Healthy Eating

Amid the hoopla and distractions of the 2016 elections, real issues have been raised and discussed. Questions have been posed, and answers proffered, on wide-ranging topics including jobs, Syria, tax policy, immigration, healthcare, education, the courts, banking, our relations with China, Russia and Europe, and many more. While the replies may not always have been satisfying, at least these many subjects, from large to small, global to local, have been raised and considered.

If you think food that tastes good can't possibly be good for you, or if you feel guilty about enjoying a meal, it might be time to hit the reset button on your attitudes toward eating and nutrition. While it's smart to pay attention to what's in your food, todays culture of information clutter can make it difficult to sort out facts from fads. Once you start worrying about what you need to avoid at every meal, food can morph from enjoyment to enemy.

While losing weight can protect you against chronic diseases, it does come with a downside - especially for postmenopausal women: Studies have shown that obese older women who lose weight also lose lean muscle mass and bone mineral density (BMD), particularly if they are inactive, potentially putting them at greater risk of frailty and falls.

If you followed the headlines about a recent study of contestants in the "Biggest Loser" reality-TV show, you might be despairing about your own chances of maintaining a healthy weight. The study, published in the journal Obesity, tracked contestants appearing on the shows eighth season, with 14 of the 16 willing to be re-measured six years later. On average, participants gained back more than two-thirds of the pounds they lost on the programs extreme diet and exercise regimen; some are even heavier now than before.

After a two-year review period, the US Food and Drug Administration formally adopted changes to the Nutrition Facts panels that appear on some 800,000 food products. The updated labels will be required on products by July 26, 2018, except for small producers who will get an extra year to comply.

Q. Awhile back your newsletter reported the effect of whey and casein found on nutrient absorption from blueberries. Do dairy products have the same negative effect on the benefits of colorful fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, peaches, cantaloupes, spinach, peas, corn, etc.?

Q. Is the Daily Value (DV%) for elemental calcium or calcium in combination with other things - like calcium lactate or calcium citrate? Which of these combination forms is best?

Q. How can I be sure the flour I buy is really whole wheat?

Scientists who succeeded in sequencing the genome of carrots have identified the gene, dubbed DCAR_032551, responsible for carotenoids, which make carrots and other produce orange and provide humans with vitamin A.

Is an avocado healthier than a sugary bowl of raisin bran? Not according to the FDA's labeling rules for "healthy" foods, which the agency recently announced it would review.