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  Food and Thought Newsletter - January 2025

  Start the New Year With New (Healthy) Eating Habits!
  For many the new year marks a time of new beginnings, for looking ahead toward goals we want to achieve. One common goal is to eat healthier foods. Sometimes this is to lose weight, and sometimes it’s to get medical conditions like heart health or diabetes - under better control. Whatever the reason, there’s no time like the present to make healthier eating habits a part of all of our routines!

  What Is Healthy Eating?
  The term “healthy eating” is brought up a lot in the culture--at medical appointments, on morning talk shows, on social media, and in magazines. Even in this monthly newsletter! But what does it really mean? By definition, healthy eating is a pattern of behavior in which we are consistently choosing foods and beverages that provide our bodies with the nutrients they need to function properly. Many of the foods we eat have insufficient - or in some cases very little, if any - nutritional value! Foods that are a part of a healthy eating pattern include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins like chicken and fish, low-fat or fat-free dairy, lactose-free milk, or fortified soy beverages and foods that are low in saturated fats and added sugar. Adding more of these foods to your diet will help establish a healthier eating pattern.

  Serving Size Matters!
  Eating healthy isn’t just about the types of foods we eat, but about the amounts of them. Serving size does matter! Yet many of us don’t know what a recommended serving size is. If you are unsure, there are simple ways to find out.
  1. If the food you are eating comes in a package (box, bag, can, jar) there will be a nutrition label that gives you that (as well as other) helpful information!
  2. If the food you are eating is fresh (ie., not in a package), this information is available online. Be sure to check a reputable site, such as nutrition.gov or nutritionvalue.org.

  Sources for this month’s newsletter: have been taken from an online search engine that used AI generated data. All figures are approximations and may vary by brand, portion size, etc… https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/ https://www.chnnyc.org/portion-versus-serving-size/

  The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link between.
  nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program.

  This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program and Mass General Brigham.

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  Food and Thought Newsletter - January 2024

  Making (and Keeping) New Year’s Resolutions!
  The end of the year is, for many, a time for reflection on the past and for aspirations for the future. Many people make resolutions for healthier choices in the new year. However, researchers suggest that only 9% of Americans that make resolutions complete them. There are many reasons for this and this issue of Food and Thought would like to address them and help you to make—and keep—your New Year’s resolutions.

  Making New Year’s Resolutions that Last
  There are several reasons why New Year’s resolu-tions don’t last beyond a few months (or in some cas-es, a few days!). These can include setting goals that are not meaningful, unexpected obstacles occur, goals are not measurable or are too vague, or lack of accountability. So, to make your New Year’s resolu-tions more likely to stick, keep these simple recom-mendations in mind as you set your own goals for 2024.
  1. Choose something meaningful..
  2. Set very specific goals.
  3. Have a clear plan for your resolution.
  4. Keep it simple.
  5. Choose something new; don’t repeat past efforts.
  6. Identify your support system to help you be accounta-ble.
  7. Give your resolution time to be-come a habit.

  Making small changes can bring big rewards.
  Keep Your 'Eat Better' New Year's Resolution With These Helpful Tips.

  1. Make time for breakfast; start the day with yogurt, fruit or whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk.
  2. Don’t skip any meals or snacks; fruit & nuts are healthy choices.
  3. Include a total of 30 minutes of activity every day; 10 minutes here and there goes a long way.
  4. Drink fewer sodas and other sweetened drinks, like iced tea.
  5. Meet your goal. Aim to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
  6. Buy pre-cut fruits and vegetables. Convenience makes you more likely to choose them when you're hungry.
  7. Pack healthy snacks. Save time and money by bringing snacks like hummus, yogurt, cut-up veggies, and string cheese to work, school, or other activities.
  8. Upgrade your salad. Add whole grains to boost the fiber, so you'll feel full.
  9. Fix pasta dishes with veggies and lean protein (like canned tiny shrimp, tuna canned in water, precooked chicken breast, or soy crumbles)
  10. Go for variety. Eat a variety of fruits & veggies.

  The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link between. nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a refer-ral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program at 781-599-0110.

   

  This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program and the Essex County Community Foundation Behavioral Health Partnership Grant.

   

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  Food and Thought Newsletter - March 2025

  The Skinny On Fried Foods ?
  In recent years we’ve been hearing that fried foods are bad for our health and that they have been linked to chronic physical and emotional health problems. Yet many of us don’t understand why this is. Increasingly, research is discovering more about the complex connection between fried foods and chronic diseases, like high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and anxiety. Read on for more information about fried foods and how they should be consumed if they are a part of your diet.

  Fried Foods and Chronic Disease.
  As many as 1 in 3 Americans eats fast food at least once a day, and most of those fast food meals include fried foods. Fried foods have long been linked to health problems, but research now shows eating fried food daily could lead to an early death, in some cases increasing the risk of death by 13%. Heart problems, obesity, type 2 diabetes and even mental health problems like depression, anxiety and cogni-tive decline have been linked to diets rich in highly pro-cessed and fried foods. But why, exactly, frying foods is bad for us, is not a simple matter.
  All frying is not the same, and there are several things to consider, including the type of oil used, the time and tem-perature of the cooking process and the food item itself that is being fried. Frying foods at home, where you may have more control over these factors, may be a better option. If cooking with oil, try pan frying, or even sautéing instead of deep frying. Be sure to use oils that can safely withstand the high temperatures necessary for frying (between 350—400 degrees Fahrenheit), like peanut or sunflower oils.

