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Olive Oil Hunter News #225

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Caprese Bites Recipe, Spotlight on Summer Squash, Foods that Lower Blood Pressure plus Exercise and Vitamin D Levels

Have a bumper crop of summer squash? Turn a Caprese salad into succulent morsels wrapped in slices of summer squash for a great light meal or party-ready hors d’oeuvres. If you’re a tea or chocolate lover, you’ll be pleased to read about the effects of a micronutrient found in them as well as in apples and grapes. Summer is a great time to add to vitamin D stores—a new study outlines how to better maintain levels come winter.

Caprese Bites

  • Zucchini-wrapped caprese bites Caprese Bites

    Baked summer squash strips are perfect for making finger food roll-ups. For this recipe, I’m filling them with the ingredients of a classic Caprese salad, one of my favorite seasonal dishes. Try to choose squash that are the same thickness from tip to base.

    Ingredients

    • Two 6- or 7-inch yellow summer squash or zucchinis
    • Extra virgin olive oil 
    • Coarse sea salt
    • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
    • 12 cherry tomatoes, more as needed, halved
    • Basil leaves, to taste
    • Garlic chives (optional)
    • Balsamic vinegar of Modena
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 375°F. Use the straight blade of a box grater or a mandoline to slice the squash into lengths about 1/8-inch thick. Each squash should yield about 8 slices.

    Step 2

    Arrange the squash slices on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper and lightly brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 15 minutes until soft but not browned. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

    Step 3

    Cut the mozzarella into thin lengths; they should be about the width of each squash slice and a third as long. Center a piece of mozzarella on a squash length, top with a cherry tomato half, pressing it in to anchor it, and then with a basil leaf. Roll up the squash and tie it with a chive or secure it with a toothpick. Arrange the bites on a serving dish and drizzle with balsamic and more olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and black pepper to taste.

    Yields 4 to 8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Summer Squash

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Summer Squash

Whether you’re choosing yellow squash or zucchini, these thin-skinned veggies are very versatile—they can be enjoyed raw or cooked and don’t need peeling. A key difference between the two varieties is size. While most yellow squash are on the short side, zucchini can be short or long, thick or thin. Similarities include their nutritional profile with good amounts of vitamins A and C, potassium and magnesium, and fiber. When shopping, choose firm vegetables without soft spots and treat them with care because those thin skins can get nicked or bruised easily.

Summer squash
Quick Kitchen Nugget: Storing Summer Squash

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Storing Summer Squash

Summer squash will keep for up to a week in the crisper drawer of your fridge, wrapped in paper towel and then in a cloth vegetable bag for protection. 

For Your Best Health: Foods that Lower Blood Pressure 

For Your Best Health

Foods that Lower Blood Pressure

Apples and grapes - high in flavan-3-ols

A study from the University of Surrey in the UK has found that naturally occurring compounds called flavan-3-ols, a subgroup of flavanols, may improve blood pressure and the health of blood vessels. The research, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analyzed data from 145 randomized controlled studies and found that regular consumption of flavan-3-ols, found in cocoa, tea, apples, and grapes, can lead to a reduction in blood pressure readings, particularly in people with elevated or high blood pressure. In some cases, the average blood pressure-lowering effects were comparable to those seen with some medications.

Flavan-3-ols were also found to improve the function of the endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels, which is crucial for overall cardiovascular health. This improvement occurred independently of blood pressure changes, suggesting a broader positive impact on the circulatory system.

“The findings are encouraging for those looking for accessible ways to manage their blood pressure and support their heart health through enjoyable dietary changes,” said Dr. Christian Heiss, lead author of the study and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Surrey. “Incorporating small amounts of commonly consumed foods like tea, apples, dark chocolate, or cocoa powder into a daily balanced diet could provide beneficial amounts of flavan-3-ols. While not a replacement for prescribed medications or medical advice, including more flavan-3-ol-rich foods in a daily routine could be a valuable addition to a healthy lifestyle, especially for those with higher blood pressure. These are findings that, although promising, require ongoing investigation.”

