Eats « Weekly Gravy

The body’s immune system is designed to fight off threats, like infection-causing germs, through a process called inflammation. But a steady state of inflammation can lead to everything from diabetes to autoimmune diseases to heart disease to cancer. Many of these health threats don’t come from foreign invaders like scary bacteria, but from some everyday foods you’re probably eating. Removing inflammation-provoking foods from your diet, or at least limiting them, can help you do a better job of protecting your well-being. For many of the most common chronic diseases spurred by inflammation, the starting point is obesity. And obesity is often the result of overeating foods that foster inflammation. Most — though not all — of the foods that cause inflammation deliver minimal nutrition. Processed foods made with refined white flour and white sugar are top culprits. These include packaged white breads and rolls, baked goods and candy. Soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks are in the same category. Fried foods and fats — such as margarine, shortening and lard — also promote inflammation. So do processed red meats, like bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami and other deli meats. Even lean red meat should be limited to once or twice a week. Replace these foods with those known to be anti-inflammatory, those high in natural antioxidants and other protective compounds. These include good-for-you fats such as… read on >

Want to get more veggies into your diet but feeling bored with the same old side dishes? Making noodles from vegetables is the answer. They’re a great substitute for high-calorie, low-fiber traditional pasta and work just as well as a base for your favorite sauces. While it’s possible to use a sturdy vegetable peeler to turn carrots or zucchini into noodle-length strips, a tool called a mandoline will cut your prep time in half. Just be aware that the mandoline blade has very sharp edges. You’ll want to hold the pusher accessory as you run the length of your vegetables across the blade. In addition, wear a thick kitchen glove to protect your fingers. Zucchini is perfect for the mandoline because it slices easily. You can make the following sauce ahead of time. It yields enough for another meal. Zucchini Noodles With Marinara Sauce 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Red chili flakes to taste 2 28-ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup white wine or broth, any variety 1 basil sprig 2 large zucchini 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive, safflower or grapeseed oil 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Brown the garlic in two tablespoons of oil for two to three… read on >

(HealthDay News) — The recommended dietary allowance suggests that people take in 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram that they weigh, says the Vegetarian Resource Group. Vegan foods that are high in protein include: Tempeh. Beans, such as soybeans and lentils. Chickpeas. Veggie burgers. Tofu. Quinoa. Peanut butter.

Science continues to discover healthy substances in foods beyond vitamins and minerals. Though no one food provides everything you need, here are four trending superfoods — all high in antioxidants — that belong in your kitchen. Green tea has been studied for a possible role in helping to fight everything from cavities to cancer. Among the varieties available, matcha, the special powdered version used in the Japanese tea ceremony, is especially healthful. It easily dissolves in beverages and can add a subtle taste to baked goods. In fact, at many bakeries it’s all the rage. However, you don’t need the calories of cake or pastry to get its nutrients. Sipping the tea is all you need. Kefir is a fermented milk with probiotic benefits that may even surpass those of yogurt. It’s available right alongside yogurt in the dairy aisle, but some people have started making their own by buying kefir grains. Kefir adds a tangy flavor to salad dressings and dips, and can be used as a base for smoothies. Cinnamon is so common that you might not realize it has special properties, but it may boost heart health and even fight metabolic syndrome. One study found that the Ceylon, or Sri Lanka, variety is among the most potent anti-inflammatory foods around. Liberally sprinkle cinnamon in coffee, tea and milk, and on top of… read on >

When you eat during the day could influence your chances of surviving a heart attack, a new study finds. Specifically, skipping breakfast and eating dinner late in the evening were associated with poorer recovery and increased risk of death, scientists report. “Our research shows that the two eating behaviors are independently linked with poorer outcomes after a heart attack, but having a cluster of bad habits will only make things worse,” said study author Dr. Marcos Minicucci, from Sao Paolo State University in Brazil. “People who work late may be particularly susceptible to having a late supper and then not being hungry in the morning,” he noted. The study included 113 heart attack patients, average age 60, who were asked about their eating habits when being admitted to a coronary intensive care unit. Those with a pattern of skipping breakfast and eating dinner late in the evening had a four to five times higher risk of death, another heart attack or angina (chest pain) within 30 days after leaving the hospital. A pattern of breakfast skipping was defined as eating nothing before lunch — other than beverages such as coffee and water — at least three times per week. A pattern of late dinners was defined as having a meal within two hours before bedtime at least three times per week. Of the patients in… read on >

