Category Archives: Healthy eating

Diet, disease, Health, Healthy eating

10 Foods That Fight Inflammation

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There are many drugs that help fight inflammation, but did you know there are also foods that fight inflammation? Here’s a list of foods that have been found to decrease inflammation in the body.

Extra-virgin olive oil

Extra-virgin olive oil – an unrefined type of olive oil – contains a substance called oleocanthol that interferes with two enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) involved with inflammation in the body. In fact, a 2005 study in the journal Nature found that oleocanthol inhibits inflammation in a way that’s identical to the painkiller ibuprofen.

Red wine

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Red wine contains a compound called resveratrol, which has been found to have both anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Scientists say the presence of this compound may help explain the so-called “French paradox” as to why the French – who drink red wine with most meals – can eat a diet that’s actually quite high in saturated fats and yet have healthy arteries and hearts

Tea

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Generally, any beverage that is high in water content will have anti-inflammatory qualities, and tea is a great choice. Teas such as white tea, oolong, and green tea are full of catechins, antioxidant compounds that reduce artery plaque and inflammation. Tea also has been linked to reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Grass-fed beef

If you’re eating beef that’s not specifically sold as “grass-fed,” it means the cows were fed a high-calorie diet of corn and grain in an effort to fatten them quickly. Corn and grain are full of omega-6 fatty acids, which have been linked to inflammation. Grass-fed cows are leaner, and their meat is rich in healthy compounds such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

Oily fish

You’ve probably seen bottles of fish oil supplements in your pharmacy or grocery store, but you can get the same healthy boost from going straight to the source, as well. Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna are fish that have fatty oils throughout the fillets and in the area around the gut, rather than just in just the liver. Experts say eating one to two servings of these fish per week can reduce inflammation.

Cocoa

Cocoa contains anti-inflammatory compounds called flavanols, substances that reduce both blood clotting and inflammation in the body. Enjoying a cup or two of hot cocoa per week can help reduce inflammation, particularly if it’s made with skim or low-fat milk to keep down the drink’s content of saturated fats. Keep in mind, however, that trying to get your cocoa in the form of candy will load you up on saturated fats.

Cranberries

Cranberries are a powerhouse food, with studies linking the red berry to such benefits as inhibiting cancerous tumors and lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol. Scientists say the fact that the berries are rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants contribute to their healthful effects. As a bonus, cranberries also contain tannins, substances that can act as a natural antibacterial agent to fight urinary tract and E. coli infections

Grapes

A 2004 study found that people with stable coronary disease lowered the amount of inflammatory markers in their blood by drinking Concord grape juice. This finding was likely due to the presence of resveratrol in the grapes’ skins, which inhibits inflammation and may even help to fight cancer. Eating grapes – and not drinking them – also adds fiber to the grapes’ benefits and eliminates any added sugar.

Walnuts

Walnuts contain the “plant version” of omega-3 fatty acids, a substance known as ALA, which reduces inflammation in the body. In a 2004 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, scientists found that people who ate at least 2.3 ounces of walnuts and flaxseed (which also contains ALA) daily had reduced levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), a major indicator of a person’s risk for heart disease.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a virtual disease fighter, rich in such healthy compounds as beta-carotene, vitamin B folate, vitamin C, and the inflammation-fighting flavanoid kaempferol. Broccoli also contains sulforaphane, which experts say helps the body cleanse itself of cancer-causing compounds.


Diet, Health, Healthy eating

If You Haven’t Noticed, Were you aware That The Label for all Your meal Is Changing?

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New health claims, symbols, and seals of approval turn up on food packaging when you go grocery shopping. But when you’re one of the many 59% of shoppers who nearly always reads a label before purchasing new food, you’ve seen hardly any change in the nutrition facts label. That number-filled panel upon the back of a given package hadn’t changed since 2003—when trans fat was added. The current updates that started in 2016 and are generally still underway, are considerably more obvious.

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Beginning January 1, 2020 large food manufacturers needs to be in a location that met with the FDA’s new nutrition facts label design (smaller manufacturers contain an additional year). If you’re a label reader, you’ve noticed many labels already chose new design.

Author Resource Box:
https://www.bhg.com/news/nutrition-facts-label-change/

Diet, Fitness, Health, Healthy eating

Exactly what is Vitamin F? Uses, Benefits, and Food List

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Vitamin F is certainly not a vitamin within the traditional understanding of the saying.

