nutrients

While they play a big role in the traditional American diet, the so-called "white foods," including bread, pasta and white rice, have undergone bleaching or refining processes that deplete them of fiber and nutrients. And, last we read, the American diet is, simply, making Americans sick. Diets heavy on the whites -- meaning high in sugar, low in fiber -- have been Read more...

At first glance, these key ingredients seem more suited for the kitchen than for your medicine chest, but working them into your diet can have real beauty benefits: Cocoa: Cornell University food scientists found that cocoa powder has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times the amount found in green tea. Research has demonstrated that the antioxidants in cocoa are Read more...

One serving of eight medium strawberries contains 84 milligrams of Vitamin C and a boost against colds and flu, says a U.S. expert. Considered a superfood, strawberries are loaded with nutrients, are low in sugar, and contain more Vitamin C than oranges, according to Dr. Navindra Seeram of the University of California Los Angeles Center for Human Nutrition. Most people associate vitamin Read more...

By Sheldon Margen and Dale A. Ogar The kiwi possesses an impressive nutrient density: A single serving (two medium kiwis) will supply significant amounts of the nutrients known to be important in preventing cancer and heart disease. And unlike other, more familiar fruits, the kiwi has such a broad spectrum of nutrients that it should be a regular addition to our five-a-day fruits and Read more...

Aerobic fitness doesn't have to be complicated. Walking will do it. So will biking, running, swimming, skating and aerobic dance. All of these exercises will improve your aerobic fitness. That's the ability of heart and lungs to supply nutrients and oxygen to the muscles and other body tissues, and it's the keystone of any program of physical activity, say the experts at the American Medical Read more...

It is one of the facts of aging that our bodies change, and with it, our needs for particular vitamins and minerals. One of the problems, says Dr. Sarah Brewer, is that the digestive system's ability to distribute nutrients decreases. Dr. Brewer, a specialist in alternative medicine, recommends a course of vitamin and mineral supplements for older men and women. Research involving 96 older Read more...

"Beauty sleep" is what happens at night when your muscles and digestive system rest and your blood cells do a better job of supplying nutrients to skin cells. But not everyone finds it easy to get off to the land of Nod, so sleep expert Dr. Gary Zammit has a few suggestions if counting sheep doesn't work. First, says Dr. Zammit, of the Sleep Disorders Institute at New York's St. Read more...

To get the most out of your vacation, it is a good idea to get the body slim, trim and fit -- but forget about any sort of pre-holiday crash diet. A New York-based fitness and health expert says this approach is only likely to leave you feeling weak and miserable even before you get on the plane or train. Instead, says Martica Heaner, author of "Eat More, Weigh Less" (Hodder and Read more...

Arthritis is a bane to many individuals as they age, but a British health expert says that what we eat can ease the agony. "Correct nutrition can bring tremendous relief," says Jane Clarke, "but it must be undertaken with care, and over time." First of all, she says, eating small meals at least three times a day sets a regular pattern that provides the body with a steady Read more...