Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
heart health

Olive Oil Hunter News #183

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Late Summer Fruit Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Nectarines, Zesting-then Squeezing, Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) and Your Sleep, Preventing Falls

It’s still stone fruit season—the perfect excuse for a luscious fruit salad with a zesty dressing. My recipe is a great example of healthy eating that still tastes indulgent. Enjoying “whole” foods, meaning foods in their most natural state, is the antidote to the dangers of ultra-processed foods, which now include insomnia. Read more on this below, along with a new advisory on avoiding falls for people over 65—food for thought for anyone at risk for falling, regardless of age.

Late Summer Fruit Salad

  • Stone fruit salad Late Summer Fruit Salad

    Stone fruit—nectarines, peaches, and plums—are the stars of this juicy dessert, with figs, berries, and a sweet and citrusy dressing in supporting roles. This salad, high in antioxidants, also makes a delicious breakfast

    Ingredients

    • 2 nectarines
    • 2 plums
    • 2 peaches
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons apple balsamic vinegar 
    • 1 tablespoon local honey 
    • Zest and juice of 1 lime (see “Quick Kitchen Nugget” in newsletter)
    • 1 tablespoon chopped spearmint leaves 
    • 2 fresh figs, quartered
    • 1 cup whole blackberries, rinsed and patted dry

    Directions

    Pit and section the stone fruit, then place in a large serving bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and honey. Whisk in the lime juice, zest, and mint. Pour the dressing over the fruit in the bowl and toss gently. Allow the juices and the dressing to meld for 30 minutes. Just before serving, arrange the figs and blackberries on top of the stone fruit.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Nectarines

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Nectarines

Nectarines and plums

Think of nectarines as peaches’ little siblings. The main difference between the two popular fruits is simply genetic—nectarines lack the fuzz gene that peaches have. Also, nectarines tend to be smaller and firmer yet sweeter and more intensely flavored and scented than peaches…a strong aroma is a key sign of ripeness. 

As with peaches, there are dozens of varieties to choose from, though they fall into the same main categories: freestone and cling free (cling-free varieties making slicing much easier) as well as white and yellow flesh. Nectarines are antioxidant rich and have twice the amount of vitamin A and slightly more vitamin C and potassium than peaches, along with vitamin E, B vitamins, calcium, fiber, and some iron. 

To ripen nectarines, store them at room temperature until they’re no longer firm. If you can’t eat them right away, you can refrigerate them, but for no more than three to five days.

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Zest, then Squeeze 

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Zest, then Squeeze 

Whenever a recipe calls for zest and juice from a piece of citrus, always zest first, optimally with a handheld Microplane grater. It’s not only easier than trying to zest halves, but you’ll also get the most zest. When juiving, if you’re using a handheld press, always position the fruit cut-side down into the empty cup to extract the most juice.

For Your Best Health: Why Those Chips Are Wrecking Your Sleep

For Your Best Health

Why Those Chips Are Wrecking Your Sleep

We know that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are the unhealthiest food choices because they have the highest levels of saturated fats, starches, and added sugars plus all sorts of additives like artificial colors and flavors; are devoid of nutrients; and have virtually no fiber. Packaged baked goods and snacks, frozen foods, and processed meats are typically considered ultra-processed. Much of the research on the detriments of UPFs has looked at the links between these foods and health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Now a new study has added sleep problems, including chronic insomnia, to that list. This can have a snowball effect on health because sleep disorders and insomnia have independently been linked with anxiety and depression as well as health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. With sleep health now a wellness goal on its own right, a better diet can be one way to get there.

Lead investigator Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, associate professor of nutritional medicine and director of Columbia University Irving Medical Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research, said, “At a time when more and more foods are highly processed and sleep disturbances are rampant, it is important to evaluate whether diet could contribute to adverse- or good-quality sleep. Our research team had previously reported associations of healthy dietary patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, with a reduced risk of insomnia and poor sleep quality (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally), and high-carbohydrate diets with an elevated risk of insomnia.”

Sleepy woman holding pillow and yawning

For this cross-sectional study, Dr. St-Onge and some of her colleagues included 38,570 French participants with a mean age of 50 who completed a sleep questionnaire and at least two 24-hour dietary records. An analysis revealed a statistically significant association between ultra-processed food intake and chronic insomnia, independent of participants’ sociodemographic, lifestyle, diet quality, and mental health status. Overall, the study participants got 16 percent of their daily energy from UPFs. Nearly 20 percent of participants reported symptoms of chronic insomnia, and this group tended to eat more ultra-processed foods.