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Rather, vitamin F is basically a term loads of fats — alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA). They are necessary regular body functions, including aspects of brain and heart healthy living .

ALA is basically a a part of the omega-3 fat family, while LA is a member of the omega-6 family. Common forms of both include vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.

They were sourced out of the 1920s when scientists showed that fat-free diets had uncomfortable side effects on rats. Initially, the scientists suspected the rats were deficient in a new vitamin they called vitamin F — later discovered to be ALA and LA .

Author’s reference: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-f

Diet, disease, Fitness, Health, Healthy eating

Did you know that cardiovascular risk linked not to weight, but to body fat storage?

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By studying a sizable cohort of females that has been already through menopause, researchers are finding that cardiovascular risk is related to body shape, which results from how fat is distributed in the human body.

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New research implies that in women over 50, body shape is associated with cardiovascular risk.

Existing research reports have suggested that any particular one’s body mass index (BMI), calculated in mention of the their total weight and height, is linked to the chance of experiencing cardiovascular events.

Thus, the higher an individual’s BMI, the more their chance of experiencing stroke, heart problems, and similar events and conditions.

However, new research, through the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York, NY, as well as other institutions, points to some other potential factor, namely, where fat is stored in the torso — for women older than 50, at the very least.

The latest study — the findings of which appear in European Heart Journal — has looked over data from 161,808 women aged 50–79 to learn whether BMI or fat distribution was associated with cardiovascular risk.

All the participants had enrolled in the ladies’s Health Initiative between 1993 and 1998. Follow-up home elevators the participants’ health was available from that period to your end of February 2017.

None of these women had cardiovascular disease at baseline. Through the entire study period, however, the researchers recorded 291 new cases of cardiovascular disease.

Reference

Cardiovascular risk linked not to weight, but to body fat storage. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325621.php

Diet, disease, Health, Healthy eating

Can you believe that millions of deaths may be tied to not eating enough fruits and vegetables?

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apples
© andy0man

New research finds that inadequate intake produce may make up for 2.8 million deaths annually.

I will now put on my mother hat and tell you this: Eat your fruits and vegetables.

Here’s why. A new study finds that inadequate intake of produce may make up for 2.8 million deaths, globally, from heart condition and strokes annually. The researchers concluded that low fruit intake resulted in 1.8 million cardiovascular deaths in twenty ten. I believe that not eating enough vegetables resulted in 2 million deaths.” Fruits and vegetables certainly are a modifiable factor of diet that can impact preventable deaths globally,” said lead study author Victoria Miller, a postdoctoral researcher along at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “Our findings indicate the call for population-based efforts to increase fruit and vegetable consumption through the entire world.”

The researchers used data from 2010 and found:

  • Suboptimal fruit consumption generated in nearly 1.3 million deaths from stroke and even more than 520,000 deaths from the disease of the coronary artery.
  • Suboptimal vegetable consumption brought about around 200,000 deaths from stroke and more than 800,000 deaths from the condition of the coronary artery.

For the study, the researchers used dietary guidelines and studies of cardiovascular risk factors to come up with a fruit and vegetable standards, they defined:

Optimal fruit intake: 300 grams per day, equivalent to roughly two small apples. 
Optimal intake of vegetables: Including legumes, 400 grams per day, equivalent to about three cups of raw carrots.

The data they used came from 113 countries, comprising around 82 percent of the world’s population.

Countries in South Asia, East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa had low fruit intake and high rates of associated stroke deaths. Countries in Central Asia and Oceania had low vegetable intake and high rates of associated coronary heart disease.

The maps below show the percentage of cardiovascular deaths (CVD) attributable to suboptimal vegetable and fruit intake in countries around the world.

fruit map

Global Dietary Database 2010/Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University/CC BY 4.0

vegetable map

Global Dietary Database 2010/Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University/CC BY 4.0

Perhaps the United States, with all of our relative abundance and free natural resources, did not fare that well. Inside the U.S., avoiding food enough vegetables defined 82,000 cardiovascular deaths while suboptimal fruit was linked to 57,000 deaths regarding the year.

Reference

Millions of deaths tied to not eating enough fruits and vegetables.https://www.treehugger.com/health/millions-cardiovascular-deaths-attributed-not-eating-enough-fruits-and-vegetables.html

Diet, disease, Health, Healthy eating

Would you like to know what increasing or decreasing meat does to you over time?

