Healthy Eating

Belly fat isn't like any other fat—it's worse. Scientists have found that belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is the most harmful type of fat. In fact, high levels of belly fat increase your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, insulin resistance, and even certain cancers, according to the experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine. While exercising is one of the best ways to shrink your belly fat and improve your cardiovascular health, your diet also plays a big role in the size of your waistline. Following a healthy diet…

When you think of potatoes, you might not think of them as a superfood. But that's if you're thinking of chips (one of the foods most closely linked to weight gain), fries, or loaded mashed potatoes. But in their purest form, they are an excellent source of nutrients. "Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is linked to immunity, synthesis of collagen for skin and tissue strength and elasticity, protection from cell-damaging free radicals and iron absorption," says Beth Stark, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian…

Soda has a deservedly bad reputation when it comes to your health. It's been implicated as a contributing factor to tooth decay, diabetes, and obesity, among numerous other health issues. However, many people don't realize the staggering effects soda consumption may have on your brain. From your mental health to your cognition, read on to discover the effects soda can have on your brain, according to experts. And if you want to improve your diet in a hurry, check out The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.…

If you live in an area that has far more fast food options than fresh food or grocery stores, are you more likely to struggle with weight gain? Although that's been the theory for the past few years, a new study in the International Journal of Obesity is questioning that assumption. First, here's how that idea got started: Research published in 2017 about children and weight gain noted that kids living near fast-food restaurants are more likely to gain a significant amount of weight compared to those living further away.…

Think of taking two of your most power-packed daily rituals and blending them together in one mug. That's exactly what some coffee lovers are doing with cold brew and protein shakes. Before you dash to try this seemingly win-win combo, take a pause: A registered dietitian says there's one key reminder to getting this energizing experiment right. Cold brew coffee has never been bigger. And, especially as more of us grow aware of the benefits of plant-based nutrition, protein shakes and powders have become relatively common…

You know too much salt is not great for your heart, and you know too much sugar isn't good overall. Now, a new study has revealed how eating too much sodium from salt may actually impact your blood sugar in a way you most likely never realized. Susan C. Weller and Benjamin N. Vickers are researchers at the University of Texas's Department of Preventive Medicine and Population Health. For a new study, the pair started by pointing out that past data suggests half of all diabetes patients get a little too loose with the…

Even if you enjoy a glass of wine once in a while (and reap some of the amazing health benefits), drinking too much of it will always have its consequences. Especially if you choose the wrong kind of wine for your health. Like anything we ingest, there's a nutritional range when it comes to wine—some pours are less harmful to health than others. But when speaking with nutritionists, we cut right to the chase—which type of wine should we be avoiding at all costs? The resounding answer was Zinfandel. As Jenni Bourque, RHN, of…

Soda in any flavor is never the best choice. It's a drink that is lacking in nutrition, to say the least. Plus, it can cause digestive discomforts like gas and bloat from the carbonation and any artificial sweeteners that may be present. It's been proven that there are plenty of long-term health effects of frequent soda consumption, too. Yet, which is the worst flavor you really should never drink? Well, that would be none other than bright, bubbly orange soda. (Instead, go ahead and stock up on any of The 7 Healthiest Foods…

You know your diet affects your body fat and your heart health. But do you ever consider how the foods you eat may impact your liver? There's a silent health crisis affecting a quarter of the American population and it isn't type 2 diabetes—though it's related. It's nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD stalks us stealthily over a long period of time. "Its symptoms don't often manifest until the liver is seriously compromised," says Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, who has been a dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic for 20…

As they constitute one of the main food groups, of course, it's healthy to regularly eat fruit, and with an easily-removed peel and no excess juices to make your hands sticky, bananas are one of the simplest fruits to consume. While they're great for digestive health and contain many much-needed vitamins, it's important to not eat an excessive amount of bananas, according to dietitians. (Related: The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now) Bananas are a great source of potassium, but too much potassium in our bloodstream can…