Fitness Flash: Exercise and Vitamin D Levels

Fitness Flash

Exercise and Vitamin D Levels

With all its outdoor activities, summer is a great time to naturally boost the body’s vitamin D levels. But how can you maintain those levels come winter? A study from the University of Bath, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge, and others in the UK, published in Advanced Science, has found that regular moderate-intensity exercise helps maintain crucial vitamin D levels during the darker months.

Participants who were either overweight or obese and who completed a 10-week indoor exercise program over winter experienced significantly smaller drops in vitamin D levels compared to those who didn’t exercise, even though their body weight was deliberately maintained. The program involved four sessions per week: two treadmill walks, one longer steady-state bike ride, and one high-intensity interval bike session.

Notably, exercise completely preserved the body’s active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D₃), which plays a key role in supporting bone health, the immune system, and various organs. Previous studies suggested that vitamin D supplements alone do not help maintain this active form.

Key findings:

  • People who exercised saw a smaller drop in their overall vitamin D levels over winter—about 15 percent compared to a 25 percent drop in those who didn’t exercise.
  • Those who exercised kept healthy levels of the active form of vitamin D, which helps support the immune system and bone health.
  • Weight was kept stable throughout the study, indicating the effect was due to exercise—not weight loss.

To ensure sunlight didn’t skew the results, the study ran between October and April, when natural vitamin D production from sunlight is minimal in this part of the UK, and participants were asked to avoid supplements.

A previous study from the team showed that a single workout can briefly boost vitamin D levels. This is the first one to show that regular cardio exercise can maintain basal circulating vitamin D levels and offer lasting protection during the winter months.

As Oly Perkin, PhD, lead author and lecturer from the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism at the University of Bath explained, this is the first study to show that exercise alone can protect against the winter dip in vitamin D. It’s a powerful reminder that we still have lots to learn about how exercise benefits our health.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #224

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Very Berry Chocolate Bars Recipe, Spotlight on Dark Chocolate, The Differences Between Dark and Milk Chocolate, Melting Chocolate in the Microwave, Outdoor Exercise and Air Quality

Healthy foods aren’t only about whole grains and vegetables. Some can satisfy a sweet tooth, too. That’s because foods like berries and dark chocolate have a wide category of nutrients called flavonoids. Read about newly discovered benefits in the first research piece I’m sharing…then indulge in one of these chocolate bars! With summer upon us, it can be enjoyable to exercise outdoors, but air quality could be a concern. The tips below will help you make smart choices.

Very Berry Chocolate Bars

  • Dark chocolate and raspberries Very Berry Chocolate Bars

    Olive oil enhances dark chocolate by adding a fresh, slightly herbal taste. Raspberries and pistachios add layers of flavor and texture. Tip: Blueberries and almonds are another great combo.

    Ingredients

    • 3 ounces raspberries 
    • 8 ounces dark chocolate discs or pieces, preferably 70% cacao
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
    • 1 ounce shelled, unsalted pistachios

    Directions

    Step 1

    Rinse the raspberries and pat dry with paper towels; set aside.

    Step 2

    Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl placed over simmering (not boiling) water, stirring with a silicone whisk or spatula until fully melted. Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and place on a towel or hot pad on your counter. A few pieces at a time, add in the rest of the chocolate. This tempers it, or brings it down in temperature, so that the finish of the chocolate bars will be shiny. (If you have an instant-read thermometer, the chocolate on the stove should reach about 118°F and go down to 90°F after you add in the rest.) Stir in the olive oil until fully incorporated.

    Step 3

    Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Pour out the tempered chocolate in three sections and use an offset spatula to smooth each one out to a 4-by-3-inch rectangle (don’t worry about being too exact). 

    Step 4

    Sprinkle equal amounts of raspberries and pistachios on each bar. Let the chocolate harden in a cool spot for two or more hours, then use a spatula to transfer to a glass container. Store in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days. 

