Background: Cognitive decline—worsening memory and more frequent memory loss or confusion—affects 10% of all US adults aged 45 and older. Incidence is higher—11.4%—among Hispanic and Latino Americans. In some cases, cognitive decline may be an early sign of dementia.
Close adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) is associated with a reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline. The MeDi emphasizes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, low to moderate amounts of dairy, eggs, fish, and poultry, and olive oil as the primary fat source.
Researchers have attributed the MeDi’s brain benefits to its cardiovascular effects, such as lower blood pressure, reduced diabetes risk, and improvements in blood vessel function and cholesterol levels. The first large-scale study of the MeDi in Hispanic and Latino Americans investigated whether the MeDi’s brain benefits are independent of its cardiovascular effects.
Preliminary findings from this 10-year study of 2,774 participants (44% men, 56% women; average age 64 at follow-up) were presented at the recent conference of the American Stroke Association, February 5–7, 2025.
Methods: At an initial visit, each participant reported their food intake during the previous 24 hours and received a score (0 to 9), indicating how closely their diet corresponded to the MeDi. Average MeDi score was 5. Ten years after the baseline visit, investigators obtained a brain scan via MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) for each participant.
The main outcome evaluated in the study was white matter integrity (WMI) and volume. The white matter of the brain (as opposed to the gray matter) consists of bundles of nerve fibers that, crucially, communicate information to different parts of the brain. WMI and volume are markers of the strength of those connections in the brain. MRI scans provide clear, detailed cross-sections of the brain, showing white matter and gray matter.
To account for the impact of cardiovascular benefits, the study also asked participants about multiple practices associated with heart health: regular exercise; healthy diet; not smoking; weight maintenance; and maintaining healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
Results: Participants with higher MeDi scores had stronger connections between regions of the brain (preserved WMI) compared to those with lower MeDi scores. With each point higher in MeDi score, participants’ MRI scans also showed less structural damage to the blood vessels of the brain. After factoring in heart-health practices, the researchers determined that cardiovascular effects alone did not account for all the significant brain benefits of the MeDi.
Conclusion: Eating a Mediterranean-style diet improved brain health and preserved structural integrity in a high-risk population. Even small adjustments in food intake, closer to the MeDi, could help protect against cognitive decline and dementia. The brain benefits of the MeDi extend beyond its well-known cardiovascular effects—more research is needed to identify the brain-protective mechanisms involved.
Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Cream Recipe, Spotlight on Pistachios, Grinding Nuts, Protecting the Brain, and New Stroke Prevention Guidelines
Looking for a sweet change from that box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day? My cake combines tender pistachio chiffon layers and a rich but not overly sweet cream filling. It’s a showstopper to cap off any celebration. While most of the attention around February 14 is on the heart, I’m sharing important advice for nurturing your brain to stave off two health threats—dementia and stroke.
Pistachio and white chocolate are two luscious ingredients whose unique tastes enhance each other. This cake is not only delicious but can also be up made up to two days in advance. For the white chocolate, choose a brand that’s 35% cacao and in bar or disc form, not chips, which won’t melt smoothly.
Ingredients
For the cake:
4 large eggs
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup ground unsalted pistachios (see Healthy Ingredient Spotlight and Quick Kitchen Nugget in weekly newsletter)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar, divided use
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup room-temperature water
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the filling and garnish:
4-1/2 ounces white chocolate
1-1/2 cups heavy cream, divided use
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 pints raspberries
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
Optional: edible dried rose petals
Directions
Step 1
Make the cake: Separate the yolks from the whites when the eggs are cold and allow them to come to room temperature.
Step 2
Place one of your oven racks in the center of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Line a 17-by-13-inch rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper (do not grease it).
Step 3
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pistachios, and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and a 1/2 cup of the sugar at medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes. Mix in the olive oil, vanilla, and water. On low speed, fold in the flour mixture. If you have only one stand mixer bowl, transfer the batter to another bowl and wash the stand mixer bowl and whisk thoroughly—any fat will prevent the egg whites from whipping.
Step 4
In a separate large bowl or the cleaned bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add the salt, cream of tartar, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Slowly increase the speed to high and beat until you achieve a glossy meringue that holds firm peaks, 5 to 8 minutes depending on your mixer.
Step 5
Add a 1/4 of the meringue to the batter and mix thoroughly to incorporate (this will lighten it). Add the remaining meringue in 3 batches, gently folding after each addition until only a few streaks of meringue remain (err on the side of undermixing to keep the batter billowy).
Step 6
Transfer the batter to the sheet pan and smooth out with a large offset spatula; be sure to get into the corners of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheet pan in the oven for more even baking. Continue baking until the top is golden brown and springs back when gently pressed, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Step 7
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and slide the cake and parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool. After 10 minutes, invert the cake onto another rack and gently peel off the parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely.
Step 8
Make the filling: Melt the white chocolate and a 1/3 cup heavy cream in the microwave in 1-minute increments at power 4 until just about melted. Use a small spatula to stir until completely smooth; let cool to room temperature.
Step 9
Place the rest of the cream in a large bowl or the clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until thick, then with the mixer running on low speed, add the cooled melted white chocolate. Increase the speed and whip until peaks form. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes for easier spreading.
Step 10
While the cream is chilling, trim the edges of the cake. Sprinkle on the confectioners’ sugar and use your hands or a pastry brush to spread it out. Cut the cake into 3 sections, each about 12 inches long and just over 5 inches wide. Rinse the raspberries and pat them dry. Reserve 20 berries and lightly mash the rest in a bowl.
Step 11
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a rectangular serving plate and spread on 1/3 of the filling, then press in half the mashed berries. Repeat with another layer of cake, another 1/3 of the cream, and the rest of the mashed berries. Top with the final cake layer and spread the rest of the cream on top. Garnish with the whole berries, chopped pistachios, and, if desired, rose petals.
Yields 8 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Pistachios
With good amounts of protein, fiber, healthy fats, potassium, B vitamins, and assorted phytochemicals, pistachios are great to include in dishes—from baked goods to salads—and make a smart snack.
For baking, choose unsalted pistachios and, to bring out their flavor without losing their green color, toast for just a few minutes at a low temperature. Preheat your oven to 300°F. Place the shelled pistachios on a rimmed sheet pan and into the oven for about 5 minutes. Once the nuts cool down a bit, rub them between your hands to remove some of the skins. Wait until the nuts reach room temperature to grind or chop them as needed for your recipe.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Grinding Nuts
As with almonds, ground pistachios are easy to make at home in a nut or coffee bean grinder. I prefer a grinder and working in batches to using a food processor, unless the goal is to achieve more of a nut butter. To keep ground pistachios light and powdery for a cake, add nuts until the grinder is about half full and process in spurts. Stop the machine as soon as you no longer hear any chopping noise. It typically takes about 2 ounces of shelled nuts to yield a 1/2 cup of nut flour.
For Your Best Health
Protecting the Brain
A recent study supported by the National Institutes of Health and published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, looked at a new potential harm of processed and unprocessed red meat: negative impacts on brain health.
“Red meat is high in saturated fat and has been shown in previous studies to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which are both linked to reduced brain health,” said study author Dong Wang, MD, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Our study found processed red meat may increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, but the good news is that it also found that replacing it with healthier alternatives, like nuts, fish, and poultry, may reduce a person’s risk.”
