ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH AGEs?

We are not talking about your, or my, age. We are talking about AGEs as a sneaky health sapper! AGEs are Advanced Glycation End-products or harmful compounds formed when proteins or fats combine with sugars in the bloodstream. This process, called glycation, can contribute to various health problems associated with aging and disease. AGEs are often implicated in such health problems as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, kidney disease and atherosclerosis. By lowering your levels of AGEs, you may reduce your chances of depression, heart disease, diabetes, and more. Recent research has also suggested that it may lower risk of breast cancer by 43%. Tomorrow we will post some ways we can work to lower the AGEs in our bodies.

file photo - Good health promotes happiness.

FRUITS AND VEGGIES FOR TEENS

Research has shown that teenagers who stay away from junk food are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. Studies have shown that teens who ate at least two fruit and four veggie servings per day and stayed away from fast foods, sweets, and soda were less likely to show symptoms of mental health problems. Do the teens in your life a favor and help them to make healthy food choices.

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VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY IN OLDER ADULTS

 

Studies have shown that half of all older adults are deficient in vitamin B12. If you follow my blogs, you probably know I have had several colon surgeries and have lost part of my colon thus I am susceptible to this deficiency. My late husband suffered from depression and dementia. We both took vitamin B12. My husband was on pills prescribed by his doctors for several years now and his dementia stabilized. I have had to take shots at various times over the years, My status is checked every few months and I have been off shots for a while not. So you can see why I am bringing this to the attention of older adults. Did you know that vitamin B12 only comes from meat, poultry, and seafood? That is a lot of my problem, I'm sure, could it be yours? If you feel tired, have trouble sleeping, walk around 'in a fog', etc, ask your doctor to check your vitamin B12 levels. Here are what some of the experts have to say on the subject:

• "Being even mildly deficient in vitamin B12 may put older adults at a greater risk for accelerated cognitive decline."^[6] - Tufts Nutrition News, 2013
• "B12 deficiency is common, with troubling symptoms...that are similar to many other problems related to growing older."^[8] -The Mayo Clinic Health Letter, September 2013
• B12 deficiency can be sneaky, harmful and is relatively common, especially among older people."^[9] -The Harvard Medical School's health blog January 10th, 2013
• "B12 is the most important nutrient you aren't thinking about...B12 deficiency can mimic all of the effects of aging."^[7] - Dr. David Katz of the Yale University Prevention Research Center in 2012

EATING TO CONTROL STRESS

Yes, what you eat can have an effect on your level of stress. Medical research has shown that low serotonin, the chemical in our brains that regulates emotion, may be the main cause of anxiety and depression. Nutritionist DeAnna D. Irving has said that the serototin levels in the body can be depleted by stress and poor health if one isn't eating right. Serotonin is not found in food but is released into the bloodstream after the digestion of tryptophan, Vitamin B or Omega-3 fatty acids. Feeling a little stressed out? Try adding some of the foods that have large amounts of the previously mentioned nutrients to raise your serotonin levels without medication. One such food is Spinach. Spinach has high levels of vitamin B6 which helps to increase both energy and serotin levels. When you increase your energy and serotonin levels that can lead to better moods and overall better health. Don't like spinach? Avocado, brown rice, green peas, and collard greens are also rich in vitamin B6.

We will have more posts on Stress and Nutrition this week.

VIDEO GAMES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

Today's post really has nothing to do with kitchen medicine, unless of course you play video games in the kitchen! But I thought it was an interesting tidbit to be passed along. According to research at North Carolina State University conducted a few years ago, people aged 63 to 92 who played video games tested higher for social function and lower for depression than non-gamers! So, to all my fellow senior citizens, it is okay to play those video games. Solitaire, Word Games, Bejeweled, etc were recommended.

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TEEN GIRLS AND SUICIDE

 Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, better known as the CDC, shows that in 2021 almost one-third of high-school girls considered suicide. The numbers are 30% seriously considered suicide, 24% had made a suicide plan, 13% had attempted suicide and 4% required medical care related to a suicide attempt. The numbers for boys in the same categories were 14%,12%, 7% and 2%.

If you know of a teen (or anyone) experiencing a mental-health crisis or contemplating suicide, call or text 988. In emergencies call 911.

So sad that so many of our teens consider ending their lives.

