7 Ways a Nutritionist Saves Money on Healthy Food

Photo: Getty Images

Even though, as a nutritionist, I’d much rather spend money on good food than fancy clothes and mani-pedis, I still need to watch my grocery bills—especially since I split my time between New York City and LA, two of the most expensive cities in the country. But while health food has a reputation for being super pricey (Whole Foods isn’t nicknamed “Whole Paycheck” for nothing), studies have shown that nutritious diets can be absolutely affordable, and I couldn’t agree more. Below are my seven go-to tricks for filling my kitchen with the healthiest possible fare, without blowing my budget.

RELATED: 50 Best Weight Loss Foods of All Time

Shop online

I often find my favorite staples for a lower cost on amazon.com than in my local market, especially when I purchase large quantities. For example, a 32-ounce bag of my go-to rolled oats, Bob’s Red Mill, costs about $7 at my supermarket. But when I buy four bags from amazon for $13, each bag is less than half price. If you don’t go through food quickly enough to buy in bulk, consider splitting an order with a friend.

Check the retailer’s prices

At my local grocery stores, Amrita’s Chocolate Maca, my favorite energy bar, costs anywhere from $3.50 to $3.99. But when I order an entire case directly from the company (amritahealthfoods.com), the price drops to $2.25 per bar. Plenty of healthy brands sell directly to consumers. And many companies will send you special offers and discount codes to help you save even more if you register online.

Clip coupons

Speaking of discounts, many natural and organic manufacturers offer printable coupons on their brand websites or retailer sites like Whole Foods. You can generally save anywhere from 50 cents to more than $1 per product, which adds up to big savings over time. I’ve also used organicdeals.com, which links directly to coupons for Whole Foods, Target, Trader Joe’s, and more. The last time I clicked through the site, I snagged $1.50 off two organic spice products, $1 off organic veggie broth, and $1 off organic dark chocolate. Score!

Choose organic store brands

Contrary to popular belief, buying organic doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Most supermarket chains now offer store brand organic items, which can be a lot less expensive than brand name goods. For example, Kroger grocery stores sell organic store brand pulses (beans, lentils, and peas) for $1 per can—and 80 cents less than the non-organic brand name pulses on the next shelf.

RELATED: 5 Surprising Things You Don’t Need to Buy Organic

Frequent your local farmer’s market

You probably already knew that buying local is generally good for your health, but did you know it’s also great for your wallet?  Since in-season fruits and veggies are plentiful, sellers at farmer’s markets generally charge less than grocery stories. As a bonus, you’ll be supporting area farms, and getting to know the people who grow your food. If you’re not sure when and where nearby farmer’s markets are held, check out localharvest.org.

RELATED: 14 Fast and Fresh Farmers Market Recipes

Cut back on takeout 

As much as I love to cook, I don’t always have time. And while I’ve found a number of healthy takeout dishes at local restaurants, they can be ridiculously expensive with the delivery fee and tip. As an economical alternative, I’ll whip up a dish with basic items I always keep on hand.

For example, I love making a simple veggie and white bean soup. I put frozen veggies (kale, onions, broccoli), low-sodium organic veggie broth, and a splash of olive oil in a pot, and boost the flavor by tossing in some minced garlic (from a jar), dried Italian herb seasoning, dried dill, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then I add water, bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, and throw in a half cup of canned white beans for protein.

When I’m really pressed for time, I’ll add a dollop of store-bought, dairy-free pesto to steamed frozen veggies and canned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) for a cheap and easy balanced meal.

RELATED: Prep Once, Eat Healthy All Week

Pick up non-food items elsewhere

I’ve been committed to buying eco-friendly brands of cleaning products and laundry soap for years. But I recently realized that many are available at price clubs and discount stores for much cheaper prices than what I see at the grocery store. While shopping in more than one place takes a little extra time, to me it’s worth it, because it means more funds for healthy foods, and I can splurge on something special, like organic wine.

How do you save money on healthy groceries? Chat with us on Twitter by mentioning @goodhealth and @CynthiaSass.

Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her brand new book is Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1nAbYQT

The Best Way to Survive a Heart Attack Without Drugs

Photo: Getty Images

The advice for people who are at higher risk of having a heart event is pretty straightforward. If you have high cholesterol, are overweight or obese or have high blood pressure—among other risk factors—you should eat less animal fat, eat more plants, and exercise to keep the heart muscle strong. In fact, rehabilitation programs for people who have had heart problems revolve around this advice.