The researchers defined processed red meat as bacon, hot dogs, sausages, salami, bologna, and other processed meat products, and unprocessed red meat as beef, pork, lamb, and hamburger. A serving of red meat is 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards.
The first part of the research involved 133,771 people with an average age of 49 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. Participants completed a food diary every 2 to 4 years, listing what they ate and how often, enabling the researchers to calculate how much red meat each person ate on average per day. They were followed up to 43 years. Of this group, 11,173 people developed dementia.
To see the effects of processed red meat, they divided the participants into three groups: The low group ate an average of fewer than 0.10 servings per day (think of this as less than 1 serving a week); the medium group ate between 0.10 and 0.24 servings per day (less than 1 to less than 2 servings a week); and the high group, 0.25 or more servings per day (roughly 2 or more servings a week). After adjusting for age, sex, and other risk factors for cognitive decline, researchers found that participants in the high group had a 13% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those in the low group.
To see the effects of unprocessed red meat, they compared people who ate an average of less than half a serving per day to people who ate 1 or more servings per day; they did not find a difference in dementia risk.
The researchers also looked at both subjective cognitive decline and objective cognitive function. Subjective cognitive decline is when a person reports memory and thinking problems before any decline is large enough to show up on standard tests. Objective cognitive function, which can identify decline, is how well your brain works to remember, think, and solve problems. To evaluate meat’s potential effects on subjective cognitive decline, they looked at a different group of 43,966 participants with an average age of 78 who took surveys rating their own memory and thinking skills twice during the study.
After adjusting for age, sex, and other risk factors for cognitive decline, the researchers found that participants who ate an average of 0.25 or more servings per day of processed red meat had a 14% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline compared to those who ate an average of fewer than 0.10 servings per day. They also found people who ate 1 or more servings of unprocessed red meat per day had a 16% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline compared to people who ate less than a 1/2 serving per day.
To evaluate meat’s potential effects on objective cognitive function, the researchers looked at a third group, 17,458 female participants with an average age of 74 who took memory and thinking tests four times during the study.
After adjusting for risk factors, the researchers found that eating more processed red meat was associated with faster brain aging in global cognition with 1.61 years with each additional serving per day and in verbal memory with 1.69 years with each additional serving per day.
Finally, researchers found that replacing 1 serving per day of processed red meat with 1 serving per day of nuts and legumes was associated with a 19% lower risk of dementia and 1.37 fewer years of cognitive aging. Making the same substitution for fish was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia and replacing with chicken was associated with a 16% lower risk.
“Reducing how much red meat a person eats and replacing it with other protein sources and plant-based options could be included in dietary guidelines to promote cognitive health,” said Dr. Wang.
A limitation of the study was that it primarily looked at white health care professionals, so the results might not be the same for other race, ethnic, and non-binary sex and gender populations. “More research is needed to assess our findings in more diverse groups,” he concluded.
Fitness Flash
New Stroke Prevention Guidelines
Each year, over half a million Americans have a first stroke. According to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, up to 80% of strokes may be preventable. Its “2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke” outlines steps that people and their doctors can take to protect against this devastating brain event, including screening people for stroke risk factors and increasing the public’s awareness and knowledge about healthy lifestyle changes to reduce the risk.
“The most effective way to reduce the occurrence of a stroke and stroke-related death is to prevent the first stroke—referred to as primary prevention,” said the guideline writing group chair, Cheryl D. Bushnell, MD, MHS, FAHA, professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC. “Some populations have an elevated risk of stroke, whether it be due to genetics, lifestyle, biological factors, and/or social determinants of health, and in some cases, people do not receive appropriate screening to identify their risk.”
The guideline replaces the 2014 version and provides evidence-based recommendations for strategies to support brain health and prevent stroke throughout a person’s life. “This guideline is important because new discoveries have been made since the last update 10 years ago. Understanding which people are at increased risk of a first stroke and providing support to preserve heart and brain health can help prevent a first stroke,” said Dr. Bushnell.
Modifiable risk factors for stroke, such as high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, elevated cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar, can be identified with physical exams and blood tests. These conditions, the guideline states, should be addressed with healthy lifestyle and behavioral changes and may include medications. A new recommendation is to consider GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, which are FDA-approved to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people who are overweight or obese and/or have type 2 diabetes.
The most common lifestyle behaviors that can help reduce stroke risk include healthy nutrition, regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco, getting healthy sleep, being at a healthy weight, controlling cholesterol, and managing blood pressure and blood sugar. The guideline recommends that adults with no prior cardiovascular disease, as well as those with increased risk, follow a Mediterranean dietary plan. Mediterranean dietary programs have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, especially when nuts and olive oil are eaten.
The guideline also includes some new specific recommendations for women. Health professionals should screen for conditions that can increase a woman’s risk of stroke, including use of oral contraceptives, high blood pressure during pregnancy, other pregnancy complications such as premature birth, endometriosis, premature ovarian failure, and early onset menopause. For instance, treating elevated blood pressure during pregnancy and within six weeks of delivery is recommended to reduce the risk of maternal intracerebral hemorrhage.
“Most strategies that we recommend for preventing stroke will also help reduce the risk of dementia, another serious health condition related to vascular issues in the brain,” said Dr. Bushnell.
According to the American Stroke Association, it’s also important to remember the warning signs of stroke with the acronym FAST: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911.
Cold Avocado and Cucumber Soup Recipe and The Mediterranean Diet for Longevity
Members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club are well aware of the benefits of extra virgin olive oil as part of the world-famous Mediterranean diet. Dozens of studies have assessed its health effects and its link to longevity, most commonly attributed to its improving heart health. But how the Mediterranean diet works its magic hasn’t been thoroughly understood. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston recently published the results of a long-term study that helps unravel this mystery. I’m thrilled to share their findings. And to start, here’s a recipe that highlights the plant-based approach that underscores the Mediterranean way of living.
There’s nothing more refreshing than a chilled soup for lunch or dinner during the dog days of summer, especially when there’s no cooking needed. I like to add a different kind of heat with a fresh hot pepper, but you can omit it if you aren’t a fan!
Ingredients
2 pounds cucumbers, about 2-3 large ones
1 small jalapeño, halved and seeded, optional
2 ripe Hass avocados
2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt or skyr
3 large scallions, trimmed
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup packed of fresh parsley, dill, and chives
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Optional garnishes: thin slices of avocado, a dollop of yogurt or skyr, more fresh herbs
Directions
Halve the cucumbers lengthwise and use a large spoon to scoop out and discard most of the seeds; leave on the peel. Cut the cucumbers into chunks for easier puréeing. If using the pepper, halve it, scoop out the seeds and veins, and discard them along with the stem. Scoop all the flesh out of the avocados.
Step 2
Working in batches as needed, add the cucumbers, avocados, pepper if using, yogurt, scallions, garlic, herbs, olive oil, water, and vinegar to your food processor bowl or blender and process until puréed—the mixture should be fairly thick. If it’s too thick, add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until it’s pourable. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Chill in the fridge for about an hour.
Step 3
To serve, ladle portions into soup bowls or glasses, garnish as desired, and drizzle with more olive oil.
Yields 8 servings
For Your Best Health
The Mediterranean Diet for Longevity
The study: “Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Women,” JAMA Network Open,2024.
