F.D.A. Sets 2018 Deadline to Rid Foods of Trans Fats–  Although this does not fix all of the problems that exist with unhealthy food it is a great start. “The decision Tuesday was final and would effectively remove industrial trans fats from the American diet by 2018, a change that the agency has estimated could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year.”

Science Weighs In On High-Heels– I for one wear heels almost every day. Now not the stiletto type, mine tend to be more chunky heels. However I have wondered many of times if this is something I should be doing every day. This article is interesting as I have not seen a lot on the subject. “This difference between new and experienced heel wearers suggests that “wearing high heeled shoes may at first lead to adaptation and increased strength,” as the ankle responds to the stresses placed upon it by the unfamiliar shoes. But the senior women, who had been wearing heels the longest, showed weakening of those same muscles, compared even with the freshmen, as well as much weaker muscles along the front and back of the ankle and dramatically worse balance.”

How I Eat Vegetables Like a Californian (Even When I’m Not in California)– I was just commenting the other night over a homemade dinner fresh from the farmers market how I could not imagine my life without the deliciousness of roasted vegetables. I was not always a veggie eater, this was a skill I had to learn. However now I can barley eat a meal without them. I like this post because it gives great advice on how to bring vegetables from an occasional affair to an everyday relationship.

Is Virtual Reality the Future of Fitness?– Immersive fitness, a trend of the future? I love fitness classes. I was never one into team sports, more of a lone wolf when it came to fitness. However once I started getting into fitness classes I found my niche. Feeling like a part of a community while still getting to work out solo. Some of my favorite classes are spinning classes where rooms are dark, screens in front of you show real life mountain roads or music videos. I for one would try this trend for sure, however when you work in front of a computer all day it is nice to have your workouts be a place away from technology.

How To Eat Whatever You Want … Without Overdoing It– I have struggled with this. When I started incorporating “treats” back into my life after restricting food for so long I could almost never not binge. It has taken me years to learn how to balance food and emotions. This article has some great advice!

In Busy Silicon Valley, Protein Powder Is in Demand– This is one of the more interesting articles I have read of late. I had never heard of the drinkable meal Soylent until reading this article. At 500 calories a serving this meal replacement is suppossed to offer enough nutrients to replace meals. I for one am always skeptical of new products like this, however it will be interesting to see if this is just the begging of a new trend. “Boom times in Silicon Valley call for hard work, and hard work — at least in technology land — means that coders, engineers and venture capitalists are turning to liquid meals with names like Schmoylent, Soylent, Schmilk andPeople Chow. The protein-packed products that come in powder form are inexpensive and quick and easy to make — just shake with water, or in the case of Schmilk, milk. While athletes and dieters have been drinking their dinner for years, Silicon Valley’s workers are now increasingly chugging their meals, too, so they can more quickly get back to their computer work.”

Why Good People Do Bad Things – This article talks about temptation and how if we think about consequences before we are less likely to participate in bad behavior. This could be applied in many ways, including temptation with food.”We think part of the explanation for why people occasionally don’t behave ethically is their failure to confront and realize there’s a temptation,” Sheldon said. In addition to acknowledging the temptation, the study suggests that people have to see it as one they might have to struggle with repeatedly, and that could potentially jeopardize their reputation and integrity.”

5 Rules of Snacking Before Dinner– I for one have this issue. I love snacking. I do it before dinner and I do it after. This means for myself I am usually eating something relatively small for dinner. I love the tips in this article, simple, and easy to follow. I practice quite a few of these myself.

See Spotify Run– Spotify has unveiled a new app to help runners with their music. The app takes music you have listened to previously, takes your running pace, and makes a playlist for you. Spotify has also recently joined forces with Nike, so this is probably just the beginning of a new music/workout segmentation.

The Psychology of Healthy Facebook Use: No Comparing to Other Lives– It is hard to believe social media has been around for over a decade now. I remember signing up for my facebook account in college before any of my friends had one. Now it seems like everyone has an account, but what is social media really doing to our generation? “What these two studies reveal is that the underlying mechanism is social comparison. That’s why the more time we spend on Facebook, the more likely we are to feel depressed.”

