Do you enjoy a good green salad? I do. Is your salad mainly leafy greens or do you go overboard and create a nutritional nightmare? Not hard to do at a lot of salad bars, is it? Everything seems to call your name and tempt you. How do you build a healthy salad with a nutritional profile that’s powerful for your body?
Try these three easy tips:
1. Start with a base of leafy greens. Red leaf, green leaf, arugula, spinach, or a mixture…whatever you like. Try different greens. I rotate them depending on what’s available and what looks good that week. I’m often asked this question and you may wonder as well “Do I need to rinse the prewashed bagged salads?” Most bags of greens say triple-washed so you would think there’s no need to rinse again.
Don’t miss this….tests on salad greens performed by the Consumers Union and reported in the March 2010 issue of Consumer Report found bacteria that are common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination in their samples. They tested baby greens, organic greens, bagged greens and clamshells. Nothing made a difference. Their conclusions were to buy packages as far from the use-by-date as possible, rinse the greens even if the bag says prewashed or triple-washed and prevent cross contamination in your kitchen by keeping greens away from raw meats. My suggestion is to make sure to clean your salad spinner or colander after each use just in case bacteria adhere to the surfaces.
2. Kick up your veggie intake for the day. Add chopped carrots, green peppers, sliced tomatoes or cucumbers, yellow or zucchini squash, broccoli…basically take a look and see what vegetables you have on hand and toss them in. They add flavor, crunch and a boot load of nutrition. I also like fruit in my salad so I’ll add apple slices, strawberries, dried blueberries and cherries, even watermelon. What do you add to your salad that makes it healthy and delicious?
3. Add lean protein. My girlfriends always say they’re only going to have a salad for lunch. They order one with greens and a few veggies. In an hour or so, they’re hungry again. Sound familiar? Protein has many important roles in your body from helping you to feel full and satisfied longer to maintaining your muscle mass…no matter what your age. Add sliced chicken, turkey, fish or lean beef, low fat cheese or a hard-boiled egg. If you’re vegetarian or eating some meatless meals, try cubes of tofu or chickpeas or a chopped veggie burger.
The buzzwords ‘inflammation’ and ‘anti-inflammation diet’ continue to garner a lot of attention in the nutrition world so it’s time to give you an update on the latest information that may affect your health. Inflammation can be good or bad. It’s good if it’s acute or short term such as when cut yourself. Your immune system kicks in sending white blood cells along with other substances to jump start the healing process. Inflammation is not so good when it becomes chronic or longer term inflammation in your body. This invisible type of inflammation gets all the attention because it’s been implicated in the etiology or cause of many common diseases from heart disease and auto immune illness like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis to some cancers, diabetes, and even stroke.
Here’s what scientists think is happening in the body with this low-grade chronic inflammation. This on-going inflammation damages your blood vessels thus increasing your risk for heart problems. In the case of cancer, inflammation could damage your genes or increase the development of blood vessels that let cancer cells spread and grow. In your body, inflammation raises the level of what’s called C-reactive protein or CRP for short. The liver produces this CRP during periods of inflammation so if the body has chronic inflammation going on, the CRP level will be elevated. Now doctors can measure this level of general inflammation in the body with a blood test called the hs-CRP which stands for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.
What can you do about inflammation in the body? Does what you eat potentially make inflammation worse in your body or can it help fight inflammation? Is there an ‘anti-inflammation diet’? Yes there is. It’s called the Mediterranean Diet. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the effect of a Mediterranean diet on inflammation in the body, particularly in people with metabolic syndrome.
Think of metabolic syndrome as a group or cluster of medical issues that includes excess weight around your belly, elevated total cholesterol and LDL levels, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. In fact, metabolic syndrome affects about 25% of our population. Why do I mention metabolic syndrome? Because it’s a syndrome that is tied to a pro-inflammatory state in your body…in other words…this chronic inflammation we’ve been talking about.
This study and others have found that a Mediterranean diet which includes healthy oils, nuts, fish and lots of fruits, veggies and grains decreased the level of CRP in the blood and reduced the level of inflammation in the body. Following a Mediterranean diet often results in weight loss which lowers markers of inflammation in the body…a very good thing.
