Food Tips for the Young at Heart. Want to live long and well? Try these tips from WebMD’s director of nutrition, Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD. …
Food Tips for the Young at Heart
Want to live long and well? Build these super foods into your daily diet
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD
Good nutrition is so much more than food to eat Food and beverages that
contain a powerhouse of nutrients can not only satisfy your appetite, but
also ward off chronic diseases and keep you looking your best How do you
get enough of the super-nutritious foods every day? Try these tips from
WebMDs director of nutrition, Kathleen M Zelman, MPH, RD
Antioxidant Super Foods
Antioxidants help prevent cellular damage Eat plenty of foods rich in
antioxidants such as almonds, berries, citrus, carrots, spinach, tomatoes,
and bell peppers
1 Top your cereal with almonds or berries; add tomatoes to sandwiches,
soups or stews; layer your whole grain bread sandwich with slices of
peppers and fresh spinach
2 Pack a snack bag of nuts, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and bell
pepper slices for a nutritious pick-me-up between meals
3 Fruit and nut granola bars stash easily into briefcases for quick
energy and a tasty treat
Calcium
Calcium is the super nutrient that keeps bones and teeth strong Now
research shows that low-fat dairy also
helps people lose weight The best
sources of calcium come from the cow
1 Start your day with cafà au lait made with half skim milk and half
strong coffee Or order your latte skinny at your favorite coffee
house Add a bowl of whole grain cereal topped with skim milk and
fresh fruit for a breakfast of champions
2 Snack on low-fat yogurt or cheese between meals for an energizing
treat
3 Calcium-fortified juices and cereals are excellent alternatives to
meet your three-a-day requirement
Fiber
Fiber does wonderful things for the body, from lowering cholesterol levels,
keeping you regular, and perhaps preventing certain cancers Grandma called
it roughage and we need plenty of it each day
1 Read food labels to find whole grain breads and cereals that provide
three or more grams of fiber per serving A bowl full of bran or high-
fiber cereal is a great start to meeting your daily needs
2 Load up on whole fruits and veggies for a healthy dose of fiber Aim
for five to nine servings a day Juices dont contain as much fiber as
whole fruit
3 Beans are loaded with fiber and protein, so add them to soups, stews,
salads,
eggs, and salsas
Soy
Soy can lower cholesterol, which can help prevent cardiovascular disease
This super nutrient is a newcomer on the block and is gaining in
popularity
1 Tofu takes on the flavor of foods that it is cooked with Try a stir-
fry of colorful veggies and cubed tofu with a light Asian sauce for a
quick meal You can also find cereals at the store loaded with both
soy and fiber Serve with skim milk and youll get three super
nutrients for breakfast
2 Take a soy protein bar for a quick snack or lunch during the day Soy
nuts are another great portable snack option
3 Edamame Japanese name for green soybeans are snacks even kids will
love Find these nutritious nuggets in the freezer section at your
supermarket Serve them plain or with a low-fat dip
Water
Most of us dont get enough of this precious stuff As a result, we may
look peaked and feel fatigued Our bodies are composed of more fluid than
anything else, so water is a vital nutrient for our well-being
1 Fill up a quart size water bottle each morning and keep it with you
for quick and refreshing drinks throughout the day
2 Dont rely on thirst; this sensation
diminishes with age Drink often
and choose from nutritious liquids, including 100 fruit and vegetable
juices, skim or low fat milk, broths, sparkling water, and teas
3 You can also get fluids from foods, especially those that are liquid
at room temperature Try gelatin, frozen yogurt, soups, watermelon,
pickles, oranges, lettuce, tomatoes, etc
Published Jan 21, 2004
Vitamin Essentials as We Age
As we age, our dietary requirements change, and were also more focused on
the diseases and disorders that accompany aging — conditions that getting
the right nutrients may help to prevent
By Gina Shaw
Mom may have worried about you getting the vitamins you needed when you
were a child remember those Flintstones chewables?, but whos keeping
track of your essential vitamins and other nutrients now that youre
getting older? As we age, our dietary requirements change, and were also
more focused on the diseases and disorders that accompany aging –
conditions that getting the right nutrients may help to prevent
So if youre in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, with things like menopause,
retirement, and creaky bones looming a little larger in your daily life
than
they did in your 20s and 30s, what vitamins should you be getting to
make the most of your health? And how should you be getting them — on your
plate or in a handy supplement?
