The Food That Slashes Your Diabetes Risk

Posted on April 17, 2013 by admin

Next to peanut butter and almond milk, walnuts don’t get much love—but there’s a new reason to stock your nut bowl with them: Eating walnuts could reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Researchers analyzed data collected by the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and NHS II, two separate decade-long studies that tracked the diets and health records of 138,000 women. While all of the participants were disease-free at the beginning of the study, 5,930 of them developed Type 2 diabetes during the 10-year span. Women who ate at least eight ounces of walnuts a month (that’s a little more than two cups of walnut halves) had a 24 percent lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than the women who rarely ate walnuts. Better yet: Walnut-eaters were also leaner than the women who ate the nuts only on occasion.

While researchers didn’t examine exactly how walnuts fight diabetes, they suspect it has to do with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Walnuts are full of them—and that’s a good thing. After all, past research has shown that PUFAs may reduce insulin sensitivity, which helps reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, says lead study author An Pan, PhD, research associate in the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. And like other tree nuts, walnuts contain protein, plant sterols, fiber, and antioxidants, which may also play a role in fighting Type 2 diabetes, he says.

A healthy lifestyle may also be what’s helping nut-eaters fend off disease, says Pan. People who consume nuts tend to eat better in general, exercise more, weigh less, and have lower body mass indexes (BMI), he says. Worried about the calorie content of nuts? Don’t be: Previous studies suggest that eating nuts doesn’t lead to weight gain—especially when you choose them over meats or unhealthy foods, says Pan.

So go ahead: Hit up the nut bowl for walnuts a few times a week. Or try one of these tasty recipes, all of which call for the diabetes-fighting food:

Whole-Wheat Walnut-Raisin Rolls

Photo: Thomas MacDonald

Low-Carb Chocolate Globs

Photo: Mitch Mandel

Chicken With Walnuts and Spinach

Photo: Jonny Valiant

Roast Cod With Pomegranate Walnut Sauce

Photo: Con Poulos

Whole Wheat Pasta With Walnuts, Spinach, and Mozzarella

Photo: Mitch Mandel

Stir-Fry Walnut Shrimp

Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Beet, Apple, and Walnut Salad

Photo: Kate Mathis

Main photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

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The Super Food That Can Lower Blood Pressure

Posted on April 9, 2013 by admin

To treat high blood pressure, you may want to swing by the grocery store—not your pharmacy: Egg whites could reduce your blood pressure as effectively as some medicines, according to a study conducted by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

In the study, researchers from Clemson University in South Carolina and Jilin University in China fed hypertension-prone lab rats short chains of amino acids called peptides from egg whites. These peptides reduced the rats’ hypertension by 19 millimeters of mercury, which is about equal to the effect you’d see from taking a low dose of the hypertension drug Captopril, say study authors.

Previous research has found that eating peptides from egg whites has a similar effect to taking hypertension drugs: Both suppress the enzymes that cause blood vessels to narrow (which raises your blood pressure), says study author Zhipeng Yu, PhD, a researcher at Jilin University.

While the egg white peptides in this experiment were highly concentrated, undercooked by human standards, and fed to mice (not people), previous research suggests that the peptides may maintain their beneficial effects at higher temperatures, too. What’s more, this study’s results were promising enough for researchers to plan further studies to determine how many egg whites humans would need to consume to manage hypertension, says Yu.

So while you shouldn’t ditch your pills just yet, it can’t hurt to include more egg whites in your diet. Get cracking on these tasty recipes:

Breakfast Pizza

Zesty Spinach Omelet

Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Breakfast Burrito

Photo: Mitch Mandel

Egg White Frittata

Photo: Jeff Harris

Eggs and Lox on an English Muffin

Photo: Jeff Harris

photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

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How Food Packaging Messes With Your Mind

Posted on March 20, 2013 by admin

Chew on this: People are more likely to think a food item is healthier if it has a green calorie label, according to a new study out of Cornell University.

The study, published in the journal Health Communication, took place in two parts. First, 93 undergrad participants looked at a picture of one of two candy bars. The candy bars each had the same number of calories listed: 260. In fact, they were nearly identical—the only difference between them was that one had a green calorie label, and the other had a red calorie label. Yet the participants who looked at the photo of the green-labeled candy bar judged it to be significantly healthier and to have fewer calories than other candy bars.

“Green means go and has generally positive associations, so we might see that as a green light to indulge,” says Jonathon Schuldt, PhD, the lead study author, assistant professor of communication, and director of Cornell’s Social Cognition and Communication Lab. Since red can of course carry its own implications (Stop! Warning!), the researchers decided it was unclear whether it was the green or the red that caused the results—so they performed a second study. This time, 60 online participants looked at a candy bar with either a green or a white calorie label, and they answered a question about how much value they put on healthy eating. Those who put a lot of weight on healthy eating thought the candy bar with the green label was healthier than the one with the white label.

