Paying attention to blood sugar levels are no longer just for people with diabetes, but suggested for the whole population. Recent studies from The U.S., Denmark, and Australia show the amount of glucose, or sugar in the blood, can influence everything from your weight to your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Here are a couple of tips to prevent your blood sugar levels from skyrocketing.

1. Pay attention to the Glycemic Index. You can get a calculated number of how high your blood sugar rises within 2 hours after eating 50 grams of a particular food.  Visit glycemic index for more information.

2. My preferred stategy is to consume less processed foods, low in sugar, and high in fiber. If you stick to this, you blood sugar will be very happy.

3. Another tip is to sprinkle cinnamon on higher glycemic foods. Several studies show that cinnamon lowers blood sugar and improves insulin resistance.

4. Exercise portion contol.

5. Eat lean protein with each meal.

By following these tips your blood sugar levels will be stable leading to a healthier, leaner body.

Another star for dark chocolate! Study after study seems to show the important health benefits of dark chocolate. Now this isn’t a ticket to go ahead and eat chocolate bar after chocolate bar. However, a small amount of dark chocolate, two tablespoons each day, seems to have an aspirin like effect on the blood. The chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack.

Once again, it is important to stress small portions of chocolate. If large daily portions are eaten its health benefits go south from the increase weight gain, and high saturated fat consumption.

Please note: eating small amounts of dark chocolate is only one healthy habit. It is wise to combine numerous healthy habits all together to reap fantastic health and longevity results.

To find out more information about specific name brand chocolate bars click on dark chocolate reviews.

A research study was just released from Harvard indicating pre-menopausal women who had eaten one and one half servings of red meat daily had doubled their risk of getting breast cancer compared to women who had eaten three servings of red meat per week.

Once again, here is another study showing red meat in consistent quantities may be detrimental to our health. I  stand by my statement of eating a balanced low fat, low sugar, moderate carbohydrate diet keeping a keen eye on caloric intake.

The bottom line: Don’t overdue it on red meat!

Surprise! Surprise!  The low carbohyrate diet news is back again. The reason the low carb diet buzz fizzled was the talk of being unhealthy due to high amount of fat intake. It was believed that high fat intake showed a greater risk for hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart disease.

Researchers from Harvard just completed a 20 year study of 82,802 women looking at the correlation between low carbohydrate diets, and heart disease. The study concluded no apparent increased risk of heart disease for those who stuck to a low carbohydrate, high fat, and high protein diet.

What was even more fascinating is when the participants made low fat protein choices such as vegetables, and consumed low fat meats, their coronary heart disease risk may be cut by as much as 30%.

The bottom line – There is no apparent difference in the risk of coronary heart disease from low carb, high protein, high fat diets versus high carbohydrate, and low fat diets. I believe it all comes down to the amount of calories you are taking in per day which can promote obesity leading to heart issues. However, I do recommend considering low fat protein sources if you wish to follow a traditional low carb, high protein, higher fat diet. Consume good fats. Avoid the protein sources which are loaded with saturated, and trans fat.

Let’s keep researching this topic to see which diet is really better for our health, if indeed one actually is.

Another study was just released relating to childhood obesity. The numbers have been officially released. Between 1988 and 2004, abdominal obesity increased more than 65 percent in children ages 2 years to 19 years. It seems everytime we look at the news we hear more bad news about our children’s health. We, as a nation, need to stop childhood obesity right now.

To solve this problem, I believe it starts with the parents. It is a fact adult obesity has also climbed beyond belief. We, as parents, are poor role models for our kids. Parents must set a good example with healthy eating, and regular exercise. Both need to be promoted daily.

Another reason for this childhood obesity epidemic is the lack of regular physical activity. Most children get rides to school,  and then come home and sit in front of the video game machine, or computer. Along with a skewed portion size for foods, children are extremely inactive. As parents, we need to promote physical activity. Play ball with your children. Take them for walks.

I believe we can make a difference in our childrens’ lives by being good, healthy role models. It will not only benefit your child, but also you.

For further assistance in helping your child I highly recommend a book written by pediatrician Dr. Scaccia titled The Ultimate Parents Guide For Fitness And Nutrition.

A recent study from Loughborough University in England showed endurance athletes whose competition is over two hours long could benefit from a low carbohydrate pre-competition meal. The whole idea behind this is to preserve the sugar in the muscle for a longer period of time. By ingesting high glycemic foods (foods that raise the blood sugar quickly) more insulin is released resulting in the consumption of more stored sugar during exercise.

Endurance athletes give this a try. Of course, it is always a good idea to cut back on training, and increase complex carbohydrates for a few days prior to the event to saturate the muscles with energy producing glycogen.

I just read the latest research report stating that America continues to gain weight year after year. The study stated the fact that 31 states showed an increase in obesity in the year 2005. It is considered official that obesity rates are at 25% or greater in 13 states,  mainly in the south. Obesity must be stopped!

The more and more obese people get, the greater the strain on their health; thus, resulting in huge demands on the healthcare system. Let’s face it, obesity kills! We, as a nation, must fight this battle, and halt the obesity rates immediately.

Due to the fact that food is widely available, and physical activity is on the decline, people are packing on the pounds at record pace. As a matter of fact, the high fats, high sugar, and processed foods are the cheapest, and easiest to consume. Therefore, the not so well off people tend to buy these health hurting foods.

