....
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 3, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
A Simple Vinaigrette, Two Ways
Julia Child's classic vinaigrette calls for stirring shallots with mustard and salt before adding liquid ingredients. (Photo by Charlie Huget) When you buy a bag of Cheetos, you know just what to do with it: Rip it open and devour the DayGlo-colored contents. But it's harder for some of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 30, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Is That Right? A Full Serving of Vegetables in Chef Boyardee
The current ad for Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli shows a kid eating a bowl of the stuff while his mom tries to prevent his dad from saying what the voice-over eventually announces: "There's a full serving of vegetables in every bowl of Chef Boyardee. Just don't tell them." The first...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 26, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
The Best Part of the Mediterrannean Diet
For years, we've been hearing that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest way to eat. People who to consume diets that are rich in whole grains, olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables, fish, cheese and moderate amounts of wine seem to live longer, healthier lives. But is there...
By Rob Stein | June 25, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Is Toll House Recall a Turning Point?
(Courtesy of Business Wire/Doubletree Hotels) When I blogged the other day about Nestle's recalling its refrigerated Toll House cookie dough products, reader "Chasmosaur1" commented: You know what kills me? It is SO not hard to make Tollhouse/chocolate chip cookies. I've never understood why they prepackaged cookie dough. The most...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Judging Fat People
Be honest: What's your first reaction when you encounter an obese person? I'm guessing it's not sympathy. Don't think the fat person doesn't notice. According to The STOP Obesity Alliance, a nonprofit organization headquartered at George Washington University, the stigma associated with being overweight or obese is enormous and has...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 23, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (16)
Is That Right? One A Day with Selenium and Prostate Cancer
(Photo by Jeff Cronin, Courtesy of CSPI) The food-industry watchdog organization Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has set its sights -- not in a good way -- on Bayer One A Day Men's vitamins for the company's claim that the selenium in those supplements helps protect...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 19, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Fighting the Post-Grad 15?
There's plenty of information on the Web and elsewhere about fighting the Freshman 15, those pesky extra pounds that some first-year college students pack on as they adjust to dining-hall food and other exigencies of campus life. But there's not much out there about what happens to folks' eating and...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 16, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
Is That Right? "Real Sugar" is Everywhere. But is it Better for You?
If, say, five years ago you had tried to sell a product by announcing it was made with "real sugar," everyone would have called you crazy. But "real sugar" and its cousin "natural sugar" have become selling points for many products these days, from Snapple to Starbucks. Snapple now offers...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 12, 2009; 07:15 AM ET | Comments (20)
TV's Ruby Comes to Town
Ruby will continue her national walking tour Saturday, June 13, at Georgetown University. (Courtesy of the Style Network) Since November 2008, viewers of the Style Network's reality show "Ruby" have followed the weight-loss journey of Ruby Gettinger, a Savannah, Ga., resident who weighed about 500 pounds when the show...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 10, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
To Manage Your Diet, Tell Food to Say "Cheese!"
If you're trying to lose weight or even just eat more healthfully, one of the pieces of advice you'll most commonly receive is that you keep track of everything you put in your mouth. There's good reason for that: At least one major study has shown that people who regularly...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 9, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Behind Bars, Eating Less
An inmate at the Iowa State Penitentiary shows his lunch tray on May 5, 2003. (AP Photo/Steve Pope) Many of us have had to alter our grocery shopping and dining habits as the tough economy has tightened our household budgets. But at least we have some say in what...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 8, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Do Kids Follow Parents' Dietary Habits? Maybe Not So Much.
