Ultra-processed foods are high in added sugar, fat and salt, and low in protein and fiber. They include soft drinks, salty and sugary snacks, ice cream, sausage, deep-fried chicken, yogurt, canned baked beans and tomatoes, ketchup, mayonnaise, packaged guacamole and hummus, packaged breads and flavored cereals.

“Ultra-processed foods are meant to be convenient and tasty, but they diminish the quality of a person’s diet,” said study author Huiping Li, PhD, of Tianjin Medical University in China. “These foods may also contain food additives or molecules from packaging or produced during heating, all of which have been shown in other studies to have negative effects on thinking and memory skills. Our research not only found that ultra-processed foods are associated with an increased risk of dementia, it found replacing them with healthy options may decrease dementia risk.”

For the study, researchers identified 72,083 people from the UK Biobank, a large database containing the health information of half a million people living in the United Kingdom. Participants were age 55 and older and did not have dementia at the start of the study. They were followed for an average of 10 years. By the end of the study, 518 people were diagnosed with dementia.

During the study, participants filled out at least two questionnaires about what they ate and drank the previous day. Researchers determined how much ultra-processed food people ate by calculating the grams per day and comparing it to the grams per day of other foods to create a percentage of their daily diet. They then divided participants into four equal groups from lowest percentage consumption of ultra-processed foods to highest.

On average, ultra-processed foods made up 9% of the daily diet of people in the lowest group, an average of 225 grams per day, compared to 28% for people in the highest group, or an average of 814 grams per day. One serving of items like pizza or fish sticks was equivalent to 150 grams. The main food group contributing to high ultra-processed food intake was beverages, followed by sugary products and ultra-processed dairy.

In the lowest group, 105 of the 18,021 people developed dementia, compared to 150 of the 18,021 people in the highest group.

After adjusting for age, gender, family history of dementia and heart disease and other factors that could affect risk of dementia, researchers found that for every 10% increase in daily intake of ultra-processed foods, people had a 25% higher risk of dementia.

Researchers also used study data to estimate what would happen if a person substituted 10% of ultra-processed foods with unprocessed or minimally processed foods, like fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, milk and meat. They found that such a substitution was associated with a 19% lower risk of dementia.

“Our results also show increasing unprocessed or minimally processed foods by only 50 grams a day, which is equivalent to half an apple, a serving of corn, or a bowl of bran cereal, and simultaneously decreasing ultra-processed foods by 50 grams a day, equivalent to a chocolate bar or a serving of fish sticks, is associated with 3% decreased risk of dementia,” said Li. “It’s encouraging to know that small and manageable changes in diet may make a difference in a person’s risk of dementia.”

Li noted that further research is needed to confirm the findings.

Maura E. Walker, PhD, of Boston University in Massachusetts, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, said, “While nutrition research has started to focus on food processing, the challenge is categorizing such foods as unprocessed, minimally processed, processed and ultra-processed. For example, foods like soup would be classified differently if canned versus homemade. Plus, the level of processing is not always aligned with diet quality. Plant-based burgers that qualify as high quality may also be ultra-processed. As we aim to understand better the complexities of dietary intake, we must also consider that more high-quality dietary assessments may be required.”

The good news is that you don’t need to drink gallons of water to stay hydrated. You can also get needed water from the food you eat.

Here, from UCLA Health, is what you need to know:

You may not realize it, but water is an important key to feeling good. It helps regulate your body temperature, prevent infections, get rid of waste and deliver nutrients to cells. Water also plays a role in your mental wellness. Without enough, you could have trouble with sleep, memory, information processing and mood.

Why hydration is important

You may not realize it, but water is an important key to feeling good. It helps regulate your body temperature, prevent infections, get rid of waste and deliver nutrients to cells. Water also plays a role in your mental wellness. Without enough, you could have trouble with sleep, memory, information processing and mood.

Common signs you’re starting to dehydrate include:

• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Dull skin
• Fatigue
• Headaches

Foods that hydrate you

Your body typically gets about 20% of the water it needs from the foods you eat throughout the day. Foods that typically provide the highest water content are raw fruits and vegetables. Eating a diet heavy in produce is a good way to give the body vitamins, minerals and fiber while increasing your daily water intake.