Being a Night Owl May Be Bad for Your Health– After taking the test within the article I was surprised to find I do not have a particular sleeping tendency. Although I was at the highest number you could be in this bracket, almost to the Rise and Shine. I for one used to hate the morning, now I love it! It is interesting how you can change your bodies internal clock if you work at it. “Men who were night owls were significantly more likely to have diabetes, and women night owls were more than twice as likely to have metabolic syndrome — high blood sugar levels, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal lipid readings.”

Out With The Caraway, In With The Ginger: 50 Years Of American Spice Consumption– I personally loved this article. I love to cook and over the years have found spices make all the difference. So of course it is not surprising that spices would be as trendy as other types of foods. This article talks about some of the top spices and their trends over time. “it details the availability of various spices every year from 1966 to 2012, data that can serve as a proxy for consumption, according to Jeanine Bentley, the USDA analyst who put the data set together.¹ While it doesn’t tell us the exact amounts ingested in a year, it does provide some clues about trends over time.”

Tips for eating well when you are not at home– With getting ready to go on a vacation myself I thought this article was fitting to post. It is short, but spot on. When I go on vacation I try to enjoy myself, but also not get off track. This includes a morning workout, which is always shorter and less intense then if I am at home in my normal routine, a lot of walking, ensuring I eat something green every day, and picking one vice a day, aka either alcohol of dessert. By doing this I have never come back from a vacation having gained weight, but I also still feel relaxed and that I was able to enjoy the time I spent.

Does Wanting To Be Thin Make You A Slave To The Man? “Feminism often gets into an unappealing cul-de-sac where there’s this set of practices or beliefs that you have to be part of to be a good feminist. Interestingly, that’s not very different from more conventional forms of social policing. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking care of your body. I just want to know you’re feeling beautiful and important at whatever weight you want.”

Photo from Huff Post

Why Los Angeles’ Fast Food Ban Did Nothing To Check Obesity– This is the first I had personally heard about this test in LA with the city banning opening’s of new fast food restaurants in southern LA in hopes of curbing obesity. Personally I love the goal of wanting to help with what is being called an “epidemic.” however it feels like maybe not the most thought out approach. “Surveys of diet and obesity show no changes that can be attributed to the new fast-food restrictions. Fast-food consumption and obesity rates continued to increase in all areas of LA from 2007 to 2011-2012, and the increase was greatest in the areas affected by the fast-food restrictions.”

An Upbeat Emotion That’s Surprisingly Good for You– I am all about how mood and feeling affect our well being. I believe positive thoughts will make people healthier. So when I saw this article I was excited to read it. Who knew the emotion “Awe” would have the biggest impact. “A new study singles out one surprising emotion as a potent medicine: awe. And happily, awe seems to be much easier to come by than many might expect, even for the busy and stressed-out.”

Germanwings Crash Raises Questions About Shifting Ideas of Pilot Fitness–  On CNN this has been a huge topic of discussion this last week. Is there more of an opportunity for airlines to regulate pilots well being prior to flying? This article has some good food for thought. “The programs currently used by airlines and regulators on either side of the Atlantic, aviation experts and psychiatrists said, leave much to be desired. Screening exams are given on a yearly basis and often merely nod to mental health issues, including only a few questions about depression or other illnesses. The exams are often conducted by general practitioners with no psychiatric expertise. In addition, most programs are based on an honor system, relying on pilots to volunteer information about problems they might have.”

Starbucks Introduces Delivery, Mobile Ordering– One of my favorite parts of getting my morning coffee is the routine of walking to the place, standing inline, and seeing all of the people around me. I love the smell, experience, and just getting out in the fresh air. In a society where time seems to dictate all, we are now becoming a society that seems to no longer have time to walk down the block to grab a drink. It will be interesting to see how consumers utilize this new program. “It is mind-boggling to me how many of our customers want Starbucks delivered, even when there is a Starbucks in the lobby of their building,” CEO Howard Schultz told BuzzFeed News in an interview. “I think it’s going to be wildly successful; we’ve figured out how to do it, and it is going to create jobs, no question.”