1. Switch your type of fat: as much as possible use healthy oils such as olive, peanut and canola. These are rich in monounsaturated fats, the more heart healthy type of fat. Cut out as much trans fat and saturated fat as you can. These unhealthy fats not only raise the lousy cholesterol level (LDL) but also promote inflammation. Remember trans fat is the same as partially hydrogenated fat on a food label and saturated fat includes fatty meats, bacon, sausage, butter, full fat dairy, etc….opt for the low fat and lean meat versions.
2. Eat more whole grains and other high fiber foods such as beans, peas, lentils, oatmeal, etc. Consume fewer sweeteners such as sugar and corn syrup and other refined carbs including chips, cookies, pastries, and sweets. Why? They can make your blood sugar level spike which has also been tied to inflammation.
3. Consume more fish: especially fatty fish which contain omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are found in fish such as salmon and tuna.
4. Add nuts and avocados to the diet: these are good sources of the healthy fat, monounsaturated which appear to be anti-inflammatory.
5. Increase the number of fruits and vegetables that you eat each day. The antioxidants they contain such as vitamins A, C and E along with all the naturally occurring healthy compounds called phytonutrients seem to ramp down the inflammation process in the body.
Give the Mediterranean way of eating a try. The synergistic effect of these foods eaten together over time can have beneficial effects for your health.
This may come as a shock but did you know that children as young as six suffer from body dissatisfaction coupled with eating disorders? Eating orders have emerged beyond anorexia and bulimia. Even during pregnancy, women may need to be screened for disordered eating. Joining me on this week’s podcast to explain more about these emerging trends is eating disorder expert Karen Beerbower.
Karen is a licensed and registered dietitian with a Masters degree in Medical Science from Indiana University School of Medicine. She is the Clinical Director of Blue Horizons Eating Disorder Services. As president of Nutritional Guidance based in Orlando, she has worked in private practice for over 20 years.
During the podcast Karen explains pregorexia and who needs to be screened plus symptoms, habits and lifestyle traits to watch for. She shares what is being done in the area of treatment to address these concerns.
I was very surprised to hear that eating disorders in children can start as young as six. Karen’s insight into where these trends are coming from and what you need to know are invaluable.
Also, be sure and check out our Cyber Weight Loss Club. Share your story and photos and we’ll enter you in a drawing at the end of January to win a copy of the book by TV’s The Biggest Loser, Ali Vincent called Believe It, Be It.
Happy 2010! Thanks for starting off your New Year with me. OK, let’s get right to it. This year do you want to hear those magical words…. “Have you lost weight?” How about a little more energy too? Many of you email, ask questions and share your struggles with me so I decided to start off this year with a Cyber Weight Loss Club. I want you to have a place to post your weight story…successes, struggles and questions…and chat with me. Share your before and after pictures. Tell us cooking and grocery shopping tips that work for you. If it affects your weight, I want to hear about it. I’ll be posting comments and tips along with some of our guests who will share insights and helpful ideas.
This is not a club you have to join but a cyber place to come where you can dish with others about weight issues that are on your mind. Where is it? You’ll see the link at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center or just go directly to the Cyber Weight Loss Club page.
Speaking of someone who has heard the magical words, “have you lost weight?” joining me in the studio on this week’s podcast is WDBO’s Program Director Steve Holbrook. If you’re a regular listener you know that Steve was my guest on three podcasts last year as we followed his weight loss journey beginning about March 2009. To recap, Steve heard me discuss the research on protein and weight loss during my radio segment and he took it on as his personal weight challenge. Steve is the perfect example of a super busy guy who made a personal decision to change his eating habits, weight and health regardless of his crazy schedule…. which he knew wasn’t going to change.
By the way, you can see Steve’s before and after pictures which he has posted at the Cyber Weight Loss Club and if you want to ask him a question about his weight loss success, you can also do that at the Cyber Weight Loss Club. Remember, the Cyber Weight Loss Club is a forum for you….to help you stay on track, get accurate information and encouragement and succeed with your weight loss goals.
Are you excited about the New Year? 2010 is just two days away. I always look forward to the New Year which brings a fresh approach and a new look at areas in life that may have gone a little stale…know what I mean? If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I’m not about gimmicks, miracle diet pills and products or diets that don’t work. I’m all about real life and how to make tweaks in your life so you feel better, have more energy and enjoy every day…not to mention eat good food. So how’s this for a ‘diet?’ All food is allowed….nothing is prohibited. Otherwise the denial, deprivation and overeating cycle sets in. You deny yourself something you really want to eat and then begin to feel deprived. Finally you can’t stand it any longer so you overeat on the food you denied yourself to begin with and the vicious cycle starts. You don’t win…ever.
