Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University discovered a link between those who consume diets high in trans fat and brain health. The tests showed that people who ate more trans fat were more likely to have brain shrinkage, and they scored lower on tests dealing with thinking and memory. This result was compared to people who ate a diet low in trans fats and high in vitamins.

This study analyzed nutrients in the blood to assess the effects of diet on the brain. Those who had more vitamin B, C, D, and E in their blood were shown to do better on memory and thinking tests, as opposed to those with more trans fat in their blood.

Brain shrinkage is common in Alzheimer’s, which affects approximately 5.4 Americans. While scientist shave not figured out just what exactly causes Alzheimer’s, this and other research suggests that eating a healthy diet which is high in fruits and vegetables may protect the brain and make it work better.

Trans fat can be found in processed foods such as margarine, cakes and other baked goods, as well as in fried foods. While grocery shopping, check the label for trans fat or “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredients. While it is probably impossible to totally eliminate trans fat from your diet, aim for consuming them as little as possible to ensure you live a healthier life.

Assistance Provided by Tori Thompson

1. Wash..wash…wash your hands. Remember, things like cell phones, restaurant menus, credit cards, pens, counters, and of course door handles are crawling with germs. Always wash with warm not hot water (hot will dry your hands allowing them to chap and crack easier allowing more germs to enter) always use a squirt of soap and focus on the backs of hands, in between fingers and under nails. Dry with a clean paper towel, but don’t throw it away until you’ve used it to open the door.

2. If you can’t wash, use hand sanitizer. However, since hand sanitizer can dry your hands, try one with a moisturizer.

3. Remember, don’t put your fingers in your mouth, touch your face, or eat unless you are SURE your hands are clean.

4. When making your holiday feast, remember to be vigilant about cleaning use paper towels to clean up a mess instead of a sponge, keep meats on the bottom shelf of the fridge in a plastic bag and in a bowl or on a plate to prevent drippings. Never put raw meat on the same plate you will put any cooked food.

5. When removing the innards of the turkey, put them into a plastic bag and in the garbage immediately, wash hands thoroughly.

6. Never eat the dough of cookies, raw eggs can carry salmonella and cause violent diarrhea and vomiting and ends many in the hospital…not somewhere anyone wants to be on the holidays.

7. Remember,  food that is done cooking should be held as warm as possible until served, try putting your oven on low heat to keep things warm until everything else is done, or plan ahead and time things out to be done at the same time if possible.

Most of all: HAVE A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND A HAPPY 2011!

Assistance Provided by: Christina Wolfe

1. Do some homework. Find out what restaurant you are headed to in advance, and then look them up online to find out more about their menu options.  Look for Nutrition Fact information if possible, in order to avoid calorie bombs while enjoying a nice dinner out!
2. Be menu-savvy. Watch out for certain keywords in the descriptions of menu items that could indicate how they are prepared.  Pay attention to: deep-fried/pan-fried, basted, creamy, crispy, au gratin, breaded, and many more.  Choose options that are grilled, steamed, or baked for healthier choices.
3. Order outside of the box. Who says you have to order an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert?  If your healthy choices are limited, there’s no reason why you can’t instead order an appetizer and a side dish to come up with your own balanced meal.  Many appetizers are served as a decent portion size, and you can almost always order a side of steamed vegetables.
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Unless I’m enjoying a celebratory glass of wine with dinner, I like to stick to water as my drink of choice.  Not only are the other drinks often over-priced, but it’s always better to avoid “liquid calories” where you can.  At the very least, order one glass of your favourite restaurant drink, and then switch to water after that.
5. Share desserts around the table. Yes, you’ve probably heard this one before.  Again, I certainly like to enjoy a splurge every once in a while for my favourite desserts, but if you’re out for a business dinner and don’t want to blow your healthy diet, consider sharing different desserts.  As a bonus, it allows you to try little bites of more than one dessert if you had a hard time making up your mind from the dessert menu!

Assistance provided by Megan Skinner

1.  Use up ingredients you already have.  Before heading to the grocery store, take a look at what you already have tucked away in the pantry to see if you can use it in a dish.  Breadcrumbs and canned tomatoes?  Pick up some eggplant and make eggplant parmesan.  Whole-grain rice and salsa?  Pick up some peppers and onions and make a Mexican-inspired rice dish.

2.  Buy in bulk when it makes sense.  Buying products in bulk can save you a lot of money, but try to only do so if the product is one you would normally eat.  Try to also look for the buy-in-bulk deals on healthier options so you don’t fill up your house with junk food.