The health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, on its own and when compared to other healthy ways of eating, are so strong that US dietary guidelines have repeatedly designated it as the healthiest recommended diet. It’s also gotten the nod from many health organizations around the globe, including the American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology, and Australian National Heart Foundation. While these benefits aren’t in doubt, how it achieves them hasn’t been completely understood. This new study sought to better explain the various ways in which the body responds to the diet—how exactly closely following it lowers mortality risk. What’s more, the more than 25,000 participants were American women. In general, women aren’t included in the same numbers as men in most studies, and regarding research on the Mediterranean diet in particular, most studies have been done in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, where the diet is more of a way of life than in the US.
For the study, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, followed the women, who were all healthy at the start of the study, for up to 25 years. They found that participants who followed the diet most closely had up to 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality…and found evidence of biological changes to help explain why. They were able to detect and evaluate changes in approximately 40 biomarkers representing various biological pathways and clinical risk factors, both traditional ones and novel ones that hadn’t been used in prior studies. Biomarkers of metabolism and inflammation made the largest contribution, followed by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, adiposity, and insulin resistance. Smaller contributions were seen from biological pathways relate to branched-chain amino acids, high-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, glycemic measures, and hypertension.
“For women who want to live longer, our study says watch your diet!,” said senior author Samia Mora, MD, a cardiologist and the director of the Center for Lipid Metabolomics at the Brigham. “The good news is that following a Mediterranean dietary pattern could result in about one quarter reduction in risk of death over more than 25 years with benefit for both cancer and cardiovascular mortality, the top causes of death in women (and men) in the US and globally.”
“Our research provides significant public health insight: Even modest changes in established risk factors for metabolic diseases, particularly those linked to small molecule metabolites, inflammation, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, obesity, and insulin resistance, can yield substantial long-term benefits from following a Mediterranean diet,” said lead author Shafqat Ahmad, PhD, an associate professor of epidemiology at Uppsala University Sweden and a researcher in the Center for Lipid Metabolomics and the Division of Preventive Medicine at the Brigham. “This finding underscores the potential of encouraging healthier dietary habits to reduce the overall risk of mortality.”
How the Study Was Conducted
At the start of the study, blood samples, biomarker measurements, and dietary information were taken from the participants, who self-reported demographics and filled out a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The data collection period was from April 1993 to January 1996, and data analysis took place from June 2018 to November 2023.
Each participant was given a score for Mediterranean diet adherence, which ranged from 0 to 9. Eating a higher-than-median amount of each of a list of foods—vegetables (excluding potatoes), fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and fish—earned 1 point. So did eating a good ratio of monounsaturated-to-saturated fatty acids such as olive oil compared to butter, a less-than-median amount of red and processed meat, and having an alcohol intake within the range of 5 to 15 grams a day (one 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce can of regular beer, or 1.5 ounces of liquor). Participants were then categorized into one of three levels: 0-3 or low, 4-5 or intermediate, and 6-9 or high. Women with scores of 6 or greater had a 23% lower relative risk of all-cause mortality than did women who scored 3 or less.
“The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are recognized by medical professionals, and our study offers insights into why the diet may be so beneficial. Public health policies should promote the healthful dietary attributes of the Mediterranean diet and should discourage unhealthy adaptations,” said Dr. Mora.
Horiatiki Salad Recipe and The MIND Diet for Brain Health: More Benefits of Olive Oil
I’m a huge fan of both Greek and Middle Eastern salads, the ingredients of which are not only delicious but also mainstays of the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, a way of eating designed for brain health. It’s an offshoot of the super-healthy Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Why the distinction? Because the latest research on the MIND diet shows it can slow aging as well as reduce dementia risk. Add this to the list of the benefits of olive oil—it’s one of the super foods that MIND suggests including every day.
Tabbouleh Recipe, Spotlight on Condimento Bianco Menta, Why How You Cut Foods Matters, Hold the Fries and Taking a Global Perspective on Exercise
I love a do-ahead dish like tabbouleh that can also be a grab-and-go lunch. My version is enhanced by the subtle mint notes in my Condimento Bianco Menta, a unique vinegar in my brand-new collection of artisanal vinegars from the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections. Sweet, fragrant, and infused with real mint leaves, it’s crafted in the style of a fine Italian balsamic (and read below to learn why there’s actually no such thing as “white balsamic”). Get ready for it to be your new favorite.
Also in this issue, you’ll read about the risk of French fries when eaten too often (they have the opposite effect of potatoes roasted in olive oil!). I’m also sharing research on how much exercise is optimal as we get older, based on a new global consensus.
Tabbouleh
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Condimento Bianco Menta
Last year, when I introduced my Condimento Bianco Senape, a white wine vinegar with mustard seeds, I knew it would be a hard act to follow. But lightning can strike twice. This year, I created a mint-infused vinegar for the new collection, Condimento Bianco Menta (which means “white condiment with mint”). It’s reminiscent of a fine balsamic because it’s crafted in a sweet style, but it’s called a condimento and not a “white balsamic” because that is not a recognized type of vinegar in Modena, Italy, the birthplace of balsamic vinegar. A true balsamic vinegar is made solely from grape must, which is the result of cooking down all the parts of Lambrusco and Trebbiano grapes.
My condiment has the perfect ratio of cooked white grape must (from only Trebbiano grapes for the light color) to white wine vinegar. I chose to use classic Italian mint—an important distinction because the peppermint used in holiday cooking can be so overwhelming—and to have the leaves added right at the time of bottling. Unlike vinegars misleadingly labeled “white balsamic” on shelves in the US and containing all sorts of colorings and flavorings, nothing else goes into this naturally sweet vinegar.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Why How You Cut Foods Matters
Whether you’re cutting up vegetables for a salad, like tabbouleh or Cobb, or for roasting in the oven, it’s often important to cut the different ingredients into pieces of the same size. Uniform cuts enhance the flavors of the foods and help different vegetables cook uniformly, provided the ingredients have similar density—so they should be all root vegetables, such as carrots and beets, or all high-water-content vegetables, like zucchini and eggplant, to name two examples. The prep does take longer and requires careful knife skills, but the finished dishes will taste—and look—even better.
For Your Best Health
Hold the Fries
French fries may be more than just a guilty pleasure—they could raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by 20% if eaten three times a week, according to a study published in the journal The BMJ. While eating the same amount of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes doesn’t appear to have that effect, replacing any form of potatoes with whole grains seems to lower diabetes risk, and swapping them for white rice was linked to an increase!
Potatoes contain several nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium, but they also have a high starch content and are high on the glycemic index. They have been linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes, but whether that was influenced by the cooking method used was unclear, as was which food swaps were better or worse.
To address these questions, a group of researchers from various institutions analyzed data from three important US studies: Nurses’ Health Study (1984-2020), Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2021), and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2018). In all, more than 205,000 health professionals were represented.
During almost 40 years of follow-up, 22,299 people were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After adjusting for lifestyle and dietary factors related to diabetes risk, the researchers found that for every three weekly servings of total potatoes, the rate of type 2 diabetes increased by 5%, and for every three weekly servings of French fries, the rate increased by 20%. However, a similar intake of specifically baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes was not associated with a significant increased risk.
