Healthy Eating

Nuts are a source of unsaturated fats and fiber as well as protein. Nuts are a good source of vitamin E and magnesium-which most Americans dont get enough of-and other essential vitamins and minerals. Nuts also contain a variety of plant chemicals which some research has linked to reduced risk of chronic diseases. In short, nuts deliver a lot of nutrition in a small package.

Although we typically talk about the energy value of food in terms of calories, once you consume food, these calories are converted into a form your body can use to fuel physical activity and unconscious acts, such as breathing and keeping your heart beating. A number of vitamins and minerals are vital to this energy conversion process.

So-called superfoods are nutrient-rich foods said to be especially good for your health. Advertisers and the media seem to be pushing new superfoods everyday - everything from the high heart-healthy fats found in salmon, flaxseeds, and avocado to foods with potent antioxidants, like acai berries, pomegranate, and dark chocolate.

Page 37

A Word about Eggs and Dairy

Eggs and dairy products are excellent protein sources. Eggs were off the menu for many years for people with elevated cholesterol levels because of their high cholesterol content. However, the latest research has determined that dietary cholesterol (cholesterol from food) doesnt actually raise blood cholesterol levels for most people, although the saturated fat found in most high-cholesterol foodsmight. Other research has shown that egg consumption is not significantly associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease or type 2 diabetes.

Eggs (and shellfish such as shrimp) are in the minority of foods high in cholesterol but relatively low in saturated fat, so they are now back on the menu in limited amounts. Most people can safely consume up to five to seven eggs per week as part of an overall healthy diet.

Dairy foods provide protein, and they contain other key nutrients that may protect against disease risk. A cup of milk provides eight grams of protein. Greek yogurt has about twice the protein of regular yogurt (around 16 grams per single-serving container). Fermented dairy products, such as yogurt and kefir (keh-FEER, a yogurt drink fermented with yeast in addition to beneficial bacteria), are probiotics that offer many health benefits, not the least of which include supporting gut andimmune health.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk, which is lower in calories and saturated fat, as well as plain, low-fat yogurt to avoid refined sugars. The Dietary Guidelines also state that, although its okay to eat cheese in moderation, cheese contains more sodium and saturated fat and less potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin D, than milk or yogurt. More than 80 percent of people in the U.S. fall short of their daily dairy recommendation, which is 3 cups for adults.

With about 300 milligrams of calcium per 8 ounces of milk or plain, low-fat yogurt, meeting your daily dairy quota goes a long way toward fulfilling your daily calcium goal. It is recommended that women ages 51 and older consume 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day, men ages 51 to 70 get 1,000 mg per day, and men ages 71 and older get 1,200 mg per day. Growing evidence suggests it may be best to get the majority of your calcium from foods, rather than supplements, to help guard against excessive intake of calcium and imbalances in bone nutrients.

To get more dairy in your diet, try using milk in food preparation (to cook oatmeal or to make broth-based soups creamier, for example). If digesting milk is a problem, look for lactose-free options. If a milk substitute is more appealing, make sure it is fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and watch out for added sugars. Also, be aware that, with the exception of soymilk, plant-based milks contain little or no protein.

To learn more about healthy eating habits that can improve your life, purchase a copy of Change Your Diet, Change Your Life from Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter.

While both a Mediterranean-style diet and the DASH eating plan are associated with brain benefits, a hybrid dietary pattern that combines the best of both may be even better at protecting memory and thinking. A 2015 study reported that the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline-equivalent to 7.5 years of younger age. These results were based on data from participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, ages 58 to 98, who were initially free of Alzheimers disease.

Page 44

Low-Fat Doesnt Necessarily Mean Healthy

For a packaged food to carry a low-fat claim, it has to have three grams or less of total fat for a given reference amount established by the FDA. One objective of a recent cross-sectional study was to determine whether packaged foods with nutrient claims such as low-fat or no or free of nutrients such as sugar or sodium were truly more nutritious.

The researchers looked for low- or no-content claims on the more than 80 million foods and beverages purchased over a 5-year period. Using a scanner, participants scanned barcodes on all packaged foods and beverages purchased for their households. Thirteen percent of the food and thirty-five percent of the beveragespurchased had some kind of low-content claim. For foods and beverages, respectively, low-fat claims were the most common (10% and 19%), followed by low-calorie (3% and 9%), low-sugar (2% and 8%), and low-sodium (2% for both).

While foods with the low-content claims on the label had lower calories, total sugar, total fat, and sodium compared with purchases with no claim, this did not necessarily translate into better overall nutrition profiles, and healthfulness of the products varied substantially. Low-fat cookies, for example, often have the samehigh amount of added sugar as regular cookies, so, while they have less fat, they are still not a healthful choice. Also, a reduced-fat claim only compares the product to its regular, full-fat version, which means the claim cant be compared across products. The authors concluded that low-content claims like low-fat have the potential to mislead consumers about the overall nutritional quality of thefood or beverage they are purchasing.

Source: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, March 2017

To learn more about healthy eating habits that can improve your life, purchase a copy of Change Your Diet, Change Your Life from Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter.

Consuming nuts can help improve cholesterol levels and protect your heart and arteries, which is also good for your brain. Some studies also have looked specifically at possible cognitive benefits from nuts. So, which nuts are the best nuts to eat regularly?

Given long-time frames of conditions such as Alzheimers disease and other dementias, its challenging to prove any cause and effect relationship between specific foods and brain health. Most such associations are drawn from observational studies, in which people who eat more or less of a certain food are assessed over time for cognitive changes.

Simple carbohydrates are made up of one(single) or two (double) sugar molecules. When most people think of simple carbohydrates, they think of sucrose (a double sugar), the stuff you sprinkle on cereal or spoon into your coffee. But thats only the most familiar simple carbohydrate.

The researchers speculated that HDL cholesterol might protect cognitive function by reducing the risk for stroke and vascular disease, or HDL could moderate beta-amyloid, which is associated with plaques in the brain. Additionally, HDL may have anti-inflammatory or antioxidant effects, which could help to prevent the degeneration of the brains neurons.