Straight Health offers easy to understand and accurate information on health, nutrition, diets and exercise. With this RSS feed you can stay up to date with all the new articles, FAQ and top 5 lists that are updated. http://straighthealth.com/ 12 February 2018 Weight loss is supposedly simple math; if you expend more energy than you consume, you'll lose weight. The equation doesn't care much if you burn more, consume less, or combine both approaches. Unfortunately, the body doesn't always perform as a simple equation, but rather a complex system which reacts in ways [sometimes] counter to your own goals. Numerous studies have looked into the results of weight loss without exercise and have come to interesting conclusions. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/lose-weight-without-exercise-diet-only.html 03 January 2018 It's been referred to as the gympocalypse; the beginning of the year when resolutioners join the gym en masse. Having a solid resolution and being serious about change is commendable, and joining a gym is a great way of doing so. Due to the large influx of new members in a small period of time, the gym becomes a Wild West where anything goes. This sort of unorganized environment makes it difficult to properly utilize equipment. Here are a few of the important rules resolutioners should acquaint themselves with before becoming regulars. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2017/resolutioners-gym-etiquette.html 17 December 2017 The Holiday Season isn't known for the healthy environment it creates. Three plates of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, plus dessert has to go somewhere. Surely these calorie dense options lead to weight gain, but is unwanted holiday weight gain really as big of a problem as everyone makes it out to be? Several studies have looked into this question and researchers have come to important conclusions. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2017/holiday-weight-gain.html 01 January 2017 Though resolutions are known more for their failure than success rates, the New Year offers a fresh start to erase bad habits and instill healthy new ones. Whether you'd like to quit smoking, lose weight, start an exercise routine or fix bad finances, the New Year affords a great opportunity to start anew. Regardless of the goal, successful resolutions are all built on the same foundation. http://straighthealth.com/pages/guides/newyears.html 12 April 2016 In 1958, a now infamous study concluded one pound of body fat was equal to 3,500 calories. It's been conventional diet wisdom for over half a century: a 3,500 calorie increase or decrease, above or below maintenance levels results in a one pound change in weight. Most diets base their weight loss targets on this old rule: spread 3,500 calories over a week to see a gain or loss of one pound. Given the advances in our understanding of how the body works, does this 3,500 rule still stand today? http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/sarticles/one-pound-bodyweight-equal-3500-calories.html 07 April 2016 Americans' intake of sugar is way too high and it has no real value in the diet. We use sugar for energy which is the extent of what it's good for. Too much sugar leads to very serious health effects including obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Though dietary sugar serves little purpose in the body, we can still eat some without facing negative health effects. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/sugar-effects-recommendations-reducing-intake-part2.html 06 April 2016 Sugar is addictive, bad for you in large quantities and makes everything it touches delicious. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate found naturally in some foods such as fruits and vegetables, and added to other foods such as candy bars, sodas and cookies. Like all good things, Americans tend to ignore moderation and overindulge leading to profoundly negative health effects. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/sugar-defined-sources-part1.html 30 March 2016 Everyone benefits from physical activity: young, old, fat, skinny, healthy and sick. While younger individuals tend to ignore health benefits in favor of the aesthetic nature of exercise, physical activity has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for the elderly population. From increased mobility and independence to decreased depression, physical activity and exercise are crucial in maintaining normal function as we age. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/physical-activity-elderly-benefits-recommendations.html 28 March 2016 Strength training, commonly known as picking heavy things up and putting heavy things down has always been thought of as an activity relegated to the bodybuilders, power lifters and professional athletes of the world. Casual gym goers sometimes limit themselves to treadmills, bikes and ellipticals rather than wading through dumbbell and squat rack territory. Unfortunately, this mentality deprives you of some important health benefits the treadmill or elliptical alone, cannot provide. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/benefits-strength-training.html 23 March 2016 What we commonly refer to as table salt is made up of two elements (sodium and chlorine) and known as sodium chloride. Though a high sodium intake is associated with adverse health effects, a small amount is required to maintain normal bodily functions. Unfortunately, with an increased reliance on processed and convenience foods, sodium intake in American diets is dangerously high. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/sodium.html 20 March 2016 To say fiber is important is an understatement. This under-eaten nutrient prevents and treats digestive problems, lowers disease risk, increases satiety and even aids weight loss. Unfortunately, found in mostly unprocessed foods, Americans tend to stay well under the recommended intake for this extremely important nutrient. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate which humans lack the ability to digest. Fiber is classified into two groups: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber absorbs water and turns into a gel while insoluble fiber does not mix with water. Once ingested, these two nutrients have different effects on overall health. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/fiberbenefits.html 14 March 2016 Fiber is a special type of carbohydrate which the body lacks the ability to digest. Though we do not absorb any calories from fiber, it is an important nutrient which aids in many bodily functions, specifically those in the digestive system. Fiber has been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer. Fiber is found mostly in unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. With an increased prevalence of diets relying on ready to eat, convenience foods, many Americans do not get adequate amounts of this crucial nutrient. Though we look at fiber as a single nutrient, there are actually two different types, each with unique characteristics and benefits. