Cheaper, NOT Better by Elizabeth Brown, MS, RD

You get what you pay for

“Mediterranean diet healthier, not cheaper,” according to researchers at the University of Navarra in Spain. What a surprise to learn that it is “cheaper” to eat more fat and sugar-laden processed foods than it is to eat unprocessed whole foods. The operative word here is “cheaper.” I was taught that “cheap” refers to poor quality while “inexpensive” does not necessarily imply a substandard product.

So if by “cheaper” they mean “of poorer quality,” then, by all means, highly processed, fat and sugar-laden foods are “cheaper.”

Tap that...by Elizabeth Brown, MS, RD

Tap out the fat

Unsuccessful at weight loss? What if I told you it’s all in your head? Really. Research from UT Southwestern Medical Center has shown that certain foods work with your brain to sabotage your efforts. The researchers found that specific fats, once ingested, make a beeline for the brain. Upon arriving at the brain, these fats simply shut off the satiety switch and instead cause the brain to send messages to the body telling it to ignore any appetite-suppressing signals from hormones such as insulin and leptin.

Researchers found that one particular type of fat - palmitic acid - may be the main culprit in the brain/fat appetite-suppressing system. Palmitic acid is found in palm oil and animal fats. It is added to many processed foods and foods high in animal fat such as ice cream. Your body can also make palmitic acid out of excess carbohydrates and protein.

Olive Oil is more than just Popeye's girlfriend by Elizabeth Brown, MS, RD

No wars over this oil

Despite the popularity of adding EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) to a frying pan every time a burner is ignited on some popular cooking show, olive oil is not always the best choice for cooking.

Yes, olive oil does boast major health benefits such as the antioxidant oleocanthol, an anti-inflammatory. Olive oil is also rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to decrease total and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind), while increasing HDL, “good” cholesterol, thereby exhibiting protective effects in the body, relatively speaking. Too much of any type of fat is not necessarily healthy.

Gluten-free Fish Sticks by Elizabeth Brown, MS, RD

Everything tastes better with Thousand Island dressing!

If you’re going gluten-free these days, be prepared to spend more on groceries. According to a NY Times article, it costs three times as much to eat gluten-free as it does to eat foods containing gluten. But let’s consider the alternative, the enormous healthcare cost of having osteoporosis or Type 1 Diabetes, two chronic conditions often seen in people with Celiac Disease or gluten-intolerance.

Those who claim that following a gluten-free diet is more costly are assuming that everyone following a gluten-free diet will be buying every specialty product under the sun. This is why my past three articles contain gluten-free recipes you can easily make yourself for a fraction of the cost of convenient, prepackaged items.