Drinking the recommended daily amount of water may seem daunting. The good news is that it doesn’t all need to be plain water. As you’d expect, you can get hydration from coffee, tea and flavored still or sparkling water. Your body can also absorb water from food.

Any fruits and vegetables with more than 80% water content are a great choice. But these foods (all with a water content greater than 92%) offer the best bang for your buck when it comes to getting the water your body needs:

1. Cucumber (96%)

If you love the crunch of a cucumber, you’re in luck. Cucumbers have the highest water content of any solid food.

2. Iceberg Lettuce (96%)

Darker greens do provide more fiber, folate and vitamin K. But when it comes to staying hydrated, crispy iceberg has the goods.

3. Celery (95%)

In addition to being full of water, celery is a great source of fiber. Add some protein-rich nut butter and you have a healthy snack.

4. Radishes (95%)

This root veggie is full of flavor, vitamin C and fiber but low in calories. Add them to a green salad or grate them into a summer slaw.

5. Romaine Lettuce (95%)

This dark, leafy green packs in a lot of water but also provides many nutritional benefits. Romaine is a good source of vitamins C and A, folate and fiber.

6. Tomatoes (94%)

Many people think of tomatoes as vegetables, but they are actually fruit with a high water content. They also contain lycopene, which helps prevent cell damage.

7. Zucchini & Summer Squash (94%)

Whether you eat summer squash cooked or raw, it provides the same amount of water. So don’t be afraid to throw some zucchini on the grill next to your turkey burger.

8. Asparagus (92%)

With its rough texture, most people choose to eat cooked asparagus. But its water content is the same whether you eat it cooked or raw, so go ahead and grill up some spears.

9. Bell peppers (92%)

All shades of bell peppers will quench your thirst, but green ones lead the pack in water content. As a bonus, bell peppers are high in antioxidants.

10. Cabbage (92%)

All common varieties of cabbage contain a lot of water raw and even more when cooked (94%). Some Chinese cabbages, such as bok choy, are 96% water and taste great tossed into a salad.

11. Cauliflower (92%)

If you love riced cauliflower, but don’t like to eat it raw, you’re in luck. Cooked cauliflower, like cabbage, provides even more water (93%) than eating it raw.

12. Mushrooms (92%)

The health benefits of mushrooms are impressive. But to get the most water from your shrooms, eat them raw.

13. Spinach (92%)

Spinach is a great summer staple for salads and smoothies. In addition to its high water content, it’s packed with nutrition including calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium.      

14. Strawberries (92%)

These sweet berries are a great choice when you’re hot and sweaty. They’re low in calories, but high in water, fiber and vitamin C.

15. Watermelon (92%)

It’s no surprise that watermelon will hydrate you. But, like tomatoes and other red fruits and veggies, it’s also a great source of lycopene.

If you have questions about how much water you should be getting, reach out to your primary care physician.

Led by Carolyn Ross, a professor of Food Sciences at Washington State University (WSU), the study tested saltiness perception in older adults using white sauce formulations with varying amounts of salt and different spices and seasonings added.

According to a WSU news release, the results of the analysis showed the addition of chipotle seasoning to the white sauce made it difficult for the study participants to differentiate between the samples with low and high levels of salt.  Conversely, the addition of herbs, such as basil leaves, garlic powder and coarse ground pepper, was not as effective at masking the samples with less salt. The research points to the significant role that spice could play in reducing salt intake for people over 60.

“We were working specifically with a population of older adults to see if we could reduce the amount of salt in a product and then tailor it to their tastes,” Ross said. “This is important because the ability to taste and smell is known to weaken with age, and weaker perception of salty flavors may induce people to season their food with excessive salt, which may increase their risk of cardiovascular disease.”

For their study, Ross and María Laura Montero, a postdoctoral researcher in the WSU School of Food Sciences, recruited 39 healthy people over the age of 60 to participate in an in-person taste testing experiment that took place over several days slightly prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previous research examining saltiness perception in older adults has tended to use water as a matrix for tasting experiments rather than actual food products. To generate more realistic data in terms of what people actually enjoy eating, Ross and Montero used a white sauce formulation that is commonly found in ready-to-eat Cajun chicken pasta meals.

