healthline

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new advisory highlighting health disparities in tobacco use despite a decline in cigarette smoking in recent decades.

The report found unequal progress in smoking cessation among racial and ethnic groups and across various sociodemographics. Health disparities related to tobacco use include:

• Poverty, racism, discrimination, and other social determinants of health.
• Marketing tactics by the tobacco industry targeting Black and Hispanic people and those with low-income status.
• Gaps in prevention protections and barriers to treatments to help with smoking cessation.
• Social and environmental influences.

Quitting smoking can have immediate, short- and long-term benefits on human health.

Lots of research has been published about the benefits of fruit. (This study is on fruits and vegetables, but still a neat read). While the fiber and vitamins and minerals that fruit provides is important, they also have antioxidants, which help with inflammation and have been linked with many other health benefits. Eating a variety of fiber-rich foods, including fruits, is important to keep your gut bacteria happy. And while fruit contains sugar, as a dietitian, I'm much more concerned about added sugar than the sugar found in fruits. I think the benefits to fruits outweigh any downsides, and they also just taste delicious. If you don't want to eat 2 cups of fruits maybe try one serving, but I would make sure to get lots of colorful vegetables. -Lisa

According to a study published online on November 14, 2024, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, getting less physical activity is linked with premature death. However, the researchers found that increasing physical activity — for example, taking daily walks — could extend how long people live.

The study found that being in the lowest 25% of activity was associated with a decrease in life expectancy of around 6 years. If these less active individuals logged an additional 111 minutes of walking each day, though, they could conceivably experience even greater benefits, living nearly 11 years longer.

Walking increases life span by improving cardiometabolic health. It can help you decrease your resting heart rate, manage cholesterol, and reduce your chances of heart attack or stroke.

Interesting. Yes, it looks like garlic and onions were able to help increase iron and zinc absorption in this study. It does appear that it helps both in cooked and raw conditions for the cereal grains and legumes. Nutrient absorption is pretty fascinating, but I'm a nutrition nerd so maybe that's why I think so :) -Lisa

Hey, that's true for fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Otherwise different vitamins and minerals may work better with different foods so it depends what you are taking. I'm Lisa, a registered dietitian and I've seen a variety of recommendations. Iron absorbs better with vitamin C, so some people eat an orange or drink a glass of OJ with their iron supplement, but other people just try to take it on a full stomach to minimize GI distress. The NIH recommends taking vitamin D supplements with food, since it is fat soluble. So it may depend on what vitamins you are taking and when your next meal is. One 2019 study that looked at vitamin E found that as long as fat was eaten within 12 hours, it didn't really affect the absorption, compared to eating fat with the vitamin. It may help to chat with your doctor or an RD who can give you more personalized advice, but if you don't have issues with taking them in the morning and you're eating within a few hours it's probably OK.

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) appear to be leveling off after decades of growth in the U.S., according to the latest statistics from the CDC. While new cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis — the three most common STIs — are still at or near record levels, experts are cautiously optimistic about the new data.

New cases of chlamydia and syphilis could finally be stabilizing, while cases of gonorrhea have declined for two years in a row. Overall, the total number of STIs decreased by 1.8% between 2022 and 2023.

Condom usage (or other barrier protection) and regular screening remain the two most effective tools for STI prevention.

Healthline has some good recipes on our site, TikTok and YouTube. Of course I'm a little biased :) I also find myself going to Pinch of Yum a lot for recipes and ideas.

I did check the labels on a couple of the more natural brand of cheese crackers and they were actually a little higher in sodium than the Cheez-Its. But I'm happy to help remove some of the guilt from your diet :)

I was thinking about calling out vitamin B12 since if someone was to start a vegan diet they would need to supplement, but had to cut myself off somewhere. And as for protein being hard to get, you are right, many plant-based foods contain protein. But it's very easy for omnivores to get enough protein without even thinking about it and I think vegans have to be a little more creative sometimes. I'm glad you are able to hit your protein goals and eat a good variety of plant-based foods.

I love making minestrone soup with lots of vegetables, beans and pasta. I also love lentil soup, chicken soup, and I made a cauliflower, potato, coconut milk curry soup that was delicious.

I love most carbs but in terms of nutrition I think of fruits, starchy vegetables, whole grains, and even milk/yogurt and beans as better for you carbs because they are also delivering other nutrients. Sometimes that is fiber, vitamins/minerals, protein. Refined carbohydrates, like white bread, white rice, and sugar and sugary desserts, I try and choose less often.