Concentrating on Calcium
Osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that most commonly affects
postmenopausal women, results from bones that have lost calcium and
thickness
Osteoporosis has reached epidemic proportions in the US, says Wendy
Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD, associate professor of surgery and director of
the Cancer Prevention, Detection and Control Research Program at Duke
University Theres a variety of reasons for that: We get too little
calcium in our diets, for one, and we dont get enough weight-bearing
exercise
If youre over 55 — and especially if youre a woman — youre likely to
be at risk for osteoporosis, since 55 of people in this age group have low
bone mass Men shouldnt ignore their calcium intake either: 20 of
osteoporosis sufferers are male Getting sufficient calcium as we age is
critical, especially for women but also for men, Demark-Wahnefried says
Over the age of 50, women have an escalated rate of bone loss, says
Marianne Smith Edge, RD, president of the American Dietetic
Association
The recommended daily value of calcium jumps to 1,200 mg daily for women
and men over 50 Obviously, first you should focus on calcium sources
within your diet, but calcium supplementation may be necessary to meet your
increased needs and prevent bone loss
You can get your daily dose of calcium from milk and milk products like
yogurt; fish with bones that are eaten, like canned salmon or sardines;
broccoli; and juices and cereals that are fortified with calcium
Dont Forget Your D
Vitamin D is calciums indispensable partner Its essential for proper
absorption of the calcium you get in your diet But as we get older, our
ability to synthesize vitamin D in sunlight through our skin diminishes,
says Irwin Rosenberg, MD, professor and dean of the Friedman School of
Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University Therefore, our
dependence on dietary sources of Vitamin D goes up We either have to get
it through our food, especially in the winter, or we have to get it through
supplements
Adults between 50 and 70 should be getting 400 IU international units, the
measurement usually used on vitamin D labels of D per day Once youre
over 70, the recommendation goes up to 600 IU
daily Thats not always easy
to get through dietary sources, which are primarily fortified milk and
cereals, liver, and fish As we age, D is one of those vitamins I think
were unlikely to meet our needs for through diet alone, especially during
the winter months, says Rosenberg
Nuts reduce diabetes risk
A new analysis shows that women who eat nuts and peanut
butter run a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Susan Aldridge, PhD
Nuts, such as almonds, walnuts and Brazils, have previously been
highlighted as a food that makes a good addition to a healthy diet The
oils in nuts are unsaturated and can play a part in reducing heart disease
Now a new report from the long-running Nurses Health Study suggests
that high nut consumption can reduce the risk of diabetes too Women
eating a one ounce serving of nuts five or more times a week had a 27 per
cent lower diabetes risk than those who didnt include nuts as a regular
part of their diet And those who ate peanut butter five or more times a
week had a 21 per cent lower diabetes risk than those who didnt eat it
Nuts and peanut butter are high in calories, of course But this study
found no link between nut consumption and weight
gain If you were to
eat nuts in place of refined grain products, or red or processed meats,
you would gain the health benefits without increasing calorie intake
Source :
Journal of the American Medical Association 27th November 2002
Vitamin E Helps Prevent Bladder, Prostate Cancer
By Marilynn Marchione
ORLANDO, Fla - Vitamin E, which gets mixed reviews as a tool for
preventing heart
disease, dementia and other woes, may be valuable for preventing deadly
bladder cancer, a new study suggests Other research boosts the theory that
it may help ward off prostate cancer If so, it would be one tool
these two malignancies, scientists reported Sunday at a meeting of the
American Association for Cancer Research
And it can be done by adding as little as a handful of almonds or a serving
of spinach a day to the diet
Its not a huge difference, said John Radcliffe, a dietitian from Texas
Womans University in Houston who presented the research If so “it would
be on tool people can easily use against these two malignancies scientists
