Environmental Nutrition

View or print a copy of the entire August 2010 issue of Environmental Nutrition

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Research Roundup: August 2010

Subscribers Only Female monkeys placed on a low-fat, low-calorie diet (reduced by 30 percent) for one month experienced no significant weight loss, because daily activity and metabolic rate decreased as a result of low calorie intake. A second month of dieting restriction at 60 percent reduction of calories led to further suppression of activity and metabolic rate. But a comparison monkey group fed a normal diet with one hour of daily exercise did lose weight.

Watermelon, Summer’s Antioxidant Splash

Subscribers Only True to its name, the watermelon has long been esteemed for its high water content. Its reputation as a "living canteen" began in Africa where it originated, and then spread to Egypt where it was first cultivated over 5,000 years ago. Depicted in hieroglyphs and buried in tombs of Egyptian kings, this thirst-quenching fruit was equally well-regarded in Mediterranean countries where water was scarce. Around the globe this plump melon sparks tradition, from the refined Japanese custom of gifting the finest specimen, to American size competitions and seed-spitting contests.

Say Cheese! Fitting this Luscious Food into your Diet

Subscribers Only It’s one of life’s inequities: this delectable food that goes so well with crackers and fruit—and just about everything else—is high in calories and fat, especially unhealthy saturated fats. Cheeses made from whole milk contain 80 to 120 calories, 6 to10 grams (g) fat and 4 to 6 g saturated fat per ounce. In fact, three ounces of whole milk cheese contain about the same amount of fat and more than double the saturated fat as a McDonald’s Big Mac. That can make you think twice before indulging.

Low-Carbon Eating: Good for the Planet and Good for You

Subscribers Only The low-carbon eating philosophy is born out of a worldwide effort to reduce our collective carbon footprint by minimizing carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) associated with climate change. The way we eat has significant impact, as food production accounts for a shocking one-third of GHGE via the many steps it takes to get food to your table: production, packaging, and transportation. A low-carbon diet is a lifestyle of eating locally and seasonally, minimizing consumption of industrial meat and dairy, avoiding processed and packaged foods, and focusing on reducing food waste.

Frozen Treats: Become Your Own (Healthier) Ice Cream Man

Subscribers Only Remember playing outside as a kid on hot summer days? Suddenly you’d hear it…the jingle of a little bell meant the ice cream man was near. Everyone scattered as they ran to get a few coins from home so they could buy a Popsicle, Fudgsicle or ice cream sandwich. These days you needn’t wait for a visit from the elusive ice cream man. The grocery store is packed with a countless assortment of frozen delights. Load up your freezer so that you need only walk to the kitchen to choose from a slew of icy pleasures, enjoyed from the comfort of your own couch.

Looking for Triggers that Prompt You to Overeat

Subscribers Only We’ve all been there; you’re not even hungry, but when you see that pink box of donuts sitting in the break room, it’s impossible to resist. Health experts are trying to gain a better understanding of what makes you reach for that donut when you’re not hungry. A loss of control over eating is common, according to David Kessler, M.D., author of "The End of Overeating."

The FruitGuys Brings the Farmers Market to Your Door

Subscribers Only There’s no arguing it; nothing can rival a farmers market for sustainable, fresh produce. But since many farmers markets are only open once a week, it can be difficult to fit this shopping trip into your schedule. So what’s the next best thing? It might just be an organic produce home delivery program, such as The FruitGuys. Based in San Francisco, The FruitGuys started out delivering fresh fruit to the workplace so that employers could offer their staff healthy foods at work.

The Vibrant, Healthy Flavors of an Authentic Latin Diet

Subscribers Only The traditional diet of Latin America is vastly different from the westernized versions of foods we’ve come to know—images of cheesy enchiladas and greasy tacos are usually conjured up. But Latin cuisine has a fascinating history that includes influences from the ancient Aztec, Mayan and Incan cultures. The cornerstones of the traditional diet are beans, grains, potatoes, tomatoes, chilies, avocados, corn, vegetables, legumes, and spices—foods health experts now know are part of a disease-protective diet. In addition, the traditional diet includes many healthful habits, such as combining colorful fruits and vegetables, a focus on eating "real" food instead of processed food, and an emphasis on plant proteins such as beans and grilling meats.

The White House Takes on Childhood Obesity

Subscribers Only One of every three children is overweight or obese, which puts them at risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer over the course of their lives. This scenario is not just debilitating, it’s costly—nearly $150 billion per year is spent on treating obesity-related conditions. Thus, the President of the United States requested an interagency Task Force on Childhood Obesity (including 12 federal agencies) to review the research and consult experts and the public in order to make recommendations to address childhood obesity.

The Power of Diet to Prevent Diabetes

Subscribers Only Diabetes is a dangerous disease on the rise; every 24 hours more than 4,000 adults are diagnosed with diabetes, and approximately 200 people die as a result of it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An astonishing 23.6 million Americans have diabetes, another 5.7 million are unaware that they have it, and about 57 million adults over the age of 20 have pre-diabetes (higher than normal blood sugar levels), making it likely that they will develop full-blown diabetes within 10 years. Diabetes is also a big expense. The total healthcare and related costs for treatment are close to $174 billion annually.

Bold and Beautiful Spices for Health

Subscribers Only Bold and beautiful spices, one of today’s hottest culinary trends, may offer more than just good taste. Scientists are now fascinated with the health potential of a variety of culinary herbs and spices. A culinary herb is the leaf of a plant used in cooking; any other part of the plant, such as the buds, bark, roots, berries, seeds, and the flower stigma, is called a spice. Once treasured by early civilizations as natural preservatives and plant medicines, these flavorful seasonings continue to have many beneficial properties.