Eating For Health

COVID is in the news almost every day.   A new variant is popping up, etc.   The news recently was fascinating.   Are there foods or supplements that not only can help prevent COVID but also reduce symptoms?   Why hadn’t we heard this before?   You may have seen the many headlines about Probiotics can Reduce COVID Symptoms and Delay Disease .   Researchers at Duke University have come out with surprising findings about probiotics and COVID.    What did the Duke University study find about COVID and probiotics? Before COVID, researchers already knew that probiotics were helpful in preventing respiratory infections.   In March 2020, before many people had been vaccinated for COVID, Duke researchers studied unvaccinated individuals who had been exposed to COVID.   They studied 182 people, with half getting the probiotic lactobacillus and the other half taking a placebo pill.   Even though the research was cut short because study...

Who doesn’t love going to holiday parties and enjoying all that good food to eat?   But along with enjoying all that delicious holiday food can come some unwanted pounds.   What can you do to enjoy the food but not add on the unwanted weight?   Between mid-November and mid-January, Americans gain about 1-2 pounds.   Not all that much except if one doesn’t lose those couple of pounds and they stick around until the next year’s holiday season.   Some experts think this holiday weight gain is responsible for adult weight creep.   Just a few added pounds a year ends up being many pounds over a decade.   Consumer Reports and others have a few recommendations to help avoid gaining weight over the holidays.   Try out what works for you, even try one of the tips each day. Tip 1:   Know your holiday starting weight – weigh yourself first thing in the morning.   This is your weight goal to maintain over the holiday season.   Then each da...

Did you know that olive oil is not only delicious but is a powerhouse of health benefits?   Why did ancient Greeks describe olive oil as an “elixir of youth and health”?   What are some of the health benefits of this delicious golden oil?   Last week we discussed buying real vs. fake olive oil .   Here are some reasons you should include some olive oil in your daily diet. Heart Health:   The American Heart Association writes about the benefits of adding a drizzle of olive oil to your day.   A 2020 study found that just a half a tablespoon of olive oil a day can lower your risk of heart disease by 14%.     In the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found people who consumed more than a half a tablespoon of olive oil a day had a 19% lower risk of dying from heart disease.   Alzheimer’s Disease:   The 2020 study mentioned above also found that people who consumed more than half a tablespoon of olive oil a day, had a lower ...

Olive Oil – hopefully you have a bottle in your pantry.   Why?   Because it is a heart healthy oil and an oil with many health benefits.   But to get those health benefits, it needs to be REAL Olive Oil.   You go to the store and find some bargain Olive Oil on sale, good idea or bad idea?   If it is REAL Olive Oil, then you got a bargain.   But if it is FAKE or partially fake, you got cheated.   So how does one know if their Olive Oil is REAL or FAKE?   Is the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) you purchased, really EVOO?   Turns out many people and organizations have studied this.   Food& Wine , the North American Olive Oil Association , and Consumer Reports have provided advice on How to Chooses a Good Olive Oil .       Why is there “FAKE” Olive Oil? PopSugar has a great article, You May Be Buying "Fake" Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.    One country interested in cracking down on “fake” olive oil is Italy...