  Oils: What to Eat and What to Avoid
  Some types of oils which are commonly used to fry foods contain “bad fats” (saturated and trans) which are known to contribute to poor health outcomes. But there are healthier choices when cooking with oil - whether or not you are frying with them! Some oils contain healthy fats, (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) —which our bodies and brains need to function properly.
  When shopping for healthy oils, choose those with less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, and avoid partially hydrogenated oils or trans fats. Refer to the lists below for more guidance.

  Healthier Fats and Oils

  Choosing fats and oils with less saturated fat leads to a healthier heart. Eating less saturated fat can help prevent heart disease.

  Choose MORE often
  Foods lower in saturated fat
  • Canola oil
  • Safflower oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Corn oil
  • Olive oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Peanut oil
  • Soft tub margarine
  (Light is a better choice)

  Choose LESS often
  Foods higher in saturated fat
  • Coconut oil
  • Butter
  • Beef fat
  • Palm oil
  • Pork fat (lard)
  • Chicken fat
  • Solid shortening
  • Cottonseed oil
  • Fatback
  • Bacon grease

  For more heart-healthy cooking tips and recipes, visit healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov.

  Sources for this month’s newsletter: have been taken from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/healthy-cooking-oils;
  https://blogs.bcm.edu/2023/04/25/the-truth-about-fried-food/; https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-why-eating-too-many
  -fried-foods-could-lead-to-early-death/; https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/healthier-fats-and-oils-fact-sheet

  The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link between nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program

  This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program and the Essex County Community Foundation Behavioral Health Partnership Grant.

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  Food and Thought newsletter - September 2023

  Feeling tired? Low energy? Unmotivated? It could be your diet! 

  There are a lot of things that can cause fatigue; a poor night’s sleep or not enough sleep, stress, even some health conditions. But what we eat also plays an important role in our energy level - in both positive and negative ways. Because the body is fueled by the foods that we eat it is important to feed it the best foods possible, and to avoid those that leave us feeling sluggish, tired and unable to concentrate. Focus on whole foods and avoid processed foods whenever possible. Below is a list of some of the best—and worst—foods for optimum cognitive health.
   

  What are Processed Foods and How Do They Effect Emotional Health?
  Most food needs some degree of processing, and not all processed foods are bad for the body. However, chemically processed foods, also called ultra-processed foods, tend to be high in sugar, artificial ingredients, re-fined carbohydrates, and trans fats. Because of this, they are a major contributor to obesity and illness around the world, and are increasingly being linked to impaired brain health, including mood disorders and cognitive decline.
  In recent decades, ultra-processed food intake has in-creased dramatically worldwide. These foods now ac-count for 25-60% of a person’s daily caloric intake throughout much of the world.
  These ultra-processed foods are sometimes called “cosmetic” foods, as compared with whole foods. Some examples of ultra-processed foods include:: frozen or ready meals, baked goods—including pizza, cakes, and pastries, packaged breads, processed cheese products, breakfast cereals, crackers and chips, candy and ice cream, instant noodles and soups, reconstituted meats, such as sausages, nuggets, fish fingers, processed ham, sodas and other sweetened drinks.
   

  Foods to Eat More Of

  • Avocado
  • Kidney beans
  • Almonds
  • Banana
  • Spinach
  • Dates
  • Brown rice
     

  Foods to Avoid

  • Artificially sweetened foods and beverages
  • White bread
  • Baked goods
  • High caffeine drinks
  • Processed and/or cured meats (such as sausage, bacon and salami)
     

  Rule of Thumb — Read your labels. The fewer ingredients the better! If there is an ingredient listed that your grandmother would not recognize, AVOID THAT FOOD!
   

  Change can be difficult. Start by adding a few healthier food choices to your daily and weekly meal plans. Then slowly add more as you begin to remove some of the less healthy choices. And be patient with yourself. Change takes time. But your body—and your brain—will thank you for it

  This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program and the Essex County Community Foundation Behavioral Health Partnership Grant.

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  Food and Thought Newsletter - October 2025

  Fall Is Here: What Is Comfort Food And Why Do We Crave It?
  With cooler weather, cravings for feel-good, or “comfort foods” often also come. These are foods that we associate with warmth, care and comfort (thus the nickname). But many of us may not understand the reasons we crave these foods nor the impact they may be having on our physical and emotional health.
  According to PsychologyToday, people eat comfort foods primarily for emotional relief, pleasure, and nostalgia, as these foods activate the brain’s “reward system” and often evoke positive memories. While this may sound like a positive strategy to evoke comforting feelings, there is a potential downside. The foods that many find comforting are also high in sugars and saturated fats, producing immediate emotional reward, but also potentially longer-term problems for our physical and emotional wellbeing. This is especially true if we eat them more than occasionally.

