YzFit

A study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may protect vision.  This lowers your risk of age-related macular degeneration, the primary cause of vision loss in older adults.

You often hear the advice to “Eat your greens!” However, it’s important to eat food of a variety of colors because they contain different nutrients. Purple and blue are often neglected colors in the average diet. In fact, eighty-eight percent of people don’t get enough purple and blue in their diet. Purple and blue foods only make up three percent of the average diet. These foods are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. Scientists believe that compounds known as anthocyanins, found in these foods, get rid of free radicals and soothe inflammation. A study done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who ate blue and purple fruits and vegetables had a lower risk for high blood pressure and were less likely to have low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol. These people are also less likely to be overweight. By reducing three of the five risk factors for metabolic syndrome, it is also believed that eating purple and blue foods will reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Good sources include fresh or frozen berries, plums, grapes, and chopped red cabbage. One of the easiest ways to obtain these benefits is by adding Concord grape juice to your diet.
photo credit: See-ming Lee 李思明 SML

Some people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but this practice is more likely to cause a weight gain. Eating breakfast actually reduces your overall calorie intake. Studies have shown that thinner adults, adolescents and children are more likely to eat breakfast than their overweight counterparts. Skipping breakfast makes weight control more difficult because it makes snacking harder to resist and skippers typically eat larger meals during the rest of the day to compensate for their hunger. Some studies have shown that people who eat fewer, larger meals tend to accumulate more body fat. Eating breakfast also improves your performance during the day. Sometimes teens, especially girls, will skip breakfasts to lose weight. It is important for parents to educate their children on the importance of eating breakfast and its role in maintaining good health and preventing obesity. It’s also very important for children to eat breakfast instead of sleeping in. Studies show that kids who skip breakfast are tardy and absent from school more than kids who eat breakfast. If you still don’t have time to make breakfast for your kids, consider enrolling them in a school breakfast program. Remember—eating breakfast is important no matter what your age!
photo credit: lepiaf.geo

A question that I seem to get often is “are there any safe appetite suppressants?”  And usually there is an advertisement that they have read or some bizarre herbal remedy that is supposed to cure all their weight issues with by taking a pill.

However, while I do not suggest any of those products or herbal remedies; (in fact I would suggest that you will benefit your body more if you run in the opposite direction) but there is one natural appetite suppressant that occurs naturally in apples.  Apples have a lot of phytochemicals that benefit the body and they just happen to help suppress the appetite a bit.  In college I had an interesting discovery.   I could buy a large Fugi Apple(my favorite) and a orange from the grocery store and if I ate the orange first I could then finish off the apple or at least be close to it. However, if i ate the apple first I would feel full enough that I wouldn’t feel hungry enough to want to peel the orange.

Now granted I would pick out the largest Fugi apple I could find because they were my favorite.  But I would find it would hold me over if I didn’t have time to go and get lunch till much later in the day.  Later one of my wellness professors talked about the benefits of doing an “apple fast” to reset the metabolism for a day.  While I don’t think I’ll be signing up for an apple fast anytime soon I think the old saying has more benefits than we give it credit.  An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  While it may not keep the doctor away you my find that it has a positive impact on the waist line over time.
photo credit: leoncillo sabino

A recent United Nations report by their top climate scientist, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, concluded that people should eat less meat to combat global warming. It is estimated that meat production accounts for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. To put this in perspective, transportation accounts for about 13% of emissions. Changing what you eat could have an impact on climate change. Dr. Pachauri said, “But if we’re honest, less meat is also good for the health, and would also at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.” In response to this report, the Belgian city of Ghent has instituted a weekly meatless day, making it the first city in the world to go vegetarian for environmental reasons. Civil servants and elected officials are going meatless every Thursday in the hope that Ghent can reduce its environmental footprint. Schools are also going to have their own veggie day in September. As a bonus, veggie day tackles obesity as well. The city of Ghent is printing 90,000 “veggie street maps” for locating vegetarian eateries around the city.

photocredit:srqpix

Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.” Most of us have a certain “comfort food” we crave when we feel out of sorts, but some foods have a more lasting emotional impact than others. These foods can help keep you calm and happy by nourishing your brain and improving your mood.
Carbohydrates—Eating them can keep you from being depressed. Your brain can only manufacture serotonin (which elevates your mood) when you eat carbs. Researchers found that people who ate only 20 grams of carbs a day (the same as a small bowl of cereal) felt more irritable and cranky. Don’t rush out to buy a supersize of fries, though! Whole grain carbs are what you need, without the fat to make you feel sluggish. To elevate your mood it is recommended that you eat one carbohydrate snack a day and if possible, a protein-free dinner. You should see your mood improve in a week or less.

Spinach—The folate found in spinach and other leafy greens can improve your cognitive function. A folate deficiency can cause depression. Eat one and a half cups of spinach, one cup of lentils, or four cups of broccoli to get your recommended 400 micrograms a day.
Olive Oil and Nuts—These foods contain fats (mono-unsaturated fats) that are actually good for you. They are great for both your heart and your mood! Get about five servings a day (but remember that servings of fat are pretty small, so don’t overdo it!) For example, a serving would be one teaspoon of olive oil, eight black olives, six almonds, or one slice of avocado.

Fish—It contains Omega-3 fatty acids that have been proven to affect your brain chemistry. In fact, it has been as effective as Prozac in some cases.Fish with the best benefits include salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, and black cod.

Vitamin D—Yes, you can get it from the sun. However, if you’re vitamin D deficient, you may need supplements. At Washington University they found that administering 20,000 to 40,000 IU of vitamin D to depression patients lessened their depression. These doses should only be used under a doctor’s supervision. However, it is recommended that a dose of 1,000 IU a day could help. Make sure to get D3 for the highest potency.  photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

Adding cherry juice to your diet could reduce soreness after exercise. Research from Oregon Health & Science University found that people who drank 2 cups of tart cherry juice two times a day for a week felt less muscle pain and soreness after a race than those who didn’t. Cherries have a natural anti-inflammatory antioxidant, known as anthocyanin. It can be used to reduce the pain and inflammation from gout, arthritis, muscle pain and back pain. They may also offer some protection from colon cancer, heart attack and stroke. Everyone is different, so the amount you need to consume and the time it takes to see benefits may vary. To receive benefits you should drink at least one ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate, a quarter cup of dried tart cherries or 1 ½ cups of frozen tart cherries. All cherries contain anthocyanins, but tart cherries have twice the amount as sweet cherries. It could take a few days to several weeks to see results.

photo credit: dongga BS