Studies show that people who watch their diet and exercise are less likely to have a heart attack. But if they do have a heart event, how well do they fare—and how much of a difference do these changes really make?

RELATED: The New Rules for Keeping Your Heart Safe

Dr. Michael Blaha and his colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease has some good news on that. In a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, they found that people who had better fitness before their first heart attack are more likely to survive the attack than those with lower fitness.

The researchers studied the electronic health records of more than 2,000 men and women who took a treadmill test as a way to measure how fit they were. The people with the highest fitness scores were 40% less likely to die after their first heart attack than those with lower fitness scores. And a third of the people with the lowest fitness died within a year of their first heart attack.

RELATED: Women’s Heart Attacks Look Nothing Like Men’s: Report

“The thinking here is that if you are more fit at baseline, you are more willing to withstand lots of insults and have a good outcome if you do have a heart attack,” says Blaha. “It’s quite a remarkable effect.”

The findings are especially relevant since so many people have at least some risk factors for heart disease, he says. These results suggest that making changes to address them can be important in helping more people to remain healthy even if they do have a heart attack. “Most of my patients come to me because they are concerned about their risk of having a heart attack,” says Blaha. “They have a family history of heart problems, or high cholesterol, or smoked in the past, and they want to know what they can do. Now we know that if they get their risk factors under control and increase their fitness level that they are more likely to survive a heart attack if they have one.”

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1nAbYAh

You’re Gonna Want a Piece of Cinnamon Swirl… Hair, That Is

9 Valentine’s Day Gifts That Fit Women Actually Want

A quick poll of the Health staff revealed that nobody here actually wants chocolate, champagne, or flowers this Valentine’s Day. What we do want? High-quality gear and apparel that makes us look and feel good. So whether you’re shopping for your significant other or for yourself, turn up the heat with the following gifts that help you break a sweat.

A sexy, strappy sports bra

Health loves: Aerie Mesh Sports Bra ($27; ae.com)

Forget lacy lingerie—this Aerie bra is not only sexy, it’s also sporty. Wicking fabric bra and lightweight support make it ideal for yoga, Pilates, or barre class.

A fitnessy beauty box

Health loves: Birchbox Limited Edition Strong Start ($45; birchbox.com)

Whether you’re just starting to get serious about your workouts or you’re a ClassPass addict, this box brims with goodies that will make you feel great before, during, and after your sweat sessions, such as an unbreakable glass water bottle, Argan oil cleansing towelettes, and a face-cleansing mist.

A gym bag that looks like a purse

Health loves: MZ Wallace Large Metro Tote ($225; bloomingdales.com)

This quilted black tote goes seamlessly from the office to the gym to dinner date. It’s large enough to fit all your workplace essentials—even a 17-inch laptop—as well as shoes, a change of clothes, and toiletries. Best part: the nylon bag is both durable and light as a feather.

Wireless headphones

Health loves: Beats by Dre Powerbeats 2 ($200; amazon.com)

Make untangling earbud cords an annoyance of the past with these wireless Bluetooth headphones. Reclaim that precious gym time to focus on your HIIT workout.

A high-tech yoga mat

Health loves: Gaiam Sol Dry-Grip Yoga Mat ($70; amazon.com)

The last thing you want during hot yoga class? To be sliding around your mat on your own sweat. Upgrade your om with a mat that features a topcoat promising to wick away moisture. The hotter you get, the firmer grip the mat provides. The mat also seals out odor, germs, and bacteria, ensuring it will last you for many vinyasas to come.

Leggings with mesh inserts

Health loves: Forever21 Active Geo-Paneled Leggings ($25; forever21.com)

Fitness fashionistas are all about yoga pants with mesh cutouts right now—but they often run for $100 or more, a price that’s out of reach for many of us. These Forever21 tights provide the look you crave without sacrificing quality

A headband that preserves your blowout  

Health loves: Nike Central Training Headband ($15; nike.com)

Ever skipped a workout because you didn’t have time to redo your hair after? This Nike headband eliminates that excuse. The extra-wide band wicks sweat away from your hairline and doesn’t leave a crease running across the top of your head. After your workout, take the band off, run a brush through your hair, and you’re good to go.

