Blog Posts by Dr. Ayala

Brian Wansink is famous for his work on the psychology of eating and for popularizing terms such as "mindless eating" and "health halos." His research has unveiled some of the many occasions in which environmental cues such as packaging, label claims and plate size influence our eating.

There's something particularly encouraging about Wansink's findings. If so much of our eating, overeating and unhealthy eating is driven by nothing more than unconscious, mindless habits, a targeted environmental change can improve our eating without much sacrifice, indeed, almost without individuals having to do a thing.

Plate presentation affects eating

A new study from Wansink's group, published in the January issue of Acta Paediatrica, and led by Francesca Zampollo looks at how the look of the plate affects kids and adults.

Twenty-three kids and 46 adults were shown full-size photos of 48 different combinations of food on plates that varied by number of items, placement of entrée

How much we eat matters a whole lot, and the bottom line is that too many calories, no matter what their source, will lead to weight gain and the myriad of health consequences related to overweight, including increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

But what we eat matters, too, and lots of study and experimentation addresses the issue of which foods and nutrients lead to better health and better chances of losing weight and keeping it off. The connection between the different fats in the diet and heart health is a much-studied topic. But could different carbs and protein matter just as much?

Low Glycemic eating pattern and heart disease risk

All carbohydrates are not created equal -- at least not by the way our body responds to them.

The glycemic index, developed initially for the treatment of diabetes, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on how they affect blood sugar levels when eaten in isolation. Carbs that break down quickly,

Do sweet drinks cause belly fat? Fat around abdominal organs is much more active metabolically than the fat under our skin, and poses additional risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke above and beyond the risk seen with being overweight.

And while fat distribution is influenced by age and genetics a growing body of evidence suggests dietary choices, and especially sugary drinks increase fat accumulation in the worst possible locations of our anatomy.

A study from the University of California at Davis showed that drinking 25 percent of daily calories (which is quite a lot) in fructose for 10 weeks increased triglycerides and cholesterol, caused insulin resistance and belly fat accumulation.

A recent study found that even moderate consumption of sugary drinks led to measurable undesirable effects after just three weeks: Belly fat accumulated, fasting glucose levels and inflammation markers rose, and the lipid profile changed when volunteers drank what amounted to just

This is the season to grab every bit of happiness and living in the moment is one suggested way to increase bliss.

A brief article in Science provides evidence: The authors, Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert of Harvard University, developed an iPhone app to sample people's ongoing thoughts, feelings, and actions. This reported study included 2250 people, who were asked, at random times, three questions:

• How happy are you now? (sliding scale from 0-100)

• What are you doing right now? (22 categories)

• Is your mind on something other than what you're doing now? (4 choices: no, and if yes, is what you're thinking positive, neutral or negative)

Killingsworth and Gilbert found that people were thinking about what is not happening almost as often as they were thinking about what is - a whopping 46.9 percent of people admitted they were miles away - and surprisingly, mind travel occurred during every type of activity besides making love (or maybe admitting it

It's that time of year again. Time to put aside the pursuit of better health through science and look at exceptionally ridiculous science and innovation achievements in food and nutrition - proven to improve health through the remedy of good cheer.

A better way to get drunk

Is your mouth too busy with other input or output? Danish urban folklore suggests an alcoholic footbath is another way to get tipsy. Maybe that was the drunken excuse winemakers of ancient times - who regularly stomped grapes with their feet as part of their process - gave for their constant intoxication.

Three researchers put this legend to the test by submerging their feet in laundry tub full of vodka for 3 hours while measuring their blood-alcohol levels every 30 minutes. The study was published in the British Medical Journal.

Unsurprisingly, not much happened to their blood alcohol levels. On the other hand "self confidence and urge to speak increased slightly at the start of the study,

Made of simple, inexpensive ingredients, and requiring very little chopping (thanks to my loyal helper, the food processor) this vegetable soup is one of the best ways to get a lot of the veggies you need all in one dish, and the whole grains in the soup add substance, richness and protein to the mix. Nothing like a big pot of soup for the cold days ahead!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2-3 celery stalks, stringy tough outer parts peeled, diced
• 2-3 zucchini, peeled
• 4 potatoes, peeled
• 3 carrots, peeled
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled
• 1 parsnip, peeled (optional)
• 1/3 cup pearled barley, rinsed
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 8 cups good-tasting vegetable broth
• Finely chopped parsley or

I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your kind readership.

In case you're still looking to add some color and health to your big meal, or looking for "cleansing" recipes for the weekend after, here are a few of my healthy Thanksgiving/fall recipes, most of which can be prepared well in advance and require minimal finishing touches.

I'd also like to share a wonderful New York Times article by John Tierney, emphasizing the health benefits of gratitude. Tierney writes:

"Cultivating an "attitude of gratitude" has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, higher long-term satisfaction with life and kinder behavior toward others, including romantic partners."

But how do you get to this heightened level of gratefulness? Tierney consulted with some of the greatest experts in the field and provides tricks and practical advice -- really simple ideas that I liked a lot! On

It took the whole village a few decades to create the obesity epidemic. We slowly allowed the development of a food environment in which junk, fast and highly processed foods became available everywhere and anytime. Marketing and advertising of these food products permeated every real and virtual space making every moment and every deed a consumption occasion.

When we noticed that obesity rates among kids tripled and looked at what kids consumed, it was shocking to see that sugar sweetened beverages contribute about 300 (empty) calories a day to a teen's diet, making them the single largest source of added sugar. Indeed, sugary drinks have become a way of life, and their makers make sure fueling stations are densely spread so a kid would never have to go without.

And since so much time is spent at school, where kids are a captive and impressionable audience, school became another sugary drink fueling station. Vended sugary drinks offered schools a source for much needed