reported Sunday at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer
Research
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men after skin cancer
and
the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men In the United States
this year, about 230,000 new cases and about 30,000 deaths from it are
expected
Bladder cancer is less common
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, a substance that can help repair cell
damage that can lead to cancer Its found in spinach and broccoli, certain
oils, and certain nuts and seeds, but studies have been mixed on whether it
prevents disease or whether supplements or dietary sources give this
benefit
Most supplements contain a shelf-stable form of vitamin E called alpha-
tocopherol, or alpha-T Foods vary in the amount of this they contain as
opposed to another form, gamma-T The new research suggests alpha-T is
beneficial, whether from diet alone or a combination of diet and
supplements
Researchers from Texas Womans University and the MD Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston surveyed the dietary habits of 500 bladder cancer
patients and a control group of healthy people matched for age, race and
other factors
As a group, none of them got nearly the recommended daily amount of vitamin
E - 15 milligrams, about 30 international units - the amount in a standard
multivitamin pill But those with high intake had nearly
half the cancer
risk of those with low intake
As alpha-tocopherol intake went up, the protective effect seemed to be
greater, he said
The type of food matters, he said Almonds have alpha, but pecans have
gamma Soybean oil has gamma, but cottonseed, canola and olive oils are
alphas Green leafy vegetables are alpha, too Peanuts are both The study
was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the State of Texas, and the
Texas Food and Fibers Commission, a state-created group that promotes use
of local products, such as cottonseed oil
The second study is a new analysis involving participants in a provocative
Finnish study that several years ago suggested vitamin E supplements alpha-
T cut the risk of prostate cancer by one-third
Scientists were skeptical of those findings because the study involved
nearly 30,000 heavy smokers and was designed to test the value of another
nutrient, beta carotene, rather than vitamin E
The new analysis looked at stored blood samples of 100 of those
participants who later developed prostate cancer and a control group of 200
who did not, and found that those with higher vitamin E levels had a 28
percent lower prostate cancer risk than those with low
vitamin E intake
Carmen Rodriguez, a vitamin E expert at the American Cancer Society, which
had no role in either study, said the new research helps clarify the
picture and strengthens the hopes for vitamin Es cancer prevention role
The concern was it might be a problem to give alpha-tocopherol if
gamma is the relevant one, she said
A more definitive answer is expected to come from SELECT - the Selenium and
Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial - which is testing whether vitamin E and
the nutrient selenium alone or in combination can prevent prostate cancer
That is the kind of trial thats required to make any sort of
recommendations on vitamin E supplementation, said David Alberts, director
of cancer prevention and control at the University of Arizona in Tucson
The American Heart Association doesnt recommend vitamin E supplements
because studies on its value for coronary disease prevention have been
mixed, but the association advises people to follow the food pyramid,
including five servings a day of fruits and vegetables
VITAMIN E FOODS
A study released Sunday suggests that a form of vitamin E called alpha-
tocopherol may be valuable in preventing bladder cancer Foods that are
good
sources of alpha-tocopherol include:
-Almonds
-Spinach
-Peppers
-Sunflower seeds
-A variety of oils, including olive, cottonseed and canola
Diabetes: The Most Common Complication
Learn about CVD and its treatment
By Christine Miller, MS, RD/LD, CDE eDiets Diabetes Expert
April 3, 2004
Do you know what the most common complication of diabetes is? Are you
thinking of vision loss, kidney disease, or the loss of a limb? Although
all of these serious threats do exist when you have uncontrolled diabetes,
most people are unaware
That cardiovascular disease CVD ultimately affects up to 80 percent of
people with diabetes
What is CVD?
