Choose MYPLATE to Improve Health for Life

Most people know how important good nutrition is to their health. But most of us find it difficult to eat as healthfully as we think we should. The good news is that help is just a click away – at the USDA ChooseMyPlate website (www.choosemyplate.gov). (more ...)

Simple Plans to Achieving Your Health Goals

Remember the New Year’s resolution that you made to improve your lifestyle? You may have resolved to eat healthier, to increase your physical activity or to lose weight. Making a resolution was a good start to being healthier because taking the first step increases the chances that you will attain your goal. (more ...)

The Crucial Role of Recess

In the winter months of North Dakota, it is understandable when children’s recess time is reduced due to dangerously cold weather. But there is also evidence that recess time is being cut short all over the country for reasons unrelated to weather. Schools report that recess has been cut back to reallocate time for academic learning. In addition, withholding recess is commonly used as a punishment or tool to drive desired behavioral outcomes. (more ...)

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

People have been eating leafy greens since prehistoric times. But it wasn't until the first Africans arrived in North America in the early 1600s that America got its first real tastes of dark green leafy vegetables, which they grew for themselves and their families. So, over the years, cooked greens developed into a traditional African American food. Ultimately, they became essential in Southern regional diets and are now enjoyed nationwide. (more ...)

Chronic Stress Can Get Under Your Skin

Everyone knows the holidays can be stressful. Now that they are over, take stock of how you feel. Are you are you relaxed and happy they are over? Or are you feeling blue because the excitement is over, or because of the darkness of winter? (more ...)

Wheat:  the Whole (Grain) Story

We live in a virtual sea of wheat. North Dakota leads the nation in growing it. Around the world wheat is grown on more land area than any other crop. It has been cultivated for some 8000 years, and its availability as a staple is thought to have been a major contributor to the development of civilizations in Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. Indeed, wheat is an important food grain in our diets. (more ...)

A Healthy Body Weight Reduces Cancer Risk

Everyone should know that obesity is both a national and global problem. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight and one-third are obese. A body mass index (BMI, which is the ratio of one’s weight expressed in kilograms to the square of one’s height expressed in meters, i.e., kg/m2) of 25 to 29.9 suggests overweight, while BMI values of 30 and above indicates obesity. Worldwide, 2.3 billion people are estimated to be overweight or obese. (more ...)

Take Health to Heart

Heart disease is America’s leading killer and people are at increased risk if they are overweight, have high blood pressure, or have a high blood LDL (“bad”) cholesterol level. (more ...)

The Question of Sugar

There is a debate raging about the role of sugar in today’s diet and its relationship to disease.

There are those who say that sugar is ruining the nation’s health, that it is a primary dietary evil leading to obesity and related diseases. Recently, researchers from the University of California-San Francisco claimed that sugar is essentially a toxin that causes all sorts of lifestyle diseases, including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. They proposed that sugar be regulated like tobacco and alcohol with taxes on sugary products, age limits applied to certain foods and beverages, and restrictions on advertising (especially on ads targeted to kids). They also argued that sugar is addictive. (more ...)

Is popcorn a healthy snack? It can be!

Popcorn is relatively high in fiber - a cup of air-popped popcorn contains just over a gram of fiber.  It also contains 1 gram of protein and 6 grams of carbohydrate.  It contains no cholesterol, it is virtually fat-free (only 0.1 g per cup) and contains only 100 to 150 calories in a serving of 5 popped cups.  You can find a nutrient profile for various popcorn snacks at:  http://ndb.nal.usda.gov then click "Start Your Search Here" and enter "snacks, popcorn". (more ...)

MyPlate: Good for Your Bones

Healthy bones are essential for an active life. Bones have many important functions. They provide structure and protect our vital organs. Our muscles attach to them, which enables us to move. (more ...)

Considering Foods Functional

Over the past few years, there has been a surge in public interest in foods that contain natural ingredients with special health benefits. These have come to be called "functional foods". (more ...)