Archive for February, 2010

The role of nutrition in slowing Alzheimer’s disease

You might be surprised to learn that nutrition may become one of the cornerstones in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Over the past few years, medical research has strongly suggested that the progression of Alzheimer’s may be slowed by good nutrition. A nutrient-dense diet, in some cases, might even slightly reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s.

A lot of Alzheimer’s research is underway at the Neurosciences Institute and Dr. Forchetti described a number of ongoing clinical trials. One trial really caught my attention. It involves a nutrient-dense food product made by Dannon. Although the exact formulation of this food is a proprietary secret, Dr. Forchetti was able to tell me that it contains high doses of omega-3 oils, vitamin B complex, antioxidants, wheat germ, cereal proteins and other vitamins.

Medical research has shown that omega-3 oils and vitamins can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. However, most foods are not nutritionally dense enough and dietary supplements are necessary. Not everyone likes to take dietary supplements but the development of an effective, nutritionally dense food might be the answer.

This post says you “may be surprised”. I am not. Nutrition and health plays a vital role in EVERYTHING.  This type or research is so interesting to me. Not only does this sort of information help Alzheimer’s patients, but I would image it also can help cancer research. Learning how nutrition plays a part in so many diseases can only help the broader understanding of how it affects everything.

Kids and Cooking Classes

I love this idea of teaching kids to cook. It not only helps reinforce a tradition of everyone eating together, it can also help teach healthy eating.   The Kids’ Cooking Campaign is an annual event teaching children basic cooking skills. The purpose of this program is to help revive family mealtimes and the affection and communication that this time allows.  Today’s busy families are not likely to mimic the days of old when families were able to sit down together for at least two meals a day, but according to studies, the family meal tradition is an important time that benefits far beyond nutrition.  Sharing meals provides a setting for communicating that can strengthen family ties and stabilize relationships.

Skin Deep – Fast Food for Dieters Has Its Doubters – NYTimes.com.

A little late to the game, to talk about this I know, but this wasn’t really about eating Taco Bell. This was about a person making a choice to eat healthier, exercise more and — over two years — lost 54 pounds.  As you no doubt know, I have done this and lost 25lbs.   A bunch of other food joints are following suit: Dunkin Donuts, McDs, and of course Subway which did it a long time ago with Jared.   It’s great that they are listening to their consumers and finding out that they want more options, but whether they are really healthier options seems to be in question. See below how one study found that main chain restaurants often do not report the calories accurately.  There is no way to know how something is prepared when you eat out… Food for thought!

Others worry that the companies might not accurately report nutritional information, which is a legitimate concern. A study published this month in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that the caloric content of food from 29 Boston chain restaurants and 10 frozen meals sold in supermarkets averaged 18 percent more calories than the stated values.