Trail mix vs. Granola bar

So you’re going hiking for the day, and you want to pack an easy, tasty snack to keep yourself refueled.  Which should you take along with you – trail mix or a granola bar?

Answer: While both can be high in calories, and you should be mindful of how much you’re consuming, trail mix is the better choice.

Trail mix is a bit higher in both calories and fats than a granola bar, but most of the fats are heart-healthy.  Plus, the nuts in trail mix provide you with more protein and fiber, which will give you more energy and keep you fuller longer.

Typically – though it depends on the brand – trail mix also has less sodium and sugar.

Keep in mind when you’re buying (or mixing) trail mix that any additions, like chocolate or yogurt bits, can pile on extra calories.  Also, you really don’t need that much – a small handful every hour should be enough to keep you satisfied.

So now that you’re armed with the right snack, get out there and enjoy the great outdoors.  It’s beautiful out.  Happy trails, everyone!

An unhealthy lifestyle could put men at risk for sexual dysfunction, according to a new study.

Several factors associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, such as weight problems, physical inactivity, high alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking and hard drugs appear to be associated with sexual dysfunctions.

Additionally, unhealthy lifestyles are more common among persons who are sexually inactive.

Danish researchers analyzed survey data from over 5,500 men and women to study the association between lifestyle factors, sexual inactivity and sexual dysfunction.

They found that unhealthy lifesty factors are associated with an increased risk of sexual inactivity by up to 78 percent in men and 91 percent in women.

Meanwhile, the risk of experiencing sexual dysfunction was up to 71 percent greater in overweight men, and more than 800 percent greater in men who used hard drugs.

The researchers also found that women who used hashish had a risk nearly three times greater of anorgasmia – not being able to reach climax during sexual activity – than non-hashish users.

“Hopefully our findings can be used in future counseling of patients with unhealthy lifestyles,” said lead researcher Professor Morten Frisch, MD, PhD, DSc, of Statens Serum Institute. “Knowing about possible negative consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle to one’s sexual health may help people quit smoking, consume less alcohol, exercise more, and lose weight.”

The study was published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Whether it’s Hershey’s, Skittles or Reese’s, candy is often the bane of health-conscious parents who want to instill healthy eating habits in their children.  However, new study suggests that kids who eat candy actually weigh less and are less likely to be overweight than those who don’t.

Louisiana State researchers tracked the eating habits of more than 11,000 children aged two to 17 between the years of 1999 and 2004.  They found that children and teens who ate candy were 22 percent less likely to be overweight and 28 percent less likely to be obese.

Despite the findings, lead researcher Carol O’Neil warned that parents and children should still follow proper food guidelines and eat candy sparingly.

“The results of this study should not be construed as a hall-pass to overindulge,” O’Neil said. “Candy should not replace nutrient-dense foods in the diet; it is a special treat and should be enjoyed in moderation.”

O’Neil speculated that the children who ate candy were able to balance “calories in, calories out” over time, meaning they ate other foods that were lower in calories.

Another potential explanation was that the children who ate more candy and weighed less were more active than the children who did not eat candy and weighed more.

Overall, however, she said the whole group had very poor eating habits – a likely contributor to the U.S. obesity epidemic.  O’Neil recommended that parents not only keep tabs on their children’s candy consumption, but also on their consumption of other high fat foods, such as potato chips, and on the amount of time per day they spent being sedentary.

The study was published in the Food & Nutrition Research journal.

When it comes to health and weight management, not all calories are created equal.

Doctors and nutritionists have long known that some foods are simply better for you than others, even when their nutritional information seems to match up.

Sure, sometimes that’s an easy distinction to make.  For example, a 150 calorie serving of fruit is clearly preferable over a twinkie – also 150 calories.  But other times, the line is blurred, especially when it comes to “healthy” foods.

This week, as part of a series called “This vs. That”, let’s take a look at two popular snacks among conscientious dieters: Pretzels vs. Pistachios.

Seems easy, right?  Pistachios are higher in fat than pretzels – surely a diet buster.

Wrong!

When faced with these party snacks, reach for that bowl of pistachios.  It’ll support your weight goals and promote heart health.  Pistachios come with 30 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and are a terrific source of fiber, which makes them a healthy and filling snack.

Need more proof?  In a recent study, researchers put 52 overweight participants on a diet.  As part of the regimen, the participants were either assigned to a daily snack of 75 pistachios (240 calories) or a similar 220 calorie serving of pretzels.

They found that the group eating pistachios had better success with their weight goals compared to the pretzel group – even though the pistachios had a higher amount of calories from fat.  Something for snackers to keep in mind is that almost 90 percent of the fat found in pistachios is the healthy unsaturated type.

A new study finds that dairy products, such as milk or cheese, can help dieters not only lose belly fat, but also increase lean muscle mass.

For the study, researchers split overweight and obese women into three groups. Each consumed either low, medium or high amounts of dairy as well as higher or lower amounts of protein and carbohydrates.

The women also worked out every day for fourth months in a routine that included both cardio and weightlifting.

While each group showed nearly identical amounts of weight loss, the higher-protein, high dairy group showed the greatest losses in whole-body and abdominal fat, and the greatest gains in lean mass and strength.

“One hundred percent of the weight lost in the high protein, high dairy group was fat, and the participants gained muscle mass, which is a major change in body composition,” said Andrea Josse, study researcher.

Muscle, according to the researchers, is crucial for maintaining metabolism rates and preventing weight re-gain, which is a problem that plagues many dieters.

Losing belly fat, besides appearance concerns, is also important because fat in the stomach is believed to be especially harmful to cardiovascular and metabolic health.

“The women got fitter and stronger, which greatly reduces their risk of disease,” the researchers said.

The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition.

People with metabolic syndrome are at a significantly increased risk of developing kidney disease, according to a new study.

In a review of 11 studies involving 30,416 people, Cleveland researchers found that people with metabolic syndrome have a 55 percent increased risk of developing kidney problems indicative of kidney disease.

“Primary care physicians may need to consider using metabolic syndrome as a marker to identify patients at higher risk of developing kidney disease,” said Sankar Navaneethan, MD, study researcher.

Metabolic syndrome is made up of a group of medical disorders, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat in the waist or abdomen, low good cholesterol and higher levels of fatty acids.

A person is diagnosed with metabolic syndrome when they exhibit three or more of the above characteristics.

The risk of a person developing kidney disease increases with each symptom of metabolic syndrome that a person has. Metabolic syndrome also increases the risk of other health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and premature death.

Metabolic syndrome can be prevented or managed through eating a healthy diet, exercising and losing weight.

The study was published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.