Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Olive Oil Hunter News #233

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

  • Olive Oil Hunter News #233 Chicken Skillet Dinner

    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.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Chicken thighs

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

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Parboiling Potatoes

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

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.

Fruit and Veggies for Better Sleep

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

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.”

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Olive Oil Hunter News #227

Chinese Eggplant with Tangy Garlic Sauce Recipe, Spotlight on Chinese Eggplant, Does Cheese Fuel Nightmares, plus Maximizing the Mood Benefits of Exercise 

Eating your veggies is more fun when you tingle your tastebuds with new sensations. If you’ve never tried Chinese eggplant, you’ll be surprised at how versatile it is. It takes on the flavors of the other ingredients in a recipe, making it a wonderful vehicle for the sweet and tangy Asian sauce I’m sharing. An interesting study at the Université de Montréal found a connection between being lactose intolerant and having nightmares—it’s a real eye-opener! And when it comes to exercise, certain factors can have a big impact on how much your mood benefits from working out.

Chinese Eggplant with Tangy Garlic Sauce

  • Chinese Eggplant with Tangy Garlic Sauce Chinese Eggplant with Tangy Garlic Sauce

    I particularly love the sauce for the eggplant—try it on chicken, pork, and Asian noodles, too. A common misconception is that olive oil is too flavorful for Asian cooking, but that myth was dispelled some time ago by Melissa Wong, a great friend of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club and a consummate foodie. You’ll read more about Melissa in the Pressing Report that comes with our next quarterly shipment of olive oils—she’s the force behind one of my amazing Australian selections. If you’re not currently a member of the Club, please click here to join now, so you don’t miss my sumptuous trio of Oz oils in September.

    Ingredients

    For the sauce:

    • 2 teaspoons cornstarch 
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
    • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
    • 1/4 cup white sugar
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes, more to taste
    • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce 

    For the eggplant:

    • 2 small purple or white Chinese eggplant (about 8 ounces), sliced into 1/2-inch discs
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
    • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

    Directions

    Step 1

    Make the sauce: In a small dish, dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water; set aside. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the aromatics soften. Add in the rice wine vinegar, sugar, water, chili flakes, and soy sauce. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Add in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat. 

    Step 2

    Make the eggplant: To extract excess water, place the eggplant discs in a colander set over a bowl and toss with the salt. After 15 minutes, rinse with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.

    Step 3

    Heat a large skillet or flat-bottom wok. Coat the eggplant discs with the cornstarch. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, garlic, and ginger and cook until the aromatics soften (don’t let them burn). Add the eggplant in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, then flip and continue cooking until brown on both sides. 

    Step 4

    Transfer the eggplant to a serving bowl and top with 1/2 cup sauce; serve the rest separately.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Chinese Eggplant

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Chinese Eggplant

If you don’t think you like eggplant, give this long, thin variety a try. Chinese eggplants cook up quickly and have a milder taste than the traditional, bulbous variety because they have far fewer seeds. Traditionally deep-purple hued, they’re also available in white and striped versions. There’s no need to peel them, and they can be sliced in a variety of ways, making them a versatile addition to stir-fries and other recipes.

Chinese eggplant

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Prepping Eggplant

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Prepping Eggplant

Like many other vegetables, including mushrooms, Chinese eggplant can easily absorb oil during stovetop cooking, so make sure your pan is hot before you get started. Sweating them to reduce their moisture content and giving them a light coating of cornstarch, as described in the above recipe, will keep them from turning soggy. When roasting, just lightly brush the eggplant pieces with olive oil before placing in the oven. 

For Your Best Health: Does Cheese Fuel Nightmares? 

For Your Best Health

Does Cheese Fuel Nightmares? 

Although folk beliefs have long held that what you eat affects how you sleep, there’s very little evidence to prove or disprove them. To investigate, researchers from the Université de Montréal in Canada surveyed 1,082 students at MacEwan University about sleep time and quality, dreams and nightmares, and any perceived association between different kinds of dreams and different foods. They also asked about participants’ mental and physical health and their relationship with food. 

About a third of respondents reported regular nightmares. Women were more likely to remember their dreams and to report poor sleep and nightmares, and nearly twice as likely as men to report a food intolerance or allergy. About 40% of participants said that they thought eating late at night or specific foods affected their sleep, and roughly 25% thought particular foods could make their sleep worse. People who ate less healthily were more likely to have negative dreams and less likely to remember dreams. 

