WhyFoodWorks

Want to learn more about mindful eating? It's a framework to approach food from a positive, non-shaming, anti-"diet" perspective, and there are free webinars available this Thursday if that sounds good to you!

Sign up here --> https://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org/event-3192253

The Center for Mindful Eating - Mindful Eating Day 2019: Stepping into Mindful Eating We invite you to participate in our fifth annual Mindful Eating Day.  Mindful Eating Day was established to counter the avalanche of diet-culture influenced messaging that can bury a person in guilt, shame and blame.  It's held in January, when diet-culture messaging is at a peak, to offer an alt...

I mean the health benefits are great and all, but the true value here is clearly this photograph!

Don’t know what to do with your tired jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins? Ask your local farmer! Pumpkins are a natural de-wormer for animals and a delicious treat they love!

Thanks to Amber G for sharing this photo of her happy cows!

"What they found was that fewer minutes of a HIIT workout produced a similar response in mitochondrial function as longer moderate-intensity workouts.

'A total of only two minutes of sprint interval exercise was sufficient to elicit similar responses as 30 minutes of continuous moderate intensity aerobic exercise.'"

Intensity matters! Hopefully they'll re-run this study on more & different people...

HIIT Workouts Can Change Your Body on a Cellular Level Australian researchers found that just a few minutes of high-intensity exercise known as HIIT may be as good for your body’s cells as 30 minutes of moderate exercise.

THE most comprehensive article about how to read a food label that I've seen. In case you need it.

How to Read a Food Label All the information stacked on a food packaging can be confusing, but we'll show you what you should focus on to really know what's in your food.

If you're interested in the status and future of genetically modified food, this is a good read...it only features one perspective, as the author visited a lab that is using Crispr to make edits, but does a good job of citing all of the issues around the topic!

"The old conversation was acrimonious and emotional. The initial GM foods that Monsanto introduced in the 1990s were “transgenic,” meaning that biologists used genetic engineering to introduce foreign DNA, from an unrelated species, into the plant. Gene editing is much more analogous to older forms of mutagenesis such as irradiation and chemicals, though much less scattershot. Rather than creating random mutations, Crispr targets specific genes. (Editing that misses its mark is possible, though Lippman hasn’t detected any in his work.) That is why plant scientists have been so eager to use it, and why the USDA regards gene-­edited knockouts as similar to earlier mutagens and thus not requiring special regulation. (In the case of “knocking in,” or adding, a gene to crop plants, the USDA has indicated it will assess on a case-by-case basis.) Some European countries have banned GMOs, and the European Union has yet to issue a final judgment on gene-edited plants."

Crispr Can Speed Up Nature—and Change How We Grow Food It took thousands of years for humans to breed a pea-sized fruit into a beautiful beefsteak tomato. Now, with gene editing, scientists can change everything.

If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, or have even just gone "too far" and food is a preoccupation, watch this! The amazing Heather Caplan of Lane 9 Project shares her story, and her expertise. There are so many people who can help!

Dietician details battle with orthorexia, obsession with eating healthy Registered dietician Heather Caplan joins Megyn Kelly TODAY with her story of how she allowed healthy eating and calorie-counting to take over her life. Caplan describes how she got into strict "food routines," experienced anxiety around traveling due to food availability, stopped menstruating -- an...

For your consideration! "Babies on earlier solids slept for up to 16 minutes longer per night, potentially giving parents about two extra hours of sleep per week.

Co-author of the study Dr Michael Perkin, from St George's, University of London, says small differences generated large benefits for parents. "Given that infant sleep directly affects parental quality of life, even a small improvement can have important benefits."

'Babies sleep better on solids' Giving solids as well as breast milk at three months resulted in fewer sleep problems for some babies.

2 months in, and feeling pretty good - especially after balancing our budget to finish paying for our wedding! Find out what we did to keep costs reasonable, and see more of Ana Isabel Photography's beautiful shots of a day we'll remember forever in my latest post!

