Eating For Health

We all know that eating healthier foods will have a positive effect on our physical health.   How does what we eat affect our mental health?   Are there really “brain foods”?   A review of 41 studies on diet and depression was recently published in Molecular Psychology .   In their review, the researchers looked at different diets such as the DASH diet , the Mediterranean Diet and the Healthy Eating Index .    Most people realize that if you fill up on junk food, you won’t feel your best physically or mentally.   My neighbor calls it “brain fog”.   Research has shown that people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables and fish seem to have better mental health.   But is there an overall diet that is good for better mental health?   Yes.   The Mediterranean Diet came out on top in a review of many diets.   I wrote about the Mediterranean Diet in January as this diet is ranked number one as “Best Diets” for overall health by U.S....

What are some healthy lunches to eat at home or to pack for work or for going on a car trip?   When we go on car trips, we usually bring along a picnic lunch.   Just recently I went away with my two daughters and one daughter brought our picnic lunch.   Lean deli meats, whole grain rolls, fresh fruit, some greens for our sandwiches and some sides of egg salad and potato salad.   My husband and I also pack our lunch when we go on road trips.   This week we ate our picnic lunch on the way to our destination.   Sandwiches of whole grain bagels, lean deli meats, fresh fruit, whole grain chips, yogurt and milk.   So much healthier than any Fast-Food restaurant meal and often less time consuming. What are some healthy lunches you can pack or make for yourself at home?   Eat This, Not That! asked some dietitians about healthy lunch options and here are some of their suggestions.   1.  Pack an adult or child “lunchable” meal. So popular wi...

Almost everyone knows that fruits and vegetables are good for you.   But many people have no idea how many fruits and vegetables you need each day.   Many of my students say it is important to eat healthy but then have trouble defining what that means.   One thing “eating healthy” means is that you eat fruits and vegetables every day.   And there is a minimum you should eat.   Do you know what that number is?   Easy to remember, “5 A Day”, every day.   Early on in teaching I told my students to eat 5 fruits and veggies a day.   Then one student ate 6 fruits and veggies and told me they had to cut back.   I was puzzled, and asked, “Why are you cutting back on fruits and vegetables?”   She told me because I taught them “5 A day” and 6 must be too much.   So now I very carefully say, “at least 5 A Day”, as eating more than 5 is good for your health. The next question is – how many fruits and how many vegetables?   Can it be 4 fr...

Are you drinking one or more sugar sweetened beverages every day?   Some of the students in my class drink sweet tea which is common in the South.   Other common sugar sweetened beverages besides soda and sweet tea include:   Caramel Latte’s, sports drinks, fruit drinks (not real juice), or other beverages loaded with added sugar.   One student drank Gold Peak Sweet Tea and noted they added 347 calories to their day.   This would be 347 calories of added sugar and empty calories.   It is also common for parents to serve even very young children sweet tea or a soda at meals instead of milk.   The meal is then loaded with empty calories instead of the nutrition a glass of real milk provides.   This sweet tea is loaded with added sugar. Why cut back on sodas and other sugar sweetened beverages ? The Dietary Guidelines for 2015-2020 recommends limiting foods and beverages high in added sugars: Added sugars:   Less than 10% of calories per da...

Ever eat a meal and in no time at all you are hungry again?   My students often ask why sometimes they eat a meal and shortly after they are hungry?   But sometimes they eat a meal and they are hungry hours later.   Why do some meals fill you up and keep you feeling full for hours, yet other meals or food seem to leave you with an empty stomach not long after you eat? One reason is that some foods are digested rapidly and some foods take much longer to digest.   Some foods seem to fill you up and leave you feeling satiated.   What is satiated?   The book I use to teach nutrition, defines “satiety” as “the feeling of fullness and satisfaction that occurs after a meal and during eating.   Satiation determines how much food is consumed during a meal.” The Satiety Index My daughter sent me an article on the Satiety Index that rates different foods as to how full they make you feel after a meal.      Susanna Holt, PhD from Australia, ...