It is not uncommon to hear individuals express concerns about the potential of developing dementia as they age. They talk about engaging in activities like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and chess in hopes of preventing a decline in their cognitive function. And while research has shown these and other mental activities to be helpful (playing an instrument, learning a new task, socializing), there is a whole lot more we can be doing to prevent a decline in our cognitive function. As with many disease conditions, we often feel powerless in terms of their development and progression. It should be empowering to

Do you hear the word “organic” and automatically think “healthy”? If you answered yes, you are not alone. Studies have shown that labeling something as “organic” produces a “health halo effect” or a cognitive bias of a food item as being healthy based on certain attributes of that food. Recently, researchers wanted to see just how deep this bias extends. They presented one hundred and fifteen participants at a shopping mall with three pairs of foods—2 yogurts, 2 cookies, and 2 potato chip portions. One item from each food pair was labeled as “organic” while the other was labeled “regular”

Over about the past decade, there has been an increased interest in vitamin D. It’s role in bone health has been well established but it has also been suggested to play a role in a number of other diseases from cancer, to heart disease, to autoimmune diseases. It’s relationship with diabetes is also being investigated as research has indicated that vitamin D may increase insulin sensitivity, play a role in insulin synthesis, and decrease inflammation. And it’s importance isn’t only being looked at in adults but in children as well. Recently, researchers from the University of Missouri wanted to see

Hypertension is a major public health problem worldwide, with prevalence in the United States estimated at 78 million (33% of the adult population). Because it is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, identification and aggressive treatment of hypertension is of paramount importance. However, because most people with hypertension have no symptoms, it is estimated that 20% of hypertensive individuals are unaware of their condition. Thus, regular monitoring of resting blood pressure is one key for identifying and managing this very common condition. Unless resting blood pressure is severely elevated, lifestyle changes are recommended as the initial treatment strategy for

The answer is “yes” according to researchers from The Miriam Hospital and the Rhode Island Community Food Bank (Flynn et al, 2013). It is often thought that fruits and vegetables are the most expensive items in a food budget but actually meat, poultry, and seafood are, particularly the leaner options that are recommended. Diets high in vegetables and fruits have been shown to prevent chronic disease but despite this awareness, consumers have not increased their consumption regardless of income. Even when income is raised, purchases of beef and frozen prepared foods increase rather than fruit and vegetables (Stewart, 2008). This

It’s that time of year where eggs are everywhere in abundance (from plastic to hard boiled!). Whether they are to be hidden by the Easter Bunny or are used to represent new life, eggs and springtime go hand in hand. Until recently, however, eggs have received a bad rap. It was once thought that egg consumption increased the risk of heart disease because of the high amount of cholesterol found in the yolk and several organizations including the American Heart Association actually recommended limiting their intake. Recent research has brought to light several things that discount this former way of

Eating while being distracted. We all have done it. Whether it be while watching TV or on the phone, reading the newspaper, or surfing the Internet. And you have probably looked down at your plate and thought, “Where did all that food go?” It has long been known that eating while being distracted typically leads to increased food consumption but a recent review of 24 studies found that not only is food intake increased at that actual meal (or snack) but it is also increased at later meals as well and, get this, to a greater extent (Robinson, 2013). This

Recently we checked out a children’s book from the library where the main character turned pink from eating too many pink cupcakes. The doctor’s prescription to return to normal–eat green foods for a whole week! She was not too pleased to hear this and expressed as much. Here I am reading this to my children for the first time, who by the way love green foods, so I quickly started asking them what foods that are green that they like to eat so that I could combat any possible negative associations. The only thing that I let be “icky” from

There has long been the debate as to whether eating too much sugar can cause diabetes. It is widely accepted that eating too much of any food (sugar included) causes you to gain weight which in turn can lead to obesity which, yes, is a predisposition to diabetes. New research, however, provides evidence that there may be a direct and independent link between sugar and diabetes. Researchers looked at food availability in 175 countries and after controlling for a large number of factors—other food types including fiber, meats, fruits, oils, cereals; total calories; overweight and obesity; aging; urbanization; income; physical

Well, sort of. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently published a position paper titled “Total Diet Approach to Healthy Eating” in which it stresses that the overall pattern of food that a person eats is more important to a healthy diet than focusing on single foods or individual nutrients (1). The great thing about this approach is that ALL foods can fit with this pattern if consumed in moderation with appropriate portion size and when it is combined with physical activity. Classifying foods as “good” or “bad” in their view is overly simplistic and may even lead to unhealthy