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ADD COLORFUL POTATOES TO YOUR DIET

Before you gasp, yes, you read that title correctly.  I did say add potatoes to your diet.  But not just any potatoes!  And, as with everything, eat potatoes in moderation.  Since I became diabetic, I have had to totally change the way I eat potatoes.  The good news is that I am healthier for it!  Potatoes get a bad reputation, especially here in America where we seem fixated on french fries.  We also love our potatoes, peeled and mashed with loads of fattening ingredients.  But there are healthier ways to enjoy potatoes.  Would you believe that potato skins, the part we usually discard, have as many phytonutrients as broccoli especially if we eat the more colorful varieties.  Some unusual nutrients found in potatoes, known as kukoamines, can lower blood pressure and that protects the heart and the brain.  Iodine is also found in potatoes.  Did you realize one of the first things doctors check in a patient suffering from depression is the thyroid which needs iodine to function properly?  And how about this little surprise?  Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable brain damage in the world!

The next time you go to the grocery store or market, check for the colorful varieties of potatoes.  Buy a few and experiment with healthy ways of preparing them.  And don't peel them!

If you grocer doesn't carry a big variety of potatoes in the produce section, check for healthy varieties in the frozen food section.  

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SUGAR AND DEPRESSION

Are you aware that high sugar intake and depression go hand in hand?  If you battle depression and you crave sweets, try substituting honey for some of the sugar you normally consume.  Honey contains traces of B vitamins, folate, iron, manganese, plus 181 different bioactive compounds such as quercetin, caffeic acid, etc which boosts energy production in the brain.

I wonder if this strange connection has anything to do with the fact that people who get depressed about something tend to overeat and put on weight.  Perhaps they get into a cycle where the depression feeds the sugar cravings and the sugar cravings feed the depression.  Keep this in mind the next time you feel depressed and reach for a candy bar, piece of cake, etc.

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FISH IS A HAPPINESS FOOD

Studies show that countries with the lowest rates of depression, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, and seasonal affective disorder - known as the winter blues - have the highest fish consumption.  Fish, especially wild salmon, have been found to have fish oil that is as effective as Prozac for treating major depression.  Perhaps that is why Alaskans are able to tolerate their long stretch of days without sunshine.

TOMATOES ARE A HAPPINESS FOOD!

We all know tomatoes are good for us and are a food we definitely need as a part of our diets.  Here is a reason that might surprise you; tomatoes are a happiness food.  Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which helps maintain good mood by preventing the formation of inflammatory compounds that are associated with depression.  There are other mood enhancers in tomatoes, too, such as folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin B6.  The iron and vitamin B6 are both needed by the brain to produce important mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

So, eat your tomatoes and tomato products and be happy!

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COFFEE IS A BRAIN FOOD

Or should we say coffee is a happiness beverage?  However you look at it, coffee with caffeine causes an increase in dopamine, which is how it boosts confidence, focus, and mood.  No wonder some of us are unbearable until we get our morning shot of coffee!  And did you know that 1 cup of coffee has more antioxidants than a glass of grape juice or one serving of spinach?  Coffee also has 2 phytonutrients - norharman and harman - which function like a class of antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors.  A few cups a day of coffee and people have a decreased risk of brain disorders such as depression and dementia.  Coffee has been shown to boost mental ability, focus, and mood.  So go ahead and enjoy a couple of cups (unless your doctor has told you otherwise!) but be wary of adding sugar and cream!  Learn to enjoy your coffee black!

DARK LEAFY GREENS ARE BRAIN FOOD!

Continuing on the theme of happiness foods or brain foods, let me say that your mother was right; eat your vegetables, especially the dark leafy ones such as arugula.  Dark leafy veggies are among the most nutrient-dense foods we eat.  Folate, which helps to protect us from depression, originates in the leaves of plants.  It's name even comes from the Latin word folium which means leaf.  Greens are also rich in calcium, important because calcium triggers the release of neurotransmitters every time a neuron fires.  Greens are also good fiber foods.  Many may wonder what fiber has to do with the brain since we always think of it as for the gut.  And that is true.  Fiber is essential to maintaining a healthy gut and a healthy gut is crucial for the proper absorption of nutrients.  Here is a surprising fact; diets low in fiber have been linked to depression and increased risks of suicide!  So yes, fiber is a happiness food.  These healthy leafy greens also contain another of our happiness nutrients - magnesium.

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