About a month ago I was at work and a guy ran past me and into the bathroom. Always ready to do the bouncer thing, I was going to put him out. He stayed in the restroom for a long time - a really long time, so I grabbed his buddies, who decided to call an ambulance. It turned out that the guy wasn’t drunk at all - he ordered something off of the menu and didn’t read the ingredients. The dish contained shrimp, which he was allergic to. (more…)

I learned something new today. I always thought that farm raised fish were the “healthy fish.” People eat them because they were fed KNOWN substances, typically grains. To me, that makes sense. By eating the farm raised fish, I am not concerned about the possibility of the fish eating contaminants. This article on health.com, however, states that farm raised fish may actually be less healthy than the wild fish. The diets of farm raised fish does not include algae, which is a staple in the diet of fish in the wild. It is this algae which builds the levels of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in their system - omega-3 fatty acids.

Farm raised fish have less of these healthy fats, but have been shown to have higher concentrations of saturated and monounsaturated fats. Farm raised fish have also been shown to in some cases have twice the amount of omega-6 fatty acids in their bodies. In moderation and with the right combination of omega-3s, omega-6 fatty acids can lead to lowered blood pressure. The typical American diet has 11 - 30 times more than required, likely due to the presence of omega-6 in meats. Too much of this fatty acid in the diet can lead to heart disease, arthritis and cancer. From now on, I will be less leery of wild fish.

Written by: Donnell Peavy

In the grand scheme of things, dieting really isn’t that hard. Change the way you eat, lose the weight - simple. Keeping the weight off, however, is an entirely different story, that can be HARD. In fact, studies show that sustaining weight loss can be extremely difficult, and without adequate exercise, nearly impossible. Why is dieting so much easier than sustaining weight loss? Because not everyone has a healthalicious attitude. Being fit is a way of life; a diet is merely a shortcut means of achieving a goal. Buzzle gives an excellent example for this: if a person were to only eat tuna and grapefruit everyday for two weeks, said person would definitely lose weight, but how long can a person only eat a diet consisting of tuna and grapefruit? Malnourishment would soon come into play, not to mention good old fashioned cravings and hunger. (more…)

It’s no secret that olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat content and is a cornucopia of antioxidant substances. For these reasons, the Mediterranean diet staple has become extremely popular in cooking circles. What may be a secret, however is that olive oil has a number of uses beyond merely eating healthily.

No More Earaches
Two to four drops of warm olive oil can soothe an aching ear. Take caution not to get the olive oil too hot or you may severely burn yourself. (more…)

With the advent of the green movement, we have seen everything from green beer to solar powered homes. There are environmentally friendly options for most things now, including homes. Prefabricated houses, or prefabhomes, are homes that are built off site in a modular fashion and and may be shipped and assembled at their desired location. It is much more efficient to produce these homes - they are mass produced on an assembly line. This means that the manufacturer knows exactly what is required to build the home, which cuts down on waste. Because they are manufactured indoors, these prefab units are sheltered from the weather, which reduces the chance of weather damaged materials. (more…)

The weather is still beautiful in many parts of the country, and that means that people are still breaking out their barbeque grills to enjoy burgers, chicken, ribs and other grilled goodness. Another reason the grill is used is because grilled foods don’t need any added grease, breading, etc. which makes it a healthier option, right? Maybe. Meat, poultry and fish cooked at extremely high temperatures - such as those attained by a grill - cause the formation of a chemical called heterocyclic amine (HCA), which is a carcinogen. As the temperature of meat rises, so do the levels of HCA found within them. However, research has determined that by combining meat with antioxidant rich substances, formation of HCAs can be prevented. The next time you decide to barbeque, sprinkle on some rosemary, or perhaps garlic, basil or sage or oregano as these antioxidant containing herbs can combat free radicals. (more…)

Working out is the vessel we use for getting in shape and feeling great. That is only half of the equation, however. The other half consists of proper diet - eating clean and eating enough. Few know this as well as olympic athletes. health.com compiled five quick tips which will guarantee that your diet is on the right track.
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Summer has come and gone, and with it, so has many peoples’ primary motivation for working out - vanity. So many of us begin in the spring with hopes of achieving our dreams of having a beach body - looking ultra hot in a bikini or showing off a chiseled six pack. I am really not sure what motivational goals people set in the fall, unless they are gearing up for next summer, which brings up an interesting fitness topic - what keeps people motivated? What makes them get up and go to the gym? (more…)

Recently, I read a blog post which turned my stomach. A woman who teaches classes on healthy eating choices has a rather unique prop she uses in class - a hamburger from McDonald’s. What’s so special about this prop, you ask? The hamburger was purchased in 1996! After 12 years, the burger still looks the same, indicating that there are A LOT of preservatives in it. Naturally, she uses this prop to make the case that such food can in no way be nutritional, as it’s loaded with additives. (more…)

One of the beautiful things about working out is progress. You get to see and feel your body transform. One way to see this progress is through the use of a diary (for us guys, a “journal”, not a “diary”). By keeping a record of topics such as diet, workout progress, etc. a person has an easy method of determining how much progress they have - or haven’t - made. According to a study conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, use of a journal can double your weight loss and help the weight stay off. In the study, 1,500 overweight adults were placed on a diet and workout regimen. After five months, participants lost an average of 13 pounds. (more…)