Can Berries Prevent Parkinson’s?

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New evidence suggests that eating as little as two servings of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or apples per month can lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease by 25 percent compared with eating these fruits less than once a month. The recent report also found that men whose diets were rich in flavonoids, the protective compounds found in berries tea and red wine, were 40 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s than those whose diets were low in foods that provide these natural anti-oxidants.

Fast Foods Fueling Depression

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Here’s yet another good reason to avoid fast foods: a new study from Spain and the Canary Islands found that the risk of depression was 51 percent higher in junk-food-junkies than in those who don’t indulge. The foods in question were processed bakery items including donuts and croissants, along with the typical fast foods such as hamburgers, hotdogs and pizza. The study found that the more fast food a participant consumed overall, the greater the risk of depression. At the study’s outset, none of the 8,964 participants had ever been diagnosed with depression or taken antidepressants.

Broccoli, Bok Choy May Help Beat Breast Cancer

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The health benefits of cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, green cabbage, kale and collard greens – are well known: these foods are rich in phytonutrients, which help protect against both cancer and heart disease. Population studies have shown that people who eat a lot of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables tend to have lower rates of cancer than those who don’t. The latest good news about these super-foods comes from a study of breast cancer patients in China: the women who ate the most cruciferous vegetables were 62 percent less likely to die of breast cancer than those who ate the least.

Salmon Teriyaki Salmon Teriyaki

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This wonderful, easy main dish makes a delicious meal when served with a green salad, rice or rice noodles and steamed vegetables. Reserve some of the marinade before adding the fish to use as a sauce for the rice or rice noodles. Salmon contains substantial amounts of omega-3s, essential fatty acids which reduce inflammation and help protect against heart disease. Try to eat fish two to three times a week, especially fish that contain generous amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Other choices include sardines, herring and mackerel.

Food as Medicine
Salmon, like most cold-water fish, contains an abundance of omega-3 essential fatty acids that may lower the risk of heart disease. Omega-3s have been shown to lower triglyceride (blood fat) levels, minimize inflammation and clotting, and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Daily consumption of omega-3-rich salmon can significantly reduce the risk of coronary disease, most likely because the constant supply of omega-3s reduces the presence of leukotrienes – compounds that can damage blood vessel linings and result in atherosclerosis.

Healthy Snacks to Beat an Afternoon Energy Slump

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To keep you satisfied in the afternoon, try these protein-rich snack ideas.

As the afternoon rolls along (or drags on, depending on your take), the office candy bowl sees an uptick in traffic. But a new study shows that it’s not sugar, but protein that you should reach for to beat an afternoon slump.

The study, from the University of Cambridge in England and published in the November 2011 issue of Neuron, found that while glucose (sugar) blocks certain neurons that help you feel awake, the amino acids in protein prevent that from happening. So, if you eat some carbs at lunch, a protein-rich afternoon snack may keep you from feeling sleepy. And since protein helps keep you feeling full longer, that snack might tide you over better than a sugary one and keep you from snacking too much throughout the afternoon.

Citrus Salad Dressing

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This tart, sweet salad dressing is wonderful on dark, leafy salad greens like romaine or leaf lettuce tossed with orange segments, black olives and red onion slivers.

Food as Medicine
Oranges and orange juice contain a potent phytonutrient called herperidin, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and total cholesterol in animal studies.

Stressed-Out? Try Flower Remedies

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Stress can negatively impact your physical health, mood, and social interactions. One way to help address the symptoms of stress is with passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). The dried aboveground parts of the plant can be found in tincture and extract form – look for standardized whole plant extracts or capsules containing no less than 0.8 percent flavonoids or isovitexin.

You can use passionflower for stress reduction, calming without sedation, and relief from insomnia (when combined with other sedative herbs). One dropperful of the tincture in a little warm water, or two capsules of extract, up to four times a day as needed is the adult dosage; children should take half of this. Use precaution when taking MAO-inhibiting antidepressant drugs, and do not take when pregnant – active compounds may be uterine stimulants.

Are You an Adult Picky Eater?

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Everyone prefers some foods over others,but some adults take this to an extreme. These people tend to prefer the kinds of bland food they may have enjoyed as children – such as plain or buttered pasta, macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, French fries and grilled cheese sandwiches – and to restrict their eating to just a few dishes. This condition has been dubbed selective eating disorder (SED), and may eventually be listed by the American Psychiatric Association as an officially recognized eating disorder. I believe that one cause of SED is probably our dysfunctional, hypercommercialized food culture, which has created a whole universe of child-specific prepared foods, most of which are overpriced, bland, nutrient-poor assemblages of sugar, salt and fat. It seems likely to me that a steady diet of such foods as children may lock in unhealthy preferences for life in some susceptible people.

We need to know more about this problem and the best ways to treat it. In the meantime, keep in mind that it does children no favors – and sets them up for a lifetime of poor health and social embarrassment – to excuse them from family meals or real, unprocessed food. Gently, but persistently, continue to give them to your child as he or she goes through a “picky” phase. And if you find your own food universe narrowing, make a conscious effort to seek out and try new, healthy dishes as much as possible! You Aren’t Alone Millions of people worldwide want to improve their emotional health. If that includes you, learn to change your outlook – naturally. Dr. Weil’s new website, SpontaneousHappiness.com, focuses on natural, gentle and effective ways to improve your mood, manage negative thoughts, even get better sleep. And our community is there to support you and let you know you aren’t alone

Red from Rosacea?

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Rosacea – a chronic condition in which a person’s cheeks, nose, chin, eyelids or forehead become inflamed and red – tends to be more common in women, people between the ages of 30 and 50 and those with fair skin. While there is no cure, rosacea can be controlled by avoiding triggers and, occasionally, with medication.

Choosing Soymilk

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Soymilk is made by soaking dried soy beans in water, then grinding, heating and pressing them. The fluid is then strained and packaged as “milk.” Soymilk – an excellent substitute for cow’s milk in many culinary applications – does not contain milk protein (casein), which can increase mucus production and irritate the immune system in some people; does not contain milk sugar (lactose), which can cause digestive distress in those that are lactose intolerant; and is a good source of protein – one cup contains four to 10 grams of protein.

When choosing soymilk, opt for a brand that is fortified with calcium (while soy milk is naturally a good source of calcium, it doesn’t have as much as cow’s milk), organic (many soy crops are heavily treated with pesticides), and free of the thickening agent carageenan (a seaweed derivative, which I believe may be harmful, especially to the intestinal tract). I recommend one to two one-cup servings daily.