    Yields 3 bars

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Lentils

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

The Differences Between Dark and Milk Chocolate

Each type of chocolate has its fans, with some people loving both. But for the better nutritional profile, dark is the winner. First, it tends to have less sugar, though there are sugar-free versions of both. Second, dark chocolate is vegan friendly since it doesn’t contain any milk solids—it’s naturally dairy free. Another edge: it has up to two or three times the antioxidants called flavanols, a type of flavonoid, found in milk chocolate (see For Your Best Health below to learn why that matters). This is thanks to its higher percentage of cocoa solids or cacao, so always look for labels that give this information. There’s no FDA-mandated minimum of cocoa solids for dark chocolate, but many makers list this along with a description of the chocolate’s flavor profile, which is important for bakers. Those cocoa solids also give dark chocolate a much richer flavor than milk chocolate. 

Dark and milk chocolate bars

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Making Lentils in Advance

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Melting Chocolate in the Microwave

This is an easy way to melt chocolate without using the stovetop: Place three-quarters of the needed amount in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on the 50% setting for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time, checking between bursts. When the chocolate has melted, add the reserved chocolate to the bowl, let it sit for a minute, then fold it together with a spatula. As the additional chocolate melts, it will also bring down the temperature of the microwaved chocolate.

Note: Chocolate melts better when it’s in smaller pieces. If you don’t want to have to chop up a block of chocolate, buy coin-shaped wafers from brands like Valrhona, Callebaut, and Guittard. Save chocolate chips for cookies because they’re made to not melt completely.

For Your Best Health: The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

For Your Best Health

Flavonoid-rich Foods for Health

Flavonoid-rich foods for health

A recent study led by researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, Edith Cowan University Perth (ECU), the Medical University of Vienna, and Universitat Wien in Austria found that increasing the diversity of flavonoids in your diet—from foods like cocoa, tea, apples, and grapes as well as blueberries, strawberries, and oranges—could help prevent the development of health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and neurological diseases and offers the potential of living longer. Published in Nature Food, the study tracked over 120,000 participants from 40 to 70 years old for more than a decade.

ECU research fellow, first author, and co-lead of the study Benjamin Parmenter, PhD, made the initial discovery that a flavonoid-diverse diet is good for health. “Flavonoid intake of around 500 mg a day was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality, as well as a ~10% lower risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disease. That’s roughly the amount of flavonoids that you would consume in two cups of tea.”

Dr. Parmenter added that those who consumed the widest diversity of flavonoids had an even lower risk of these diseases, even when consuming the same total number of milligrams. For example, instead of just drinking tea, also enjoy berries, chocolate, and apples.

“We have known for some time that higher intakes of dietary flavonoids, powerful bioactives naturally present in many foods and drinks, can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s,” said study co-lead professor Aedín Cassidy, PhD, from the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s. “We also know from lab data and clinical studies that different flavonoids work in different ways—some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation. This study is significant, as the results indicate that consuming a higher quantity and wider diversity has the potential to lead to a greater reduction in ill health than just a single source.”

Professor Tilman Kühn, PhD, a co-lead author, noted that the importance of diversity of flavonoid intake hadn’t been investigated until now, making this study very significant, as the findings align with the belief that eating the rainbow is invaluable for maintaining good health. “Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, including those rich in flavonoids, means you’re more likely to get the vitamins and nutrients you need to sustain a healthier lifestyle,” he said.

The first-ever dietary guidelines for flavonoids were released recently, but this research goes one step further. “Our study provides inaugural evidence that we may also need to advise increasing diversity of intake of these compounds for optimal benefits,” Dr. Parmenter said.

“The results provide a clear public health message, suggesting that simple and achievable dietary swaps, such as drinking more tea and eating more berries and apples for example, can help increase the variety and intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and potentially improve health in the long term,” Dr. Cassidy added.

Fitness Flash: Outrunning Alzheimer’s?

Fitness Flash

Outdoor Exercise and Air Quality

According to experts at ACE (American Council on Exercise), a leading certifier of fitness professionals, it’s important to know your local air quality before you go outside to exercise. When the air quality is bad, it can put your overall health at risk, cause increases in resting and exercise heart rate and blood pressure, worsen asthma, and decrease lung function and oxygen-carrying capacity. This is because, in part, your body’s natural air-filtration system process is less effective when you breathe through your mouth and more pollutants reach the lungs. This is true regardless of the cause of bad air quality, including wildfires, pollen, and even heavy traffic. 

