Over the past two years we have seen several major chain restaurants posting calories on their menus.  Legislation on posting calories on menus was passed with the hopes that seeing the calories of certain menu items would hopefully encourage people to make healthier choices when dining out.  A recent US study took this idea one…

As much as we all love the holiday season we can’t deny that it isn’t the most relaxing time of year.  Let’s face it, overcrowded malls, long lines, door busters, budgeting your money, and finals season for all you students.  It all leads to one thing: Stress! You are programmed to maintain equilibrium between your…

When my now 19 year old son was 5 years old, he was diagnosed with a tree nut allergy.  My older son gave him a chocolate chip cookie with walnuts for a snack and within moments of finishing the cookie, he complained of difficulty breathing.  Thankfully, we were visiting friends and there were doctors in…

As we move into the winter months, it becomes harder to utilize the great outdoors to our benefit when it comes to exercise.  Recommending a treadmill to some people is even more terrifying to them than the notion of a snowstorm!  However, I have some great suggestions for you on how to make a treadmill…

With the holiday season in full-force, there is less time during the week for cooking and preparing meals for ourselves and our families.  Today is Microwave Oven Day in which we revel in the great invention that has helped immensely with our modern-day lifestyles.  Microwave ovens use electromagnetic radiation to heat foods up quickly, efficiently,…

December 1st was “Eat a red apple day.” We have all heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but what is it that really makes apples such a health booster? Red apples are a great source of vitamin C and dietary fiber.  Like most fruits, it is fat-free and low in…

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal and area hospital shows that children have an increased risk of becoming overweight and obese when in daycare or watched by a nanny as compared to those looked after at home by their parents.  This study followed children in Quebec ages 1 ½ to…

This title raises an eyebrow for two reasons:  One, belly fat is usually discussed in conjunction with cardiovascular disease, and second men are not usually linked to being at risk for osteoporosis.  However a study published yesterday by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) found that deep belly (visceral) obesity is a risk factor…

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and reflect upon all that you are grateful for.  It’s a time to celebrate with family and friends and look forward to the signature part of the holiday: a turkey feast. When all is said and done and you have eaten your meal, you may feel compelled to…

Pepsi has a new product called Pepsi Special, which they claim helps fend off fat.  Their “special ingredient” is dextrin, which is a dietary fiber found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.  It is water soluble and is also found in some fiber supplements.  The drink is claimed to be a “healthy” soda. The…

Post-Thanksgiving dinner usually conjures up images of people loosening their belts, falling into a tryptophan-induced sleep, and saying things like, “I won’t need to eat or days, I’m so full!”  The thing is, nobody usually enjoys how they feel after that large and rich of a meal.  Thanksgiving should be a day to enjoy the…

This November I want to recognize American Diabetes Month because this is an issue that is close to me here at BRG Dietetics & Nutrition, P.C. It is also an issue that surely affects someone you know or even yourself. According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 26 million children and adults in America are…

There are some children who consume upwards of 50% of their calories at school, so the foods offered there can have a big impact on their health. “The goal of the school lunch program was, and is, to ensure that students receive enough nutrition to be healthy and to learn” said Rep. Steve King, regarding…

Today is World Food Day, which is a global initiative to end hunger. It is estimated that 1 in 7 people suffers from being under-nourished, but with the amount of food produced throughout the world, this statistic is shocking and seemingly unnecessary. Becoming educated and willing to change even a little bit in the way…

The multi-state meningitis outbreak has spread to 198 people, resulting in 15 deaths thus far. Out of the thirteen states that have been affected by the New England Compounding Center’s contaminated steroid injections, Tennessee has been hit the hardest with 52 infected persons and six deaths. It has been estimated that 14,000 people may have…

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and although there are some factors such as family history that we can’t change, it is only accountable for 20% of patients with breast cancer. There are things we can do to help prevent this disease, starting with routine mammograms for early detection. Maintaining a healthy weight and…

Startling research published online by the International Journal of Obesity has found the percentage of American adults that classify as severely obese has increased dramatically since the year 2000.  In 2000, approximately 6.6% of adults in the United States (15.5 million people) were severely obese, a vast increase from 3.9% in the year 2000. What…

Monday was Child Health Day, observed nationally in the U.S. I wasn’t able to post on Monday, but I didn’t want to let the day go unnoticed. Child Health Day promotes the education of nutrition and exercise to children as well as providing educational tools for their parents. Teaching health promotion and wellness at an…

Now that it is officially a new season, what better time to set some new goals and reorganize from the laid back days of summer?  The staff here at the BRG Dietetics & Nutrition, P.C. are juggling being back in school, working, and volunteering which makes it more challenging to plan and prepare healthy meals…

A new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics finds that overweight teens ate fewer calories than normal weight teens of the same age.  Researchers collected and analyzed data from close to 13,000 US children between 2001-2008 on the number of calories eaten using a two-day food questionnaire. Many people assume that the cause of…