Source: http://greatist.com/eat/cookie-decorating-videos-the-unexpected-benefit?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Thirty-second cooking videos are so 2015. Our latest obsession? Cookie-decorating videos. We aren’t exactly pastry chefs, but there’s something seriously mesmerizing about watching these edible creations come to life. And we’re not the only ones who think so: The videos have racked up millions of views.

They all follow roughly the same format: The decorator starts with a shortbread cookie and pipes colorful icing to create a masterpiece (check out a David Bowie tribute and a dress from the Academy Awards below). The decorator’s hands dance across the screen, and, less than a minute later, the cookie is finished, and we’re left feeling relaxed.

That Zen-like feeling isn’t surprising, says Ben Michaelis, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and author of Your Next Big Thing. Watching someone create something beautiful is soothing to our eyes and mind, and the repetitive motions help us to zone out and relax a bit. Researchers haven’t studied cookie-decorating videos yet (we’d be glad to volunteer!), but studies have shown that art therapy and activities like coloring can help relieve stress and anxiety.

Of course, coloring and watching videos are two different things. “Although watching videos like this can be soothing, engaging in a creative activity is much better for you,” Michaelis says. “When you are actually doing an activity, different centers of your brain are active that are integral for a greater therapeutic effect.” So if you’re getting re…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/alcohol-facts-the-myths-you-need-to-stop-believing?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

The Internet offers plenty of hangover cures—from loading up on carbs to chugging Pedialyte—but which ones actually work? This video from Brit Lab uses science to explain everything from which drinks get you drunk faster to the best way to deal with the morning after. We’re not saying these suggestions will definitely spare you a hangover, but you will be able to drop truth bombs when your friends say things like, “You should never mix alcohols.”

…

Source: http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/03/another-five-industry-funded-studies-with-sponsor-favorable-results-the-score-14512/

Thanks to a reader for sending these items from a journal that I don’t usually come across.  These bring the casually collected total since last March to 145 studies favorable to the sponsor versus 12 that are not.

Consuming the daily recommended amounts of dairy products would reduce the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes in the United States: diet modeling study based on NHANES 2007–2010.  Erin E Quann, Victor L Fulgoni III and Nancy Auestad. Nutrition Journal 2015; 14:90 DOI: 10.1186/s12937-015-0057-5

Conclusion: Increasing dairy food consumption to recommended amounts is one practical dietary change that could significantly improve the population’s adequacy for certain vitamins and minerals that are currently under-consumed, as well as have a positive impact on health.
Funding: The study and the writing of the manuscript were supported by Dairy Management Inc.

Association of lunch meat consumption with nutrient intake, diet quality and health risk factors in U.S. children and adults: NHANES 2007–201Sanjiv Agarwal, Victor L. Fulgoni III and Eric P. Berg. Nutrition Journal. 2015;14:128.  DOI: 10.1186/s12937-015-011f8-9

Conclusions: The results of this study may provide insight into how to better utilize lunch meats in the diets of U.S. children and adults.
Funding: The present study was funded by North American Meat Institute.

A review and meta-analysis of prospective studies of red and processed meat, meat cooking meth…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/hydrogen-peroxide-why-putting-it-on-cuts-is-a-bad-idea?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

When we were kids, the infamous brown bottle was whipped out every time we scraped our knees, but this video from SciShow explains that hydrogen peroxide isn’t the best way to heal a cut. The gross (and painful!) bubbling that happens after pouring hydrogen peroxide on a wound makes it seem like it’s working, but it’s actually the reason you shouldn’t use it. Hydrogen peroxide is so good at killing bacteria that it also kills your healthy cells, which are there to help you heal. So the next time you get a cut (let’s be honest, most of us are still pretty clumsy), soap and water should do the trick.

…

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/07/469530045/from-ugly-to-hip-misfit-fruits-and-veggies-coming-to-whole-foods?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Less-than-perfect fruit and vegetables sold at a discount under the new Produce with Personality program being piloted at five Giant Eagle stores in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Courtesy of Giant Eagle

You’ve probably heard of ugly fruits and veggies.

They may not be pretty, but they’re still perfectly tasty and nutritious. And there are lots of efforts to keep these cosmetically challenged produce (think gnarled carrots, or funky, misshapen apples) from landing in the landfill because they don’t meet retailers’ beauty standards.

As awareness of massive food waste grows (we toss out enough food to fill 44 skyscrapers each year), two major retailers now say they’re ready to experiment with sales of less-than-perfect produce that may otherwise be wasted.

<img src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/03/26/produce-coll…

Source: http://greatist.com/eat/super-surprising-super-delicious-cauliflower-recipes?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

You heard it here first: Cauliflower is poised to become the next “it” vegetable. (Deal with it, kale!) Inexpensive, loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, and widely available (see ya, specialty food stores), this humble, unassuming cruciferous vegetable is showing just how adaptable and delicious it can be.

If you’re picturing a neglected party platter of florets by a cup of ranch dip, stop. From burgers to pizza, frittatas to brownies, cauliflower is the multitasking superfood that throws it down. We’ve collected the best recipes around the web to help you get on the cauliflower party bus so you can say you knew all about this veg before it was cool.

