RE: Eating Right & Living Better

Power of Positive Thinking May Have a Health Benefit, Study Says

New York Times:

In recent years, however, evidence has accumulated that psychology can indeed affect biology. Studies have found, for example, that people who suffer from depression are at higher risk for heart disease and other illnesses. Other research has shown that wounds take longer to heal in women who care for patients with Alzheimer's disease than in other women who are not similarly stressed. And people under stress have been found to be more susceptible to colds and flu, and to have more severe symptoms after they fall ill.

Now a new study adds another piece to the puzzle. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin are reporting today that the activation of brain regions associated with negative emotions appears to weaken people's immune response to a flu vaccine.

Eat right. Think positively. Live better.

-Tim

Smaller Food Portions May Explain The 'French Paradox' Of Rich Foods And A Svelte Population

ScienceDaily News Release:

The "French paradox" -- the perplexing disconnect between France's rich cuisine and slender population -- can be explained in part by portions that are significantly smaller in French restaurants and supermarkets than in their American counterparts. So say researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and CNRS in Paris, who compared the size of restaurant meals, single-serve foods and cookbook portions on both sides of the Atlantic.

"The French paradox is only a paradox if one assumes that dietary fat is the major cause of obesity and cardiovascular disease," said Paul Rozin, professor of psychology at Penn and lead author of a paper in the September issue of the journal Psychological Science. "However, recent studies suggest that the importance of fat intake as a risk factor has been greatly exaggerated

Fat in food has three benefits: 1) it adds flavor to food; 2) it gives you a sense of fullness so that you are satisfied with smaller portions; and 3) it slows down the rate at which carbohydrates are converted into blood glucose, which keeps your insulin levels low.

"The bottom line is this: It is perfectly fine to get more than 30 percent of your daily calories from fats as long as most of those fats are unsaturated," says Dr. Walter C. Willett, M.D., Chairman, Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in his recent book, "Eat,
Drink and Be Healthy."

Eat right. Live better.

-Tim

Green Tea Linked To Skin Cell Rejuvenation

Science Daily:

Research into the health-promoting properties of green tea is yielding information that may lead to new treatments for skin diseases and wounds. ""Dr. Stephen Hsu, a cell biologist in the Medical College of Georgia Department of Oral Biology, has uncovered a wealth of information about green tea in the last few years. Most importantly, he helped determine that compounds in green tea called polyphenols help eliminate free radicals, which can cause cancer by altering DNA.

More good news for tea drinkers.

Eat (and drink) right. Live (and look) better.

-Tim

Fiber May Prevent Colon Cancer After All

WebMD: Two studies, published in the May 3 issue of The Lancet offer renewed hope fiber's role against colon cancer.

Fiber is believed to help reduce risk in two ways: It keeps you regular to remove toxins from the intestines, and bacteria living in the gut feeds on it -- producing beneficial byproducts to keep the colon healthy.

The magic amount of fiber per day is 35 grams, which researchers found led to a 35% reduction in the incidence of colon cancer. The article goes on to say that fiber supplements are an ineffective source of fiber. The best source of fiber are found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain products.

Eat right. Liver better.

-Tim

Atkins Studies Report Meaty Results

USATODAY.com:

Just a month after his death, controversial diet guru Robert Atkins may be getting a little more respect. Two new studies in Thursday's prestigious New England Journal of Medicine show that dieters who followed the meat-lovers' low-carb diet lost more than twice as much weight as those on a traditional low-calorie, high-carb diet.

Exciting news on the low-carb diet front.

Eat right. Live better.

-Tim

Omega-3s May Alleve Depression

USATODAY.com:

Women may be able to significantly lower their chances of becoming depressed during pregnancy and postpartum months by eating fish that's rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, says a large National Institutes of Health study.

More good news concerning the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, especially wild salmon, is a great source of Omega-3s.

Eat right. Live better.

-Tim

Eat Right for Your Genotype

New York Times by Bruce Grierson::

A trip to the diet doc, circa 2013. You prick your finger, draw a little blood and send it, along with a $100 fee, to a consumer genomics lab in
California. There, it's passed through a mass spectrometer, where its
proteins are analyzed. It is cross-referenced with your DNA profile. A few
days later, you get an e-mail message with your recommended diet for the
next four weeks.

The promise of genomics continues to fascinate. It is, however, dependent on databases full of your most personal information: your genotype. Will people trade off potential violations of their privacy for the ability to live healthier lives?

Also, what should one do until 2013? Since the vast majority (80%) of people will benefit eating a "normal" diet, I believe a common sense approach will win the day. I recommend a diet that consists of lots of fruits and vegetables, low-fat protein and the right types of fat, e.g. olive oil.

If you want further information on this common sense approach, I highly recommend two books: Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy (Willett) and The Omega Diet (Simopoulos).

Eat right. Live Better.

-Tim

Womb Time Drops When Hungry Mama Conceives

BBC News: "If you don't eat enough just before conception and early in your pregnancy, you may be increasing the odds you'll have a premature baby, a new study suggests. The researchers, from Canada, New Zealand and Australia, believe the finding may shed new light on the 40% of premature births for which there is currently no obvious explanation. "Omega-3 fatty acids, found in many fish, also serve to reduce the number of premature births.

There seems to be more and more evidence which confirms what our mothers told us: "You are what you eat."

Eat right. Live Better.-Tim

Tea Boosts The Body's Defenses

ABCNEWS.com:

An ordinary cup of tea may be a powerful infection fighter, a study suggests.

Researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they have found in tea a chemical that boosts the body's defense fivefold against disease.""Researchers said the chemical primes immune system cells to attack bacteria, viruses and fungi and could, perhaps, be turned into a disease-fighting drug someday.

The study goes on to say that the best types of tea to drink are black tea, green tea and oolong tea.

Eat (and Drink) Right. Live Better.

-Tim