Elizabeth Somer, nutritionist

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/9-mood-boosting-foods-add-100206306.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEmeJceqgEsvlyKCnq_6qx8PD7fTs7qJYSwhVxdmJScP4m-JVLWeZeM_jkMb9vAcmxCvQtt4p5qXl0PWYhj39NOT-Wzv6BXNnTyFxtTAOUHhpj8r9GCfEqVRqwmbUzu6mlE2Dwl_OeSz-CplsXCqKT5WpgBdzoqJfmDfIW-yxsgk

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/the-best-foods-for-a-healthy-brain/

The 8 Best Foods for a Healthy Brain Research shows that what you eat can slash your risk for diseases like dementia and keep your brain healthy as you age. These are the foods to focus on for memory and more.

This is just one day’s harvest. I’m getting this much from the veggie garden almost daily. What was I thinking when I planted this big of a garden?!

I just returned from 3 weeks in Italy. I want to share a few recipes I've been working on since then. Here is the first: Caponata.

This Sicilian relish is absolutely delicious served at rom temperature with focaccia bread. While it typically is an appetizer, more than once it has been a full meal for me. It also can be preserved in canning jars.

Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
2 pounds eggplant (I use Japanese or Patio Baby eggplant, but any type will do), cut into 1" cubes
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
1 yellow onion, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 14-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup pitted green olives, chopped
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 ½ Tbsp capers, drained
1+ Tbsp honey
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 cup parsley and basil, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

1. In a large bowl, toss eggplant with 2 Tbsp olive oil and salt. Spread the eggplant on the cookie sheet and roast, tossing once or twice, until soft and golden in color, approximately 30 minutes.

2. While eggplant is roasting, place the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or cast iron saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until the onion is tender, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, along with salt and pepper to taste, and toss briefly.

3. Add the tomatoes, olives, vinegar, capers, honey, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir in the roasted eggplant and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the parsley and basil, stir thoroughly, and remove from heat.

4. Let cool slightly and adjust flavors, adding more honey, vinegar, red pepper flakes, or salt and pepper as desired. If eating immediately, let the caponata rest until it reaches room temperature. You also can refrigerate for later use, but allow to return to room temperature before serving. Makes about 8 servings.

Calories per serving: 180, Fat: 6 grams (30% of calories, almost entirely of monounsaturated fats); 24 grams carbohdrates (53% of calories); 3.2 grams protein (7% of calories); Fiber: 7.2 grams; Cholesterol: 0mg.

Researchers found that niacin limits Alzheimer's disease progression when used in models in the lab, a discovery that could potentially pave the way toward therapeutic approaches to the disease. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220323151716.htm

A new study suggests that some artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame and acesulfame-K, are associated with increased cancer risk.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220324143800.htm

Researchers found that prunes can help prevent or delay bone loss in postmenopausal women, possibly due to their ability to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to bone loss.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220209112110.htm

Moderate calorie restriction has a beneficial and "anti aging" effect on the immune system, according to a recent study. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220210154204.htm

A young adult in the U.S. could add more than a decade to their life expectancy by changing their diet from a typical Western diet to an optimized diet that includes more legumes, whole grains and nuts, and less red and processed meat, according to a new study.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220208143307.htm

https://www.eatthis.com/best-eating-habits-prevent-memory-loss/

The Best Eating Habits for Memory Loss, Say Experts — Eat This Not That We asked dietitians and other nutrition experts for tips on the best eating habits to adopt in order to prevent memory loss.

Food & Mood boosting ideas:
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-to-eat-for-feel-good-feelings/

A new study found that greater body fat is a risk factor for reduced cognitive function, such as processing speed, in adults. Even when the researchers took cardiovascular risk factors (such as diabetes or high blood pressure) or vascular brain injury into account, the association between body fat and lower cognitive scores remained.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220201144019.htm

February is almost here and it is Heart Health Month. The #1 tip for lowering your risk for heart disease is:

Lower your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while keeping your “good” cholesterol, called HDL cholesterol in the healthy range. Maintaining a healthy weight, boosting intake of soluble fibers from oats and fruit, and cutting back on foods high in saturated and trans fats, including red meat, fatty dairy products, and any processed food with hydrogenated vegetable oil in the ingredient list will take care of this.