Keurig for X’: Pods Invade the Kitchen– “Companies are attempting to replicate Keurig’s astounding success by conveniently delivering habit-forming substances at the push of a button. There’s Synek, the Keurig for craft beer, and Somabar, the Keurig for cocktails. Flatev is the Keurig of tortillas; Genie is the Keurig of couscous; the One Shot is the Keurig of miso soup; and if its designers are ever able to bring it to market, Cookiwill be the Keurig of home-cooked meals.”

Photo from Huff Post

The Power of ‘Good Enough’– I like this article because it makes you think about how sometimes we strive for wanting it all, we want perfect. However that may not always happen. Can we be ok with just good enough? “If you ever aren’t sure if you attended the very best party or bought the very best computer, just settle for “good enough.” People who do this are called “satisficers,” and they’re consistently happier, he’s found, than are “maximizers,” people who feel that they must choose the very best possible option.”

Is Technology Spoiling Your Workout-I have never stopped to think about how my workout’s and fitness routine keep my constantly plugged into technology. I listen to music from my phone, have an app that tracks my miles, I wear my fitbit daily, and keep track of what I eat. This article talks about how the author did the daring, unplugged her workouts. “is a double-edged sword. For some people, technology is the exact reason to get off the couch and for others it’s what makes them too competitive.”

What Yoga Taught Me About the Balanced Life– This article is opinion based, but I really enjoyed reading it. Balance is a word I use often when describing my ideal self and it was nice to read another perspective. These were my two favorite quotes from the article.”Balance is not about symmetry, but about perspective, how we see.” “Balance is not so much striking or holding the pose, but flowing with the movements that affect your pose. The more quickly you can respond and make those adjustments – that’s balance. Balance comes from adapting quickly.”

Probiotics 101: Literally Everything You Need to Know– Probitoics has become a new buzz word. However do most of us really know what probiotics are and why we need them in our body? Well this article does a great job of laying out what probiotics is and why bacteria in our gut is good. “Probiotics have been shown to have numerous health benefits. They may reduce depression and anxiety, improve heart health and enhance immune function, to name a few.”

7 Reasons This Is The Ultimate Dinner Hack–  I personally have had yet to try the new website plated, but started to hear friends talking about it. So when I saw this article I thought it was worth a read and passing along to others. What is plated? It is a delivery service that brings healthy ingredients and recipes so you can cook meals at home, fast, easy, and convenient.

Photo from Huff Post

Learning to Like Spicier Food– I have always found it fascinating the differences we all have in our tastes. For instance I hate cilantro, but I know many people out there who love it. Spicy food is along the same line, for some the burn is not that bad or very enjoyable. Others it feels like they may die from it. This article is interesting as it touches on why some people can tolerate spice and others cant. It also gives ways to improve your tolerance. “Researchers noted a positive correlation between the levels of testosterone in a subject and the amount of hot sauce he chose to apply to his potatoes: Those with higher levels drizzled on more of the spicy condiment. Those men also shared tendencies towards social dominance, aggression, and risk-taking behaviors, the researchers found.”

What is Siphon Coffee, and How is it Made? One of the perks of living in the Bay Area is you get immersed in new food and alcohol trends. Not only new trends, but really good ones. Right now coffee is really big in San Francisco and I for one am 100% on board with it. Most of the artisan coffee houses in the city offer siphon coffee. I have yet to try it, but since I keep seeing it pop up as a premium choice I thought it would be good to look into what the process of making Siphon coffee is.

Should Athletes Eat Fat or Carbs?– “Exercise scientists long ago established that endurance training makes athletes better able to use fat as a fuel. And that metabolic adaptation prompted many scientists and coaches in recent years to wonder what would happen if you extended that ability to its farthest extreme and trained an athlete’s body to rely almost exclusively on fat, by removing almost all carbohydrates from the diet and ramping up grease intake?”

Processed Food Additives May Alter Gut Bacteria– A short article on  how researchers have looked at a study with mice and have determined a common ingredient called emulsifiers which is found in a lot of processed foods might increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and metabolic syndrome. A short read.

The Skinny Carb– With all of the different messages being sent to people on what a healthy diet is, researchers decided to give a group of people one message. Eat more fiber. It is interesting to see the results compared to the group who was watching everything they ate.

Photo from Huff Post