In the January 2010 issue of Family Circle magazine, there’s a nice article on smart eating. This week’s podcast welcomes my regular guest, Margit Ragland, senior editor at Family Circle to chat on smart eating tips. Get your New Year’s health on and try these four tips this January.
1. Leave two bites at every meal (about 100 calories total per day). Cutting just 100 calories every day in 2010 results in a ten pound weight loss. Not bad. How would you like to weigh 10 pounds less at the end of next year and accomplish this by slightly cutting your portions?
2. Cook at home one more night each week. Most home cooked meals tend to be lower in fat and calories plus smaller in portion than what you typically get eating out.
3. Turn off the kitchen lights at 8 p.m. Cut out mindless eating at night.
4. Serve your meals on eight inch salad plates. Compared to a standard dinner plate size of 10 inches (or more), the smaller size looks like more food and you have less room to load up.
To start the New Year off right, we have a new spin on eggplant parmesan. Be sure and try the Panko-Crusted Eggplant Parmesan recipe posted at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center.
Thanks for stopping by for a little holiday cheer. Are you ready to start your ovens? The holidays are here and it’s time to cook. Let’s talk about easy tips for healthy holiday cooking that let you enjoy the feast and festivities and not increase your dress or pant size. I love to eat and I look forward to my favorite comfort foods this special time of year. Don’t you? My grandmother and my mother both made this festive yeast bread called Christmas Stollen. It’s a German recipe filled with pecans, cinnamon, dried cherries, apricots and raisins. I can almost smell it coming out of the oven. I’ve learned to make it with a few little tweaks of my own so I carry on their tradition of a spicy cinnamon, buttery yeast bread but with a healthier spin. Small changes in recipes yield big rewards when it comes to cutting calories and fat without sacrificing flavor.
So, tip number one to keep the flavor and perk up the health benefits in your holiday cooking:
1. Switch from candied fruit such as lemon, orange and cherries that are typically used in fruit cake to dried fruit such as plums, blueberries, apricots, and cherries. Easy switch… big flavor. I did this in my Mom’s Christmas Stollen recipe and it gives the bread an updated appeal with the health benefit of the antioxidants from the dried fruit.
2. Nutrition is about making smart choices, not about deprivation such as you feel when you’re on a diet. It’s about real, delicious food made with healthful ingredients. Kick up the nutrition in your recipes by adding vegetables, fruit and nuts. For example, add nuts to pumpkin, banana or zucchini breads; diced green pepper, carrots, onions and garlic to pasta sauce; your favorite chopped vegetables to omelets or scrambled eggs; dried plums or blueberries to yogurt, oatmeal or cereal. All of these efforts add up and make it easy to fit more fruit and vegetables into your busy day.
3. Mom’s Christmas Stollen recipe also called for 1 cup of whole milk. Replace whole milk with 1% or skim milk. For most recipes, you won’t notice a taste difference and you still get the protein, calcium and vitamin D but your hips and heart will notice the drop in total fat and saturated fat. Cut the fat and saturated fat with all your diary choices. For example, when I make dark chocolate fondue and the recipe calls for evaporated milk, I use skimmed evaporated milk. For a key lime pie, I use fat free sweetened condensed milk. For mac and cheese, try reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (not fat free) and use part-skim ricotta for manicotti and lasagna. The reduction in total fat and saturated fat adds up quickly without you feeling deprived of anything.
By the way, do you have guests spending the night and want to impress them for breakfast? Mix up pumpkin pancakes. The recipe is posted at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center along with others we’ll talk about today. You can make the pancake batter up the night before. Just make sure you have the ingredients on hand. If you’ve never made pancakes, they’re much easier than you think. The point to remember is to flip them only once on the griddle or skillet. Wait until you see bubbles around the edges and then flip and cook the other side. The recipe includes canned pumpkin, cinnamon and vanilla yogurt. Pumpkin is a source of vitamin A for healthy eyes and contains fiber which most of us need a lot more of. The bright orange color tells you that pumpkin naturally contains alpha and beta carotene and other carotenoids tied to good health. I use skim milk instead of 1% and add raisins to my batter instead of making the topping. These pancakes are a winner at my house.
