this & that

Some Saturday morning reading for you, if you're so inclined...
Hey, did you know that "good" fat is turning into a super hero of good health? Ok, you probably do know all about good fat but here's two new articles anyway:

Nutrition: Lower Depression Risk Linked to Mediterranean Diet

“The membranes of our neurons are composed of fat, so the quality of fat that you are eating definitely has an influence on the quality of the neuron membranes, and the body’s synthesis of neurotransmitters is dependent on the vitamins you’re eating,” Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez added. “We think those with lowest adherence to the Mediterranean dietary plan have a deficiency of essential nutrients.”

The elements of the diet most closely linked to a lower risk of depression were fruits and nuts, legumes and a high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats, the study found.

Here's a link to the google book preview of The Mediterranean Diet.

"Good" dietary fats trim body fat in diabetic women

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included 35 obese women with an average age of 60. Each took either 8 grams of the safflower oil supplement or 8 grams of the CLA supplement every day for 16 weeks; after a one-month break, the women then switched to the other supplement.

Overall, Belury's team found, the women showed a small decline in BMI and shed a couple pounds of body fat while on CLA. There was no change in their blood sugar levels or muscle mass.

"Bad" fat enters political rough & tumble

Our question for today is whether it’s fair for a politician to point out that his opponent is fat.

This study makes a correlation between overall health and longevity with educational attainment but in reality is yet another study showing the impact of poverty on health:

Poor Education May Lead to Poor Health

A report issued in May by Williams's commission found that, compared with college graduates, adults who did not graduate from high school were 2.5 times as likely to be in less than very good health. High school graduates, it found, were nearly twice as likely as college graduates to be in less than very good health.

Make it a terrifically healthy weekend -- you deserve it!

~♥~

super star

Today's featured food super star is organic blueberries. I love blueberries and it doesn't get better than summertime when I can get them from local farms. They are fantastic stirred into oatmeal or Fage nonfat Greek yogurt. When I first started on this journey, I wondered if I'd end up looking older when I lost some of the youthful roundness in my face. Why beat around the bush? I wondered if by losing weight I'd gain winkles. Thankfully, this has not been the case at all and I think my diet of berries of some kind everyday but mostly blueberries, deserves at least some of the credit.

How do blueberries rank with you?

~♥~