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Aygestin and polyp - Aygestin therapy - Aygestin birth control effectiveness - 6537 Completed ORDERS Today! - Barnsdalltimes

Being a ruminant with four stomachs or a human with only one has its advantages. We are able to eat grasses, such as rice, wheat, barley, rye, oats and corn, if we are not allergic to them.

Grasses occupy a significant portion of the earth's land mass perhaps as much as 40 percent or more depending on the definition of agricultural grasses. Solar energy is, therefore, turned into biomass and which, in turn, nourishes us and sustains life.

Paleolithic hunter gatherers ate grass seeds, and seeds are the most energy-dense part of the plant. Therefore, the largest seeds and the most easily accessible seeds were the most desirable.

Also, for humans, seeds are the most easily digested part of the plant and really the only part of the plant that we can digest.

Many thousands of years ago, seeds were roasted on stones over a fire and also ground between stones then boiled in water to make a porridge which provided protein, vitamins and minerals to our ancient ancestors. This mash-like concoction could even be cooked on a hot rock to make an unleavened flat bread.

Before 10,000 years B.C., our ancestors followed wild herd animals. They did not carry many provisions or possessions.

Before 8,000 B.C., wheat was not the same grass that we are familiar with today. It was a 14 chromosome grass, which later crossed with another 14 chromosome wild grass to produce a 28 chromosome grass known as Emmer.

The seeds of Emmer could be easily spread by the wind ensuring continued growth. This was a plumper version that was more nutritious, but Emmer crossed with another wild grass to produce the more modern session of a 42 chromosome wheat, which is basically bread wheat.

This form of wheat could not be spread by the wind but was best replanted only by hand. Therefore, bread wheat can only be propagated by humans, and, subsequently, agriculture was born.

Because of agriculture, nomads built villages then cities and then empires.

Language skills and communication skills between humans seemed to take off afterward, so to speak. Tools, such as a means to grind wheat into flower, were invented.

The wheel was used on carts to transport the harvest, commerce and probably math and science and physics and possibly even the cell phone are byproducts of that early form of agriculture and civilization and, therefore, bread wheat.

Not all humans can safely eat wheat. Before 10,000 years B.C., celiac disease did not exist because bread wheat was not present in their diet. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease or an allergic reaction to gluten, which is a specific protein found in wheat.

Symptoms may be mild or severe and can include gas, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, anemia or even malabsorption. Symptoms may mimic those similar to irritable bowel syndrome.

Approximately one in 100 people may have some form of celiac disease or wheat allergy but less than 3 percent are ever diagnosed.

It is estimated that today 550 million acres worldwide are planted in wheat, and no crop is more important for humans. Rice is in second place. Twenty percent of the human diet comes from wheat.

In 2016 market sales of gluten-free products approached $15 billion. Many products are labeled gluten-free even though they obviously do not contain gluten.

So, gluten presently is receiving some bad press because of the possibility of celiac disease. Lab tests and a small bowel biopsy through the gastroscope can confirm or deny the diagnosis.

Celiac disease is a real entity and may cause significant digestive problems, but understand that because of bread wheat and subsequently agriculture, good things happened for modern humans starting about 10,000 years ago.

If you are interested in this sort of topic, read "The Ascent of Man" by J. Bronowski, an excellent book that was recommended to me by a friend.

Modern wheat flour has been so refined, however, that it has lost its nutritional value in the form of white bread. Therefore, if you do not have celiac disease, look for whole grain breads.

The link between celiac disease and wheat was not made until after World War II because wheat was scarce during the war. Once bread was re-introduced into the diet in Holland, a Dutch physician made the connection. The link of gluten as the offending protein wheat was not defined until 1952.

People who include whole grains in their diet tend to live longer than those who avoid grains. Pure oats should not contain gluten, but cross-contamination with wheat, barley or rye could occur during processing. Bread is an important part of Christian communion, and many churches now offer a gluten-free form.

David Keisler is a gastroenterologist and internist in Aiken.

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MEDICAL INSIGHTS: The effects of wheat on body, civilizations - Aiken Standard

If youre just now starting on your New Years resolution to get healthy, you might find yourself considering the Whole30 program. The latest diet craze, which is meant to be a sort of physical reset button, requires you to cut out grains, sugars, alcohol, processed foods, legumes and dairy for a full 30 days. So basically you feast on meats, veggies, fruits, nuts and eggs.