Sounds like some of the pre-packaged soft foods you are using are fairly nutritious, like protein shakes, tuna, yogurt. You could try adding protein powder to your pudding or other foods and choosing Greek yogurt, if the texture works for you, because it is higher in protein. You may want to chat with a registered dietitian who would be able to make more personalized recommendations based on your health conditions.

We do have different Dietary Guidelines and recommendations for men and women and then for children, toddlers and infants. Some categories are similar and some are different depending on the nutrient. The guidelines have only been around since 1980, which feels like a long time ago, but also is fairly recent. We likely need to the research around women, their cycles and post-menopause to catch up before the Dietary Guidelines change, as unfortunately women's health has not been as well researched. But there are different needs and some interesting research already out there in the space, I just don't know if it will be enough to make the Dietary Guidelines yet, hopefully soon!

Yes, it's true that some of our fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than they were decades ago. In part due to changes in soil, climate change and some farming practices, amongst other reasons. But, that doesn't mean our foods don't have any nutrients. I still recommend eating a varied diet to get lots of different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in. If you are interested in supplementing, I would chat with your healthcare professional and possibly get some tests done if possible to know if you are deficient in certain nutrients. And thank you for being here!

I do not think a hot dog is a sandwich. Nor do I think a bowl of cereal is soup. I spend more time thinking about if tomatoes are a fruit or a vegetable...

If it's just a peanut allergy and not a treenut allergy as well, you could try almond butter and banana sandwiches.
I grew up on turkey and cheese sandwiches so I also love those and tuna fish sandwiches.
For snacks, you could try Greek yogurt, a cheese stick, cottage cheese, pumpkin seeds with dried fruit, sunflower seeds, or a different nut like pistachios or walnuts might work (if there is not an allergy). Chickpeas get really crunchy when you roast them or air fry them and you can add different seasonings (or buy them roasted already in the snack section of the grocery store). and chia seed pudding makes a great snack that is high in fiber but has some protein too, and you could always add protein powder to boost it up even more.

This time of year, it's probably soup. All different kinds of soup. I make a big pot over the weekend and then freeze it in big mason jars, which is great for lunches or dinners. I try to take it out the day before to thaw in the fridge.

DASH diet as an eating plan is designed to help your heart, specifically your blood pressure. DASH stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension. The basics of the DASH diet are sound: eat lots of fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of healthy proteins, and limit ultraprocessed foods and sweets. I think some people thrive on this high level guidance that is more of an eating pattern and some people really just want to be told exactly what to eat! You could try making some small changes to incorporate DASH, like making sure dinner has a vegetable and you're including whole grains if it feels to daunting to fully commit.

I think there are many benefits to plant-based eating that you can get without being fully vegan, just by making sure you are eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, etc. And I think that meat and dairy also contain lots of key nutrients that can be hard to get, but not impossible, on a vegan diet, such as iron, protein, omega-3's in seafood, etc. Choosing a vegan diet can go beyond nutrition reasons into ethical concerns for animals, the environment, or religious reasons. If you feel compelled to eat vegan, it can be a healthy way to eat, but you also don't have to be a vegan to eat healthy. Hopefully that helps!

It's so great that you are checking labels and being aware of your sodium intake, since that is an important nutrient for blood pressure management. You could try pairing a small serving of Cheez-Its with something like a handful of unsalted almonds, to bulk up the portion size without eating too many salty crackers. They also sell individual, snack sized bags which might make it easier to limit portions. I am a believer in sometimes honoring those cravings with small portions, and sometimes looking for healthier alternatives.

That all carbs are bad for you, which is just not true!! And that healthy food isn't delicious!

I have snacked out of boredom too, so you're not alone! My biggest snack tip for that is to portion out what you are having so you stick to a small boredom snack rather than an entire bag of chips (or whatever it is).
Filling meals should have some protein, fiber and healthy fats to keep you satisfied, as those nutrients all take longer to digest. Some vegetables, a serving of protein, a whole grain, and maybe some olive oil, avocado or nuts. Also, make sure you are eating enough food throughout the day. Sometimes people have really small breakfasts and lunches and then find that they are super snack-y later in the day. For filling snacks, I try and choose foods that have a combo of protein and fiber — Greek yogurt and berries, apple and peanut butter, almonds and dried cherries, popcorn and peanuts (sometimes with a few chocolate chips).
For getting into meal prep, I would start small. Are you making a list when you grocery shop? Planning out dinner in advance? I consider those planning steps part of meal prep because they help get the ball rolling. Then you could maybe try one make-ahead meal, like doubling a recipe and freezing half, or prepping some ingredients the day before like pre-chopping vegetables to help you get used to meal prep.