Most participants who blamed their bad sleep on food thought that sweets, spicy foods, or dairy were responsible. Only a comparatively small proportion—5.5% of respondents—felt that what they ate affected the tone of their dreams, but many of these people said they thought sweets or dairy made their dreams more disturbing or bizarre.

Woman waking rested and happy

When the authors compared reports of food intolerances to reports of bad dreams and poor sleep, they found that lactose intolerance in particular was associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, nightmares, and low sleep quality. It’s possible that eating dairy activates gastrointestinal disturbance and the resulting discomfort affects people’s dreams and the quality of their rest.

“Nightmares are worse for lactose-intolerant people who suffer severe gastrointestinal symptoms and whose sleep is disrupted,” said Tore Nielsen, PhD, lead author of the article, which was published in Frontiers in Psychology. “This makes sense, because we know that other bodily sensations can affect dreaming. Nightmares can be very disruptive, especially if they occur often, because they tend to awaken people from sleep in a dysphoric state. They might also produce sleep avoidance behaviors. Both symptoms can rob you of restful sleep. These new findings imply that changing eating habits for people with some food sensitivities could alleviate nightmares. They could also explain why people so often blame dairy for bad dreams …We are routinely asked whether food affects dreaming, especially by journalists on food-centric holidays,” said Dr. Nielsen. “Now we have some answers.”

Besides the robust link between lactose intolerance and nightmares, however, it’s not clear how the relationship between sleep and diet works. It’s possible that people sleep less well because they eat less well, but it’s also possible that people don’t eat well because they don’t sleep well, or that another factor influences both sleep and diet. Further research will be needed to confirm these links and identify the underlying mechanisms. In the meantime, the researchers suggest that simple diet tweaks, especially ditching late-night cheese, could turn scary sleep into sweet rest.

Fitness Flash: Maximizing the Mood Benefits of Exercise 

Fitness Flash

Maximizing the Mood Benefits of Exercise 

Movement helps your mood, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. Researchers have known that exercising for fun, with friends, or in enjoyable settings brings greater mental health benefits than simply moving for chores or obligations. But a recent study done at the University of Georgia suggests that it’s not just physical movement that affects mental health. Their findings emphasize that context—who you’re with, why you’re exercising, and even the weather—can make or break the mood-boosting effects and may be more important than the actual amount of exercise you get.

“Historically, physical activity research has focused on how long someone exercises for or how many calories were burned,” said Patrick O’Connor, PhD, co-author of the study and a professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s department of kinesiology. “The ‘dose’ of exercise has been the dominant way researchers have tried to understand how physical activity might influence mental health, while often ignoring whether those minutes were spent exercising with a friend or as part of a game.”

While research shows that leisure-time physical activity, like going for a run, taking a yoga class, or biking for fun, correlates with better mental health outcomes, these benefits may vary significantly depending on the environment and circumstances surrounding the activity, according to the researchers. They reviewed three types of studies: large-scale epidemiological studies that examined health patterns in populations, randomized controlled trials where some groups received exercise treatments and others did not, and a much smaller but growing set of investigations into “contextual factors.” For instance, multiple studies have found that people who engage in regular leisure-time physical activity tend to report lower levels of depression and anxiety. But it’s less clear for other forms of activity like cleaning the house or working for a lawn care company. Where the evidence is thinnest but potentially most important is in understanding contextual factors. 

Context may matter as much as the intensity or amount of physical activity. “For example, if a soccer player runs down the field and kicks the game-winning ball, their mental health is fantastic,” Dr. O’Connor said. “In contrast, if you do the exact same exercise but miss the goal and people are blaming you, you likely feel very differently. Anecdotes such as these show how context matters even when people are performing a similar exercise dose.” In other words, the same physical activity can feel very different depending on who the activity was done with, as well as where, when, and how. 

Context can range from peer dynamics and instructor style to external conditions like weather or time of day. “If you’re outside and it’s hot, and you’re having to walk to work, that’s part of the context,” he said. “Or if you go and take a group exercise class—some instructors you really like, and some you don’t. So, that’s also part of the context. If we’re trying to help people’s mental health with exercise, then not only do we need to think about the dose and the mode, we also need to ask: What is the context?”