Breakfast

Photo: The Amateur Gourmet

1. Caramelized Cauliflower Frittata

Break out the china. (Or, OK, the non-plastic dinnerware.) This frittata is an elegant way to use cauliflower and bump up the flavor and the fiber of your breakfast. The prep time is a little longer than your standard scrambled eggs due to the caramelized on…

Source: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/03/07/is-rice-healthy-for-me-does-white-vs-brown-rice-matter/

I wanted to know the exact answer to the age old question, “What’s the meaning of life?”

But I couldn’t find an answer for that. So instead I set my sights on rice:

Is it good for us? Bad for us?
How do different types of rice affect me?
What wins, brown rice vs white rice?
Did Mitch Hedberg ever make it onto a Rice Krispies box? RIP.

After all, we get questions about rice ALL the time:

“Steve I’m Paleo but I hear rice isn’t that bad for you, help?”

“Why do you eat white rice at Chipotle? I hear white rice is way worse for you than brown rice. Just like white vs wheat bread!”

“Is it okay to eat rice and not anger the Paleo Gods?”

Let’s unlock this mystery of the universe.

Is Rice Healthy For Me?

Depending on how you want to feel about rice, you can point to either of the following studies:

People that live in Okinawa (home to Mr. Miyagi!), the highest life expectancy on the planet, eat a lot of rice. Rice HAS to be good for you then. Team Rice!

People of the Marshall Islands, home to one of the highest rates of Type 2 diabet…

Source: http://greatist.com/eat/nutrition-research-why-you-should-be-more-skeptical?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

At this point, we’ve basically memorized the benefits of drinking red wine: It can lower your risk of heart attack, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. 1 Noticeably absent from that list: Drinking alcohol has also been connected to a half dozen types of cancer. We’re not bringing this up to scare you into putting down your glass of vino (the risk is slim) but rather as an example of how twisted nutrition research can be.

The major problem—as this story from Vox points out—is that many of these headline-grabbing studies are funded by the food industry, specifically the companies who make the food being studied. Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at NYU, found that 90 percent of the industry-funded studies published in the last year show benefits for the food being researched. For example, a recent study that concluded eating walnuts reduced adults’ risk for diabetes was funded by the California Walnut Commission.2 Another, funded by Welch’s, found drinking Concord grape juice led to cognitive benefits.3

To learn why this conflict of interest continues to exist, check out the full story on Vox by clicking below.

Read the Full Story

Works Cited Red wine: A drink to your heart. Saleem T, Basha S. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research. 2010 Oct-Dec; 1(4): 171&ndash;176.
Red wine consumption improves insulin resistance but not endothelial function in type 2 diabetic patients. Napoli R, Cozzolino…

Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2016/03/07/weekend-adventures-21/

Hey friends! Matt and I stuck around town this weekend and it was nice to have a weekend at home! On Friday night, we stayed in and made a Blue Apron and watched some of the new season of House of Cards (so good/intense – anyone else a fan?). On Saturday morning, I had a nice relaxing morning reading the paper and enjoying some avocado toast.

Have you guys had avocado toast before? You just mash about half a ripe avocado on a piece of toast, and top it with seasonings of your choice – I did salt and pepper and then threw some chia seeds on there, too! So good and satisfying.

A little while later, I headed over to Union Market to meet up with my friend Chelsea for a cool fitness adventure: a pop up SoulCycle class! SoulCycle and Target have been partnering to bring free community pop up SoulCycle classes around the country and DC’s was this past weekend.

<img title="soulcycle pop up dc" style="border-top: 0px;border-right: 0px;border-bottom: 0px;float: none;padding-top: 0px;padding-left: 0px;border-left: 0px;margin: 0px auto;padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="soulcycle pop up dc" src="http://www.fannetas…

Source: http://www.sonima.com/fitness/pain-healing-fitness/autoimmune-disease/

Doctors like to tell me that I’m fundamentally a “healthy” person—though I’ve never really believed it. Sure, I lead a healthy lifestyle including lots of time in the great outdoors, running, skiing, hiking, and camping. I eat mostly vegetarian food, don’t smoke, and only drink occasionally. Despite my many healthy habits, I don’t look healthy, especially to those meeting me for the first time. My skin is shocking.

You see, a quarter of my body is covered in thick, red patches of itchy, scaly skin. I have psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune disease that makes my skin cells reproduce much faster than normal, then slough off in dry scales. I’m not alone: Roughly 7.5 million people in the U.S. have psoriasis, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. While my doctors have always been sympathetic, the best they can do is offer creams and treatments, some of which come with dangerous side effects, to alleviate the unsightly symptoms. There is no cure for psoriasis.

The humiliation and discomfort of my condition motivated me to embark on a mission to heal myself. For many years, I invested a lot of money (it’s a $63.2 billion industry) and hours into various healing modalities. From all kinds of cleanses (inside and out) to radical diets to a wide array of alternative treatments, my quest to heal felt like a full-time job. For brief periods—usually weeks, though sometimes a month or two—my skin w…