When I wrote last year about the fact that my modeling healthful eating and exercise behaviors didn't seem to be making much of an impression on my kids, then ages 14 and 11, I didn't find much in the parenting literature to back me up. But a new study in...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 3, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Learning to Love Leaf Lettuce
Although leaf lettuce contains more nutrients, the Huget family prefers iceberg lettuce (above). (Photo by Getty Images) When Mom becomes a nutrition columnist, it doesn't necessarily follow that the whole family will fall into lockstep with her new ideas about healthful eating. My husband, daughter (age 15) and son...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 2, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Is That Right? Frosted Mini-Wheats Keep Kids "Full and Focused"
(Reuters/Rick Wilking) Ads for Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats promise that kids who tank up on these fiber-rich cereals will be "full and focused" in preparation for the school day. Turns out that "full and focused" claim is what's left after the Federal Trade Commission in April made Kellogg stop saying...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 29, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
My Own Mayonnaise
My mayonnaise, ready to use and then store in the fridge. (Photo by Sophie Huget) Mayonnaise is one of the most maligned of foods. Because it's made with egg, it's been branded as too high in cholesterol for anyone's good. And because it's also made with oil, it's been...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 26, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Is That Right? Silk Soy Product Lowers Cholesterol
Silk Soymilk is in the process of launching a new product called Silk Heart Health; you can read about it on the Silk Web site. The beverage carton notes that the product is "Clinically shown to reduce cholesterol 7%." Hmmm. That sounds like a drug claim to me -- the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 22, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Sour Economy Hits Health
There's more evidence out this week that the recession is having an impact on people's health. Two new surveys from major doctors' groups indicate that people are cutting back on things that will help keep them healthy and putting off seeing a doctor if they do get sick. In March,...
By Rob Stein | May 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Weigh in on Plus-Size Yoga Classes
Kay Adcock, left, and Paula Leonardo, right, stretch along with yoga instructor Joy Anandi at the Rice Diet Program in Durham, N.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey A. Camarati) A story in last week's New York Times drew attention to yoga classes designed specifically -- and solely -- for overweight and obese...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Life's Big Questions: What Should My Stool Look Like?
In ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical system, one seeks to balance one's doshas, or basic life energies, to achieve physical and psychological health. A good way to determine whether those doshas -- known as vata, pitta and kapha -- are out of balance is to look carefully at what you...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 19, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Is That Right? Juicy Juice for Brain Development
The other day I blogged about the FDA's nabbing General Mills for inappropriately printing specific health claims (the kind reserved for drugs) on Cheerios boxes. I'm not the only observer who felt that, while the FDA was certainly within its rights to call out the cereal maker for not playing...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
The FDA, Making the World Safe -- From Cheerios
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Of the countless things the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could be doing to help make the nation's food supply safer, here's one issue the agency recently chose to focus on. The FDA a week ago issued a warning to the folks who make...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Plus-Size Clothes, continued...
If it were up to readers of The Checkup, stores would offer plenty of flattering clothes in larger sizes so plus-size teens could step out in style. The poll in last week's blog had 93 percent of 1,175 voters weighing in in favor of making such clothing available for young...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (30)
Do Plus-Size Clothes for Teens Endorse Obesity?
The news that Target and Forever 21 are launching lines of plus-size clothes for teens has ruffled some emotions. Some argue that providing Size 30 or 2XL clothing for young women is akin to telling them it's fine to be fat. Others say young women of all sizes and shapes...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (19)
Keeping One Eye on Food-Borne Illness
Let's take a break from worrying about swine flu -- and worry about food safety instead. First, for the record: Pork apparently remains safe to eat. Here's this from the World Health Organization's swine flu information sheet: Is it safe to eat pork and pork products? Yes. Swine influenza has...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 29, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Take the Daily Diet-Planning Challenge!
Remember a few weeks back when I asked a dietitian to come up with a day's worth of meals that provided all the recommended nutrients within a reasonable number of calories -- without resorting to a multivitamin or other supplement? That was a big fat cop-out on my part. I...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 28, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Running with Cancer
Taking a break from training for the More magazine half marathon, (from left to right) Judy Fitzpatrick, Anne Foster, Dr. Pamela Peeke, Jessica Glickman and Marlyn Glickman pose in Rock Creek Park. (Eric Hughes) What are you doing Sunday morning at 8? Three area women will be taking a...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
On Keeping Size 10s When You're Now a 14
Stacy London says her show aims to help people "find perfection in their imperfection." (By Brian Doben -- TLC) Are you a skinny-clothes keeper or a skinny-clothes giver-away? Many people tend to keep old clothes that fit smaller versions of themselves on hand, hoping that one day they will...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Do All Yogis Vote Alike?
