Reading List: The Dangers of Detox, Get Fit with Video Games & Popcorn's Eye-Popping Calories
In this week’s nutrition news: New shocking results on the calories in popcorn, tortilla company linked to school food poisoning outbreaks and a new study shows how you prepare your fish may benefit your heart.
Beyonce claims to have lost weight using the Mater Cleanse Diet, but is it safe? This video, featuring both a medical doctor and registered dietitian, explains what type of weight you are losing and why it’s not an ideal way to shed pounds. You'll also also hear about common side effects from folks who went on a cleansing diet. Registered dietitian Colleen Gerg explains some of her safer techniques to detox your body such as eliminating alcohol, caffeine or decreasing processed foods.
In Wisconsin, 101 kids became ill by eating flour tortillas supplied by Chicago’s Del Rey Tortilleria. Amazingly, outbreaks from these tortillas have happened in more than a dozen schools between 2003 and 2006. In 2006, the company recalled tortillas after they were linked to illnesses in Massachusetts and Illinois. Scientists from the FDA have even warned that their tortillas have a high risk to cause illness. So how the heck can schools continue to order from this vendor? Obviously there is some lapse in communication within the system. Congress has been discussing ways to improve the Child Nutrition Act, which regulates the school meal program. Hopefully, they can work on improving their list of vendors who are sickening our kids!
New Study: Fish's Benefits May Depend on How You Prep It
The American Heart Association found that eating baked or boiled fish instead of fried, dried or salted provides more heart-healthy benefits. The study, which followed nearly 200,000 men and women in California and Hawaii for almost 12 years, found that men who ate the most omega-3-rich fish (about 3.3 grams a day) had a 23% lower risk for heart issues than those who ate less (about 0.8 grams a day). The study also found that adding low-sodium soy sauce to your fish or tofu also had heart-healthy benefits, specifically for women.
According to newly released research by the American Heart Association, Nintendo’s Wii Sport and some of the Wii Fit games actually make your heart rate rise. Researchers examined 12 men and women and measured how much energy they expended while doing some of the games' moves. They found that most games were categorized as light to moderate forms of physical activity. This may be a nice gift idea with the cold weather (and more indoor play) around the corner.