Theres a lot of chatter online about which foods might help parents and caregivers manage symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Separating the good suggestions from the bad ones can be a challenge.

Here, experts reveal the truth about four common ADHD diet myths and the facts that will empower you to make wise choices about your childs nutrition.

Fact: The impact of added sugar on ADHD isnt entirely clear, says Dilip Karnik, MD, a pediatric neurologist at Child Neurology Consultants of Austin in Texas.

Much of the evidence related to sugar and ADHD is anecdotal. Many parents have told me they see increased impulsivity following consumption of sugary drinks or food in their children, Dr. Karnik says.

Clinical research findings related to ADHD and sugar have been mixed. For instance, one small study published in January 2022 in BMC Pediatrics showed that unhealthy eating behaviors, including high sugar intake, were more common in children with ADHD than in children without the condition. But a large study published in January 2019 in the Journal of Affective Disorders, which included nearly 3,000 children ages 6 to 11, showed no link between consumption of sucrose a sweetener commonly found in soft drinks and processed foods and ADHD.

What is clear: Even though the jury is still out on how sugar affects ADHD, limiting your childs intake of the sweet stuff is a good idea in general. Added sugars are associated with an increased risk of heart disease among all kids in the United States, according to data published in August 2016 in Circulation.

High sugar intake also has been shown to raise the risk of childhood obesity, which can lead to the premature onset of hypertension and insulin resistance, according to a study published online August 3, 2021, in the journal Children.

Amy Reed, RD, a pediatric dietitian at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says her recommendations for sugar intake among children with ADHD are no different from her recommendations for children without ADHD no more than 6 teaspoons, or 25 grams, of added sugar each day. Those amounts are based on a 2016 scientific statement from the American Heart Association, she explains.

If youd like to help your child consume less sugar, recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics published in April 2019 in the journal Pediatrics suggest that you:

To find more enjoyable replacements for foods containing a lot of added sugar, Reed also recommends working with a registered dietitian.

Fact: Theres no hard evidence that omega-3 fatty acid supplements are helpful for ADHD symptoms.

In some scientific studies, omega-3 supplements have shown promise in helping manage ADHD, says Karnik. For instance, a review of 16 studies including more than 1,500 kids and young people with ADHD, published in the Journal of Lipidsin 2017, found that omega-3 and omega-6 supplementation could be viable additions to traditional ADHD treatment regimens.

Other studies, however, have been inconclusive, Reed notes. Whats more, the studies that have shown benefits of omega-3 supplements have several limitations, including small numbers of participants and short duration. Before omega-3 supplements can be routinely recommended for ADHD, researchers need to conduct larger and longer-term studies.

For those reasons, Reed warns that supplements should never be used in place of standard, evidence-based ADHD treatments such as medications that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If you think youd like to have your child try an omega-3 supplement, ask your pediatrician for a recommendation. Also, bear in mind that supplements are not regulated as strictly as FDA-approved medications, and the quality of omega-3 supplements may differ from brand to brand.

Fact: Elimination diets any diet that involves cutting out certain ingredients or even entire food groups may do more harm than good, and a review published in November 2017 in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care states theres no sufficient evidence to show that any food or nutrient-based interventions help treat ADHD.

For ADHD, the most commonly touted elimination diet is the Feingold diet, which involves avoiding all sweeteners, preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, and the ingredient salicylate, according to Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).

Many studies [related to elimination diets] did not show a significant difference in outcomes, says Karnik. In addition, these strict dietary restrictions may have a negative effect on a child as they feel they cannot freely participate in fun social activities that happen at school, such as a birthday party. Not allowing children to participate in eating cake or cookies could exacerbate social anxieties or isolation.

Reed agrees, adding that unnecessarily removing major food ingredients like gluten or sugar could mean taking away many nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and whole grain bread.

I have worked with families that have gone through elimination diets to see if it improves behavior and then by the end, they realize they've had to take away a lot of their children's favorite foods, explains Reed. Now they're not eating very well, and their behavior really hasn't improved either.

RELATED: Whats the Deal With Elimination Diets for ADHD?

Fact: Many children with ADHD have irregular or impulsive eating habits and need help sticking to a regular eating schedule, which has benefits for both their health and their behavior, Karnik says.

Some ADHD medications can suppress appetite temporarily, Reed explains. Then, when the medication begins to wear off, hunger can come back quite suddenly and intensely. This can lead to binge eating behaviors in children, such as not eating throughout the school day, then eating everything they can once they come home.

Whats more, hallmark ADHD symptoms like hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity can also make eating consistently throughout school days more challenging.

In turn, long periods without eating or drinking make it harder for a child to focus and think clearly, Karnik says. It is very important that children with ADHD eat healthy foods regularly and keep well-hydrated. Hydration is equally important for proper brain function.

Have a healthy snack ready after school and stick to a consistent dinner schedule so your child doesn't miss a meal or graze throughout the evening, Reed advises. And at school, consider working with your childs teachers to form a meal and snack schedule to ensure your child eats regularly throughout the school day.

Fortified nutritional shakes can be helpful for children and teens with ADHD because they can be consumed quickly, Reed adds.

While no fad diet can successfully treat ADHD symptoms, a nutritious and balanced diet can help your child live well with the condition, CHADDsays.

