Healthy Food

Secret Effects of Eating Bell Peppers, Says Science

Whether you’re sautéing them to throw on a rice bowl, or making this low-carb pizza recipe, bell peppers are a delicious part of many different kinds of meals. Bell peppers also make for great snacks to take on the go and are known for being an excellent source of fiber and other important nutrients.

We know bell peppers are a healthy food option for meals, but there may be some positive effects that surprise you! Read on to discover the secret effects of eating bell peppers, and don’t forget to check out the 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

slicing bell pepper
Shutterstock

Bell peppers are loaded with vitamin C. In fact, bell peppers actually have more vitamin C than oranges! Something that many people don’t know about vitamin C is that aside from its health benefits like building immunity and managing high blood pressure, it has actually been proven to help cognitive function as we age.

One study review published in BMC Psychiatry was able to make a link between vitamin C deficiency and feelings of depression and slower cognitive function. While researchers claim that further research should take place, there have been multiple studies to show the links between vitamin C and cognitive function over the past 20 years—including this cohort study found in the American Journal of Epidemiology, which proved that vitamin C can protect against mild to severe cognitive impairment.

Red bell peppers
Shuuterstock

In a time when COVID-19 is still prevalent in our world, taking care of our immunity

… Read More

Farmers markets are growing their role as essential sources of healthy food for rich and poor

For many Americans, buying fresh local food at one of the estimated 9,000 farmers markets across the U.S. is one of summer’s pleasures. But farmers markets aren’t just nice amenities. Over the past 18 months, many have filled food supply gaps caused by COVID-19 shutdowns.

While numerous farmers markets shut down at the start of the pandemic, many soon reopened under state or local guidelines that mandated masks, social distancing and other precautions.

When grocery store supply chains were disrupted, consumer interest in local foods spiked, along with concerns about exposure to the coronavirus while shopping. Farmers market managers adapted swiftly, experimenting with options like prepackaged goods and drive-thru pickup.

In fact, many farmers markets enjoyed their strongest-ever sales in 2020. Affluent shoppers became more interested in buying local food, while lower-income buyers were able to use federal benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Stepping into this expanded role was no mean feat – but we know from our research in city planning and urban food systems that with adequate support, marketplaces respond vigorously to crises and opportunities.

The fall and rise of urban farmers markets

Farmers have been selling their goods at public markets in the U.S. for centuries. Many U.S. cities evicted or sidelined street vendors in the mid-20th century to make room for large-scale retail stores. But in the 1970s and ‘80s, farmers markets started reappearing in middle-class communities and suburbs.

This resurgence, which reflected the rise of the environmental movement, was

… Read More

Simple Steps for Liking Healthy Food

You’re probably familiar with what a healthy diet should look like.

However, eating healthy can be much more challenging if you’re accustomed to eating a lot of processed foods. If that’s the case, you may even find nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables unappealing.

Retraining your palate to enjoy more nutritious, minimally processed foods is key to eating healthy.

Fortunately, you can start learning to love nutritious foods that boost your diet and health right away.

Here are 7 simple strategies to help you retrain your palate and eat healthier.

The practice of mindful eating involves slowing down, listening to your body, and paying close attention to how your food looks, smells, and tastes.

Mindful eating is associated with several health benefits and may be an effective tool to prevent binge eating and weight gain (1).

Plus, it may help you enjoy your meals more and start appreciating healthy, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

To get started, minimize any external distractions during mealtimes by turning off the TV and putting your phone away. Then, slow down while eating and chew each bite thoroughly to savor the dish.

Taking small breaks may help you start listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. In turn, recognizing when you’re hungry versus when you’re full may help prevent overeating.

One of the best ways to retrain your palate is to start adding flavorful new ingredients to your weekly menu.

For example, using unfamiliar spices, such as tarragon,

… Read More

Does the app targeting behaviour change really work?

The UK is facing a health crisis, with a majority of citizens failing to eat an adequately healthy diet.

It is estimated that 75% of men and 72% of women do not consume enough fruit and vegetables in their diet, while recommended sugar intake guidelines are exceeded by 100%. Two in every three adults are currently obese or overweight.

As obesity and associated health conditions are recognised as major concerns, researchers are interested in behavioural weight management interventions designed to reduce calorie intake. These range from taxing beverages with high levels of added sugar to providing information about healthy diets.

However, a group of psychologists from the Universities of Exeter and Cardiff in the UK believe unconscious, impulsive psychological processes may play an important role in consumer diets. As a result, the team has developed a computer game that aims to help consumers reduce their intake of unhealthy foods.

Being researchers, they have also conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of the computer app in both lab and real-world experiments. And the results are in.

Putting the brakes on junk food​

The researchers describe their FoodTrainer (FoodT) app as a ‘simple computer game’ capable of training one’s brain to stop consuming unhealthy food and drinks.

By repeatedly playing the game, consumers build up associations between certain foods (such as chocolate) and stopping, which the researchers describe as ‘effectively putting the brakes on your eating behaviour’.

“This won’t stop you from eating these foods completely, but it will give

… Read More

You Spoke, We Listened: The Challenges of Purchasing Healthy Food with SNAP Benefits

Posted by Rich Lucas, Deputy Administrator for Office of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service in

Food and Nutrition

Aug 09, 2021

As directed by Congress in 2018, USDA is re-evaluating the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP)—the estimated cost of an affordable, nutritious diet. The TFP is used to calculate SNAP benefit levels. To complement the re-evaluation efforts and gather insights from those who will be impacted by the result, USDA recently hosted five listening sessions with SNAP participants, researchers, advocates, and others. Here’s some of what we heard:

Families are struggling to get enough food with current SNAP benefit levels: Dr. Valerie Smith, a Tyler, Texas pediatrician, said she sees “too many families and children of all ages who consistently don’t have enough food to make it through the month [to] decrease food insecurity and set children up with healthy eating habits for the rest of their lives.”

Limited resources push families to make less healthful choices: “It is hard to choose between having enough to eat and trying to get healthier,” said one SNAP participant, describing the difficult choice of limit fresh food purchases in favor of packaged products that were sometimes less healthful but more affordable.

Additional SNAP benefits can promote nutrition security—and make better futures possible: A member of the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists explained that increasing SNAP benefits would not only help families afford nutritious food, but also with “advancing overall health outcomes, lowering healthcare costs, and improving the economy.”

USDA appreciates those who

… Read More