Replacing three weekly servings of potatoes with whole grains lowered the type 2 diabetes rate by 8%. More specifically, substituting baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes with whole grains lowered the rate by 4%, and replacing French fries lowered the rate by 19%. In contrast, replacing potatoes with white rice was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and the researchers say they couldn’t rule out the possibility that other unmeasured factors may have influenced the results. Most participants were also health professionals of European ancestry, so findings may not apply to other populations. Nevertheless, the researchers concluded that their “findings underscore that the association between potato intake and type 2 diabetes risk depends on the specific foods used as replacement. The findings also align with current dietary recommendations that promote the inclusion of whole grains as part of a healthy diet for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.”
Fitness Flash
Taking a Global Perspective on Exercise
An international group of health experts recently authored the paper “Global Consensus on Optimal Exercise Recommendations for Enhancing Healthy Longevity in Older Adults” published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, to encourage health professionals to stress the therapeutic value of exercise to their patients. Their core point is this: Staying active and getting exercise can help counteract age-related declines in physical, cognitive, and psychological health, extending the health span and improving people’s quality of life; being sedentary is linked to a range of age-related health issues, including obesity, sarcopenia (muscle loss), frailty, disability, and numerous chronic illnesses.
Exercise has long been called free medicine. Building on that premise, the researchers suggest we look at activity as a form of treatment, with people getting exercise prescriptions tailored to their specific goals, from disease prevention to enhanced fitness and function. But they point out that the value of exercise is rarely addressed or turned into an action plan by doctors during health visits, stating, “This cautious approach to exercise counseling appears to stem from an unfounded fear of exercise-related injuries or the perceived risks of more vigorous activities for older adults, whereas, in reality, the greater danger lies in sedentariness. Integrating evidence-based exercise programs that are comprehensive and adaptable to individual health conditions is crucial across all healthcare settings, including community and institutional settings. By doing so, healthy aging can be promoted, and the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases associated with inactivity can be addressed.”
They noted that evenmodest activities like balance exercises or strength training can pay huge dividends in mobility and independence, and going to fitness classes can reduce isolation and provide people with a sense of community.
With all that exercise can do, you might want to bring it up with your healthcare provider and not wait for them to initiate the conversation. Here are some talking points mentioned in the consensus: Ask for a program individually tailored to you, one that takes into account your abilities, preferences, and any medical conditions you have. Ask that the program include a combination of strength training, aerobic activities, balance exercises, and cognitive challenges for the most benefits. And ask for help setting realistic short-term goals. Ask your doctor to monitor your progress, if possible, and acknowledge when you meet goals because this instills confidence and will encourage you to stick with the plan.
This salad features bulgur, a versatile whole grain that’s made from cracked wheat and packed with protein and fiber (it’s also great folded into just-roasted vegetables). This zesty dish can be a side or a meatless meal.
Ingredients
3/4 cup uncooked bulgur
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
2 ounces shelled walnuts
2 large ripe tomatoes or 2 cups cherry tomatoes
Directions
Step 1
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil and add the bulgur. Simmer, according to package directions, until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes, watching carefully toward the end to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Step 2
In a large bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Step 3
Roughly chop the parsley, mint, and nuts and add to the bowl with the dressing. Coarsely chop the tomatoes (if using cherry tomatoes, halve them) and add along with the bulgur, folding them in well. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
Cod tenderloin is a thick cut of fish that takes a few more minutes to cook than a thin fillet but stays wonderfully moist. The fresh tomatoes make a tasty pan sauce that’s delicious with any mild fish as well as shellfish.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 small bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
1 pound cod tenderloin or fillets
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup fish stock or white wine
6 large basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Directions
Step 1
Heat a large wok or sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Push the vegetables to the sides, pour the last tablespoon of olive oil in the center of the pan, and add the cod. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Place the cherry tomatoes in a ring around the cod and continue cooking until they burst, about 5 minutes, and then mash them with a large fork or potato masher to release their juices. Add the stock or wine and herbs to the pan and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for about 5 to 8 more minutes until the fish is cooked through. Use a fish spatula to transfer the cod to a platter. Turn the heat up under the pan and bring the pan sauce to a low boil; cook for another 5 minutes to reduce it. To serve, divide the cod among 4 dinner plates and spoon on the tomatoes and sauce.
Pan-Roasted Cod with Tomatoes Recipe, Spotlight on Fish Stock, Mangoes and Diabetes Risk, and Going Green on the Mediterranean Diet
There’s a crispness in the air that can only mean one thing: Autumn is upon us. To herald the season, I’m sharing one of the new recipes in my expanded e-cookbook, Savor the Season: Autumn 2025. The cod dish fits squarely in the healthful Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes eating whole foods—foods in their natural state. A new study found that even fruits high in sugar have diabetes-fighting benefits when eaten whole. And according to an international group of researchers, you can take the brain health benefits of the Mediterranean diet up a notch by adding two green components—one of them might be in your kitchen already.
Pan-Roasted Cod with Tomatoes
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Fish Stock
You might have beef and chicken stock in your pantry, but you might not have considered adding fish or seafood stock yet. Here’s why you should: It adds so much depth to fish sauces, and without the overly salty taste of clam juice. Many packaged brands are now available, and you can also make your own—the process is not all that different from making beef or chicken stock. Ask the fishmonger at your local store if you can get bones from fish they’ve just filleted; there’s usually no charge. You can also make it from leftover shrimp or lobster shells (lobster legs included).
Here’s how: Heat a stockpot. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some aromatics, like a chopped onion or leek, a celery rib, a large carrot, 2 bay leaves, and a sprig of thyme. Sauté for a few minutes, add the fish bones or shells, and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add enough water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a low boil; cook for 30 to 60 minutes and then strain through cheesecloth. If you’re not using the stock right away, refrigerate or freeze it.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
The Spatula You Didn’t Know You Needed
If you’ve ever struggled to lift a fish fillet from a pan, the fish spatula is the utensil you’ve been looking for. Longer than a typical spatula with slots that keep cooking liquids in the pan, it lets you transfer fillets without their breaking. It’s also handy anytime you need to flip a fillet. You might even find yourself reaching for it when you’re transferring or flipping other foods. Like other spatulas, you can get a classic metal one or one made of heat-resistant silicone for use with nonstick pans.
For Your Best Health
A Fruit That Lowers Diabetes Risk
For the nearly 100 million American adults with prediabetes, a sweet and juicy tropical fruit that can reduce the risk of diabetes sounds too good to be true. Tropical fruits contain anywhere between 10 and 50 grams of sugar, and mangoes are on the high end of the spectrum, making them seem a poor snack choice. But a study from Raedeh Basiri, PhD, RD, clinical nutrition researcher and assistant professor in the George Mason University Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, found that mangoes, despite having more grams of (natural) sugar than many low-sugar snacks (with added sugars), may be a great choice. This study is the first long-term clinical trial to demonstrate both metabolic and body composition benefits of mangoes in prediabetes.
Dr. Basiri and her team split study participants into two groups: One group received a fresh mango daily, and the other group ate a low-sugar granola bar each day. Over six months, researchers measured participants’ blood glucose levels, bodily responses to insulin, and body fat. At the end of the study, eating the high-sugar (32 grams) mango proved more beneficial than the low-sugar (11 grams) granola bar. The group that consumed the daily mango showed improved blood glucose control, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and reduced body fat.
Dr. Basiri suggests that people at high risk of diabetes focus not only on the sugar content of foods but also on how sugars are delivered. “It is not just the sugar content that matters, but the overall food context that matters,” said Dr. Basiri. That means getting the whole food. The sugars naturally found in mangoes and other fruits are complemented by fiber and other vitamins and nutrients that offer health benefits. Food with added sugar, such as breakfast cereals and even low-sugar snack options, may not have the same nutritional value and can even increase diabetes risk. “The goal is to encourage people to include whole fruits, like mango, as part of healthy eating behaviors and practical dietary strategies for diabetes prevention,” she said.