The heart is responsible for pumping blood through miles of blood vessels
every day Any malfunction or blockage in the heart or the blood vessels is
referred to as cardiovascular disease Common manifestations of CVD in
people with diabetes include heart attacks, strokes, or angina Lesser
known problems resulting from poor circulation can include impotence,
dementia, or an increased risk of amputations in the lower extremities
Anywhere that blood flows is potentially at risk of blockage when you have
diabetes
Why is CVD more common with diabetes?
For one,
blood clots are more likely to develop if you have diabetes
Imagine the difference between pouring honey out of a jar, compared to
pouring water out of that same jar High blood sugar levels will make blood
thicker and more likely to clot A clot which becomes lodged in a blood
vessel can lead to serious, if not fatal consequences Additionally, higher
blood pressure, cholesterol and/or insulin levels also add additional
stress to the cardiovascular system Finally, people with diabetes appear
to have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their blood
Inflammation is now known to be an early initiator of blood vessel damage
How to protect yourself
There is no doubt that a healthy diet and exercise program will help you
reduce your risk of CVD and improve your health Knowing the ABCs of
your diabetes is also essential
A is for the A1c, the blood test which reflects your blood sugar control
over a two to three month time span Sometimes this test is also referred
to as the hemoglobin A1c The A1c should be checked every three to six
months Although the American Diabetes Association recommends your A1c be
below 7 percent, some medical groups think it should be even lower for
optimal
protection against complications One group, The American
Association of Endocrinologists, aims for a tighter goal of under 65
percent If you dont know your A1c, you need to Studies have consistently
found that high A1c levels increase the risk for diabetes
Related complications
B is for blood pressure You should have a blood pressure of no more than
130/80 Studies have demonstrated that high blood pressure may actually be
a greater predictor of diabetes complications than high blood sugar But
the combination of high blood sugar and high blood pressure is even more of
a threat than most can imagine A large study known as the United Kingdom
Prospective Diabetes Study UKPDS showed that compared to those with who
had blood sugar and blood pressure in the recommended ranges, the risk of
complications was 10 times greater in those whose A1c levels were over 8
percent and whose systolic top number blood pressure levels were over 160
C is for Cholesterol There are four main blood fats that must be
controlled in order to protect your heart and blood vessels Ask your
doctor for the results of these tests annually and compare your results
with the recommended levels
|Total |Less
than 200 mg/dl |
|Cholesterol | |
|2 LDL |Less than 100 mg/dl |
|Cholesterol | |
|3 HDL |Above 40 mg/dl |
|Cholesterol | |
|4 |Less than 150 mg/dl |
|Triglycerides| |
In Summary
Your greatest ally for reducing your risk of CVD is a healthy lifestyle,
which includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, avoidance of smoking, and
stress management If you are unable to reach recommended levels of blood
sugar, blood pressure, or blood fats with lifestyle changes, talk with your
doctor There are medications that may help you further lower your numbers
and your risk
At eDiets, we offer 16 different meal plans to suit different lifestyles
and food preferences Low carb, low fat, or vegetarian if youve made up
your mind to improve your waistline and your health, youll find the
program just for you
Diet deficiencies threaten billions, says UN
Report finds widespread shortage of vitamins, minerals
UNITED NATIONS - Dietary shortages of crucial vitamins and minerals like
zinc and iron may be keeping as many as a third of the worlds people
from reaching their full potential, researchers told a UN panel
Tuesday
Resources and technology to bring vitamin and mineral deficiencies
under control do exist What we need is the will, the effort and the
action to fix this problem, said Venkatesh Mannar of the Ottawa-based
Micronutrient Initiative, which co-funded studies with the UN
childrens agency UNICEF
Severe deficiencies in key nutrients can trigger medical problems
including anemia, cretinism and blindness, but less extreme deficiencies
can also cause serious problems, said the studies presented to a meeting
of the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition, an arm of the World Health
Organization
