Healthy happy you.
I just learned something new and I thought I should share it with you: folate and folic acid are the same thing. Well not exactly the same thing. Although they are both forms of a water soluble B vitamin, folate naturally occurs in food and folic acid is its synthetic form found in supplements and added to fortified foods. Folate and folic acid not only prevent anemia during pregnancy, they Read more
Happy National Folic Acid Awareness Week! Most women of childbearing age have heard of folic acid: it's one of the first terms bandied about when women start talking about having children, but not everyone knows why it's so crucial to the health of the developing baby. What's your folic acid IQ? Do you know how much to take and when, and why the B vitamin is so important? Take the following Read more
Fruits and veggies can be slim pickings during the Winter, but not when it comes to blood oranges. Since the crimson color of the fruit's flesh makes it a perfect pairing for Valentine's Day, putting it in a celebratory cocktail makes total sense. It's full of nutritional goodness, too: blood oranges are a great source of vitamin C, and also contains a good amount of vitamin B1 and folic acid. Read more
Why is it that I can get the slightest bump and the next day, I've got a huge bruise? Sometimes bruises show up and I don't even remember hurting myself. A bruise develops when small blood vessels under the skin tear or rupture. Blood leaks into tissues under the skin and causes the black-and-blue color. As bruises heal, usually within two to four weeks, they often turn colors, including Read more
We all know that green tea has many benefits — eye health, sunburn protection, and disease prevention, to name a few. Now, a new study can add another possible benefit to that list: green tea may help you remain functional as you age. The Japanese study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tracked 14,000 adults 65 years old or older for three years and found that those Read more
How much calcium should I get? What about vitamin B12? If you're curious to know how much you need each day of your basic vitamins and minerals, this chart is for you! It tells you the recommended daily intake (RDI) of each nutrient, and what you need to eat to obtain it. Read more
We're always looking for new healthy snack ideas and we just found a good one from CheesePlease: roasted chickpeas. Try this simply and addictive healthy snack! Chickpeas are a great source of protein, folic acid and iron. Roast your chickpeas with this garlic-cumin-sea salt recipe, or a delicious honey-cinnamon version. It's hard to say which one is better. My advice: Make both Read more
I've never been a fan of supplements, even during my Flintstones vitamin days. Between having to remember to take them and the odd tastes of some of them (yes you, fish oil), I prefer to get my nutrients from the farmers market. But according to a new report from the CDC, I'm in the minority. More than half of adults in the US take a supplement of some sort, including multivitamins (almost 40 Read more
If someone told me that the only food I'd be able to eat for the rest of my life were berries, I wouldn't bat an eyelash. I absolutely love all kinds of berries including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries — they are a simple, sweet, healthy treat that can be added to a variety of dishes. Just buy them, or pick them, and rinse them up and enjoy. Berries not only taste Read more
Dear Fit, You've been extolling your wisdom on the benefits of green tea, but I'm unsure how much green tea you actually have to drink for it to make a difference. I've heard as much as 10 cups a day which sounds crazy! Thanks so much! – Green Tea Gina This a great question because green tea is amazing. I feel fortunate that I do like the taste so drinking a cup or two a day is no problem for Read more