“Even when we provided the participants with identical calorie information, the color was able to exert this effect,” says Schuldt. “It’s a reminder that it’s hard for us to navigate decisions about what’s healthy.”

And the calorie label isn’t the only packaging element that can color your perception of a food’s healthfulness. Check out the mind-benders in the infographic above.

photo (thumbnail): iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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How Food Packaging Messes With Your Mind

Posted on March 20, 2013 by admin

Chew on this: People are more likely to think a food item is healthier if it has a green calorie label, according to a new study out of Cornell University.

And the calorie label isn’t the only packaging element that can color your perception of a food’s healthfulness. Check out the mind-benders in the infographic above.

photo (thumbnail): iStockphoto/Thinkstock

What’s the 15-Minute Fat Loss Secret? Find out here!

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Will Your Baby Be Addicted to Junk Food?

Posted on March 5, 2013 by admin

Has your baby bump become a holding tank for chips and chocolate bars? Back away from the snack food aisle. New research published in The FASEB Journal shows that women who chow down on junk food while pregnant give birth to junk food junkies.

Junk food stimulates the production of opioids in the body (the same opioids found in morphine and heroin), which can cross through the placenta and breast milk from mom to fetus. To investigate how exposure to these junk food-induced opioids during fetal development affect babies’ food habits, Australian researchers studied the pups of two groups of rats. During pregnancy and lactation, one group of moms had eaten normal critter food while the other ate a range of human junk foods including chocolate biscuits and potato chips.

Once the pups were weaned, the researchers injected them with an opioid receptor blocker to prevent the junk foods from stimulating the release of dopamine in their bodies. By curbing the junk foods’ feel-good effect, blocking opioid signaling lowers fat and sugar consumption.

Researchers found that the opioid receptor blocker was less effective at reducing fat and sugar intake in the pups of the junk-food-feeding mothers. Their mothers’ cruddy diet during pregnancy caused reduced sensitivity in the babies’ opioid signaling pathway. In turn, these babies, born with a higher tolerance to junk food, needed to eat more of it to achieve a junk-food high.

“In the same way that someone addicted to drugs has to consume more of the drug over time to achieve the same high, continually producing excess opioids by eating too much junk food also results in the need to consume more junk food to get the same pleasurable sensation,” says researcher Beverly Muhlhausler, Ph.D., from the FOODplus Research Centre at the School of Agriculture Food and Wine at The University of Adelaide in Australia.

A healthy diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding can give your child a healthy start, Muhlhausler says. Previous studies have shown that eating specific foods during pregnancy and breastfeeding can result in the child preferring those foods later in life. And a baby’s pre-birth nutrition can either prevent—or cause—chronic health conditions.

“When you’re pregnant, your baby is fondly called a ‘glucose sink,’” says Cassandra Forsythe Ph.D., RD, nutritionist specializing in pregnancy and postpartum nutrition and author of the Women’s Health Perfect Body Diet. “Whenever you eat sugary foods (think junk foods here), all the sugar sinks right into the baby, making them more insulin resistant, more likely to crave junk foods and more likely to struggle with their body weight, not to mention more likely to develop glucose disorders like diabetes.”

A poor diet during pregnancy increases the child’s risk of obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, autism, and attention deficit disorder, according to Victoria Maizes, MD, executive director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine author of Be Fruitful: The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and Giving Birth to a Healthy Child. And adequate micronutrients, especially B vitamins, during fetal development reduce the risk of neural tube, cardiac, or other birth defects, she says.

Up to 90 percent of pregnant women report food cravings, and sweets are at the top of their list, according to Maizes. “To help manage cravings, consider giving in—but just to a small amount. A square of dark chocolate, a little scoop of ice cream, or a small piece of cake can satisfy the craving without destroying a healthy diet.” She suggests buying a single 2-ounce ice cream container when you are in need of sweet treat. (Don’t keep them in the house or they will disappear like crazy!) Also eat small, healthy meals throughout the day to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, she says. That way you won’t raid the kitchen—or the Kwik-E-Mart—when that glucose sink of yours runs dry.

photo: Dmitry Melnikov/Shutterstock

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The Healthy Food That Might Be Making You Sick

Posted on February 8, 2013 by admin

An apple a day will keep the doctor away…but only if you clean it first. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 percent of all food-borne illnesses are caused by contaminated vegetables–that’s 2.2 million out of 9.6 million reported cases. And produce foods–which include vegetables, fruits, and nuts–sicken 4.4 million people a year.

“We eat vegetables raw, so if harmful bacteria is present, there’s no intervention consumers have to ensure they’re safe,” says Michael Doyle, Ph.D., director at the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.

