Good morning! I hope everyone is excited about the upcoming holiday weekend. And I don't know about you, but there are a few foods that I find almost synonymous with the fourth of July: slices of watermelon, crisp grapes, juicy burgers, and puppy chow (yes, the chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar cereal treat).
What are your favorite food traditions for the fourth? Let me know by responding to this email! If you want to mix the menu up this year, we have suggestions for you below!
— Molly Knudsen M.S., RDN, editor |
Yes, eating (some) cheese is good for you
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Cheese often isn't thought about as being a healthy food thanks to its high calorie and saturated fat content (and the processed cheeses full of preservatives, artificial colors, emulsifiers, and flavor enhancers definitely aren't). But quality cheeses—soft and hard—can be good for you and your taste buds. Redeeming qualities of cheese - Protein: Cheese is a good source of complete and readily absorbable protein. Most cheeses provide between 10-14 grams of protein (a great amount for a snack) per 1.5-ounce serving.
- Calcium: Cheese can provide a much-needed amount of calcium to the diet. About 38% of adults in the US aren't getting the calcium they need from diet alone. While the calcium content of different cheeses varies widely, parmesan cheese comes out on top by providing 57% of the Daily Value for the mineral.
- Phosphorus: Phosphorus (paired with calcium) is vital to building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth, and cheese naturally pairs these two important minerals together.
- Healthy fats: All cheeses contain some saturated fats (which isn't a bad thing), and some varieties also provide a decent amount of unsaturated fats.1 This (in addition to the protein) makes cheese a satiating, and blood-sugar-balancing food.
- Some probiotics: Aged cheeses (like some goudas and cheddars) are fermented and may retain some live beneficial bacteria that are good for your gut microbiome.2 And now some cottage cheeses are being cultured with probiotic bacteria to further target gut health.
Research-backed benefits - Heart health: Studies show that eating some cheese reduces the risk of heart disease.3
- Bone health: People who get enough calcium are more likely to have better bone density (and less likely to get osteoporosis).4
- Blood sugar balance: Some research shows that cheese consumption is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.5 It can also help prevent blood sugar spikes immediately after something carb-heavy, which is why dietitians often recommend pairing it with fruit.
- Weight management: When included as part of an overall healthy diet, eating cheese can help people lose weight (and then maintain that loss).6
- Gut health: The probiotics from fermented cheeses can help create a desirable gut microbiome.7
The ideal amount to eat - Now, these benefits are seen with some cheese consumption from eating more cheese
- 1-2 ounces a day seems to be the sweet spot (that's 1 slice, 3-4 cubes, of ¼ cup shredded)
+ Take a bite |
The chopping block: Can collagen really smooth fine lines?
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The promise of smoothing fine lines with something as simple as a supplement seems too good to be true. Yet every day, people scoop their favorite collagen powder into [insert: coffee, smoothies, oats, or water] in hopes of a smoother, more supple complexion. But are those results actually in reach? What is collagen? - Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body.
- It comprises a significant portion of connective tissues like skin, tendons, bones, and cartilage.
- Collagen loss (through aging, sun damage, etc.) leads to visible signs of skin aging, like sagging and wrinkles.
- The body naturally produces collagen—although this decreases with age—from the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
- Collagen supplements are broken-down, digestible forms of collagen (derived from things like cows, fish, and chickens), usually in a powdered form.
What does the research say? - Collagen supplements can promote the skin's natural collagen production by directly providing those three must-have amino acids.*
- Clinical studies on collagen supplementation and skin hydration show that regular use supports your skin's hydration levels.8*
- Research has shown that collagen can support skin elasticity and potentially make fine lines appear smaller (likely due to the two factors above).9*
How much do you need? - At least 2.5-10 grams of collagen peptides are needed to support skin health (as well as joint health).*
- Even more (about 15-20 grams a day) is what's beneficial for supporting muscle mass, strength, and soreness after exercise.*
The verdict - Yes, collagen supplements work if you take a high-quality form, at the right dose consistently.*
- mindbodygreen's beauty & gut collagen+ offers just that with 17.7 grams of grass-fed collagen.
- This formula also includes hyaluronic acid, vitamins C & E, biotin, l-glutamine, turmeric, and glucosinolate to further support skin, hair, nails, and gut health.*
- The chocolate flavor is also sugar-free (see this recipe for our favorite sugar-free protein balls).
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| Health(ish) barbecue favorites for the fourth |
The holiday weekend is quickly approaching, and with it comes barbecues, potlucks, and cookouts. If you haven't solidified the menu yet, or are still looking for some tasty (yet nutritious) foods that impress, we have the perfect lineup of dishes for you. +To enjoy with others Drinks that will break your fast (& ones that won't) Do you follow a fasting window? If so, there are some drinks besides plain water that won't break your fast: black coffee, tea, and seltzer. But other liquids can. Remember the goal of most fasts is to keep calorie counts at zero (or as close as possible) or to not elicit a blood sugar response. + Not so fast |
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Need an answer? Drop me your questions here. That's it for this week! Until next time, bon appétit. –Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN |
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