My wedding recap (+9 ways to save $$ on your big day!) | WhyFoodWorks My wedding recap (+9 ways to save $$ on your big day!) by whyfoodworks | Jul 8, 2018 | WFW | 0 comments May 20, 2018 When we got engaged at Christmas, I knew I didn’t want to have a long wait til the wedding. David and I have been dating since February of 2014, and living together since 2016, so t...

The effect that some foods and nutrients can have on each other's absorption was one of the most fascinating parts of nutrition science when I started learning about it in grad school. Now, I'm just as fascinated by flavor combos, and love to use The Flavor Bible when formulating recipes...complementary nutrient pairings that also taste amazing are the best of both worlds!

7 foods nutritionists say you should eat together Strategically combining certain foods can help your body better absorb vitamins and antioxidants.

Alright, people, now's the time - START COMPOSTING. I mean you. City dwellers, suburbanites, those with HOAs and those with kids, those who don't grow any food, those who don't like yucky things....everyone! I made a video with my friend Pam to help you out. Watch it in the post on my blog, and consider sharing it with someone who needs to get started!

Food waste isn’t trash: start composting! | WhyFoodWorks Food waste isn’t trash: start composting! by whyfoodworks | Apr 22, 2018 | WFW | 0 comments Damn The Man, save the Empire Our current American administration is not making any big moves in favor of the environment. That might be putting it lightly, as the White House seems to think that boosting o...

Not good, friends. 150,000 tons DAILY?! Earth Day is Sunday...will you make a commitment to start composting this year? Or, if you already do, helping a friend start?

Americans Toss Out Tons of Fruits and Veggies Americans may be trying to eat healthy, but they're throwing away mountains of produce in the process, a new study suggests.

Amanda wrote this piece for DC Refined about intermittent fasting, and consulted me during her 30-day trial! I recommend that everyone aim to do a 12 hr overnight fast daily, and adapt from there!

A beginner's guide to 30 days of Intermittent Fasting Whenever a new eating trend makes its way into the mainstream conversation, I like to give it a try. Whole30, South Beach, Paleo, Vegan -- you name it, I’ve tried it! Recently, I’ve been hearing about Intermittent Fasting (IF) nonstop. And while it’s not a

Read my latest post, highlighting the *silliest* reasons to skip milk. When you hear someone use one of these, please point out the philosophical flaws! (Open to counter points, too :))

https://whyfoodworks.com/2018/04/12/3-ridiculous-reasons-not-to-drink-milk-the-ones-that-make-sense/

3 ridiculous reasons not to drink milk (& the ones that make sense) | WhyFoodWorks 3 ridiculous reasons not to drink milk (& the ones that make sense) by whyfoodworks | Apr 12, 2018 | WFW | 0 comments Some thought for food Over the years, as a dietitian and daughter of a dairy farmer, I’ve heard a lot of reasons people don’t drink milk. I’ll be the first to agree that a heal...

1. If you can, exercise during pregnancy...as an added bonus, it might save you some time in labor.
2. Don't judge anyone for exercising or not exercising during pregnancy.

That is all!

Exercise during pregnancy can shorten labor, study finds What expectant women should know about working out during pregnancy.

This article touches on 3 of my favorite topics...nutrition studies, industry involvement, and alcohol. Read it if you want to learn more about the interplay between funding sources and research - which I think CAN be done ethically and fairly (but maybe isn't happening here...?). Namely, industry involvement should NOT include helping to craft the questions or the methods; anyone in science will tell you that you can get the answers you want when you frame things the right way!

"In January, Dr. Mukamal and his colleagues started recruiting volunteers ages 50 and older who are at high risk for heart disease; eventually there are to be 7,800 participants at 16 sites worldwide. Half will be told to abstain from alcohol. The rest, including both men and women, will be told to have one serving of alcohol a day.

No other long-term trial has ever asked participants to drink, much less drink every day. Scientists will track the two groups for six years on average to see whether daily drinkers have fewer heart attacks and strokes, and lower odds of diabetes and death."