ACE has these suggestions:

  • Understand the risk-reward balance between physical activity and air pollution. On some days, it may be safer to bring your workout indoors or at least reduce the intensity at which you work out.

  • Pay attention to the air-quality index in your area. You can check it daily at airnow.gov. 

  • Be mindful of when and where you exercise. Avoid heavily trafficked roads at peak commuting times, for instance. Look at pollen reports before you go out if you’re sensitive to this allergen.

  • Consider wearing a face mask. It will keep you from inhaling allergens and pollutants without impacting your performance.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #223

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Summer Lentil Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Lentils, The Mediterranean Diet for IBS and Outrunning Alzheimer’s

Lentils are the unsung heroes of the legume family—high in protein and fiber along with other nutrients and fast to cook. They’re the perfect replacement for rice in summer salads and side dishes. They also fit right into the Mediterranean diet, a way of eating that could be a welcome change from the FODMAP diet for people living with IBS, according to a new study. I’m also sharing research that takes a deeper dive into exercise as a weapon in the war against Alzheimer’s.

Summer Lentil Salad

  • Summer lentil salad Summer Lentil Salad

    This protein-packed legume makes a satisfying meatless meal on its own as well as a zesty side dish for grilled tuna or salmon. 

    Ingredients

    For the lentils:

    • 1 cup dried French (du Puy) lentils
    • 3 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, more broth or water as needed
    • 2 stalks celery, diced
    • 2 large carrots, diced
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
    • 1 small red onion, diced
    • 1 large bell pepper, diced
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    • Salt as desired

    For the dressing:

    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, more to taste
    • 1 small shallot, minced
    • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    Step 1

    Place the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water, picking through to remove any pebbles. Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot, then add the lentils, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and salt. Turn down the heat to maintain a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the lentils are tender but still toothsome (think al dente), about 25 minutes. Check 5 minutes in advance to make sure there’s still some liquid so that the lentils won’t scorch. If the lentils aren’t tender once the broth evaporates, add 1/2 cup more liquid and continue cooking 5-10 more minutes.

    Step 2

    While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, shallot, black pepper, and Dijon. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and add more vinegar if desired.

    Step 3

    When the lentils are ready, strain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a large bowl; discard the bay leaf. Fold in the red onion, bell pepper, and parsley. Pour on the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and add salt as desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

    Yields 8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Lentils

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Let’s Hear It for Lentils

High in fiber, vitamin C, and other antioxidants, strawberries also deliver potassium, folate, and magnesium. But they also have a tendency to get moldy when moisture gets trapped between the berries, especially in typical clamshell plastic containers. A simple storage trick is to unpack them as soon as you get home and transfer them, unwashed, to a paper towel-lined glass container—line them up upside down, leaving a bit of room between them, and store in the fridge, uncovered, suggest the experts at the Utah State University Extension. Wash them just before hulling (a curved grapefruit knife works great) and blot dry with fresh paper towels.

dried lentils
Quick Kitchen Nugget: Making Lentils in Advance

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Making Lentils in Advance

With 22 grams of protein in every cup of cooked French lentils, these nutrient-dense nuggets are great to have in the fridge, ready to sprinkle on green salads, add to other side dishes, or have as a satisfying snack drizzled with olive oil. Once you’ve cooked up a batch, drain them and let them come to room temperature. Transfer to a glass container and pop into the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to one week.

For Your Best Health: The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

For Your Best Health

The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, affects an estimated 4 to 11 percent of all people, and most prefer dietary interventions to medication. Many try following the low-FODMAP diet, according to researchers at Michigan Medicine. It improves symptoms in more than half of patients, but it’s restrictive—it cuts out so many foods that people find it hard to follow. Previous investigations from these researchers, who were looking for more acceptable versions, led to their “FODMAP simple” diet, which only restricts the food groups in the FODMAP diet that are most likely to cause symptoms. Still, because any type of restrictive diets can be difficult to adopt, Michigan Medicine gastroenterologist Prashant Singh, MBBS, and his colleagues decided to look at a completely different alternative, the Mediterranean diet. 