There are various reasons for the diet-sleep link. First, people who eat more saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and free or added sugars tend to eat less fruit, vegetables, legumes, and seafood, which are all sources of sleep-promoting compounds, the researchers pointed out. Also, ultra-processed foods are highly inflammatory and can negatively affect the gut microbiome—and the gut microbiome is known to play a role in the quality of your shuteye. 

Fitness Flash: Preventing Falls

Fitness Flash

Preventing Falls

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a volunteer group of experts in different fields from across the country, recently issued its guidance regarding preventing falls in people over age 65. According to the CDC, over 14 million Americans, or one in four adults ages 65 and older, report falling each year, and for about 37 percent, doing so resulted in an injury that required medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least one day.

After its review of existing research, the USPSTF concluded with moderate certainty that exercise interventions provide a moderate net benefit and that multifactorial interventions, such as three-dimensional exercises (movement through all three spatial planes or dimensions: forward and back, side to side, and up and down), provide a small net benefit in preventing falls and fall-related morbidity in older adults at increased risk for falls. Effective exercise interventions include supervised individual physical therapy and group exercise classes. 

While the USPSTF stated that it’s difficult to identify specific components of exercise that are particularly effective, the most commonly studied exercise components were gait, balance, and functional training, followed by strength and resistance training, flexibility, and endurance training. A smaller number of trials included three-dimensional exercise, such as group dance or tai chi classes. The most common frequency and duration for exercise interventions was two to three sessions per week for 12 months, although the duration of the studies ranged from two to 30 months. 

The USPSTF also recommended that a program be tailored to each individual based on the findings of a health and risk factor assessment that might include balance, gait, vision, postural blood pressure, medication, environment, cognition, and psychological health. This could be done by your doctor or another expert familiar with your health history so that he or she can factor in any chronic medical conditions, medications taken, and alcohol use as well whether you had a prior fall, all of which could affect your fall risk. 

The USPSTF statement included a reminder about the multiple health benefits associated with physical activity that go beyond fall prevention: a lower risk of cardiovascular disease events, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality, as well as lower blood pressure, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and lower risk of high cholesterol. It added: “The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity—or 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity—aerobic physical activity, as well as muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups, twice a week or more.” 

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

How EVOO Combats Heart Disease

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Part I: a Primer on Oleic Acid (OA)

A large body of evidence shows that daily consumption of EVOO confers numerous health benefits, including a significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Factors that contribute to CVD include cholesterol, inflammation, blood vessel function, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure (hypertension). The protective effects of EVOO are attributed to its bioactive components, oleic acid (OA) and more than 30 polyphenols.

In this concise review, we’ll look closely at the mechanisms by which OA works in the body to modify and improve these factors.

What is OA? Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) that makes up approximately 70 to 80 percent of EVOO by volume. MUFAs and PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) are the key components of liquid fats, such as vegetable oils and the fats in fish.

Lowers “bad” cholesterol and blood lipid levels: OA lowers LDL or “bad” cholesterol by increasing the amount of LDL that is removed from the blood by the liver and reducing the amount that is produced. In scientific terms, OA increases hepatic LDL receptor activity. Similarly, OA helps lower triglyceride levels by stimulating the liver to increase the breakdown and removal of the proteins that produce triglycerides.

Helps regulate blood pressure: After eating, we experience what is termed the postprandial reflex—a rise in blood triglycerides and increase in blood pressure. When OA enters cell membranes, signals are sent from the intestines to the blood vessels to release vasodilators, which relax the blood vessels, and to block the release of vasoconstrictors, which tighten the blood vessels and raise blood pressure.

Protects the blood vessel lining: Damage to the blood vessel lining (the endothelium) is a major risk factor for CVD. By stimulating the release of vasodilators, OA helps protect the endothelium. OA
also blocks signals from inflammatory proteins that are released with the postprandial reflex, reducing oxidative stress (which can lead to cell damage) and helping prevent atherosclerosis (buildup of cholesterol plaques in the arteries).

Increases insulin sensitivity: In a study of patients with obesity, OA was shown to up-regulate—increase the activity of—a gene that increases insulin sensitivity. OA also reduces insulin resistance in vascular smooth muscle cells, which make up the blood vessel walls.