3.  Cook more than one meal at a time.  Wondering how this tip saves you money?  Cooking extra meals gives you options later on in the week, and can be great if you’re feeling tempted to spend lots of money on expensive takeout or restaurant meals.  Knowing that you’ve got a healthy and delicious homemade meal ready to go at home means you’re less likely to spend unnecessary money.

4.  Don’t buy more fruits and vegetables than you need.  Fruits and vegetables are definitely healthy choices, don’t get me wrong here.  But they can also be quite perishable, and the last thing you want to do is be throwing out produce because it’s gone bad before you can get to it.  Only buy what you need and make sure to eat the more perishable items first (usually fruits).

5.  Take advantage of frozen vegetables.  This one helps with the previous tip – you can use up your fresh vegetables earlier in the week, and then rely on frozen veggies to last you until your next grocery store trip!  And don’t be worried about using frozen produce – they’re often picked at the peak of their season and immediately frozen, so all those nutrients are locked in.

6.  Build meals around cheaper staples.  Potatoes, carrots, onions, pasta, and rice are relatively inexpensive staple items, no matter what store you shop at.  Utilize their low-cost nature by building meals around them to create healthy options.  The key here is to still prepare them in healthier ways – this doesn’t mean making French fries and carrot cake all the time!

7.  Get creative in the kitchen.  Craving pizza but don’t want to fork over the money to get it delivered, or can’t get to the grocery store?  Keep a jar of pizza sauce (or make your own!) in the cupboards and you can make pizza whenever you’d like.  If you don’t have access to pizza dough, try using Arnold’s Sandwich Thins or even tortillas!  Get a little more creative with your meals and you’ll be able to make the inexpensive ingredients come to life!

8.  Use slices or cubes of meat instead of whole pieces.  Instead of making meat the star of your meals, make it a team player – include it, but shift the focus to the other ingredients.  If you’re creative enough, you can stretch out small portions of pork tenderloin or chicken breast into two family meals with the addition of a whole grain and lots of veggies! Don’t forget, you can get protein from grains, beans, and dairy, so don’t be concerned that you won’t be meeting your needs.

9.  Incorporate beans.  This might be the easiest tip on the list!  Beans are extremely nutritious, delicious, and versatile – add them to salads, pasta, soups, and more!  If you haven’t tried beans yet, pick up a can the next time you’re at the store and search for a great recipe to use them.  Once you start to enjoy using beans in your cooking, buy dried beans and cook them yourself to save even more money!

10. Grow your own.  Whether it’s a small tomato or pepper plant, or herbs like basil, chives, or rosemary, growing your own food can easily help you cut down food costs.  Start slowly with just one plant and enjoy eating your own home-grown ingredients!

Assistance provided by Megan Skinner

1. Kale chips. Ever since I discovered kale chips I can’t seem to get enough of them (even got my family obsessed!). Just drizzle kale with olive oil and sea salt and bake in the oven at 350-375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes and you’ve got yourself a potato chip alternative!
2. PB & honey sandwiches on whole grain bread. Aim for all natural peanut butter to avoid preservatives and whole grain bread with at least 3 grams of fiber per slice. Choose 100% pure honey as a natural sweetener for your deliciously simple sandwich!
3. Energy bars. These are great, healthy and convenient snacks while hiking. There are also some amazing flavors out there that are worth trying. Two of my favorite bars include Lara Bars (most variety of flavors found at Whole Foods) and Clif-C Bars.
4. Baked beans. Not only are they a great protein source but they are also packed with fiber! Remember, for meals and snacks make sure you have both a protein and carbohydrate source!
5. Dark Chocolate S’mores. Who doesn’t love s’mores? This year, buy dark chocolate bars as well for that extra antioxidant boost to protect your body from free radicals even while camping!

Do you have any healthy camping ideas you’d like to share? What’s your favorite camping food? Do share!

Research assistance provided by Monica Lobo, RD.

Fun Facts about the “Other” Berry

• Not your average berry. Raspberries are packed with antioxidants. Studies have shown that their antioxidant levels may be as much as 10 times those of strawberries!
• Color your plate. Not just red, these little fruits can even come in shades such as purple and yellow!
• Nutritional benefits. Raspberries are plentiful in potassium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.
• Nutritional plus. They are actually a wonderful source of dietary fiber. Half a pound of raspberries contains about 20 grams of fiber.
• Low cals. According to the USDA, a cup of raspberries contains about 60 calories.
• Freeze away. Raspberries can be frozen without losing a lot of their nutritional content, although their Vitamin C levels may be halved.
• Delicious cure. Raspberries are believed to alleviate many common annoying ailments such as inflammation, allergies, pain, and failing eyesight.