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A review of more than 80,000 patients over eight years suggests things to one’s chance of premature death when changing meat consumption. Most of us are aware that eating pork is not very good to fit your needs. Think A higher likelihood of adult-onset diabetes, heart problems, some kinds of cancer, and premature mortality. Moreover, adding in processed white meat like bacon, hot dogs, and sausages get you much more: Increased risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart attack, and hypertension.

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Thus it sounds right that increasing or decreasing one’s meat consumption is sure to have a visible impact eventually, the specifics of which are precisely such a team of researchers due to the States and China set out to determine. The twist this is that they can be desired to figure out the risks not tied to initial white meat intake, and specifically, the risk of mortality.
When it comes to the research, the entire team members used data from 53,553 female nurses, ages 30 to 55, beginning with the famous cohort study, the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), as well as from 27,916 male health professionals, aged 40 to 75, that are caused by the Physicians Follow-up Study (HPFS). All were devoid of heart disease and cancer at the beginning of a given study.

They measured increases or decreases of red meat intake for eight years, and then tracked health wellness and death data for eight years afterward. Exactly what found would likely surprise just about nobody. The study causes that: In two large prospective cohorts of ourselves women and men, we came to see a rise in white meat consumption over eight years was directly connected with risk of death during the course of the subsequent eight years and started independent of initial white meat intake and concurrent changes in lifestyle factors. This association with mortality was observed with increased consumption of processed and unprocessed meat but was stronger for processed meat.

Equally unsurprising, also due to the study: A decrease altogether beef consumption and a simultaneous increase in the use of nuts, fish, poultry without skin, dairy, eggs, whole grains, or vegetables over eight years was associated with far less danger of death in the subsequent eight years.
They say which the research suggests the fact that a change in protein source or maintaining a healthy diet natural foods such as vegetables or wholesome grains can undergo significant change longevity. Moreover, such findings were also relevant in shortcut (for a period of four years) and longer run (12 years) studies they did too.

How a large part of an associated impact did they find? After adjusting for age together with other potentially influential factors: Increasing total white meat intake (both processed and unprocessed) by 3.5 servings a week or even more over eight years was associated with a 10 percent greater risk of death within the next eight years.

Increasing processed white meat intake, such as bacon, hot dogs, sausages and salami, by 3.5 servings one week or more was associated with a 13 percent upper chances of death.

They found that the associations were consistent across different age brackets, methods of physical activity, dietary quality, smoking, and alcohol habits.

Meanwhile, they found that: Swapping out one serving each day of beef, for example, serving of fish per day over eight years was linked with a 17 percent lower risk of death inside the subsequent eight years. Which seems pretty significant to me. Now granted, it was an observational study, and in consequence, the cause could not be explicitly established; also, as the authors note, then the members of those two cohorts were mainly white registered doctors, so the findings are probably not more widely applicable. However, the comprehensive data incorporates a vast swath of individuals during an extended period, with many assessments of diet and lifestyle factors, with similar results between the cohorts.

Given all of the prior evidence linking the consumption of white meat to poor health, it seems sensible that increasing one’s intake would be connected with a heightened likelihood of mortality. The findings provide “a functional message to the general public of precisely how dynamic changes in red meat consumption is associated with health,” they conclude. “Changing protein source or maintaining a healthy diet natural foods such as vegetables or wholesome grains can change longevity.”

Reference
What increasing or decreasing meat does to you over time …. https://www.treehugger.com/health/what-increasing-or-decreasing-red-meat-does-your-risk-death.html

Diet, disease, Health, Healthy eating

Do you know how much fruit and vegetables you should be eating every day?

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In line with the CDC, in 2015 only 12 percent of Americans met the suggestions for consuming fruit, and only nine percent consumed enough vegetables – also though eating sufficient fruits & vegetables as an ingredient of a standard nutritious diet reduces the chance of numerous chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and obesity.

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Therefore, only how much is enough?

The federal guidelines had previously been shown in a pyramid and guidelines had been described in servings, that could sometimes be complicated since one serving could mean, for instance, a complete piece of medium sized good fresh fruit or 1/2 glass of canned, fresh fruit or 3/4 glass of fruit juice. One practically needed a spreadsheet and a calculator to keep track.

