"healthiest" news and stories

Get ready to laugh: among Health magazine's top healthiest restaurants are - drum roll, please - Denny's, Bob Evans, and Romano's Macaroni Grill.

Hmm - the kings of maple syrup-drenched sausage and carb-heavy pasta dishes, respectively, are also the healthiest?

Granted, I don't go out to eat very often. But - are these places actually healthy? I find it hard to believe.

The magazine's other choices are equally as confusing: Olive Garden? Uno Chicago Grill? Last time I checked, phrases like "extra cheese" and "more breadsticks" were the norm at these haunts.

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Cooking Light magazine recently named the healthiest - no, the fittest - no...okay, I'm actually a little confused as to the point of the rankings.

It named the cities that "best provide the resources people need to live healthful lives." Er...come again? The magazine claims that they ranked cities based on 15 criteria. Unfortunately, most of the criteria was either based upon implications (ie: one of the categories is how much "maintained green space" the cities offer, implying, perhaps, that more green space results in better air quality or a higher rate of exercise) even though we know that when it comes to healthy living, certain features do not necessarily correlate.

The actual data manipulation was as follows: "We ranked major metropolitan cities on the following 15 criteria, calculated on a per-capita basis, then grouped into categories--eat smart, be fit, live well--and factored on a four-point scale."

The other standards were pretty arbitrary, such as the amount of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's supermarkets and how many chefs work in the city. Basing a city's healthy standards on the number of organic food stores seems ineffective and a little naive - and going with the magazine's reasoning, a high rate of supermarkets could imply a greater number of cars, inactivity, pollution, and waste just as readily as it could imply healthy living.

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 You can't go wrong when you make room for more healthy foods in your diet. Unlike the worst foods you can eat, these are foods that have a great taste and are good for you. Adding them to your daily routine is a great idea, whether you want to get in shape for the summer swimsuit season, to lose weight or just get a little bit healthier. Of course, these aren't all of the best foods you can eat (that list would be too long), but it's a great place to start.

Almonds -- While walnuts contain up to 90% of the recommended daily amount of omega-3 fatty acids per serving, almonds are very high in monounsaturated fats, which have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. They are high in calcium and fiber, low in saturated fats and are very satisfying. A great way to incorporate more almonds into your diet is by using a natural almond butter on your toast or in sandwiches, instead of a processed peanut butter, which may have sugars, stabilizers and hydrogenated fats added to it.

Oatmeal -- Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber, protein, vitamins B1, B12 and E and is low in fat. It has been shown to lower cholesterol when eaten regularly, and has been associated with the reduced risk of many cancers, including colon cancer. Steel cut oats, which are made by cutting a whole oat groat (the most nutritious form) into a few pieces, are the best way to get the maximum benefit from your oatmeal, but regular rolled oats are a good choice, too. Avoid instant oatmeals and, if plain is too boring, top a bowl with any kind of fruit or some of your own spices.