Numerous randomized controlled trials have shown that adopting regular exercise routines boosted mental health, especially for people with mental health disorders. However, these studies were typically based on small, short-term, and homogenous samples, so the results likely aren’t generalizable to larger, more diverse groups. “The average effects on mental health are small across all the randomized controlled studies of exercise, and that’s partly because most of the studies focused on people who were not depressed or anxious—you do get bigger effects in those studies,” explained Dr. O’Connor. “We’re communicating to scientists that larger and longer-term controlled studies are needed to make a compelling case whether exercise does, or does not, truly impact mental health.”

For Dr. O’Connor, the takeaway is already clear: It’s not just movement that matters. It’s the meaning, the setting, and the experience surrounding the activity that determines the impact of exercise on mental health.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #215

Muffaletta-Style Olive Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Anchovies, Roasting Bell Peppers, Napping: A Sleep-Cycle Foe and Walk This Way

One of the classic New Orleans specialties, muffaletta, is a delectable mix of meats and cheeses served on crusty bread. But its uniqueness comes from the olive salad that fills the hollowed-out top half of the loaf. I always make more than I need because it’s such a tasty condiment, as well as a great topping for grilled bread slices, a wonderful dressing for green salads, and a “sauce” for grilled fish, chicken, and other proteins. 

Most people don’t realize that good sleep is one of the building blocks of health and fitness or that an innocent nap can be a roadblock to restorative ZZZs. Even more important, needing to nap often can be a sign of a health condition. Something else important for wellness is good posture—remember Mom always telling you to stand up straight? Scientists have developed special shoe sensors that may soon help you follow her directive more easily! 

Muffaletta-Style Olive Salad

  • Muffaletta-style olive salad Muffaletta-Style Olive Salad

    This flavorful mix of peppers, olives, and onions defines the muffaletta sandwich—you can choose a mix of your favorite meats and cheeses, like capicola, prosciutto, salami, mozzarella, and provolone, but don’t leave off the olive salad! A batch will stay fresh in the fridge for about a week.

    Ingredients

    • 1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
    • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
    • 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
    • 2 cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
    • 8 Italian hot peppers
    • 1 large red bell pepper, roasted and seeded (see “Quick Kitchen Nugget in weekly newsletter)
    • 6 tablespoons capers, drained
    • 4 anchovy fillets or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano 
    • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup best-quality red wine vinegar

    Directions

    Step 1

    To the bowl of a large food processor add the onions, olives, and artichokes and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add in the hot peppers, bell pepper, capers, anchovies, oregano, and red pepper flakes and pulse again until finely chopped (don’t let the mixture turn into a paste).

    Step 2

    Transfer to a large bowl and fold in the olive oil and vinegar. Let sit for 30 minutes so that the flavors can meld before using or refrigerating.

    Yields about 4 cups

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Anchovies

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Anchovies

Anchovies might be the least-appreciated fish among Americans. An essential flavoring agent for dishes such as Caesar salad and puttanesca sauce, anchovies are typically sold here jarred or canned. They’re used in many cuisines, but around the Mediterranean, grilled or breaded fresh anchovies, briny yet mild tasting, are often on the menu. 

It’s the salt curing used to preserve anchovies that intensifies their taste—their saltiness lends depth of flavor to cooked dishes without imparting the full-throated taste of an anchovy eaten right out of the can or jar. Indeed, they quickly dissolve right into the other ingredients. Look for tins of anchovies from Italy. If they are packed in olive oil, drain them well before using.

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Roasting Bell Peppers

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Roasting Bell Peppers

Grilled bell peppers

Whenever I’ve got my outdoor grill going, I’ll throw on two or three bell peppers, char them well, then peel, deseed, and store them in olive oil in the fridge to use for the coming week. When you need a roasted pepper without turning on the grill, the oven is the way to go. Here’s how.

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grab a rimmed sheet pan and line it with high-heat parchment paper (it will be marked as safe to use up to 400°F or higher). Place one or more bell peppers on their sides and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes, flip, and roast for another 20 minutes, or until the skin chars and wrinkles. Take them out of the oven and, with your oven mitts still on, fold up the parchment to make a packet that seals in the peppers. This creates steam, which will make it easy to peel off the skins. Wait 15 minutes, then unwrap the parchment and remove the skins. Transfer the peppers to a cutting board, halve them, cut out the stems, and use a spoon to remove the seeds. 

