The researchers concluded from their analysis that “the dominant components of the Mediterranean diet score as a predictor of lower mortality are moderate consumption of alcohol, low consumption of meat and meat products, and high consumption of vegetables, fruits and nuts, olive oil, and legumes.” In addition, the researchers found that the elevated consumption of fish and cereals and avoidance of dairy products seen in the typical Mediterranean diet had little to do with the benefits of this diet.

Even though these results are very interesting and shed some light on this diet, the researchers made a point to say that these findings need more research to strengthen them their findings “could not be assumed to be universally applicable.”

Our society is very caught up in knowing what the specific element is that makes an item healthy. Instead of eating an apple and knowing it’s good for you, our society wants to know what exactly is in the apple that’s good for us.

This study is very interesting, but it may be better for you to practice the entire Mediterranean diet on the whole as a lifestyle rather than focus on the specific foods. This diet focuses strongly on fruits and vegetables, and that alone will do wonders for your waistline and your health. This diet also steers away from major downfalls in a typical American diet like sugar, preservatives, and unhealthy fats (saturated and trans fats). I encourage you to try this diet out if you’re looking to drop a few pounds and improve your health.

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Components of the Mediterranean Diet that Work Best

Whole grains
It’s recommended to consume 3 servings a day.

What counts as a serving?
A one ounce serving equals one slice whole-wheat bread, 1/2 cup brown rice, 5 whole-wheat crackers, 1/2 cup oatmeal.

Healthiest choices?
Whole grain or whole wheat products, oatmeal, brown rice, etc. It’s recommended that at least 1/2 of all the grains eaten should be whole grains.

Vegetables
It’s recommended to consume 2½ cups a day

What counts as a serving?
One serving equals 1 cup chopped or florets of raw/cooked broccoli, 2 medium carrots, 2 cups of raw, leafy greens = 1 cup cooked, leafy greens

Healthiest choices?
Any fresh vegetable is going to be the best and healthiest choice.  Try to avoid adding any sauces or salt which will take away from its nutritional benefits.

Fruit
It’s recommended to consume 2 cups a day

What counts as a serving?
One serving equals 1 cup sliced, chopped or cut-up fruit; about 8 large strawberries, 1 large orange, 32 seedless grapes.

Healthiest choices?
Any fresh fruit is going to be the best and healthiest choice and provide you with the most nutrients. Obviously eating an apple is better for you then eating a slice of apple pie or drinking the juice!

Dairy
It’s recommended to consume 3 cups a day.

What counts as a serving?
One serving equals 1 cup milk, 1 container (8 oz.) yogurt, 1-1/2 oz. cheese.

Healthiest choices?
It’s best to choose low-fat (2% or 1% products) or fat-free (skim milk) dairy products. These products are significantly lower in calories and fat.

This information simply provides you with the basics of having a healthy diet. For more information on eating with the food groups as your guide, check out the food guide pyramid at MyPyramid.gov.

Via EatRight

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How to Use the Food Guide Pyramid to Eat Healthier

Obesity is another medical issue that could probably be avoided if we paid more attention to what we put into our mouths and how much exercise we get. The cost of prevention (eating right and exercising) is far cheaper than the cost of medical expenses (doctor visits, hospital stays, medications, etc.).

All this being said, what can you do to start this road of prevention? In my eyes, it’s never too late to start getting healthier. So what can you do? 

There’s no 100% easy, one-size-fits-all route to making changes for your diet, but the point is to improve upon your current situation. 

• Make small, realistic changes that you can attain and build upon.

• Focus on eating more fruits and vegetables. A plant-based diet has been linked to numerous health benefits and can help you drop some unwanted pounds.

• Limit saturated and trans fats in your diet. These fats have been linked to several diseases and cancers.

• Drink more water. Drinking more water helps your body function better and with more clarity.

• Make it a point to be active every day. It’s recommended to do 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week for cardiovascular benefits and 60-90 minutes on most days of the week for weight loss and maintenance.

