Curiously Awesome

People who eat more processed foods may suffer a higher incidence of depression. People who eat more fruits and vegetables are less likely to suffer depression. This reinforces an age-old belief that there is a real correlation between what we eat and mental health.

Researchers collected diet and lifestyle data on 3,500 middle-aged people and placed them into groups. The people were then ranked according to two different measures: how much of their diet was whole foods and how much was processed foods. Whole foods: fruits and vegetables–processed foods: high-fat dairy, processed meats, refined grains, fried food and sugar-filled desserts.

Physical and mental health are closely related.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.

Most people from my generation (born in the 60s and 70s) grew up with some form of Dinty Moore products filling their cupboards and filling their soup bowls. Because my mom was home with us when we were young, she did most of the cooking by scratch. Come to think of it…that was just the way most people did it back then. The life of “convenience” foods had really not been sprung on the American consumer yet. Anyway…we kids were the typical kids who always wanted what they didn’t get very often. For us, this was the Dinty Moore products. On the rare occasion when my mom didn’t have time to cook, it was usually Dinty Moore she pulled out of the cupboard. Oh…the excitement! It was hard to contain ourselves, but we managed and then we gobbled down the goodness.

Does this bring back memories for you too? If so…here’s a tip! Visit the hormel website. You will be amazed at the cool things you find. Recipes people! There are tons of them…and these are good ones that combine the goodness of Dinty Moore and Hormel with nutritious ingredients you have in your kitchen that you want your family to eat.

While I’m on the subject…does anyone other than me remember those old commercials? Remember that lumberjack whose name was “Dinty Moore?” He stuck his huge thumbprint onto every can…remember? The Dinty Moore advertisements have stood the test of time and continue to be relevant in today’s society.

Junk food seems to be almost as addictive as heroin, according to a recent study.

Researchers fed rats one of three different diets: a nutritious diet, a healthy diet with no access to junk food, and a diet of unlimited junk food. Rats in the third group quickly became overweight and the weights of rats in the first two groups did not change.

To test the effects of junk food on the brain’s pleasure centers, the researchers stimulated those areas whenever the rats ran on an exercise wheel. The longer the rat ran, the more pleasure it would get.

Rats in the first two groups did not change their exercise behavior. However, the rats eating junk food began running on the wheel longer. This suggests that their brain’s pleasure centers were desensitized.

Researchers then began shocking the rats painfully whenever they ate junk food. The rats in the first two groups quickly stopped eating the junk food but the third group rats continued with the junk food.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness.

As glaucoma progresses, damage to the optic nerve increases and vision deteriorates until there’s only tunnel vision and then no vision at all. Treatment may slow the deterioration, but there’s no cure.

New research suggests drinking green tea regularly may prevent glaucoma.

Phytochemicals in green tea penetrate into tissues of the eyes. The lens, retina and other parts of the eye absorb these antioxidants found in green tea.

Green tea catechins reduce oxidative stress in the eyes linked to glaucoma and other eye diseases. This protection lasts up to 20 hours.

Women who take strategic serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely. Some of the most popular antidepressants are SSRIs, including Prozac.

Researchers compared rates of premature birth between different women. They compared women who were depressed and taking SSRIs with those who were depressed but not taking SSRIs. Women who took SSRIs during pregnancy were twice as likely to give birth prematurely as those who did not take any antidepressants.

It is a confirmed fact that SSRIs can cross the placental barrier and enter into the fetal bloodstream. Research has also shown that babies born to women who used antidepressants during pregnancy often even suffer from withdrawal symptoms.