Credit: iStock/SeventyFour Gluten-free products are taking over grocery store shelves and social media channels, with market growth expected to increase by $8 billion by 2033. People who have celiac disease and gluten intolerance used to be the only ones who followed a gluten-free diet. But recently it has become a trend that attracts younger generations, … Continue reading Going Gluten-free: Is It for Me?
Diet
Why Do You Need Protein (And How Much) In Menopause?
Credit: iStock Protein is the building block for all the muscles in our body. We rely on protein to maintain structural support and aid in nearly all cellular processes. Our muscles are necessary for breathing, walking and balance, all of which allow us to maintain our normal activities. Loss of muscle mass (called sarcopenia) is … Continue reading Why Do You Need Protein (And How Much) In Menopause?
A Fatty Truth: How Your Meat and Eggs Become Messages
Credit: iStock/4kodiak When you bite into a burger or crack an egg open, it's more than just a meal. Every fat molecule in that food carries information—tiny signals your body listens to. The way animals are raised, whether in a pasture or in conventional systems, subtly shifts the types of fats that end up on … Continue reading A Fatty Truth: How Your Meat and Eggs Become Messages
Salt and the Signals We Don’t Notice
Credit: iStock Salt is everywhere. It’s used as seasoning and preserves our food. Without enough salt, our muscles, nerves and cells wouldn’t work properly. At the same time, too much salt can be harmful. Many of us know it's linked to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney damage, obesity and … Continue reading Salt and the Signals We Don’t Notice
The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2024
Credit: iStock/gustavofrazao It’s been another “ph-un” filled year of physiology on the I Spy Physiology blog! We’ve featured posts ranging from marijuana research and bone cancer in children to how many steps do we really need to take per day and if alkaline water lives up to the hype. To complement our Women’s Health Research … Continue reading The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2024
Cutting Back On Added Sugar: Your Brain Will Thank You
Credit: iStock I spy too much sugar in the foods we eat and the beverages we drink. Unlike naturally occurring sugars in foods such as fruit, added sugars and syrups are included during the preparation or processing of our food and drink. While sugar does provide our body with energy, the problem is that too … Continue reading Cutting Back On Added Sugar: Your Brain Will Thank You
The Surprising Health Benefits of ‘Yo-yo’ Dieting
Credit: iStock It’s not really news that obesity and the trend of increasing waistlines seems to only be heading upward—and outward. Despite efforts to fight the fat, many people end up regaining the weight they lose when they diet in a phenomenon known as “weight cycling” or “yo-yo dieting.” Weight cycling can be frustrating, and … Continue reading The Surprising Health Benefits of ‘Yo-yo’ Dieting
The Triple Threat: Diet, Diabetes and Fatty Liver Disease
Credit: iStock Fatty liver disease is a group of disorders that occur when too much fat builds up in the liver. Many people may have heard of alcohol-related fatty liver disease, a condition in which moderate to heavy consumption of alcohol leads to fat buildup and scarring in the liver. However, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease … Continue reading The Triple Threat: Diet, Diabetes and Fatty Liver Disease
The Fat-blocking Powers of Fiber
An estimated 610,000 people in the U.S. die from heart disease each year. One common cause of heart disease is the narrowing of blood vessels due to the buildup of fatty deposits (plaque). Many factors—including eating a lot of fatty foods—can lead to plaque buildup in blood vessels. Your liver processes excess fat by packaging … Continue reading The Fat-blocking Powers of Fiber
Can Eating Fruit Be Hazardous to Your Health?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends two cups of fresh, frozen, canned or dried whole fruits each day for most people following a 2,000-calorie diet. However, some people have difficulty breaking down fruit in their digestive tract or absorbing fructose into their bloodstream. Fructose is a type of sugar that is naturally found in fruit. … Continue reading Can Eating Fruit Be Hazardous to Your Health?