You might be surprised to learn that food allergies can start in adulthood and involve a food you’ve eaten without a problem for your entire life. For adults as well as kids, the top — but not the only — food culprits are eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, wheat and soy, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Just as with childhood food allergies, you’ll need to do your best to avoid these foods and be prepared in case you inadvertently come into contact with one of them. Signs of a Severe Allergic Reaction Hives or pale/bluish skin tone. Cramps and/or vomiting. Trouble swallowing or swelling of the tongue. Weak pulse. Feeling dizzy or faint. Shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing. Inability to breathe, and drop in blood pressure. The most serious reaction is called anaphylaxis, an extreme inability to breathe that can lead to shock. It is a life-threatening emergency. Keep in mind that allergic reactions can be unpredictable. Most happen within a few hours of contact, but some are instantaneous. It could take only a small amount of the allergen to cause swelling, hives or anaphylaxis. Also, your body could experience more than one type of reaction — your skin, gastrointestinal tract, heart and/or breathing could be affected. So it’s important to call your doctor and ask… read on >

You might have seen fennel in the produce section of your market without knowing what exactly it was. Fennel is a fragrant bulb that can be a food lover’s dream ingredient, because it has a refreshing taste, similar to anise or licorice, and pairs well with other ingredients to create gourmet dishes. Many cooks miss out because they aren’t sure how to prepare it, especially when it’s sold with its long feathery leaves intact. But fennel is surprisingly easy to prepare and can be enjoyed raw as well as lightly sauteed, or even slow-cooked as a soup or stew flavoring. Fennel bulbs come in male and female types. The female bulbs are rounder and also sweeter. Both work equally well in this salad with tomatoes and cumin seeds. It calls for trimming off the stalks. Save them for another dish — they can be used much the way you would celery stalks. Always choose bulbs that feel heavy in your hand and are free of cracks and brown spots. Shaved Fennel Salad With Tomatoes and Cumin 1 pound plum tomatoes 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided Seasoning salt of your choice 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper 1 tablespoon cumin seeds Quarter the tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds using your hands or scoop them out with a… read on >

A new Nutrition Facts label that highlights the amount of added sugars in food could prevent nearly 1 million cases of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The new label, first proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2016, adds a new line under the Total Carbohydrate category that details the amount of sugar that has been added on top of the sugars already contained in a food product. If consumers had access to this new label, their food choices could prevent more than 350,000 cases of heart disease and nearly 600,000 cases of type 2 diabetes over the next two decades, researchers predicted using a computer model. This would save the United States $31 billion in health care costs and $62 billion in productivity and other societal costs, said senior researcher Renata Micha. She’s an associate research professor at the Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, in Boston. These effects could be even stronger if the new Nutrition Facts label prompts food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar they add to products, Micha said. “If this added sugar label prompts the food industry to reformulate even a portion of its products to have fewer added sugars, these health and financial benefits would be doubled, which is a staggering impact,” Micha said. Added sugars account… read on >

Mindlessly switching from your smartphone to other media devices and back again might lead to added pounds, scientists say. A small, new study found that heavy-duty media multitaskers also tended to be heavier, weight-wise. It’s possible that these devices are actually changing the brain, theorized lead author Richard Lopez, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at Rice University in Houston. In terms of weight, that could mean less self-control when fattening foods are at hand. For their study, Lopez and his colleagues had 132 students, aged 18 to 23, answer questions about how much they multitasked and how distractible they were. Certain questions — such as, do you feel the urge to check your phone while you’re talking to someone else? — were designed to detect compulsive or inappropriate cellphone use. The researchers found that study participants with higher scores on the questionnaire tended to weigh more than those with lower scores, suggesting a possible link between the two. Next, Lopez’s team had 72 of the students undergo an MRI brain scan while they were shown a serious of pictures. Images of delicious, fattening foods were mixed in with the images. When the food images were viewed, activity increased in the part of the brain linked to food temptation, the findings showed. These participants, who also tended to have more body fat, spent more time at… read on >

Sunscreen may do double duty when you’re outside on a summer day, keeping you cool as it protects your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. New research suggests how: When unprotected skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, skin cells typically see a drop in levels of nitric oxide. This compound helps the skin’s small blood vessels to relax and widen. Reduced nitric oxide results in a reduction in blood flow to the skin, which can throw a person’s body temperature out of whack. But applying SPF-50 sunscreen can halt that chain of events, the researchers said. “When sunscreen was applied to the skin before ultraviolet light exposure during the current study, it completely protected against the negative effects of ultraviolet light on nitric oxide and skin blood vessel function,” explained study author S. Tony Wolf. He is a Ph.D. candidate in exercise physiology and a predoctoral research fellow at the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State University. Wolf and his colleagues presented their findings this week at a meeting of the American Physiological Society, in Orlando, Fla. Such research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. To test how well sunscreen protects against heat stress, investigators enlisted 13 healthy adults aged 24 and older. All were described as having light to medium skin tones. For the study, total UV… read on >