Tag: DASH

You Herb It Here First!

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Herbs and spices can turn a bland, flavorless dish into a mouthwatering meal full of flavor the whole family will love! Not only do they add flavor, but they add health benefits too. Herbs and spices are full of nutrients and antioxidants that can make your meals more nutritious. For example, the antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties in garlic help reduce inflammation and provide immune system support.

In addition to adding flavor and health benefits, using herbs and spices to season your food can help reduce excessive salt intake. Those following a Heart Healthy diet, DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet, or simply monitoring their sodium intake will benefit from the addition of herbs and spices when cooking. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming no more than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. On average, Americans eat more than 3,400 mg of sodium a day! Incorporating herbs and spices to season foods can decrease sodium intake and help you stay within the recommended sodium guidelines.

Have fun experimenting with different herb and spice blends and discover your family’s favorites! Try using different blends for different food items, and even make your own blends by drying fresh herbs from the garden.

Pots of herbs

Herb and Spice Recommendations by Food

  • Poultry: parsley, thyme, marjoram, sage
  • Beef: cloves, hot pepper, marjoram, rosemary, cumin, garlic
  • Fish: fennell, dill, tarragon, thyme, parsley, garlic
  • Vegetables: chives, basil, tarragon, mint, parsley, rosemary, dill
  • Eggs: curry, dry mustard, paprika, parsley, basil

For more information on herbs, check out ISU Extension and Outreach’s Seasoning Savvy publication.

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MIND Your Diet

eminniha

Brain filled with good foodMother always said you are what you eat. What we eat becomes more connected to our bodies every day. Now scientific evidence suggests diet plays a bigger role in brain health than we ever knew. Following a brain healthy diet (MIND diet) can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia by 35–53%. MIND diet research at Rush University followed 923 individuals aged 58–98 for more than four years. Reduction in dementia risk among those who closely or moderately followed the diet was observed.

The MIND diet combines the Mediterranean diet pattern and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet with mild calorie restriction. The MIND diet encourages minimally processed plant-based foods and limited consumption of animal foods high in saturated fat. It also encourages food found to be potentially brain protective such as green leafy vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish, poultry, and berries. Research continues on the effects of the MIND diet on cognitive decline in the brain.

Foods to Eat More:

  • Beans, every other day
  • Berries, at least twice per week
  • Fish, at least once per week
  • Green leafy vegetables, every day
  • Other vegetables, at least once per day
  • Nuts, every day
  • Olive oil
  • Poultry, at least twice per week
  • Whole grains, three times per day

Foods to Eat Less:

  • Fried food or fast food, less than one serving per week
  • Pastries and sweets, no more than five servings per week
  • Red meat, three 3- to 5-ounce servings per week
  • Butter and stick margarine, less than one pat a day
  • Whole fat cheese, one to two ounces per week

 

Source: Diet for the Mind, Dr. Martha Clare Morris, 2017.

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