New research finds milk drinkers scored better on memory and brain function tests

Pouring at least one glass of milk each day could not only boost your intake of much-needed key nutrients, but it could also positively impact your brain and mental performance, according to a recent study in the International Dairy Journal.1 Researchers found that adults with higher intakes of milk and milk products scored significantly higher on memory and other brain function tests than those who drank little to no milk. Milk drinkers were five times less likely to “fail” the test, compared to non milk drinkers.

Researchers at the University of Maine put more than 900 men and women ages 23 to 98 through a series of brain tests – including visual-spatial, verbal and working memory tests – and tracked the milk consumption habits of the participants. In the series of eight different measures of mental performance, regardless of age and through all tests, those who drank at least one glass of milk each day had an advantage. The highest scores for all eight outcomes were observed for those with the highest intakes of milk and milk products compared to those with low and infrequent milk intakes. The benefits persisted even after controlling for other factors that can affect brain health, including cardiovascular health and other lifestyle and diet factors. In fact, milk drinkers tended to have healthier diets overall, but there was something about milk intake specifically that offered the brain health advantage, according to the researchers.

In addition to the many established health benefits of milk from bone health to cardiovascular health, the potential to stave off mental decline may represent a novel benefit with great potential to impact the aging population. While more research is needed, the scientists suggest some of milk’s nutrients may have a direct effect on brain function and that “easily implemented lifestyle changes that individuals can make present an opportunity to slow or prevent neuropsychological dysfunction.”

New and emerging brain health benefits are just one more reason to start each day with lowfat or fat free milk. Whether in a latte, in a smoothie, on your favorite cereal, or straight from the glass, milk at breakfast can be a key part of a healthy breakfast that help sets you up for a successful day. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three glasses of lowfat or fat free milk daily for adults and each 8-ounce glass contains nine essential nutrients Americans need, including calcium and vitamin D.

The Mediterranean Diet & An Introduction to the Brain Science of Sugar, Fat & Salt Addiction book is out now for only $14.99.  If you subscribe to the website via RSS feed or twitter @mediterraneandi or Facebook, you’ll get recipes, restaurant and store coupons, helpful tips and encouragement for simplifying life and eating well sent straight to you, for free!

10 Principles of The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is enjoyed by millions of people around the world and is recommended by the American government as a healthy way to eat and better manage weight.

The new USDA food icon, MyPlate, was designed to convey a simple and effective message to time poor and diet poor Americans. The USDA’s new simplified messages to go along with the MyPlate food icon are:

Balancing Calories

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

The new USDA messages borrow from healthy eating patterns found in the Mediterranean Diet.  This is our basic 10 point outline for what it means to go on a Mediterranean style diet:

1. Plenty of olive oil as the main source of added fat
2. Plenty of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, legumes and nuts
3. Plenty of bread and whole grain foods including pasta and rice
4. Plenty of fish and seafood with omega-3′s
5. Moderate amounts of dairy products mainly yogurt and cheese, plus eggs
6. Lean meat consumed only occasionally and in moderation
7. Sweets, cakes and dairy desserts consumed only occasionally
8. Plenty of water as the main daily beverage
9. Daily glass or two of wine with meals
10. Physical active every day as part of normal daily life – this is as important as eating well

Find out more on the background and history of the Mediterranean diet and how it was actually invented as a concept by American scientists and not by Europeans as the name might suggest: More

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Tapenade

This is a classic dip and appetizer. Serve with some authentic rustic bread, plain crackers or light chips.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted black olives
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon dry or 1 teaspoon prepared (English) mustard
• ½ cup capers
• 1/4 cup anchovy fillets
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste

Optional ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup tuna in olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• Pinch thyme

What to do:

1. The quantities and proportions of the ingredients are variable and subject to individual preferences and size quantity required

2. Place all the ingredients into a blender and mix until almost paste like.

3. Season with salt to taste

4. Turn into bowl ready for serving. For best results, store in refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.

Optional:

5. Add tuna and other optional ingredients before mixing

6. Serve as before

Serves 12, around  70 calories per serving or 100 calories per serving with tuna

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Little Onions & Potatoes Estofadas

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound little onions, peeled
• 1 pound (8-9) small potatoes, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup dry sherry
• Salt

What to do:

1. Brown the minced onion in oil in a flameproof casserole

2. Add the small onions, potatoes, bay leaf, and sherry

3. Season with salt

4. Cover the casserole and simmer until the onions and potatoes are tender, 30 to 40 minutes

5. Add a little water if necessary to prevent them from scorching.

Optional:

6. Add sliced zucchini to onions and potatoes

Serves 3, around  270 calories per serving

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Green Peas Italian Style

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound Canadian bacon or Italian prosciutto
• 2 onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds peas (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Cut Canadian bacon or prosciutto into small pieces

2. Place oil in pan and place on medium heat to warm pan

3. Add bacon or prosciutto to pan along with onion and cook for 5 minutes

4. Add ½ cup water and peas to pan

5. Add salt and pepper to taste

6. Cover pan and cook over low heat until peas are done, 10 to 15 minutes

Serves 6, around 15o calories per serving

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Spicy Apples In Wine

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 whole clove
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups dry red wine

What to do:

1. Wash and core the apples

2. Place the apples in a saucepan

3. Add the sugar, spices, and wine to the saucepan

4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat

5. Cover the pan and simmer until the apples are soft, about 10-15 minutes

Serve hot or cold.