Per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (UDSA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans, your childs diet should be rich in these nutrient-dense foods:

In addition, USDA experts recommend limiting your childs consumption of:

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4 Myths About Diet and Your Child's ADHD, Busted - Everyday Health

Image: ShutterstockHaving healthy and nutritious food that is safe and free of contamination is one of the pillars of good health. Food safety is important in this aspect since it ensures that contaminants that cause foodborne illness are not present in any food items during the handling, processing, and distribution of food. Every year on June 7th, World Food Safety Day is observed to raise awareness and emphasise the need of safe food consumption.

Foodborne illness is infectious and toxic and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food. Many foodborne diseases can have long-term effects on the human body and lead to fatal outcomes if not treated on time, suggests Minal Shah, Senior Nutrition Therapist, Fortis Hospital, Mulund who feels access to safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health.

A nutritious diet helps to reduce and combat malnutrition in all of its forms. According to research, it also has an important role in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, stroke, and cancer, which are major lifestyle diseases impacting the majority of urban populations. Shah discusses some of the most important aspects of a good diet, which include:

Small conscious steps can go a long way toward avoiding food waste and ensuring that meals are healthful and nutritious.

Also Read: 5 Foods Rich In Antioxidants For Better Health

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Early in his professional baseball career, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner says he thought of the gym like a bit of a meathead. I thought working out was going in and throwing around as much weight as I could, getting as big as I could, he told GQ. But the World Series champion and two-time all-star is now in his 14th season, and he's matured a bit. Now he's all about a less-is-more approach, with plenty work on mobility and recovery. Along with that shift in mindset came some adjustments to his diet, like going dairy-free, that he credits with extending his playing career.It seems to be working: These days he's the heart and soul of a division-leading Dodgers team that seems like a lock to contend for another title this fall.

For more, Turner caught up with GQ about exactly how hes tweaked his nutrition, the secret to clean eating while on the road, how he manages to still enjoy a little fast food, and his game-day routine from start to finish.

GQ: What was the deciding factor that led you to eliminate dairy?

Justin Turner: There wasnt just one. I broke my wrist in spring training four years ago, a week before the season was going to start. I played with Chase Utley, who had been diary-free, and he was always talking about how I was putting inflammation in my body. Obviously, I was trying to come back as fast as I could, so I did no dairy while I was recovering and didnt find it to be that difficult. I wasnt really paying attention to how it made me sleep or feel because I was so homed in on trying to rehab my wrist. When I came back, I went back to living my normal life but that next year my wife asked what I was going to do for my New Years resolution. I decided I was going to give up dairy, and its really changed my life over the last four years, and its changed my body. I think Ive been moving better, sleeping better, I recover faster, and its really been something that I can directly attribute to extending my career.

And now you've gone so far as to invest in the plant-based milk company Ripple. How did that get on your radar?

Our team over at VaynerSports has been on the lookout for products that are in our wheelhousethats how Ripple came up. They sent us their pea-based protein shakes, non-dairy dairy products, and their version of chocolate milk, which is phenomenal. I feel like I can drink the whole bottle in one sitting. I have to pace myself or otherwise its gone.

Before last seasons spring training, you and your wife did the Whole30 diet, which led to some drastic weight loss. What led to that decision?

I wasnt familiar with it, but my wife had heard about it, and usually when she wants to try something I do it with her. She was going to do it while I was going into spring training. I was on board with that, because we werent doing dairy and we usually dont drink during spring training because of the early mornings, so it didnt seem too hard cutting out the other categories. The Whole30 is an elimination process, and I was really doing it to resetclean everything out and go into the season feeling fresh. I didnt know that I was going to shed 16 pounds in 30 days. I had been trying for about seven years to get under 200 pounds. I would get down to 201 and I would just plateau. I just found that the pounds just started falling off. I did it again going into this season, and I got down to 192 this year, which is the lightest Ive been in at least 15 years.

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Justin Turner Hit His Lowest Weight in 15 Years on the Whole30 Diet - GQ

Breakfast can either make or break the rest of your day. Even though we know that it's the most important meal of the day, many Americans treat breakfast with very little care, throwing it to the side whenever our schedules get busy. But eating a healthy, nutrient-packed meal in the morning can set us up for success, giving us fuel to keep going and plenty of energy to make healthy decisions.

In fact, skipping breakfast altogether is one of the worst ways you can start your day when it comes to your health. Skipping this morning meal has been found to slow down metabolism, lead to weight gain, negatively impact your immune system, and even lead to greater stress levels.

While many Americans can certainly work on improving their healthy breakfast habits, some of the longest-living people in the world know the value of eating a healthy breakfast. In fact, many of the world's Blue Zones (regions across the globe with the highest concentrations of centenarians) practice eating their largest meal of the day first thing in the morning.

The Blue Zones were coined as a way of pinpointing parts of the world where people lived the longest, healthiest lives. The regions include Sardinia in Italy, Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda in California.

Since the founding of the Blue Zones concept, researchers have discovered commonalities in lifestyle habits among these communities, including their diets, movement, values, and spiritual practices. And when it comes to the way they handle breakfast, the Blue Zone centenarians try to fit as many nutrients into their morning as they possibly can.

