December 2017

Don’t like broccoli, kale or spinach? Fear not. You can train your brain to crave vegetables.

One of my best friends as I was growing up ate nothing unless came in a bag wrapped in paper from a drive through. He’s an unhealthy adult now. While I was never that extreme as a 17 year old, I certainly did not incorporate many foods of color. Rather, I leaned on beans, rice, chicken and egg whites as my healthy staples.

Today, I eat every color known to man in the form of fruits and vegetables. It didn’t happen for me over night. It was the result of incrementally training over time. I didn’t realize it as it was happening, but there was considerable science behind my behavioral patterns. From Men’s Fitness:

You can teach your brain’s rewards centers to crave healthier, lower calorie foods over junk, researchers at Harvard and Tufts U recently found. And it’s a lot easier than you think.

I’m frankly doubting the easier part, but this magazine is at the very least good at sensationalizing the truth. I read on and learned of the studies.

For six months, obese adults followed the scientifically designed, “iDiet”

Ughhh. You know how we feel about diets. Moreover, I gotta think researchers at Harvard could come up with a more creative name. I’ll try to stay open.

The diet prescribes healthy foods and helps eaters understand their “food instincts”- e.g., hunger, availability, familiarity- and learn to control them. At the end, MRIs shows that the reward center in the dieter’s brains lit up more intensely at photos of healthy food than at shots of the unhealthy crap that used to excite it.

It turns out, the trick is to reach for healthy foods when you’re hungry long enough to create a habitual response in the brain.

Anecdotally, this has worked for me as I legitimately crave fruit and vegetables regular and rarely crave junk. When I want something sweet, I’m totally satisfied by an apple.

Somehow, science is far more interesting to me now than when I was 17. Go figure.

Kap

It rarely rains in Southern California, but when it does, it may bring with it health benefits.

I’m generally inclined to enjoy all weather, but rainy, chilly days feel especially healthy to me. I’d dig the drizzle regardless, but the studies help crystalize my visceral feeling. From redlandsdailyfacts.com:

Negative ions are tasteless, odorless and invisible molecules that we inhale when we are in environments that contain moving water, like rain. Once the negative ions reach our bloodstream, they are believed to produce biochemical reactions that help to relieve stress, alleviate depression and even boost our energy.

Despite what you’ve heard, Los Angeles has winters. No, this ain’t Boston, but it was in the low 50s today, and the rain was aggressive at times. Near my home in Malibu, the moisture brings with it green grass on the hillside and an angrier, darker ocean. The air feels fresh, clean and crisp.

Not only rain enables an abundance of negative ions to be released but also waterfalls, the ocean and even dew and mist in the mountains.

It seems I’m in the perfect spot. But what about these invisible negative ion thingies? Is there really science here?

Columbia University’s ion researcher, Michael Terman, said, “The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods.”

Columbia University also conducted a study using negative ion generators to see their effect on people with winter and chronic depression. The study showed that, under certain controlled trials, these generators helped relieve depression symptoms in rates similar to anti-depressant medications.

“The best part is that there are relatively no side effects, but we still need to figure out appropriate doses and which people it works best on,” Terman said.

Perhaps there is some evidence in their favor. Just like with every claim, however, this is an area where it pays to be skeptical. There’s no doubt that negative ions exist (it’s just basic chemistry) and are found in natural settings. There also does appear to be a physiological reaction to them. However, there are tons of products on the market claiming to generate negative ions or that negative ions will cure everything from bad breath to cancer.

If you’re feeling stressed out, skip the magic bracelets, but enjoy the rain. If it’s dry where you are, and you lack a waterfall or beach nearby, just hop into the shower. No advertising or labels needed.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Kap