In their blog, Evidence Based Living, the associate dean and associate director of Cornell Cooperative Extension discuss some evidence-based methods for losing weight.

In a recent blog entry, the extension leaders discuss the research recent research on exercise, “low glycemic index” diets, the effects of plate size on eating habits, breakfast and more.

“With all of the options and information out there, it’s hard to figure out the best way to drop pounds and improve your health,” the directors say. “And unfortunately many popular diets and weight-loss programs are not based on the facts – which may explain why only 5 percent of people who diet are able to lose weight and keep it off.”

They put together a collection of diet tips based on academic studies including:

Get Moving – A review of over 40 studies “found that exercise combined with diet changes resulted in a greater weight reduction than diet changes alone.”

Put away the extra-large bowls, take out the smaller plates – “Studies have found that people eat more out of larger containers without even realizing it,” the blog says.

Eat breakfast --  A study of nearly 3,000 subjects who have lost weigh and kept it of “found that nearly 80 percent eat breakfast everyday and only four percent never eat breakfast. Even if it’s small, try to consume something in the morning to jumpstart your metabolism.”

To learn more and read more tips read the blog entry Jumpstart your diet with evidence-based tips.

Watch this video of a University of California Cooperative Extension nutrition educator making a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Can you spot the five food safety mistakes?

Without adequate sleep, our ability to concentrate, remember and perform tasks accurately is decreased. Scientists have studied sleep deprivation and lifespan using rats as models. Rats that are completely deprived of one of the key phases of sleep (REM or rapid eye movement) lived as little as three weeks, while other rats with normal sleep patterns usually live two or more years.

To function at their best, most adults need seven or eight hours of sleep per day. Teens need about nine hours, and infants need upwards of 16 hours of sleep daily.

Too little sleep may play a role, in some cases, in weight gain. According to researchers, the appetite-managing natural hormones known as “leptin” and “ghrelin” are influenced by sleep patterns. One of the hormones signals your brain that you are full, while the other tells your brain you need to keep eating.

Insomnia may play a role in the development of diabetes, high blood pressure and depression and other forms of mental illness. Driving when sleep-deprived is likened to driving under the influence of alcohol. Upwards of 100,000 accidents per year in the U.S. are linked to sleep-deprived drivers, according to a report by the National Institutes of Health.

Without adequate sleep, our ability to concentrate, remember and perform tasks accurately is decreased. Our mood and ability to interact socially can be affected by the lack of sleep.

If you cannot sleep very well, be sure to discuss the situation with your healthcare provider and explore potential treatments. As we begin a new year, remember that getting enough rest, eating a healthful diet and getting exercise all play key roles in maintaining health.

Here are some tips, adapted from the National Sleep Foundation, to help you rest better:

If you are a little hungry before bedtime, consider having a light snack, such as some cereal and milk. If you are a little thirsty, try this fruit shake recipe from the North Dakota State University Cooperative Extension. However, you may not want to overdo liquids before bedtime.

Fruit Shake

1 c. fat-free milk (or nonfat vanilla yogurt)

1 banana (or 1 c. frozen peaches)

3 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate

Blend all ingredients in a blender or with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour into glasses.

Makes 2 servings. Each serving has 150 calories, less than 1 gram (g) of fat, 32 g of carbohydrate, 1.8 g of fiber and 162 milligrams of calcium.

Developing a regular eating routine can play an important role in maintaining our health and well being. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Master Nutrition program fact sheet 12 Reasons to Develop a Regular Eating Routine tells us regular routines can help us resist temptation, save money and maintain a healthy weight.

The fact sheet tells us regular routines are important because:

1. Food is everywhere: From the gas station to the mall, from the candy dish at work to the chips at home. Without a regular eating routine, it can be hard to resist temptation.

2. Grazing can lead to overeating: Without an eating routine, it’s easy to graze on whatever food you find. Many people keep picking at food without ever feeling satisfied.

3. Skipping meals can lead to overeating: Trying to eat less by skipping breakfast or lunch often backfires – and you end up eating more calories in snacks and dinner.

4. Getting over-hungry can lead to overeating: When you are really hungry, it is hard to make healthy choices. It’s also hard to eat slowly and to stop when you are satisfied.

Are you hosting a holiday meal this year that you worry will put you in debt in the New Year?  Feel like you need a bank loan just to fill the table and feed your family and friends?  We’re ALL feeling the pinch this year, when the costs of pumping out a special meal are competing not only with the price of presents but maybe with rent and utility bills, too.  Here are a few simple tips for putting some boundaries on the bucks that you spend putting a special meal on the table.

Research conducted nationally by several respected groups shows that most of the weight Americans gain in one year's time occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. That same research shows that we don't lose that weight when the holidays are over according to Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health education specialist, University of Missouri Extension. "If we can avoid holiday weight gain, we will be taking positive steps to prevent obesity and prevent or delay the development of heart disease, diabetes and other serious health problems," said Roberts.

The holidays are a time when more food is consumed by all. There are parties to attend, dinners at the office and church and more family gatherings. Food is the centerpiece for a majority of those events. The challenge is to make another activity the priority during the holidays.