Assistance provided by Pam Majumdar

1. Lara bars. A delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices and only contain no more than eight ingredients (all 100% whole food). These bars are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan and kosher with all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, good carbohydrates and healthy fats your body needs (and would love!).
2. Homemade oatmeal cookies. Get the kids involved and baking in the kitchen before you hit the road/plane. Oatmeal has lots of heart-healthy benefits and are packed with fiber.
3. Fruit. Fruit is a vacay must have. You can also try freezing bite-size grapes, strawberries, melons, cantaloupes, watermelon, etc. and eat while on the road. These refreshing snacks are packed with nutrients to keep your energy exactly where you need it…at the top!
4. Popcorn. Air-popping your own popcorn and flavoring it however you like cuts down on fat and calories. Fill up those zip-lock blags with popcorn and add different flavors to each one to make everyone (including your body) happy!
5. Granola. Another way to get the kids involved is by making batches of granola before hitting the road. This breakfast food and/or snack food consists of rolled oats, nuts, honey, sometimes rice, and whatever dried fruit you’d like to add (cranberries, cherries, raisins, etc.).

Try not to go more than 3-4 hours without eating something! Keeping one (or all) of these snacks in your purse, pocket or backpack is a great way to stay nourished without stressing out about where you’re going to eat next.

What do you like to pack for yourself and/or your kids in your suitcase? Have you tried any of the above?

Research assistance provided by Monica Lobo, RD.

While often combined with rice or bread in India (the largest producer in the world of the legume), lentils can also be consumed on their own, very much like a soup. Because of their high protein content, lentils are a staple of choice for vegetarians the world over.

Their popularity is proven, and here are some reasons why I think lentils should be at the top of your healthy comfort foods list:

• Easy to whip up. Just rinse and let simmer in water, with the option of soaking them overnight beforehand (although soaking is not an essential step for many varieties).
• Quick to fix. Cooking times can range from 10 minutes to half an hour.
• Nutritional value. Lentils are a great source of iron, are high in fiber, and contain many (but not all) essential amino acids as well as vitamin B1.
• Low cals. These tiny legumes pack a lot of nutritional punch without the excessive calories, with around 200 calories for a cup.

Have you tried lentils? Do you eat them alone, or combine with other foods?

Assistance provided by Pam Majumdar

Cinnamon is also one of nature’s remedies, benefiting us beyond sweetening our palates. Musician Bret Michaels talked about how cinnamon has been shown to be beneficial to those suffering from diabetes on the most recent episode of The Celebrity Apprentice. Studies over the last several years have shown that cinnamon consumption may lower blood glucose, LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides. Getting a whiff of its strong scent is a quick way to give your cognitive senses a boost since the cinnamon scent may improve brain function. Cinnamon was included in my 7 Super Spices blog.

Even for those who don’t have diabetes, cinnamon is more than just a delicious add-in. Here are some of my favorite ways to use cinnamon:

• Add to a smoothie
• Add to Greek yogurt
• Add to your favorite chili recipe
• Add to ice cream
• Add to oatmeal
• Add to apples
• Add to baked sweet potato

What are your favorite recipes using cinnamon?

Assistance provided by Pam Majumdar

1. Toast that Grain! Some people who don’t normally like whole grain and whole wheat breads find themselves falling in love with them when toasted. Not only will you increase your fiber intake and up your metabolism, but you’ll also have a toasted, fresher sandwich!
2. Hungry for Hummus. Try swapping your mustard or mayo with hummus! Hummus is a thick spread made from mashed chickpeas and is packed with vitamins, minerals and protein. Chick peas are low in fat and the olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats = heart healthy!
3. Kick It Up a Knotch by adding chipotle spread or wasabi horseradish sauce into your sandwich. Remember: spicy foods increase your metabolism and give you that antioxidant kick!
4. Seasonings, Please. When the awesome sandwich maker asks if you want seasonings, say yes! You can always use dried herbs that are rich in antioxidants to help protect your body from free radicals aka: “the bad stuff.”
5. Salad Sandwich. Your leftover salad from last night is a great addition to your homemade sandwich for lunch today. Not only will you get and feel fuller longer, but your sandwich will be happier and so will your body.

Have you tried any of the above? What do you like to do to give your homemade sandwich that extra kick in nutrients and flavor?

Research provided by Monica Lobo, RD.