A sporty jacket

Health loves: NB Heat En Route Jacket ($120; newbalance.com)

New Balance’s NB Heat technology traps warmth but also wicks sweat, leaving you warm and dry during frigid workouts. An asymmetrical zipper and ruching around the neckline make this jacket not only a winter-run essential, but also a cute coldweather top that pairs as well with jeans as it does with workout tights.

A sleek smartwatch

Health loves: Apple Watch Sport (from $349; amazon.com)

The Apple Watch Sport is durable enough for daily workouts—and it tracks them, too. It’s essentially a smaller version of your iPhone, but we especially love the watch on navigation mode: It vibrates as you are approaching a turn. Swap out the band with a variety of fashion-forward picks (starting at $49).

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1JTNjB3

Painkillers Don’t Ease Disability Due to Nerve Damage: Study

MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Taking prescription narcotic painkillers doesn’t improve movement or reduce disability in people with pain related to nerve damage, researchers have found.

“Even though [narcotic] medications can be a powerful pain killer, it does not necessarily mean improved function will follow. Pain is not the only factor in determining function,” study lead author and pain expert Geoff Bostick, an associate professor of physical therapy at the University of Alberta in Canada, said in a university news release.

The research included almost 800 patients with pain due to nerve damage, from causes such as diabetes and pinched nerves. Some were prescribed narcotic painkillers — such as morphine, codeine and Tylenol 3 — while others didn’t receive the drugs.

At 6-month and 12-month follow-ups, those who took the painkillers didn’t show greater improvements in movement and disability than those who did not take the drugs, the investigators found.

“It can be difficult helping people move when they have pain, but as a physiotherapist I know the importance of physical function and we have to help find a way to promote movement, even if it is painful,” Bostick said.

“Pain is very complex, and people experience pain at very different levels,” he added. Narcotic painkillers “can help people with severe pain be more comfortable, but if they are not also facilitating improved function, the impact of these medications on quality of life should be questioned.”

If chronic pain patients have gotten the OK for physical activity from their doctors, Bostick advised taking a gradual approach.

“If you want to move better, it requires careful measurement of your tolerance to activity,” he said. “Instead of say, walking until you reach your pain limit, I tell patients to walk until they are at 50 percent of their tolerance — walk and stop before the pain gets too bad. Each week, walking time is gradually increased. Over time, this tolerance will slowly increase and so will physical function.”

The study was published recently in the journal Pain Medicine.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about diabetes-related nerve damage.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1QCigZV

Many Depressed Teens Don’t Get Follow-Up Care

MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Depression can strike during the teen years, but too many U.S. teenagers with the illness are not getting proper follow-up care, a new study finds.

“These results raise concerns about the quality of care for adolescent depression,” concluded a team led by Briannon O’Connor, who conducted the study while at New York University School of Medicine.

One expert wasn’t surprised by the findings.

“Most adolescents who are depressed do not receive any treatment whatsoever for their impairments for many reasons, including lack of access to care, stigma, and a workplace shortage of trained child and adolescent psychiatrists,” said Dr. Aaron Krasner, chief of the Adolescent Transitional Living Service at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Conn.

As the study authors explained, major depression affects 12 percent of teens, and as many as 26 percent of young people experience at least mild depression. Prompt treatment is crucial because failure to relieve depression increases the risk of recurrent depression and more impaired functioning in the long term, the researchers said.

In the new study, O’Connor’s team tracked the care of more than 4,600 teens with depression symptoms. The teens averaged 16 years of age, and two-thirds of them were girls. All were patients in one of three large health care systems.

Treatment was started for more than 2,900 of the teens — most received talk therapy alone or in combination with antidepressants.

However, 36 percent of the teens received no treatment at all within three months of their diagnosis, and more than two-thirds (68 percent) did not have any follow-up assessment. About a fifth (19 percent) did not receive any follow-up care, and 40 percent of those teens who were prescribed antidepressants did not undergo documented follow-up care, the researchers reported.

Dr. Jane Swedler is chief of adolescent medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. She called the new findings “very disturbing.”

“It appears that the initial recommendations for treatment — therapy referral, medications or both — are being offered to most patients,” she said. “However, a significant portion of those patients did not have follow-up scheduled in the following three months.