4. Focus on the fat. Did you know that one tablespoon of regular butter contains 11 grams of fat with seven of them being saturated fat? Saturated fat is the least healthy type of fat and known for clogging arteries. Light butter with added oil such as olive or canola brings down the saturated fat content and is a better choice along with light spreads made from heart healthy oils such as soybean, canola, and olive. Light spreads are typically even lower in saturated fat than light butters. Both light spreads and light butter work well on toast, muffins, corn on the cob and vegetables but remember that light butter and light spreads are not the best choice for baking. The water content affects the outcome of the recipe.
5. Consider baking with a spread. There are many choices in the spread aisle and the lingo can be confusing. Be a label sleuth. Here’s the bottom line you need to know. You want a spread that is made with healthy oils such as canola, olive and soybean, contains no added trans fat (aka partially hydrogenated oil), and has the least amount of saturated fat. I’m talking 2 grams or less of saturated fat per tablespoon. That will cull down the selection pretty quickly. Yesterday I was doing an interview for a magazine and one of the questions asked was if you can substitute spreads for butter when baking. The writer had an apple crisp recipe that called for a stick of butter and she was concerned for her father had a heart attack recently. Yes, regular spreads bake cakes, cookies and fruit crumbles or crisps beautifully without all the artery-clogging saturated fat.
I’ve posted a number of recipes on the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center for you to try this holiday season that use spreads low in saturated fat and free of trans fat including Promise and I Can’t believe It’s Not Butter! Try the oven-baked harvest apples, banana, date & walnut muffins, honey & orange mini cakes, and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies (yes, I add chocolate chips to the batter). The parmesan-crusted sweet potato fries make a tasty side for your leftover turkey sandwiches. Let me know which recipes are your favorites and have fun in the kitchen with your family and friends.
Has your stress level already kicked up a notch and the holidays haven’t technically started yet? Too tired to cook? Do you plan on dining out more often with friends and family but want to eat healthy too? The good news is that many popular restaurants are going green plus offering you healthier options. All you have to do is order and enjoy them.
Leading the way is Darden Restaurants headquartered in Orlando. You may not know that name but I bet you know your favorite restaurant under their umbrella including Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, The Capital Grille and LongHorn Steakhouse. Just recently Darden opened their new 469,000 square-foot corporate restaurant support center. Designed to achieve Gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (known as LEED) from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), it will be the largest LEED Gold new construction building in Florida. I had the opportunity to chat with Rich Jeffers, Director, Media Relations & External Communications. He shared with me that Darden’s commitment to sustainability is seen in the many sustainable design and construction elements found in its new home.
More than 90 percent of the waste generated from construction was recycled.
The facility has an automatic lighting system that dims or brightens according to the amount of sunlight entering the building which helps reduce energy consumption.
There is increased use of natural light which we have a lot of here in Orlando made possible by a 114,000 square-foot glass curtainwall exterior.
Besides being an ecofriendly facility, from an employee health perspective, the Darden café offers 1300 employees daily healthful selections along with break rooms throughout the facility stocked with fresh fruit and nutritious snacks. With a ½ mile walking trail, business meetings can truly be taken outside. Plus, and this is one of my favorite design features, nine extra wide staircases encourage movement which ultimately may help improve productivity.
I asked Rich if these same green and healthier living parameters carry over into their restaurants. All of Darden restaurants have ‘green teams’ whose mission is to find energy conservation opportunities within each facility.
I also wanted to know answers to the questions you ask me. If you want healthier options, are they available in each restaurant? How are the healthier options designated on the menu? Can you look at the menu online before you head to your favorite restaurant?
Although sustainability may be new on the menu, meeting the diverse palate and dietary needs of customers is not. Menu options abound. Let’ talk about restaurant options plus some smart tips for dining out during the holidays and anytime.
I’m starting with dessert first since you know I’m a chocolate lover. Share a dessert…you share the calories and still enjoy the treat without feeling deprived.
Seafood is very popular and healthy. Order your selection poached, steamed, broiled or grilled (without butter) or blackened. You won’t miss the butter for the spice profile negates the need for it. Heading to Red Lobster? They offer a fresh selection of fish that can be wood-grilled and prepared to your liking. Also check out the LightHouse menu at RedLobster.com with selections less than 500 calories and 750mg of sodium.