Lots of people are jumping on the bandwagon, and not without reason. Changing your eating habits in this way can help you find trigger foods that cause you problems. And this kind of structured diet can set you on your way to a true long-term lifestyle change. (Of course, every persons different and, if you have concerns about changing your diet, you might want to consult a professional before getting started.)

But theres a big financial catch: The Whole30 diet can be expensive.

My husband and I have been doing a Whole30, and its definitely increased our grocery budget. On the one hand, this is fine. Im OK with paying a little more for food that I know is better for my body. But I dont want to pay a lot more, especially since we plan to stick with this style of eating for much longer than 30 days.

Doing a Whole30 may increase your grocery budget, but it doesnt have to blow it out of the water. (That would seriously damage your wallet and your credit.) If you decide to try this way of eating, use these tips to keep from spending way too much.

1. Dont worry about going organic

The Whole30 guide suggests going organic. After all, you want to cut out all the nastiness from the food you put into your body. But if you cant afford organic meat, fruits and veggies, dont sweat it. Consider just purchasing organic if your produce is on the dirty dozen list of foods most impacted by pesticides. The bottom line: Even conventional fruits and veggies are much better than processed foods. So go with what you can afford.

2. Get familiar with the best prices

Now is a great time to get familiar with different grocery stores in your area. We personally try not to make more than two stops on our Saturday morning shopping trips. You may find its worth your while to make three or more stops. Consider shopping outside of the big box stores. Try your local Trader Joes for Whole30-approved snacks like plantain chips. We love Aldi for scoring most of our meat and produce at great prices, and local farmers markets may have in-season produce for a steal.

3. Keep emergency snacks on hand

The first couple of weeks of Whole30 can be rough, I wont lie. I was hungry basically all the time and really craved carbs. This is totally normal, but you can push through it. Its a good idea to keep emergency snacks on hand so you can stick to your eating plan. Some options include nuts (buy in bulk and portion them into small packages), fruit (apples and bananas keep well in the car or a purse), and, in a pinch, certain Larabars (when on sale). Emergency food can also keep you from dining out, which is confusing, frustrating and even more expensive when youre on a Whole30.

Professor Richard Thaler, an expert in behavioral economics, talked to MarketWatch about his 'lazy' investing strategy that allows investors to maximize their returns while doing very little.

4. Plan your meals

Ive always been a meal planner, but Ive gotten even more serious about it since starting the Whole30. Now I know each day what well have for dinner. I plan everything on Saturday before we grocery shop. When you plan your meals, you dont buy extra food that ends up spoiling. And if you really want to be cheap, you can make just enough extra food to have leftovers for lunch the next day.

5. Dont be afraid of the freezer aisle

You might think eating Whole30 would mean all-raw fruits and veggies. But thats not the case. In fact, oven-roasted veggies drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar are our favorites right now. And those can be made with frozen veggies as easily as fresh ones. You can also save on meats, fish and berries when you buy frozen rather than fresh.

6. Try some canned items

Cheap canned goods arent off limits. Youll want to read labels to make sure nothing weird has been added to your canned veggies or tuna. (Some canned tuna has added sugar.) Once you find brands and types you know are compliant, you can work them into loads of different meals to stretch those savings.

7. Choose conventional lean meats

Organic grass-fed meats are the best option, but theyre also super-expensive. If you cant afford this type of meat, dont sweat it. However, youll probably want to steer clear of fattier cuts of conventional meats. The worst of the toxins stored in a cut of meat will be in the fat. So just go with leaner cuts while youre doing your detox.

8. Get used to making eggs

The Whole30 relies heavily on protein and fat to keep you feeling full and satiated without a constant intake of carbohydrates. One way to get both of these macronutrients without spending a load of money is with eggs. Keep hardboiled eggs on hand for an easy snack. Make a sweet potato hash with eggs for breakfast. Serve a frittata for dinner. Just generally get comfortable with making eggs every which way, and theyll save you money while keeping you on track.

9. Skip expensive Whole30-fied products

Yes, you can buy Whole30-fied beef jerky, mayonnaise and salad dressing. But these products can be hard to find and very pricey. If you need to stick to a budget, make them yourself or cut them out of your diet altogether. I discovered in this journey that making mayo is incredibly simple and cost-effective. And homemade mayo makes a delicious chicken salad!

