ArcaMax

Family Mealtime

September is officially designated as Family Meals Month. I've always thought it's funny we need to designate a month for that. I grew up eating family meals every night. Even with volleyball practice and basketball games, we fit in a family meal.

Somehow my parents knew that gathering around the table to eat as a family ...Read more

I often counsel patients that it's important to make the simple switch from refined grains to whole grains. That can be as easy as choosing brown rice over white, whole-wheat bread over white and whole-wheat pasta over regular. Small changes like these can make a huge difference later in life.

It's a recommendation from the latest Dietary ...Read more

School has started and that means fall sports are underway -- soccer, football and basketball. Fueling a teen's body for those sports is extra important considering the prevalence of COVID-19 and other viruses. It all boils down to meals full of plenty of nutrients. Here are some tips to help you make it happen.

No. 1: Cut back on added sugars ...Read more

A new study finds that American adults continue to fall short of their daily fiber needs. The study looked at data from more than 14,000 adults over five years. Only 7.4% met the Institute of Medicine's recommendation of 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed. We need anywhere from 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, depending on our ...Read more

You hear a lot about ultra-processed foods these days. They have become the new thing to avoid. But it can be a little confusing to know what ultra-processed means. Milk is processed through pasteurization; tomatoes are processed into tomato sauce; even vegetables are processed when they are frozen or canned. These are all helpful things that ...Read more

Do the words "healthy" and "takeout" even belong together? They can. Like everything else concerning your diet, it all depends on your choices.

For most of us, food from restaurants is a part of life -- busy schedules, athletic practices and late nights at work all contribute to a pace that results in little time left for a home-cooked meal. ...Read more

If there's a new villain in town, it's sugar. That's because a little goes a long way, but too much has been found to cause health problems.

Research shows a diet chronically high in sugar can contribute to obesity and blood sugar spikes. It can also result in a higher risk of heart attack and stroke due to sugar's negative effects on blood ...Read more

It seems counterproductive to lower your cholesterol (a fat) by eating healthy fats (omega-3 and monounsaturated fats), but it works. And the result is a healthier heart.

A recent analysis found that dietary changes that raise blood levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol can decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease...Read more

Many of us keep our grill handy all year long, but we typically use it more in the summer months. As the temperatures rise, grilling your food is a great way to keep the kitchen cool.

Our family grills meat, seafood, poultry, vegetables and even fruit -- the grill brings out the flavors in a way that other cooking methods don't. When you think ...Read more

Since the prevalence of the Atkins and keto diets, carbs have gotten a bad rap. The truth is, the right carbs, just like the right fats, improve your overall diet. New research finds they may even help you lose weight -- and help your heart.

Cardiovascular disease is the underlying cause in approximately one out of every three deaths in the ...Read more

Many of us have had loved ones debilitated by dementia. My father-in-law suffered for eight years; my uncle had it as well. Many of us worry we might have it later in life. We know there are many things that can be done to help prevent it. The MIND diet, which is a blend of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet and emphasizes fruits, ...Read more

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, eating disorders have escalated, especially among teens.

The National Eating Disorders Association has reported increases as high as 70% to 80% in calls to its helpline at different points last year. Last July, the International Journal of Eating Disorders published a survey of people in the United States who ...Read more