It's blueberry season! When it comes to brain foods, blueberries are king. Blueberries can significantly improve cognitive performance within hours of eating them. Have a test at school or an important project at work today? Eat blueberries for breakfast. Blueberries beat out placebo in research studies on cognitive ability. A Harvard study showed that eating blueberries appeared to delay brain aging by up the 2 ½ years. One cup of blueberries every day can improve some aspects of cognition…like long term memory.
These effects are seen in adults and children and even animals showed positive effects. Within hours of eating just one meal of blueberries, kids performed better while taking exams. Kind of a big deal.
Blueberries are something of a ‘superfood’ as they not only are associated with better cognitive function, but they also are known to improve mobility and mood over time. Phytonutrient-rich foods like blueberries promote better arterial function by reducing arterial stiffness caused by cigarette smoking and poor diet. They can boost natural killer cells, which are our body's natural first line defense against viral infections and cancer. (Again, kind of a big deal).
The blue pigment in blueberries is the good stuff. High in anti-oxidants and are metabolized in the liver and our gut microbiome, blueberries are absorbed into our systems efficiently through this team effort. Blueberries are a natural probiotic…our good gut bacteria love them.
That's a good thing.
Add blueberries to your smoothie or your salad or bake them in a plant-based muffin or eat them straight out of the field. I love to add blueberries to my sweet potato…double goodness and packed with disease-fighting anti-oxidants. Where can you add blueberries in your diet this week? Have you ever gone blueberry picking? Great early August activity for you and the family.
A Get-Out-of-Jail Free Card?
Are drugs the answer to the obesity epidemic in the US? The newest weight loss drugs are being marketed as the miracle overweight people have been waiting for. Marketing at its finest…tell people what they want to hear and sell, sell, sell. As with a lot of marketing, however, there may be some skewed truths. These drugs are unlikely to be the get-out-of-jail free card that we've all been dreaming of.
The latest drugs to hit the market include more crazy names…Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro (who comes up with these names, anyways? lol). These prescription medications often involve a weekly self-administered injection and are meant to be used long-term to sustain results. One study showed that people using the drugs for more than a year lose, on average, about 15% of their body weight. But like statins and other popular medications, they must be taken forever! What is being found, however, is that most are not taking them more than one year. Most stop due to the not-so-pleasant side effects. Before we discuss those, let's look at how the drugs work, from an article in The New Yorker.
The drugs mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which stimulates insulin production and suppresses the production of glucagon, which raises blood sugar. The body naturally releases GLP-1 after a meal, and the hormone travels to the brain, triggering the feeling of fullness. GLP-1 drugs effectively inject that sense of satiety, and also slow the rate at which food empties out of the stomach; patients generally report a freedom from cravings and an inability to overeat without becoming ill.
Well, that doesn't sound so bad, right? (well, except for the becoming ill part). The one thing I always say about drugs (and just about everything else) is that “you can't do just one thing”. There are always other ‘things’ that happen when you take a drug or any medication. This is where the side effects come in. They are typically significant enough so that many people cannot tolerate the drugs long-term. Only about 30% of people taking these meds can get through a full year. Nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting occur in between 20-45% of those taking the drugs. These can be quite life-altering. And these drugs are expensive, costing insurance companies about $1000 each month. That's a steep price to pay for the benefits that are seen…it seems to be what we do, though…spend a ton of money for very little long-term benefit.
The pharmaceutical industry has billions of dollars to spend on developing fancy new (and very expensive) drugs while the one thing that has the power to provide sustainable weight along with less disease is often ignored. What we put in our mouths is key to the results we see with our bodies. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is just that…very sad. We eat CRAP (calorie-rich and processed). Few people get the recommended amount of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes. These are the foods that bring normalized body weight and improved health. When we start looking for answers to the obesity crisis outside the ‘pharmacy’ and start looking to the ‘farmacy’, we will begin to see happier, healthier people.
Laughter - The Best Medicine
I remember reading my grandparent's copy of “Reader's Digest” back in the day. My favorite section was “Laughter is the Best Medicine”. It always feels so ironic that what you know now was known then but maybe not as trendy. Laughter is good medicine…there is no doubt. It may not cure the ills of the world but it sure can help us through some of the rough spots.
Short-term benefits of Laughter
When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can:
Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
Activate and relieve your stress response. A good belly laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Long-term effects of Laughter
Laughter isn't just a quick pick-me-up, though. It's also good for you over the long term. Laughter may:
Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.
Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier. It can also improve your self-esteem.
Give it a try. Feeling down or stressed out? Find a funny movie on Netflix or your favorite streaming program and see what laughter can do for your health. It's good medicine…one of the best.
Those consuming nuts more than four times a week, when compared with those eating nuts less than once a week, had a 51% reduced risk of having a heart attack and a 48% reduction in dying from heart disease.
Creamy Banana Zucchini Overnight Oats are the perfect healthy summer breakfast! All you need is six ingredients, no cooking required. Great in winter, too…just pop it in the microwave to heat.
Toppings of choice: walnuts, sliced banana, almond butter, chocolate chips, coconut, maple syrup, etc
Instructions
Place banana in a medium bowl or glass Pyrex and mash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Scoop into small mason jars. Cover and place in refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
In the morning, top with desired toppings and eat at room temperature or warmed to your liking. Grated pistachios is yummy on top.
It's zucchini season! Look for more zucchini recipes on the website below…the brownie recipe looks great, too!
Catch my Health Tip Tuesday video on Facebook on Tuesdays to hear my health tip for the week!
Share with your friends and family. Sharing and commenting along with liking or loving <3 increases the exposure so more people can become aware of the value of healthful living.
My Favorite Quotes
Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.
-Jim Rohn
Important Disclaimer
The content in this newsletter is intended for educational/informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional.