Studies continue to reveal the ways in which OA exerts its multiple health-promoting effects. In 2018, the FDA determined that evidence supported a qualified health claim that the daily consumption of 20g daily of high-OA oil (EVOO or other high-oleic oil) may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Stay tuned for part II, in which we’ll explore how the polyphenols in EVOO exert powerful protective effects against CVD.

References: 1. Lu Y, Zhao J, Xin Q, et al. Food Science and Human Wellness. 2024;13:529-540. 2. Pirahanchi Y, Sinawe H, Dimri M. Biochemistry, LDL Cholesterol (National Library of Medicine, 2023). 3. Zheng C, Khoo C, Furtado J, Ikekawi K, Sacks FM. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88(2):279-281. 4. US Food and Drug Administration. Constituent Update, November 19, 2018. https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-completes-review-qualified-health-claim-petition-oleic-acid-and-risk-coronary-heart-disease.

Olive Oil Hunter News #181

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Orange-Raspberry Muffins Recipe, Spotlight on Almond Flour, Juicing Fruit, The Benefits of Limiting Processed and Red Meats, and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Packaged gluten-free baked goods are often tasteless, not to mention filled with additives and other unhealthy ingredients. In just a few minutes, you can bake your own delicious muffins that are so tasty that they won’t provoke eye rolls from gluten lovers. While gluten should be avoided only by those with a sensitivity or celiac disease, a recent study found that everyone can benefit from eating fewer processed and red meats—the health benefits are astounding. Then read about a newly discovered benefit of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Orange-Raspberry Muffins

  • Orange raspberry muffins Orange-Raspberry Muffins

    The combination of olive oil and almond flour creates a tender crumb that rivals any flour-based batter and a muffin that’s infinitely more nutritious. I like to use “tulip-shaped” cupcake liners because you can fill them right up to the level of your baking tin for very tall muffins. Also, topping the batter with berries after filling the liners helps keep the fruit from falling to the bottom. 

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups almond flour
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 cup sugar, divided use 
    • Freshly grated zest of 1 large orange
    • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
    • 6 eggs, separated
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
    • 1 cup raspberries

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place tulip-shaped cupcake liners in the cups of a 12-muffin tin; set aside.

    Step 2

    In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup sugar, orange zest and juice, egg yolks, and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture.

    Step 3

    In a very large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on a low speed to break them up, about a minute. Once they start to foam, increase the speed to high and add the remaining sugar. Whip until the whites form stiff peaks, then use a large spatula to gently fold them into the almond flour mixture in 3 or 4 batches, rotating your mixing bowl as you move your spatula from the center out to the sides. Don’t overmix to avoid deflating the batter—a few streaks of whites are OK.

    Step 4

    Use a large ice cream scoop to fill the paper liners up to the level of your baking tin. Top with equal amounts of berries. Bake the muffins for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tip of a sharp knife comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Yields 12 muffins

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Almond Flour

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Almond Flour

Almond flour, like other nut flours, is wonderful for baking, whether you’re making muffins, a cake like a dacquoise or torte, cookies, or even pie shells. You can grind your own from fresh almonds or buy it by the bag. Some brands are made of blanched almonds, but those made with the almond skins offer even more nutrients. Like almonds themselves, almond flour is naturally rich in vitamin E and other antioxidants, manganese, and magnesium, with a healthy dose of protein and fiber. To keep it fresh, store it in the fridge or freezer.

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Juicer or Hand Squeezer?

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Juicer or Hand Squeezer?

Woman juicing grapefruit

When a recipe calls for any type of citrus juice, fresh-squeezed is a must. The question then becomes whether to use a hand press or an electric citrus juicer. The answer depends on how much juice you’ll be making. 

For a few tablespoons up to a cup, a metal hand press (look for one with ergonomic handles) will work well with minimal strain on your hands—it does take effort to squeeze its handles together, and you might need different sizes for juicing limes, lemons, and oranges effectively. For juicing large quantities, it pays to have an electric juicer for ease and speed; this countertop appliance can handle all sizes of citrus and can be stored in a cabinet when not needed. There are also large, commercial-grade manual juicers that sit on a flat surface and that you operate by pushing down on a lever to extract the juice, but these tend to take up a lot of counter space.  