The study, “Daily Mango Intake Improves Glycemic and Body Composition Outcomes in Adults with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Study,” was published in the journal Foods.
Fitness Flash
Going Green on the Mediterranean Diet
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and the University of Leipzig have shown that a “green Mediterranean” diet, one that includes green tea and mankai, an aquatic plant, can help slow brain aging. They hypothesize that their findings could be because the anti-inflammatory molecules in green tea and mankai help protect against cognitive decline.
Neurological conditions, including mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, have been associated with a higher brain age gap—that’s when the brain appears older than it should be based on chronological age. To evaluate the impact of diet on brain age, researchers analyzed data from around 300 participants in the DIRECT PLUS trial, one of the longest-running studies on the link between brain and diet. Over the course of 18 months, the participants consumed one of three diets: a standard healthy diet; a traditional calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet, which is low in simple carbohydrates and rich in vegetables and replaces red meat with poultry and fish; and the green Mediterranean diet, which adds green tea and mankai.
When the researchers measured protein levels in the participants’ blood, they found that higher levels of certain proteins were associated with accelerated brain aging. Further, they found that those protein levels decreased in participants who followed the green Mediterranean diet.
“Studying the circulating proteins in blood allows us to observe, in a real-life setting, how the brain’s aging processes are influenced by lifestyle and dietary changes,” said Anat Meir, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard Chan School, who co-led the study. “This approach gives us a dynamic window into brain health, helping to reveal biological changes long before symptoms may appear. By mapping these protein signatures, we gain powerful new insights into how interventions, such as diet, may help preserve cognitive function as we age.”
The study, “Serum Galectin-9 and Decorin in relation to brain aging and the green-Mediterranean diet: A secondary analysis of the DIRECT PLUS randomized trial,” was published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.
Grape Galette Recipe, Spotlight on Grapes, and The Facts on Flexibility
Autumn grapes are one of my favorite seasonal fruits. Since munching them right off the stem is so delicious, you might not think of cooking them unless you like to make jam. But this galette is so enticing, you’ll want to make it right away. More than just tasty, grapes are a nutritional powerhouse, according to dozens of studies, making them a possible addition to the list of superfoods.
Grape Galette
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Choosing Grapes
With so many grapes being sold already bagged, it’s important to look inside to check that they are firm and plump, not wrinkled or bruised, and that whatever the color of their skin, it’s vibrant. Examine the stems—they should be pliable, not dry or brittle, and the grapes shouldn’t fall off on their own.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Storing Grapes
It’s fine to store grapes, unwashed, in the bag they came in as long as it’s well perforated for air circulation. Place them in a crisper bin away from any pungent items like garlic. Carefully rinse just before eating, cooking, or freezing. Grapes freeze extremely well (frozen grapes make a fun snack, too)—rinse them, carefully pat them dry, transfer them to a rimmed sheet pan, and pop it into the freezer. Once the grapes are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
For Your Best Health
Are Grapes a Superfood?
A recent article in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry written by resveratrol and cancer researcher John M. Pezzuto, PhD, DSc, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, explored the concept of superfoods and made the case that fresh grapes have earned a prominent position on the list, even as Dr. Pezzuto noted that the term superfood has no official definition or established criteria. Mainstream superfoods are typically part of the Mediterranean diet and generally rich in natural plant compounds linked to healthful benefits.
Grapes are a natural source of over 1,600 compounds, including antioxidants and other polyphenols such as flavonoids, anthocyanidins, catechins, phenolic acids, and resveratrol. Polyphenols are credited with providing many of the health benefits of grapes, thanks to their antioxidant activity and boosts to cellular processes. It is the whole grape and the unique matrix of these compounds within it that creates the biological effects, not a single component.
Over 60 peer-reviewed studies have been published in the scientific literature on grapes and health, according to Dr. Pezzuto, including their role in cardiovascular health, such as promoting the relaxation of blood vessels and healthy circulation, as well as modulating cholesterol levels. Clinical trials also show that grapes support brain health (help maintain healthy brain metabolism and beneficial impacts on cognition), skin health (enhanced resistance to UV radiation and DNA damage in skin cells), gut health (modulating the gut microbiome and increasing diversity in the gut), and eye health (retinal impact via an increase in macular pigment optical density). Finally, in the realm of nutrigenomics—the study of foods on gene expression in the body—grape consumption has been shown to positively alter gene expression in relevant body systems. Dr. Pezzuto suggested that it is these activities at the genetic level that are likely the driving force behind the health benefits of grapes.
Fitness Flash
The Facts on Flexibility
As explained by the sports medicine experts at the University of California, Davis, flexibility is the ability of joints to move through an unrestricted, pain-free range of motion. Although flexibility varies widely from one person to another, minimum ranges are necessary for maintaining joint and total body health. Range of motion is influenced by the mobility of the soft tissues that surround the joint: muscles, ligaments, tendons, joint capsules, and skin. Other variables include injury, inactivity, and not stretching. Even if you’re active, not stretching can lead to a fatigue-induced soft tissue shortening over time, making muscles feel tight.
The UC Davis experts listed eight benefits of practicing a regular stretching routine:
Enhanced performance
Decreased risk of injury
Increased blood supply and nutrients to joint structures
Increased quantity of synovial joint fluid
Increased neuromuscular coordination
Reduced muscular tightness and increased joint mobility
Return of muscle to natural resting state
Modifying blood pooling and recirculation
The flip side is that inadequate flexibility can hurt you in significant ways. Without enough synovial joint fluid, joints, notably weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees, can’t move through the full range of motion needed to maintain healthy cartilage and other structures. Muscles that are inflexible tire more quickly, causing opposing muscle groups to work harder. Muscle fatigue can lead to muscular injuries and the inability of the muscles to protect joints from more-severe injuries. For example, the hamstrings play a role in stabilizing the knee and preventing anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tears. Decreased flexibility may also lead to abnormal stress on structures and tissues; developing tendonitis in the knee, for instance, can be a result of calf tightness.
A physical therapist can measure the range of motion in joints with devices such as a goniometer or inclinometer as well as functional tests, identify areas of inflexibility, and create a program to address them with a set routine that can be incorporated into your regular training program.
A stretching routine should cover all major muscle groups as well as any specific muscle groups utilized in a sport or activity you participate in. The movement of other areas of the body, other than the muscle group being stretched, should be minimized. While each person’s stretching routine will likely be different, the aim is usually the same: to maintain each stretch position for 30 seconds at first, increasing to 1 to 2 minutes, while breathing normally. Begin each stretch slowly and gently, gradually stretching through a muscle’s full range of motion until you feel resistance or mild discomfort—stretch to the point of tightness and then just beyond. You should feel pulling, but not pain. Stay relaxed and do not bounce. Then gradually release the stretch.
Stretching is most often thought of as a way to loosen muscles, but it is also effective in increasing the mobility of all soft tissues that restrict flexibility. On the other hand, stretching will not head off delayed-onset muscle soreness, the kind that generally occurs the day after unaccustomed strenuous exercise.