According to a research article published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, one of the core values shared among Blue Zone centenarians is the practice of eating their largest meal in the morning, and their smallest meal in the afternoon and evening. This concept goes against what many Americans naturally practice, which is eating a small breakfast that lacks in nutrients or not eating breakfast at allwhile saving larger meals for later in the day.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

RELATED:6 Breakfasts Enjoyed By The Longest-Living People in The World

Another major difference that sets many of these centenarians apart from the rest of the world is that they consume healthy, whole foods at every meal. While many of us may reach for a quick breakfast pastry in the morning, the Blue Zones are eating plenty of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and beans, which gives them a boost of protein, fiber, and antioxidants in the morning hours.

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The #1 Best Breakfast Habit of the World's Longest Living People Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Thus far in the 21st century, we've come to take for granted feats such as delivering items to remote locations via drone, and the even more extreme delivery of tourists into space. What once seemed possible only in comic books seems to become closer to reality every day. Yet at the same time, problems that have plagued humankind throughout history are getting worse. The list starts with the most basic need of all: Food.

Malnutrition itself is a leading cause of death; poor diet is a major contributing factor in many more diseases. All of this generates global burdens of every kind: economic, political and, in the most basic sense, humanitarian. We can all agree that everyone, everywhere deserves access to ample amounts of nutritious food.

The obstacles dominate our daily headlines. International conflicts, a global pandemic, climate change and more are the primary challenges, often triggering secondary issues such as clogged, fractured supply chains. The result: Ill health and poverty cycles are perpetuated, further burdening already strained healthcare systems.

We understand the problems. Now it's time to start implementing solutions.

Fortunately, there are ways to reverse this crisis. More simply put, there are ways to provide healthy meals to those in need. Studies and global convenings, such as the first United Nations Food Systems Summit held in 2021, offer fresh ideas to globally transform the food system to better promote healthy, accessible, and sustainable diets.

Transforming to healthy diets by 2050 will require substantial dietary shifts, writes Professor Walter Willett, MD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the Summary Report of the EAT-Lancet Commission. "Global consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes will have to double, and consuming foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced by more than 50%. A diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal source foods will improve health and environmental benefits."

Another recent report suggests that diets high in plant foods and low in animal foods could improve many sustainability targets, including lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, healthcare costs and global greenhouse gas emissions. Alas, doing so requires navigating barriers such as knowledge, accessibility and cultural norms.

Because the world is such a vast, diverse landscape, there's no easy way to do this. No single, silver-bullet solution will transform the global food system to achieve healthy and sustainable diets.

Still, we know that a coordinated approach across nations and sectors is vital to solve food system challenges. We also know health equity should and must be at the centre of those innovations. Data-driven innovations would allow all stakeholders across the food system to adopt practices that simultaneously improve economic, environmental and health targets.

Shifting from food insecurity to food security will require collaborative efforts among international, national, regional and local supply chains. This is the essence of the notion of going from farm-to-table. This is the lynchpin in ensuring accessibility to healthy and sustainable diets. And because your table may look different from mine, we must factor into the process foods that are culturally acceptable and relevant.

1. Seek international and national commitments to shift toward healthy diets.

2. Reorient agricultural priorities from producing high quantities of food to producing healthy food.

3. Sustainably intensify food production to increase high-quality output.

4. Strong and coordinated governance of land and oceans.

5. At least halve food losses and waste, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Clearly, this won't be easy. That's why it's so exciting to see some of the data-driven innovations are on the horizon, such as the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI).

I'm proud to say this initiative is managed by the American Heart Association on behalf of multiple funders, including the Rockefeller Foundation, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, and the Seerave Foundation.

Along with the AHA, the Periodic Table of Food is co-managed by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, which is focused on delivering research-based solutions for agricultural and food systems sustainability.

The name obviously stems from the periodic table of elements we all learned in grade school. However, it's perhaps best explained by comparison to the evolution of navigation instructions. Over the last 20 years, fold-out maps were replaced by computer printouts, which were replaced by dedicated GPS devices, which were replaced by apps on our phones that we dont even have to look at a voice gives us turn-by-turn directions. The evolution is rooted in satellite and mapping technology generated by countless agencies around the globe working together on a shared goal that benefits everyone, everywhere.

Similarly, the Periodic Table of Food Initiative seeks to gather standardized and comprehensive information on food from all over the world. Collaboration and capacity-strengthening across scientific networks is key. The PTFI is creating the database, and the AHA is enabling conditions for others to populate the database as well by providing standardized analytical protocols.

Malnutrition isnt just a lack of food; its a lack of nutritious food. So, as we seek to feed populations, we must provide sustainable, diverse foods that meet their individual needs. Thats a major challenge because our scientific understanding of the foods that nourish us is still rudimentary.

Generally, 150 biochemical components of food are measured and tracked in food composition databases. Yet there are tens of thousands of such biochemicals in food. Using the GPS analogy again, it is as if weve mapped only the highways and a few major roads in a metropolitan area a good start, but a lot of work remains. That's where the PTFI comes in.

Creating partnerships across national, academic and industry labs using standardized approaches created by the PTFI partners, the initiative aims to expand the number of foods currently available in food composition databases. Currently, there are around 400 single-ingredient foods in most databases. The aim is to log more than 1,000 of the world's most commonly consumed whole foods in the next two years, and ultimately all foods, using the same protocols to gather primary data

It's also worth noting that there's a need to rebalance our food portfolio. Additionally, the world has become over-reliant on a few staple crops. Consider this imbalance: Nearly half of our daily calorie intake comes from three food sources (rice, maize and wheat). Yet there are upwards of over 10,000 edible plant species consumed for food.