For Your Best Health: The Benefits of Limiting Processed and Red Meats

For Your Best Health

The Benefits of Limiting Processed and Red Meats

While many studies have identified links between frequent consumption of processed meat and chronic disease, few have evaluated the impact on multiple health outcomes. Some previous research also suggested that unprocessed red meat may contribute to chronic disease risk, but evidence has been limited.

Now, a team from the University of Edinburgh’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, together with researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has used data from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national health survey to create a simulated, representative sample of the US adult population—called a microsimulation—in order to estimate how changes in meat consumption affect adults’ risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and death. The effects were evaluated in the overall population and separately based on age, sex, household income, and ethnicity.

This microsimulation is the first to estimate the effects of reducing processed meat and unprocessed red meat consumption, from between 5 percent and 100 percent, on multiple health outcomes in the US. They found that cutting processed meat intake by 30 percent (the equivalent of around 10 slices of bacon a week) would prevent more than 350,000 cases of diabetes and lead to 92,500 fewer cardiovascular disease cases and 53,300 fewer colorectal cancer cases over a decade.

The researchers also analyzed the impacts of reducing unprocessed red meat intake alone and cutting consumption of both processed meat and unprocessed red meat. Cutting unprocessed red meat intake alone by 30 percent, which would mean eating around one less quarter-pound beef burger a week, resulted in more than 732,000 fewer diabetes cases, 291,500 fewer cardiovascular disease cases, and 32,200 fewer colorectal cancer cases. Reducing consumption of both by 30 percent resulted in 1,073,400 fewer diabetes cases, 382,400 fewer cardiovascular disease cases, and 84,400 fewer colorectal cancer cases.

The finding that more disease cases were prevented by reducing unprocessed red meat than by reducing processed meat is partly due to the average daily intake of unprocessed red meat being higher than that of processed meat, at 47 grams a day versus 29 grams a day, respectively. As less is known about the effect of eating unprocessed red meat on chronic disease risk, the team said these estimates should be interpreted with caution and that more research is needed.

Lindsay Jaacks, PhD, professor, Personal Chair of Global Health and Nutrition at the University of Edinburgh, and one of the authors of the study, said, “Cutting consumption of meat has been recommended by national and international organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including by the Climate Change Committee here in the UK and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Our research finds that these changes in diets could also have significant health benefits in the US, and so this is a clear win-win for people and planet.”

The study, “Estimated effects of reductions in processed meat consumption and unprocessed red meat consumption on occurrences of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and mortality in the USA: a microsimulation study,” was published in TheLancet Planetary Healthand was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Fitness Flash: An Exercise Brain Boost That Can Last for Years

Fitness Flash

An Exercise Brain Boost That Can Last for Years

Senior woman running on treadmill

A longitudinal study led by Emeritus Professor Perry Bartlett, PhD, and Daniel Blackmore, PhD, of the University of Queensland’s Queensland Brain Institute found that high-intensity interval exercise improves brain function in healthy older adults for up to five years. The research was published inAging and Disease.

Dr. Bartlett said it is the first controlled study of its kind to show that exercise can not only delay cognitive decline but also boost cognition in healthy older adults. “Six months of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is enough to flick the switch,” Dr. Bartlett said. “In earlier preclinical work, we discovered exercise can activate stem cells and increase the production of neurons in the hippocampus, improving cognition. In this study, a large cohort of healthy 65- to 85-year-old volunteers joined a six-month exercise program, did biomarker and cognition testing, and had high-resolution brain scans.”

During the study, the researchers assessed the impact of three exercise intensities: low—predominantly motor function, balance, and stretching; medium—brisk walking on a treadmill; and high—four cycles of running on a treadmill at near maximum exertion. Participants exercised three times a week, for between 36 and 45 minutes per session including warmup and cooldown, and under supervision for 6 months. 

Dr. Blackmore said only the high-intensity interval exercise led to cognitive improvement that was retained for up to five years. “On high-resolution MRI scans of that group, we saw structural and connectivity changes in the hippocampus, the area responsible for learning and memory,” he said. “We also found blood biomarkers that changed in correlation to improvements in cognition. Biomarkers can be useful in predicting the effectiveness of the exercise a person is doing.”

Aging is one of the biggest risks for dementia, a condition that affects almost half a million Australians. “If we can change the trajectory of aging and keep people cognitively healthier for longer with a simple intervention like exercise, we can potentially save our community from the enormous personal, economic, and social costs associated with dementia,” Dr. Bartlett said.