“It is clear from this study that the guidelines for follow-up of adolescent depression fall significantly below the mark,” Swedler said, “and that we must improve monitoring and follow-up of those adolescents identified with depression.”

Another child psychiatrist agreed, noting that there are ways to expand depression treatment for at-risk teens.

“With the increased use of technology by youth, treatment opportunities that include smartphone reminders, apps, online counseling, tele-psychotherapy, may all increase treatment adherence for depressed youth,” said Dr. Victor Fornari, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y.

The study was published online Feb. 1 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

More information

There’s more on spotting depression in teens at Mental Health America.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1QCigZT

Could C-Section Baby Benefit From Mom’s Vaginal Fluids?

By Karen Pallarito
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Dabbing infants delivered by cesarean section with their mothers’ vaginal secretions restores some of the potentially helpful bacteria that newborns naturally pick up when they pass through the birth canal, a small study finds.

The researchers said their “proof of principle” study is the first to show it’s possible to transfer some of those germs, which play a role in immune-system development.

Whether this can protect C-section babies from developing diseases such as asthma remains to be seen, however.

With this experimental technique, the vaginal bacteria “pick up and bloom” in different sites of the baby’s body, “resembling vaginally delivered babies,” study lead author Maria Dominguez-Bello, associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone in New York City, said in a conference call to discuss the findings.

The study was published online Feb. 1 in the journal Nature Medicine.

Everyone has bacteria that reside in and on the body, including the mouth, skin, gut and vagina. Collectively, these communities of germs make up the human “microbiome.”

Early exposure to germs, or “microbes,” in the birth canal teaches newborns’ immune systems to distinguish between helpful and harmful bacteria, the study authors explained.

According to Gregory Buck, professor of microbiology and immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, “Those bacteria can establish themselves in the gut, the skin, the eyes, other orifices of the baby that are exposed.”

Swabbing a C-section baby with mom’s secretions is “a less intensive exposure to the bacteria” than a baby would have during vaginal delivery, said Buck. He is principal investigator of a U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded project examining how vaginal bacteria affect preterm birth.

Scientists believe C-sections disrupt development of the natural microbiome. Cesarean babies have a greater risk of asthma, allergies, obesity and autoimmune diseases later in life, although studies haven’t proven a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the authors of the new study said.

In the United States, close to one in three births is a C-section delivery, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.

Attempting to restore babies’ microbiomes, the NYU team incubated sterile gauze in the mother’s vagina one hour before C-section and swabbed the baby’s mouth and body with the fluid-soaked gauze within two minutes of birth.

Women with sexually transmitted diseases, bacterial infections of the vagina and other conditions that could expose babies to harmful germs were not allowed to participate, according to the report.

The study involved 18 infants and their mothers, including seven born vaginally and 11 delivered by scheduled C-section. Four of the cesarean babies were exposed to vaginal fluids at birth.

Six times during the babies’ first month of life, researchers collected bacteria from anal, oral and skin sites of all the infants and mothers, resulting in more than 1,500 samples. The investigators analyzed the bacteria using DNA sequencing and tracked the maternal source of each baby’s microbiome.

Cesarean babies exposed to vaginal fluids had bacterial communities that were more similar to vaginally delivered infants than C-section babies who were not exposed to the mother’s vaginal fluids, the researchers found.

“Our results establish feasibility, but not health outcomes,” Dominguez-Bello stressed.

The research team has “taken an important first step,” Alexander Khoruts, of the University of Minnesota, wrote in an accompanying editorial in the journal. While this study was limited in size and duration, he said randomized trials may one day lead to treatments benefiting C-section babies.

Ultimately, researchers hope to follow a larger number of mothers and babies over an extended period of time to determine whether exposure to vaginal fluids affects children’s disease risk.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has not weighed in on the technique, and Dominguez-Bello would not offer medical advice.

Study co-author Jose Clemente, assistant professor of genetics and genomic science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, said the take-home message is, ” ‘Don’t do this at home.’ You want to make sure that this is done in a safe manner to protect the infant.”

Dr. Philippe Girerd, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Richmond, Va., and faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University, is an early adopter of the practice. Absent vaginal infections and with mothers’ consent, he has swabbed between five and 10 C-section babies with vaginal secretions.

“I don’t make claims, but I tell them the literature seems to imply that perhaps there’s some benefits,” Girerd said.