The study participants were asked to compare three different formulations of the sauce at five different salt concentrations. One of the formulations had no added herbs, the second had just herbs and the third had both herbs and chipotle seasoning.  Their results showed the formulation with both herbs and chipotle seasoning made it difficult for the seniors to determine the amount of salt being used while the formulation with exclusively herbs did not.

In addition to administering the taste test, the news release said, researchers surveyed their participants about their oral and olfactory health, the number and type of medications they were taking and any other pre-existing conditions that might affect their saltiness perception.

Their analysis showed there was a positive correlation between poor oral health and the number of medications each participant was taking, which could be a result of less saliva production; however, their data on whether or not this was the main cause of lowered saltiness perception wasn’t conclusive.

Moving forward, when it is once again feasible to recruit participants for in-person studies, the researchers plan to follow-up with a larger study evaluating lower salt concentrations as well as different herb and spice concentrations.

“To date, a clear relationship between taste loss, and thus higher taste thresholds, and eating behavior remains to be established,” Ross said. “So, we are investigating a bunch of different possible factors.”

Mind games are all about the illusion of control. We decide certain foods are the cause for our discomfort and need to be control, when it may be instead the lack of a food portion/eating schedule our bodies can count on. Next weekend, eat energy-appropriate portions of food (which tend to be a few bites less than our usual intake). Eat on a schedule of every 2-4 hours without grazing in between. This will prevent your body from feeling weighed down or sluggish – even if the foods you eat aren’t nutritionally awesome. This little test is guaranteed not only to boost your energy, but to help you let go of food obsessing. The enemy isn’t bread or brownies, but the lack of a consistent schedule.

Get to the source of your guilt.

Guilt stems from the feeling that we have done something “wrong.” Every time we label a food good or bad, we pass that judgment onto ourselves when we eat it. A positive relationship with food begins with tossing out the words “good” and “bad” as they relate to food, and instead thinking of them as “beneficial” or “less beneficial.” 

End the apology cycle.

Women are especially prone to fall into the apology cycle: making too much of a perceived wrong (say, eating an extra piece of cake) until you feel so guilty that you admit defeat and start bad eating all over again. The best way to end it is to stop thinking of food as your enemy and start looking at it in terms of energy appropriate portions. Plan what you will eat at meals, whether at home or away.

De-stress.

Some of the best (and easiest) destressing techniques include any exercise, especially outdoors, having small rituals throughout your day, and activating your imagination through reading.

Turning daily habits into rituals simply means being mindful and completely present while you do them, and noticing your breath. Any activity will do. For example, I have ritualized watering plants every morning and making my matcha latte in the afternoon. Rituals create short “safe harbor” times throughout the day.

Another technique is to read the first three pages of a novel. Reading stories stimulates our positive brain centers as we create images of what we are reading. A few pages of mindful reading can help to “short-circuit” the worry spin cycle when our brains go in that direction.

How can we create habits that will benefit our long-term goals of ending post weekend eating negativity?

In my program AND/life, we ask people to embrace the idea of highly nutritious “habit” foods and less beneficial, but emotionally comforting “social” foods. If you make a habit of eating 80% habit foods, that leaves you one meal per day that can include social foods. Some people, including me, eat super nutritionally several days each week to allow for more social foods on the weekend. Whether you eat them every day, or on some sort of schedule, including appropriate social foods in your plan immediately breaks the cycle of negativity around food. And when you find the right food portion and eating schedule strategy for your actual energy needs from meal to meal, you will discover that you can feel leaner and stronger even with social foods in your life every single day. This is true food freedom. and an absolutely fantastic way to live. Food is for enjoyment as well as nourishment, and having a positive relationship with it is essential to our overall well-being.

For more on Andrea and her work, click here.

The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to make sure people have greater access to healthier foods and easy-to-understand nutrition information to make healthier choices. One way to do that is to make it easier for you and your family to eat less sodium. 

Because about 70% of the sodium you eat comes from processed (packaged) foods and restaurant foods, the FDA is working closely with industry, asking manufacturers to gradually lower sodium across a wide range of foods. This will result in more food choices with less sodium.