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Prevention is a Healthier Route than Treatment

Dry or Damaged Skin

• Caused by: sweating more in summertime causing your skin to be less supple; chlorine in pool water and saltwater can also dry out your skin; finally the very common sunburn really can dry out your skin.

• Try eating: antioxidant rich foods like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Drinking plenty of water is also key to keeping your skin looking good and preventing dehydration. It’s recommended to consume 8-10 cups a day.

Parched, Dry Hair

• Caused by: overexposure to sun, saltwater, and chlorine.

• Try eating: some fresh meats straight from the grill (burgers, chicken, etc.) or some non-meat protein-rich food sources like beans. Hair consists of protein fibers called keratin and protein-rich food sources help replenish this protein in your hair. Specifically, eating foods rich in vitamin B-5 (in yogurt and avocadoes), vitamin B-8 (in liver and cooked eggs), folic acid (in fortified cereals and beans), calcium (in milk and yogurt), and zinc (in meat and fish) can reduce hair loss and replace dull hair with shiny hair.

Muscle Cramps

• Caused by: overexertion and dehydration. When you don’t have enough fluid in your system, it leads to an electrolyte imbalance that causes your muscles to cramp.

• Try eating: potassium-rich foods like bananas, raisins, and spinach. Also, mixing in a few sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade) in place of water can give you the electrolytes your body needs.

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Summertime Nutrition Tips

However, nearly all fish contain traces of mercury. Some researchers believe consuming fish with high mercury levels will diminish all potential health benefits. Some studies have actually suggested an increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with mercury levels in fish, whereas other studies could not find any relationship between elevated mercury and risk of heart disease. This controversy has caused much discussion on what amount of fish is safe to eat without having harmful effects in the body.

Mercury exists in various forms and people are exposed to each in different ways.  Mercury is emitted to the air by human activities and from natural sources.  Mercury is released into the atmosphere in one of three forms: elemental mercury, particle-bound mercury, oxidized mercury; and in nature exists as elemental mercury, inorganic mercury, and organic mercury.  Microorganisms can convert inorganic to organic mercury which is toxic and can be consumed by small animals, incorporating it into the food chain.

Mercury levels seen in fish is a highly potent neurotoxin in the body.  For most people, the risk from eating fish containing mercury is not a health concern. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that have shown to be harmful and detrimental to developing fetuses, infants, and children’s neurological development and function. The risks from mercury in fish depend on the amount eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advise women who may become pregnant, are already pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

So what kind of fish should be avoided? Fish that are long-lived, predatory, and high on the food chain typically contain higher amounts of mercury. Some of these higher mercury fish include: tilefish, swordfish, king mackerel, and shark. You don’t have to completely avoid these fish, you just need to make sure that you eat these fish very sparsely.  For more information check out the EPA website, which can provide you with more details and a complete list of these fish.

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Beware High Mercury Fish

So what can you eat to help your liver?

• Avoid or limit the amount of alcohol you consume. Over-consumption of alcohol can lead to life-ending liver disease.

• Certain medicines and herbal supplements can have detrimental effects on your liver.  Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can harm your liver as well as herbal supplements like: Black cohosh, certain Chinese herbs, including ma-huang, Chaparral, Comfrey, Germander, Greater celandine Kava, Mistletoe, Pennyroyal , Skullcap, Valerian.

• Consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet is the best way to go to protect your liver. Your diet should consist of:

• Plant-based diet focusing on plenty of fresh fruits and veggies

• Focus on antioxidant rich foods which enhance our immune system and will help remove the toxins.  The best known antioxidants include vitamin A, C, E, beta-carotene, lycopene, and selenium.  Some good sources of these antioxidants include broccoli, carrots, tomato juice, bell peppers, strawberries, nuts, seeds, eggs, and oranges.

Having liver problems is definitely something you want to deal with because it can become a life and death situation.  The best way to avoid problems is prevention, eat right, exercise, and limit alcohol consumption. Do it now and the better off you will be!