In one way, this knowledge is frustrating. But viewed through the lens of the initiative, these are opportunities. And there are more opportunities on the back end. Once the database is set up, everyone from the scientific community to the private sector can build on it by adding additional foods, varieties and cooking methods.

Our goal at the PTFI is to create a globally shared food composition database that represents the edible biodiversity consumed by people across the planet, said Selena Ahmed, Global Director of the PTFI.

Two billion people in the world currently suffer from malnutrition and according to some estimates, we need 60% more food to feed the global population by 2050. Yet the agricultural sector is ill-equipped to meet this demand: 700 million of its workers currently live in poverty, and it is already responsible for 70% of the worlds water consumption and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

New technologies could help our food systems become more sustainable and efficient, but unfortunately the agricultural sector has fallen behind other sectors in terms of technology adoption.

Launched in 2018, the Forums Innovation with a Purpose Platform is a large-scale partnership that facilitates the adoption of new technologies and other innovations to transform the way we produce, distribute and consume our food.

With research, increasing investments in new agriculture technologies and the integration of local and regional initiatives aimed at enhancing food security, the platform is working with over 50 partner institutions and 1,000 leaders around the world to leverage emerging technologies to make our food systems more sustainable, inclusive and efficient.

Learn more about Innovation with a Purpose's impact and contact us to see how you can get involved.

Food insecurity has plagued far too many for far too long. In an era where we've figured out how to zip packages to remote outposts in deserts and jungles, and to give non-astronauts quick trips to the brink of the stratosphere, surely we can get nutritious food into the mouths of the malnourished.

Written by

Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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The map of food: why we need a world atlas of what we eat - World Economic Forum

Milk may aggravate the symptoms of ulcerative colitis in some people. They may wish to try alternative types of milk, such as oat or soy. However, people should be mindful of getting enough calcium if they choose to avoid dairy products.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). UC affects approximately 600,000 people in the United States. A person may experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, and urgent and frequent bowel movements.

This article defines UC and explains how someones diet can affect their symptoms. In addition, it discusses which types of milk to avoid and consume and provides other dietary tips.

Regular dairy milk contains fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs). FODMAPs are a group of sugars that a persons digestive tract may have trouble absorbing.

People may wish to track any reactions to dairy and other food products by keeping a food journal.

The primary sugar in milk is lactose. Some studies suggest that FODMAPs such as lactose may cause pain, bloating, and diarrhea in people with IBD. So avoiding high FODMAP foods may reduce their symptoms.

Some people find they cannot tolerate lactose, especially during a flare, found in dairy foods such as:

According to a 2017 review, a low FODMAP diet may benefit people with IBD. However, a person should work closely with a dietitian to determine whether the diet is suitable and helps alleviate symptoms.

Learn more about the low FODMAP diet here.

The following types of milk may be suitable for someone with UC. However, a person should monitor any symptoms when introducing a new type of milk.

Read more about almond, hemp, oat, soy, and cows milk.

When avoiding dairy products, a person must ensure they are still getting enough calcium in their diet. They can choose the types of milk that manufacturers have fortified with calcium. They may also wish to try the following food sources of calcium:

It is important to note that some of the above foods can trigger or worsen flares for certain people. A person should monitor for any reactions to these foods.

Learn more about calcium-rich foods that do not contain dairy here.

The Crohns and Colitis Foundation advises that there is no single diet that works for everyone. Instead, they suggest that someone with UC works with a doctor or dietitian to develop a personalized meal plan that ensures they get adequate nutrients.

When a person is in UC remission, they should eat a balanced diet that includes all the food groups. Some research suggests that consuming an anti-inflammatory diet may benefit people with UC. Anti-inflammatory foods include:

People may help avoid worsening symptoms by eating soft, bland foods. These may include:

Additionally, someone may wish to include probiotic foods such as yogurt, kimchi, or sauerkraut. They may also consider taking supplements with their doctors approval. A person should speak with a dietitian to determine the best source of probiotics in their diet.

Learn about probiotics for UC here.

The following foods and drinks may trigger symptoms during a flare of UC:

Read more about the foods to eat and avoid with UC.

Additionally, the following tips may help:

Read more about diet recipes for UC.

Dairy may be a common trigger for symptoms of UC. Avoiding it may help during a flare. Many milk alternatives are available, including oat, soy, and almond milk. Additionally, probiotic drinks such as kefir may help some people.

There is no single diet to help everyone with UC, and people should work with a healthcare professional to explore what is right for them.

The low FODMAP diet may be beneficial for some people. However, any diet that restricts foods needs to be supervised by a dietitian. Eating a balanced, anti-inflammatory diet and avoiding too much sugar, processed foods, and alcohol is beneficial for the digestive system and a persons overall health.

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Milk for ulcerative colitis: Types to avoid and try - Medical News Today

In her book, "The Fast Metabolism Diet," nutritionist Haylie Pomroy shares how to make your metabolism work for you, not against you. #newdaynw

In her book, "The Fast Metabolism Diet," nutritionist Haylie Pomroy shares how to take control of your metabolism and make it work for you, not against you.