Many physicians are already behind the Mediterranean diet because of its benefits to cardiovascular, cognitive, and general health. With so many advantages, they wanted to see whether it could also bring IBS symptom relief. “In addition to the issue of being costly and time-consuming, there are concerns about nutrient deficiencies and disordered eating when trying a low-FODMAP diet. The Mediterranean diet interested us as an alternative that is not an elimination diet and overcomes several of these limitations related to a low-FODMAP diet,” said Dr. Singh.

The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

For the pilot study, 20 participants, all of whom were diagnosed with either IBS-D (diarrhea) or IBS-M (mixed symptoms of constipation and diarrhea), were randomized into two groups. For four weeks, one group followed the Mediterranean diet and the other followed the restriction phase of a low-FODMAP diet.

The primary endpoint was an FDA-standard 30 percent reduction in abdominal pain intensity after four weeks. In the Mediterranean diet group, 73 percent of the patients met the primary endpoint for symptom improvement versus 81.8 percent in the low-FODMAP group. Though the low-FODMAP group experienced a greater improvement measured by both abdominal pain intensity and the IBS symptom severity score, the Mediterranean diet did provide symptom relief with fewer food restrictions.

“This study adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that a Mediterranean diet might be a useful addition to the menu of evidence-based dietary interventions for patients with IBS,” said William Chey, MD, chief of gastroenterology at the University of Michigan, president-elect of the American College of Gastroenterology, and senior author of the research paper.

Researchers found the results of this pilot study encouraging enough to warrant future and larger controlled trials to investigate the potential of the Mediterranean diet as an effective intervention for patients with IBS. They believe studies comparing the long-term efficacy of the Mediterranean diet with long-term outcomes following the reintroduction and personalization phases of the low-FODMAP diet are needed.

Fitness Flash: Outrunning Alzheimer’s?

Fitness Flash

Outrunning Alzheimer’s?

A Mass General Brigham study, published in Nature Neuroscience, has revealed how exercise rewires the brain at the cellular level. “While we’ve long known that exercise helps protect the brain, we didn’t fully understand which cells were responsible or how it worked at a molecular level,” said senior author Christiane D. Wrann, DVM, PhD, a neuroscientist and leader of the Program in Neuroprotection in Exercise at the Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute and the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Now, we have a detailed map of how exercise impacts each major cell type in the memory center of the brain in Alzheimer’s disease.”

The research team from Mass General Brigham and collaborators at SUNY Upstate Medical University leveraged advanced single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), a relatively new technology that allows researchers to look at activity at the molecular level in single cells for an in-depth understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s, along with a widely used preclinical model for Alzheimer’s disease. Focusing on a part of the hippocampus, a critical region for memory and learning damaged early in Alzheimer’s, they identified specific brain cell types that responded most to exercise. 

They exercised a common mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease using running wheels, which improved the mice’s memory compared to their sedentary counterparts. They then analyzed gene activity across thousands of individual brain cells, finding that exercise changed activity both in microglia, a disease-associated population of brain cells, and in a specific type of neurovascular-associated astrocyte (NVA), newly discovered by the team, which are cells associated with blood vessels in the brain. Furthermore, the scientists identified the metabolic gene Atpif1 as an important regulator to create new neurons in the brain. “That we were able to modulate newborn neurons using our new target genes set underscores the promise our study,” said lead author Joana Da Rocha, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow working in Dr. Wrann’s lab.

To ensure the findings were relevant to humans, the team validated their discoveries in a large dataset of human Alzheimer’s brain tissue, finding striking similarities. “This work not only sheds light on how exercise benefits the brain but also uncovers potential cell-specific targets for future Alzheimer’s therapies,” said Nathan Tucker, a biostatistician at SUNY Upstate Medical University and co-senior author of the study. “Our study offers a valuable resource for the scientific community investigating Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment.”

