It can be tricky to determine the actual calorie content of foods. Most calculations are done using the Atwater system which showed that carbs and protein have 4 calories in 1 gram and fat has 9 calories in 1 gram. You can think of a gram as about the weight of an average paper clip. … Read More
In 1971 the average man ate 2,450 calories a day; today the average is 2,618. Women ate 1,542 calories a day in 1971; today they eat 1,877. The increase adds up to a 20 pound weight gain in a year. … Read More
Myth: Fiber has no calories. Truth: Fiber is the woody or gummy portion of plants that is harder for the body to break down. It provides fewer calories than starch and sugar, which are easily broken down, but fiber is not calorie free. One gram of fiber has 1.5 to 2.5 calories; one gram or … Read More
At most restaurants drink refills are free. You’ll quickly get more soda and coffee without even asking. You get more, so you drink more. You’re thinking: It’s free, so why shouldn’t I drink it? Because liquid calories may be making you fat. In fact, they may be making the entire country fat, because we don’t … Read More
More than half of us drink coffee daily, averaging slightly over three cups a day and another 25% drink coffee occasionally. We rarely think about the calories in a cup of coffee, but maybe we should. When health professionals give recommendations for drinking coffee, they are referring to 8-ounce cups, not 20-ounce mocha grandees with … Read More
Did you know that tasting and snacking while you cook can add hundreds of calories to your intake? It can be especially tempting when you’re whipping up holiday treats. If you’re finding it a hard habit to break, try chewing gum while you cook–it will keep your mouth too busy for nibbles and licks. … Read More
Everyone worries about weight gain over the holidays–and for good reason! Even when you’re careful not drink too much at the office party or not overeat at large holiday meals, somehow at the end of the season you’ve still packed on extra pounds. Where did they come from? The calories may have come from tiny … Read More
Remember complaining you’d never use the skills you learned in math class? When would you ever need to multiply, divide or figure out percentages? Now—if you want to take charge of your weight and health. Math can help you use nutrition labels to your advantage, making the best choices about what to buy and how … Read More
From watermelons to peaches to blueberries, the abundance of fresh, delicious fruit is just another reason to love summer. Fruit doesn’t just taste good; it adds color and variety to meals. And, research has shown that it contains many health protective substances. (For dedicated vegetable-haters who have vowed to eat nothing green, fruits make a … Read More
Researchers have long wondered why some people gain weight while others, who eat the same amount, don’t. One answer to this mystery might be the “fidget factor” – finger tapping, leg jiggling, foot wiggling, hair twirling, gum chewing. These habits can burn a few hundred calories a day. And over a lifetime, the calories burned … Read More