In the May/June 2010 issue of Psychology Today there is an article about apples being the brain food.
The story says apples because they are loaded with fiber and vitamin C they help promote digestive health and lower blood cholesterol.
Health officials say kids in elementary school should have a minimum of one healthy snack a day. The problem is that if the child is left to decide what to eat, it isn’t always nutritious.
The American Dietetic Association suggests choosing a vegetable, fruit or grain. The other things to pay attention to are proteins and low-fat dairy items.
Some ideas for snacks include whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, whole grain waffle with berries, celery sticks with pb and j or grilled cheese with tomatoes on whole wheat.
Farmers’ markets are such a wonderful place to shop for local produce. With the climate in Tahoe, ours is seasonal - June-October. Growers from as far as Fresno come to sell their produce.
The Tuesday event draws hundreds, if not thousands, of locals and tourists. It proves we crave fresh produce.
More and more restaurants - here and most elsewhere - are trying to buy from local growers. When you think about how many miles produce travels to reach consumers - 1,500 in North America - it makes you wonder how long it’s been in a truck or on a ship before it’s in your kitchen.
Support your local farmers - or try to grow your own produce. At least then you know where it’s been and you can ask the grower if they use harmful pesticides.
Here are three breakfast drink choices from RealAge.com:
Orange juice: A study showed that joint inflammation may be less likely in middle-aged people whose diets are rich in beta-cryptoxanthin. And oranges are brimming with it — as well as anti-inflammatory vitamin C.
Coffee: Researchers think the brew may improve insulin sensitivity. Men in a study who gulped four 8-ounce cups a day had a whopping one-third reduction in type 2 diabetes risk.
Apple juice: This sweet drink is swimming with the brain-boosting chemical acetylcholine, which feeds memory and juices up learning skills.
Keeping the body fueled while exercising is so important. Energy bars have been around for years. Some still taste like cardboard, while others are sugary concoctions.
In the October 2008 issue of Sunset magazine is a comparison of seven commercial bars and one from scratch that the publication’s food experts devised. The panel evaluated them based on price, taste, calories, protein, fat, fiber and sugar.
Some of the ingredients in the Sunset bar are rolled oats, oat bran, flax seeds, whole wheat flour, peanuts and dried cranberries. Check out www.sunset.com for more information.