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/fiber-soluble-vs-insoluble.html 09 March 2016 I had my last piece of meat in November 2013 and haven't looked back since. I'm not going to pretend the transition was easy; the November 2013 transition was actually my second and more thought out attempt. There might be a quicker, cold turkey approach to stop eating meat, and if you have the will power to successfully go through with that, you might want to stop reading now. If however, change doesn't come easy for you, this slower, more gradual approach is for you. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2016/how-to-become-a-vegetarian.html 09 March 2016 I had my last piece of meat in November 2013; it was a Fillet-O-Fish from McDonald's. It probably wasn't the best "last meal" but it was still pretty good either way. Since then, I've tried a lot of meat-less recipes, meat alternatives and other plant-based foods; some were delicious, others didn't even have a chance. On this journey, I've learned a lot and hope to provide some useful information to make the transition easier for others. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2016/all-things-vegetarian.html 08 September 2015 Before I started working out and eating (relatively) healthy, I was a skinny 18 year old weighing [almost] 120 pounds. Once I started lifting weights, I got obsessed with ditching my skinny look and gaining some weight. An early tool I relied on were weight gainers which are loaded with calories and promise to help you pack on the pounds. Unfortunately, as I later learned, while loaded with calories, weight gainers are an expensive and glorified form of sugar mixed with other junk that you're probably better off without. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2015/weight-gainers-waste-of-money.html 17 August 2015 Body fat is excess energy. When you consume more energy than you burn over a long period of time, you gain weight. This calorie surplus, when combined with physical inactivity, leads to unwanted weight gain, most likely in the form of body fat. The only way to rid yourself of body fat is to reverse the conditions which created the mess in the first place: moderate reduction in calorie intake mixed with an increase in physical activity. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/burn-fat.html 11 May 2015 The gym brings together people with different backgrounds, perspectives and goals. While we don't need to agree on what the best workout routine is (because there is no such thing), or which diet friendly foods taste best (hummus), we should all follow a few basic rules while working out to make everyone's gym experience (or just mine) more pleasurable. http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2015/things-that-annoy-me-gym-etiquette.html 27 April 2015 Preface: sugar is all the same. Whether it was adding in during processing or already present, the word sugar refers to a carbohydrate in its most basic form. There really is no [as far as calories, obesity and health are concerned] difference between sugar found in a strawberry or soda. Let's begin! If we get past the all carbohydrates are bad mantra, we must start differentiating between the good and bad ones. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate characterized as simple, perhaps even bad or unhealthy depending on the source. A wide variety of foods contain sugar, and while some of them are deemed healthy, others are not. Though the sugar found in doughnuts and apples is nearly identical, there's an important distinction between foods high in added sugar and "naturally occurring" sugar. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/difference-between-added-sugar-natural-sugar.html 30 March 2015 A diet built on a foundation of healthy food choices has plenty of benefits including weight loss, increased energy and disease prevention. A healthy diet allows you to eat unhealthy foods sometimes, provided you make the right choices most of the time. A healthy lifestyle is about balance, not deprivation. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/reasonseat.html 22 January 2015 Though resolutions are known more for their failure than success rates, the New Year offers a fresh start to erase bad habits and instill healthy new ones. Whether you'd like to quit smoking, lose weight, start an exercise routine or fix bad finances, the New Year affords a great opportunity to start anew. Regardless of the goal, successful resolutions are all built on the same foundation. http://straighthealth.com/pages/guides/newyears.html 26 November 2014 Thanksgiving is a time to spend with friends and family while eating some delicious food. Unfortunately, physical activity and healthy eating are placed pretty far down the list of priorities. Here are a few simple ways you can incorporate exercise into the Thanksgiving Holiday while still spending time with those you care about. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/exercise-during-thanksgiving.html 25 November 2014 A tasty turkey is the centerpiece of most Holiday meals, which is why it's especially important for you to learn how to properly cook one. Perfecting turkey cooking technique turns you into a Holiday Master Chef for a few days each year. This step by step guide walks you through the process of safely cooking a healthy Thanksgiving, Christmas or Holiday Turkey. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/how-to-cook-turkey.html 24 November 2014 Holiday food safety starts with properly thawing a frozen turkey. Simply enter the weight of the turkey in pounds and click calculate. A turkey requires approximately 24 hours (1 day) of refrigerated thawing for every 4-5 pounds. Place the turkey on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in a pan to avoid contaminating other foods. If you are short on time, cold water thawing is a much quicker process. It requires 30 minutes per pound. http://straighthealth.com/pages/tools/turkey-thaw-time-calculator.html 21 November 2014 There's no rule saying Thanksgiving has to be unhealthy, it simply has to be delicious. The centerpiece of most Thanksgiving Meals starts with the Turkey. Though the turkey on its own is relatively healthy, there are a few tweaks to make the meal even better. Here's a simple and healthy version of the Thanksgiving Turkey. http://straighthealth.com/pages/recipes/thanksgiving-turkey-recipe.html 20 November 2014 The Holiday Season is known for family, friends, cold weather and delicious though sometimes unhealthy food. Luckily, delicious doesn't have to mean unhealthy. Keeping healthy habits alive during the Holiday Months is crucial in continuing a well balanced lifestyle. The Holidays make it too easy to drop healthy habits in favor of gorging on unhealthy foods and practicing physical inactivity. Here are a few healthier holiday options to enjoy. