Eating For Health

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...

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...

A friend was saying how tired she had been lately.   So tired she fell asleep at church and then fell asleep working at her desk in the middle of the afternoon.   This was very unusual, so she went to her doctor and was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.   What is iron deficiency anemia?   Why does it make you tired?   What is the treatment if you have this condition?   What is iron deficiency anemia?   Anemia means your body is lacking in red blood cells.   Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the cells in your body.   When your cells don’t receive enough oxygen, you can feel weak or fatigued.   There are different types of anemia, one is iron deficiency anemia.   You lack enough iron to make hemoglobin – the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body.      What are the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia? As my friend noted, one symptom is being tired.   Some ...

Want an easy habit to adopt for better health?   Just add a handful of nuts a day.   So easy to do and so many great health benefits.   Nuts are packed with good nutrition including protein, fiber, healthy fats, and many vitamins and minerals.   Health benefits of adding a handful of nuts a day include reducing your risk of heart disease, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes and helping with weight management. What nutrients are in nuts? Protein: Nuts are a good source of protein.   Not as good as animal foods like dairy, eggs, or meat but a good plant-based source of protein providing about 3-7 grams of protein per ounce.   Which nut provides the most protein?   Peanuts with about 7 grams of protein per ounce.   Next are almonds and pistachios providing about 6 grams of protein per ounce.   (See: How can you add some high-quality protein foods to your day? ) Healthy fats:   Although nuts are high in fat , they are rich in monounsat...

Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee or two to start their day?   I often get asked, “Is coffee good for one’s health?”   What does the research show?     My sister sent me an article describing the latest health benefit of drinking coffee. What are the health benefits of drinking coffee? Johns Hopkins notes 9 reasons coffee is good for you.   What are some of the benefits? Coffee is loaded with healthful antioxidants .   These may lower inflammation and help protect against several diseases. Coffee lowers one’s risk of getting type 2 diabetes . Coffee lowers one’s risk of heart failure.   Enjoy those 2 cups of coffee a day as it makes your heart stronger. Coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease .   Coffee drinking is good for your liver .   How?   Coffee drinking promotes good liver enzymes. Coffee drinking reduces your risk of colon cancer – a condition now on the rise in those younger than 50.   (See...

Colon cancer was always a concern for people over the age of 50.   But now, it is becoming increasingly more common for people under the age of 50 to be diagnosed with colon cancer.   While colon cancer has been declining for older adults, since 1990 colorectal cancer has been increasing in younger adults (under 50) with rates increasing 2% a year.   What is the incidence of colon cancer in younger adults? Among those younger than 55 years of age, the proportion of cases increased from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019.  Although the overall rate dropped by 1% each year from 2012 to 2021, the drop was mostly in older adults, those 65 and older.    Why is the incidence of colon cancer increasing in younger adults? Research is investigating the reasons but factors being explored are diet, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and even changes in the gut microbiome, the bacteria in your gut.  (See:  Healthier gut for a healthier you )  Other factors i...

There may be no fountain of youth but there seems to be some heart-healthy habits that may slow biological aging.    Medical News Today has an interesting article , “8 heart-healthy habits may slow biological aging by up to 6 years, researchers say”.   What study did researchers do and what did they find? Researchers looked at 6500 adults (average age of 47) to study the American Heart Association’s recommendations of Life’s Essential 8 checklist to see if following the 8 essentials would slow biological aging.   They found that adults “with high cardiovascular health were about six years younger biologically than their chronological age.”    Why would high cardiovascular health extend life? Researchers surmise that good heart health reduces one’s risk of heart disease but also other age-related diseases.   What are the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 ?   AHA notes their 8 lifestyle steps not only lead to better hear...