She joined the show to share a recipe for a southwest breakfast salad.

SOUTHWEST BREAKFAST SALAD WITH CILANTRO-LIME DRESSING

For the Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

1. Brown the chicken sausages in a skillet. Slice them.

2. Layer the greens beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and avocado in four large bowls, dividing them evenly, then top with the sausage.

3. Make the vinaigrette: In a blender, combine the cilantro, olive oil, garlic, tomatillo, lime juice, vinegar, and xylitol, and blend until smooth.

4. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salads, dividing it evenly, and serve.

A Registered Wellness Consultant with a 25-year career in health and nutrition, Haylie Pomroy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, leading health and wellness entrepreneur, celebrity nutritionist, and motivational speaker. Through her practice The Haylie Pomroy Group, which includes integrative health care clinics, Haylie's clients gain valuable insight into her deep-rooted philosophy of "Food is Medicine." She also works with doctors at top practices, hospitals, and educational institutions across the globe as a consultant on many difficult cases, helping patients overcome health issues and reach their wellness goals.

Segment Producer Rebecca Perry. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.

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We've all been touched by memory loss. Whether personally (TBI, Post-COVID, Dementia) or someone we love. The thing is, there is a lot we can do if we are empowered with information. I trained in both psychiatry and neurology because all aspects of how we experience memory loss are important. This includes feeling depressed or anxious, to how we diagnose specifically what kind of memory loss we are experiencing, and what to do about it. In my experience, the more specific I can be with someone about what is going on with their memory, the better. Nobody likes feeling uncertain about something they are experiencing. Not knowing why memory is changing can be scary. Once we are given specific information, we can act, and do something about it. Autonomy and choice are central to being human. Read on to find out moreand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

The first best habit to prevent memory loss is exercise. When we say exercise, we need to be a little more specific and say that it only counts if it's moderate exercise. To clarify, you have to feel out of breath, and it should be relatively hard to hold a conversation while you are doing whatever activity you enjoy. So, the activity does not matter, but being a little out of breath and having your heart rate elevated is important. This is what research has shown to be beneficial to your blood vessels that feed your brain. And building this habit to be at least 20 to 30 minutes five days a week is ideal, so work on adding this into your daily routine.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The second-best habit for preventing memory loss is diet. What you eat has a big impact on your health. You still have room for lots of variety, but some basic habits are healthier than others. You should eat a diet low in carbohydrates. What that means is you eat less rice, pasta, white potatoes, white bread, things that your body absorbs very quickly and provide a big burst of sugar in your bloodstream. Focus on eating healthier carbohydrates such as wheat bread, or brown rice if you desire. Then try to focus on eating more healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, and avoiding saturated fats such as lard. Try to eat less meat, even though summer barbecues are irresistible. Start with one thing at a time and make it a habit before you try to do too many things at once. Maybe you pick a way to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet by switching from regular soda to sparkling water or start eating plain yogurt instead of flavored yogurt. Take a look at the labels and pick one thing to work on. Once it's been a few weeks you can go on to the next thing.

The third best habit is to look at how much time you spend with other people and make sure you have strong social connections. As we get older it's easy to spend less time with others and more time alone or with just one person near us. Think about the friendships that may have faded away and consider rekindling those. Social isolation is a major risk factor for memory loss and something we can easily fix. If you don't have any people from the past, you want to increase time with, then make sure you are going to places where you can meet new people and develop friendships. Maybe you go to a new gym regularly, or another place with get togethers for an activity you enjoy. Make a habit of regularly and meaningfully engaging with others at least three times a week and spending a good chunk of time with them.

The fourth best habit is to always be learning something new. This could take the form of finding a new hobby to develop, learning a new musical instrument, or how to make something or build something. The key is when we are learning, our brain is forced to develop new connections and it's a form of exercise for the brain. Making a habit of spending 30 minutes a day practicing something new will help our brain stay strong. Reading is great, but for learning make sure you are reading something where you can also use it for active learning-not just passively reading information- but taking information and doing something with it where you commit it to memory. So maybe you like reading books about history, make a habit of taking notes and going back to test yourself to make sure you remember the information.

Another good habit to always have is taking safety precautions when doing activities. Specifically, we are trying to prevent head injuries. Always wear a helmet when riding a bike or a motorcycle, and using appropriate tools or assistive devices such as hiking poles if walking on uneven ground, etc. Whatever activity you are doing just ask yourself, is there a chance I might hit my head hard doing this? If the answer is yes think about what you can do to help protect yourself while still doing the things you love.

Finally, the best habit is to check in with your doctor regularly, and if you are over the age of 50 that means at least once a year. During these visits you want to make sure you ask about your mental health, where they can screen you for depression, anxiety or other symptoms that could contribute to memory loss. You want to make sure your blood sugars are OK and not leading towards diabetes, If you are smoking or drinking too much you want to work on quitting, they can also check regular tests to make sure that your cholesterol and blood pressure are OK. Is you hearing getting worse? If so, this is very important to address. Make a habit of always wearing your hearing aids when you are awake! Make sure you talk about these things with your doctor as there are many ways they can help you build new habits to address these risk factors for memory loss.