"For example, develop a scavenger hunt that encourages people to get outside and around the neighborhood to find unusual items. For the competitive minded, this is a great activity. It's also a good way to get some physical activity," said Roberts.

Physical activity plays an important role in weight maintenance according to Roberts. Humans can gain health benefits by getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise most days of the week and anaerobic exercise (strength training) two to three days per week. "That sounds impossible but aerobic exercise can be playing actively with the kids, raking leaves and walking up stairs in ten-minute bouts. Regular physical activity helps with weight control by helping to burn excess calories that would normally be stored as fat," said Roberts.

If attending an event, Roberts recommends making sure your own covered dish provides a low calorie option.  "You can make a beautiful vegetable wreath by placing toothpicks in a variety of vegetables and placing them around a Styrofoam floral ring. It makes a beautiful buffet table centerpiece that only provides 40 calories for every half cup," said Roberts.

"When you are eating one of your favorite high-calorie foods make sure to take time to savor the flavor of a reasonable-sized portion and then stop. If you can maintain your pre-holiday weight, you have accomplished a major feat," said Roberts.

Source: extension.org and Tammy Roberts, University of Missouri Extension

Food during the holidays can be both healthy and delicious. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Nutrition Specialist Connie Crawley has provided some tips to make healthier foods a little easier.

• Use low-sodium and low-fat soups for casseroles.
• Use low-fat cheese.
• Serve a fresh turkey. Turkey is lean as long as it is not self-basting or fried.
• Cut the butter or margarine in recipes by half. Or use soft margarines or small amounts of oil in place of butter.
• Increase the amount of vegetables prepared as side dishes.
• Cut sugar by a fourth to a third in sweet potato and other recipes. The American Heart Association is promoting consumption of less sugar as well as less fat to reduce heart disease risk.
• Serve baked sweet potatoes instead of a sweet potato casserole. Top each with a little light margarine, brown sugar or sugar substitute and cinnamon.
• Cut salt in half in all your recipes or leave it out completely.
• Use herb shakers or fresh lemon juice in place of salt to add flavor.
• Cut cheese added to recipes in half. And use shredded cheese. It will look like more and go farther.
• Use sugar-free gelatin for desserts and salads.
• Use light or fat-free versions of mayonnaise, sour cream, half and half and evaporated milk.
• Use whole wheat bread and add nuts or cranberries to the dressing or stuffing. Every fourth cup of dressing equals a slice of bread. By adding cranberries or nuts, you add fiber and antioxidants from the cranberries and healthy fat from the nuts.
• Offer whole grain or whole-wheat rolls as an option.
• Offer lighter desserts such as fruit or a low-fat cheesecake in addition to typical holiday favorites.
• Make a pie crust with oil instead of shortening. You can also use oil when you make biscuits.
• Cut back on fats in recipes – like oil and butter – by a fourth.
• Make pumpkin pudding instead of pumpkin pie.
• Use diabetes cookbooks for recipes that are lower in sugar and calories.

Remember to try these changes beforehand. Some adaptations and recipes will vary in quality.

Source: extension.org and Constance C. Crawley, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, last updated: November 15, 2010

Vitamin D is an essential part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. But why is it so important?

Janice Hermann, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension nutrition education specialist, said although vitamin D is called a vitamin, it is actually a hormone. A hormone is a compound that is made by one part the body that has an effect on another part of the body.

Vitamin D is often known as the sunshine vitamin because the body can make vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. The amount of vitamin D the body makes can vary with age, amount of sunlight exposure on the skin, geographic location, season of the year and use of sunscreen.

Food sources of vitamin D include milk fortified with vitamin D, egg yolk, liver, butter, margarine, salmon, sardines and herring. Most ready-to-eat cereals are also fortified with vitamin D.

Vitamin D works with many other nutrients to help build and maintain healthy bones. Vitamin D’s role in bone health is sustaining blood calcium and phosphorus levels. One of the ways vitamin D helps maintain these blood mineral levels is by enhancing their absorption from the intestinal tract. Bones are able to grow stronger and denser as they absorb and deposit calcium and phosphorus in the bones.

Men and women ages 19 – 50 need 5 micrograms of vitamin D a day. Individuals 51 – 70 years of age need 10 micrograms per day and ages 70 and up need 15 micrograms.

“In adults, vitamin D deficiency can contribute to loss of bone calcium and bone density which can increase the risk of osteoporosis,” Hermann said. “The tolerable upper intake level for vitamin D is 50 micrograms a day from food and supplements. Excessive amounts of vitamin D can cause elevated blood calcium levels. Excess blood calcium can result in calcium deposits in the kidneys, lungs and heart.”

Source: extension.org and Katie L. Reim, Oklahoma State University, last updated: November 15, 2010

 Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever! These can all be symptoms of a food borne illness according to Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health education specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

"It is especially important to prevent food borne illness in people that are elderly, pregnant, very young or already sick."

Symptoms can be seen within 30 minutes and up to two weeks after eating contaminated food.

One of the ways people acquire foodborne illnesses is by not thawing food properly.

There are four ways to thaw food properly. These include thawing in the refrigerator, thawing under running water, thawing while cooking, and thawing in the microwave oven.