1. How normal is your urine? - This article does a good job displacing some of the myths surrounding healthy peeing habits. The tips it gives can be helpful to let you know if you're staying hydrated throughout the day.
2. Ugly could be better- We talked a few weeks ago about organizations and grocery stores that are now encouraging people to buy less aesthetically pleasing produce to decrease our food waste. Now, we get even more research to prove why we should be taking in these 'ugly' foods. Studies showed that apples with scabs had a slightly higher content of antioxidants than those without. This difference is not so vast to only eat 'ugly' produce, but it gives that extra incentive.
3. Apple slices or fries?- This article dives into the default options at restaurants and food chains and how making the healthier choice the default option typically results in individuals making healthier choices overall. It discusses how in 2006 Disney switched the default kid's meal choices to fruit/vegetable with a choice of milk, water or 100% juice, instead of the traditional french fries and soft drink. Researchers concluded that modifying the traditional options was effective at changing behavior without restricting choice. Mickey would be proud.
And lastly, I was reading an article in Your Weight Matters Magazine this month and came across a very interesting study. This study by researchers at the University of Minnesota found that there were no measurable differences in mood when subjects were given comfort food, a neutral food or no food at all. This means that it is not the ingredients in foods that make us feel comfortable, but rather the way we believe we are emotionally connected to a specific food. This may come as a shock to many of us 'cookies when we're upset' people.