To help myself enjoy daily life more, I’ve been adding excitement into my routine—participating in more social activities like Bible Studies at church, and saying ‘yes’ to Friday evening hangouts driving around with friends or spontaneous walks around the park….
How to Break the Habit of Eating After Dinner | Four Low-Effort Strategies Backed by Science
You’ve already enjoyed tonight’s dinner of baked chicken thighs with jasmine rice and roasted broccoli, followed by dessert of a slice of strawberry shortcake and a scoop or two of cookie dough ice cream. Now it’s late, and it’s about…
Top Snack Trends: Eat Pork Rinds Instead of Potato Chips
An article from the food-industry research group The Food Institute reports that this year’s top three snacks for teenagers are Goldfish, Lays, and Cheez-Its. Savory is what Gen Z is craving. Given that eating added sugars regularly is a sure-fire…
poisonous 5 P’s ~ do these five foods actually make us fatter?
I came across this Yahoo Finance article describing the viewpoint of longevity scientist Valter Longo that consumption of the “poisonous 5 P’s”—pizza, pasta, protein, potatoes, and pane (bread)—in Italy’s youth is a threat to their possibility of having a healthy lifespan. Specifically,…
ultra processed breakfast and lunch food might make you fat
There’s this popular study that investigated how an ultra-processed diet affects body weight (spoiler alert: ultra processed food just might be making us fat). Researchers invited twenty people, split into two groups, to live in a research environment for 28…
Best time to wake up on weekends ~ does sleeping in make you grouchy, fat and sick?
I could not put down the book The Power of When: Discover Your Chronotype–and the Best Time to Eat Lunch, Ask for a Raise, Have Sex, Write a Novel, Take Your Meds, and More by Dr. Michael Breus. In it,…
how do you cook when you have no motivation | three scientific strategies for no-effort health
In my last post, I discussed how convenience is key when it comes to nudging people to adopt healthier habits. It’s pretty clear that people have less free time than ever, and thus are willing to spend the big bucks…
ingredient household vs snack household & why convenience ruins your weight goals
An article from the USDA titled “Higher Incomes and Greater Time Constraints Lead to Purchasing More Convenience Foods” reveals that modern Americans spend a large chunk of our food budgets on foods prepared away from home. Busy people are willing…
Three Meals a Day keeps the Doctor Away: it’s better to eat only 3 meals a day and no snacks
From my observations, people are having smaller meals and nibbling on snacks all day long. Our old friends breakfast, lunch, and dinner seem to have been, at least partially, replaced by granola bars and carrot sticks and pretzels. I came…
Is eating bitter food good for you? THIS is the Revolutionary New Flavor Trend
I came across this article from the Institute of Food Technologists. It discusses the flavors that food experts predict consumers will seek in the upcoming year. Gone are the days of cookie sandwiches and granola bars. Many of us are…
Does soup make you eat less? PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN by eating simple meals more often
The way to my heart is a big bowl of soup (with biscuits on the side, please). There’s nothing like savory meats, potatoes, vegetables and spices served in a salty broth. Soup is a type of composite meal, which means…
Did kids drink coffee in the 50s? Once called an “old person’s drink”, now every student’s MUST-HAVE
I watched the “Clash of the Coffee” episode of one of my all-time favorite shows The Food That Built America. It detailed how the rivalry between Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks shaped our modern coffee culture. Back in the 1950s, coffee…
What was grocery shopping like in the 1960s? Easy Old Fashioned Tips for Weight Maintenance and Saving Money
Cooking at home is a practical way to help you maintain a healthy weight AND to save money on food! It’s difficult to look at pictures of groups of people from the 60s and 70s and spot someone who’s overweight….
Is having two meals a day healthy?| STOP sabotaging your weight
Intermittent fasting has gained a lot of hype over recent years, with many personal accounts touting it as a weight loss savior. What’s less popular nowadays though, is the fact that eating frequency also influences your weight. The research indicates…
When you can’t get enough…What do they put in fast food to make you want more?
Fast food is undeniably appetizing, cheap and convenient. Yet and still, there’s a general consensus that regular consumption of it is no good for us. Is it true that fast food restaurants put something in your food to make you…
Why were people so much slimmer in the 70s? The ONE culprit behind modern weight
Why were people so much slimmer in the 70s? Check out photos of your grandmas, moms, and aunties back in the day and you’ll probably wonder this too. The single reason why people used to be so much thinner than…
You’re Probably Eating Too Often ~ Is It Okay to Eat Just Two Meals A Day?
For most of us, stepping on the scale makes it quite clear that we need to make eating behavior changes—starting with our meal frequency. Today, let’s break down the science behind why it is okay, even good, to eat only…
Why do I lose MORE weight when NOT exercising? It’s time to debunk this myth.
If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. Wait—maybe you’ll gain it? When it comes to our bodies, we’ve all heard the advice that in order to lose weight, we need to eat less and exercise more (you know, calories-in,…
Which is Better for You Coffee or Tea? Ladies, chug your coffee. Gentlemen, sip your tea.
Although their diet overall was trash, the Gilmore Girls got one thing right—loads of coffee. We all enjoy a cup of joe, but let’s also show some love to tea. The research is clear that consumption of both drinks are…
6 tips for how a single person can save money on food now that prices are surging
With both restaurant and grocery store food prices constantly on the rise, it’s painfully clear that saving money on food is not as simple as following the age-old advice to “eat from home”. Living alone has taught me a few…