10. Keep it simple

There are loads of great Whole30 recipes online. Pinterest is chock full of them. Many include a variety of delicious spices, veggies youve never heard of and interesting cooking techniques. And this is definitely a good time to expand your palate with some new tastes. However, dont go crazy with the brand-new recipes, especially those that will require you to buy a bunch of new spices or cooking equipment. Instead, keep things simple. A piece of grilled meat and some roasted veggies will do.

Following this popular eating plan can be tough, but it doesnt have to be too hard on your wallet. With the proper planning, you can succeed at the Whole30 and stick to your grocery budget, too.

Still looking for ways to chop down your food costs? Check out these tips for how to eat for less than $6 a day.

This story is an Op/Ed contribution to Credit.com and does not necessarily represent the views of the company or its partners.

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Opinion: How to do the Whole30 diet without going broke - MarketWatch

Step away from the scalesit may not be the key to improving your mental health.

Despite the message that the happiest you is just 10 pounds away, new research suggests that improving the quality of your diet may be the recipe to protecting and even improving your mental health, not losing weight.

Over the past decade, dozens of studies have shown that maintaining a healthy diet is associated with both a reduced risk for developing depression (paywall) and an effective strategy for treating existing depression. But a review of mood-food studies has shown that the clear relationship between diet and depression is quite independent of body weight.

This was reinforced in a recent world-first trial where participants followed a 12-week dietary-improvement program for the treatment of depression. Most of the participants in the trial were overweight and remained so at the end of the intervention. But despite not having lost any weight, those who improved their diet experienced significant improvement in their symptoms, and one third of them experienced remission of their depressive disorder.

Theres no disputing the health importance of being a healthy weight. But while being overweight or obese (and the associated metabolic problems with both) are risk factors for depression, it doesnt appear that being overweight prevents people from accessing the physiological and psychological benefits of eating well.

Our diet seems to exert its effects on mood through pathways that may not require change in weight.The biology behind this is not yet clear, but our diet seems to exert its effects on mood through pathways that may not require change in weight. For example, a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and plenty of fiber can improve the health of your gut microbiota through bacterial fermentation and the production of anti-inflammatory, short-chain fatty acids. This is likely to reduce the chronic inflammation that is a risk factor for depression, as well as other chronic diseases. This is because both microbiota and the immune system communicate with the stress-response system and enteric nervous system, which influences circulatory biomarkers that regulate our moods.

According to the evidence, a key step for good mental health is to reduce the amount of extras we eat: foods that provide energy, but offer little to no nutritional value, such as chocolate, cake, chips, and other snack foods. Were better off spending these calories on what are often referred to as brain foods, which are often high in fat, but just as high in important nutrients. Fatty fish like salmon or trout, olive oil, and nuts are foundational to the Mediterranean diet, which is known for its benefits to both the brain and body. These foods, as well as greens and whole grains, are broken down into molecules that feed our gut bugs, which help build neurotransmitters, fight inflammation, and protect healthy brain cells.

Making changes to our lifestyles to improve how we feel and function is challenging, especially when were not feeling our mental best. Losing weight is a long haul, but the good news is that the benefits of eating well can be felt relatively quickly, whether youre overweight or slim, and without maintaining a calorie deficit. Calories are necessary fuel, but the quality of calories matters.

Taking simple steps, like swapping chips or chocolate for fruit and nuts, may not make much of a difference to our calorie scorecard, but the benefits for both our mental and physical health quickly add up. Unlike some of the other factors that contribute to our mental health, food is a domain over which we have some control. So keep in mind: Small changes matter to mental health, whether the scales move or not.

Learn how to write for Quartz Ideas.We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

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Losing weight won't make you happierbut eating a balanced diet will - Quartz

Pop a Pill for Heartburn? Try Diet and Exercise Instead New York Times While definitive evidence for most of the risks identified thus far is lacking, consumers plagued by acid reflux would be wise to consider an alternative approach, namely diet and lifestyle changes that can minimize symptoms and even heal damage ...

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Pop a Pill for Heartburn? Try Diet and Exercise Instead - New York Times

This weekend, after months of working on a positive mindset and more self-love, I was somehow launched back into my past ways of thinking.

Perhaps its because my regular eating patterns were disrupted, or perhaps its because I hadnt hit the gym as hard this past week.

Whatever it was, it nearly ruined a good part of my two days off.