Basic info, but at least it's accurate.
https://newsnationusa.com/news/health/festive-blues-feeling-low-could-be-down-to-diet-key-dietary-tips-to-boost-your-mood/

Festive blues: Feeling low could be down to diet – key dietary tips to boost your mood Mince pies, pigs in blankets and Quality Street all may be a staple of a good Christmas feast, however, a “poor-quality” diet and feeling low may be

https://www.moms.com/foods-boost-kids-mental-health/

8 Foods That Boost Kids' Mental Health Ensuring that kids have these healthy foods in their diets is key to not only performing better in school but just living a better life in general.

https://www.gilmorehealth.com/brain-health-foods-you-should-take-to-improve-your-mood-and-memory/

Brain Health: Foods You Should Take To Improve Your Mood and Memory - Gilmore Health News Healthy food is of utmost importance for the improvement of brain health. Foods like fatty fish and walnuts should be eaten regularly.

Good article!
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/24/well/eat/brain-food.html

The Best Brain Foods You’re Not Eating For this week’s Eat Well Challenge, try some new foods that have been linked with improving your mood.

Should you take your supplements with food or between meals?

What you take your supplements with is more important than when you take them. Nutrients require digestive enzymes, small amounts of fat, and other food components to ensure absorption. So, take supplements with meals, not on an empty stomach and not just with a doughnut and coffee. Taking them in divided doses (such as with breakfast and with dinner) also encourages maximum absorption.

Seven-year-old children performed better on a challenging task requiring sustained attention if their mothers consumed twice the recommended amount of choline during their pregnancy, a new study has found.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220103145558.htm

Myth: Turkey makes you sleepy
Fact: Yes, turkey and other high-protein foods contain the amino acid, tryptophan, which is the building block for a nerve chemical called serotonin that makes you feel relaxed and even drowsy. But, turkey does not raise serotonin levels. Only all-carb snacks can do that. It is the tryptophan already in the blood that boosts brain levels of serotonin, and a carb-rich snack, like popcorn or a slice of bread, aids in transferring this amino acid across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain, while protein-rich foods actually block serotonin production. The real reason why a nap is so appealing after a holiday feast is the large amount of energy required to digest it. During the process, blood is diverted from the brain to the digestive tract, where it is used to help breakdown food and absorb nutrients. You get drowsy as a result. To avoid the nap after a holiday meal, eat smaller portions and limit fatty foods.

Myth: Most people gain 7 pounds during the holiday season
Fact: The average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Years is about one pound, not seven, according to a study from the University of Oklahoma. Even though enjoying delicious holiday fare might not increase your waistline by as much as you’d expect, calorie consciousness is still important, since another study from the same researchers found that while holiday weight gain was minimal, people tend to trade muscle for fat, ending up fatter despite a minimal change on the scale. In addition, people often don’t reverse their gains after the first of the year, so the poundage accumulates from year to year, contributing to substantial gains as people age. To avoid gaining that one holiday pound, sneak in extra activity every day and focus on small portions of your favorite holiday goodies, while avoiding the everyday stuff, like cookies and chips.

Is late night eating a problem?
The only time you gain weight with late-night eating is if you eat too much. People let their guard down at night and are more prone to overeating, especially comfort foods like ice cream and chips. It is the extra calories, not the time of day, that leads to weight gain.
Granted, late-night noshing can be a sign of a general out-of-whack eating schedule that can lead to the Night Eating Syndrome, where you eat the bulk of your calories later in the day, wake up not hungry so skip breakfast, then pig out that night. The problem here is not only are you overeating at night, but you’re skipping the most important meal of the day - breakfast. Breakfast - especially if it’s whole grain cereal, milk, and fruit - is one of the most nutritious and low-fat meals of the day, so it makes sense that breakfast eaters consume fewer total calories and have an easier time managing their weights than people who overate the night before then skipped breakfast.
If late-night noshing is adding inches to your waistline, take a vow not to reenter the kitchen after dinner. Ride the exercise cycle or take a bubble bath instead. Or, focus only on healthy munchies for an evening snack, such as baby carrots or frozen blueberries.

When I wrote Food & Mood back in 1995 (followed later by The Food & Mood Cookbook, Eat Your Way to Happiness, and Eat Your Way to Sexy), I never expected eventually to see careers in "nutritional psychology"!

https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/mental-health/what-is-nutritional-psychology

What Is Nutritional Psychology, Exactly? This relatively new field makes taking care of your mental health downright delicious.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/this-type-of-chocolate-will-improve-your-gut-and-mood-new-study-says/ar-AAS5I0Z?li=BBnba9O

This Type Of Chocolate Will Improve Your Gut and Mood, New Study Says Eating a small square of this chocolate on a daily basis will benefit your body in multiple ways—science says so!

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2021/12/the-science-of-why-you-can-t-stop-eating-when-you-re-full.html

The science of why you can't stop eating when you're full But experts say there's a way to stop yourself going too far.

A daily dose of yogurt might help manage high blood pressure, according a recent study. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211207152554.htm