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Olive Oil Hunter News #222

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Chicken Sausage Skillet Dinner Recipe, Spotlight on Fennel, Wok—A Stovetop Essential, Add Spice for Portion Control, and Mindfulness and Step-tracking Boost Motivation

I love a meal that comes together in one pot with ingredients that create a yummy sauce. I’m using chicken as a change from pork sausage and checking off all the boxes by combining it with fresh peas and new potatoes. There’s also a reason for the sprinkle of peperoncino—a study showed that chili peppers can help you eat less while still feeling satisfied. And if you’re looking for added motivation to get involved in warm-weather activities, there’s an app that can help.

Chicken Sausage Skillet Dinner

  • New potatoes and fresh peas Chicken Sausage Skillet Dinner

    Parboiling the potatoes cuts the cooking time of this flavorful dish. The recipe makes a delicious dinner, but it’s also great for a picnic since you can enjoy it at room temperature—for safety, remember to consume hot or cold foods within an hour of taking them off the stove or out of the fridge. Note: If you can only find chicken sausage links, simply squeeze them out of their casings and into the hot pan.

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound fingerling or new red potatoes
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    • 1 pound chicken sausage
    • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino (Italian red pepper flakes)
    • 1 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
    • 1 cup freshly shelled green peas
    • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided use
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Directions

    Step 1

    Parboil the potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes; drain. When cool enough to handle, cut them in half.

    Step 2

    Heat a large flat-bottom wok over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and the chicken sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and stirring until the meat is opaque and cooked through. Add the fennel seeds, peperoncino, and potatoes and sauté with the chicken until the potatoes crisp.

    Step 3

    Add the stock and use the spoon to release any bits of fond on the bottom of the pan. Raise the heat and cook down the stock until reduced by half. Add the peas and half the Parmigiano-Reggiano, stirring constantly (the sauce will thicken as the cheese melts).

    Step 4

    Off the heat, add black pepper to taste. Top each portion with more Parmigiano-Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Strawberry Storage

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Fennel Seed

Members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club know that I’m a fresh fennel fan, but I also love fennel seeds, harvested from the plant’s flowers and then dried. While they’re ubiquitous in Italian pork sausages, they’re not always included in chicken sausages, so I’ll simply add them for their distinctive light licorice taste. Part of the same family as anise, fennel is more subtle.

Delicious in pork dishes, fennel seeds are also a great addition to summer potato, seafood, and pasta salads. When shopping, look for fennel seeds that are a pale green, not grey or brown, for freshness. If a recipe calls for ground fennel, simply pulverize them in a spice or coffee bean grinder.

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Wok - A Stovetop Essential

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Wok: A Stovetop Essential

Did you know that a flat-bottomed wok can lead a double life as a frying pan? With higher sides and a wide surface area, a wok should be used for more than stir-fries—often it can sear, sauté, and even deep fry, not to mention cook stews and curries. Many companies now manufacture high-quality woks made of carbon steel that cost less than $70 and will last for decades with the proper care.

For Your Best Health: Add Spice for Portion Control

For Your Best Health

Add Spice for Portion Control

It’s a provocative—and potentially tasty—concept: Making meals slightly spicier can lead to eating fewer calories, according to Penn State University Sensory Evaluation Center researchers who examined how increasing “oral burn,” the spicy taste from ingredients like chili peppers, affects how much food people consume during a meal.

“We know from previous studies that when people slow down, they eat significantly less,” said Paige Cunningham, PhD. “We suspected that making a meal spicier might slow people down. We thought, let’s test, under controlled experimental conditions in the lab, if adding a small amount of spice, but not so much that the meal is inedible, will make people eat slower and therefore eat less.”

The researchers found that increasing spiciness slightly with dried chili pepper did indeed slow down eating and reduce the amount of food and energy consumed at a meal, all without negatively affecting the palatability of the dish.

