We know that eating out can be unhealthy, but just how unhealthy? A huge majority of meals served by chain restaurants fail to meet nutrition recommendations for calorie, fat or sodium content, according to a new study. More »
Is a detox really necessary? In short, yes. The large number of pollutants we encounter every day complicates the body’s detoxification efforts, which in turn leaves the body more vulnerable to illnesses and disease, not to mention hormonal imbalances. While you may have the perfect detox diet and supplements already lined up, by integrating these four steps you will ensure a more successful spring cleaning. More »
A sugary diet won’t just put on pounds, it could also slow down your brain. A new study from UCLA researchers shows for the first time how a diet high in high-fructose corn syrup can hamper your ability to learn and remember information. But Omega-3s (which are pretty much goddamn magic, right?) can help counteract the effects of too much fructose, the authors say More »
• 4 reasons to take an afternoon coffee break, even if you don’t drink coffee (FitSugar)
• Maya Angelou takes on the cause of women’s health. (HuffPost Women)
• Healthy and delicious: Green bean, barley, and wheatberry salad recipe. (Well & Good)
• 3 better brands to quench your soda cravings. (Vital Juice)
• More debate over how much weight you should be lifting (Q Blog)
• Are organic oils good for your skin? (Divine Caroline)
• 5 ways to customize your tennis shoes (Yahoo! Shine)
Gotta love a politician who loves his puns—especially if he also wants to get unhealthy pizza out of school cafeterias. I’m talking about Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado, whose proposed SLICE Act would end school lunch programs’ reliance on tomato paste—i.e. pizza sauce—as a qualified vegetable. More »
Following the recall of unpasteurized tempeh sold by Asheville, North Carolina company Smiling Hara, FDA officials say they’ve been able to find the source of a strain of Salmonella that has sickened as many as 60 individuals in several states: an online retailer who sells tempeh starter cultures. The company now appears to have disappeared (and the FDA is looking into whether or not they sold any other tainted cultures), but plenty of consumers still have questions–most notably, whether or not unpasteurized tempeh is safe to eat, and, if so, how they should handle it to avoid cross-contamination. More »

There’s just something so delightfully refreshing about celebrities speaking directly to their fans. This week Scarlett Johansson bypassed her press rep and wrote a blog for Huffington Post addressing the lies tabloids printed about her “dramatic weight loss” for her role as Black Widow in The Avengers.
While she confesses to working out harder than usual to prepare for the movie, she completely denies her alleged crash diet that supposedly resulted in her losing 14 pounds. More »
In honor of next week’s release of Men In Black 3, Dunkin Donuts has released its own movie-inspired drink: the Black Cocoa Creme Iced Coffee. It’s an iced coffee that tastes like cookies and cream, they say. And it’s served with a special pink and black straw, of course. Which admittedly sounds fun–and kind of good. Until you read the nutritional content. This specialty drink has more sugar than most candy bars. More »
From Paleoista Nell Stephenson, this paleo twist on Eggs Benedict uses kale, lemon and baked salmon in place of English muffins, vinegar and bacon. More »
So, you want to see the kind of amazing vegan fare that Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi dine on? Check out this fresh, healthy vegan spring roll recipe, courtesy of Chef Roberto Martin himself.
Tonight, HBO is premiering the first two parts of their much-hyped four-part documentary, Weight of the Nation, and already, people are ready to hate it, and vocally opposing a piece that, to their mind, is sure to be fat-shaming, victim-blaming, and generally unhelpful and mean. But instead of putting on the earmuffs and ignoring it (and the problem), I recommend actually watching it–I did–because even the most hardened health advocates may stand to learn something. More »
Mason Jars are quickly overtaking brown bags as the preferred way to carry a homemade lunch; there are entire Pinterest boards dedicated to MJMs—”Mason Jar Meals,” thanks to the classic kitchen accessory’s boom in popularity. There are endless ways to use the classic kitchen accessory to pack, cook, and store food; we hunted down a few recipes to help you out with Meatless Monday. More »
In the unlikely case that you are craving a Slurpee today, you might be interested to know that the unhealthy convenience store, 7-Eleven, is rolling out a new low-cal line of these brain-freezing drinks–just in time for summer. Even with only 20 calories, the problem is, they are still really gross for you. More »
Plenty of celebrities (like Russell Brand) have credited the amazing Ellen DeGeneres for their switch to veganism. But Ellen isn’t always the one in the kitchen whipping up incredible–she and wife Portia de Rossi get plenty of culinary help from Chef Roberto Martin, whose new book, Vegan Cooking for Carnivores, is helping regular old folks eat like Ellen. More »
With concerns that their sushi habits, silver fillings, or Gowanus apartments are exposing them to mercury, many New Yorkers are reaching for chlorophyll as a detoxer. More »
It’s not unusual for companies to “sponsor” posts by bloggers–it’s actually a pretty cool model for helping popular writers get paid, while allowing retailers to target their advertising in a really smart way. But McDonald’s is going above an beyond the average sponsored post; in exchange for positive articles, the fast food giant is promising bloggers (many of them moms) gifts and parties. Apparently, leaving it to Twitter didn’t help the company’s newfound “grassroots” appearance. More »
• What a mom really wants for Mother’s Day (Your Tango)
• Did you miss this spicy lemon coconut sauce? Bad idea. (101cookbooks)
• Dara Torres is gearing up for her 6th Olympic Games. (FitSugar)
• Not all smoothies are actually healthy; here’s what you should know (MindBodyGreen)
• Make a weed salad (it’s not what you think) (Organic Authority)
• “Tan Mom” now has an action figure. Yay. (Business Week)
• Kathy Freston thinks fat chickens could be making us fat, too. (HuffPost Healthy Living)
• The Italian secret to living la dolce vita. (Divine Caroline)
In today’s ridiculous health news, one advocacy group has started a petition to stop President Obama from ever eating unhealthy food in public again. Like this is going to solve anything when it comes to our obesity crisis. More »
Most of you probably know that soda contains sugar; there are plenty of astounding PSAs and photos drive home the point. But a lot of us frequently dine on foods that we think of as “healthy” that can be just as much of a sugar bomb, if not more. Case in point: breakfast. Even if you steer clear of donuts and pastries that are full of sugar (duh), and make what you think are pretty smart choices, many breakfast foods contain a load of sugar you didn’t know you were in for. More »