If you notice signs of memory loss, this can be hard to judge. As we get older it is normal to take a little longer to process things or do calculations but our ability to speak clearly, use our vocabulary, do math mentally should not get worse. Attention can also be a little harder as we get older. Sometimes we think we are forgetting people's names more than usual; this is usually an attention issue which if you make an effort you can remember names. Now, if despite your efforts and focus, these things are getting harder, then it is worth looking into. If you notice you are having a harder time remembering what you did the previous day, maybe repeating yourself to others, or asking the same questions again, then you should bring it up with your primary care provider. They will start with a basic screening with a cognitive test and go from there.

Just remember, this is a lot of information, and you've already built a good habit by being here to read something like this in the first place! Please focus on one thing at a time, do not try to make many changes all at once because habits form best when they happen one at a time. Take some notes and you can check on many of these things at your next doctor's visit. Also, ask your friends and family for advice because sometimes people who know you well will have good ideas for you. If you can spend the next year making progress on even just a few of these things, you will make a big impact for years to come. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

Dr. Reza Hosseini Ghomi is a practicing neuropsychiatrist, focused on neurodegenerative disorders and is serving as Chief Medical Officer at BrainCheck.

Dr. Reza Hosseini Ghomi

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Best Habits for Memory Loss, Says Physician Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

What determines how fast we age? Why do some people live to be over 100, while for others, their life is much shorter? More and more we are learning that for the most part, the answers are not in our genes. It has been estimated that our genetics account for only 7% of our longevity and our lifestyle habits, for better or worse are the key factor for how fast we age. I am a physician, board-certified in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, and I help people lose weight, prevent disease, and optimize their lifestyle habits, so they can slow down aging and live a longer, healthier, and happier life. Read on to find out moreand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

When surveyed, 75% of Americans think that they are eating a healthy diet, yet the majority of Americans are not eating enough fruits, vegetables, fiber, or nutrients. The food we eat is profoundly related to how fast we age, our risk for developing chronic diseases, and our physical and mental health. Eating a diet high in sugar, fast food, saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, and other highly processed food promotes inflammation and will rapidly age you. Alternatively, if you are eating an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich diet, consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, you will be at lower risk for developing chronic diseases, and you will age more slowly.

Sleep is vitally important to our physical and mental health and skimping on sleep will not only increase your risk for diseases and negatively impact your quality of life, but it will also prematurely age you. In fact, it has been found that rats who were totally deprived of sleep died prematurely in just a few weeks. When you sleep, your body repairs its cells, your body restores its energy, and your brain clears out toxins and waste. For these reasons, and more, sleep is essential, and an inadequate quantity or quality of sleep will age you.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The people who live the longest lives in the world don't necessarily go to the gym every day, but they live active lives, and physical activity is just part of their daily routine. In contrast, for many of us, we spend most of our day sitting. This sedentary lifestyle promotes inflammation, which will accelerate aging.

Ideally, we should all try to incorporate a set amount of time to exercise at least 5 times a week. At least 30-60 minutes a day is optimal. But, as we work up to that goal, we should feel good about incorporating any amount of increased physical activity in our life. At the same time, we can also just change our daily routine to be less sedentary. Examples of this are taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away in a parking lot, or taking a call while walking.

It is well known that relationships are important for our mental and physical health. But relationships are also closely tied to longevity.

The Harvard Study of Adult Development is a famous, gigantic, and ongoing study that followed more than 700 men since they were teenagers in 1938. This study is one of the most comprehensive studies of health and well-being in history, and the findings are clear that relationships are the single most important factor for our health and longevity. In this study, researchers found that people who were more socially connected to family, friends, and the community, were happier, healthier, and actually lived longer, than people who were lonely.

In contrast, social media use can have a negative impact on our health. Social media interactions are not equivalent to real-life interactions, and may actually promote loneliness. Social media use can also be detrimental to our mental health and has been linked with increased anxiety and depression.

The health of our body and mind are closely connected, and stress has been implicated as a factor in increasing our risk for multiple diseases, and even decreasing our lifespan. In contrast, practicing mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques to better manage stress has been linked to increased longevity.

Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of our chromosomes, and their job is to preserve our DNA. With every cell division, a small portion of this telomere DNA is lost, so the result is that telomeres shorten with age. Shorter telomeres have been associated with an increased risk of developing diseases and a decreased lifespan.

It has been found that the rate of telomere shortening can be either increased or decreased by specific lifestyle factors and practicing mindfulness and meditation appear to slow this rate of telomere shortening, which in effect may increase longevity.

There are multiple reasons why excessive alcohol intake can age you. Drinking too much alcohol promotes inflammation and increases the risk for multiple chronic diseases such as cancer and liver disease. Alcohol intake also promotes dehydration which accelerates skin aging, including skin puffiness and wrinkles. Additionally, alcohol intake can interfere with sleep, affecting both sleep quality and quantity. For women, and men over 65, moderate drinking means drinking up to 1 drink per day. For men 65 and under, 2 drinks a day is considered moderate.

Everyone wants to live a healthy, happy and long life, free of sickness and disease. But there is no magic bullet or longevity pill, which will slow down aging or lengthen your life. In truth, it is a combination of factorsincluding the food we eat, our sleep, our physical activity levels, our relationships, our stress, and our substance use that primarily determine how fast we age. By focusing on these areas, we will not only add years to our life but also improve our quality of life, so that those extra years are healthier and happier. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

Ritu Saluja-Sharma MD is a board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, an integrative health coach, and the founder of Head Heart Hands.

