This is definitely one of those topics that only gets more confusing the more you read. So, you need to have a philosophy about it and fit each new bit of information into your overall framework. That way, you're not constantly reeling from 'no carbs' to 'low fat' to 'grapefruits only' to whatever is in. Among physicians, there isn't any consensus about what is best for you. The only thing we can probably agree on is that no one diet suits everyone. In this section, over time, we hope to provide enough helpful information so you can make healthful decisions on your own.
In a nutshell, my philosophy is that fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should make up most of your intake. Lean protein such as fish, chicken, turkey or tofu, nuts, lentils. and beans should comprise the rest. The most important to me is eating 'whole foods' as they come out of the ground and limiting processed foods as much as possible. The food industry has studied and perfected combining the most tempting, and at times addictive, combinations of fat, salt, and sugar in restaurant and supermarket offerings. They know how to keep you coming back for more.
Varying what you eat can keep your meals interesting. I aim to include 'superfoods' such as spinach, tomatoes, pumpkin, blueberries, and hemp seed, which I think are delicious. Experiment with foods that contain antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, lycopene (think tomatoes), and beta-carotene (pumpkin and carrots). These and many others are beneficial when eaten in 'whole foods' but not when taken in pill form.
Of course, not one nutrition plan suits everyone, since food preferences or intolerance and medical issues must be considered.
But for the majority of people, if you eat whole foods and nourish your body and soul with a wholesome variety of nutritious foods, your mind and body will thank you. Often, people don't realize that fatigue, insomnia, depression, and other issues are closely tied to what we eat. In our posts in this section, we'll provide some practical information and keep you posted on the latest and greatest in nutrition news. Send us your questions!
Nutrition and the Brain Part 2 – Sleep and Vegetables!
Much of the conference I attended last weekend, titled Nutrition and the Brain, was about Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). There are genetic factors for AD which we’re handed at birth, like it or not, and environmental factors, which we can control. The latter include exercise, sleep and nutrition. We covered exercise in detail in Part One, so…
Kale the Powerhouse Vegetable
In the Health and Sciences section of the Washington Post this week, I read a brief article about the benefits of kale. Last year, Anderson Cooper from CNN admitted that he had never had kale before and had to taste a kale leaf in front of an audience. It was entertaining to see Mr Cooper…
Sleep For Success! Everything You Must Know About Sleep but Are too Tired to Ask
Sleep For Success: Everything You Must Know About Sleep but Are Too Tired to Ask By Dr. James Maas and Rebecca Robbins Published by AuthorHouse, 2011 Are you exhausted? Often have difficulty staying awake? Then this book may be a great first step to a good night’s rest. Dr. Maas is a distinguished Professor of Psychology at Cornell…
Exercise, Nutrition and the Brain
This weekend, I attended a conference in DC that I’ve been looking forward to for months – Nutrition and the Brain. While most medical conferences have some ‘exciting’ aspects when new research is revealed, here almost every speaker discussed something that can personally affect all our readers and patients. The talks covered many aspects of dementia…
The Low Down on Cool Down
As part of the warm up period, it’s a good idea to stretch. Generally, before exercise, “dynamic” stretching is better and afterwards, “static” stretching is preferred. Dynamic stretching involves warming up the muscles with gentle, gradual moves, without a prolonged hold. If you try to maximally stretch a ‘cold’ muscle, you’re more likely to induce a tear. Just as…
Education While on Vacation?
Early morning a week ago, while David was on a flight to Australia for his healthcare consulting work, I drove my son Sandy to the Franklin and Marshall campus or F&M in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He will be attending a three-week course at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) camp. Sandy will study chemistry…
Car driving is no ‘sitting in the pool’
Driving can be part of our lives, either trucking kids in the afternoon to all their lessons, driving to and from work in traffic or driving from one office to another. The third is my situation and there are some days, although uncommonly, I can be in the car 3-4 hours, driving to different hospitals….
No Pain, NO PAIN!
In the past, there was a common saying, “No pain, no gain,” to encourage people to exercise harder and longer. I don’t hear that expression much any more. Either I’m hanging around with wiser people, or all those, “no pain, no gain” believers have been injured and changed their tune. Whether you are stretching, lifting…
Women as Breadwinners
I was on call this past weekend and in and out of the hospital everyday. Babies seemed to come only in the middle of the nights whenever I was on call. Luckily, I was able to run my usual 3.2 miles Sunday afternoon followed by a 50-minute swim in my next door neighbor’s pool, so…
In the Long Run, Shorter is Better
One of today’s biggest exercise trends? Interval training. But what is the big hype about it? There are many adaptations that the body makes when put under the stresses of intense exercise followed by lighter exercise repeatedly. The biggest change that occurs in the body is the improvement of one’s VO2 max – the largest amount…