Leftovers can save you money, save you time, and make life a whole lot easier. But there’s one important question: How long are those leftovers actually safe to eat? As we get older, food safety becomes especially important. Adults over 65 have a higher risk of serious illness from food poisoning, so it’s worth being a little more careful about what stays in the refrigerator. Here are some simple rules to remember. The 3-to-4-Day Rule For many cooked foods, the USDA recommend

Yogurt can be an easy breakfast or snack, but walk into a grocery store and you'll find dozens of choices. So how do you know which one is worth buying? A recent Food Network article from registered dietitian Toby Amidor highlights nine yogurt brands and explains what shoppers should look for on the label. For older adults, a few things may be especially worth checking: protein, added sugar, calcium, vitamin D, and live cultures. What should you look for? 1. Protein Protein b

You probably don't give much thought to what happens in your brain when you use the bathroom. But your brain and digestive system are actually communicating the entire time. And that may help explain why you can feel so much better after having a bowel movement. Your Brain and Your Gut Are Connected Your digestive system has a remarkable network of more than 100 million nerve cells. This is called the enteric nervous system, and it constantly communicates with your brain. One

As we get older, taking care of our digestive system becomes increasingly important. One simple place to start may be right in your kitchen. Fermented foods—foods made with helpful bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms—have been part of traditional diets for centuries. Today, researchers are taking a closer look at how these foods may affect the trillions of microorganisms living in our digestive tract. That community is known as the gut microbiome, and keeping it balanced

Let's be honest: Most people don't spend much time talking about their bowel movements. But as we get older, paying attention to what's happening in the bathroom can actually tell us a lot about our digestive health. And there's plenty of misinformation out there. You may have heard that you need to poop every day, that a colon cleanse can “detox” your body, or that there's no reason to worry about colon cancer if everything looks normal in the bathroom. Those ideas aren't ne

Think you have to give up potatoes, pasta, peanut butter or even pizza to eat well after 50? Not so fast. By the time we reach 50, many of us have heard plenty of nutrition rules: Avoid carbs. Skip the yolks. Never eat anything with fat. Stay away from red meat. And definitely don't touch pizza. But healthy eating doesn't have to mean giving up the foods you love. What matters more is the quality of the food, portion size and what you pair it with. Many foods that have develo

If you've noticed more food companies talking about natural ingredients lately, you're not alone. One of America's best-known candy brands is the latest to make changes as consumer interest in cleaner ingredient lists continues to grow. Mars, the maker of M&M's, plans to introduce a version of the candy made without artificial food dyes. During the transition, the company says some colors—including blue and brown—will temporarily be missing from certain packages because they'

Once you reach your 50s, health advice starts coming at you from every direction. One week you're told to cut back on coffee, and the next week a new study suggests your morning cup might actually have benefits for your heart. It can be hard to know what to believe. I've learned not to chase every headline. Instead, I look for the bigger picture. Researchers continue to study how moderate coffee consumption affects cardiovascular health, and many findings have been reassuring

As we get older, it's not unusual for our bathroom habits to change. Medications, diet, reduced physical activity, and certain health conditions can all affect how often we have a bowel movement. While occasionally delaying a trip to the bathroom isn't usually harmful, making a habit of it can lead to problems that become more common—and more serious—with age. Here's what can happen when you regularly ignore the urge to go. 1. Constipation Can Become a Bigger Problem One of t

Many people over 50 start paying closer attention to their digestive health. One common question is whether there’s a “best” time of day to have a bowel movement. The short answer: there isn’t one perfect time for everyone. While many adults naturally have a bowel movement in the morning, what matters most is having a pattern that feels normal and comfortable for you. Why Morning Is the Most Common Time If you often head to the bathroom shortly after waking up, you’re not alo

Passing gas isn't exactly a favorite topic of conversation, but many adults notice changes in digestion as they get older. If you've found yourself dealing with more gas than you used to, you're not alone—and in many cases, it's nothing to worry about. Gas is a normal byproduct of digestion. Most people pass gas several times a day, and the exact number matters less than whether your habits have changed noticeably from what's normal for you. Why Gas May Become More Noticeable

As a registered dietitian, I often get asked about my go-to list of foods. One food I always mention is oats. There's nothing like a steaming bowl of hot oatmeal with nuts and berries to comfort my soul on a gloomy morning. The goodness of oats goes beyond comfort, though. Research suggests that regularly eating oats may reduce total and LDL (harmful) cholesterol—and lower cholesterol levels are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. So, what is so unique about oats

Curling up on the couch for movie night? Before you pop your next bag of microwave popcorn, find out if this classic snack is healthy or not. How Did Microwave Popcorn Come To Be? This microwaveable treat burst on to the food scene in the early 1980s. According to an article published in The New York Times, by the late 1980s all the major food manufacturers were fighting to corner the market on popped corn made with the push of a button. Fast forward forty years and market re

Passing gas, also known as flatulence, is a natural part of digestion that happens when swallowed air or gases produced by gut bacteria move through your intestines and out of your body. Most people fart between 5 and 15 times a day, so if you've ever wondered why you're more flatulent than usual, the answer often comes down to diet, eating habits, or changes in your gut. 1. Swallowing Air Air you swallow while eating and drinking is a common cause of farts. This happens when

Ever find yourself sitting on the toilet trying to poop but nothing comes out? You’re definitely not alone. Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints, accounting for millions of doctors visits each year. “Constipation is more common than most people realize, affecting about 35 million Americans, or roughly 1 in 10,” shares Yasi Ansari, M.S., RDN, CSSD. When you’re backed up, it can be tempting to try quick fixes. But experts agree one of the most effe

While long-term smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for COPD, your environment also plays a massive role. If you have COPD, living somewhere with low pollution levels can help you manage your symptoms. For people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) , everyday life can be difficult. COPD is a group of progressive lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis . About 30 million Americans have COPD, and more than half are unaware of it.

Probiotics Probiotics are live microorganisms found in fermented foods and supplements. Probiotics may help with various digestive issues, including diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They work by balancing gut bacteria, enhancing the immune system, and improving digestion. Common probiotic strains include lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. Probiotic-Rich Food Incorporating probiotic-rich foods into your diet is a natural way to su

Most of us have heard that plastic and microwaves are a bad match. But despite that knowledge, we sometimes fall into the trap of heating up our lunch packed Tupperware containers for the sake of time and convenience. If you do a deep dive into the dangers of plastics in the kitchen, you would probably quit this bad habit cold turkey, but the truth is we’re all strapped for time and are just looking for a safe way to heat our leftovers in the microwave in less than two minute

Understanding Colon Cancer Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, originates in the large intestine or rectum, often starting from polyps – precancerous growths in the colon’s lining. While it can affect anyone, it’s most prevalent in individuals over 50, emphasizing the importance of early detection through screenings for better treatment outcomes. Statistics show colon cancer as the third most diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the U.S., with over 100,000 new cases annu

Why It Happens It’s normal to have some gas. Each day, most people make 1 to 3 pints of it as we digest our food. It escapes 14 to 23 times a day, one way or the other. But if the gas can’t easily get out, you may feel uncomfortable and bloated. Two Sources The gas inside you builds up two ways. Some of it starts as air that you swallow along with your food. Most of that goes away when you burp, but a little flows on into you. Your large intestine makes the rest of the gas as