Produce Found to Impact on Strokes, Blood Pressure

Studies show the benefits of adding apples, tomatoes and cranberry juice to your diet.

How is your produce intake? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that at least one half of your plate should contain fruits and vegetables but for many Americans this desirable balance is still a goal and not a reality. Three recent studies might push you to achieve the goal a bit sooner. The first study appeared in the journal Neurology and it looked at the lycopene content of tomatoes related to reduction of stroke risk in men. Lycopene is an antioxidant that works in the body to counter act free radicals which contribute to aging and disease risk. Lycopene is found in reddish colored fruits and vegetables like watermelon, grapefruit and guava but the content in tomatoes, especially cooked tomatoes, is higher. The study of more…

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Lower Your Sodium Intake: Six Surprising Salty Items

Our Washington University columnist shares tips for cutting down on sodium intake by watching six foods with high salt content.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends keeping sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams or less each day, yet most Americans are consuming a little more than 3,400 milligrams each day. Reducing sodium intake requires cutting back on salt used in cooking and added to your food but the AHA says six foods might be the real source of sodium in your diet.  The AHA points to six foods as the top sources of sodium in diets. These foods are: In the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for American's breads and rolls, cold cuts, pizza and chicken and chicken dishes were all listed as top contributors but the other two top items were pasta and pasta dishes, along with condiments.   If a part of your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier, paying more …

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Finding a Comfort Level with Comfort Foods

Make your family's comfort foods a bit healthier this holiday season.

Over the course of this week and next many traditional or “comfort” foods will likely grace your table and since these foods might only appear once a year the inclination is to enjoy them as much as you want. While this is fine, you can find a midpoint that allows for enjoyment and some degree of healthy eating. Enjoying the special foods of the season is part of what makes the season special but if recipes still retain the more traditional high fat, high sugar, high calorie bent it might be time to make some modifications. Recipe changes that are easy to make include the following: In addition to recipe changes, you can maintain the comfort of traditional foods by choosing smaller portions, by eating more slowly to savor the flavor and by…

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Holiday Eating: Use Smaller Portion Sizes

Our dietician says to enjoy the tastes of the season - just do it in moderation.

Holiday eating is often a time of lots of cookies and candy and eating on the run, two behaviors that can pose a challenge to a goal of healthy eating. Have no fear you can enjoy your holiday treats and still keep a healthy eating plan.  If you’re spending the next two weeks baking for holiday parties you know that cookies, cakes, bars and candy are plentiful not only in your house but also at work—after all that’s where we take those “too many to keep” items. Manage your sweet eating by trying these tips. When it comes to grabbing meals on the run, studies show that we make poorer food choices and we eat more when we aren’t focused on what we are eating. If your day is packed with work, decorating, baking and shopping make sure you keep …

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Hydration: How Much Fluid Does Your Body Need?

Do you know how much liquid your body needs each day to remain hydrated?

Water, water everywhere but how much do you really need? The question of how much water is needed for adequate hydration is one that has more answers than many other nutrition related questions. The answer to the question is very simple. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) assessed hydration status by reviewing research studies and food and nutrition surveys. The IOM stated that the vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their hydration needs by letting thirst guide them. The IOM did not set exact requirements but set recommendations for women at about 91 ounces of fluids per day and for men 125 ounces per day. The recommendations also stated that all fluids count so water, milk, coffee, tea and soft drinks count to body …

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Want the Benefits of Fish Oil? Eat More Fish

A new study finds that fish oil pills make little difference in heart disease incidence over a placebo.

For the last several years research studies have looked at the health benefits of consuming more fish. As the studies progressed, researchers were able to identify components of fish that seemed to be associated with the heart disease prevention benefit and possibly the mental health benefit. A new study now questions whether fish-oil pills are a benefit to disease prevention.  According to a large scale, randomized, clinical trial that compared fish-oil pills with a placebo for more than six years, the study found little difference in heart disease incidence between the groups. The study, of more than 12,000 individuals with diabetes or prediabetes, and an average age of 64, found that incidence of heart attack, stroke and heart failure …

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Slurp It Up! Sugar Level Drops in Flavored Milk

Our nutritional columnist looks at flavored milk during National School Lunch Week.

This week we celebrate the nutrition program that feeds more than thirty million children each day—School Lunch. School Lunch dates back to 1946 when President Truman signed it into law as a way to safeguard the health of the nation’s children.  School lunches have seen big changes this year with the enactment of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. This year there are more whole grains, fruits and vegetables on the menus. School milk served with the meals is now lowfat and fat free white milk and fat free chocolate milk. I’ve worked on some educational projects with milk processors and learned that over the past several years they’ve lowered the calories and sugar in school flavored milk, giving kids the taste they love while still …

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Brain Scans Shows Importance of a Healthy Breakfast

Children who ate a good meal in the morning have different levels of brain activity than those that did not eat.

Last week I was privileged to attend the Learning Connection Summit, a follow-up summit to a report that former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher released in 2004. This summit, which was chaired by Dr Satcher and Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYOUth Foundation, provided an update on the science of food, learning, activity and weight. Researchers discussed how students who go to school without breakfast fail to learn as well as those who have breakfast. One study presented, showed how brain activity varied in kids who had breakfast before school versus those who did not. Brain scans showed a clear difference in brain activity in those who had breakfast before going into the classroom. Another session looked at the benefit of physical activity…

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Eating Disorders Impact Women of All Ages

Younger women aren't the only ones with body image issues, our Washington University expert says.

Typically people assume that younger women are the main sufferers of eating disorders but a new study indicates that women over 50 also suffer from a variety of types of disordered eating. The study in the International Journal of Eating Disorders assessed body image in 1,800 US women. The study found that 27 percent of women over age 50 were overweight, 29 percent were obese, 42 percent were normal weight and 2 percent were underweight. In assessing eating behaviors the study found that 4 percent of the women binge eat, about 8 percent purge after eating by either vomiting or over-exercising and 70 percent reported dieting to lose weight.  Of more significance 36 percent spent at least half of their time in the previous five years dieting…

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Nutritious Bites

Is Wheat Really Connected to Overweight?

Dietary guidelines for whole wheat.

The focus on overweight Americans, and the desire to turn the trend around, has resulted in many theories about the cause of the overweight and obesity trend. Suggested triggers for being overweight have ranged from sugar sweetened beverages to the latest “hot-button” gluten or wheat. With all of these “theories” what does the evidence show?  The U.S. Department of Agriculture tracks the wheat crop both in terms of acres planted and in wheat consumption; data indicates that wheat consumption is on the decline. Wheat consumption fell from an estimated 146 pounds per person in 2000 to a low of 134 pounds in the mid-2000s. In 2008 consumption patterns showed a slight increase to 136.6 pounds but this per person intake is a 10.2 pound per …

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