Eats « Weekly Gravy

Your metabolism rate determines how fast you burn calories, and that can influence how fast you lose weight — and how easily you can gain it. After age 25, metabolism naturally slows by 5 percent every decade. So if you eat as much in your 40s as you did in your 20s, you’re going to add extra pounds — especially if you exercise less and lose muscle. In addition to weight training to maintain muscle, these tips from the American Council on Exercise can help. Stick to well-spaced meals at the same times each day. This lets your body know to expect fuel at regular intervals and prevents it from conserving calories and adding to fat stores. Calorie cutting is important if you need to lose weight, but reducing your intake to starvation levels also puts your body in conservation mode, slowing down metabolism. So rather than speeding up weight loss, starvation ultimately slows it. And that’s why it’s so easy to regain lost weight when you start eating normally: Your metabolism tends to stay slow. Dehydration can lead to a 2 percent drop in the number of calories burned, so drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout each day, and even more when you sweat a lot. Watch the alcohol. Besides adding empty calories to your diet, processing alcohol diverts the liver from… read on >

(HealthDay News) — From heart disease to arthritis, many major diseases have been linked to chronic inflammation. Favoring anti-inflammatory foods in your diet could reduce your risk of illness. Harvard Medical School recommends that anti-inflammatory diets include: Tomatoes. Olive oil. Nuts. Fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale.

Fatigue can plague many people with multiple sclerosis (MS). But a small new study suggests a soothing cup of hot cocoa may bring some relief. Like dark chocolate, cocoa is rich in flavonoids, which are abundant in fruit and vegetables and have been linked with anti-inflammatory properties, explained researcher Shelly Coe, of the Center for Nutrition and Health at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom, and her colleagues. That anti-inflammatory power may help fight MS fatigue, the researchers believe. “Our study establishes that the use of dietary interventions is feasible and may offer possible long-term benefits to support fatigue management,” Coe said in a news release from the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. Her team published their findings online in the journal March 5. Prior research has suggested that dark chocolate, which is between 70 percent and 85 percent cocoa solids, appears to lessen fatigue in people with chronic fatigue syndrome, the British researchers noted. Would cocoa do the same for MS patients? To find out, Coe’s group tracked the symptoms of 40 adults recently diagnosed with the common “relapsing remitting” form of MS. Participants were asked to drink a cup of either high-flavonoid cocoa powder mixed with heated rice milk (19 people) or a low-flavonoid version (21 people), every day for six weeks. Small improvements in fatigue were seen in 11 of… read on >

It seems as though every day brings a new study on the merits — or the risks — of coffee. So what’s the real scoop? If you like drinking coffee simply for the pleasure of it, Harvard University research has found that sipping up to six cups a day is probably safe. Remember: Those are 8-ounce cups with about 100 milligrams of caffeine and little added milk and sweetener. A cafe drink can pack the equivalent of three cups, plus the fat and calories from any add-ins, so tally it accordingly. And it appears that coffee is not only “safe” to drink, it may also have actual health benefits, like protecting against diabetes, Parkinson’s and certain liver diseases. Coffee drinkers may also have a slightly lower risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who skip the java. How can a cup o’ joe have such wide-ranging effects? Coffee is much more than caffeine, with hundreds of different compounds, any of which can lead to a positive health outcome. While some studies have found an association between these benefits and drinking moderate amounts of coffee, even heavy coffee drinkers may benefit. A 2018 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at 500,000 people who drank one to eight cups a day. Researchers found that heavy coffee drinking was associated with a lower risk of… read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the nasal spray medication esketamine — a relative of the club drug and anesthetic ketamine — for use against severe depression. Sold as Spravato, the fast-acting drug becomes the first new type of medicine approved in years against an illness that plagues millions of Americans. In a statement, the FDA said Spravato should be used in conjunction with an antidepressant pill and is meant only for people whose depression has not responded to at least two other antidepressants. Spravato — a much less potent relative of the illicit club drug “Special K” — comes with other restrictions, the FDA said. Ketamine can induce dissociation (feeling disconnected from one’s surroundings) and sedation. Because Spravato might act similarly for a minority of patients, the FDA said safeguards are warranted. “Because of safety concerns, the drug will only be available through a restricted distribution system and it must be administered in a certified medical office where the health care provider can monitor the patient,” said Dr. Tiffany Farchione. She’s acting director of the Division of Psychiatry Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Patients will self-administer the nasal spray during visits to a medical clinic, and the spray cannot be taken home. A health care provider will monitor the patient until it is clear that he… read on >