A Midnight Yoga class at D.C.'s Flow Fitness. (Mark Finkenstaedt For The Washington Post) As devoted as I am to my yoga practice, I try not to talk (or write) about it all the time, mostly because I'm not sure anyone's all that interested in hearing about my yogic...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
What's Really Good for Your Heart?
A bit of alcohol's good for your heart, right? And eggs and meat are bad? Turns out we don't really know. In fact, a study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that for all the talk in health and nutrition circles about foods that promote heart...
By Nancy Szokan | April 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
What to Eat in the Company Caf
It's noon. You're starving, but you didn't pack a lunch, and you don't have time to leave the building for a meal. That's when the company's in-house cafeteria beckons. As today's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column demonstrates, you've got to make the most of every meal if you want...
By Nancy Szokan | April 14, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Soda Tax, Food Policy and Politics
That Kelly Brownell is at it again. Brownell, a professor of psychology at Yale University and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, has written much about what he thinks the government should do to cinch in America's ever-widening waistlines. Co-author of the 2004 book Food Fight:...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 10, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (29)
Adventures in Yogurt-Making
A couple of weeks ago I shared a recipe for making yogurt in a crockpot with readers of my weekly Lean & Fit e-mail newsletter (Want to sign up? Start here.) with the promise that I'd try it myself and share results on this blog. That was supposed to happen...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 7, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Too Much TV? Feed 'em Donuts.
Asma Attaoui holds a rack of donuts at a Dunkin' Donuts franchise in Boston. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole) You'll want to watch the new Dunkin' Donuts TV ad more than once, just to be sure you've got it right. Three kids (and a dog) are in a darkened room, watching...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (19)
A Warning on 4,800-Calorie Burger? Lighten Up!
Josh Kowalczyk, an intern with the West Michigan Whitecaps, holds the massive, 4800-calorie burger. (AP Photo/The Grand Rapids Press, Rex Larsen) A Michigan minor-league baseball team's scheme to sell a big honkin' burger totaling 4,800 calories as a concession-stand promotion has drawn the ire of a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 3, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Meet Dr. Ian
(Courtesy of Dr. Ian Smith) Ian Smith has never had to diet. At 39, he's fit and trim, a life-long athlete and healthful eater. But he understands how hard it is to lose weight. As a medical doctor and media voice on nutrition issues (he is, for instance, the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 1, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
One Miracle Berry That Lives Up to Hype
I've just had the sweetest, most delightful afternoon snack. First, I ate two slices of lemon. Then a spoonful of sour cream. And a drop of hot sauce, followed by a taste of unsweetened cocoa. Finally, the piece de resistance: a hunk of red bell pepper. The lemon and pepper...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 31, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Fast-Food Calories: Maybe We Just Don't Want to Know
Researchers from the psychology department at Yale University hung out in a handful of fast-food eateries (McDonald's, Burger King, Au Bon Pain and Starbucks) in Manhattan's Upper West Side; New Haven, Conn.; and Connecticut suburbs of New York City, keeping an eye on customers' behavior. Of 4,311 people they observed,...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 30, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
A Conversation about Constipation
Let's chat about constipation. That invitation alone ought to provide a certain relief to some of the estimated 4 million Americans who suffer from recurrent constipation. After all, for such a common problem, it's not one we discuss much. As they say, misery loves company.... I got to thinking about...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Down with Diets!
My first diet was the Scarsdale one. I thought my thighs were too big, and I thought maybe that little book, with each day's food allowance clearly spelled out, would help make them smaller. I gave up soon. I hated the foods Scarsdale prescribed, and after a week the thought...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 17, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (25)
Maintaining Good Health -- for Yourself, or for Loved Ones?
