General Nutrition

If you expect healthy foods to cost more, you're not alone (although this isn't always true).

Setting specific limits on sugar intake can alarm groups that profit from sugar use. A recent study in Annals of Internal Medicine reviewed the evidence for limits on sugar intake advised by nine public health groups. The conclusion was that sugar intake guidelines are based on low-quality evidence.

About 1 in 6 Americans suffer a foodborne illness each year, often in their own homes, so safe food handling practices cant be overemphasized. Recently, scientists watched 100 episodes of cooking shows from 24 celebrity chefs preparing meat dishes and tracked the chefs food safety behaviors.

Based on available research, the usual 'healthy diet' is the best one can do. That includes a high (5 or more servings daily) intake of fruits and vegetables (including dark leafy greens), some dark (fatty) fish and whole-grain products, but lower in refined carbohydrate and sugars." Why the emphasis on carbohydrate quality?

For maximal absorption of calcium from supplements, no more than 500 to 600 milligrams (mg) of elemental calcium should be taken as a single dose. For the few people who require more than 500 to 600 mg of calcium in supplement form, the dose should be split. For best absorption, calcium carbonate should be taken with meals. Calcium citrate may be taken anytime.

Bags of lettuce and spinach may not be as pristine as they seem. British scientists found that during 5 days of refrigeration, traces of nutrient-rich juice released from crushed leaves in bags of salad greens nourished Salmonella bacteria and increased its growth by up to 280-fold compared to sterile water. The juices also enhanced the bacterias ability to attach to the sides of the plastic bags, as well as to the leaves, as reported in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Claimed to be the second largest eating extravaganza next to Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl is infamous for indulgent fare such as pizza, fried hot wings, chips, rich dips, sugary sodas and beer. As with any food-centric celebration, it's wise to have a game plan of what you'll eat, especially if you're watching your weight or managing a health condition.

One of the biggest challenges many people face when they find out they have diabetes is figuring out what they can eat and when. Fortunately, healthy eating when you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes (or prediabetes) isn't substantially different from how we all should eat. Diabetes-friendly meals feature the same healthy foods - whole grains, colorful non-starchy vegetables, whole fruits, lean protein, fish, low-fat dairy, nuts and healthy fats - recommended for everyone.

A lot of factors likely affect how much food you eat, such as how it looks and smells, how tasty it is, how filling you believe the food will be and whether you were taught to "clean your plate" when you were young. Environmental influences, such as the size of food packages, how much food youre served and social norms, can also have a big impact.

Nutrient loss with heat is not unique to roasting. Other forms of cooking can also reduce heat-sensitive nutrients, and cooking methods that use water, such as boiling, result in nutrient losses from water-soluble nutrients leaching into the water. "So, consider varying your preparation methods, such as by eating raw vegetables and salads as well as roasted, steamed or sauted vegetables.