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I was reminded of the girl I used to be in the first few years of college, the girl letting life pass her by because she was(miserably) eyeballs-deep into My Fitness Pal and Crossfit.

It didnt matter that Id put countless hours and effort into loving myself. I just had a few of those days.

Im smart enough to know that low points along the path to body-image recovery are unavoidable, and no journey is smooth sailing the entire way.

In the past year, Ive had a lot of these low points. Each time, though, I become a little more prepared to deal with them.

Heres what I do (and what you can do, too) to recover from a bad body image day:

This is the most important recovery tip out of the five. Having a bad body image day does not excuse you lashing out on your body.

Do you ever remember a time when treating something with hate actually fixed the problem?

Ive seen countless tweets, posts, snaps and texts of people saying, Going to the gym to work off that [insert treat] I just ate. This mindset is destructive; there is no better word for it.

Training your brain to believe you cannot enjoy food without burning it all off after makes it impossible to indulge without guilt.

If youre feeling bad about your body, dont force yourself through grueling workouts if youre sore and uncomfortable.

More importantly, do not skip meals or tell yourself you arent worthy of food.

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You had a doughnut for breakfast. You dont need to eat a burger for dinner. Way too many carbs, my inner mean girl scolded. You have to shut her down.

Many times, your body telling you youre not allowed to eat something is actually a cry for real nourishment. Dont confuse the two.

Eat for fuel, and remember that deprivation and restriction will only make you feel worse.

We all like compliments. Being told youre beautiful, skinny, pretty or successful is one of the most gratifying feelings.

Sometimes, though looking for compliments can add extra tension to relationships.

I find myself doing this once in a while to a friend, to my husband or to my family.

I just feel like I work so hard and never get anywhere, Ill say robotically.

They usually reply with something positive that I know I want to hear, which helps for a total of one second.

After the compliment is gone, however, that instant gratification is gone with it.

Remember: The best validation needs to come from within. YOU need to feel good about YOURSELF.

Waiting around for others to tell you how wonderful you look adds extra anxiety to the body image struggle.

Dont add stress to your positive relationships on your bad body image days by looking for ways to get compliments.

When I say nourish, I am not talking about a total detox.

Multiple articles exist on the web telling women that to recover from a poor day of eating, it helps to cut out all dairy, carbs, fats and sugars.

These are usually the articles that have links to tea detoxes and feature ways to lose 10 pounds in a week.

If youre struggling because your eating patterns have been disrupted with parties or events, or youve indulged in lots of tasty food for any reason, you do NOT need to remove any food groups from you next few days.

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What you should do is simply be mindful of what your body wants. Intuitive eating is a practice that must be learned, and there are a lot of resources regarding it.

But, simply listening to your appetite and hunger cues is crucial.

Do you feel parched? Drink water.

Are you exhausted, but hungry? Eat something with lots of vitamins, minerals and protein.

This doesnt have to be eight almonds and a PowerBar. It can be a delicious meal packed with nutrients.

It might even contain sugars, healthy fats and carbs.

These things are not the enemy; they are fuel. Although its 100 percent OK to have treats if thats what your body wants, you will find that sometimes your body wants true nourishment.

In these moments, give it the healthy and enriching foods that it needs.

Whenever you have a bad body image day, the best thing you can do is be prepared to deal with it in healthy ways.

Dana Suchow, mastermind of Do The Hotpants, refers to having a toolbox of resources to help get you through the bad days.

Save articles about body positivity that resonate with you. Cleanse your social media of thinspo accounts or anyone who makes you feel a lesser version of yourself.

Follow accounts with body positive messages (a few of my favorite are@nourishandeat, @girlmeetsweights, @dothehotpantsand @bodyposipanda).

Read books that empower you and teach you healthy practices, such as The Goddess Revolution by Mel Wells (another great account to follow).

The more tools you have to turn to on your bad days, the easier they will be.

The body positivity community online is incredible. These girls and guys show you that you are not alone in your struggle.

Use these tools to help overcome the bad days whenever you need to.

Recovery from disordered thoughts, eating, compulsive exercising and self-loathing is not an instant fix.

Changing a paradigm that youve been programmed to believe for years can be incredibly difficult to change. It can take months, even years, to really feel the changes.

The brain is a powerful and stubborn thing. It takes slow, patient coaxing to shift your mindset.

