Top 5 Food Stories - Weekend Edition

1) Better Nutrition in Prison Needed (huffingtonpost.com)
There are 2.3 million prisoners in America and the American Medical Association is working on providing more nutritious food to the people behind bars, mainly to prevent chronic disease. Additional policies were adopted to make it easier to access to prisoner medical records, ensuring better care to jail birds as well.

2) Herbs in the News (foxnews.com)
Herbs have long been praised for their medicinal properties and it seems that more and more people are turning to them for natural remedies, indicated by the $5.2 billion spent by Americans on herbal supplements. This article highlights many popular supplements, and their pain-relieving properties, including flax seed oil, wheat grass, aloe vera, soy, garlic and ginko among others.

3) The Truth About Calories (menshealth.com)
I don't track calories (and who in their right mind really has the time and energy to do so) but calorie information is all around us; at restaurants, at grocery stores and on pretty much everything we eat. However, calories are only a measure of the energy it takes to raise the temperature of a gram of water by 1 degrees Celsuis (scientists actually used to put food over a flame to measure the amount of calories in that food). There are many misconceptions when it comes to calories and this article tackles those myths pretty well.

4) Why a Vegetarian Diet is Good for Your Health and the Health of the Planet (eatingwell.com)
Some people become vegetarians for spiritual reasons while other switch to a non-meat diet for health reasons. A diet high in fruits and vegetables have been linked to reduced risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. However, be sure to address the nutrients only found in animal products, such as Vitamin B12, Iron, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Zinc and Iodine. Nothing a multivitamin or supplement can't fix. Enjoy Meatless Mondays!

Source: simpsontrivia.com

5) The Rise of the Super Donut (yahoo.com)
The donut turned 164 years old on June 22nd and it's come along way since a Dutch sea captain places a piece of cake on the steering wheel of his ship to save it for later. Check out these creative donut creations in honor of the donut birthday, including everything from the NyQuil Donut to the Burger Donut. Bon Appetit!