Ten things you can eat for a healthy New Year
Focusing on the things you shouldn’t eat, makes you think of said things (which may lead to craving them. Shame.) So to start the year with a Can Do (or Can Eat) attitude, here’s a list of 10 kinds of food you can eat and a game to play to fight the cravings.
Dark chocolates
Aside from the known benefits of being delicious, dark chocolate can lower blood pressure and is the perfect snack to fight the midday slump. But how much exactly? The Catholic University in Campobasso, Italy says that we should only eat half a bar per week. Eat more and the benefits start to disappear.
Chocolate amounts are critical, says Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Nutrition. “We are talking of a moderate consumption. The best effect is obtained by consuming an average amount of 6.7 grams of chocolate per day, corresponding to a small square of chocolate twice or three times a week. Beyond these amounts the beneficial effect tends to disappear”.
Almonds
Dark chocolates and almonds? This diet doesn’t seem so bad. A study from the University of Florida, U.S. found that almonds are a good source of essential fatty acids, vitamin E and magnesium. Eating almonds also decreases salt intake.
Fish oil
A Kyoto University, Japan study proves that fish oil helps burn fat. Their studies on mice reveal that mice that ate fish oil with their fatty food gained less fat than those that didn’t. They found out that fish oil converts white “fat storing” cells into brown “fat burning” cells.
“People have long said that food from Japan and the Mediterranean contribute to longevity, but why these cuisines are beneficial was up for debate,” says senior author Teruo Kawada. “Now we have better insight into why that may be.”
Coffee
Get this. Coffee can do more than wake us up, it can save our lives.
A study in theAmerican Heart Association journal Circulation says that drinking moderate amounts (less than five cups) of coffee a day had fewer risk of deaths from cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, Type 2 diabetes and suicide. The lifesaving effects still apply even if you drink decaf.
“Regular consumption of coffee can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet,” said senior author Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D., a Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard. “However, certain populations such as pregnant women and children should be cautious about high caffeine intake from coffee or other beverages.”
Homemade meals
Adding “learning to cook” in your resolutions can help both your wallet and your health. Eating about 11 to 14 homemade meals a day had 13 percent less risk of getting Type 2 diabetes than those who only ate less than 6 homemade meals a week.
“The trend for eating commercially prepared meals in restaurants or as take-out in the United States has increased significantly over the last 50 years,” said Geng Zong, Ph.D., a research fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. “At the same time, Type 2 diabetes rates have also increased.”
Red wine
A glass of red wine every night makes us feel a lot richer than we really are. And, yes, it can help people with type 2 diabetes manage their cholesterol and heart health.
Diabetics are more prone to heart diseases because they have low levels of good cholesterol. A study published in Annals of Medicine found that red wine increases the levels of good cholesterol, thus decreasing the risks of heart disease.
Dried plums
Dried plums are good for the gut. Researchers from the Texas A&M University, U.S. and the University of North Carolina, U.S. have shown that dried plums can positively affect as gut bacteria, helping reduce the risk of colon cancer.
“Dried plums contain phenolic compounds, which have multiple effects on our health, including their ability to serve as antioxidants that can neutralize the oxidant effect of free radicals that can damage our DNA.” says said Dr. Nancy Turner, Texas A&M AgriLife Research professor.
Vitamin C
Taking 500 mg of Vitamin C daily has the same effect as regular exercise, said a study from University of Colorado, Boulder, U.S..
Scientists found that overweight people have a high activity of a protein called endothelin (ET)-1. This protein constricts the blood vessels but can be reduced by exercise. Taking 500 mg of Vitamin C has the same effect on (ET)-1 as exercise.
Okay, so Vitamin C won’t shed the pounds. But it will keep your heart healthy until you’re ready to hit the gym again.
Spinach
Popeye had a point on this one. Though his claims of sudden super strength are entirely false, spinach has the ‘power’ to reduce your food cravings.
A study published in the American College of Nutrition proves that participants who ate spinach extract felt fuller than those who took a placebo. A previous study showed that in women, eating spinach can reduce craving for sweets.
Article co-author, Frank L. Greenway MD, summarizes: “The reduction in hunger and the desire for salty food that we saw in this study might make thylakoids (found in spinach) particularly useful for people with high blood pressure and associated weight problems.”
Hot chili
A bowl of chili can make you feel full faster. University’s Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases found that chili peppers activate nerves in your stomach that tells it that it’s full.
“We also found that TRPV1 receptors (in chili peppers) can be disrupted in high fat diet induced obesity,” says Associate Professor Amanda Page, Senior Research Fellow in the University of Adelaide’s School of Medicine.
Tetris
In times when your will is weak, you can curb your cravings with Tetris. Playing the puzzle video game for at least three minutes at a time can fight cravings for food, drugs, alcohol, smoking, and even sleep.
Scientists at Plymouth University and Queensland University think that the ‘Tetris effect’ happens because cravings involve a lot of visualizing. Playing visually interesting games like Tetris occupies the brain region for images so it won’t have time for your cravings.
Category: Top Story, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