With one out of three people aged 85 likely to develop dementia, Dr. Blackmore said, the impact of the research is far-reaching. “Our finding can inform exercise guidelines for older people and further research could assess different types of exercise that could be incorporated. We are now looking at the genetic factors that may regulate a person’s response to exercise to see if we can establish who will and who will not respond to this intervention. The use of biomarkers as a diagnostic tool for exercise also needs further research,” he added. 

Since HIIT has benefits for people of any age, from heart health to a metabolism boost, talk to your doctor or personal trainer about adding it to your exercise regimen.

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

Olive Oil Hunter News #178

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Summer on a Skewer Recipe, Spotlight on Muskmelons, Magnesium for Bone Health, Plus Walking to Alleviate Back Pain

Summer brings an amazing bounty of produce along with often-sweltering temps that make a hot kitchen the last place you want to be. I love these fruit-and-cheese skewers because there’s virtually no prep involved, yet the finished dish is elegant enough for a patio party! Are you a fan of nuts and seeds? These are excellent sources of an often-overlooked mineral that plays a vital role in bone health: magnesium. Read more about it below along with the results of a study on a simple way to help ease back pain. 

Summer on a Skewer

  • Summer Melon Skewers with mozzarella and prosciutto Summer on a Skewer

    Want an elegant lunch, first course, or light supper that doesn’t require any complex prep or cooking? Here are twists on two summer salad favorites: feta with watermelon and cantaloupe with prosciutto. When served on skewers, they become the perfect finger food. Make one variety or both, or mix and match the ingredients for a colorful presentation. The sweetness of the melons and the slight saltiness of the cheeses are elevated by a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of balsamic—no need to whisk up a vinaigrette. 

    Ingredients

    For the feta skewers:

    • 8-ounce block feta, preferably from Greece
    • 1/2 ripe watermelon 
    • Mint leaves
    • 6 long bamboo skewers 

    For the mozzarella skewers:

    • 1 large cantaloupe or honeydew
    • 12 mini mozzarella balls 
    • 6 slices of prosciutto, halved and rolled up, or 12 thin slices of your favorite salami
    • Basil leaves
    • 6 long bamboo skewers 

    For serving:

    Directions

    For the feta skewers, cut the feta and the watermelon into similarly sized cubes, 18 of the watermelon and 12 of the feta. Assemble ingredients on each skewer in this order: watermelon, mint, feta; repeat the pattern and then cap each skewer with an extra piece of watermelon.

    For the mozzarella skewers, use a melon baller to make 18 melon balls close in size to the mozzarella. Assemble ingredients on each skewer in this order: melon, basil, prosciutto; repeat the pattern and then cap each skewer with an extra piece of melon.

    Arrange the skewers on a platter and drizzle liberally with olive oil, splashes of balsamic, and a few twists from your black peppercorn grinder.

    Yields 6 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Muskmelons

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Muskmelons

That’s the umbrella term of all sweet melons other than watermelon. While watermelon is alone in its category, there are close to two dozen muskmelon varieties, some smooth skinned and others with a rough pattern often described as a netting. Most people are familiar with cantaloupe and honeydew, but there are many more to explore, each delicious in its own way.

There’s a refreshing sweetness to casaba, crenshaw, and canary melons, with white, orange-pink, and pale green flesh, respectively. Becoming more available at farmers’ markets and Asian specialty stores are the round Persian melon with sweet pink flesh and the Chinese hami melon, which is extra sweet. Experiment with them in any recipe that calls for cantaloupe or honeydew, or just enjoy a thick slice on its own.

Melons have a high water content as well as important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Muskmelons are typically rich in vitamin C, with cantaloupe topping the nutrient list: a one-cup serving has 95% of the vitamin C you need a day and all the vitamin A. (The rich red color of watermelon comes from lycopene, an important antioxidant, so enjoy it, too!)

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Choosing Melons

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Choosing Melons

Summer melon trio

Buying a whole melon can seem like playing a mystery game. Its sweetness is set at the time of harvest, and the rind doesn’t even indicate the color of the flesh. But there are some clues to help you pick a ripe, sweet melon. Whether round or oblong, the melon should be symmetrical in shape. It should feel weighty in your hands. Checking out the stem end is also key. Unlike a prime pumpkin, there shouldn’t be any stem still attached, and the indentation it left should be hollow and smooth. 

