Healthy Snacks For Kids

These days it is so easy to hand our kids a pre-packaged convenience item to munch while we race to get to the next meeting or practice that we are already 10 minutes late for. Parents, we are not doing our kids, or ourselves, any favors by letting them suck down sugary drinks and nutritionally void snacks in the backseat of our cars. Taking just a little time, when we have the time, to prepare healthy snacks for kids will have them feeling and performing better throughout the day’s long schedule.

Good quality cheese sticks are just as easy to reach for as those neon colored "fruit" snacks. Delicious and full of protein, your kid will be satisfied and energized until dinner. Peanut butter is another high protein, kid friendly snack. Spread atop a rice cake or used as a dip for apple slices, peanut butter can be a versatile and tasty mini-meal-on-the-go. Choose a sugar free, natural peanut butter to alleviate any worries about unnecessary additives.

Mix up a batch of “sneaky” muffins to have ready during the week. Throwing a few extra fruits or veggies into a batter for banana or zucchini bread will make a nutritional difference, but nobody but you will be the wiser. Whole grain cereals are also a great, convenient choice. In a pinch, fill up a ziploc bag with dry cereal for munching on in the car. At home, try mixing it with yogurt and fruit to create an easy parfait. Tubes of yogurt can also be frozen into healthy snacks for kids and used to replace those syrupy popsicles and chemical laden ice-cream treats.

Hummus may not sound like a kid-friendly food, but it is a fun and excellent dip for chips (try making your own sweet potato chips with olive oil and sea salt) or veggie sticks. Hummus is also a great source of vitamins and iron and can serve as a sandwich spread in place of mayonnaise.

Include your children while making new snacks. Let them use their imaginations and get creative! If things get messy in the kitchen, don't worry! Kids can have as much fun cleaning up as they have cooking. Kids are more likely to try a new food when they are proud of preparing it with you. Equipped with healthy snacks for kids, we are better prepared to lead our children towards healthy habits for life.

To Your Health,

John Hall

Research Continues To Show Fat Fighting Potential With Whey Protein

New research is showing that supplementation with whey protein may improve your blood lipid profiles and reduce your levels of liver fat by 20%.


A study published in the journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that four weeks of supplementation with whey protein may significantly reduce the markers of fatty liver disease in obese women. This is accomplished by reducing the amount of fat inside liver cells. It also showed that key markers of blood lipid profiles which measure risk for heart disease were also improved.

Fatty liver disease is more frequent in obese patients and is also the hepatic component of metabolic syndrome. It is associated with health issues such as insulin resistance, poor glucose tolerance and high levels of blood lipids.

Other studies similar to this have indicated that higher whey protein intakes may have beneficial effects for fatty liver disease.

Bortolotti and colleagues wanted to test this hypothesis so they studied the effects of 4 weeks of supplementation with 60 grams per day of whey protein in obese non-diabetic females. They consumed 3 shakes per day with 20 grams of whey protein each time.

All the obese participants had BMIs between 20.9 and 52.4 and fat concentrations in their liver was between 1.9 and 20.5 percent of liver volume.

After four weeks of whey protein supplementation the participants liver fat concentrations decreased by 21 percent and their fasting plasma triglyceride levels decreased by 15 percent. Their total cholesterol concentration also decreased by over 7 percent.

According to this study it was concluded that whey protein supplementation improved the markers of fatty liver disease and plasma lipid profiles in obese non-diabetic patients.

To Your Health,

John Hall

PS to purchase the best whey protein go to

Carrots Raise Nutritional Benefits

All our lives we've been told to eat our carrots, they help improve your eyesight. Maybe you've wondered - what exactly is it about the carrot that is good for my eyes? That would be the beta-carotene. In addition to giving the carrot its name and orange color, it also converts to vitamin A in the body which helps improve vision. The vitamin A forms a purple pigment called rhodopsin the eye needs to see in dim light. Rhodopsin production is spurred by vitamin A, raising the effectiveness of the light-sensitive area of the retina.

