All articles tagged with #healthy eating
Experts say to boost energy for workouts by prioritizing sleep, optimizing nutrition and caffeine use, selecting enjoyable and appropriately paced activities, and adjusting exercise intensity and mindset to improve motivation.
Washington Post Unearthed columnist Tamar Haspel argues that nutrition science is often murky, but three areas have relatively solid evidence: eat more fiber, limit sodium to help blood pressure, and reduce saturated fat to lower LDL cholesterol, all within a balanced diet.
Two studies found that following the DASH diet closely may protect cognitive function and lower dementia risk, with those adhering most strictly showing about a 41% lower risk of cognitive decline. The diet’s emphasis on vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, and its limits on sodium and added sugars, aligns heart-healthy eating with brain health benefits.
A Washington Post climate column outlines how the Yuka food-scanning app rates processed foods by nutrition, additives, and organic certification, empowering consumers to pressure brands toward healthier reformulations; the piece highlights Julie Chapon’s experience discovering a Nestlé Fitness cereal contained sugar despite years of healthy-label assumptions.
Two science-backed ways to boost breakfast: make it the day’s biggest meal and include more fiber- and protein-rich plant foods (such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans) to improve satiety, gut health, and overall health.
Washington Post Climate Coach columnist Michael J. Coren argues that the term ‘superfood’ has no legal or scientific definition and is driven by marketing. The piece recounts how blueberries helped launch the trend in 1995 and notes roughly $190 billion is spent annually on promoted superfoods, but urges readers to focus on a varied, nutrient-rich diet rather than chasing labels or hype to improve health.
New research finds at-home gut microbiome tests lack standardization, producing different results from the same stool sample and calling into question their reliability for diet or supplement guidance.
Unearthed columnist Tamar Haspel argues the Trump administration’s new Dietary Guidelines claim to be evidence-based, yet bias and cherry-picked data permeate the recommendations (notably treating red meat, butter, and even tallow as favorable while sidestepping alcohol). She concedes the core rule—limiting saturated fat to about 10% of calories—would generally be healthful, but the framing and specifics are compromised by political influence.
Weight-loss physician Dr. Meghan Garcia-Webb promotes a no-tracking approach: fill half your plate with fruits and non-starchy vegetables, a protein in one quarter, and a starch in the last quarter, making it easy to eat five servings of produce daily and feel full without counting calories. Brief tracking can help establish a baseline, but long-term adherence comes from simple, enjoyable meals and avoiding overemphasis on nutrition labeling or marketing.
A Washington Post Well+Being column outlines eight science-backed habits to improve heart health, highlighting that stronger cardiovascular health also lowers risks for diabetes, dementia and cancer through everyday choices like regular activity, quality sleep, and nutritious eating.
An oncologist outlines practical dietary changes to reduce cancer risk, emphasizing a plant-forward, high-fiber eating pattern and avoiding highly processed foods and red meats, while aiming for overall weight maintenance and balanced nutrition.
A HuffPost Wellness piece explains orthorexia as a growing preoccupation with “pure” or “proper” eating influenced by social media. It outlines signs such as extreme food restrictions, rigid rules, constant ingredient analysis, social-life disruption, and guilt or anxiety when deviating from rules, and urges seeking evaluation from dietitians or mental-health professionals. The article emphasizes balancing nutrition without all-or-nothing thinking and notes recovery is possible with support.
The old saying “feed a cold, starve a fever” isn’t supported by science. Fever can raise body temperature, while colds don’t automatically make you colder. Experts recommend staying hydrated and eating nourishing foods as your stomach tolerates, rather than fasting, to support the body’s fight against illness.
Resistant starch helps the gut microbiome by producing anti-inflammatory compounds and may lower chronic disease risk, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. A simple way to boost it is to cool cooked rice, potatoes, and pasta, which increases their resistant starch content; include cooled starches as well as legumes like beans, lentils, and peas to support gut health.
A dietitian argues against labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” promoting an all-foods-fit, flexible approach that balances nutrition with personal goals, enjoyment, exercise, and life circumstances.