Watching the recent videotape of former President George H.W. Bush choking up as he talked about his wife Barbara's heart surgery made me tear up. (Skip ahead to minute 1:21 to see Mr. Bush's remarks.) The husband's raw emotion made me wonder what he would have done if things hadn't...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 10, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
How We Eat When Times are Tough
When the economy's on the fritz, people spend less on food, most experts agree. But just how they go about cutting back isn't clear; nor is the impact of the economy on diet and nutrition. Canned vegetables, unlike these carrots, are generally cheaper than fresh produce. (Julia Ewan -- The...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Barbie, Mom and Body Image
In Barbie's 50 years as the doll America loves to hate, there's been lots of hand-wringing over the fashion icon's role in shaping girls' self-image. Do those big breasts, wasp waist and mile-long legs make us gals feel so inadequate that we fall into punishing dietary habits and other self-destructive...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 3, 2009; 07:20 AM ET | Comments (12)
Cut Back or Go Cold Turkey?
When it comes to breaking a food habit, which works better: quitting cold turkey, or just cutting back and continuing to enjoy the food in question in moderation? In today's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column about cutting back on sweets, Dr. Neal Barnard notes that most people do better...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (33)
Americans Wise Up to Trans Fats -- Sort Of
Quick: Name three foods that contain trans fats. If you can do so, you're ahead of most Americans, a new study suggests. Reporting in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers from four universities working with the American Heart Association found that while 92 percent of 1,000 respondents questioned...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 18, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
What's Your Favorite Artificial Sweetener?
With the FDA's recent approval of a stevia-derived sweetener called rebaudioside A, marketed as Truvia (and the less-prominent PureVia), consumers now have six mainstream choices for low- or non-caloric substances to add to their coffee or sprinkle on their cereal (or, with the stevia-based products and saccharine and sucralose, to...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 17, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (36)
Another Good Reason to Exercise
More than 100,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer in the U.S. each year. New research suggests a straightforward, if not downright simple, way to cut that number by almost a quarter. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Harvard University analyzed 52 studies about exercise...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Local Food or Organic: Which is More Important?
Last week's blog about organic food drew lots of comments from people who believe organic food is far better for you than conventionally farmed food and from those who think the whole "organic" label is a sham. In today's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column I chat with Kate Gosselin...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 3, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Perspective: Mercury in High-Fructose Corn Syrup
I don't want mercury in any food I feed my family. But the news that two studies have found mercury in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a good headline-grabber -- but perhaps more alarmist than need be. In one study, published in the journal Environmental Health, a hunch-following team...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 28, 2009; 09:29 AM ET | Comments (3)
Still Buying Organic, Despite the Price?
This week at Giant Food, a half gallon of nature's Promise 1% Low Fat Organic Milk is on sale for $3.49. Meanwhile, you can get a whole gallon of Giant brand 1% Low Fat milk for $3.75. Which one would you choose? The ongoing debate as to whether organically grown...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (28)
A Nutrition-Wise Look at the Inaugural Luncheon
Should a once-(or maybe twice)-in-a-lifetime meal such as Tuesday's inaugural luncheon be held to high nutritional standards? Or does a president's swearing-in warrant a bit of indulgence? One nutrition writer tallies the feast's calorie count at 3,048 and notes that the spread contains 142 grams of fat. I talked with...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 19, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Resolutions For the Not-So-New Year
Getting tired of hearing about New Year's resolutions? Me, too. But there's good reason to be writing about these annual pledges to improve ourselves on January 6 -- or June 6, for that matter. As I note in today's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column, many of us will already...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
More Reason to Stay Lean and Active
As you ponder your potential New Year's resolutions, you may want to consider research released last week showing that lean and active men are at far less risk of heart failure than others -- including those who, while lean, aren't physically active and those who, while physically active, aren't lean....