When a melon with netting on the rind is ripe, you should be able to easily smell its sweet aroma. But you won’t pick up any scent from a smooth-skinned melon like honeydew. Instead, look for a rind that’s more of a creamy shade rather than a stark color like green. A good watermelon should have a large, creamy-yellow spot where it sat on the ground, and the overall rind should be matte or dull, not shiny.

In terms of food safety, always rinse melons well before cutting to get rid of potential bacteria; those with netting will benefit from a light scrub with a vegetable brush. Pat the melon dry before prepping.  

For Your Best Health: Magnesium: The missing Mineral for Bone Health

For Your Best Health

Magnesium: The missing Mineral for Bone Health

Mixed nuts and seeds, a good source of magenesium

We already know the importance of calcium and vitamin D for strong bones, but we don’t often hear about magnesium, another key mineral. Magnesium is found in legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables, so it shouldn’t be a challenge for anyone following a Mediterranean-style diet to get enough of this essential nutrient.  

Adults need between 310 and 420 mg of magnesium per day, with no more than 350 mg coming from any kind of supplement. That’s because high amounts of supplemental magnesium can cause side effects like stomach cramps and nausea (excessive amounts have even been linked to an irregular heartbeat and heart attack, according to the NIH). But there’s no limit on how much you can get from food. If you love nuts and seeds, you’ll be especially thrilled that the top sources of magnesium include one-ounce servings of pumpkin seeds (156 mg), chia seeds (111 mg), almonds (80 mg), cashews (74 mg), and peanuts (63 mg). Other good foods are half-cup servings of cooked spinach (78 mg), black beans (60 mg), and edamame (50 mg); 2 tablespoons peanut butter (49 mg); and a 3-1/2 ounce baked potato with skin (43 mg). 

Fitness Flash: Walking: Help for that Achin’ Back

Fitness Flash

Walking: Help for that Achin’ Back

About 800 million people worldwide have low back pain, a leading cause of disability and diminished quality of life. Repeated episodes of low back pain are common: 7 in 10 people who recover from one episode of low back pain go on to have another within a year. 

The current best practice for back pain management and prevention is a combination of exercise and education. However, some forms of exercise don’t work for many people because of reasons like high cost, complexity, and the need for supervision. A clinical trial by Macquarie University Spinal Pain Research Group in Sydney, Australia, looked at whether walking could fit the bill. Their study, “Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an individualised, progressive walking and education intervention for the prevention of low back pain recurrence in Australia (WalkBack): A randomised controlled trial” was published in The Lancet.

The trial involved 701 adults who had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain and who were randomly allocated to either an individualized walking program and six physiotherapist-guided education sessions over six months, or to a control group. Researchers followed them for between one and three years, depending on when they joined the study. They found that adults with a history of low back pain who walked regularly went nearly twice as long without a recurrence. 

According to the paper’s senior author, Macquarie professor of physiotherapy Mark Hancock, PhD, the findings could have a profound impact on how low back pain is managed. “The intervention group had fewer occurrences of activity-limiting pain compared to the control group, and a longer average period before they had a recurrence, with a median of 208 days compared to 112 days,” Dr. Hancock said. “Walking is a low-cost, widely accessible, and simple exercise that almost anyone can engage in, regardless of geographic location, age, or socioeconomic status.

“We don’t know exactly why walking is so good for preventing back pain, but it is likely to include the combination of the gentle oscillatory movements, loading and strengthening the spinal structures and muscles, relaxation and stress relief, and release of ‘feel-good’ endorphins.

And of course, we also know that walking comes with many other health benefits, including cardiovascular health, bone density, healthy weight, and improved mental health.”

Added lead author Natasha Pocovi, PhD, “It not only improved people’s quality of life but reduced both their need to seek healthcare support and the amount of time taken off work by approximately half. The exercise-based interventions to prevent back pain that have been explored previously are typically group based and need close clinical supervision and expensive equipment, so they are much less accessible to the majority of patients. Our study has shown that this effective and accessible means of exercise has the potential to be successfully implemented at a much larger scale than other forms of exercise.”

To build on these findings, the team next hopes to explore how they can integrate the preventive approach into the routine care of patients who experience recurrent low back pain.

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!