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All you can do is take it one day at a time. Be nice to yourself when you look in the mirror, and realize you are doing the best you can.

Sometimes, I will look at myself and think this:

In this very moment that I stand here, I am doing everything I possibly can to love myself. I will not punish my body. I am worthy of enjoying food. I do not need to earn anything.

Find your mantra, and chant it in your head over and over until you start to believe it.

Each little step in recovery is one larger step toward self-love. Although it can be daunting to look forward when youve been sucked back into the cycle, you can pull yourself out.

Eventually, the bad days become fewer, and the good days start to overcome them.

Youll get there, I promise.

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Shell's Titanic Bet: Can Deep-Water Drilling Be Done on the Cheap? Wall Street Journal (subscription) MARS OIL PLATFORMRoyal Dutch Shell PLC is trying to reinvent its business with a concept that sounds oxymoronic: budget deep-water drilling. Here on a hulking steel behemoth 130 miles southeast of New Orleans, more than 170 roughnecks and ...

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By Amby Burfoot By Amby Burfoot March 20 at 7:00 AM

It hasnt been a great decade for fans of grain consumption not even whole grains. Popular diet books like The Paleo Diet, The Wheat Belly Diet and many others have argued for limited grain consumption. Meanwhile, apparent scientific softening on the fat-is-bad-for-you dictum has increased interest in healthy fat consumption. That, too, has put grains, which are mainly composed of carbohydrates, on trial.

Nonetheless, a recent and highly controlled study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition lends support to whole-grain consumption, especially in comparison to refined grains. The conclusions line up with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020, which recommend that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of a healthy diet, with six ounces from grains. (An ounce of grains is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or cup of cooked pasta or rice).

[10 nutrition mistakes even really healthy people make]

The new study, conducted at Tufts Universitys highly regarded Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, found that a diet high in whole grains vs. refined grains led to a favorable energy balance. In other words, subjects on a whole-grain diet burned more calories while absorbing fewer. They also showed a trend toward improved glucose tolerance. According to the papers authors, the results may help explain epidemiological associations between whole-grain consumption and reduced body weight and adiposity.

Senior author Susan B. Roberts, professor of nutrition and senior scientist at the USDA Nutrition Center at Tufts (and founder of theidiet.com), agrees that many Americans eat too many highly processed and often highly sugared grains. She doesnt, however, find this a good reason to limit whole grains. I think the anti-carb hype has gone too far for a healthy society, she says. We should remember that whole grains in the diet are associated with lower cancer rates, so theyre good for long-term health.

Her perspective is shared by nutritionist Lauri Wright, who was not part of the Tufts study. Bottom line, whole grains have many benefits, says Wright, assistant professor in the department of community and family health at the University of South Florida and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Some didnt appear in this study, because even the refined grain eaters consumed a lot of fiber. Whole grains also increase the antioxidant level of a diet, which is important for health.

Unlike many much-publicized nutrition studies, this one was not designed for calorie restriction or weight loss. Instead, researchers constantly monitored subjects weights to make sure no one was dropping pounds. With that variable eliminated, they could focus more intently on the whole grains vs. refined grains question at the center of their investigation.

Eighty one subjects were divided into two groups who picked up all their meals each day at the Tufts nutrition center. Subjects had an average age in their mid-50s and an average body mass index of 25.6, slightly above the 25.0 upper limit of healthy BMI, but not overweight or obese. During the six weeks of diet manipulation, all subjects consumed diets of about 2,550 calories, including 53 percent carbohydrates, 28 percent fat and 19 percent protein. In other words, the diets were identical.

Except for one thing. A whole grains group consumed 830 calories a day of whole-grain products. A refined grains group ate 830 calories of refined grain foods. In refining, also called milling, the grain loses much of its fiber, iron and B vitamins. The latter two are often added back to refined grains, but the missing fiber usually isnt. The whole grains came from commercial, off-the-shelf supermarket products made from whole flours, because the researchers wanted to use foods that are readily available to consumers.

During the last week of the six-week diet, investigators calculated the resting metabolic rate of subjects along with the energy content of their feces. (Amazingly only one subject from each arm of the experiment failed to manage the required collection.) The resulting measurements showed that the whole-grain eaters had a resting metabolic rate about 40 calories per day higher than the refined grain eaters, as well as a greater loss of calories (about 50) in their stool. Together, the two findings gave whole-grain eaters a 92-calorie gap in energy balance (calories in minus calories out) vs. the refined grain eaters.

