Deciding on the healthiest cooking oil to use in your dish isn't always quite as simple as it seems, because you've actually got a good number of options. Despite the ubiquity of ever-popular olive oil, there are plenty of other nutrient-rich cooking oils that deserve a spot in your pantry. While most cooking oils have pretty similar nutritional profiles in terms of calorie and total fat content, they do differ considerably when it comes to flavor, odor, and cooking properties. S...

After months of hibernating and eating lots of comfort food, we’re all ready to enjoy the lighter, brighter offerings of spring. And lucky for us, these seven vegetables are coming into season now. They’re all bursting with color and nutrition! Here’s how to add them to your weekly meals. Asparagus One of the most highly anticipated spring veggies, these slender stalks are loaded with flavor and nutrients. One cup of cooked asparagus boasts 4 mg of iron, 4 g of fiber, 391 mg of potassiu...

If you're a regular exerciser, it's important to understand what happens when you don't eat enough after you work out. Most dietitians recommend eating something within 30 minutes after a workout. Your body, after using up its available energy, needs to be refueled, specifically with carbs and protein, for energy and to repair the microdamage that exercise does to your muscles. We're all busy, though. And sometimes, fitting in a workout means squeezing it into a quick 30-minute window...

As a weight-loss coach for over a decade, I’ve worked with many people who become discouraged because the scale isn’t moving or isn’t moving fast enough. Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight, but you’ll gradually begin to notice more subtle signs that you’re making progress in the right direction. If you’re wondering whether or not your fitness routine is actually working, here are some of the clues you can look out for that don’t have to do with the number on the scale. You’re in a be...

You’ve definitely heard the term “carbs” before, but what are carbohydrates, really—and what’s the best way to incorporate them into your diet? Both of those questions seem relatively straightforward, but for many people they can become pretty loaded. That’s because like many things in the nutrition field, there has been a lot of controversy (and misconceptions) around carbs. Carbohydrates have gone through quite a journey in the public eye. In 1992 the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food ...

No one wants to hear (or even think) this, but if you work out regularly and don't wash your athletic attire well enough or often enough, you very well may stink. Bacteria, sweat, and body oils collect inside synthetic fabrics like your leggings or sports bra and can cause a funky odor, says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. And the more bacteria in your sweat, the greater your chances of stinking. (Here are th...

Affecting 15% to 30% of the US population, bloating often feels like a swelling or tightness in your abdomen and can cause your stomach to bulge. It's often uncomfortable but doesn't always signal a cause for concern. You can't always prevent bloating but there are ways to reduce bloating, gas, and stomach pain - here are five. 1. Avoid certain foods Foods that contain certain types of carbohydrates, called FODMAPs, are not as effectively digested by the small intestine, whic...

Even if you’re not up for going full-on vegetarian or vegan, there are so many reasons to move toward a more plant-based diet. Not only is eating less meat associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, it’s also better for the planet since beef production uses up a disproportionate share of the world’s resources. The good news is, you no longer have to trek to a health food store on the outskirts of town to find plant-b...

After a year in quarantine, with many of our usual pastimes unavailable to us, daydreaming has become a welcome escape. But is daydreaming good for you? We live in such a task-oriented society that the idea of just taking a break to let your mind think freely is often seen as lazy or unproductive. We can’t sit at the doctor’s office without scrolling through social media or go for a walk without listening to a podcast. But we’re actually daydreaming more often than we realize—almost 50% of ou...

You're out to dinner and feel a hand on your shoulder as a familiar voice says your name. You turn around and this person is smiling. You know her—you’ve known her for years, in fact. But her name has evaporated from your mind, and all you can muster is a “Hey…you!” Before you start Googling “signs of dementia,” rest assured that some changes in memory and cognition are a normal part of the aging process, especially if they manifest as trouble finding words or momentary lapses in...