Archive for April, 2007

The New Wine Alternative

Published by
stayfit
at April 15, 2007 in News and Nutrition. 0 Comments

You don’t have to pour red wine on your Cheerios to get the heart-healthy goodness of resveratrol in the morning.
Bring blueberries to your breakfast table instead. Blueberries are rich in the same potent anticancer and heart-protective resveratrol compound found in abundance in red wine. Just how healthful are blueberries?(see below ↓)

Blueberries and other berries of the same species are known for their antioxidant prowess, thanks to the fact that they’re brimming with phenols. Some of the phenol compounds recently identified in different blueberry species include not only resveratrol but also piceatannol, a cancer-fighting phenol, and pterostilbene, a phenol credited with helping control blood sugar. Blueberries are loaded with fiber as well. Do you get enough fiber? Take this quiz and find out.
The latest research on blueberries suggests that the combination of health-promoting substances found in blueberries may work synergistically to dramatically slash disease risk. That’s probably why studies link the berries to better brain function, lower cancer risk, and possibly even improved stroke outcomes. Here’s another tip on foods with nutritional synergies.

So start your day with a berry healthy breakfast. If you can’t find fresh berries, frozen are fine. Add them to cereal, pancakes, waffles, low-fat yogurts, or smoothies. Need help getting creative? Try the muffin recipe below. ↓

Recipe Corner
Can’t leave the house without your morning muffin? Try this recipe for Blueberry-Maple Muffins. Ingredients include pure maple syrup for sweetness, flaxseeds for fiber and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and — of course — blueberries!

Compliments of RealAge.com. Originally published on 04/9/2007.

Drink The Tea, Skip The Milk

Published by
stayfit
at April 12, 2007 in News and Nutrition. 0 Comments

Milk can do your body good, but maybe not when it’s in your tea.
Women in a study who drank black tea had improved cardiovascular function — but that protection vanished if they drank it with milk. Temper the taste of your black tea with lemons instead. Or sip it as the Chinese traditionally do: straight up.
Why does milk blunt tea’s effects (see below ↓)
Researchers are not sure why milk may blunt tea’s heart-healthy effects, but milk proteins called caseins are possible culprits. Tea is bursting with health-boosting polyphenols, but proteins have been shown to counteract them. In one study, when researchers added a small amount (10 percent) of milk to black tea, it reduced the tea’s concentration of catechins — polyphenols credited with giving tea its antioxidant punch as well as fighting heart disease and boosting weight loss. The study results may help explain, in part, why tea’s heart benefits appear to be missing in the United Kingdom, where milk is usually added to the brew.
It’s not a done deal, however. Other studies have concluded that milk has no effect on tea’s antioxidant powers. But the conflicting study results may simply be due to the way the scientists measured the good stuff in tea.
In this recent study, researchers measured the effects of tea — with and without milk — on blood vessels in the cardiovascular system. Straight black tea helped blood vessels relax and widen, allowing blood to flow more freely. Tea with milk did not produce the same effect.

Compliments of RealAge.com.