A new study due out in June is going to show that North Americans are suffering from a huge Vitamin D deficiency and that it may be contributing to cancer rates as well as a number of other diseases.

The data suggests that hiding from the sun, or constantly wearing sunscreen could actually bring on really harmful forms of cancer such as breast, prostate, etc. as opposed to the relatively mild risk associated with skin cancer.
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Close to 107 million U.S. adults have cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or higher, a level that the American Heart Association says increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

What follows is a listing of the most potent foods to add to your diet if you want to fight high cholesterol and drive your levels down using your diet as a primary tool.
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Years ago, while watching a cooking show, I heard a nutritionist state that if they were forced to eat only one food for the rest of their life they would choose Scallops. The assertion was that as a source of important nutrients, they simply couldn’t be beaten.

I’m not sure how thouroughly researched that claim was, but it stuck with me because I simply love to eat scallops! Recently I decided that I need to incorporate more seafood into my diet and I went looking for some nutritional information on my old favorite. Here now is everything you ever wanted to know about the king of the mollusks!
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How about that alliteration huh? Seriously, cheesy though it may be, I found 44 pretty cool facts about food. Just be thankful I didn’t drag it out even longer (think Peter Piper picked a peck…).
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Below is an excellent little video that shows exactly how much sugar is in a can of coke. And before you watch it, if you do a little math, here are some staggering figures:

• There are 12 ounces (340 grams) in a can of coke.
• There are 39 grams (1.38 ounces) of sugar in a can.
• 340 grams / 39 grams = Coke is over 10% pure sugar!
• If you typically drink the equivalent of 6 cans a day you are consuming over 8 ounces or 1/2 pound of pure sugar per day.
• 24 oz. at lunch
• 2 cans during the day
• 24 oz. at dinner
• That level of sugar consumption equates to about 15 pounds of raw sugar per month, or 182.5 pounds per year. (This happens to be about my body weight.)
• Don’t drink that much Coke? Well, 3 cans a day still equals 7.5 pounds per month or 91.25 pounds per year that your body has to either burn off or store as fat.
• Sweet Tea has almost the same amount of sugar
• Sweetened Coffee counts too. A heaping tablespoon of sugar is about 20 grams.

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According to the September 2006 issue of Men’s Health magazine, researchers at UCLA discovered that small dietary modifications can make a big difference with regards to weight loss, which we all know contributes to overall health.

“In the study, normal-weight people reported eating, on average, two servings of fruit and 12 grams of fiber a day; those who were overweight had just one serving and 9 grams.

Credit that extra 3 grams of fiber - the amount in one apple or orange - as the difference maker.

Fiber slows digestion and enhances satiety, says study author Beth Gillham, Ph.D., R.D.”

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Ok folks, those that know me know that I don’t eat salad. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to prepare a tasty and healthy one for my freeloaders friends who come over for dinner.

So, here is a handy little guide to getting the most antioxident bang for the buck when constructing those salads.
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According to Lauren Gerson, a practicing gastroenterologist for seven years and director of Stanford’s Esophageal and Small Bowel Disorder Center, there is currently no evidence to show that any of the dietary restrictions usually recommended make a difference when it comes to easing heartburn symptoms.

They found only two lifestyle changes for which there was evidence of a clear benefit from making a change.
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According to the US Agricultural Research Service, the average American consumes 74 pounds of added sugar each year.

That’s about 23 teaspoons of added sugars every day–or 460 calories that supply no additional nutrients. To put that in perspective, your average guy would need to do high impact aerobics for a full hour every day just to burn off those calories.
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Hmm. Seems those zany scientists in New Zealand have discovered that most energy drinks will turn you into a bloated porker.

According to the September 2006 issue of Mens Health magazine:

“The researchers observed that downing an energy drink containing 80 mg of caffeine and 24 g sugar - about the amount in an 8.3 ounce can of Red Bull - completely inhibited people’s ability to burn fat.”

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Those of you that know The Man know that I don’t eat green things. Instead, I eat things that eat green things. That being said, if I were going to directly consume salad I guess I’d have to go with the McDonald’s Grilled Chicken Asian Salad.

Although I previously posted about the loose definition of “grilled chicken” at McDonalds, the salad there seems to be relatively healthy. At least compared to Wendy’s Mandarin Chicken Salad.
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The June/July 2006 issue of Men’s Fitness magazine ran an article chronicling the best and worst of the frozen treats. Here is the rundown:

Fittest:

Rocket Pop

• 70 calories
• 0 g protein
• 19g carbs
• 0 g fat

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