What needs to be done immediately?

First, more education needs to be done. We need to blitz the press about the benefits of physical activity. We need to educate individuals on how easy it is to incorporate fitness plans into their lives. Everyone, if not physically disabled, should be participing in an exercise program. We need to hit this point harder.

Food manufacturers need to highlight how many calories are in a portion. We must strart thinking calories!

The government could also help us promote physical activity by allowing more budget money on walking trails, and exercise incentives. Our employers should provide us with education, and incentives to keep weight in control, and exercise.

And finally, our health insurance companies should be rewarding people who work at maintaining a health weight, and participate on a fitness plan.

Together, we can all help halt obesity. Our health, and longevity depends upon it.

Since my wife and I are three weeks away from delivering our first child, I decided to share this information with you.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Now that you know you are expecting, there are many different things that you will need to prepare for. Even if you have never had a baby before, you probably already know that your health and well-being is very important for the health of your baby throughout this pregnancy.

Exercise- You know that exercise is important but how much exercise and what kinds can you do while you are pregnant? Well, it also varies depending on your health, your stage in your pregnancy and your doctor advice. In the beginning of your pregnancy, most everything you did before will still be safe to do while pregnant unless you participated in extreme or dangerous sports. Ask your doctor to be sure if you have any questions.

As you progress throughout the stages of your pregnancy, you will need to revert to low-impact exercise but common pregnancy exercises include walking, yoga and swimming. Swimming is actually a fantastic choice all the way to your delivery date. The water helps reduce pressure on your body and can be very soothing and comfortable while still giving you the workout you need. There are also many fitness and health centers that have programs designed for pregnant women and you get the added bonus of having someone to talk to while you are there that understands your situation.

Before you begin any new exercise program, you need to ask your doctor to be sure it is safe. You should also be sure you always stay properly hydrated while exercising and that you warm up properly, start slow and sop immediately if you experience anything painful or unusual. If you experience cramps, contractions, pain or bleeding, you should stop what you are doing immediately and see a doctor.

Water- Exercise and diet is very important during your pregnancy but you may not know how truly beneficial water is. Your body needs tons of water anyway but especially now that you are pregnant. Water can also help prevent preterm labor and contractions and help keep your skin healthy too. Drinking water can help prevent UTI (urinary tract infections) and helps reduce bloating and swelling. It can help alleviate constipation and hemorrhoids as well. These are actually just some of the many benefits of water while you are pregnant. You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. You might want to carry a container or bottle of water around with you so that you can sip on water throughout your day.

Diet- In addition to exercise and water, your diet will play a very important role in your health and well-being. In addition to the normal reasons why your diet is important, it also helps your emotional state. During pregnancy, you have a lot of emotions and hormone changes that can feel pretty overwhelming. A healthy and balanced diet can help alleviate some of this. You also need to remember that what you ingest, your baby gets too so the healthier you eat for baby, the better you both will be.

Dental care- The health of your teeth and gums is also very important during pregnancy which is something you may not have thought of before. If you haven’t had a dental checkup recently, it is a good time to get one. Tooth and gum disease can lead to problems in your pregnancy such as premature birth.

Mental health- Mood swings are also very common during pregnancy but if you feel you are falling into depression, it is important that you seek help with that. Postpartum depression and even depression during the pregnancy can be very harmful to you and your baby so be sure you talk to someone if you are feeling your emotions are out of control or if you feel like you don’t have a very good support system throughout the pregnancy.

Taking the time to be sure you have and maintain the proper health and well-being during your pregnancy is giving your baby the best possible start in life. You also ensure that you will remain as healthy and happy as possible during your pregnancy and once your new little one arrives in the world.

There was a new study just published at Harvard Medical School in Boston that found the proportion of overweight babies has risen by almost two-thirds over the past two decades. This translates into 10 percent of all babies born. That number is way too big!

The study actually showed an increase obesity rate for the infant if, in fact, the mother was vastly overweight throughout her pregnancy.

However, don’t blame it all on pregnancy weight, and genes. We all teach our children certain nutrition values starting at an early age. In fact, young children tend to model our eating behavior as they grow up. If you have poor eating habits, there is also a good change your child will too. Remember, your child is watching every move you make!

Learning poor eating habits in early years can lead to childhood, and adult obesity which possibly results in heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Start your kids off in life on the right foot with sound, steady nutritional values. Always remember, they are watching you!

A new research study showed people do what their environment teaches them to do. As we all know the world is getting bigger, not taller, but heavier. The main reason, in my opinion, is the skewed sense of portion size. We follow what the marketers teach us when it comes to defining a portion. If larger portions are heavily marketed by restaurant groups, other will follow in competition; thus, the once smaller, recognized portion has now become larger. The sad thing is we don’t even realize it. Eaters tend to look at food at a unit.

In the study, researchers put a large bowl at M&M’s out for public consumption in a heavily traveled apartment building. One day they used a huge scoop, while alternating a small teaspoon scoop the following day. Guess what?  The people had eaten much more on the large scoop day. Thus, portion size is skewed.

Dieters need to get back to the basics and become famililar with what a reasonable portion used to be. Don’t fall into this supersize marketing trap. The scale will suffer.

Perhaps food companies, and restaurants should define how many portions are in its foods.  Another strategy is to ask for a doggy bag as your restaurant portion is delivered, and only eat half.