Want shellfish? Try cocktail sauce instead of melted butter for dipping. Big calorie saver with lots of flavor.
If you have a choice, opt for the smaller portion size. You save many calories and still have the item you want. When you order a regular portion size, also ask for a to-go container right then. When your order arrives, put half of it in the to-go container. Why? Because typically the portion size is way more than you need and if you don’t cut it in half then, guess what, you’ll eat it…right? This is my favorite trick.
Don’t forget to ask for all of your sauces on the side so you control the amount used. This includes salad dressing, mayo and butter. If you have a hard time controlling the amount of salad dressing you pour on the salad, try dipping the tines of your fork into the salad dressing and then into your greens. It lowers the amount used significantly. Going to Olive Garden? Take a look at the Garden Fare menu which has a range of dishes from low fat to gluten free or no sugar added.
Breading, frying and cream sauces add calories to your backside so less is more when it comes to healthy selections. Meeting at Seasons 52? All of the menu items contain 475 calories or less.
You can tell that I’m a big fan of reviewing menus online. Why? Because many of you have told me that you love to eat out but have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or need gluten-free choices. Checking the menu before you go puts you in control of your health and what you eat. You make decisions based on what’s right for you.
Chocolate’s popularity, particularly dark chocolate, is soaring. Women especially feel that they’ve been given permission to pamper and indulge themselves with something they love without so much guilt. I bet you’ve heard that chocolate can be good for you. You may not why, you just know it is.
Research indicates that the flavanols in cocoa may have heart health benefits which include improved blood flow, reduced blood pressure and lowered production of the lousy or LDL cholesterol. In addition to the flavanols found in cocoa, dark chocolate also contains other nutrients including iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and fiber. The caveat here is that the nutritional profile can be significantly hindered by the addition of less healthy ingredients such as trans fat or hydrogenated fat, butter oil, coconut or palm oil, or even milk fat. It’s up to you to be the label sleuth and read both the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredient list closely. The longer the ingredient list, the more likely it is that added items will take away from cocoa’s potential health benefits.
Have you noticed that the packaging on dark chocolate often includes a percentage of cocoa? For example, the wording might say ‘dark chocolate, 65% cocoa content’. It’s currently assumed that the higher the percent of cocoa in chocolate, the darker the chocolate and the better for you from the standpoint of the flavanols. Although the percent of cocoa in the chocolate is often marketed on the label, the percentage is not a true measure of flavanol content.
In cocoa, the flavanol level depends on both the flavanol content of the cacao plant and the procedures used for making chocolate. Traditional processing often destroys many of the flavanols. So unless the flavanol content is truly measured and indicated on the package, the percentage of cocoa in chocolate remains speculative as it relates to flavanol content. More companies are starting to do just this. CocoaVia brand is an example. Until the flavanol content is measured routinely, the best bet you have is to choose dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa and fewer added ingredients that are less healthy.
Do you think diet and nutrition are a ‘one size fits all’? Most popular diets would have you think so. Remember when you first learned about the food pyramid? The pyramid and dietary guidelines were created to help people make healthier food choices. Yet even with the food pyramid one size does not fit all.
Depending on your age, sex and what may be going on in your life health wise, your diet and health needs may vary. Let’s take kids from ages two to five. When it comes to eating good foods such as fruits and vegetables….this is a tough crowd. Wouldn’t it be great if cheesy puffs were a major food group? Here’s a way you can personalize the diet for your preschooler. Log on to MyPyramid.gov and you will see a link to MyPyramid Plan for Preschoolers. You can plug in your child’s name, gender, age and daily amount of physical activity and receive a personalized recommended diet. Terri, my publicist, used the tool to make a personalized plan for her five year old daughter. The plan is colorful, your child’s name is on it and the plan tells you the amount of each food group to consume daily. Kids require smaller portion sizes yet often eat the same amount as adults. Plus, you can click on each food group, say grains for example, and find out serving sizes and foods within that group which are smart choices. Then print out the plan for your child and post it where he or she can see it. It’s a great teaching tool and kids love that their name is on it.