It is generally agreed that stretching at the end of an exercise session has great benefits. Stretching before an exercise session though is generally not recommended unless it is preceded by a 5-minute cardiovascular warm-up. Warming up before stretching increases the blood flow and temperature of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, improving the elasticity and optimal functioning of the muscles and connective tissue. Stretching when muscles are cold could lead to a strain or pull.
Keep in mind that gaining flexibility takes time and dedication. It may be several weeks of consistent daily stretching before you notice improvement, so try to be patient.
A galette is a freeform tart that you can fill with almost any fruit you like. Fall grapes are a perfect choice—you can use one or more varieties, including intensely flavored concord grapes, as long as they’re seedless or you take the time to remove the seeds with the tip of a paring knife after halving them.
Ingredients
For the crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons ice water
1 cup pastry flour, plus more for rolling
1/4 cup white or golden whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the crumble:
1/4 cup whole white pastry flour
8 tablespoons rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the filling:
4 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the assembly:
1 tablespoon half-and-half
1 tablespoon sanding sugar
Directions
Step 1
Make the crust: Cut the butter into small cubes and return to the fridge to stay cold. Next fill a large measuring cup halfway with ice and cold water; set aside.
Step 2
Place the flours, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add the cubed butter and process for 10 seconds, just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the food processor running, add the olive oil and then 4 tablespoons ice water in a steady stream through the feed tube until dough forms large clumps, about 30 seconds. Test the dough: It should hold when you press a small amount together. If it’s too dry, add additional ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse for a few seconds. Transfer the dough to an 18″ length of parchment paper and form into a flat oval. Fold up the sides of the paper and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Step 3
Make the crumble: Combine the flour, oats, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until completely incorporated and large crumbs form. Chill until ready to use.
Step 4
To assemble the galette, unwrap the dough on a countertop and dust the dough and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll out dough, rotating a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a rough 12″ oval. Slide the dough, parchment paper and all, into a rimmed sheet pan. Chill for 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 400°F.
Step 5
Place the grapes in a large bowl and toss with the sugar, cornstarch, olive oil, and lemon juice. Spoon the filling over the dough, leaving a 2″ border. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the outer perimeter of the grapes, pressing down with two fingers or a serving fork as you move around the tart. Drop dollops of the crumble randomly over the visible grapes.
Step 6
Brush the dough border with the half-and-half, then sprinkle on the sanding sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the dough turns a rich golden brown. Let cool for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Chicken Skillet Dinner Recipe, Spotlight on Chicken Thighs, Parboiling Potatoes, Fruit and Veggies for Better Sleep and Exercising A Cancer-Fighting Plan
Craving a flavorful meal that’s complex only in its taste? This dish with chicken thighs and potatoes fits the bill. Perfect for cooler weather, it’s hearty and satisfying. And, according to new research on sleep, its veggies may bring you closer to restful shut-eye—read about the correlation below. This issue’s other research recap is on a hopeful benefit of exercise: How it can help stymie the growth of cancer cells as part of an overall cancer-fighting plan.
Chicken Skillet Dinner
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Chicken Thighs
I love the deeper flavor of chicken thighs and the convenience of skinless, boneless ones. However, roasting or baking with the bone in can be even more flavorful and less expensive—just pull off the skin when it’s not called for.
Chicken thighs are a good source of protein, with about 27 grams per 4-ounce serving and just a moderate amount of fat. They’re also a good source of B vitamins and the minerals iron and zinc.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Parboiling Potatoes
Skillet potatoes are delicious, but it can take quite a bit of time for the potatoes to cook through. Parboiling to the rescue—this short boil partially cooks the spuds, softening not only the inside but also the outside and releasing a layer of gelatinized starch that helps the potatoes crisp up when they’re transferred to a stovetop skillet to finish cooking.
To parboil potatoes or any other hard vegetable, cut them as desired and add to a stockpot. Fill it three-quarters of the way with cold water and a tablespoon of coarse sea salt. Bring the water to a boil and set a timer for 7 minutes. You should be able to easily pierce a piece or two of potato with a fork, but they should not fall apart. If necessary, transfer them to layers of paper towels and blot dry.
For Your Best Health
Fruit and Veggies for Better Sleep
We all know about the benefits of eating vegetables and fruit for overall health, but there’s another reason to add them to the menu today: sleeping more soundly tonight. “Dietary modifications could be a new, natural, and cost-effective approach to achieve better sleep,” said Professor Esra Tasali, MD, director of the UChicago Sleep Center and co-senior author of the study, “Higher daytime intake of fruits and vegetables predicts less disrupted nighttime sleep in younger adults,” published in Sleep Health: The Journal of the National Sleep Foundation.
Sleep disruptions can have far-reaching negative consequences, impacting cardiovascular and metabolic health, memory, learning, productivity, mood regulation, interpersonal relationships, and more. “The temporal associations and objectively measured outcomes in this study represent crucial steps toward filling a gap in important public health knowledge,” said Dr. Tasali.
Studies have shown that inadequate sleep can cause people to gravitate toward unhealthier diets that are higher in fat and sugar. However, despite the far-reaching effects of sleep on public health and even economic productivity, not all that much is known about how diet can affect sleep patterns. In previous observational studies, high fruit and vegetable intakes were associated with better self-reported overall sleep quality. However, this new study was the first to draw a temporal connection between a given day’s dietary choices and objectively measured sleep quality that same night.
Healthy young adults who participated in the study reported their food consumption each day with an app and wore a wrist monitor that allowed the researchers to empirically measure their sleep patterns. The researchers, including scientists from Columbia University and the University of California San Diego, specifically looked at “sleep fragmentation,” an index that reflects how often someone awakens or shifts from deep to light sleep throughout the night. They found that each day’s diet was correlated with meaningful differences in the subsequent night’s sleep. Participants who ate more fruits and vegetables during the day tended to have deeper, more uninterrupted sleep that same night, as did those who consumed more healthy carbohydrates such as whole grains.
Based on their findings and statistical modeling, the researchers estimate that people who eat the CDC-recommended five cups of fruits and veggies per day could experience a 16% improvement in sleep quality compared to people who consume no fruits or vegetables.
“Sixteen percent is a highly significant difference,” Dr. Tasali said. “It’s remarkable that such a meaningful change could be observed within less than 24 hours.”
Future studies will help establish causation; broaden the findings across diverse populations; and examine the underlying mechanisms of digestion, neurology, and metabolism that could explain the positive impact of fruits and vegetables on sleep quality. But based on current data, the experts confidently advise that regularly eating a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables is best for long-term sleep health.
“People are always asking me if there are things they can eat that will help them sleep better,” says co-senior author Professor Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia. “Small changes can impact sleep. That is empowering—better rest is within your control.”
Fitness Flash
Exercising A Cancer-Fighting Plan
A vigorous workout can spark anti-cancer proteins, cut cancer cell growth, and help survivors fight recurrence by reducing inflammation and improving body composition, according to new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU). ECU PhD student Francesco Bettariga found that a single bout of either resistance or high-intensity interval training increased levels of myokines, a protein produced by muscles, which have anti-cancer effects and that could reduce the proliferation of cancer growth by 20% to 30%. His research with survivors of breast cancer measured myokine levels before, immediately after, and 30 minutes after working out.
“Exercise has emerged as a therapeutic intervention in the management of cancer, and a large body of evidence exists that shows the safety and effectiveness of exercise as medicine, either during or post cancer treatment,” Bettariga said. “The results from this study are excellent motivators to add exercise as standard care in the treatment of cancer.”
