Women's Health

Nutrient-rich food provides energy for women's busy lives. A balanced diet filled with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, low-fat dairy and lean protein supports a woman's health and wellness.

Nutrition plays different roles during different stages of a woman's life. During childhood, foods fuel growth. Through childbearing years, diet plays a role in fertility, a healthy pregnancy and prevention of chronic disease. In older years, what women eat can help keep minds sharp and bodies strong.

Discover the Health Benefits of Produce

Your mother told you to eat your fruits and vegetables and you should listen to mom. Research suggests eating enough fruits and vegetables is linked to a lower risk of many chronic diseases and may help protect against certain types of cancer. Despite these health benefits, most people don't eat enough produce. It's a shame, too, because if prepared without adding fats or sugars, fruits and vegetables are relatively low in calories. As a result, eating more of them may help you achieve and keep your healthy weight.

Whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried, fruits and vegetables are major sources of nutrients we need  but we often don't eat enough of them. Since the nutrients in fruits and vegetables vary, it's important to eat a variety. Opt for dark-green, red and orange vegetables, and beans and peas.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit. Here are some tips on how you can add more produce to your meals:

• Keep frozen, canned and dried fruit and vegetables on hand, especially when fresh produce isn't in season. Buy canned fruit that's packed in juice for less added sugars and calories, and choose low-sodium canned vegetables.
• Try new types of fruits and vegetables and prepare them in different ways. Texture is everything when it comes to sandwiches, so experiment with veggie toppings like raw cucumber, avocado slices or pickled carrots. Add flavor to breakfast by topping oatmeal, frozen waffles or cereal with berries or banana slices. Create a guilt-free dessert with fresh fruit or serve it as a topping on low-fat yogurt.
• Many children and young adults drink more than half of their fruit as juice, which often contains a significant amount of added sugar. Whole fruit contains fiber and other nutrients without the added sugar. When drinking juice, make sure it is 100-percent juice, without the added sugars.

Men's Health

Ways to Boost Fiber

Fiber is an essential nutrient. However, most Americans are falling far short of the recommended daily amount in their diets. Women should aim for 25 grams of fiber per day, while men should target 38 grams (or 21 and 30 grams daily, respectively, for those over the age of 51).

Dietary fiber contributes to our health and wellness in a number of ways. First, it aids in providing fullness after meals, which helps promote a healthy weight. Second, adequate fiber can help to lower cholesterol. Third, it helps prevent constipation and diverticulosis; and, fourth, adequate fiber from food helps keep blood sugar within a healthy range.

Natural Sources of Fiber

Eating the skin or peel of fruits and vegetables provides a greater dose of fiber, which is found naturally in these sources. Fiber is also found in beans and lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Typically, the more refined or processed a food becomes, the lower its fiber content. For example, one medium apple with the peel contains 4.4 grams of fiber, while ½ cup of applesauce contains 1.4 grams, and 4 ounces of apple juice contains none at all.

With a few simple and tasty substitutions, you can increase your fiber from foods in no time. For breakfast, choose steel cut oats with nuts and berries instead of a plain low-fiber, refined cereal. At lunch, have a sandwich or wrap on a whole-grain tortilla or whole-grain bread and add veggies, such as lettuce and tomato, or serve with veggie soup. For a snack, have fresh veggies or whole-grain crackers with hummus. With dinner, try brown rice or whole-grain noodles instead of white rice or pasta made with white flour.

Here are a few whole foods that are naturally high in fiber:

• 1 large pear with skin (7 grams)
• 1 cup fresh raspberries (8 grams)
• ½ medium avocado (5 grams)
• 1 ounce almonds (3.5 grams)
• ½ cup cooked black beans (7.5 grams)
• 3 cups air-popped popcorn (3.6 grams)
• 1 cup cooked pearled barley (6 grams)

When increasing fiber, be sure to do it gradually and with plenty of fluids. Fiber in your diet is similar to a new sponge; it needs water to plump up. If you consume more than your usual intake of fiber but not enough fluid, you may experience nausea or constipation.

Before you reach for the fiber supplements, consider this: fiber is found naturally in nutritious, whole foods. Studies have found the same benefits, such as a feeling of fullness may not result from fiber supplements or from fiber-enriched foods. If you're missing out on your daily amount of fiber, you may be trailing in other essential nutrients as well. Your fiber intake is a good gauge for overall diet quality. Try to reach your fiber goal with whole foods so you get all the other benefits they provide.