But that's not all that carrots can do for you. The beta-carotene in carrots is an antioxidant combating the free radicals that contribute to conditions like cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. Medical studies conducted in Texas and Chicago indicates that men with the high levels of beta-carotene and vitamin C had a 37% lower risk of cancer than the men with lower levels. Carrots also contain another antioxidant called alpha-carotene. A study conducted in Bethesda , MD concluded that men who consume high amounts of alpha carotene have a lower incidence of lung cancer.

Cooking carrots actually raises the nutritional benefits. The fiber in carrots can trap the beta carotene, making it difficult for your body to extract. By cooking them slightly, you free the beta-carotene, from the fiber, which allows your body to absorb it better. Eating only a half-cup serving per day will give you more than the recommended dosage of beta-carotene. Remember, when you buy carrots raw at the store, you should cut off the leafy tops before storing for maximum vitamin retention. Getting your carrot-a-day is easy, considering the vegetable's versatility and “blendability”. Carrots can subtlety enhance but don't overwhelm. Here are a few ways to put more carrot power on your table.

Cook grated carrots with beans, split peas, lentils, rice, or pastas. Carrots are great in stuffing. Try them roasted - split large carrots lengthways and brush with a little olive oil then put on a roasting tray in a 400 degree (F) oven for about 45 minutes until tender and browned. Try roasted carrots, potato, sweet potato and pumpkin served with steamed green vegetables and a nice sauce.

Toss grated carrot with potatoes for hash browns. (Toss in grated zucchini and minced onion, too.)

Add to sauces, white or red. Grated carrots give body and impart subtle flavor, and they fit any tomato or creamy soup, sauce, or casserole.

Mix finely-ground carrots into peanut butter for a new kind of healthy crunch. (If you want to make a really GOOD Peanut Butter & carrot sandwich, add a few slices of banana.)

Hot & Cold Salads: Sauté onions, green peppers, and grated or finely sliced carrots. Remove from heat and pour your preferred salad vinegar over hot veggies. (It will hiss and steam.) While hot, add to chilled salad greens. Toss and serve.

Herb and Vegetable Bread or Biscuits: To your regular dough, add finely grated carrots; minced onion (dried flakes or fresh green); parsley; garlic powder; sprinkle of basil and pinch of oregano or sage. Top it all off with some dried or pesto tomatoes and a few hearty shakes of parmesan cheese.

To Your Health,

John Hall

The Amazing Kernel

According to research completed in March 2001 by Dr. K. Phillips of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the sunflower kernel is rich in a number of nutrients that have been shown to protect against cardiovascular and other diseases and to act as antioxidants and anti-carcinogens. When considered in aggregate, this amazing kernel packs a powerful nutritional punch. Sunflower kernels contain high levels of vitamin E, betaine, phenolic acids, and choline. In addition, the kernel is a good source of arginine and lignans. Each of these compounds, while perhaps unfamiliar to the layperson, has been studied by the scientific community and shown to offer a variety of health benefits.
Vitamin E (Tocopherols): May protect against cardiovascular disease.
Betaine: May protect against cardiovascular disease.
Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid): Antioxidant and anti-carcinogen.
Choline: Plays a role in memory and cognitive function.
Arginine: Potential heart benefits.
Lignans: May protect against heart disease and some cancers; lowers LDL cholesterol and triglyceride.
Sunflower seeds offer an easy way to add some crunch, taste, and nutrition to a variety of foods. Toss them over your salad, mix them in with popcorn, serve them a la carte, or even add them to your fresh baked, whole grain breads and muffins.

To Your Health,

John Hall

Weight Gain vs Cancer Risk

Research from the UK shows that maintaining a healthy weight may decrease a person’s risk of developing up to a dozen different types of cancer by very significant margins. The study’s lead author is Dr. Andrew Renehan, senior lecturer at the School of Cancer Studies at the University of Manchester. The findings were published in the February, 2008, issue of the prestigious UK medical journal, The Lancet.

