When I tell people I studied nutrition in school, I am typically met with one of two responses: 1) “Wow, that’s neat. We won’t ever invite you over for dinner,” or 2) “Great! So what do you think of (insert latest diet trend here)?” While I have learned to navigate these conversations, I’ve also realized that for many people nutrition often has one of two faces: a cold, intimidating way of life or an attractive mystery that unlocks the door to perfect health. And for everyone else in between, nutrition, at best, seems complicated.

One of the ways nutrition can be a little simpler is by understanding how nutrients function in a plant themselves. Take anti-oxidants, for example. You’ve probably seen this word on juice labels, skin care products, maybe even pet food. But basically, an antioxidant is a protective chemical a plant produces in response to stress. Sunlight, insects, heat – these all put stress on a plant. As a result, plants defend themselves with what we call antioxidants. In turn, when we eat plants, our cells can reap the same protection from these antioxidants as a plant’s cells.

One important property of antioxidants is that they can be destroyed by heat. Nina Etkin, a medical anthropologist, writes that an antioxidant found in vegetables like asparagus and broccoli (glutathione), when exposed to heat, is destroyed by 60%. Also, it is almost entirely lost through the canning process. Although research about antioxidants is ongoing, from what we do know, it seems like another good reason to eat fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. And eat them often.

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Gearing up for summertime? As mentioned in the most recent post, vegetables can be the source for your healthy glow this summer instead of over indulging in the sun, but certain edibles can also protect you from any harmful effects of the sun’s rays.

 Watermelon and tomatoes are two must-haves this season.  Both summer fruits contain large amounts of the compound lycopene, which actually boosts one’s skin’s ability to cope with the sun.   

In addition, research has shown the tomato’s abundant amount of lycopene assists in cancer defense by protecting DNA from oxidative damage.  Tomatoes not  only can help your skin but can give you the summer skip in your step as well.  They are high in mood enhancers such as magnesium and folate, both of which have been used to prevent and treat depression. 

Lastly, tomatoes are full of iron, tryptophan and vitamin B6.  These are the main compounds needed by the human brain to produce necessary mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. 

As for watermelon, it is a great source of vitamin A and vitamin C, and like the tomato, vitamin B6.  Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant important for eye health among other benefits while vitamin C promotes healthy teeth as well as strengthens the body’s immune system. 

Vitamin B6 is an imperative nutrient for brain functioning.  The  watermelon also has approximately 92 percent water content as well, making it a great source of hydration to cope with the season’s heat. 

Moral of this story: this summer be sure these two delicious fruits are on your shopping list!

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As we enter the summer months, I wanted to share some sun exposure information with you.  We hear often that sun exposure is damaging to our skin, but sometimes seeing is believing.

It’s easy to ignore things we’re told all the time, but the fact that 80 percent to 90 percent of skin aging is from sun exposure is amazing and something to think about.

This is in addition to the sun’s well established role in skin cancer – causing 90 percent of all non-melanoma skin cancers and 65 percent of all melanomas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

While this topic seems timely as we enter the summer months, it is important to remember that we’re exposed to UV rays all year round, and 70 percent to 80 percent of the sun’s rays, especially the deep-penetrating UVA rays, make it through the clouds on a cloudy day.. I’ve heard one dermatologist say that we should have sunscreen on even if we’re just walking to the mailbox.  

 An interesting alternative for a suntan from the sun, is one from vegetables. Maybe we should opt for a nice vegetable glow instead.

As you protect yourself from harmful rays to your skin, be sure to remember that the sun provides vitamin D, a needed nutrient for bone health. You can learn about alternative choices for vitamin D from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

For detailed information on sunscreen, click here.

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Searching for the reasons behind these disparities, Charity L. Sauder, Alison E. Thompson, Terrell Myers, and Chester A. Ray, all of Penn State College of Medicine, investigated the effects of mental stress on blood flow through the heart.

Their findings show that coronary blood flow actually increases in men during mental stress, but shows no change in women. These results may explain why women could be more susceptible to adverse cardiac events when under stress.

The study results were presented at Experimental Biology 2012.

The researchers recruited 17 healthy adults, a near equal mix of men and women. Each volunteer had his or her heart rate and blood pressure measured at rest, as well as coronary vascular conductance, a Doppler ultrasound measure of blood flow through the coronary blood vessels of the heart.

These volunteers then underwent the same tests while participating in three minutes of mental arithmetic, in which the researchers had them sequentially subtract seven starting with a random number. To increase the stress load, researchers lightly badgered the volunteers during the task, urging them to hurry up or telling them they were wrong even when they gave the correct number. At the end of the task, they underwent the same three heart function tests again.

Results showed that at rest, men and women showed little differences between the three tests. During the mental arithmetic task, all the volunteers showed an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, regardless of sex. However, while the men showed an increase in coronary vascular conductance under stress, the women showed no change.

