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Should Large Sodas Be Banned to Fight Obesity?

Yesterday would have marked the first day of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s soda ban, an initiative that sought to eliminate the sale of all sugary drinks more than 16 fluid ounces at New York City restaurants, delis, street carts, movie theaters, and sports arenas.

Those who opposed the ban can breathe easier today: a State Supreme Court Justice stuck down the law on Monday, criticizing it as “arbitrary and capricious.” With many confusing loopholes – dairy-based beverages like milkshakes would be exempt, and convenience stores and bodegas would still be able to sell large sugary drinks – the law was unworkable and unenforceable, according to the judge.

The proposed soda ban has been extraordinarily divisive, both in NYC and across the country. In a New York Times poll conducted last August, 60 percent of city residents opposed it.

The Best Natural Remedies for PMS Symptoms

Mood swings, bloating, irritability, food-cravings, and depression—these are just a few of the common premenstrual syndrome symptoms that women suffer from each month. But the good news is that there are tons of natural options that have proven to be very effective in beating PMS.

According to guest speaker Dr. Mark Hyman, PMS occurs when hormones become unbalanced. Estrogen levels increase and progesterone levels decrease, either relatively or absolutely. Many things can promote these unbalances, such as too much sugar, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and stress. However, turning to a whole-foods diet, managing stress, and exercising regularly can help get your hormones back in balance.

Best Foods to Eat

Eating foods that are rich in certain vitamins and minerals such as B1, B2, B6, calcium, and magnesium can help balance hormones, increase energy, and improve mood.

Healthy Travel: 9 Ways to Maintain Wellness Away From Home

One of the most challenging times to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle is when you're traveling far from home and have limited options at your disposal.

Whether you have dietary restrictions , certain routines or rituals , or other health requirements, traveling can create an imbalance in more ways than one. But don't let wellness anxiety get in the way of having fun. There are lots of ways to have a great time and stay healthy while doing it, no matter where you roam!

Here are 9 tips for supporting your health during the long (or short) road travelled:

Bring healthy snacks.

No matter where you go, bring some healthy foods along to stave off hunger until you can find food options you approve of. Fruit, granola, and nuts, among other foods that travel well , will provide hours of energy without skimping on the nutrients.

Do your research.

A Superfood-Packed Cacao Treat to Satisfy Your Sugar Craving

Every once in a while you just need something sweet. Instead of succumbing to the temptation of a chocolate chip cookie, why not satisfy your sweet tooth with something equally indulgent but packed with superfoods and nutrients?

We love these Coco Cacao Squares from 2011 graduate, Diana Chaplin. These little bars are the perfect snack to give you that much needed 3pm pick-me-up during the week. They satisfy your craving for sweets with a real nutritional punch, and give you a burst of energy to get you through the rest of your day.

A Superfood-Packed Cacao Treat to Satify Your Sugar Craving

Every once in a while you just need something sweet. Instead of succumbing to the temptation of a chocolate chip cookie, why not satisfy your sweet tooth with something equally indulgent but packed with superfoods and nutrients?

We love these Coco Cacao Squares from 2011 graduate, Diana Chaplin. These little bars are the perfect snack to give you that much needed 3pm pick-me-up during the week. They satisfy your craving for sweets with a real nutritional punch, and give you a burst of energy to get you through the rest of your day.

New Heights for Health Coaches: IIN Live March 2013

Hundreds of Integrative Nutrition graduates came together last weekend in New York City – and many tuned in via live stream – to enjoy a weekend of health and wellness at our latest IIN Live Conference!

From business-building exercises to coaching techniques, attendees connected about how to take their health coaching practices to the next level. We learned about some amazing things our graduates are doing, including publishing books, working in schools, and creating mobile apps. Over 100 international graduates who flew in from all over the world took the stage to represent their countries.  Those who joined us from home on the live stream followed the conversation on Twitter using #IINLive and on our IIN Live Events Facebook Page.

Throughout the weekend we heard from a list of renowned speakers on a variety of topics. Bestselling author and thought leader Gabrielle Berstein, and creator of The Desire Map and The Fire Starter Sessions Danielle LaPorte, both empowered us with inspirational talks on how to achieve the most out of life.

3 Ways to Freshen Up Your Diet and Exercise Routine This Spring

This Saturday marks Daylight Savings Time, the unofficial start of spring here in the US. It’s the time of year when the days are finally getting longer, the temperatures are warming up, and many of us start organizing and cleaning our homes. But spring cleaning is not just for your home anymore—it’s just as important for us to clean (and brighten!) up other parts of our lives.

Freshening up your diet and workout routine is a great way to supercharge your health and boost your energy. Here are three easy ways to start off this season feeling rejuvenated, happy, and healthy.

1. Clean out your pantry

The first step is to sort through your cabinets and toss out anything that’s expired. Although canned items do have a longer shelf life, if it’s been in there for over a year, it’s probably best to chuck the contents and recycle the can to make rooms for fresher foods.

Is Salt Causing Inflammation and Autoimmune Disease?

We’ve long known that too much salt in your diet is a bad thing. The overconsumption of sodium, unfortunately common in the Standard American Diet of fast food and highly processed packaged goods, has been strongly linked to high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

Now there’s even more reason to ditch the canned soup and frozen meals in favor of fresh, whole foods: several new studies show that that too much salt can contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and arthritis of the spine.

According to new reports from teams at MIT, Harvard, and Yale, mice on a high-salt diet produced a type of inflammatory, infection-fighting cell that can cause the body’s defense system to go horribly awry. The mice then developed a severe form of multiple sclerosis called autoimmune encephalomyelitis. “We were all really quite surprised to see how changes in dietary salt could have such a profound effect,” said David Hafler, professor of immunobiology at Yale.

Is Intermittent Fasting the Key to Fast Weight Loss?

What’s the biggest food trend in London right now? The answer is, well, not eating.  Thousands of Brits are eating little more than 500 calories a day at the recommendation of Dr. Michael Mosley who introduced his new book, The Fast Diet this year. With a title like that, it’s not surprising that the book has consistently held the number one slot on Amazon’s UK site since January.


Before we are quick to judge this book by its cover, let's take a look at the theory behind this new diet. It started with Dr. Mosley’s BBC program “Eat, Fast, Live Longer” which documented his personal weight loss journey though intermittent fasting.  After trying extreme fasting – his first trial included one cup of low-calorie soup every 24 hours – he eventually landed on a 5:2 ration fasting diet.

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