Whole Diet Counts Numerous studies attempt to establish the value of specific nutrients in foods. In a new study, the health effects of overall eating patterns have been brought to light, showing that women who eat a wide variety of healthy foods may significantly lower their risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, and stroke. More than 42,000 women were asked about the foods they eat, while researchers focused on 23 preferred foods. Ashima K, Kant A, Schatzkin B, et al. A prospective study of diet quality and mortality in women.
Many people neglect good nutrition and exercise during the holiday season.
With half of the U.S. population overweight, it appears that periodic weight gain is often never completely lost. Exploring this notion, researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., followed 200 adults over the holiday season. The average person gained only about one pound. However, the added weight was not lost from one year to the next and was by far the greatest contributor to weight gain during the year. Yanovski J, Yanovaki S, Sovik K, et al.