A shortage of iron in the diet crimps young childrens development and
intelligence and a deficiency in Vitamin A compromises the immune system
of about 40 percent of children under five in developing nations, the
researchers said They said a shortfall in iodine causes as many as 20
million babies a year to be born mentally impaired
Zinc deficiency widespread
Zinc deficiency may be the most under-reported global health problem,
they said As many as one-fifth
of the worlds population lack enough
zinc in their diets, putting children in particular at risk of dwarfism,
diarrhea and serious respiratory infections like pneumonia, the studies
found
Simple remedies that have worked well in the industrialized world, such
as fortifying flour or milk with key vitamins and minerals or
distributing supplements to children or pregnant women are so
inexpensive and widely available that they should be applied worldwide,
said UNICEF chief Carol Bellamy With roughly 2 billion people at risk,
the overwhelming scope of the problem makes it clear that we must reach
out to whole populations and protect them from the devastating
consequences of vitamin and mineral deficiency, she said
Sub-Saharan Africa worst off
A separate report presented to the conference said improvements in
nutrition among the worlds poor have lagged far behind global economic
growth
The report, Nutrition for Improved Development Outcomes said there had
been steady progress throughout the world with the exception of sub-
Saharan Africa
Adequate nutrition for all will have the single most important impact
in the overall development of people in the world, Catherine Bertini,
chair of the UN nutrition committee, said at a news briefing
Bertini, an American who is a former head of the UN World Food
Program, said global economic growth over the last 20 years increased
100 percent while the numbers of underweight preschoolers increased by
almost 20 percent
Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited All rights
With allergy season comes more asthma
Breathing attacks increase as pollens spread
Updated: 5:45 pm ET March 29, 2004
WASHINGTON - The pollen starting to blanket the country means more than
stuffy noses and runny eyes for millions of Americans: Allergies
actually are the most common cause of asthma
Yet many sufferers dont know that pollen or other allergens are
triggering their asthma attacks, knowledge that could help them breathe
easier For people with particularly severe allergic asthma, a new drug
that works differently from any other asthma medicine ” though it is
expensive and somewhat difficult to use ” may help
Its amazing how many people do not think allergies despite clear
patterns of wheezing, says Dr Stanley Goldstein
of the American Academy
of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Asthma, allergies on the rise
More than 17 million Americans have asthma, a chronic respiratory
disease that causes recurring episodes of wheezing, chest tightness,
coughing and difficulty breathing Every year, asthma kills 5,000 people
and is responsible for nearly 2 million emergency-room visits and half a
million hospitalizations
Rates of asthma have more than doubled since 1980 Doctors arent sure
why, but allergies are on the rise, too While asthma attacks can be
triggered by numerous things ” exercise, cold air, stress, viruses ”
roughly 60 percent are triggered by allergens
Indoor allergens, such as pet dander, dust mites or cockroach debris,
put these people at risk year-round But outdoor-allergy season brings
an increase in asthma attacks, prompting the AAAAI and the Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of America to try to raise awareness of the
connection
The symptoms are the same ” you cannot tell the difference by symptoms
alone, cautions Goldstein, who directs Allergy and Asthma Care of Long
Island in New York The distinguishing factor is,
if you know you have
allergies, you can definitely do more to prevent the asthma
Everyones airways can react to irritants, like lots of smoke But an
asthma patients airways are supersensitive, drastically narrowing in
response to minor irritants that wouldnt affect normal lungs
Dangerous chain reaction
Its a dangerous chain reaction: Someone with allergic asthma inhales an
allergen The immune system immediately sends out antibodies called IgE
to hunt it down IgE links the allergen to mast cells that line the
nose, bronchial tubes and certain other spots, which in turn spurs the
release of inflammation-causing chemicals such as histamine and
leukotrienes When those agents hit the bloodstream, they can cause not
just allergy symptoms but, in someone with allergic asthma, airway
swelling, too
