Pregnant Women Should Heed Listeria Recalls, Warnings

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that Alfa Sprouts Inc. (Springwater Sprouts) is recalling alfalfa sprouts and clover sprouts because they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. Sprouts were packaged in 4-ounce plastic "clamshell" containers with an April 28 sell-by date and sold in New York State. Some were sold in bulk, too. The FDA warns that listeria is particularly dangerous for a developing fetus. I urge pregnant women to heed any listeria warnings and product recalls.  Pregnant Women Should Heed Listeria Recalls, Warnings 

Long-Term Use of Melatonin as Sleep Aid May Create Increased Tolerance and Dependency

Melatonin, or N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring hormone, that is used by an increasing number of people as a sleep aid. From personal experience and talking to others who've used it, I found that taking melatonin nightly to aid sleep can have adverse effects. These include increased tolerance, dependency, failure to address underlying sleep problems and altered sleep patterns. Many people take melatonin by itself or in combination with other ingredients in such sleep aids as Alteril. Melatonin is used for a variety of sleeping problems: to help people get to sleep, stay asleep and sleep better. Melatonin is available over the counter in the US, but in other countries by prescription only. Read more Long-Term Use of Melatonin as Sleep Aid Creates Increased Tolerance and Dependency

Key Components of Successful Dieting and Weight Loss Programs

 "Diet tips" and "Weight Loss" have been hot keywords for several decades. There are many diet and weight loss plans available, but the successful diet plans contain several key ingredients: portion control, choice, behavioral change and self-management. Let's look at how these key components work in successful weight loss.

 Portion Control: I know quite a bit about health and nutrition, but when I started dieting, I was surprised when I did the math on the portion sizes I was eating. I was consuming many more calories than I could eat to maintain a healthy weight. I was not binging. I was just not aware of how many calories were in the portion sizes that I was consuming. When I began to read nutrition labels for suggested portion size, losing weight became much easier. I could see where I needed to cut back to lose weight.  Key Components of Successful Dieting and Weight Loss Programs