Federal Agency Courted Alcohol Industry to Fund Study on Benefits of Moderate Drinking Scientists and National Institute of Health officials waged a concerted campaign to obtain funding from the alcohol industry for research that may enshrine alcohol as a part of a healthy diet.

MY snack list - complete with links to recipes! Pick 4-5 and rotate throughout the week. Planning & prep is the only thing standing between you and making a choice left to chance!

23 healthy snacks: plan & prepare! | WhyFoodWorks 23 healthy snacks: plan & prepare! by whyfoodworks | Feb 23, 2018 | WFW | 0 comments Snack time! Snacks are as good as you make them – they’re a way to add nutrients and foods you need to bump up, or a diet downfall that will add calories, but not truly nourish. The KEY to snacking is to plan ah...

"Risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with subtle elevations of glucose and lipids more than 20 years before diagnosis" - yes, you read that right! And it's why you should be getting annual blood work if numbers aren't looking great.

So, pop quiz...what was your blood sugar at your last check up? When was that check up? If the answers were "I don't know..." and "ummm...2015?" then TODAY is the day to schedule an appointment!

Health News Articles | News for Physicians & Medical Professionals FRIDAY, Feb. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with subtle elevations of glucose and lipids more than 20 years before diagnosis, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Join me & Walter Lewis Fitness Solutions in April to launch some new habits this spring - it's a health bonanza to give you new ideas and enthusiasm for fun workouts & good food!

2 Day Ultimate Fitness Nutrition Retreat - Walter Lewis Fitness Solutions April 21-22, 2018 Join us for the ultimate 2-day fitness nutrition retreat. Full day schedule including fitness classes and cooking demonstrations. Featuring: Sarah Waybright Cooking Demonstration: Pre & Post Workout Meals to Maximize Fitness India Robinson’s presentation on skinny cocktails and m...

Isn’t it interesting that while most doctors, leaders, teachers and employers recognize that lifestyle has a big impact on performance, very few will be able to help you address yours in a way that will result in real change? It could be because it’s one of those tricky things that’s simple, but not easy. Lifestyle is, after all, just the combination of daily routines and habits you’ve found for yourself, from the pattern of activities you go through upon waking to what you eat for lunch or when you watch TV. We know that doing certain things regularly, like exercise, eating vegetables, and flossing, create happier and healthier lives. So why is it so hard to make those things routine? [-->read on!]

How to build or break a habit We are what we (repeatedly) do.

I LOVE sorghum - truth be told, I do have a hard time finding it in stores! Any hot leads??

Sorghum, the Grain You Might Be Missing | Food & Nutrition | Stone Soup Sorghum is a cereal grain that is one of the top five cereal crops in the world. It has been growing in Africa for hundreds of years.

"The FAIRR investor network's stated aim is "to raise awareness of the material impacts factory farming and poor animal welfare can have on investment portfolios."

Umm, and also on the animals, right?!

Meat taxes are 'highly probable' says FAIRR Initiative Meat is on a similar pathway to to***co, carbon and sugar and it is "highly probable" that some governments will begin to tax it, says the Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return (FAIRR) Initiative.

High quality meat is expensive. If you eat meat, you should shell out extra for it! This is a long article, but the gist is here:

"Conventional rotational grazing practices move animals to different pastures at different times, sometimes coinciding with the seasons. The animals can remain for months on end in the same pasture, which can leave behind overgrazed and sometimes barren land.

Those who employ holistic management move the herds much quicker through smaller pastures — 777 uses 35 pastures — to allow the grass sufficient time to rest, recover and regenerate before the animals return."

Bison: The Latest in Carbon Capture Tech - United States of Climate Change A controversial grazing philosophy may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver of global warming.

A fun (?) informative little quiz...how much do you know about antibiotics?

Are You Superbug Savvy? As antibiotic resistance grows, so should our knowledge of how to combat it. This quiz is here to help.