The researchers analyzed data from 141 previous studies with information on over 280,000 people who were followed for up to 15 years. This approach expanded the research to more types of cancers and more diverse populations than researchers had ever looked at before. Researchers have long suspected a link between weight gain and certain cancers, including colon and breast cancers. But the new study suggests it could also increase the risk for cancer of the esophagus, thyroid, kidney, uterus and gall bladder, among others.

The study results show that in men, an average weight gain of 33 pounds increased the risk of esophageal cancer by 52%, thyroid cancer by 33%, and colon and kidney cancers each by 24%. In women, a weight gain of 29 pounds increased the risk of cancer in the uterus and gall bladder by nearly 60%, esophagus by 51% and kidney by 34%.

“This study provides a lot of circumstantial evidence about the dangers of obesity,” said Dr. David Robbins, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, who was not involved in the study. “It also highlights the cancer crisis we face as obesity rates increase worldwide.”

“One of the hypotheses is that the presence of excess fat cells could affect the levels of hormones in your body,” Renehan said. “At a cellular level, that may favor the development of tumors in humans.”

“The simple message is that, if you manage to keep a healthy body weight, you will have a lower risk of developing cancer,” said Ed Yong, of Cancer Research United Kingdom.

If you would like to lose weight once and for all – the first step is understanding the true cause of an overweight condition - and the many myths about weight loss that are so prevalent today. For more info you can contact John Hall: John@johnhallstudios.com or call 312.421.6640

To Your Health,

John Hall

Quinoa - The Mother Grain

Quinoa, though not technically a cereal grain like wheat or oats, has been cultivated and eaten as a cereal for thousands of years by South Americans. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is the tiny seed of the Chenopodium Quinoa, a leafy plant that is a distant relative of spinach and beets.

Quinoa was called the "mother grain" by the Incas (chisiya mama). Now, as people in the rest of the world learn more about Quinoa, they're discovering that its ancient nickname was well deserved - Quinoa is indeed a nutritional powerhouse.

Quinoa's protein content, about 16 percent, is higher than that of any other grain. Wheat also has a high protein content, about 14 percent, but the protein in wheat and most other grains is lacking in the amino acid lysine, which Quinoa has in abundance. In fact, the amino acid composition in Quinoa is almost perfect. The World Health Organization has judged the protein in Quinoa to be as complete as that in milk. In addition, Quinoa contains more iron than most grains, and is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, folate, and many B vitamins. Eating a serving of whole grains, such as Quinoa, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease.

A 3-year prospective study of 229 postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease, published in the July 2005 issue of the American Heart Journal, shows that those eating at least 6 servings of whole grains each week experienced slowed progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels through which blood flows and lss progression in stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial passageways.

To Your Health,

John Hall

Yams & Heart Disease

Yams are a good source of both potassium and vitamin B6, two nutrients that your body needs every day. Vitamin B6 helps your body break down a substance called homocysteine , which can cause damage to blood vessel walls. High intakes of vitamin B6 have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Potassium is a mineral that helps to control blood pressure. In the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study, one study group ate servings of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy food in place of snacks and sweets. This approach offered more potassium, magnesium and calcium. After eight weeks, this group lowered their blood pressure by an average of 5.5 points (systolic) over 3.0 points (diastolic). Yams also contain a storage protein called D ioscorin .

Preliminary research suggests that Dioscorin can help your body to achieve increased kidney blood flow thereby reducing blood pressure.

In addition, Yams' complex carbohydrates and fiber deliver the goods gradually, slowing the rate at which their sugars are released and absorbed into the bloodstream. Because they're rich in fiber, yams fill you up without filling out your hips and waistline. Yams are also a good source of manganese, a trace mineral that helps with carbohydrate metabolism and is a cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses.

To Your Health,

John Hall