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Foods for a Healthy Liver

Studies have shown that regular coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes versus non-drinkers!  Also, coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, colon cancer, reduce risk of liver damage, and reduce risk of Parkinson’s disease.  Coffee also has been shown to improve cognitive function and improve endurance, athletic/physical performance.

The article also mentioned that those individuals that drink coffee to stay alert would be better off stretching their coffee intake throughout the day.  For example, the article says that if you usually drink 16 ounces in the morning, try to drink 2-3 ounce servings every hour or so to improve alertness (the article notes this is more for the sleep deprived individual…I suggest getting the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep so you aren’t sleep deprived!).

Coffee does have some draw backs to it, mainly due to it’s main ingredient known as caffeine.  Caffeine is a mild addictive stimulant and does have some cardiovascular effects, like increased heart rate and blood pressure and the possibility of producing an irregular heartbeat.

Keep in mind, like everything else, moderation is key!  The research presented does show some promising effects for coffee consumption just remember not to go overboard.  Coffee is not for everyone, so if you find yourself shaky or nauseous feeling when drinking coffee the health benefits of coffee wouldn’t be worth it if you start feeling ill.

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New Health Benefits of Coffee

What is Potassium?

Which foods are high in potassium?

• potatoes
• tomatoes
• avocados
• fresh fruits (bananas, oranges, and strawberries)
• orange juice
• dried fruits (raisins, apricots, prunes, and dates)
• spinach
• beans and peas

Remember, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is the best way to get enough potassium. Eating a plan-based diet will also help reduce your risk of heart disease, lower cancer risks, and lower risk of obesity.

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Consume More Potassium for a Healthy Heart

The researchers followed 232 obese pregnant women, in which they were placed into one of two groups.  The control group received conventional prenatal nutritional guidelines to “eat to appetite” while the other half in the second group received a well-balanced, nutritionally monitored program including keeping a daily food diary. 

The researchers found that the control group on the conventional pregnancy diet plan:

• gained more weight (31 pounds)
• gave birth to heavier babies (babies weighing more then 10 pounds impose complications for baby and mother during birth)

While the study’s nutritionally monitored group:

• gained less weight (11 pounds)
• a few extremely obese individuals actually lost weight
• had no fetal deaths
• no growth-restricted infants
• had fewer babies weighing more than 10 pounds
• were less likely to develop gestational diabetes
• retained less weight after delivering their babies compared to the control group

Ultimately, the researchers were able to conclude that “obese women may be placed on healthy, well-balanced, monitored nutritional programs without having adverse maternal-fetal outcomes.”

This information is very interesting and gives good insight to proper nutrition and having a healthy pregnancy.  The biggest and most important factor is making sure that the child is receiving optimal nutrition, so speak with your doctor or registered dietitian to determine what a proper, well-balanced, nutritionally monitored diet includes and how you can begin your path in that direction.

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Study Says Obese Women Should Not Gain Weight During Pregnancy

Mangoes are packed with essential antioxidant nutrients, specifically rich in vitamin C and beta carotene.  Vitamin C plays an important role in immune function, growth & repair of tissues & in wound healing.  Beta carotene is converted in the body to Vitamin A which helps supports healthy vision, healthy bones, skin, and teeth. As most of us know, antioxidants work against cancer causing free radicals in the body.  A diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables helps decrease your risk of getting specific cancers and chronic diseases (like heart disease).

It’s recommended to eat about two cups of fruit a day.  A fresh, sliced mango will give you roughly one cup of the fruit you need, meaning you’ll have to eat one cup more to meet the fruit goal.  This one cup of sliced mango will have only 110 calories, as well as being fat, cholesterol, and sodium-free!  Like other fruits and veggies, mangoes also contain fiber.

Eating mango will provide you with about 12% of the recommended amount of fiber you need for the day.  Fiber is important in weight loss and maintenance, colon health, healthy bowel movements, and helps prevent some cancers.
Remember variety is the spice of life and health!  Eat a variety of fresh fruits in veggies, eat the colors of the rainbow and make mangoes a part of that variety.

via American Dietetic Association

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Go Mad for the Benefits of Mangoes