More information is coming out abut the benefits of raw vegetables on women’s health. If you like salads, use dark, leafy greens like a mix of spinach, arugula, and romaine. They contain a high amount of the B vitamin folate, which has been shown to reduce the risk of colorectal, ovarian and breast cancers. In one study, researchers at Vanderbilt University found that women who ate the mostly dark greens were among the least likely to get breast cancer. Apparently, folate can halt changes in DNA that trigger runaway cell growth, the main characteristic of cancer.

Do you like raw carrots? In a study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, women who ate just five servings of four raw carrot sticks per week had a 54 percent decrease in their risk of getting ovarian cancer, compared with women who ate them less than once a month. Carrots may also reduce the risk of kidney cancer.

Exercise is the best way to manage weight. But, do you like to exercise but hate the pain and tiredness associated with it? Do you run out of steam and feel yourself fading? There are so many reasons to exercise but we only need one excuse not to do it. Next time you have an excuse that you are too tired, keep yourself motivated with these solutions. Sip a cup of green tea 20 to 30 minutes before you run or exercise. The caffeine will give you energy and power you through to the last step, and its antioxidants may help with endurance. Do you get a pain in your side or feel weak when you run or exercise on equipment, try taking a potassium supplement before you run to stay pain-free and stop the cramping.

If you have noticed in the new lately, there have been many issues regarding food safety in the world. It well known that raw foods like eggs and meats are increasingly recognized as a source of food poisoning outbreaks. Recent outbreaks have revealed new unexplained links between some bacterias and viruses that cause food poisoning and fruits and vegetables like imported baby corn, lettuces, tomatoes, spinach, and even raspberries. In the US, recent outbreaks of E Coli infections have been linked to bagged lettuce, baby spinach, and Salmonella to peppers, imported cantaloupe melons and tomatoes as well.

Why is this happening? One reason may be the complex ecosystem of multiple potential sources, such as water, wildlife, and nearby livestock, all of which could be sources of bacteria causing food poisoning. It creates a challenging situation to manage as many foods are imported and exported with standards of countries appearing to be different. Although US agencies do try to protect the food supply, it is necessary to wash all produce and be sure to cook all foods properly.

Do you read nutrition labels on the back of food packages? Many people don’t even look at them. In fact, existing research suggests that consumers are less likely to turn to the back of a package to look at the Nutrition Facts panel when there is a claim on the front of the package. For example, when a product is labeled “Low Fat” or “Low Carb”, consumers don’t check the nutritional values and in many cases, the low fat or low carb designation may be very arbitrary.  A new study tested whether low-carbohydrate claims might lead consumers to perceive products to have benefits that are not necessarily related to being low in carbohydrate.

Using an online questionnaire, consumer panelists rated products for their perceived healthfulness, helpfulness for weight management, and caloric content based on front-of-package-only conditions (nutrition claims versus no nutrition claims) and availability of Nutrition Facts panels. Although exposure to the Nutrition Facts has the potential for mitigating inappropriate benefits attributed to products claiming to be low carbohydrate, consumer research suggests that when a food product carries a front-of-package claim, consumers are less likely to turn the package over to look at the Nutrition Facts panel.

Because an individual packaged food product’s usefulness for weight management as part of an overall diet, its healthfulness, and total calorie content are not dependent solely on the amount of total carbohydrate it contains, the study demonstrated that consumers could misattribute benefits to products that claim to be low in carbohydrate. There are many considerations in selecting foods: carbs, protein, fat content as well as calories.

With the increase in childhood obesity researchers are looking into possible reasons for the epidemic. A new study shows that infants and preschoolers who don’t get enough sleep at night are at increased risk for later childhood obesity. The researchers also found that daytime naps are not an adequate substitute for lost nighttime sleep in terms of preventing obesity. The study included U.S. children, ages 1 month to 13 years, who were divided into two groups: group 1 (ages 1 month to 59 months) and group 2 (ages 5 to 13 years). Data on the children was collected at the start of the study, the baseline, in 1997 and again in 2002 for follow-up. Sleep patterns were studied.

At the follow-up, 33 percent of the younger children and 36 percent of the older children were overweight or obese. Among the younger children, lack of sufficient nighttime sleep at baseline was associated with increased risk for later overweight or obesity. Among the older children, the amount of sleep at baseline was not associated with weight at follow-up. However, a lack of nighttime sleep at follow-up was associated with increased risk of a shift from normal weight to overweight and from overweight to obesity, the study found. The findings suggest that there is a critical window prior to age 5 years when nighttime sleep may be important to prevent obesity.

New research shows that for many Americans happiness and mood is tied to your annual household income to a certain point. While happiness increases along with annual household incomes up to about $75,000, beyond that, earning more money has no effect on day-to-day contentment. While making more won’t help your emotional state on any given day, people who had household incomes above $75,000 were more apt to say they were satisfied overall with their life. Researchers used data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which surveyed 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009 about their household income, emotional state during the prior day and overall feelings about their life and well-being. While people with household incomes of more than $75,000 probably won’t feel an enduring happiness boost if they are able to earn more, losing substantial income would likely not be good for their emotional well being, the study suggested. As income dropped, respondents reported declining happiness and increased sadness and stress.

Need another reason to exercise? A recent study showed that the more active a person is the greater cognitive ability they have as they age due to greater connectivity in the brain. A group of 59 to 80 year olds were tested who were sedentary in the last 6 months. They were put either in a walking group or stretching and toning group for a year. All of the participants were sedentary before the study, reporting less than two episodes of physical activity lasting 30 minutes or more in the previous six months. The researchers measured participants’ brain connectivity and performance on cognitive tasks at the beginning of the study, at six months and after a year of either walking or toning and stretching. At the end of the year, cognitive ability was significantly improved in the brains of the older walkers, but not in the stretching and toning group, the researchers report. Some of these cognitive tasks like planning, scheduling, dealing with ambiguity, working memory, finances and multitasking were improved with greater activity. If you can keep active throughout your life you do have more control over your functions as you age and can maintain more independence.

If you are looking for a quick, low calorie meal for when the kids go back to school. Try this one, it’s easy and tastes great.

Honey Soy Broiled Salmon

Prep time: 40 minutes

Cook time: 20 min.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 scallion, minced
• 2 tablespoon(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon(s) rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon(s) honey
• 1 teaspoon(s) minced fresh ginger
• 1 pound(s) center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 portions
• 1 teaspoon(s) toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.

2. Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

Nutritional information per Serving: Calories: 234, Fat: 13g; Carbohydrate: 6g; Protein: 23g