While higher levels of myokines were expected in a healthy population after a vigorous workout, Bettariga investigated whether breast cancer survivors would see the same results, given the impact that cancer treatments and cancer itself often have on the body. He added that the long-term implications of elevated myokine levels should be further investigated, particularly in relation to cancer recurrence.
Further research by Bettariga investigated how changes in body composition, following consistent exercise, could impact inflammation, which plays a key role in breast cancer recurrence and mortality by promoting tumor progression. Persistent inflammation not only promotes tumor progression by influencing cell proliferation, survival, invasiveness, and metastasis but also inhibits immune function. Given that the cancer itself and the side effects of treatments can elevate levels of inflammatory biomarkers, survivors of breast cancer are at increased risk of cancer progression, recurrence, and mortality.
“Strategies are needed to reduce inflammation, which may provide a less-supportive environment for cancer progression, leading to a lower risk of recurrence and mortality in survivors of breast cancer,” he explained. The new research found that by reducing fat mass, which is responsible for releasing anti- and pro-inflammatory markers, and increasing lean mass, through consistent and persistent exercise, cancer survivors had a better chance at reducing inflammation. Unfortunately, quick fixes to reduce fat mass would not have the same beneficial effects, Bettariga stressed when he said, “You never want to reduce your weight without exercising, because you need to build or preserve muscle mass and produce these chemicals that you can’t do through just diet alone.”
This double dose of chicken plus vegetables delights by affording rich flavor and cooks all in one pan.
Ingredients
1 pound fingerling or red potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound chicken thighs
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
8 ounces chicken sausage links, cut into 2″ slices
8 ounces button mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced into thin sections
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon rosemary needles
1 cup white wine
2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
Directions
Step 1
Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill three-quarters with water; add the tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Step 2
In a large bowl, mix the flour, teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Cut each chicken thigh into thirds and toss in the flour mixture to coat; place next to your stovetop.
Step 3
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the sausage slices. Cook for 5 minutes, flip with tongs, and cook for another 5 minutes. Move the sausage to the outside of the pan and add the chicken thighs; brown them on all sides. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned on the edges. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat and mushrooms to a bowl next to your stovetop.
Step 4
Add the rest of the olive oil and the onions to the hot skillet and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the potatoes in one layer, sprinkle with the garlic and rosemary, and let cook undisturbed for 5 minutes to brown the edges; flip and repeat. Transfer the potatoes to the bowl with the meat and deglaze the skillet with the wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by half.
Step 5
Add the meat and vegetables back to the skillet along with the chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and let the stock cook down until it thickens to a sauce and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when you test a few pieces of the thighs.
Farfalle with Creamy Tomato Ricotta Sauce Recipe, Spotlight on the Basil Family, High-Speed Blenders, Understanding Ultra-Processed Foods and Better Balance
Take advantage with this delicious tomato sauce recipe while farm stands still have fresh tomatoes for sale, though I will say it’s almost as good made with hothouse cherry tomatoes available all year long. Eating seasonally is always a top goal and can help you avoid many ultra-processed foods—read the highlights of the American Heart Association’s advisory about these packaged products to help you make the good choices for better health.
Farfalle with Creamy Tomato Ricotta Sauce
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Basil: Meet the Family
Many people keep basil growing year-round, moving a pot from the garden to a windowsill. But you might be surprised to learn that there are some 150 different basil varieties and that you might prefer one over another…or decide to grow two or more for the different tastes they impart. Here’s a quick rundown of the more common types available:
Genovese basil, with its large, rounded leaves and intense taste, is arguably the most popular basil grown.
Sweet basil, as its name implies, has a milder taste; its leaves are lighter in color and pointier than Genovese.
Greek basil has rounded leaves smaller than Genovese and usually an even more intense taste.
Thai sweet basil has beautiful pointy green leaves, yet its stalks and flowers are a deep purple. Used in Thai and other South Asian cuisines, it adds layers of taste to dishes.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
High-Speed Blenders
Food processors changed the way we cook, making so many recipes effortless. Traditional blenders with a small bottom blade couldn’t compete on volume. But with today’s high-speed blenders, many recipes are being shaken up all over again. When it comes to making smoothies, instant sorbets, and large quantities of sauces, blenders with a motor power output of 1,000 watts or more are unbeatable. Some double as a crushed-ice machine and can also grind nuts and seeds in seconds. If you’re in the market for a new blender, check out models from Ninja, Vitamix, and Blendtec. Yes, they’re pricey, but some come with attachments that look like traditional food processor bowls, giving you two appliances in the space of one.
For Your Best Health
Understanding Ultra-Processed Foods
Last week in The Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter, I shared a study that found dieters who followed a diet of minimally processed foods lost twice the weight of those who ate mostly ultra-processed foods (UPFs) even though they all consumed the same number of calories. A new American Heart Association Science Advisory has detailed even more concerns surrounding UPFs.
The advisory, “Ultraprocessed Foods and Their Association with Cardiometabolic Health: Evidence, Gaps and Opportunities,” summarizes current knowledge about UPFs and their impact on cardiometabolic health, and outlines opportunities for research, policy, and regulatory reform to improve dietary intake and overall health. It was published in Circulation, the flagship journal of the American Heart Association.
Advisory highlights:
Most UPFs, including sugar-sweetened drinks, ultra-processed meats, refined grains, candies, and commercial baked goods, are characterized by poor nutritional quality, contributing to excessive calories, and are typically high in saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium, which contribute to adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes, including heart attack, stroke, obesity, inflammation, type 2 diabetes, and vascular complications.
Observational studies have found links between eating higher amounts of UPFs and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic illness, and mortality.
Emerging evidence also suggests certain additives and industrial processing techniques may have negative health effects.
However, not all UPFs are junk foods or have poor nutritional quality. A limited number, such as certain commercial whole grains, low-fat-low-sugar dairy, and some plant-based items, have positive nutritional value and, therefore, can be part of an overall healthy dietary pattern.
Experts recommend multilevel strategies, including more research to uncover how UPFs specifically impact the body, refining dietary guidance to discourage excessive consumption of nutrient-poor UPFs, clarifying the impact of the limited number of UPFs with more-favorable nutrition profiles, more research on the health impacts of food additives, and evidence-based policies to evaluate and regulate food additives.
“The relationship between UPFs and health is complex and multifaceted,” said Maya K. Vadiveloo, PhD, RD, FAHA, volunteer chair of the writing group for this Science Advisory. “We know that eating foods with too much saturated fat, added sugars, and salt is unhealthy. What we don’t know is if certain ingredients or processing techniques make a food unhealthy above and beyond their poor nutritional composition, and if certain additives and processing steps used to make healthier food like commercial whole grain breads have any health impact.”
The rapid rise in UPF consumption since the 1990s disrupted traditional dietary patterns, potentially contributing to adverse health effects. It is estimated that 70% of grocery store products in the US contain at least one ultra-processed ingredient. As detailed in a CDC report published on August 7, 2025, 55% of calories consumed by people ages 1 and older in the US come from UPFs. Among children ages 1 to 18 years of age, total UPF calories jumped to nearly 62%, and among adults ages 19 and older, it’s 53%. In addition, families with a lower mean income had a higher percentage of UPFs consumed per day: 54.7% for the lowest income group versus 50.4% for the highest income group.
