Should You Follow Mom’s Nutrition Tips?
She said that eating your spinach would make you smarter and that carrots would improve your eyesight. Find out whether the scientific evidence supports Mom's 10 favorite food and diet credos.
By Stacey Colino
Mom's Kitchen Wisdom
When you were a (well-behaved, respectful) kid, you listened. But now that you're feeding yourself, should you be following all the advice that Mom dished out? To learn the truth, Real Simple consulted a panel of nutrition pros. While they didn't always agree, their opinions will give you-and your mother-something to chew on.
Also See:What Ingenious Cleaning Tricks Did You Learn from Your Mom?
"Spinach Is Brain Food"
Tara Gidus, M.S., registered dietitian and nutrition consultant based in Orlando, Florida, and the author of the bookPregnancy Cooking & Nutrition for Dummies($20,amazon.com): Absolutely! Spinach is loaded with lutein, folate, and beta-carotene. These nutrients have been linked with preventing dementia. I know neurologists who recommend eating spinach at least three times a week.
Dawn Jackson Blatner, registered dietitian in Chicago and the author of The Flexitarian Diet ($17, amazon.com): Spinach is super nutritious, potentially anti-inflammatory, and good for heart health. However, there are foods that are even better for the brain, such as blueberries, which are full of antioxidants; eggs, which contain choline, a compound that can help maintain healthy brain-cell membranes; and coffee, which enhances alertness and concentration.
Katherine Tallmadge, registered dietitian; the president of Personalized Nutrition, in Washington, D.C.; and the author of Diet Simple ($15, amazon.com): You could consider spinach a brain food because it contains antioxidants and phytochemicals that help improve blood flow and reduce inflammation. Good blood flow is critical to brain function. But the best brain food is salmon. Its omega-3 fatty acids are highly correlated with reductions in dementia, Alzheimer's, and depression.
Also See: Foods High in Antioxidants
"You Should Eat Only When You're Hungry"
Tallmadge: That's technically true, but it's practically impossible to follow when you're in a society where food is everywhere. And the idea of not eating all day if you're not hungry isn't right, either, because then you can overeat at dinner, when you're suddenly ravenous.
Blatner: This is a tricky one. If we wait to eat until we're hungry, we may not have access to healthy food when we need it. I recommend using a clock as a gauge: Eat every four to six hours, and eat until you feel satisfied, not uncomfortable and stuffed.
Keri Gans, registered dietitian in New York City and the author of The Small Change Diet ($15, amazon.com): If only people knew when they were hungry! The average person doesn't. It's so hard to tune in to your hunger because over the years other factors-like feelings, habits, and moods-start affecting when and how you eat. In general, you should eat every four to five hours. Any more than five and you will get extremely hungry and end up overeating at your next meal.
Also See: Foolproof Menu for the Pickiest Eater
"Bananas Are Nature's Perfect Food"
Tallmadge: That's far from the truth. As a fruit, bananas are OK in terms of nutrient content, but berries are at the top of the scale. To get the most nutritional value from your fruits and vegetables, you have to eat the skin and the seeds, and who would want to eat a banana peel?
Blatner: Bananas are awesome: For about 100 calories, they're a good source of vitamin C, B6, potassium, and fiber. Of course, they're not going to meet all your nutritional needs.
Gidus: I don't like to call anything perfect. But I do believe everybody should eat a banana every day, because it's a great source of potassium, which helps control blood pressure. Also, bananas and potatoes have a particular type of fiber called resistant starch: Your body can't absorb it, so that keeps you full longer and may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce fat accumulation.
Also See:All About Bananas
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