Scary stuff, right? What’s worse is that there’s no way to be 100 percent sure that your food, especially produce, is totally safe to eat, Doyle says. Your best bet is to take the precautions to lower the number of harmful microbes that could be present. Here are 5 tips to keep your healthy foods safe.

Check for blemishes
Fruits and vegetables with bruises, cuts, and nicks have a greater risk of being contaminated with a food-borne illness, Doyle says. Make sure you inspect every surface of whatever item of produce you intend to buy beforehand so that you don’t contaminate other foods in your shopping cart.

Wash before you eat
It’s tempting to sneak a few grapes between shopping aisles, but hold off until you’re home. Doyle says most of the harmful bacteria are located on the outer skins of produce. For fruits like bananas and oranges, peeling the outer layers will leave you with safe food on the inside–just make sure your hands are clean. For other foods, a minute of thorough rinsing will reduce potentially dangerous bacteria.

Cook at a high temperature
You may prefer your veggies raw, but washing them is only half the battle. Doyle recommends cooking vegetables at 160 degrees Fahrenheit to kill most of the harmful microbes. Boiling and steaming will get the job done, but if you’re grilling, heat the outer surfaces well.

Practice safe storage
Don’t let your food sit in your fridge uncovered. Place them in closed plastic containers or Saran wrap and cool them in a temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Doyle says the life expectancy of vegetables ranges from three to four days, so be sure to eat them in that time frame. Keep these closed foods away from raw meat on a separate shelf or compartment so that juices won’t drip on them.

Use your best judgment
When you eat out, you have less control over how your food is picked, cooked, and stored. You don’t see what happens behind closed doors, so unless the menu tells you how your food is prepared, assume the food is handled properly. If you’re at a buffet-style joint, you’re the food inspector. Sometimes food is left out for hours, so avoid things that look brown or wilted.

photo: Baloncici/Shutterstock

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The Food That Makes You Eat MORE

Posted on January 9, 2013 by admin

After plowing through a sleeve of cookies, do you find yourself ripping in for seconds? Fructose may be to blame. It turns out, eating fructose doesn’t activate the region of the brain that tells you you’re full, according to a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Yale University researchers used MRI scans to monitor brain activity in 20 young, normal-weight people before and after they consumed drinks containing glucose or fructose. Researchers found that the drink containing glucose reduced cerebral blood flow and activity in regions that regulate appetite, causing participants to feel full. However, the fructose-filled beverage didn’t change brain flow or activity, and participants didn’t report feeling fuller after drinking it.

“By not causing feelings of fullness, fructose can continue one’s desire to eat,” says senior study author Robert S. Sherwin, MD, endocrinologist at Yale University. Previous research has shown that consuming fructose producers smaller increases in satiety hormones compared to glucose, and promoted further eating in rodents.

Table sugar, or sucrose, is half fructose and half glucose. And while both fructose and glucose contain 16 calories, glucose is the body’s primary source of fuel, Sherwin says. Fructose is naturally found in fruits and some vegetables alongside healthy fiber and good-for-you nutrients. However, since it’s sweeter that glucose, it’s an inexpensive staple in commercial sweeteners. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), for example, the most common source of fructose in the American diet, typically contains about 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, and study researchers believe the high fructose-to-glucose ratio can prevent fullness and keep you eating long after you hit your sugar limit.

But high-fructose corn syrup is in more than soda and sweet treats, says Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., author of The Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Program. Here, she reveals 5 so-called “healthy” foods that are actually filled with the syrupy stuff:

FRUIT YOGURT
While a great natural source of protein, calcium, probiotics, and vitamins B and D, many yogurts—especially those that pack processed fruit—contain HFCS, DesMaisons says. For example, three of the five main ingredients in a popular Fruit on the Bottom yogurt are sugar, fructose syrup, and high fructose corn syrup.
Non-HFCS Swap: Try a fruit-free organic variety like Stonyfield Farm Plain Organic Low Fat Yogurt and mix in fresh fruit still sporting its skin, she says. You’ll both avoid refined sugars and up your fiber intake to stabilize blood sugar levels. (blood sugar: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/blood-sugar-information)

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
The bread bag might read “whole gain” on the front, but “high-fructose corn syrup” could still be on the ingredients label, according to DesMaisons. Wonder Bread Stoneground 100% Whole Wheat Bread, for instance, counts high-fructose corn syrup as its fourth ingredients.
Non-HFCS Swap: Always read ingredient labels, or just look on the front of Pepperidge Farm whole wheat labels for the line “No high-fructose corn syrup.” You can’t miss it.