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Surprising Habits That Are Rapidly Aging Your Body, Says Physician Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

A type of bacteria that live in our mouths and guts send signals in the form of lipids through our blood, which could be good or bad, depending on the context. A multi-disciplinary collaboration of UConn researchers based in Farmington and Storrs is pioneering the study of these bacterial signals and the surprising roles they play in the human body.

Theyre in Your Mouth

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a pathogenic bacterium in the phylum Bacteroidota (formerly Bacteroidetes). It causes a destructive form of periodontal disease called periodontitis.

Dr. Frank Nichols, professor of Periodontology in the UConn School of Dental Medicine, became interested in Porphyromonas gingivalis in the early 1990s, and has been fascinated, and surprised, by the pathogen ever since.

Nichols explains that P. gingivalis colonizes the spaces between teeth and gums and, in the absence of brushing and flossing, over time the environment and community gradually changes from healthy to pathogenic. The bacteria build up in plaque, and as the bacteria grow and die, they release lipids from their cell walls which the immune system recognizes as signals of infection, triggering inflammation. Over time, the inflammation becomes chronic and can result in tissue damage and tooth or bone loss.

Nichols wanted to know more about bacterial lipid triggers, so he started extracting and characterizing them. Initially he was examining lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a common cell wall product produced by all gram-negative organisms.

When LPS is expressed on the surface of the cells in the gut, it helps to protect the organisms from the bile salts, dissolution, and destruction processes, Nichols says. But we dont have bile in our mouths, so theres no reason for these bugs to have this LPS.

In addition to the puzzle of why mouth bacteria would have gut protective lipids in their cell walls, Nichols soon found another: in periodontitis-diseased tissues, P. gingivalis was present, but not much LPS was evident in tissues. At first, he didnt believe this result, but after reproducing the experiment he noticed a distinction.

There is not so much LPS in the tissues, but there are a lot of other kinds of bizarre lipids from P. gingivalis, says Nichols. I knew this because a unique fatty acid identified the presence of these lipids. These lipids are unique to the Bacteroidota, the phylum P. gingivalis belongs to. Periodontal disease is not like having a microbial infection around the teeth where the organisms invade the tissues and cause abscess formation, swelling, pain. Instead, periodontal disease elicits a chronic inflammatory response by the host.

How the organisms elicit this chronic inflammatory process is thought to involve the release of virulence factors, such as LPS, which are then taken up by immune cells, or through simple diffusion processes where the bacterial lipids passively slip into the hosts cells. Physical properties of lipids facilitate diffusion and can help them move around quite a bit, a quality that Nichols work would highlight.

Nichols continued extracting and trying to learn more about the lipids and their travel habits. He started collaborating with UConn Chemistry Emeritus Professor Michael Smith over the course of the next 20 years.

He had terrific graduate students that were synthesizing these lipids and verifying the structures, Nichols says. It was a terrific collaboration and we were able to confirm those structures in part because of that synthetic work that was done in his lab.

Extracting and characterizing these lipids is highly specialized work, Nichols explains, and the collaboration helped build a collection of lipids which he has since shared with other researchers.

Nichols has since found that these lipids accumulate more extensively when theres significant disease like destructive periodontitis. The results, though significant, were met with skepticism, says Nichols, as some others in the field refused to believe it could be anything other than LPS he was measuring.

Nichols didnt give up then, and has continued growing the bacteria, extracting the lipids, and screening their biological activity and this has led to even more collaborations.

Theyre Sending Signals Through Your Blood

Dr. Robert Clarks interest was piqued as he followed Nichols progress in studying these lipids.

Clark, a professor in the Department of Immunology in UConn School of Medicine, is interested in autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and in the early 2000s he says the microbiome was a very hot topic with thousands of publications coming out studying relationships between microbiome and diseases, but little work on exactly how the bacteria were potentially mediating things. He says Nichols was wise enough to look deeper by examining what the bacteria make in terms of lipids.

Clark was also struck by the fact that Nichols had shown the lipids are distinct to Bacteroidota which are found not only in the mouth, but also in the GI tract where they comprise 30% to 50% of the organisms found in the GI tract microbiome.

Clark says he and Nichols would talk about their work when running into each other on elevators or in passing: We knew each other and would share results. One day, I asked if he thought these lipids that were produced by bacteria in the mouth and GI tract were affecting systemic human health.

That elevator conversation launched their collaboration. Clark proposed they look to see if these lipids are present in the bloodstream. In 2013, they published work showing these bacterial lipids accumulate in structures in blood vessels that can lead to thickening or blockages called atheromas.

Every person has these lipids in their blood. That was surprising, because thats a bacterial product and it cant be confused with something we make. Its totally different, says Clark. You, sitting there, have bacterial products floating around in your bloodstream that are doing things to you.

Next, Clark wanted to see what the lipid levels were like in the blood of MS patients, and they found that the bacterial lipid levels were lower in MS patients, a very surprising result. They expected, if anything, that patients with the autoimmune disease would have more lipid present.

There are two phases of our immune system, Clark says. One is the adaptive immune system with T and B cells, but there is also the innate immune system, which gets the ball rolling in any immune response. These bacterial lipids are stimulants for the innate immune system, and it is thought that people with autoimmune diseases have overreactive immune systems that attack self-tissue in general. We realized there is something strange happening here.