Keto, Paleo, Atkins — there’s no shortage of low-carb diets to try, but new research suggests that over time, living low-carb can raise your risk of a heart condition called atrial fibrillation, or a-fib. People who regularly got fewer than 45 percent of their calories from carbohydrates were 18 percent more likely to develop a-fib than people who ate a moderate amount of carbohydrates (about 45 percent to 52 percent of their calories). The Chinese researchers said the risk of a-fib was raised no matter what types of protein or fat were used to replace carbohydrates. “Extremes of anything aren’t good. Too much carbohydrate is bad and too little is also bad,” explained Dr. Laurence Epstein, system director of electrophysiology at Northwell Health in Manhasset, N.Y. Epstein wasn’t involved with the new study. Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder. Instead of the usual heartbeat, the heart sometimes quivers in people with a-fib. Because the heart isn’t pumping properly, blood pools in the heart and can form clots. If a blood clot breaks free, it can reach the brain and cause a stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Although the current study was only designed to find an association, and not a cause-and-effect relationship, Epstein pointed to several reasons a low-carb diet could have negative consequences. He said that one way low-carb diets cause… read on >

Your food processor can help you get a healthy and hearty dinner on the table with a quick flick of a switch. Here are two taste-pleasers. Love making meatloaf, but don’t like handling raw meat? All the healthy ingredients can be combined in a food processor — ground turkey, which is high in protein and low in fat; oats, high in heart-healthy fiber; mushrooms, high in B vitamins; and an egg, rich in iron and B vitamins. Chunky Mushroom Meatloaf 1 pound ground turkey 1 cup quick-cooking oats 1 cup small mushrooms (white button or cremini) 1 egg 1/2 cup low-sugar, low-sodium BBQ sauce, plus an optional 1/4 cup for glaze Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all the ingredients except the optional BBQ sauce in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Transfer to a loaf pan and smooth with a spatula. Spread on the additional sauce, if desired. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Yield: 4 servings For an easy and delicious meat sauce, try this Bolognese packed with low-calorie veggies that you chop in your food processor. Easy Bolognese 1 cup baby carrots 1 cup pearl onions, peeled 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 cups kale, rinsed 8 ounces lean ground beef 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes Place carrots, onions, garlic and kale in the bowl of a food processor and… read on >

When it comes to getting the best taste and the greatest nutritional value from grains, keep it whole grain. Quinoa, oats, short-grain brown rice and wild rice, polenta (which is made from corn) and barley are most nutritious in their whole, unprocessed form. That’s because the bran is still intact, and the bran is where most of the minerals, vitamins and plenty of fiber reside. Processed and packaged foods are rarely made from 100 percent whole grains. Think of them as empty carbs with lots of preservatives, so switch to these flavorful grains to load up on nutrition, including essential minerals and even some protein. Tip: Don’t be fooled by the word “multi-grain” on packages — this does not mean that a variety of or even any whole grains were used. Brown rice is high in magnesium and tryptophan, barley is high in selenium and tryptophan, and steel cut oats are high in manganese and zinc. These grains are simple to prepare. Bring water to a boil, add your grains and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat and keep covered for 5 minutes to allow the grains to fluff, then stir with a fork. Quinoa is another excellent choice, high in iron and manganese, plus it’s quicker to cook than the other grains. Rinse a cup of… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Some diets encourage fats and some advocate against them. But which is healthiest? Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health agree that there is no universally optimal amount of fat consumption. For most people who want to maintain a healthy weight and lower risk of disease, the focus should not be on fats. Instead, researchers suggest that diets low in sugar and refined grains should be emphasized.

It may still be winter, but it’s never too early to plan for your kids’ summer camp. And now’s the time to think about preparing them to handle allergies and allergic reactions, according to experts at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “Kids who suffer from seasonal allergies, food allergies or asthma also wonder about their health. For them, additional preparation is necessary to keep them safe and happy, so they can enjoy their time away from home,” ACAAI president Todd Mahr, said in a college news release. The ACAAI has five tips to help make the summer camp experience a great one. If your child suffers from asthma or food allergies, consider sending him or her to a camp that specializes in these conditions. Specialty camps can have trained staff who know how to treat asthma and allergies. You can search the internet for camps that focus on your child’s needs. Before sending your child off to camp, consult with your allergist and make sure prescriptions are up-to-date and your child has everything needed to treat their allergies or asthma. The allergist can also provide a plan to share with the camp. Be sure the camp’s staff is prepped on your child’s allergies and asthma. They should know if asthma makes some activities difficult. Be sure the medical staff knows about… read on >