Eating For Health

This week my husband showed me an interesting article in TIME, Can Taurine Slow Aging?   Who isn’t interested in slowing down father time?   Then my husband asked me if I knew what taurine was.   I said, “sure, it is an amino acid in some proteins.”   So, what does taurine have to do with slowing aging?   What foods have taurine?   Are there ways to increase taurine levels in your body besides eating certain foods? .   What is taurine? As noted in my blog, How can you add some high-quality protein foods to your day? , proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids.   Your body can make some amino acids but some you have to get from the foods you eat.   For babies taurine is an essential amino acid but adults can make the amino acid, taurine.      Taurine levels decline as you age. Although adults make taurine, the amount we make decreases substantially with age.   For example, in 60-year-old individual...

There are so many good reasons to add protein to your meals.   But not just any protein, you want high quality protein food choices.   Why are some proteins higher quality than other proteins?   What are some healthy protein foods you should be adding to your diet?   Many body builders focus on adding more protein to their diets.   But NIH notes that older Americans should also focus on protein as health benefits of more protein include:   an increase in muscle (lean body mass), increased leg power, improved gait and improved bone density.   Our bodies use protein not just to build muscle but also for our skin, to make antibodies, for our hair and even the hemoglobin in our blood.   Those trying to lose weight want to be sure to have adequate protein in their diets.   Studies have found that diets higher in protein can help with managing weight.   Protein at meals helps you feel full longer so you are not as hungry between meals. ...