Free Republic

It's no surprise that a lot of Americans watch what they eat. Counting calories, nutrients and fat grams is practically a national pastime. But what happens when people go over the line, and the pursuit of healthy eating actually becomes unhealthy? For Johnny Righini, a 26-year-old from California, eating a nutritious lunch is a painstaking ritual. "Sometimes it takes days to prepare meals, because I have to sprout things, ferment things," he said. "I am constantly thinking about what I am gonna have for my next meal." Charlotte Andersen, a 29-year-old Minnesota mother of three, says she went through the...

In this land and season of plenty, low-income and rural Americans continue to have difficulty finding healthy foods that are affordable, a new study finds. One study shows that low-income Americans now would have to spend up to 70 percent of their food budget on fruits and vegetables to meet new national dietary guidelines for healthy eating. And a second study found that in rural areas, convenience stores far outnumber supermarkets and grocery stores -- even though the latter carry a much wider choice of affordable, healthy foods. "I think it's a matter of raising awareness among health professionals --...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, U.S. and Thai researchers said on Thursday. Adding ethanol -- the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits -- boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found. Any colored fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Dr. Korakot Chanjirakul and colleagues at Kasetsart University in Thailand and scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture...

Huge amounts of a red wine extract seemed to help obese mice eat a high-fat diet and still live a long and healthy life, suggests a new study that some experts are calling "landmark" research. The big question is, can it work the same magic in humans? Scientists say it's far too early to start swilling barrels of red wine. But some are calling the latest research promising and even "spectacular." The study by the Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Aging shows that heavy doses of red wine extract lowers the rate of diabetes, liver problems and...

The news is dark and bittersweet. Chocolate news, that is. Dark-chocolate sales are soaring, rising 42 percent over the last five years, according to ACNielsen reports. One in three new chocolate products is dark so far this year, according to Nielsen, compared with one in seven in 2005. And the trend is growing, especially in mainstream chocolate, with Hershey's Kisses and Mars M&Ms going dark, and the more intense, bitter chocolate enveloping Raisinets, Snickers, Kit Kats, and even Snyder's pretzels. And now "special," "extra dark," and "intense dark" chocolates are boasting cocoa contents of 62, 65, 70, 80, 90 percent...

Largest retailer boosts organic market as nation tackles bulging waistlines For the organic grape tomatoes to land in Tara Smoot's shopping trolley required a tremendous act of will. First she renounced all junk food, banishing fried chicken and chocolate milk from her children's menu, and the pasta, crisps and sweets she and her husband had enjoyed. Then she prepared herself for a higher grocery bill. "It's a lot cheaper to eat unhealthily than healthily," she says. And there is temptation every step of the way. To reach the fresh produce section in this Wal-Mart super centre Ms Smoot had...

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept 15 (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Thursday to ban carbonated soda in state high schools as part of an effort to stem teen obesity. "California is facing an obesity epidemic," said Schwarzenegger, a former Mr. Olympia and longtime health advocate. "Today we are taking some first steps in creating a healthy future for California." He signed the legislation at the start of a daylong summit on health and obesity in the California capital Sacramento. He said that one out of three children in California, the nation's most populous state, is obese. "Obesity-related health...

ST. PETERSBURG - Atkins diet devotee Lisa Shelton tossed proof of her shrinking waistline - a pair of dark-blue denim, size 20 Lee jeans - over the bike rack at the Blimpie franchise downtown. Since August, the 29-year-old has lost 70 pounds. Her fast- food diet menu includes bacon cheeseburgers without the bun. Shelton and a long line of customers were attracted by heavy radio advertising by Blimpie promoting a new Carb Counter Menu of subs, chips and drinks - and the idea that a chain called Blimpie can help oversized Americans melt fat. In exchange for Blimpie food coupons,...

Living Longer: Calories that Count By Dr. Roy Walford The maximum life span of humans is about 110 years; of mice, about 39 months. Thus far, mice over 39 months of age have not been produced by anything except selective restriction of calories in the diet. Calorie restriction (CR) has extended the 39-month maximum life span of mice to an impressive 56 months, which would correspond proportionally to a 158 year-old human. And the long-lived mice stay youthful in appearance, in mental and physical abilities, and show enhanced resistance to disease. These well-established facts are why the CR diet is...