PROTEIN BARS
Sure, they have protein. But that burst of energy you get right after eating them is often from HFCS, which Power Bars, Balance Bars, and Zone Perfect Bars all contain.
Non-HFCS Swap: Odwalla and CLIF Bar products are free of HFCS. Remember, however, that they aren’t low in all sugars, notes DesMaisons.

JUICE COCKTAILS
If a juice drink is not made with 100 percent juice, it generally contains a large amount of HFCS, she says. Some examples include: Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, Capri-Sun Juices, and Tropicana Orangeade.
Non-HFCS Swap: Opt for buying drinks that are 100 percent pure juice, such as Simply Orange, Limeade, and Lemonade. Even better, eat the fruit whole for fiber benefits, she suggests.

CANNED PRODUCE
It’s not just sodium you have to worry about in your canned goods. Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano, for example, lists high-fructose corn syrup as its third ingredient, right after tomatoes and tomato juice.
Non-HFCS Swap: When it comes to produce, fresh is always the way to go, says DesMaisons. If your fave fruits and veggies aren’t available this time of year, go the frozen route to avoid added ingredients.

photo: Thinkstock

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The Food Group That Burns More Fat

Posted on January 1, 2013 by admin

Skip the cookies, but chug the milk. According to a study in the International Journal of Obesity, an increased dairy intake can help you lose more weight.

Researchers reviewed 14 randomized controlled clinical trials—the gold standard of studies—that examined the link between weight, body fat mass, and dairy consumption. The results: People who ate the most dairy while on a calorie-restricted diet had a 1.6-pound greater reduction in fat mass and a 1.3-pound increase in muscle mass compared to people taking in lower levels of dairy. But the researchers found that increasing dairy consumption when you’re not on a calorie-restricted diet does not affect weight loss.

What’s going on? Researchers believe that the calcium, vitamin D, and protein found in dairy products help you lose fat by “supporting the preferential deposition of calories into muscle rather than fat,” says David L. Katz, MD, Prevention nutrition adviser and an associate professor of public health at Yale University. (Trying to lose weight? Find out Which Foods Not To Ditch.)

Here’s how: Calcium found in milk decreases the level of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃—a vitamin that spurs the growth of fat cells—in your body, helping to accelerate the effects of weight loss, according to a recent study in Obesity Research. Eating lots of dairy helps slow down the growth of fat cells, but only when combined with a weight-loss diet are the effects powerful enough to make a noticeable difference, says Katz.

Your move: Keep eating dairy—especially the high-protein kind—and replace your morning OJ with a glass of skim milk. People who drank a glass of skim milk with breakfast ate 8.5 percent fewer calories and reported feeling fuller than those who had a fruit drink, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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Could Expensive Junk Food Help You Lose Weight?

Posted on December 19, 2012 by admin

The next time you’re grocery shopping, ask yourself this: Would you still be tempted to buy that box of cookies if it cost ten bucks instead of just three? Scientists say probably not. The more expensive sugary sodas and junk foods are, the less likely people are to buy them, according to a new study in the journal PLOS Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Auckland and University of Otago analyzed data from 32 different studies examining pricing models and food consumption. They found that raising the price of sodas by 10 percent is associated with a 1 to 24 percent decrease in the consumption of soda. Likewise, a 1 percent price hike in foods with saturated fat is associated with a 0.02 percent decrease in consumption of those foods. And even more promising: Turns out, lowering the price of fruits and vegetables by 10 percent could result in a 2 to 8 percent increase in consumption of produce.

In short: If it’s affordable, people will buy it—regardless of whether it helps or hurts their health. That’s why food companies price large items at a discount—they know it’ll drive sales, says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. Unfortunately, healthy options tend to be much more expensive than junky items. “The Department of Commerce says the indexed price of fresh fruits and vegetables has gone up by about 40 percent since 1980 whereas the indexed price of sodas has declined by about 15 percent,” Nestle says. “That’s a big incentive to buy sodas.”

The good news is that you don’t need to be a member of the 1 percent to maintain a nutritious diet. These five meals are hearty, full of nutrients, and will cost you less than $ 28 altogether. See all the recipes, including chicken lettuce cups and curried chicken couscous.

Image: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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America Recycles Day Targets Food Waste

Posted on November 15, 2012 by admin

Here at Whole Living, we’ve been paying close attention to the issue of food waste, and we’re not alone. Today …
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Serving Jittery Joe's Coffee, Cecilia Villaveces, Cakes and Italian Gelato

Tag Archives: Food

The Food That Slashes Your Diabetes Risk

The Super Food That Can Lower Blood Pressure

How Food Packaging Messes With Your Mind

How Food Packaging Messes With Your Mind

Will Your Baby Be Addicted to Junk Food?

The Healthy Food That Might Be Making You Sick

The Food That Makes You Eat MORE

Could Expensive Junk Food Help You Lose Weight?

America Recycles Day Targets Food Waste