Healthy Aging

Memory Boosting Foods

If you are feeling forgetful, it could be due to a lack of sleep or a number of other reasons including genetics, level of physical activity, and lifestyle and environmental factors. However, there are no doubt that diet plays a major role in brain health.

The best menu for boosting memory and brain function encourages good blood flow to the brain much like what you  eat to nourish and protect your heart. A recent study found that the Mediterranean Diet helps in keeping aging brains sharp, and a growing body of evidence links foods like those in the Mediterranean Diet with better cognitive function, memory and alertness.

Strengthen Recall by Adding These Foods to the Rotation

Eat your veggies. You are not likely to forget this message. Getting adequate vegetables, especially cruciferous ones like broccoli, cabbage and dark leafy greens, may help improve memory. Try a raw kale salad or substitute collard greens for the tortilla in your next sandwich wrap. Broccoli stir-fry is also an excellent option for lunch or dinner.

Be sweet on berries and cherries. Berries especially dark ones like blackberries, blueberries and cherries are a rich source of anthocyanins and other flavonoids that may boost memory function. Enjoy a handful of berries for a snack, mixed into cereal or baked into an antioxidant-rich dessert. You can reap these benefits from fresh, frozen or dried berries and cherries.

Get adequate omega-3 fatty acids. Essential for good brain health, omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in particular, may help improve memory in healthy young adults. "DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain. It makes sense that if you have higher levels of DHA in the blood, then the brain will operate more efficiently," says Andrea Giancoli, RD, registered dietitian and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson.

Seafood, algae and fatty fish like salmon, bluefin tuna, sardines and herring  are some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Substitute fish for meat a couple of times each week to get a healthy dose. Grill, bake or broil fish for ultimate flavor and health. Try salmon tacos with red cabbage slaw, snack on sardines or enjoy seared tuna on salad greens for dinner. If you don't eat fish, discuss supplementation with your doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist. You can get omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, seaweed or microalgae supplements.

Work in walnuts. Well known for a positive impact on heart health, walnuts also may improve working memory. Snack on a handful of walnuts to satisfy midday hunger, add them to oatmeal or salad for crunch or mix them into a vegetable stir-fry for extra protein.

These foods are not just good for the brain; they also sustain a healthy heart and all parts of the body. While there  no guarantee that these foods will help you remember where you put your keys tomorrow, over time they can support lifelong good health.

Healthy Weight

Tips for Eating Out

Food choices away from home are important to your health and weight since many of us are eating more meals away from home. Fortunately, making healthful and delicious choices in restaurants is also easier today. Restaurants of all types are responding to customers desires with more options in portion sizes, preparation methods and menu items. For example, restaurants are offering:

• More appetizer-size portions of popular entre.
• More baked and broiled choices in meat, fish and poultry
• More fruit and vegetable side orders to substitute for fries

Hit the Bricks

Make physical activity part of dining out. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes.

• Walk from home or the office. Pick a restaurant that's a 10- or 15-minute walk. You'll get your meal, 30 minutes of physical activity and avoid the parking hassles.
• Walk with family or friends. Get moving as a group before or after eating. A brisk walk before a meal gives you time to chat. A stroll afterward helps your digestion.
• Walk inside instead of driving through. Park your car in the lot and walk inside to get your fast food order. And, make fast food an occasional treat rather than a daily habit.

Right-Size Your Serving Sizes

Becoming sensible about serving sizes is an important way to maintain a healthy weight, and it's good for your wallet too.

• Instead of a large entre, order an appetizer and a leafy green salad or choose two appetizers for a meal.
• Start with a small serving such as a cup of soup, a junior burger or a small order of fries. If you are still hungry, order something else.
• Indulge your inner child: order a kid's meal at a fast-food restaurant. Many now offer a choice of low-fat milk and fruits or vegetables instead of fries.
• Savor your steak twice as much. Eat half at the restaurant, then take the other half home to enjoy it sliced onto a green salad or as a sandwich on whole-grain bread.
• Ask for a to-go box as soon as your meal is served. Put half your food into the container for a second meal. That's two meals for the price of one.
• Share from start to finish. Order one appetizer for the whole table and then order one dessert with multiple forks. Sometimes, just a bite or two is perfect.
• Share an entre. You can ask your server to split the meal in the kitchen or divide it up yourselves at the table.