  Gaining a better understanding of comfort foods, their pros and cons, can help us all to make more informed choices about our diets and our and our families’ overall health.

  
  Emotion Regulation And Diet
  Comfort foods are typically high in calories, saturated fats, and artificial sweeteners, such as chocolate, ice cream, pizza, and French fries. They provide a sensation of pleasure or temporarily make us feel better. New research is helping us understand why.
  One finding points to a link between the consumption of so called comfort foods and the expectation of the benefit they will provide in managing negative feelings, reducing boredom, and enhancing cognitive performance. Because people expect these foods to make them feel better, they can!m Additionally, there is a physiological component in which the “reward system” (as mentioned above), is triggered, producing a temporary boost in mood. However, this boost is often short-lived and later can lead to feelings of fatigue, sluggishness and even mood disturbance (anxiety, depression, anger, impatience), and excessive consumption can lead to significant long-term health problems such as weight gain and obesity, poor cardiovascular health, and nutritional deficiencies—all of which play a role in poor emotional health.

  The good news is, that science also shows that foods rich in nutrients, fiber and healthy fats can also boost our moods and lead to long-term positive effects on our physical and emotional health. Increasing these foods and decreasing the high-fat/highsugar foods can be an important step toward a healthy life span.

  Ideas For Healthier Comfort Foods
  Because so much of how we experience anything is connected to how we think about it, it can help to start with a positive attitude and a mindfulness
  about what we are eating and why. Just stopping and taking a moment to really consider if we are eating out of hunger or emotion can be helpful in
  mitigating unhealthy choices.

  Another helpful practice is that rather than eating out of emotion, boredom or habit, to engage in activities –physical, cognitive, spiritual or social — that help to evoke positive emotions, without the added calories, fats and sugars.

  You can also try keeping healthier snacks nearby so that when the cravings hit, you can satisfy them in more healthful way.

  And finally, when you do make comfort foods, try to make them healthier, by using reduced-fat products, natural sugars in moderation (maybe cut the
  amount you would normally use by 1/4), and adding healthy ingredients to the recipe (think mac and cheese with reduced fat milk and broccoli!).

  This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program.
  The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link between.
  nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program
  Sources for this month’s newsletter have been taken from: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250714/Study-reveals-thepsychological-
  reasons-for-comfort-eating.aspx;https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-of-choice/201609/5-reasons-whywe-
  crave-comfort-foods?msockid=201c84dac00468390cb49159c12469b4;

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  Food and Thought Newsletter - March 2024

  The Food-Feeling Connection: Emotional Eating and Your Health

  The challenges of daily life can, at times, leave us all feeling tired, stressed and overwhelmed. In response to some of these emotions, you may find yourself seeking comfort in food. This manner of coping with difficult emotions is called Emotional Eating. Because this type of eating is not the result of hunger, it is common to eat a lot more calories than our bodies need or will use, and we often gravitate towards food that are high in fat, sugar and salt. While these types of foods may be more appealing when you are feeling stress, are in a bad mood, or feel bad about yourself, the satisfaction they provide is short-lived. In fact, these types of high fat, high sugar foods may leave you feeling worse than before, and can have negative and long-lasting effects on your physical and emotional health and well-being.

  Recognizing Emotional Eating

  Everyone has bad days, but not everyone uses food to get through them. Some behaviors and thought patterns can increase your chance of becoming an emotional eater. Some risk factors include:
  • Difficulty managing your emotions.
  • Poor body image; being unhappy with your body.
  • Dieting and/or feeling deprived of foods.
  Emotional eating often becomes a habit. If you use food to self-sooth difficult emotions, you will be more likely to crave the same (unhealthy) foods the next time you are feeling bad. This happens be-cause when you eat foods you enjoy, you stimulate the feel-good centers in your brain, triggering you to eat even more. This makes it more diffi-cult to resist the temptation of unhealthy choices in the future, thus setting up a pattern of unhealthy eating.
  Sources: https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/special-topic/break-the-bonds-of-emotional-eating: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/heres-the-deal-with-your-junk-food-cravings

  Breaking the Pattern of Emotional Eating

  Emotional eating is a learned behavior that can be unlearned through awareness and attention to your stress management habits. The first step in stopping the pattern of emotional eating is to recognize when it is happening. With this awareness you can take steps to make different choices when the urge to emotional eat appears.
  1. Do something else when the urge appears; take a walk, call a friend, engage in an activity you enjoy or are good at.
  2. Know your strengths; take note of your suc-cesses and things you are good at.
  3. Plan ahead; Do not go hungry. When you are both hungry and stressed, pizza and other fast foods become much more tempting.
  4. Make comfort food healthier. Prepare your favorite dishes with fewer calories.

  Are you an Emotional Eater?

  • Do you eat when you feel angry, depressed, hurt, or otherwise upset?
  • Do you eat in response to certain people or situations?
  • Do certain places or times of day trigger food cravings?
  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a tendency toward emotional eating. Speak with your health professional about additional ways to manage this behavior.

  The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link between. nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program at 781-599-0110.

  This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program and the Essex County Community Foundation Behavioral Health Partnership Grant.