You and your family can also take steps to ease into reducing the amount of salt—and therefore, sodium—you eat. The recommended limit for sodium is 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day for people 14 years and older. But, the FDA says in a Consumer Update, people in the U.S. consume 3,400 mg per day on average!

Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Ninety percent of American adults are eating more sodium than is recommended. While more than 4 in 10 Americans have high blood pressure, in non-Hispanic Black adults that number increases to almost 6 in 10.

Moreover, children and adolescents are also eating too much sodium. Evidence shows that children who eat foods higher in sodium can carry those eating habits into adulthood.

Steps You Can Take to Reduce Sodium

Try to cut back on foods high in sodium, such as deli-meat sandwiches, pizza, burritos and tacos. Remember, it’s important to cut back both when eating at home and eating out in restaurants. If you’re ordering a standard menu item at a chain restaurant, ask to see the written nutrition information and choose a lower-sodium option.

Compare products. Before you buy, check the Nutrition Facts label to compare the sodium content of packaged products (there’s a fair amount of variety among similar foods). For example, data collected by the FDA shows that breads can vary from 300 mg to 700 mg of salt per 100 grams of bread. The FDA’s material on the Nutrition Facts Label is regularly updated; click here to find out more

Aim to stay under the Daily Value (DV) for sodium. The DV for sodium is the recommended daily limit– your goal is not to exceed that amount. As a general guide: 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is considered low, and 20% DV or more of sodium per serving is considered high.

Expand your spice horizons. Try no-salt seasoning blends and herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor to your food.

For additional information, please visit the FDA’s Sodium in Your Diet.

“After the past several months disrupted many of our typical routines, this fall is a great chance to reset and resume a more consistent work, school and family schedule. Start small by committing to eating more meals together as a family,” said Anne Thorndike, M.D., MPH, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, director of the Metabolic Syndrome Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and volunteer chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee.

“Routines can be a good way to provide structure and clarity during busy or stressful seasons, so scheduling in meals at home or regular exercise is not only good for physical health, but good for managing stress as well.”

When it comes to mealtime, there are plenty of clever ways to add in nourishing ingredients, according to Bridget Wojciak, director of Nutrition at Kroger Health, a national sponsor of the AHA’s Healthy for GoodTM initiative.

“It is a helpful frame of mind to ask yourself what you can add to a meal instead of taking away, like mixing in zucchini noodles with traditional noodles or adding in shredded vegetables to sauces or soups,” Wojciak said in a news release from the AHA. “Experiment with new recipes and new preparations and see what works best for your family.”

In addition to using mealtime to intentionally connect, the AHA offers these tips for a healthier fall:

1. Unplug to connect: September is a great reminder to eat regular meals at home with family. Family meals reduce stress, boost self-esteem and make the whole family feel connected.

2. Savor seasonal flavors: Fall brings new seasonal produce and recipe inspiration for family meals. Sign up to receive a free cookbook with heart-healthy, delicious recipes from the AHA and Kroger Health, a national sponsor of the AHA’s Healthy for Good initiative.

3. Spend time outside: Take advantage of cooler temperatures by spending time outdoors for better physical and mental well-being. Spending time outdoors has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood. If you have a pet, get moving together! It’s a win-win for the health of you and your pet.

4. Shop smart: Grocery shopping can be overwhelming, no matter the season. To find foods that can be part of a heart-healthy eating pattern, keep an eye out for the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark (click here for more information).

5. Give thanks: Chronic, or constant, stress can have a negative impact on health, so it’s important to build in habits to reduce stress. One great place to start is by practicing gratitude. Write down three things you’re grateful for each day, or reach out to a friend or family member and tell them how much you appreciate them.

Use microgreens on salads, soups, pizzas, omelets, in stir fries or as a snack. These tiny seedlings are packed with more nutrition than their mature counterparts.

Add a bit of spice to soups and sandwiches with radish and mustard microgreens. Try red cabbage, chard, beets and amaranth for some added color. Sunflower’s somewhat nutty flavor makes it perfect for snacking.  Let some of your pea microgreens grow a bit taller to use in stir fries.

