Eating For Health

My husband showed me an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, Is Your Brain Aging Faster Than You?  New Clues Emerge .   In the article, a man was experiencing issues like no longer being able to play the bagpipes as he made too many mistakes, then forgetting things.   At 56 years old, he was diagnosed with dementia.   What are the risk factors dementia? Age is the highest risk factor for dementia and one you can’t change. Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.   Other risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, physical in activity, poor diet, and hearing loss.   Some more risk factors are noted in Risk factors for dementia . What lifestyle changes can potentially slow and maybe even reverse some cognitive decline?   There are two lifestyle changes one can make that are often noted in research: diet and physical activity . NIH states, “Emerging epidemiologica...

Almost everyone thinks sodas are not good for your health.   Sweetened sodas are loaded with added sugar and low-calorie sodas use artificial sweeteners which many people try to avoid.   But there are new sodas on the market being advertised as good for your gut.   What are these sodas and why are people drinking them for a healthier gut? What are the new sodas promoting gut health? Two types of sodas are being marketed.   Prebiotic Sodas:   Prebiotics are mainly fiber that feed our healthy gut bacteria.   Two brands of prebiotic sodas are Poppi and Olipop .   On the Olipop can it states, “Supports Digestive Health”.   The prebiotic fibers in Olipop include cassava root, chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, guar fiber, and Nopal cactus.   Olipop also contains Calendula Flower for its lutein, beta-carotene and flavonoids.      Probiotic Sodas:   Probiotics are healthy bacteria usually found in foods like yogurt but n...

So many people complain about inflammation.   Many don’t realize that making some dietary changes can help your body fight inflammation.   What are some of those dietary habits? What are some symptoms of inflammation?   Some inflammation is temporary like acute inflammation due to an injury, infection or being bit like a bee sting.   Long term inflammation can result from diseases such as “diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and autoimmune disorders”.   Some symptoms include: Body aches/muscle pain: Hips, knees, backs are common aches. Migraine headaches can be caused by inflammation. Fatigue: Who would think that being tired might be linked to inflammation? What are some treatments for inflammation? Anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed to help with symptoms but drugs won’t “treat the root cause of the problem…”   Diet: What are some anti-inflammatory Diet Habits You Can Adopt to fight inflammation?   Registered Dietitian , Julia...

Who doesn’t enjoy a cup of tea?   As NIH noted, “drinking tea has been considered a health-promoting habit since ancient times”. Researchers have found this to be true.   Why is tea so healthy? What are the substances in tea that promote health? Polyphenols include catechins which are antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.   Flavonoids act as antioxidants in our bodies and may inhibit cancer cell growth.      Theanine is an amino acid that helps with relaxation. Caffeine is a stimulant that can improve alertness and focus. A cup of tea provides much less caffeine than a cup of coffee: black tea about 47 mg of caffeine, green tea only 28 mg.   Herbal teas like ginger tea and peppermint tea have no caffeine.   Minerals : Tea can provide minerals like potassium, magnesium, copper, and zinc.        What are some of the many health benefits of tea? Heart Health: Black tea but especially green tea can ...

Who doesn't enjoy some fresh watermelon?  So juice and naturally sweet.  At a buffet over the weekend, I saw person after person loading their plates with freshly sliced watermelon.  Many people enjoy watermelon and don't realize how healthy it is.   Cleveland Clinic says, “watermelon should be part of your diet”.  Why?  Watermelon is “packed with vitamins and minerals and can be enjoyed all year ‘round”.   We hear a lot about superfoods like blueberries, but we don’t hear much about other fruits like watermelon.  Watermelon packs a big nutritious punch. One reason why watermelon is so good for your health is that it is loaded with many vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.   Vitamins : watermelon is a good source of vitamins A, C and many B vitamins.  One cup of watermelon balls provides 12.5 mg of vitamin C, almost 25% of daily needs.  One cup also provides 876 IU of vitamin A, almost 20% of daily needs.  Minerals...

My husband showed me an article on coffee and how drinking coffee can adversely affect the medications you may be taking.   Many Americans are on medications and probably give little thought as to how their morning cup of coffee might affect their medications.   And there are ways to still enjoy your coffee and avoid those coffee-drug interactions?   In what ways might coffee interfere with prescription medications? Absorption: Coffee can interfere with the absorption of a medication. Metabolism Changes: Coffee needs some liver enzymes for metabolism and these liver enzymes may also be needed to metabolize a medication.   This can lead to the levels of medication potentially increasing or decreasing in the bloodstream.   Blood Sugar:   Coffee, especially if mixed with sugar and/or milk, can affect blood sugar levels which can make it harder to manage diabetes.   Drug interactions:   Coffee can form complexes with some medications making them...