Serves 4, around 17o calories per serving

The leadership team for AGree present their new initiative, the challenges and opportunities ahead and why they joined AGree.

AGree will address food and agriculture challenges through cross-sector dialogue, stakeholder engagement and best-in-class research.

This is a well funded, well organized and seemingly bipartisan team that has the ability to influence food policy in the US and around the world. A team to watch.

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Parents’ work influences how often family meals are eaten outside of home.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Americans are spending about half their food budget in restaurants.

So what, you may ask? As it is widely known, food prepared for you away from home, as compared to food prepared at home by you, is often higher in calories, saturated fat, and sodium.

With children’s dietary quality at risk, a study in the May 2011 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior explores the influence of parental styles and work schedules on children’s use of and time spent in fast-food and other service restaurants.

Investigators from the Department of Sociology, Texas A&M University interviewed parents and children (ages 9-11 and 13-15) from 312 families in Houston, TX., with interesting, if not wholly unsurprising results.

Interview questions measured parent work schedules, parenting style, family meal ritual perceptions, and time children spent in an automobile with their parents.

Findings from this study revealed that the factors related to more time spent in fast-food and other restaurants included both parents having standard work schedules, the fathers’ general use of these types of restaurants, and children’s time spent in the family car.

A striking finding in the present study is the strong association between the use of and time spent in both fast-food and other restaurants by children and use of and time in restaurants by their fathers.

Dr. Alex McIntosh, Professor at the University, commented:

“Since dietary behaviors, like relying on food away from home and eating fast food, have been shown to track from childhood through adolescence into young adulthood, fathers should be encouraged to model healthful food choices when they obtain food and to eat with children at home. After all, fathers who believe that dinner is an important family ritual reduce children’s use of fast food; this perception should also be encouraged among fathers.”

The study documents the importance of identifying primary reasons that increase the use of restaurants in families’ dining habits. As found in this study, eating out more often can be caused by something as common as both parents working a “9 to 5 job” and believing that they don’t have enough time to cook at home.

The researchers emphasize that the “dietary quality of children is influenced by the manner in which parents interact with their children (parenting style), time available for family meals, and the role restaurants play in their lives.”

We all know that a busy family is time poor, but that should not mean they automatically become nutritionally poor. Eating real food together at home can often work out cheaper than eating away from home with the added benefit of brining families closer together, as well as teachings kids important life skills to support them when they leave home.

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Heart Healthy Paella

Ingredients:

• 1 Frying chicken
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 1 pound shrimp (frozen or fresh in shells)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped green pepper
• 1 tomato
• 2 cups rice
• 1 clove garlic
• Pinch saffron
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 pound shelled peas (canned or frozen)

Optional:

Crab, lobster, mussels or other preferred sea food

What to do:

1. Cut up 1 frying chicken, cover with water, add ½ teaspoon salt and juice of ½ lemon

2. Simmer until the chicken is tender, reserve the water in which it is cooked

3. Boil the shrimp for 2 minutes in around 2 cups of water. Save the water and remove shells from shrimp (you can cheat with pre-cooked shrimp)

4. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in heavy skillet

5. Add ½ cup chopped onion and ½ cup chopped green pepper and cook in skillet until brown

6. Cut tomato in small pieces and add to mixture in skillet

7. Add cooked chicken and continue to cook until chicken is brown

8. Add 2 cups raw rice

9. In a mortar mix 1 clove garlic, chopped, add pinch of saffron, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley with 2 tablespoons chicken broth (juice from cooking chicken at start)

10. Add mortar mix ingredients to mixture in skillet and season with salt to taste

11. Add 5 cups combined fluid in which shrimp and chicken were originally cooked, and 1 pound peas

12. Boil for 10 minutes

13. Transfer to shallow baking dish in which paella will spread out to about 2 inches in depth and place in preheated oven at 400°F (200 degrees °C) for 10 minutes

14. Remove from oven, cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 8, around 455 calories per serving

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Baked Frozen Fish Fillets

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 pounds frozen fish fillets
• 1 teaspoon salts
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• Olive oil

What to do:

Mix 1 cup bread crumbs and ¼ cup grated cheese.

Beat 1 egg slightly with a fork.

Dip partially de-frosted fillets, seasoned with 1 teaspoon salt.

First dip into flour, then dip into egg, and lastly dip into bread crumb-cheese mixture.

Place on a well-oiled (olive oil) baking pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 425°F (220 degrees °C) for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with wedges of lemon added to taste.

Serves 4, around 335 calories per serving.