UPFs are relatively inexpensive, convenient, and aggressively marketed, particularly toward youngsters and those living in under-resourced communities, often displacing healthier alternatives. This shift resulted in lowering the overall nutritional quality of typical eating patterns in the US and is misaligned with the American Heart Association’s dietary guidance.
A meta-analysis of prospective studies cited in the Advisory found a dose-response relationship between UPF consumption and cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and all-cause mortality. High versus low UPF intake was linked to a 25% to 58% higher risk of cardiometabolic outcomes and a 21% to 66% higher risk of mortality. More research is needed to understand the appropriate thresholds for daily consumption of UPFs, including what a safe amount is and the incremental risks of eating more UPFs.
Research has also found that UPFs may promote obesity. UPFs frequently contain combinations of ingredients and additives to enhance palatability, and these may influence reward-related brain activity. For example, ingredients like artificial flavors may mimic sweetness without sugar, and this disruption in flavor-nutrient relationships often leads to irregular eating habits and results in weight gain.
“More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of how UPFs impact health. In the meantime, the Association continues to urge people to cut back on the most harmful UPFs, [which] are high in saturated fats, added sugars and sodium, and excessive calories, and instead follow a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains; low-fat-low-sugar dairy; and lean proteins like fish, seafood, or poultry for better short- and long-term health,” said Dr. Vadiveloo.
Fitness Flash
Be in Better Balance
Of all the motor skills that contribute to mobility, balance is probably the most overlooked. And as we age, balance—along with strength training—becomes even more important. The American Council on Exercise stresses training both stability and mobility in a variety of planes of motion and positions to maximize your ability to perform everyday activities.
According to experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, having a hard time or feeling unsteady when doing activities such as squatting down, standing up from a chair, or simply walking can increase the risk of falling. Exercises that call for strength and balance can help. Always talk to your doctor or a physical therapist first before starting any new exercises, especially if you have weak balance.
Here’s a progressive exercise sequence that they suggest for people who have a low risk of falling and are able to stand on their own without support from others but in the beginning, stand in a corner or at a kitchen counter in case you start losing your balance and need a wall or counter to steady yourself.
1. Feet apart: Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart, eyes open. Hold steady for 10 seconds, working your way up to 30 seconds. If you find yourself swaying or reaching for the wall or counter frequently, just keep working on this exercise until you can do it with minimal swaying or support. Once you can hold this position firmly for 30 seconds, move on to the next exercise.
2. Feet together: Stand with feet together, eyes open. Hold steady 10 seconds, working your way up to 30 seconds. Once you can do this exercise for 30 seconds with minimal swaying or support, move on to the next one.
3. One foot: Stand on one foot, eyes open. Hold steady 10 seconds, working up to 30 seconds. Switch feet and repeat.
4. Eyes closed: If you can perform the first three exercises safely and with little support, try to do each one with your eyes closed. Hold for 10 seconds, working up to 30 seconds.
You can repeat each exercise up to 5 times per session and build up to repeating the sequence twice a day.
While there’s a place for slowly simmered red sauce, I love how quickly this version comes together, enriched with extra virgin olive oil and ricotta cheese.
Ingredients
Coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup grated yellow onions
4 cups cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh basil sprigs
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
1 pound farfalle or another pasta of similar size
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water and a tablespoon of salt to a boil just before you start the sauce.
Step 2
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, onions, and a sprinkling of salt. Cook until the onions become translucent. Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, sugar, and crushed red pepper, and sauté until the tomatoes burst, stirring constantly. Put the pasta in the boiling water at this point and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
Step 3
Continue cooking the tomatoes for a few more minutes, just until their liquid starts to reduce. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a high-speed blender and process to a smooth sauce, about 30 seconds (start at a low speed and increase gradually to avoid splatter). Pour the sauce back in the skillet and, over medium heat, stir in the ricotta.
Step 4
Use a large Chinese strainer to transfer the pasta to the skillet and coat with the sauce. Ladle into deep bowls, sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and drizzle with olive oil.
Yields 4 to 6 servings
For Your Best Health
The MIND Diet for Brain Health: More Benefits of Olive Oil
According to a new study from researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The Robert Butler Columbia Aging Center, a very specific brain-boosting diet has been linked to reduced dementia risk and a slower pace of aging. The study, “Diet, Pace of Biological Aging, and Risk of Dementia in the Framingham Heart Study,” published in the Annals of Neurology, also explains how the diet helps slow down the processes of biological aging.
“Much attention to nutrition in dementia research focuses on the way specific nutrients affect the brain,” said Daniel Belsky, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and a senior author of the study. “We tested the hypothesis that healthy diet protects against dementia by slowing down the body’s overall pace of biological aging.”
The researchers used data from the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study, the Offspring Cohort. Participants were 60 years of age or older and free of dementia and had available dietary, epigenetic, and follow-up data. Follow-up was done at nine examinations, approximately every 4 to 7 years, which included a physical exam, lifestyle-related questionnaires, blood sampling, and, starting in 1991, neurocognitive testing. Of 1,644 participants included in the analyses, 140 developed dementia.
To measure the pace of aging, the researchers used an epigenetic clock called DunedinPACE developed by Dr. Belsky and colleagues at Duke University and the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The clock measures how fast a person’s body is deteriorating as they grow older, “like a speedometer for the biological processes of aging,” explained Dr. Belsky.
“We have some strong evidence that a healthy diet can protect against dementia,” said Yian Gu, PhD, associate professor of neurological sciences at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the other senior author of the study, “but the mechanism of this protection is not well understood.” Past research linked both diet and dementia risk to an accelerated pace of biological aging. “Testing the hypothesis that multi-system biological aging is a mechanism of underlying diet-dementia associations was the logical next step,” explained Dr. Belsky.
The research determined that higher adherence to the MIND diet slowed the pace of aging as measured by DunedinPACE and reduced risks for dementia and mortality. Furthermore, slower DunedinPACE accounted for 27% of the diet-dementia association and 57% of the diet-mortality association.
“Our findings suggest that slower pace of aging mediates part of the relationship of healthy diet with reduced dementia risk, and therefore, monitoring pace of aging may inform dementia prevention,” said first author Aline Thomas, PhD, of the Columbia Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain. “However, a portion of the diet-dementia association remains unexplained, therefore we believe that continued investigation of brain-specific mechanisms in well-designed mediation studies is warranted.”
“We suggest that additional observational studies be conducted to investigate direct associations of nutrients with brain aging, and if our observations are also confirmed in more diverse populations, monitoring biological aging may indeed inform dementia prevention,” noted Dr. Belsky.
Exactly What Is the MIND Diet?
MIND is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, tailored to reflect key findings from nutrition and dementia research. It details serving sizes of specific foods to focus on and which to limit, primarily those high in saturated fat, which is known to negatively affect brain health.
Foods and portions to eat every day: 1/2 to 1 cup green leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup other vegetables, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and three 1-ounce servings of whole grains.
Foods and portions to eat over the course of each week: 5 ounces nuts, 2-1/2 cups berries, 1-1/2 cups legumes, two 3-to-5-ounce servings of skinless poultry, and 3-to-5 ounces fish.
Foods to limit to these weekly totals: three or fewer 3-to-5-ounce servings of red and processed meats, 1 ounce whole-fat cheese, 1 fried or fast food, and 4 sweet servings. If desired, no more than 1 teaspoon of butter or stick of margarine a day.