More information

The American Academy of Microbiology has more on the human microbiome.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1QCigJA

Move of the Week: Plank Hip Dips

The classic forearm plank is a fantastic way to strengthen your core. But you can make it even more effective by adding a (literal) twist. Learn how to do this oblique-toning variation with the help of Health’s contributing fitness editor, Kristin McGee.

RELATED: 20 Ways to Do a Plank

Here’s how to do it: Come forward onto your forearms and lift from your core into a plank. Make a fist with each hand, or keep your hands flat on the ground. Pull in your abs as you rotate your hips to the left side and tap the floor. Then rotate to the right and tap the floor on the other side. Keep moving from side to side. The goal is to complete 10 to 15 reps.

Trainer tip: Hollow out your lower abdominals and keep your legs engaged through the entire set.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1QCijFb

Air Pollution Linked to Risk of Preterm Birth

MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to high levels of air pollution in pregnancy may increase the risk of having a preterm baby, new research suggests.

For the study, researchers examined nearly 225,000 births of single babies in Ohio between 2007 and 2010. More than 19,000 of them were preterm deliveries — before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Exposure to high levels of small particle air pollution during pregnancy was associated with a 19 percent increased risk of preterm birth. The risk was greatest when high levels of exposure occurred during the third trimester, the study found.

“Although the risk increase is modest, the potential impact is robust, as all pregnant women are potentially at risk,” study author Dr. Emily DeFranco, a physician-researcher at the Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, said in a medical center news release.

The type of air pollution looked at in the study is composed of small particles from car exhaust or burning wood, coal and other fossil fuels. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this type of air pollution can be inhaled deep into the lungs.

Preterm birth rates were highest among women 40 and older, black women, those with no prenatal care or with lower education level, and those exposed to levels of small particle air pollution above the EPA standard, according to the researchers.

The findings were published online recently in the journal Environmental Health.

The report doesn’t prove that exposure to air pollution causes premature births, but the researchers believe the association is significant.

“We estimate that decreasing the amount of particulate matter in the air below the EPA’s standard threshold could decrease preterm birth in women exposed to high levels of small particulates by about 17 percent, which corresponds to a 2.22 percent decrease in the preterm birth rate in the population as a whole,” DeFranco said.

In a previous study, she found that exposure to high levels of particulate air pollution in the third trimester of pregnancy was associated with a 42 percent higher risk of stillbirth.

Last year, the American Lung Association listed two areas in Ohio — Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville and Cleveland-Akron-Canton — among the 10 worst regions in the United States for year-round particle pollution.

More information

The World Health Organization has more on air pollution.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1UCUDS0

Fitness Linked to Better Survival After First Heart Attack

MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Being in good shape may improve a person’s chances of surviving a first heart attack, a new study indicates.

“We knew that fitter people generally live longer, but we now have evidence linking fitness to survival after a first heart attack,” said study author Dr. Michael Blaha. He is a heart specialist and assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

“It makes sense, but we believe this is the first time there is documentation of that association,” Blaha said in a Hopkins news release.

The study also adds to evidence that regular exercise reduces the risk of heart attack and death from all causes, he said.

The researchers examined the medical records of more than 2,000 people, average age 62, who had done a treadmill stress test before they suffered a first heart attack. The tests provide a metabolic equivalent (MET) score, which ranges from 1 to 12, with 12 being the most physically fit.

Those with MET scores of 10 or higher were 40 percent less likely to die after a first heart attack than other patients. And one-third of patients with a MET score of 6 or less died within a year of their first heart attack, the study found.

Overall, each whole number increase in MET score was associated with an 8 percent lower risk of death after a first heart attack, according to the researchers from Johns Hopkins and the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

However, only an association was seen between MET scores and risk of death after a first heart attack, not a cause-and-effect connection.

Study author Clinton Brawner, a clinical exercise physiologist at the Henry Ford Health System, said, “Our data suggest that doctors working with patients who have cardiovascular risk factors should be saying, ‘Mr. Jones, you need to start an exercise program now to improve your fitness and chances of survival, should you experience a heart attack.’ ”

Each year, about 550,000 people in the United States have a first-time heart attack, according to the American Heart Association.

The new study was published online Feb. 1 in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers a guide to physical activity.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1RVDcOM