Choosing Healthy Foods

Guest post by Northeastern graduate student Meghann Jurkowski Halloween is an exciting time of year filled with tricks, treats, costume parties and loads of candy. It's always fun to take part in the festive activities and taste all the Halloween goodies that surround us but sometimes we indulge a bit too much. If you have been to one too many parties or ate a little bit too much this holiday, leaving you feeling sluggish, overly full, sick or just plain creepy, you should consider cleansing your body with some detoxing foods. It is completely possible to give your body a cleanse, ridding yourself of those Halloween toxins without fasting! Here are 10 detox foods to get you back to normal... 1. Leafy Greens Leafy greens, including kale and arugula, are loaded with vitamins, minerals and some fiber to restore what our bodies need to run properly while pushing out the bad. Greens like kale also have detoxing abilities. 2. Lemons One of the most potent detox foods, lemons are loaded w

Guest post by Northeastern graduate student Meghann Jurkowski The mighty kale has been a hot topic on the rise. Everyone seems to be drinking green smoothies or doing juicing cleanses with kale as a main ingredient. It's also been popping up in dishes at restaurants across the country and promoted heavily in all kinds of grocery stores. October 2nd was even National Kale Day! You may be looking around and wondering to yourself, what's all the hype about kale? The truth is, this nutrient packed super leafy green is something to be raving about. There are so many different kinds of kale, so many ways to prepare and eat it, it tastes great and the nutritional benefits are outstanding! What are the health benefits associated with kale? Nutrient Density Kale is extremely nutrient dense so when you eat this green you are getting more nutrient bang for your calorie buck. This means that the ratio of nutrient density to calorie intake is high. One cup of kale contains 33 calories. Wit

With assistance from Northeastern graduate student Kelli Harvilla We have all encountered our share of fads, whether it was a specific phrase or the following of a boy band, and these things were pretty harmless to our health; however, one type of fad has blown to epic proportions, and has the potential to be harmful – the culprit being fad diets. This type of dieting has opened our eyes to a new world of weight loss, where our hopes and spirits are lifted towards achieving quick and easy results with virtually no work. These "diets" may prove to be successful at first, but how long can it last and what happens when the fad fades away? Fad diets can be defined as weight loss plans that promise successful results in a small amount of time . They may seem to work in the beginning but no long term results are promised, and the weight is quickly gained back most of the time. Not only do these diets promise easy weight loss, but they can also be extremely harmful to your health. I