Fill a shallow container with a two-inch layer of moist potting or seed starting mix. Sprinkle seeds over the soil surface and lightly cover with potting or seed starting mix. Water gently to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.

Continue to water often enough to keep the soil slightly moist. Reduce your workload and keep the planting mix consistently moist by covering freshly planted containers with plastic. Once the greens break through the soil, remove the cover and move the container to a sunny location or under artificial lights.

Increase the fun and success with a microgreen growing kit like the Organic Herb and Microgreens Grow Kit from Gardener’s Supply (www.gardeners.com). This set up is the perfect size for your countertop or other small space. The full spectrum light is adjustable so you can raise or lower it as needed whether growing short microgreens or taller herbs.

Or skip the growing mix and mess with a Jute Microgreens Starter Kit. Set the jute mat in the shallow tray, add seeds, and water. Then compost the jute mat after harvesting your greens.

Follow the planting directions on the seed packet. You typically need two to three tablespoons of seeds for an 11” x 21” tray. Buy enough seeds to make additional plantings every week or two to ensure a constant supply. Microgreens like most vegetables taste best and are most nutritious when eaten fresh. And these tasty bundles do not last long in storage.

The microgreens are ready to harvest once the plant forms the first set of true leaves. These are the leaves that resemble those of the mature plant. This takes anywhere from 7 to 14 days, depending on the room temperature and type of microgreens you are growing.

Use scissors to clip the greens off at ground level. If you prefer to use the whole seedling, roots and all, you will need to wash off any of the seed starting mix clinging to the roots.

Once you harvest all the greens, it is time to replant. Save money and be kind to the environment by composting the used planting mix and reusing containers. Convert shallow fast-food containers into planting trays.  Disinfect these or other planting trays before using them for subsequent plantings.  Just soak the containers in a 10% bleach and water solution for ten minutes. Then rinse in clear water before planting.

Gardening doesn’t get much easier than this. You will enjoy the fresh flavor all winter long as you wait for the outdoor growing season to begin.

Featured photo credit: Gardener’s Supply Company

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardener’s Supply for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ web site is www.melindamyers.com.

Not sure how to eat and stay healthy this quarantine season without resorting to your familiar diet of spaghetti, bread, pizza, and sugar? I encourage “trophology,” or “food combining,” which is one of the foundations of my Data-Driven Fueling Plan. As you combine foods, monitoring blood glucose is the key to weight gain vs. weight loss; good health vs. poor health.

1. Make Wednesdays and Fridays Vegan Days.

   Try vegan yogurts, cheeses, and milks. Dairy is inflammatory and will deplete your bones of calcium. (It’s true!). There are unsweetened milks of almond, hemp, cashew, etc., and all are available in grocery stores. A low blood glucose breakfast idea would be a sprouted grain English muffin, spread with a tofu or nut-based cream cheese, some sliced tomatoes, and topped off with sea salt or Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend.

2. Eat Fruits That Are High in Fiber.

   Apples, bananas, oranges, berries  ̶  the list goes on! You will still want to avoid sugary fruit juices, as well as very sweet fruits like pineapples and mangos while trying to lose weight. Fruit is always eaten alone with two exceptions: they can be added to a vegan smoothie and they can be eaten with a nut or seed butter. These healthy fats reduce the chance of a blood glucose spike.

   3. Nothing White.

   To lower blood glucose, do not eat or combine animal proteins with any white potatoes, bread, rice, or pasta… EVER. Sorry! 

    

   4. Eat More Sweet Potatoes.

   Think wholesome, nutritious, responsibly grown, pancreatic-friendly foods (food that doesn’t raise your blood glucose) like sweet potatoes and yams, which are an incredibly nutritious carbohydrate that are low in sugar levels and provide fiber. They’re best consumed baked or steamed, but can also be cooked in a variety of other ways. A great lunch or dinner option (and it is inexpensive) is a baked sweet potato, split down the middle with a large spoonful of black beans, a tablespoon of tomatillo salsa, and a side salad. To lower blood sugar, eat them with veggies and plant-based protein together… NOT MEAT!

