August will be here before we know it. Therefore, it’s a good idea to consider making any necessary dietary adjustments to ensure you stay healthy for the rest of the summer. The amazing part? You can start implementing these small changes right away to make a lasting impact. Here are five nutrition news updates for August 2022 that show ways to adjust your eating habits.
When it is safe to save money.
decide when to buy organic production Now it’s easier: The Environmental Working Group released its new “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists, which outline pesticide levels in produce to help you avoid chemicals that can increase your risk of health problems. Mangoes and watermelons are new additions to the Clean Fifteen list. The Dirty Dozen stayed the same, with strawberries and leafy greens at the top (90 percent of samples tested positive for pesticides), so you’re better off opting for organic varieties of these. Find the full list at EWG.org.
An easy way to stay slim.
This is a good reason to use glass food storage containers: plastic packaging can cause weight gain. That’s the word of the researchers reporting on environmental science and technology, who discovered that chemicals in plastic containers can leach into the foods and drinks they contain, and many of those chemicals disrupt metabolism and contribute to the growth of fat cells. To avoid chemicals, buy sauces and dressings packaged in glass instead of plastic, opt for glass or steel water bottles, and store leftovers in glass containers.
The paste that stops blood sugar spikes.
Keeping blood sugar stable is as easy as choosing the right shape of pasta, according to a study in The nutrition diary. The researchers gave participants spaghetti, penne, or couscous and found that those who ate spaghetti had the lower blood glucose levels after eating. Why? Subjects chewed less spaghetti, so they swallowed larger bites that weren’t broken down as much by digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in less sugar in the bloodstream.
The ‘memory’ vitamin for women over 60.
Your multivitamin can protect your memory. a study in Evidence-Based Mental Health analyzed data from more than 27,000 subjects and found that those with adequate levels of the B vitamin folate were 47% less likely to develop dementia than those who were deficient. Folate helps repair brain cells, and researchers say a deficiency can lead to brain aging. The RDA: 400 micrograms, the amount in most multis.
Avoiding these foods can add 8 healthy years.
It’s never too late to help yourself live longer! Researchers reporting on PLOS Medicine found that women over the age of 60 who ate foods such as legumes, whole grains, and nuts, and avoided the red meat and refined grains found in the Western diet, lived a eight additional healthy years. The reason? These foods often contain saturated fats and refined sugars, which are known to increase the risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
This article originally appeared in our print magazine, first for women.