The fact that these stimulatory lipids were present in lower levels in MS patients opened a new level of complexity for these lipids that Clark has been since working to understand.

Theyre in Your Gut

The lipid mystery also caught the attention of Christopher Blesso Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.

I first came into contact with Nichols, by reading a UConn Today article, Blesso says. I reached out to him because I was interested in figuring out if the diet affected these bacterial lipids.

Blesso studies dietary fats and never considered bacteria as a possible or significant source of lipids. Nichols was happy to collaborate and it culminated in Blessos recent publication in the Journal of Lipid Research another breakthrough in deciphering the roles of these lipids.

Blesso was interested in looking at different diets and their impacts on the gut microbiome. He says one reason is these lipids are specific to Bacteroidota which comprise around 50% of the gastrointestinal tract microbiome and which seems dependent on diet.

A lot of the initial studies with obesity and unhealthy diets, like high fat diets, showed Bacteroidota were suppressed in those high fat conditions, Blesso says. Once the individual lost weight or started eating a higher fiber diet, the Bacteroidota population would tend to go back up again.

Blesso reasoned that high fat diets lead to a decrease of Bacteroidota and that would lead to changes in the lipids produced.

For the experiment, they fed mice who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol a diet that mimics a high fat, Western diet to induce atherosclerosis and liver inflammation. Another group of mice who served as a healthy reference were fed a regular, low fat, plant-based diet called a chow diet.

They then administered one of the bacterial lipids called L654 to the mice to mimic chronic inflammation, with an initial hypothesis that these conditions would speed the development of atherosclerosis and liver inflammation in the Western diet group.

Again, the lipids surprised the researchers.

We assumed that if were exposing the animals to these lipids that we would see more inflammation and atherosclerosis. We actually found the opposite, says Blesso.

In the case of the high fat, Western diet-fed group, the lipid lowered the inflammation of the liver and liver injury markers, and overall, seemingly immunosuppressive effect that protected the mice from atherosclerosis development says Blesso. However, the biggest effects they saw were in the liver.

To me, its more interesting when you dont find what you thought youre going to find, Blesso says. It unlocks new questions.

Blesso says he thinks the lipids act almost like a brake for the immune cells in the liver.

Im hypothesizing that these bacterial lipids are signals that help form a tolerance and if you lose the signal because of a high fat diet or obesity, that will actually promote a breakage of that tolerance and the immune system will start to attack the liver, he says. Without that tolerance, you have liver inflammation and liver disease. It seems like the high fat diet and obesity break that tolerance, and this leads to liver inflammation.

While the researchers are still not entirely sure how the lipids make their way into the bloodstream, it is clear they can have big impacts on the bodys physiological processes.

Blessos findings echoed Clarks work by showing that these lipids may not be all that bad, and that their impact on the human body is context-dependent.

A Goldilocks Situation

The researchers, bolstered by unexpected and exciting results, are pressing on and continue to enjoy the collaboration, across disciplines and campuses.

We are just trying to figure out whats going on together. Developing the methods to figure out how to measure these lipids takes a lot of people, says Blesso.

Another collaboration that makes this work possible is with Anthony Provatas, assistant research professor in the Department of Chemistry and a researcher in the Organics Environmental Analytical Laboratory at the Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering who helps analyze and characterize the samples.

Blesso says, Were going to keep working together into the future will hopefully figure out how theyre absorbed and transported, and how they affect different disease states.

These latest findings give Clark new hope for understanding the lipid role in MS: Now we show two cases where the lipids are lower, and this is somehow regulating or dysregulating the immune system, making it stronger.

The results connecting the microbiome with diet and systemic inflammation led to the question of whether antibiotics could further influence the lipid producers. On this, he says stay tuned, but he suspects there may be a sort of Goldilocks phenomenon at play where too much or too little lipid could result in hyperactivity in the immune system.

Its a unique system to study, Clark says. Most researchers dont believe us. Scientists dont like to leave their comfort zone. There are probably 100 papers that say slightly different things about which bacteria are changing when you have this disease, but no one is connecting the dots for how that might work.

Clark points out that many different Bacteroidota produce these lipids, so studies purely looking at changes in the microbiome will not be as telling as studies which look more closely at the roles those bacteria play.

These lipids are among the very few molecules that anyones identified. For instance, you could lose bacteria X, but if bacteria Y is still there, there may be no effect if they both make the same lipid. Whereas you could have bacteria Z gain in numbers and have a major change because the lipid theyre producing is different. No one else is measuring these and that is good and bad. Good in that our group is pioneering this field but bad because reviewers, if theyre not doing this work, they tend to say No way. This couldnt be, says Clark.

Nichols adds that, for this reason, the field remains wide open: People dont work on lipids for the most part, because they are tough to work with, but its what Ive been working on for 25 years. Im not going to give up.

This work is catching the attention of other researchers outside of UConn, and Nichols collection of lipids is fueling that research. For instance, one researcher looking at genes involved in the synthesis of the lipids and another is looking at potential connections with Alzheimers.

There is more to these lipids and the bacteria that produce them, and the collaborators are determined to keep working to understand. As Nichols says, Its all because of this one bug, and a refusal to listen to the naysayers.

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