All asthma patients require drugs that can widen airways during an
attack, and other medicines, such an anti-leukotrienes, that can help
prevent attacks
People with allergic asthma also are tested to learn just which
allergens trigger their airway attacks so they can avoid them, or try
allergy shots to reduce their
sensitivity
The antihistamines that clear allergy-driven stuffy noses wont help
asthma
Xolair offers new treatment option
But there is a new option for the estimated half a million people with
severe allergic asthma not controlled by todays medicines: Called
Xolair, its the first anti-IgE treatment, able to cut asthma attacks by
about a third by blocking the IgE-caused inflammation chain reaction
Its expensive, between 5,000 and 10,000 a year However, specialists
say insurance companies are covering it without complaint for those who
qualify, partly because of evidence that Xolair reduces hospitalizations
and cuts patients use of other medicines
It requires shots administered in a doctors office every two to four
weeks And so far its just for those over age 12, although a study
aiming to enroll 570 6- to 11-year-olds around the country has just
begun
While its not a cure, Xolair provides the first opportunity to block
the root cause of a breathing attack, instead of battling inflammation
far downstream With its success, now theres a lot of heavy research
focusing on the immunologic cause for that
asthma, Goldstein says
Studies by the National Institutes of Health are under way to find other
treatments, such as drugs that block cytokines, another chemical
involved in airway inflammation
Licorice Root May Keep Mental Skills Sharp
Compound Derived From Licorice Root May Fight Effects of Aging on Brain
By Jennifer Warner
ReviewedBy Brunilda Nazario, MD
On Monday,March292004
WebMD Medical News
March 29, 2004 — A compound derived from licorice root may help slow the
effects of aging on the brain and keep mental skills sharp Researchers
found the compound, known as carbenoxolone, appears to inhibit an enzyme in
the brain that is involved in making stress-related hormones, which have
been associated with age-related mental decline
The study, published in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, showed daily supplementation with the
compound improved verbal fluency in healthy elderly men and improved verbal
memory in older adults with diabetes
Although this was a small study and more research is needed to confirm the
results, researchers say the licorice root compound may offer a new way to
help prevent the normal decline
in memory and other cognitive skills people
experience as they grow older
Licorice Root May Fight Effects of Aging on Brain
Researchers say previous human and animal studies have shown that
differences in cognitive function can be attributed to differences in long-
term exposure to hormones produced by the adrenal glands, such as cortisol
In the study, researchers examined whether inhibiting levels of an enzyme
required to increase the activity of these hormones with the licorice root
compound might have any effect on cognitive function
A group of 10 healthy men aged 55-75 years and 12 older adults with
diabetes were randomly assigned to take either 100 mg of carbenoxolone per
day or a placebo Neither group had dementia or other impairment, but had
only the expected age-related changes in mental function
After four weeks, researchers found healthy men that took the supplement
performed better on a word association test that assessed their verbal
fluency skills
After six weeks of using the compound, the verbal memory skills among the
people with diabetes improved, according to various list learning and
paragraph recall tests
Previous studies have suggested that the licorice root
compound might
increase insulin sensitivity and improve diabetes, but glucose control
levels remained unchanged during the study in this group
Cortisol levels in the blood also remained unchanged in the study
Researchers say those results suggest that carbenoxolone may act directly
on brain cells and reduce the amount of the hormone circulating in the
brain to prevent or slow age-related declines in cognitive function
Prevention and Care of Illness
Foods for Better Concentration Focusing on the types of foods that you eat
may boost performance
By Dulce Zamora
There are apparently many theories on focus-enhancing food and beverages
Edibles from caffeine to sugar to proteins are touted to help boost
concentration
Many everyday folk will swear by the virtues of caffeine and sugar in
picking them up at opportune moments Their tonic might be a stimulant such
as coffee or tea, or a sweet such as ice cream or pastries, or a food rich