The team conducted three related experiments with a total of 130 adults who were served one of two lunch meals—beef chili or chicken tikka masala—in one of two versions: mild or spicy. The spiciness level was controlled by carefully varying the ratio of hot versus sweet paprika added to the dishes while keeping chili flavor constant.

The researchers recorded participants on high-definition video while they ate their meals to monitor their eating behaviors. From the videos, the team measured the amount of food and water consumed, meal duration, eating speed of grams per minute, bite rate, and bite size and collected ratings on appetite, liking, and spiciness before and after the meal.

The study suggests that the reduction in intake is driven by changes in what are called oral processing behaviors. Specifically, participants ate the spicier meals more slowly. Dr. Cunningham explained that a slower eating rate often means food is in the mouth longer, which can help signal fullness and lead to eating less. Other studies that slow eating rate by manipulating texture have shown similar effects, she said.

“What’s critical here is that the reduction in intake occurred without negatively impacting how much participants liked the food,” said John Hayes, PhD, Penn State professor of food science, director of the Sensory Evaluation Center, and corresponding author on the paper.

He added that water intake didn’t differ significantly between spicy and mild meals, suggesting that one seemingly obvious explanation, that people drank more water and filled up faster, was not the primary reason people ate less. “This is why we need to do empirical studies of behavior, because what you might intuitively expect is often not the case,” Dr. Hayes said.

He also noted that appetite ratings made before and after the meals were similar, suggesting participants still felt full after the spicy meal, despite eating less of it. “This points to added chilies as a potential strategy for reducing the risk of energy overconsumption,” he said. “While portion control wasn’t the explicit goal of this study, our results suggest this might work. Next time you’re looking to eat a little less, try adding a blast of chilies, as it may slow you down and help you eat less.”

The team is now focused on understanding how oral burn can impact other eating behaviors, like snacking.

Fitness Flash: Mindfulness and Step-tracking Boost Motivation

Fitness Flash

Mindfulness and Step-tracking Boost Motivation

A study from the Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change at the University of Bath in the UK and published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity shows that combining step-tracking with mindfulness training delivered via a mobile app can significantly boost the desire to exercise.

While step-tracking alone versus step-tracking alongside a daily mindfulness training course had similar impacts on short-term physical activity, with all study participants exercising more than before the study, those in the mindfulness group did increase their intentions to stay active, a key psychological driver of lasting behavior change.

Lead researcher Masha Remskar, PhD, from the department of psychology at Bath, said, “Our findings show that even short-term mindfulness training combined with step-tracking can make people want to move more, which could have lasting benefits. Helping people build that internal drive towards behavior is essential, especially at a time when many people are struggling to stay active.”

The trial involved 109 adults in England who weren’t meeting recommended activity levels. Over 30 days, all participants were asked to aim for 8,000 steps a day using a basic tracker. Half also followed a daily mindfulness program via a mobile app, with short practice sessions focused on body awareness, movement, and exercise. The sessions that participants used were created by the research team, in collaboration with the Medito Foundation, and are available through the free app Medito.

Woman checking fitness tracker

By the end of the month, both groups had become more active. On average, participants in the mindfulness group increased their activity by approximately 373 minutes of moderate exercise per week, while those in the steps-only group averaged 297 minutes per week. Those who used the mindfulness app also reported a significantly stronger intention to keep exercising, which may suggest that a gradual longer-term change was beginning (the current study did not include a longer follow-up period to explore this trend further).

“Intentions are one of the strongest predictors of future behavior,” Dr. Remskar added. “What’s exciting is that adding a mindfulness component to step-tracking seems to help people mentally commit to being more active. We are particularly excited to have worked with a non-profit collaborator, Medito, which means that the mindfulness program is freely available to anyone who wishes to try it for themselves.”

“This is an exciting first study that combines mindfulness training with strategies designed to help people move more and internalize their motivation for physical activity,” said Max Western, PhD, study co-author and senior lecturer in the department of health at Bath. “There is a lot of potential here and we are keen to refine these tools to make them more engaging and effective, especially for people balancing competing demands.”

Future studies will test whether the motivational benefits seen here translate into real-world behavior over time.

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