For Your Best Health: Napping: A Sleep-Cycle Foe

For Your Best Health

Napping: A Sleep-Cycle Foe

Woman napping in hammock

According to a Pew Research Center survey, about 30% of American adults take one or more naps per week, with more than 50% of adults age 80 and older reporting that they had napped in the past day. Among every other age group in the survey, including both young people ages 18 to 29 and older people ages 70 to 79, about a third said they napped in the past 24 hours.

But is all the snoozing good for you? Maria V. Suurna, MD, professor of clinical otolaryngology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and director of sleep surgery at UHealth, the University of Miami Health System, set the record straight on the pros and cons of napping.

“Short naps of no more than 30 minutes during the day can help restore alertness and productivity, making you feel more awake. It’s similar to the effect of drinking a cup of coffee. There’s nothing wrong with taking a nap, but it’s important not to make it too long. It may be helpful to set an alarm for 30 minutes, especially if it’s late in the afternoon, to avoid interfering with your nighttime sleep,” said Dr. Suurna. “If you have trouble sleeping at night, it’s generally not recommended to nap during the day, as it can make it harder to fall asleep and get a full 7-9 hours of sleep at night. 

“If you feel excessively sleepy during the day, often falling asleep during meetings or, more dangerously, while driving, it’s important to consult a sleep doctor. Needing to take multiple naps throughout the day could be a sign of sleep problems such as sleep apnea, hypersomnolence, or other sleep disorders. A medical evaluation can help identify and address any underlying issues,” she added.

As a reminder, you may be able to boost nighttime sleep quality with these good sleep habits: 

  • Review your medications with your doctor, as some may have sedating side effects while others may act as stimulants, making it harder to stay asleep. 
  • Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
  • Avoid electronics, TV, and other screens starting at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
  • Reduce exposure to bright lights in the evening.
  • Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.
  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine starting in the early afternoon, as they can interfere with sleep quality and contribute to insomnia.
Fitness Flash: Walk This Way

Fitness Flash

Walk This Way

A new smart insole system that monitors how people walk in real time could help improve posture and provide early warnings for conditions from plantar fasciitis to Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. Constructed using 22 small pressure sensors and fueled by small solar panels on the tops of shoes, the system offers real-time health tracking based on how a person walks, which is a biomechanical process as unique as a human fingerprint.

This data can then be transmitted via Bluetooth to a smartphone for a quick and detailed analysis, said Jinghua Li, PhD, co-author of the study and an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at The Ohio State University. “Our bodies carry lots of useful information that we’re not even aware of,” said Dr. Li. “These statuses also change over time, so it’s our goal to use electronics to extract and decode those signals to encourage better self-healthcare checks.”

It’s estimated that at least 7% of Americans suffer from ambulatory difficulties, often having a hard time with basic activities that include walking, running, and climbing stairs. While efforts to manufacture a wearable insole-based pressure system have risen in popularity in recent years, many previous prototypes were met with energy limitations and unstable performances. To overcome the challenges of their precursors, Dr. Li and Qi Wang, the lead author of the study and a current PhD candidate at Ohio State, sought to ensure that their wearable is durable, has a high degree of precision when collecting and analyzing data, and can provide consistent and reliable power. 

“Our device is innovative in terms of high resolution, spatial sensing, self-powering capability, and its ability to combine with machine learning algorithms,” she said. “So, we feel like this research can go further based on the pioneering successes of this field.”

Their system is also unique because of its use of AI. Thanks to an advanced machine learning model, the wearable can recognize eight different motion states, from static ones like sitting and standing to more dynamic movements such as running and squatting. Since the materials used for the insoles are flexible and safe, the device, much like a smartwatch, is low risk and appropriate for continuous use. For instance, after the solar cells convert sunlight to energy, that power is stored in tiny lithium batteries that don’t harm the user or affect daily activities.

Because of the distribution of sensors from toe to heel, the researchers could see how the pressure on parts of the foot is different in activities such as walking versus running. During walking, pressure is applied sequentially from the heel to the toes, whereas during running, almost all sensors are subjected to pressure simultaneously. In addition, during walking, the pressure application time accounts for about half of the total time, while during running, it accounts for only about a quarter.

The smart insoles could support gait analysis to detect early abnormalities associated with foot pressure-related conditions like diabetic foot ulcers, musculoskeletal disorders such as plantar fasciitis, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

Because the system uses machine learning to learn and classify different types of motion, it offers opportunities for personalized health management, including real-time posture correction, injury prevention, and rehabilitation monitoring. Customized fitness training may also be a future use, the researchers said. “The interface is flexible and quite thin, so even during repetitive deformation, it can remain functional,” said Dr. Li. “The combination of the software and hardware means it isn’t as limited.”