This differing characteristic could potentially predispose women to heart problems while under stress, says study leader Chester Ray. He adds that the results came as a surprise, since previous studies men have significantly less blood flow than women during the physical stress of exercise, and could explain why women tend to have more heart troubles after stressful events, such as losing a spouse. The findings also reemphasize the importance of mental stress in affecting health.

“Stress reduction is important for anyone, regardless of gender,” he explains, “but this study shines a light on how stress differently affects the hearts of women, potentially putting them at greater risk of a coronary event.”

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Two studies cover this topic. One involved a survey of 60 young U.S. adults (ages 19 to 23) about the role of food-and-drink pairings. The second involved experiments with 75 U.S. children (ages 3 to 5) to determine the role of drinks and vegetable consumption. The same preschoolers were tested on different days under differing scenarios involving drinks served with vegetables.

Older participants favored the combination of soda served with salty, calorie-dense foods rather than soda and vegetables. Preschoolers ate more raw vegetables, either carrots or red peppers, when accompanied with water rather than when accompanied by a sweetened beverage.

Cornwell says that taste preferences are heavily influenced by repeated exposure to particular foods and drinks. This begins early through exposure to meals served at home and by meal combinations offered by many restaurants.

Our simple recommendation is to serve water with all meals, she says. Restaurants easily could use water as their default drink in kids’ meal combos and charge extra for other drink alternatives.

Serving water, McAlister says, could be a simple and effective dietary change to help address the nation’s growing obesity problem, which has seen increasing number of diabetes cases in young adults and a rise in health care costs in general.

Drinking water with meals, Cornwell says, also would reduce dehydration. While estimates of dehydration vary by sources, many estimates suggest that 75 percent of adult Americans are chronically dehydrated.

From an early age, Cornwell notes, children learn to associate sweet, high-calorie drinks such as colas with salty and fatty high-calorie-containing foods like French fries.

While this combining seems normal, she says, we can see that food-and-drink combinations are developed preferences.

If the drink on the table sets the odds against both adults and children eating their vegetables, then perhaps it is time to change that drink, and replace it with water, she says.

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“I am full of energy with a sharp brain and an optimistic outlook on life.” This doesn’t sound too bad, right? 

In fact, many would agree such a physical state is necessary for fulfillment and success in the modern world. Thanks to a number of research studies, as well as Tyler Graham’s and Drew Ramsey’s book called The Happiness Diet, particular foods have been identified that can help us obtain this ideal state of being. 

There are a number of edibles that boost energy. This list includes many tasty foods such as asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chocolate, coffee, goat cheese, green tea, kale, lentils, lettuce, mesclun, mustard greens, quinoa, red beans, sweet potatoes and walnuts. With so many recipes using these ingredients, you can enjoy them prepared many different ways.

So, why not wake up in the morning with a spring in your step by increasing the amount of these foods in your diet. From a handful of walnuts that make for an easy to grab and healthy snack to a quick salad for lunch or dinner, you can be creative and try new foods.

As for keeping your brain in tip-top shape, try almonds, blueberries, Brussels sprouts, butter, clams, coconut milk and oil, garlic, grapefruit, mussels, onions, pears, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. These foods are all loaded with vitamins A, D, E and K, essential for efficient brain activity. 

Lastly, a number of foods will induce mood enhancement as well. The winners in this category include wild salmon and shrimp, cherry tomatoes, Chile peppers, watermelon, beets and garlic. Wild salmon and shrimp are packed full of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found to not only optimize health but also regulate hormone and neurotransmitters within the brain.

Essentially, the food you put in your mouth can have a positive effect on not only your body but your mind as well.

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Edgar R. Miller III, associate professor and lead author of the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, says the research suggests a modest blood pressure lowering effect with vitamin C supplementation.  He says he will hold off recommending supplements as a treatment for high blood pressure until more research is done to understand the implications.

About 30 percent of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, or hypertension, an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Successful treatment may include drugs, exercise, weight loss and dietary changes such as reducing salt intake.

Miller’s team wants to find evidence-based guidance about whether supplements help or actually do harm.

Scientists have focused on vitamin C’s potential role in blood pressure reduction because of the nutrient’s biological and physiological effects. For example, vitamin C may act as a diuretic, causing the kidneys to remove more sodium and water from the body, which helps to relax the blood vessel walls, thereby lowering blood pressure.

Five hundred milligrams of vitamin C is the amount in about six cups of orange juice. The recommended daily intake of vitamin C for adults is 90 milligrams.

Some experts believe that large amounts of vitamin C, an essential micronutrient found primarily in fruits and vegetables, could lower pressure as well, but randomized, controlled dietary intervention studies — the gold standard of nutrition research — have produced mixed results.

Miller reviewed and analyzed data from 29 randomized, controlled, previously published clinical trials that reported systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure values and also compared vitamin C intake to a placebo. What they found is that taking an average of 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily — about five times the recommended daily requirement — reduced blood pressure by 3.84 millimeters of mercury in the short term. Among those diagnosed with hypertension, the drop was nearly 5 millimeters of mercury.