Utilizing the newer introduction of the MyPlate graphic, it is a bit easier. The idea is usually to fill half of a person’s plate with fruits and vegetables; as well as the serving sizes have now been simplified to cups.

Daily fruit recommendation
Women 19 to 30 years old: 2 cups
Women 31+ years old: 1 ½ cups
Men 19 years old and up: 2 cups

Daily vegetable recommendation:
Women 19 to 30 years old: 2 ½ cups
Women 31 to 50 years old: 2 ½ cups
Women 51+ years old: 2 cups
Men 19 to 30 years old: 3 cups
Men 31 to 50 years old: 3 cups
Men 51+ years old: 2 ½ cups

What one cup means
Now here’s where it can get a little confusing again, because a cup isn’t always a cup.
FRUIT
Generally speaking, although not always, one cup of fruit or a ½ cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup through the Fruit Group. Any fruit or 100 percent fruit juice counts (though remember that juice lacks the fiber of whole fruits). Here are a few other equivalents.

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1 small apple (2¼” diameter) = 1 cup-equivalent
1 large banana (8-9″ long) = 1 cup-equivalent
½ cup of fruit cocktail = ½ cup-equivalent
½ medium grapefruit (4″ diameter) = ½ cup-equivalent
1 medium bunch of grapes (about 50 grapes) = 1½ cup-equivalents
1 medium mango = 1 cup-equivalent
1 small orange (approx. 2½” diameter) = ½ cup-equivalent
½ cup of 100% orange juice (4 fluid ounces) = ½ cup-equivalent
½ large peach (2¾” diameter) = ½ cup-equivalent
2 large plums (2½” diameter each) = 1 cup-equivalent
¼ cup of raisins = ½ cup-equivalent
VEGETABLES
Any vegetable or 100 percent vegetable juice counts; vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed. Within the vegetable group, there are sub-groups, of which you should strive to eat a mix of all: Dark-green vegetables; red and orange vegetables; starchy vegetables; beans and peas (which can also satisfy protein requirements), and other vegetables. The equivalents are often equal, but not always. Here is a list to give you a better idea.

½ cup of black beans (cooked) = ½ cup-equivalent
½ cup of broccoli = ½ cup-equivalent
1 cup of baby carrots = 1 cup-equivalent
½ cup of cauliflower = ½ cup-equivalent
½ cup of corn = ½ cup-equivalent
½ cup of green beans (cooked) = ½ cup-equivalent
½ cup of kidney beans (cooked) = ½ cup-equivalent
1 cup of iceberg lettuce = ½ cup-equivalent
1 cup of romaine lettuce = ½ cup-equivalent
½ cup of mushrooms = ½ cup-equivalent
2 slices of onion (raw) = ¼ cup-equivalent
½ cup of pinto beans (cooked) = ½ cup-equivalent
1 medium baked or boiled potato (2½-3″ diameter) = 1 cup-equivalent
1 cup of baby spinach (raw) = ½ cup-equivalent
1 large baked sweet potato (2¼” diameter) = 1 cup-equivalent
½ cup of 100% tomato juice (4 fluid ounces) = ½ cup-equivalent
½ cup of tomatoes (raw) = ½ cup-equivalent
½ cup of zucchini = ½ cup-equivalent

Reference

Here is how much fruit and vegetables you should be eating …. https://www.treehugger.com/health/heres-how-much-produce-you-should-be-eating-every-day.html

Diet, disease, Health, Healthy eating

Why don’t fats make a person fat? A Dietitian explains how it might be the opposite

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Professionals have some excellent news to fairly share: no, eating fats does not automatically make you fat. Overeating, macronutrient (fat, protein, or carbs) boosts the threat of weight gain, said registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick at Cleveland Clinic Wellness, but “fat in and of itself just is not a thing that is likely to make you fat,” despite the somewhat misleadingly identical terminology.

You can understand where in actuality the misconception arises from, however. “Fat can be a fairly scary nutrient” for individuals who count calories, Kristin said, since it is more calorie-dense: one gram of fat contains nine calories, in comparison to four calories per gram of protein and four calories per gram of carbohydrate. “People also may associate fat with more ‘indulgent’ foods, such as butter and steak,” Kristin told POPSUGAR, adding to the misconception that every fat are unhealthy. Then there is the simple association that eating fats might create fat within the body, which is not just the situation; you are likely to gain weight if you eat processed or processed foods or overeat consistently, including fats, but fats do not inherently lead to weight gain.

