Each week, Dr. Charles Platkin, public health advocate, investigates timely topics in health, nutrition, food, and fitness. Dr. Platkin's nationally syndicated health column called "Diet Detective," appears in more than 100 daily newspapers and other media outlets.
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June 12, 2013
Diet Detective News You Should Use: Is Vegetable Oil Dangerous? Watch Food-Free TV; Sucralose Sugar Effect; Don’t Overfeed Your Infant; Grill Carefully; Subway vs. McDonald’s
Is Vegetable Oil Dangerous? Watch Food-Free TV; Sucralose Sugar Effect; Don’t Overfeed Your Infant; Grill Carefully; Subway vs. McDonald’s
May 26, 2013
Guide to Barbecue and Burgers
It’s officially burger season. That’s the good news, but unfortunately burgers can be high in calories. A traditional 6-ounce burger (80 percent lean ground beef) has more than 435 calories, but when you count the bun and all the toppings (mayo, cheese, bacon, ketchup, etc.), you can hit 700 or even 800 calories.
May 16, 2013
Best Strength Training Exercises: The Push-Up
Having strong muscles requires tearing down muscle tissue so it rebuilds even stronger. And yes, muscles burn more calories than fat. One of the best ways to build muscle is to strength train, so we asked a few exercise experts for their favorite strength-training exercises and how to do them. This is the second in a continuing series on the Best Strength Training Exercises.
May 8, 2013
Food Bloggers to Bookmark and Follow (on Facebook and Twitter)
There are literally thousands of food blogs, so I’ve chosen a few that can help you become healthier and wiser about the foods you eat.
May 1, 2013
Food Recipes That Help and Heal
I was inspired to locate several interesting recipes that can help and heal your body.
April 24, 2013
The Latest in Food News to Help You Get and Stay Healthy
The Organic Health Halo – Organic May NOT Mean Healthier; Modify Diet and Exercise at the Same Time to Get Best Results; Group Rewards Lead to Better Weight Loss; Close the Menu NOW and You Can Save Calories and Eat Healthier; Chocolate Might Be Getting Lower In Calories and Tasting the Same; Substitute Mushrooms for Meat and Lose Weight
April 18, 2013
It's Only One Bite or Sip. How Much Could It Cost Calorie-wise? (2013)
Why do I bother pointing out the calorie cost of something like a bite or sip of food or drink? Why just calories rather than the whole range of nutrients in various foods? First, while calories are not the be-all and end-all, they certainly matter. And while the mix of protein, fat and carbohydrates in a food does matter, just knowing how many calories there are in a particular quantity of a particular food can be a quick and useful reference point once you know that an individual’s average caloric intake should be about 2,000 per day.
April 10, 2013
Walk For Your Health: Great Tips! (I know You've Heard it Before but Read On)
Walking is back in the news. The most recent headline is from research demonstrating that walking is as effective as running for cardiovascular health. Does that mean running and walking provide the same cardio health benefits? Yes and no.
March 6, 2013
News You Should Use
Here are several research studies that can help you live a healthier life by answering the questions: Do expectant moms help to create child junk food addicts?; Can we snack less and still be satisfied?; Is it better to exercise longer?; Can we learn to have willpower?; Do women need to exercise more?; Is cardio better than strength training for weight loss?; Can eating fried foods increase the risk for prostate cancer?
February 27, 2013
Best Strength Training Exercise Series: The Pull-Up
This is part of a continuing series on the Best Strength Training Exercises. The first in the series is the Pull-Up.
Expert: James Villepigue, CSCS, author of The Obstacle Race Training Bible: The #1 Resource to Prepare for and Conquer Any Course! (ALPHA, 2012)
February 20, 2013
Healthy Winter and Spring Soup Recipes by Top Chefs
Here are a few healthy soup recipes from top chefs and authors.
February 13, 2013
Common Nutrition Questions Answered: Alcohol; Late Night Noshing; Avoid Fruits and Veggies?
Alcohol -- healthy or makes you fat? Late Night Noshing after 8pm, does it really go right to your belly? Should you avoid fruits and veggies? Find out!!!
February 6, 2013
The Embarrassment Factor
When you start a diet, the primary challenge is to lose weight, but there’s another challenge you might face worrying about what other people will think of you. Will your friends laugh if you order the egg-white sandwich at Dunkin’ Donuts? Will bullies tease you if they see you trying to jog around your neighborhood? Will the cashier at Burger King smirk if you order a salad with dressing on the side when you’re known for ordering the Triple Whopper and large fries? Don’t be embarrassed about your new behaviors. In fact, you should embrace them. Here are a few tips for avoiding embarrassment about adopting healthier behaviors.
January 30, 2013
Winter Drink Profiles: Dark Hot Chocolate and Apple Cider
The reality is that water, seltzer and unsweetened iced tea are always the best drink choices; but if you want the occasional “calorie-laden” drink/dessert that also has some health benefits, these two may do the trick.
January 23, 2013
Diet Detective's 2013 “Big Game” in New Orleans Eating Extravaganza with Exercise Equivalents
New Orleans is the Super Bowl capital this year. Wow. What a food city New Orleans is -- perfect for the Super Bowl, which is known for the commercials and, of course, the eating. In fact, it's second only to Thanksgiving for eating calorie-laden foods. In order to give you some perspective, what follows are a few of your favorite Big Game foods and what it costs to burn them off. Yes, you can enjoy this one-day splurge; however, the concept helps to illustrate the cost of various foods in a language you can understand. So read on to make sure your choices are splurgeworthy.
January 16, 2013
A Guide to Changing Things Up and Making your Own Luck
I read an article in Psychology Today ( http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201005/make-your-own-luck ) about making your own luck. It really resonated with me — made me really think. The gist of the article was that if we want to change things in our lives, we need to change things up.
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