If you’re having trouble getting your kids to eat a certain vegetable or fruit, try another one. Take them with you to the grocery store and let them play an active part picking the food. Introduce one fruit or veggie a week. When it comes to fruits and veggies, there are so many colors, textures and shapes. Terri told me that in her daughter’s preschool, the class would pick a fruit or veggie every week. They would talk about the color, shape and texture of the fruit and whether it was salty, sour or sweet. Then there was the taste test. It usually corresponded with whatever letter they were learning about that week such as A for Apple. You can do this at home. The MyPyramid.gov site has creative resources to help you build strong eating habits from a very young age.
Okay, I think we covered the toughest crowd. Another group with specific nutrition needs is moms-to-be. If you are in this group, there is also a MyPyramid for you. Plug in your age, weight, height, due date and daily exercise and you will receive a recommended diet for each trimester along with guidance on how to choose the healthiest foods. Your doctor may also prescribe a pre-natal vitamin or mineral supplement in addition to eating a healthy diet.
Moms-to-be, you have several nutrients personalized for your diet including iron and folic acid. Remember that the nutrient folic acid helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. You can find folate (the form of folic acid in food) in vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens and fresh beans or peas, fortified breakfast cereals and orange juice. Iron helps in the formation of hemoglobin and carries oxygen to the tissues and organs of the growing baby. The most absorbable form of iron, called heme iron, is found in red meat. Other food sources of iron include beans, spinach, and fortified cereals (fortified means added to the product). Here’s a tip for you. Be sure and include a food source of vitamin C such as fruit with your food containing iron. Vitamin C partners with iron to increase its absorption in the body.
OK seniors, listen up. As we all age, our bodies have different needs. Researchers at Tufts University came out with a Modified Pyramid for older Adults in 2007. This pyramid continues to emphasize nutrient-dense food choices and the importance of getting plenty of water. It also adds foods that are especially important for older adults. These foods are rich in often deficient nutrients including calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Did you know that it’s more difficult to absorb vitamin B12 as you age? Vitamin B12 is found in animal foods only and as absorption decreases, supplements are often needed.
Current research has shown that people of all ages have low blood levels of vitamin D. Many doctors are now checking B12 and vitamin D blood levels during routine lab tests. Dairy sources, fortified soy milk, and calcium fortified foods such as orange juice and cereal are easy ways to add calcium to the diet. Vitamin D is found in few food sources among them salmon, tuna, cheese and egg yolks and fortified foods (vitamin D is added to the food). Additionally supplements are often recommended. Be sure and discuss your need for B12, calcium and vitamin D at your next visit with your health care professional.
Be sure and check out mypyramid.gov and personalize your diet. Another site with nutrition information, tips, recipes, resources, videos and more is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln extension services for Lancaster County. Both of these websites contain extensive information written in user-friendly language to help you get started with links to other resources as well.
Do you have friends or family members who are losing their vision? Perhaps they’ve been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration or AMD which affects the central vision and results in significant vision loss or even blindness. Did you know that AMD is the leading cause of vision loss as you get older? What if you can add certain foods to your diet to help prevent AMD down the road? Data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (known as AREDS) reported in the May 2009 issue of the journal Ophthalmology found that participants whose diets were high in certain nutrients including vitamin E and C, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fats had the lowest risks of age-related macular degeneration. Close to 2500 people were followed for 10 years.
Other studies suggest that a diet consisting of more low-glycemic or GI foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils and whole grains as examples) and less high glycemic or GI foods such as candy, desserts, and sweetened drinks results in a lower risk for AMD. In case you’re wondering how refined or processed foods which are typically high on the glycemic index affect vision, here is what scientists currently believe. High-GI foods cause a rapid increase and decline in blood glucose levels as opposed to low-GI foods which raise blood glucose more slowly. The rapid rise in blood glucose may damage the macula or part of the retina which provides detailed central vision. The good news is that certain nutrients found in specific foods seem to help protect your eyes from AMD.
Consider making these foods a staple in your diet.
Citrus fruits: contain vitamin C
Nuts: contain zinc, vitamin E and healthy fats; walnuts have fats that convert to omega-3s in the body
Red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products: source of zinc
Dark green leafy veggies such as broccoli, spinach and kale: contain lutein and zeaxanthin; lutein is also in egg yolks
Cold-water fish like salmon: source of omega-3 fats
The good news is that all the foods mentioned above are not only beneficial for eye health but for total body health. For more information on eye health, check out the National Eye Institute.
Posts
©2009 Practicalories,
Inc. All rights reserved.