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 30, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Mediterranean Diet's Good for You
The Romans of the 4th century B.C. may not have given much thought to the potential health benefits of the diet they consumed. But a couple of millennia later, scientists and nutritionists are taking a hard look at the nuts, fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil and red...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 23, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Is the Tide Turning on High Fructose Corn Syrup?
For the past four years, since the publication of compelling research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition noting that an uptick in American obesity had coincided with the introduction and growing use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the late 1970s, HFCS has been demonized by those in...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 10, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Better-for-You Holiday Beverages, Anyone?
I've been on the prowl for a cocktail that befits this festive season without delivering a lot of decidedly unfestive calories and fat. I got some ideas from Monica Reinagel, the Baltimore-based chief nutritionist for NutritionData.com. Reinagel, who also supplied tips for better-for-you holiday treats featured in today's "Eat, Drink...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 9, 2008; 07:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Take the Holiday Challenge! Start by Stopping Stress.
The Health section's annual Holiday Challenge is now underway, and the question is: Can you enjoy the holiday season without gaining any weight? Today's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column offers strategies for doing just that -- not trying to lose weight, but simply holding the line on holiday weight...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 2, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
On Black Friday, Leave Your Coat in the Car
If you're among the throngs of people planning to spend today -- Black Friday -- scouting the malls for bargains, you'll have to plan your strategy: which store to hit first, which hot-ticket item to stand longest in line for. If you want to get through the long and grueling...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 28, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Thanksgiving Tips: Avoid that Too-Full Feeling
Could this be the year you break your pattern of eating so much on Thanksgiving that you fear your belly may burst? Don't worry: bellies rarely burst, even when we fill them way past their normal capacity of 1 to 2 cups of food. But you can avoid that worry,...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 25, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Cooking for One Guy
I suspect that many people who write about cooking for one are not themselves single diners. For my part, while I learned a lot from reporting today's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column about solo cooking, once I finished writing I made dinner for my family of four. But Joe...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 18, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Getting Kids to Break Their Fast
Some kids, I understand, bound out of bed in the morning eager to eat breakfast. Not mine. Even when they bound, they mostly won't eat. When they were little (they're now 12 and 15) and I exerted more control, they started the day with nice bowls of oatmeal. But they...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 11, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
The Cider Vinegar Heartburn Cure?
The "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" nutrition column in today's Health section explores ways to manage heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD through altering your diet. Losing weight and identifying those foods that seem to trigger your heartburn (and then avoiding those foods) are the prime tips offered by dietitian Elaine...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 4, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (35)
Choose Your (Stolen) Treats Wisely
Of course you're not the kind of parent who raids the kids' Halloween candy after they've gone to bed. Me either. But just in case you're tempted....The helpful folks at AOL Health have compiled a quiz that lets you test your knowledge of the calorie, fat and sugar content of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 31, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Nutrition Data, Front and Center
(Courtesy of Smart Choices Program)Will the Smart Choices Program be the one? Nutritionists, public health officials, and food companies have for years sought a consumer-friendly means of posting useful nutrition information on food packages. Some individual companies and retail chains have adopted their own. But those scattershot efforts may...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 28, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Learning How Much to Eat
How do we learn how much food to put on our plates? That's a question Jennie Fisher, associate professor of public health and researcher at Temple University's Center for Obesity Research and Education, has been picking away at for years. Fisher's work is aimed at decoding the array of factors...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 21, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Following Up: Restaurant Food Labels, Gardasil, Vitamin D
A week ago The Checkup asked whether requiring chain restaurants to prominently post information about the nutritional content of the food they serve is likely to actually curb this country's obesity crisis. I voiced skepticism: I think people have a pretty good sense of whether the food they're ordering is...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 14, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Are 'Energy' Drinks Threatening Our Kids?
Researchers are calling for warning labels and other steps to curb the abuse of those wildly popular high-caffeine "energy drinks." Roland Griffiths of Johns Hopkins University and 98 other experts sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration this week saying they had become increasingly alarmed about Red Bull...
By Rob Stein | October 9, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Will Restaurants' Posting Nutrition Info Help Fight Obesity?