By comparison, Miller says, patients who take blood pressure medication such as ACE inhibitors or diuretics can expect a roughly 10 millimeter of mercury reduction in blood pressure.

Miller cautions, however, that none of the studies his team reviewed show that vitamin C directly prevents or reduces rates of cardiovascular disease, including stroke.

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Many skills are required to successfully handle this growing field of study, including a basic understanding of human biology and ideally, experience with human behavior needs.

Students will be trained to serve as an individual’s primary contact for long-term identification and maintenance of health issues, undergoing standardized training as a health partner. Included will be hands-on activities to assist with understanding and explaining health data, as well as instruction on how to use this information to design health promotion action plans. 

Empathetic and active listening, motivational interviewing and collaborative goal setting will also be covered during the program. Health partner facilitation is customized based upon each individual participant’s health data and motivation.

To help ensure students are equipped to perform at the intense level required by this program, admission requires a 4-year bachelor’s degree. 

The Predictive Health Partner Certificate program begins with a 16-week foundation course followed by a practical assessment.  Coursework is offered in a blended format suitable for working professionals consisting of in-person classes and online content in our online learning community.  Students should plan to spend 43 hours in class time in addition to completing approximately 2 hours per week of online learning and practical application for a total of 66 course hours. 

The program will provide 6.6 CEUs upon successful completion. Comprehensive test and skills assessment with a proficiency of 80 percent or greater is required to complete the certification.

For more info contact, Emory Continuing Education.

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We’ve all heard the benefits of a healthy diet – longer life span, more energy, decreased risk of health problems - but how about happiness? According to Tyler Graham’s and Drew Ramsey’s new book, “The Happiness Diet,” the way one eats not only directly effects his or her emotions but over-all mental health. 

Here at the Emory-Georgia Tech Center for Health Discovery and Well Being, we know stable mental health is a very important component of wellness.  Mental health has been described as one’s emotional, social and psychological states all wrapped into one.

Research shows negative emotions and stress, especially if they become chronic, can negatively affect brain and body function. Within the Happiness Diet, the authors present evidence indicating a number of factors in a Western Diet that can actually contribute to these occurrences. 

Self care, which is defined by the Wellcoaches® school of coaching as “a way of living that incorporates behaviors that enable one to maintain a personal health and balance, replenish energy and motivation, and grow as a person,” is another important factor in achieving happiness and well-being.  

In today’s world it is incredibly important to be in tip-top shape to deal with everyday stressors and lead an overall happy life. If your diet could make this an easier feat, why not enhance it to take advantage of the benefits?

Over the next four weeks, we will give you tips on how making alterations in your diet and everyday self care patterns can help you obtain an energized, lean body and a mind attuned to emotional regulation, cognitive functioning and dealing with anxiety.

Here is a short preview: 

In their best selling book, Ramsey and Graham organized one’s ability to generate happiness into the three previously mentioned areas of brain functioning – cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and anxiety.

Cognitive functioning is defined as one’s overall capacity to focus, plan, remember, and think. Every day life examples of this include remembering where you put your keys or where you parked your car.

A number of studies have found consuming nutrients such as omega-3s, tocotrienols, vitamin B12 and B6, and folates have an immensely beneficial effect on cognitive functioning. It is good to note that all of these can be found in whole foods.  Creating a happiness goal where you consume a mental health healthy diet is doable!

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Researchers found that people who were deprived of sleep ate more than 500 additional calories per day. They say that chronic lack of sleep may contribute to obesity.

Researchers presented their study at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2012 Scientific Sessions.

Virend Somers, study author and professor of medicine and cardiovascular disease at the Mayo Clinic, tested whether lack of sleep altered the levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin, increased the amount of food people ate and affected energy burned through activity. Leptin and ghrelin are associated with appetite.

The researchers studied 17 normal, healthy young men and women for eight nights, with half of the participants sleeping normally and half sleeping only two-thirds their normal time.

Participants ate as much as they wanted during the study.

Researchers report:

The sleep deprived group slept one hour and 20 minutes less than the control group each day. The participants consumed an average 549 additional calories each day.  

The amount of energy used for activity didn’t significantly change between groups, suggesting that those who slept less didn’t burn additional calories.

Lack of sleep was associated with increased leptin levels and decreasing ghrelin — changes that were more likely a consequence, rather than a cause, of over-eating.

Andrew D. Calvin, co-investigator and assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, says sleep deprivation is a growing problem, with 28 percent of adults now reporting that they get six or fewer hours of sleep per night.

The researchers note that while this study suggests sleep deprivation may be an important part and one preventable cause of weight gain and obesity, it was a small study conducted in a hospital’s clinical research unit and say larger studies of people in their home environments would help confirm findings.

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