   5.  Try Fish.

   Give your body a break from animal protein. Red meats increase inflammation and provide poor sources of fat. However, if you crave protein, try fish! For those who aren’t allergic, fish is a fantastic source of protein that’s low in carbohydrates and contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, one of the few consumable healthy fats! If consuming fish raw, remember only sashimi-style – no white rice! To lower blood sugar, combine fish with veggies, not starches or fruit.

Candice P. Rosen, RN, MSW, CHC, is a registered nurse based in Los Angeles, CA. As the founding member of Gilda’s Club Chicago and its first executive director and program director, she created and coordinated a diverse array of wellness-related programs. She was appointed by Mayor Richard Daley to serve as Chair of Healthcare Initiatives for Chicago’s Sister Cities International Program (CSCIP). CSCIP provided an opportunity to advocate for preventive medicine, improve maternal and infant healthcare, stress disability access, promote nourishing diets, and bring awareness to the obesity and diabetes epidemics that now affect populations on a global level. She is married and the mother of four adult children and grandmother to a precious granddaughter. For more information on Candice, please visit  https://candicerosenrn.com.  

Their labels say they are safe and all-natural. But are they? Researchers found that from 2007 to 2016, 776 products marketed as dietary supplements contained hidden active ingredients that are unsafe or unstudied. (credit: nbcnews.com) How does one choose safe supplements? Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements.

Speak with your doctor

If you are taking medication, pregnant, or breastfeeding. Many supplements can interfere with prescription drugs. Ensure that the supplement can be safely incorporated with your current medications. Consult with your doctor even if you are not pregnant before beginning any new supplement, especially if it is not something basic like Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, or Fish Oil.

Buy supplements from a reputable source.

Since supplements aren’t regulated, many companies do not go through the process of quality control to ensure the label matches the product and that the ingredients in the bottle are pure. Large national brands are more reliable than mom and pop companies because they can afford quality control measures.

Look for third-party verification online.

Some third-party websites provide analysis of supplements, like Labdoor.com and Consumerlabs.com. These websites publish lists of the highest quality supplements.

Choose single-ingredient supplements.

Supplements that contain a single ingredient are more likely to contain the amount of the ingredient advertised on the label and less likely to have high levels of contamination. Companies selling “proprietary blends” do not have to report any ingredient amounts on their labels and should be avoided.

Be wary of certain types of pills.

Exercise, weight-loss, and sexual-enhancement supplements. The products analyzed in a JAMA study fell into these three categories. Several of the weight-loss supplements actually contained an amphetamine-like drug called sibutramine, which is banned in the U.S., Asia, and Europe.

Be careful where you purchase your supplements.

Big-chain drugstores, pharmacies, and supplement stores like GNC or the Vitamin Shoppe may act faster to pull recalled items.

If claims sound too good to be true, they probably are.

Be mindful of product claims such as “works better than [a prescription drug],” “totally safe,” or has “no side effects.”

Some can have fatal consequences.

I see numerous patients who present with liver damage from using supplements that may alone be harmful or interact with other medications/substances. Taking the wrong supplement in the wrong circumstances could, in rare cases, even be fatal.

There are multiple documented cases of patients with fulminant liver failure after taking dietary supplements. Just this month, a healthy 23-year-old Texas woman went into acute liver failure after taking four pills daily of a women’s herbal supplement designed to help support hormonal balance, weight management, complexion, and fertility. Her doctor said that “while acute liver failure is rare, about 30% to 40% of cases are linked to herbal or dietary supplements. According to the National Institutes of Health, liver injury from medications, herbals, or dietary supplements has emerged as an increasingly important health problem in the United States.

Seek medical attention if you experience sudden symptoms after taking supplements such as:

Dizziness

Nausea

Shaking

Vomiting

Stomach Pain

Shortness of Breath

Anxiety

Diarrhea

Insomnia

Dr. Niket Sonpal is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and Clinical instructor at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Brooklyn who specializes in Gastroenterology. He is a graduate of the Medical University of Silesia – Hope Medical Institute in Poland. After completing his residency in Internal Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, he was selected to be the 2013‐2014 Chief Resident at Lenox Hill Hospital–Northshore LIJ Health System. Dr. Sonpal has completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Lenox Hill Hospital and continues his work in the field of medical student and resident test preparation. He now serves as the associate program director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Brookdale University medical center.

