Following a Healthy Diet. The American Heart Association advises the following tips for eating well without dieting or feeling hungry: follow a simple, nutritious eating plan and avoid fad diets; shrink portion sizes instead of quitting your favorite treats; bulk up on foods high in fiber, such as whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and legumes; and…

Improving Diet Can Help Depression. Deakin University researchers assigned adults with major depressive disorder to either social support or support from a clinical dietician in an effort to assess if dietary changes would help combat depression. The dietary group received guidance on how to improve the quality of their current diet, with a focus on…

What You Eat Can Improve Your Sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following dietary tips to raise your odds for getting a good night’s rest: reduce saturated fat and increase fiber intake; reduce sugar consumption, as too much sugar increases the likelihood that you’ll wake up in the middle of the night; avoid food…

Mediterranean Diet May Give Your Boost Brain a Boost. The Mediterranean diet may preserve brain health among older adults. Investigators collected dietary information and performed brain scans on almost 1,000 people around the age of 70. They found that those who followed the dietary habits common in Mediterranean countries—such as eating a lot of fruits,…

Eating Rare Meat Safely. If you prefer your meat cooked rare versus well done, it is important that it is prepared safely. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests: use a food thermometer to make sure rare meat is hot enough to destroy any germs; avoid using the color of meat, the color of juices,…

The DASH Diet Wins Again. The US News & World Report has named the DASH diet as the best overall diet choice for the seventh year in a row, followed by the Mediterranean and MIND diets. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, but experts say the benefits go beyond preventing high blood pressure…

Exercise Protects the Brain. After following 6,104 seniors for over a decade, researchers report that participants who performed the best on an initial treadmill test were 8% less likely to develop dementia than the other participants. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, January 2017

Common Antioxidant May Protect Against Liver Disease. An antioxidant found in breast milk and foods like kiwi, soy, and celery may protect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in one’s offspring. Researchers found that when researchers gave pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) to obese mice during and shortly after pregnancy, it protected their offspring from developing the…

Common Sugar Substitute May Promote Weight Gain. Investigators have discovered a possible mechanism explaining why use of the sugar substitute aspartame may not promote weight loss. In a new study, researchers found that aspartame blocks a gut enzyme called intestinal alkaline phosphatase. Previous research has shown that this enzyme can prevent obesity, diabetes, and metabolic…

Choose Healthy Food for Your Child’s Plate. To help ensure that your child eats nutritious foods, help them build a healthy plate at meal time. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends the following: serve brightly-colored vegetables next to something plain, such as rice; serve vegetables or salad as an appetizer before the main course;…