Healthy Eating

Whether youre hosting or attending a holiday meal, chances are that one or more guests are restricting something from their diets. Watching salt intake is one of the more common dietary restrictions, according to an online poll of American households. But, a good portion of people limit or avoid items like lactose (natural milk sugar), meat, refined carbohydrate/sugar, gluten (a protein in certain grains) or commonly-allergenic items like milk (dairy), peanuts and tree nuts. So, how can you all come together to enjoy a meal?

Q: If we drink, were advised to do so in moderation (limiting it to one drink daily for women, two for men). What is the basis for this advice?

About one in four adults will develop atrial fibrillation (the most common type of irregular heartbeat) in their lifetime. Thats a big deal because atrial fibrillation increases risk of stroke by five-fold. Atrial fibrillation also increases risk of heart failure and impaired cognition (brain function). A recent study in the journal Heart showed moderate chocolate intake was associated with a 10 to 20% decreased risk of being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. But, is nibbling on chocolate for prevention too good to be true?

Eating a higher-quality diet may lead to a more favorable body fat distribution, says Gertraud Maskarinec, MD, PhD, an epidemiologist at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, who recently coauthored a study on the topic published in the journal Obesity.

Small, gradual weight gain during early and middle adulthood may get little attention since it doesn't necessarily cause health problems in our younger years. But, it may have serious consequences later in life.

Do foods like cake, cookies and potato chips seem to call your name when you're on a weight-loss diet? It may help to cut out such foods completely, say the authors of a new study in the journal Obesity.

Healthier school meals have been in place for five years. But, the government recently relaxed a few Obama-era rulings for the federally-funded National School Lunch Program.

Q. Are nutrients lost by rinsing canned beans?

Does lemon-lime soda count as one of the sugar-sweetened beverages were advised to limit? Lemon-lime makes it sound a little healthier.

Q. Is it true that most of a carrot's nutrients are in or just below the skin, so it shouldn't be peeled?