From left to right: California Medical Association President Dr. Richard Frankenstein, California Department of Public Health Chief Deputy Director Dr. Bonnie Sorensen, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly member Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord). (Photo courtesy of Peter Grigsby, Office of the Governor) California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 7, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (20)
Kids' Cereal Rated
There's some new information out today that will come in handy the next time you're walking down the grocery aisle trying to decide what kind of cereal to buy for your kids. Consumer Reports has conducted its first nutritional analysis of cereals marketed to children. In a report that will...
By Rob Stein | October 1, 2008; 06:05 PM ET | Comments (152)
Schools Sans Sodas
Substantial headway has been made lately in getting sugary (and high-fructose corn syrup-laden) sodas out of schools. But that might not make much difference in kids' overall soda consumption. Both pieces of news came across my desk as I was writing today's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column about school...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 30, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Food for Toddlers
Yesterday the Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp. launched a new line of toddler foods that promise to offer better nutrition than competing products and "No Junk" -- meaning no artificial flavors or colors, MSG, trans fats, added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or excessive salt -- in their recipes. Photo courtesy of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 16, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Does Vitamin B12 Protect Your Brain?
A common vitamin found in meat, fish, dairy and other foods has been given a boost as a possible way to stave off the effects of aging. Vitamin B12 appears to protect people's brains as they age, according to a new British study. Anna Vogiatzoglou of the University of...
By Rob Stein | September 11, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Knee Surgery Useless, Study Shows
Bad news for creaky Baby Boomers: There's strong new evidence out that arthroscopic surgery is useless for arthritis of the knee. Researchers at the University of Western Ontario in Canada studied 178 men and women suffering from moderate to severe arthritis in their knees. The patients all got standard...
By Rob Stein | September 10, 2008; 05:00 PM ET | Comments (17)
Study: Moms' Stress Tied to Kids' Overweight
Yeah, that's what stressed-out moms needed: someone telling them that their stress may be helping make their kids fat. A study published in today's issue of the journal Pediatrics looked at the relationships in low-income families between kids' weight (as expressed via BMI, or body mass index), the availability of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 2, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Nuts About Nutella
Early this summer my daughter and I spent some time in France, where we were introduced to the joys of Nutella. Nutella is a delectable hazelnut/chocolate spread that we ate spread on crepes bought from sidewalk vendors, as an ingredient in Nutella gelato, and, yes, I'll admit, straight out of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 18, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (41)
Running For Your Life
There's an old joke that runners tend to live longer than the rest of us, but they spend all their extra time running. Regardless of whether or not that's true, there's some new research that indicates that the benefits of running continue late into life, and even runners in their...
By Rob Stein | August 14, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Runner's High? Yeah, Right
If you're like me, you hate those exercise fanatics who are always bragging about how much better they feel after a good work-out. Anxious or depressed? Go to the gym, they say. You'll feel better. Need a rush? Jog until you're ready to drop and get that "runner's high." Yeah,...
By Rob Stein | August 7, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
Keeping Weight Off Takes More Exercise Than You Think
Let's face it: losing weight requires hard work, and keeping it off can be even harder. If you've lost weight and want to keep it off, that oft-recommended 30 minutes of physical activity mustered a few days a week just ain't going to do the trick. New research published in...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 29, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (18)
Coffee As Health Food?
Your daily cappuccino may seem like a guilty pleasure. But guess what? This guilty pleasure may actually help you live longer. That's right: Coffee, apparently, is a health food. I know, you're probably thinking: Yeah, right. It seems like everything that's addictive--and pleasurable--is bad for you. Smoking: bad. Drinking: Bad,...
By Rob Stein | June 19, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
For Teen Girls, It's More Purge than Binge
We hear the term "binge and purge" used to describe bulimia nervosa so commonly that, to my mind, anyway, the two activities -- eating way too much food at one sitting and then getting rid of that food by inducing vomiting or using laxatives -- seem inextricably linked. But a...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 4, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