in both such as chocolate, energy drinks such as Red Bull, and sodas
Caffeine can energize the fatigued, but the benefit is short-lived, says
Noralyn L Wilson, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association
ADA She says individual
characteristics determine the length of the
effect and someones reaction to it
Some people will feel up with the accelerated heart rate caused by the
stimulant, when the discomfort may detract someone from concentrating on a
task at hand Problems may also come when the effects of caffeine wear off,
or if too much of it is ingested The effect of sugar on alertness, on
the other hand, appears to be a bit more complex It turns out that the
brain uses glucose, a type of sugar, as a primary source of fuel
One of the investigators, Gordon Winocur, PhD, senior scientist for the
Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, says the research demonstrates that a
high serving of glucose may have a fast, short-term benefit on mental
ability
The variables make it hard to tell how much glucose will help with memory,
says Gold Plus, he says, there is the inverted U effect to consider
The inverted U means that as you increase the dose, the effects on memory,
for example, will get better and better and better, he explains But,
then, after some peak dose, they begin to get worse and worse and worse
Steak or Bagel for Breakfast?
The protein versus carbohydrate battle seems to be in the limelight
these
days, especially with high-protein, and low-carb diets inching their way
into weight-conscious homes
As a source for brainpower, however, neither carbs nor proteins appear to
play a direct role on a persons ability to concentrate
Carbohydrates convert into glucose in the body, but Wilson says that
process may take a while Carbs usually arent available for the body to
use until after at least two to four hours, she says, while proteins arent
usually available until after at least four hours But, even then,
its not guaranteed that the mix of foods will target the brain and make it
more alert, or that one single nutrient will improve concentration and
memory in the long-term
If an individual consistently eats a healthy diet, their level of
performance will be enhanced, says Wilson, If not, it might decrease
ability to concentrate
Other factors that might interfere with a persons focus include eating too
much or too little A heavy meal right before an important affair might make
a person feel lethargic, says Wilson, primarily because blood is being
diverted from the brain to the stomach for digestion
On the other extreme, people who dont take in enough calories because
they
skip meals or are on a restrictive diet may experience hunger pangs –
which could certainly be distracting Additionally, studies show that
children who eat breakfast tend to have better short-term memory than their
peers who do not eat such meals Kids who eat high-caloric breakfasts,
however, had impaired concentration
Supplement Soup
Store shelves are flooded with vitamins, minerals, and herbs with claims to
boost physical and mental health The sheer number may be overwhelming –
actually requiring a bit of focus to decipher — but if youre looking to
improve your concentration for a big test or interview, heres a quick
review of whats out there
There are reports that vitamins B, C, E, beta-carotene, and magnesium can
boost brain power But, before you pop in that pill, experts say there is
no conclusive evidence that any of them can specifically help with
concentration or memory
Besides, says Wilson, all of those substances are present in high amounts
in real foods Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, and beta-carotene
in carrots, spinach, and other dark green, leafy vegetables The
professional opinion on dietary supplements containing anything from omega-
3 fatty
acids naturally found in fish, vinpocetine derived from the
periwinkle plant, or choline a major nutrient in lecithin appears to be
a mixed bag
Allred says he has yet to see evidence that such nutrients, including
ginseng, gingko, or formulated combinations of vitamins, minerals, and
herbs works for mental health
Getting Ready for the Big Day
With the mixed verdict on foods, there doesnt seem to be much one
specifically can ingest in the short-term to help with concentration and
focus Instead of fretting over the news, the experts interviewed by WebMD
advise sticking to the basics in preparing for an important affair
Their recommendations:
Do the necessary prep work for the test, job interview, or
presentation
Get a good nights sleep
Exercise to help sharpen thinking
Meditate to clear thinking and relax
Eat a well-balanced meal
Oh, and it might also help to swallow your fear