I think thats an amount many people would be happy about, says Roberts. Its one and a half Oreo cookies a day. When the researchers extended this energy-balance deficit over a 12-month period, it translated to an annual weight loss of 5.5 pounds. This agreed almost exactly with a study of whole-grain consumption and weight change published by Harvard researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011. That report evaluated results from more than 120,000 subjects.

Some consumers have become so accustomed to soft, bland, refined grains that they disdain chewier whole grains. Yet in the Tufts experiment both whole grain and refined grain foods received equal palatability ratings.

Its easy to move gradually in the direction of greater whole-grain consumption, notes Roberts. Just introduce a few more foods made from whole-grain flours. (Using cracked grains or whole grains like cooked brown rice or quinoa might prove even healthier than flours. Thats because the more intact the original grain, the longer it takes to digest.)

Americans consume an average of about 15 grams of fiber a day. In the Tufts study, the whole-grains group reached 39 grams a day while the refined grains group consumed 21 grams.

Most studies that produce a negative energy balance also report a decrease in resting metabolic rate. The opposite occurred in the Tufts study. We dont know for sure why that happened, Roberts admits. But I believe the strong trend toward fullness among the whole-grain eaters means the brain received no signals directing it to turn down metabolism.

In a related paper, the Tufts team reported their findings on the microbiomes reaction to a whole-grain diet. They found a modest positive effect of whole grains relative to refined grains on the immunity response to pathogens.

The Tufts study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. The authors declared that General Mills had no input on the data collection, analysis or interpretation.

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Despite the anti-carb diet fads, whole grains are still good for you - Washington Post

MANCHESTER You may have heard about eating heart healthy, but have you ever heard about eating brain healthy? The foods we eat affect our brains just as much as our hearts, and according to some specialists, its something we should be paying attention to.

The evidence is mounting that no matter what age you are, elementary school or even living into your 90s, the way we live our lives impacts our body and our brains every single day, saidCC Donelan.

Donelan isdirector of education atthe Brain Health and Wellness Center in Acton, which offers educational programs, consulting and coaching to individuals, families, and organizations in how to improve and care for the human brain. She will be speaking at the Manchester Community Center at a free event on Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. asthe second in a series of workshops that deal with memory loss.

The studies she will be presenting look at how lifestyle choices influence thinking and memory skills and how simple changes can prevent slow cognitive decline and possibly reduce the risk of Alzheimers disease.

Were all concerned about our brains these days, Donelan said. What we chose to eat and activities we chose do impact us.

Donelan first learned about the program after her father was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease in 2010, and it changed the way she lives her life. At the time I was taking care of my three children, buying fresh foods almost every day, thinking that was the key. Ive learned so much and my pantry has changed, Donelan said.

Im using mostly whole grains now. Nothing refined, she said. She also uses a lot more spices. This program highlights the incredible benefits of spices, she said.She is also supplementing animal proteins with plant foods in her diet.

You should really eat fish at least three times a week. It doesnt have to be wild-caught salmon top of the line you can get wonderful canned salmon that is very affordable, she said. Sardines are also heart- and brain-healthy, she said.

The big change is to cut refined sugar. The whole effort is to reduce sugar over all, she said. You dont have to give up desserts completely; she offered dark chocolate as a healthy alternative.

People should be aware of how much sugar they consume daily, according to Donelan. In many studies it is directly found to impact your brain, thinking, memory, and shrinks you hippocampus, Donelan said. The hippocampus,the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system in the brain, seems to bewhere Alzheimers disease begins. It also impacts your heart and overall body functioning.

Its not a diet, its a lifestyle, Donelan said. Its about coming back more in line with how we should be eating.

Becoming more aware of how food and lifestyle choices effect your brain can result in more energy, clearer thinking, and can help fight against cold and flu, she said.

I never really thought too much about what I eat affecting my brain until my dad was diagnosed and a whole new world opened up, Donelan said.

Mary Markos may be contacted at 978-675-2708 or mmarkos@gloucestertimes.com

If you go

What: How to eat brain healthy, a talk withCC Donelan of theBrain Health and Wellness Center in Acton.

When:Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m.

Where:Manchester Community Center, 40 Beach St.

How much: Free.

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Talk to explore brain-diet connection - The Salem News