He is the co‐author for the best-selling Master the Boards: USMLE Step 2 CK, Master the Boards Step 3, And Master the Boards: Internal Medicine. He is also the Chief Operating Officer for Medquest Test Prep, Director of Medical Education for Picmonic Test Prep, and a recognized expert on medical test prep.

A recent online survey by the Harris Poll for the American Heart Association (AHA) and the food service company Aramark put numbers on that frustration: More than half of workers said they struggled to make lunch healthy, and 91% were interested in making their work lunches healthier.

People can find many ways to do that, said Maya Vadiveloo, assistant professor of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. And solutions can involve not just workers, but the places that serve them.

You should start by knowing that lunch is “tremendously important,” said Vadiveloo, a member of the AHA’s Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health.

“We all have a certain amount of calories that we need each day to keep our bodies feeling energized and to get the nutrition that we need. And there are only so many times in the day when you can do that.”

Given that most people don’t consume vegetables at breakfast, lunch is an important opportunity to get in the recommended minimum five servings a day.

But that’s easier said than done. If you have only 15 minutes to eat between tasks, you’re probably not building a balanced meal, Vadiveloo said. And then there’s the appeal of what’s usually offered at a company cafeteria or fast-food eatery.

“There are a lot of really sad-looking salad bars,” she said. And those salads might be competing for attention in a place that’s “pumping out bread aroma and giving pizza samples and other things that are both very caloric and very appealing and inexpensive and fairly filling.”

Cost is an issue for many people as well, said Vadiveloo, who has studied the effects of adding healthy menu options at a worksite cafeteria. Such options tend to be more expensive.

“And the reality is, if you’re spending $5 to $7 on a salad, you’re probably not getting the most satisfying salad, and you’re going to be hungry shortly thereafter.”

Meanwhile, the sub shop around the corner will throw in chips and a sugary soda as part of a combo meal and add a giant cookie for 50 cents extra. What can a hard-working, health-conscious employee do?

Plenty, Vadiveloo said.

Brown-bagging offers one of the best ways to be in control of your diet, she said. “I pack my lunch almost every day. I have a sandwich, some vegetables – not usually a salad. And a fruit, and a low-sugar, plain-ish yogurt for later.”

She’s a believer in preparing meals ahead of time, so healthy food is ready to grab. “Think about what you’re going to be consuming for the week. If you’re getting carrots ready, you can make five bags of carrots. Or have five apples ready to go.”

If you’re dedicated to dining out daily, thinking ahead can still help.

If you’re not yet the brown-bag type, Vadiveloo suggests starting by bringing in your own fruits or veggies. Use them as sides to sidestep those calorie-jammed combo meals.

If you’re dedicated to dining out daily, thinking ahead can still help. If you know you’re always going to eat at the same nearby places, she suggests visiting when you’re not buying to scout out healthy options, and plan to order them. Research indicates people are better at making healthy choices when they aren’t agitated by hunger.

So, tell yourself, “‘Tomorrow, when I go to Chipotle, I’m going to order a salad bowl instead of a thousand-calorie burrito.’ Having a plan ahead of time for how you’re going to respond to a particular food environment can at least partly automate that more complex decision,” she said.

Another approach: Take advantage of restaurants that let you order ahead, well before the cravings kick in. “Temptation is always higher when we’re hungry,” she said. Make selections that include at least a serving of vegetables, ideally some sort of fruit, some whole grains when possible and a lean protein.

People should also advocate for better food environments, Vadiveloo said. In the 2017 study she led about the worksite cafeteria, which was at Harvard University, researchers developed and taste-tested recipes to make them healthier but still appealing.

The burden to eat right can’t always be put entirely on individuals, Vadiveloo said, “because you might only have a warm bag of carrots or a wilted salad right now as your options.”

The rewards of all this effort? You might live longer. And you might even have more energy for your work, and everything else. “Maybe not the first day that you try – or if you do it’s probably placebo. But over time, when people adopt healthier diets, they feel better.”

This story courtesy of American Heart Association News. To find out more about heart issues and the agency’s work, click here.