Researchers expect the technology will likely be available commercially within the next three to five years. Next steps to advance the work will be aimed at improving the system’s gesture recognition abilities, which, according to Dr. Li, will likely be helped with further testing on more diverse populations. “We have so many variations among individuals, so demonstrating and training these fantastic capabilities on different populations is something we need to give further attention to,” she said.

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Olive Oil Hunter #206

Barley Bowl Recipe, Spotlight on Green Peas (Vegetable or Legume?), Hearing and Your Health, Storing Grains, When Worries About Not Sleeping Keep You Up at Night

Whole grains are an important part of the Mediterranean diet—and should be part of every diet, not only for their nutrients but also for the depth of flavor that is missing in refined products. Barley bowls are a great way to enjoy this nutty-tasting grain, and you can customize it with your favorite seasonal vegetables any time of the year. When it comes to good health, many people aren’t aware of the impact hearing loss can have on their lives, physically and socially—there’s a new app that lets you check on your own. I’m also sharing advice from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to calm concerns among people who might be going too far in their efforts to get better sleep.

Barley Bowl

  • Barley bowl Barley Bowl

    Barley is a nutritious whole grain that retains far more nutrients than pearl barley. It does take longer to cook and tends to require more water, but the taste is more than worth it, and you can make it up to 3 days in advance. I like to enhance this medley with pomegranate molasses. A staple in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, it’s a luscious sweet-tart syrup made by boiling down pomegranate juice until it becomes thick. It’s available at spice and gourmet shops, but it’s easy enough to make on your own…with a little patience—expect a couple of cups of juice to take an hour or more to reduce (check the pot often and stand by when it gets close to the syrup stage to avoid burning it). 

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup uncooked hulled barley
    • 8 cups water, divided use
    • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    • 1 large sweet onion, chopped 
    • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt 
    • 8 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and thyme leaves
    • 8 ounces spinach leaves, rinsed, patted dry, and rough-chopped
    • 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (see Healthy Ingredient Spotlight in weekly newsletter)  
    • Optional: 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, more to taste

    Directions

    Step 1

    Add the dry barley and 6 cups of water to a wide saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally and checking that the water doesn’t evaporate before the barley is done; if needed, add more water, 1 cup at a time. For the last 10 minutes, stir continuously to prevent scorching as the last of the water gets absorbed.

    Step 2

    Defrost the peas if frozen. Heat a wok or wide sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and onions; cook until the onions turn translucent, sprinkling them with salt after 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, black pepper, and herbs; continue cooking until the mushrooms give up most of their liquid. Push the other vegetables to the side and add the spinach, a handful at a time, cooking each batch until wilted. 

    Step 3

    When all the vegetables are tender, fold in the peas, cooked barley, and pomegranate molasses, if using. Serve in deep bowls with a drizzle of olive oil.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Green peas: vegetable or legume?

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Green Peas: Vegetable or Legume?

Green peas in a bowl

Whether snap peas or green peas (or snow peas for that matter), peas are classified as legumes—plants that make pods with seeds or beans inside. Legumes also include all types of lentils; beans, including soybeans and chickpeas (garbanzo beans); and dried yellow and green split peas.

Confusing the situation, the USDA puts green peas not in the “beans, peas, and lentils group” but rather in with traditional veggies because, the agency says, peas’ nutrients align better with those of vegetables than those of legumes (it also describes them as “starchy” vegetables). The bottom line? No matter what you call them, peas are delicious and packed with nutrients, and they make a great addition to many recipes.

Quick kitchen nugget basket icon

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Storing Grains

Because whole grains include natural oils, it’s important to store them correctly. As with extra virgin olive oil, grains’ natural enemies are heat, light, and moisture! If stored properly in airtight containers, grains like barley, farro, brown rice, and spelt will keep for up to 6 months on a cool, dry pantry shelf or up to a year in the freezer. For amaranth, oats, and quinoa, it’s 4 months on the shelf and 8 in the freezer. Buckwheat and millet are the most perishable—use within 2 months when stored on a shelf, within 4 in the freezer. If you transfer grains to your own container after opening the package, write down the package’s use-by date as a reminder. 

For Your Best Health: Can you hear me now?

