Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/578674
healthy living By Laura G. Owens LOW-FAT DIET TRUMPS LOW-CARB Rock Body YOUR Ditching carbs might not be your best bet for weight loss. According to a paper recently published in Cell Metabolism, a low-carb diet increases fat burning and lowers insulin, but a low-fat diet leads to higher overall body-fat loss. While the difference is minimal, explained Kevin Hall, PhD, a key author on the study, it's signifi cant enough to question the presumed superiority of a low-carb diet. In the short term at least, test subjects lost more weight when fat intake was reduced, leading to the conclusion that, "Not all calories are created equal when it comes to body fat loss." SHORT CUT TO NOOKIE "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach," but food turns her on, too. A new study found that women, particularly those who once dieted, are more likely to respond to romantic pictures when their stomachs are full. "This data suggests that eating may prime or sensitize women to rewards beyond food," explained researcher Alice Ely, PhD. "It also supports a shared neurocircuitry [both men and women] for food and sex." Eating your way into a happier day isn't just a bouncy mantra. A balanced diet, especially the Mediterranean, offers medicine for the brain as well as the body. Vicent Balanzá, a psychiatrist involved in a recent scientifi c review, writes, "We had scientifi c evidence that the Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cognitive impairment. Now we also know it reduces the risk of depression." Mental health professionals know that expecting patients to recover by simply popping a pill, such as Paxil, is unrealistic and simplistic. Lifestyle interventions to treat anxiety, depression and other mental disorders combine exercise, stress management and targeted nutrition. The brain needs a number of key nutrients to operate properly explains Balanzá, particularly, "Polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, essential amino acids, B-group vitamins (B12 and folate), vitamin D and minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron. A high-quality diet, such as the Mediterranean, provides all of these, but in cases of defi ciencies, nutritional supplements are advisable." Mood foods include those loaded in tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin (turkey, cheese, peanut butter), complex carbs, and B-rich foods, such as leafy greens, beans, meats, nuts and eggs. Fish packed with omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, lake trout, herring, sardines, tuna) improves depression, while protein stimulates brain chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine, which, like serotonin, are neurotransmitters that carry impulses between nerve cells. "The ideal for mood-boosting," explains nutritionist Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD, "is to combine complex carbohydrates and protein, and to spread your meals throughout the day." PAXIL ON A PLATE october/november 2015 15