Kristin said, nearly all her clients have now been able to lose weight on high-fat diets, often since they replace refined carbs and sugars with healthy fats (snacking on nuts as opposed to pretzels, for example). The popular ketogenic diet, which can be high-fat and low-carb, is the one which has helped many people drop some weight, even though it is still controversial among dietitians.

According to Kristin, fats will also be harder to digest than other nutrients, such as carbs. This means they take longer to move throughout your digestive system, that will help you stay full for longer and have fewer snacking cravings. Fats improve your metabolism for the same reason; the body needs more energy (aka burns more calories) to digest them.

Exactly how much fat should you eat, then? On average, seek to keep fats as 30 percent of one’s healthy daily diet, though Kristin noted that this would probably vary based on the body, activity level, and general health; consult a health care provider or dietitian for guidelines specific to the body. You ought to also adhere to healthy fats as much as possible, including avocados, nuts, whole soy, olive oil, and fatty fish like tuna and salmon.

So no, you most likely do not need to go nonfat to get rid of weight or remain healthy. Keeping those healthy fat sources as part of your regular diet, balanced with carbs and much protein, is the better way to go.

Reference
Does Eating Fat Make You Fat? | POPSUGAR Fitness. https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Does-Eating-Fat-Make-You-Fat-46237336

Diet, disease, Health, Healthy eating

New study links people who don’t get enough sleep to poor nutrition

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Study links people who don’t get enough sleep to poor nutrition

Poor sleep has been connected to poor nutrition. However, it is unclear why the two may appear together. The association between the issues was revealed in a study that looked at National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, based on the American Society for Nutrition, which unearthed that individuals who sleep lower than seven hours per night might also lack adequate levels of vital nutrients.

Following the CDC, adults should get more than seven hours of sleep per night to maintain their health. The brand new study unearthed that US adults who got not as much as that number also, an average of, consumed fewer nutrients like vitamins D and A, zinc, niacin, and more.

Some vitamins and minerals are vital for health but are not created by the body. Someone with a poor diet could be with a lack of at least one of these micronutrients, eventually leading to disruption in normal bodily functions, or perhaps the introduction of diseases or any other problems.

As well as a connection between poor sleep and poor nutrition, the study found that more nutrients were connected to poor sleep in females; taking vitamin supplements reduced the amount, based on the study, hinting at a potential benefit from supplementing to fill the nutritional gaps in one’s diet.

The findings may be revealed because of the study’s lead author Chioma Ikonte in the annual American Society for Nutrition meeting. The type for the study means the researchers were not able to find out whether someone suffers poor sleep quality because of poor nutrition, or if perhaps poor sleep quality eventually results in nutritional deficits.

Reference

Study links people who don’t get enough sleep to poor …. https://www.slashgear.com/study-links-people-who-dont-get-enough-sleep-to-poor-nutrition-09579778/

Diet, disease, Health, Healthy eating

It is amazing that scientists dream of a personalized diet based on Genetics

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No single food regimen works well with everyone. New research is one of comprehensive effort yet to understand why.

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A decade ago, spurred by the success of the Human Genome Project and the affordability of genetic sequencing, scientists started to explore the promise of “nutrigenomics.” Could personalized nutrition, informed by understanding of an individual’s DNA, assist in preventing and even
treat diet-related diseases?

The outcome of early studies from Harvard, Stanford and elsewhere were compelling: Genetic differences did actually predispose individuals to lose different levels of weight on different sorts of diets. A multimillion-dollar industry soon sprang up, premised on marketing DNA-based diets. But subsequent studies have failed to demonstrate any statistically significant difference between fat reduction between overweight individuals who “eat suitable for their genotype” and the ones that do not.

In fact, the result of genes on obesity has been hard to tease out; various studies put the figure at anywhere from 35 to 85 percent. Nutritionists have traditionally observed that no body weight-loss strategy works well with everyone, and that individuals show striking differences in their responses to different diets.

Reference
Diet for One? Scientists Stalk the Dream of Personalized …. https://monohealthy.com/diet-for-one-scientists-stalk-the-dream-of-personalized-nutrition-the-new-york-times/