My Choices News Update

Eating Almonds Daily Boosts Exercise Recovery Molecule by 69% Among ‘Weekend Warriors’ “Summary: Adding 57g of almonds to the diet every day for a month increases levels of the beneficial fat, 12,13-DiHOME in blood samples immediately after a session of intense exercise.” Low-carb diet reverses type 2 diabetes in 51% of participants to new study “A recent study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health showed that a low-carbohydrate diet was effective in achieving glycemic control in people living with type 2 diabetes.” Variety of healthy eating patterns linked with lower risk of premature death “Boston, MA—A variety of healthy eating patterns are linked to reduced risk of premature death, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers. They found that participants who scored high on adherence to at least one of four healthy eating patterns were less likely to die during the study period from any cause and less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, cancer, or respiratory disease, compared with people with lower scores. The findings are consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend multiple healthy eating patterns.” How to Stop the Pain of Wishing People Were Different “Sometimes it’s hard to just accept people for who they are. Here’s how to be at peace with someone, faults and all.” Not Just Waistlines: Exercise Can Change the Very Molecules in the Human Body That Influence How Genes Behave “According to a new study, twins who engage in high levels of physical activity (defined as more than 150 minutes of exercise per week) show epigenetic changes in certain DNA methylation regions that are associated with lower body mass index and waist circumference.” The 7 Best High-Fiber Snacks, According to a Dietitian “Though it might not be as trendy as some other nutrients, fiber is a critical part of a healthy eating pattern. It provides several benefits, like supporting healthy digestion, increasing beneficial gut bacteria, lowering risk of chronic disease and even promoting healthy weight management. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend getting between 28 and 34 grams daily, but most Americans are missing the mark.” Sitting all day can be deadly. 5-minute walks can offset harms “If you sit at your computer all day and then lounge on the sofa for more screen time in the evening, your health can take a hit. A body of evidence links sedentary lifestyles to an increased risk of diabetes, dementia and death from heart disease. And here’s a wake-up call: One study found, irrespective of whether a person exercised, if they sat for more than 12-13 hours a day, they were more than twice as likely to die early, compared to people who sat the least. A new study finds you can cut that risk with strikingly small amounts of activity.” Fast-Food Fans May Face Liver Damage “Jan. 13, 2023 – A new study that shows the harm to the liver of eating fast food might provide people with motivation to eat less of it in the new year. The study found that eating at least 20% of total daily calories from fast food can increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a potentially life-threatening condition where fat builds up in the liver. The disease can lead to cirrhosis and its complications, including liver failure and liver cancer.” Does health literacy moderate the psychological pathways of physical activity from guideline awareness to behavior? A multi-group structural equation modeling “Awareness, knowledge, beliefs, and behavioral intentions of physical activity (PA) guidelines may be important mediating factors for promoting PA. However, these pathways of the psychological process to PA behavior have not been examined. These pathways may differ depending on health literacy levels. This study investigated the pathways to PA, from guideline awareness to behavior, and further examined whether they differed by health literacy.”