For Your Best Health

Can You Hear Me Now? 

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has released an app, Hearing Number, that makes it free, fast, and easy to test your hearing. It introduces the most widely used clinical measure for hearing as a wellness metric that can be tracked over time. The app is part of a public health campaign to raise awareness about the importance of monitoring, protecting, and optimizing hearing at all ages. 

Hearing Number will tell someone, in decibels, the softest speech sound they can hear in each ear. Children and young adults with healthy hearing can have a Hearing Number as low as -10 dB; this number increases as we get older. The higher someone’s Hearing Number is, the harder it is for them to hear and communicate in noisy places.

Man using hearing app to determine hearing number

“The Hearing Number gives everyone a way to easily understand and think about their hearing over their lifetime, beginning as a teenager,” says Frank Lin, MD, PhD, lead creator of the app and director of the Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at the Bloomberg School. “Many of us track simple metrics about ourselves like our blood pressure and our step count, but people have never had a way to measure their hearing in the same way. By knowing their Hearing Number, people can understand this important aspect of their health, track the changes to their hearing that occur naturally over time, and know when to use technologies to protect their hearing and hear better.”

Your Hearing Number—known clinically as the 4-frequency pure tone average—is one of many ways that audiologists and other hearing care professionals measure hearing and is the basis of the broad categories that the World Health Organization uses to define hearing loss. WHO estimates that 700 million—or 1 in 10—people worldwide will have hearing loss by 2050, with over 1 billion young people currently at risk of preventable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. Risk of hearing loss increases with age, with more than 25% of people over 60 affected by hearing loss globally, according to WHO. In the US, about 1 in 3 people between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Hearing is foundational to social and cognitive health. A 2023 study led by Bloomberg School researchers found that treating hearing loss in older adults at increased risk for cognitive decline slows down loss of thinking and memory abilities. Research has also linked hearing loss to increased risk of depression, falls, fatigue, loss of thinking and memory abilities, and social isolation. “Connecting people with their hearing through a simple metric has the potential to drive a shift in how people think about and prioritize their hearing throughout their lives,” said Dr. Lin.

The Hearing Number app is available for iOS and Android smartphones. The test requires headphones or earbuds and takes about 5 minutes to complete in a quiet setting. The app does not collect user personal data and users can share the app without sharing personal data. 

Fitness Flash: More Motivation to Get Moving

Fitness Flash

When Worries About Not Sleeping Keep You Up at Night

A recent survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine highlights a surprising paradox: 81% of Americans report losing sleep due to worries about sleep problems. This illustrates the growing pressure to achieve “perfect sleep,” fueled by social media trends, wellness products, and sleep tracking technology. 

“Concerns about getting enough high-quality sleep can create a vicious cycle of stress and sleeplessness for some people,” said Anita Shelgikar, MD, MHPE, a sleep medicine physician and president-elect of the AASM. “Prioritizing sleep is great for overall health and well-being. For some, however, a heavy focus on optimizing sleep can actually lead to a decrease in sleep quality and sleep quantity.” 

While many people embrace rigorous sleep optimization routines, from advanced tracking apps to highly structured rituals, often in pursuit of achieving that “perfect” 8 hours of sleep, experts caution that these things can unintentionally fuel sleep anxiety, a condition called orthosomnia.

“Sleep maximization can sometimes turn what should be a restorative process into a high-pressure task,” Dr. Shelgikar noted. “Highly detailed sleep tracking and optimization can cause some individuals to become overly critical of their sleep patterns, leading to heightened stress and potentially worsened sleep over time.” 

The AASM recommends the following strategies to ease worries and promote better sleep: 

  • Create a relaxing environment: Make your bedroom a calming space. Keep it dark, quiet, and cool, and invest in comfortable bedding. 
  • Practice relaxation techniques: Engage in activities such as deep breathing, meditation, or journaling to help calm and clear your mind before bedtime. 
  • Understand the role of sleep tracking data: If you’re using sleep technologies, think of them as guides and tools, not rigid scorekeepers. 
  • Seek professional help: If you continue to experience sleep-related stress or sleeplessness, talk with your health care professional or sleep medicine specialist for further evaluation of your sleep. 

“Sleep doesn’t have to be perfect every night,” Dr. Shelgikar added. “The key is focusing on sustainable habits and broad trends related to your sleep. The goal is to get the amount of sleep you need to wake up refreshed and well rested on a regular basis.” 

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