Canned food
Time to (er…) can them? Not just yet!
“Studies from several universities in the US confirm that fruits and vegetables are comparable in nutrition to their cooked, fresh, and frozen counterparts,” says Nutrition Network Services’s Vidya G. Bhat.
Once sealed and sterilised via heat processing, food sealed in cans can retain nutrients and quality for up to two years, barring leaks.
What’s more, Bhat says that most canned fruits and vegetables contain no preservatives because of the canning process. They’re also quickly packed after harvesting, so nutrient levels in these foods are at their peak.
As always though, balance is key: aim for a combination of both fresh and canned foods. Check can labels for excessive sodium and/or preservatives.
Curry
Curry can help preserve your memory, so say University of California Los Angeles doctors. Specifically, tumeric in curry powder has been found to have helped fight off symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Curmucin, a compound in tumeric, increases the activity of white blood cells; these hungry little critters then eat up the nasty protein (amyloid beta) cloggin’ up the cortexs of Alzheimer’s patients.
Results of the study suggest that curcumin could become a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s in the future.
Organic vs. Conventional Produce
Despite the seemingly inherent logic that what’s organic and natural can only be better, studies thus far have actually produced conflicting results, perhaps due to comparisons being made across locales and climates.
For kiwis at least, a new University of California at Davis study suggest that organic might indeed be more fantastic. The average organic kiwi contains more disease-fighting antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and calcium than than its conventional cousin.
“Produce grown without pesticides is under more environmental stress, which causes it to produce more antioxidants naturally”, says lead researcher Adel Kader, PhD.
Cocoa
Flavanols – compounds found in chocolate – may sharpen your mind, the British scientists tout. After study participants drank high-flavanol chocolate, there was a nearly 50% increase in blood flow to areas of the brain involved in memory and attention.
“More oxygen and nutrients were delivered to their grey matter, improving brain function”, explains study co-author Ian Macdonald, PhD.
For maximal brain-boosting benefits in your chocolate bar, get those with the highest concentration of cocoa, the flavanol-filled seeds from which chocolate is derived.
The Subway Effect
“I love Subway, ‘cos it’s damn healthy!”, so say my friends.
That’s only true if you aren’t part of the Subway customers who are significantly more likely to order a large 
drink, non-diet soda, or a high-calorie side dish (like those damned cookies!), compared to McDonald’s patrons.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that dining at restaurants with so-called healthy menus led to a tendency to underestimate a meal’s calories by about 35%.
So, ignore the ‘health halo’ above your head, it’s an illusion.
Source Material: Men’s Health Singapore, Apr ’08.