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/holidayfood.html 19 November 2014 If there's one thing the Holidays are known for, it's amazing food. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, pies and eggnog are just some of the irresistible delicacies. As always, it seems the better the food, the higher the calorie content. If you're trying to keep calorie intake at a somewhat reasonable level during the Holiday Season, there are options which don't spoil all the fun. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/lesscalholiday.html 18 November 2014 Making a healthy Thanksgiving Turkey is more complicated than adding salt and setting the oven. You can't simply set it and forget it. The holiday season brings about an increased risk of food bourne illness partially due to overlooking simple food safety rules. Improperly thawing a turkey needlessly puts the ones you care about at risk. http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/darticles/thawing-turkey.html 14 November 2014 The Holidays are finally here and along with the final months of the year, comes unhealthy (but delicious) food choices and less than sufficieny physical activity levels. Luckily, there are plenty of steps available to make the Holiday Season enjoyable, while at the same time healthy. This guide contains cooking tips, food safety rules and exercise suggestions to make this Holiday Season a healthy, safe and enjoyable one. http://straighthealth.com/pages/guides/healthyholidays.html 09 July 2014 There's a common misconception of what the phrases, losing weight, burning fat and increasing muscle tone mean. While many treat these three phrases as separate goals, the truth is that they're different ways of saying the same thing. Weight loss is a reduction in body fat; burning fat causes a decrease in body weight and increase in muscle tone. Regardless of what you want to call it, the same steps lead to weight loss, decreased body fat and increased muscle tone. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/do-i-have-to-eat-less-to-burn-fat.html 21 July 2014 Best is defined as, the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality and when it comes to working out, everyone thinks their approach is the most excellent or effective. With an almost endless amount of workout routines to choose from, one of them has to be the best, right? http://tips.straighthealth.com/tip/2014/secrets-diet-exercise-secret5-no-such-thing-as-best-exercise-routine.html 09 July 2014 There seems to be some confusion on the difference between calorie intake and healthy eating. While closely related, the two concepts are not always the same. Many people wrongly assume limiting calorie intake and forcing weight loss equates to healthy eating habits and sound lifestyle choices. While controlling calorie intake is mandatory for weight control, it is not synonymous with healthy eating. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/counting-calories-vs-eating-healthy.html 08 July 2014 Calories are a measure of energy used to quantify how much food we consume and how hard we exert ourselves during physical activity. This simple relationship between the amount of calories we eat and burn is known as energy balance and it plays a very important role in overall health. http://calorieneedscalculator.com 07 July 2014 For many, waking up at 4am for a morning workout sounds like pure evil. For others, starting the day off with a morning sweat session is the only way to go. Though not ideal for all, morning workouts are a great way to avoid crowded, afternoon gyms and start the day off in a healthy manner. Since waking up even earlier than normal is a somewhat painful experience, proper planning is important in creating a smooth transition from sleeping in to getting active. http://straighthealth.com/pages/how-to/exercise-workout-in-the-morning.html 22 June 2014 Nutrients are substances the body uses to regulate life essential functions such as: hormone production, the immune system, vision and energy metabolism. Without adequate levels of essential nutrients, the cannot function optimally. Certain nutrients also lower disease risk and improve overall health. For example, fiber reduces cholesterol and cancer risk while omega 3 fatty acids decrease the risk of heart disease. Smart nutrition habits play an important role in ensuring you get adequate levels of every essential nutrient. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/increase-nutrient-intake.html 16 June 2014 There's a vast and almost endless supply of food available to us Westerners, both in terms of quantity and variety. With so much to choose from, why are many of us stuck eating the exact same thing every day? When describing a healthy diet, the term "balanced" is thrown around a lot. A balanced diet is one which draws upon a wide variety of foods. Creating a balanced diet gives you access to a wide array of nutrients, each with unique and important healthy benefits. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/eat-same-thing-every-day.html 05 May 2014 A beach body is best described as toned, muscular and in shape. Though the beach season is a special time of year, the same rules you use to get in shape during non-beach months apply during spring and summer. http://straighthealth.com/pages/guides/beach-body.html 07 Apr 2014 Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. In recent years, carbs have gotten a bad reputation as the macronutrient that causes weight gain. The slightest hint of eating carbs while on a diet conjures up lectures from gym nutritionists about the benefits of going low carb. The reality is weight balance has much more to do with overall calorie intake than carbohydrate levels. Foods rich in [good] carbohydrates have many health benefits including: lower cholesterol, reduced risk of heart disease/cancer and help with weight loss. http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/goodcarbs.html 31 Mar 2014 Energy balance plays a central role in health because it alone determines body weight. Energy balance is described as the relationship between how many calories you consume and how many you burn. This important relationship has three possible outcomes: gaining, losing or maintaining weight. Because body weight and body fat percentage have an important role in preventing disease, it's important to monitor calorie intake and make the necessary adjustments to maintain and improve overall health. http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/countcal.html