Teen Cognition Improves with Choline
The Zeisel laboratory at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) is well known for defining the importance of the nutrient choline in infant brain development. They discovered that choline in mother’s diet during pregnancy is extremely important for optimal brain development in her baby. But, is this the only time in life that choline can improve brain function? Could teenagers eat extra choline to help their school performance? [read more]
Nourishing Your Heart
Cooking Demo + Talk
Join us February 16 at 6 PM for our next Appetite for Life presentation. In collaboration with Johnson & Wales University, we are pleased to present a free community event at the JWU campus in Center City Charlotte. JWU Chef Megan Lambert will demonstrate delicious, heart-healthy cooking in honor of American Heart Month, while NRI registered dietitian Stephanie Saullo shares nutrition news and tips for consuming a balanced, healthy diet.
Attendees will be able to sample the fare. The location of this event is the Hance Auditorium, Johnson & Wales University, 801 West Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. Seating is limited to 150. Register early for this much-anticipated event!
Click here for instructions on how to attend virtually. Or click here to register.
Folate – Friend or Foe?
Cereal, pasta, bread, cookies – what do they have in common? The answer is “folic acid,” a synthesized form of a naturally occurring B vitamin called folate. Folate occurs naturally in some foods such as green leafy vegetables, avocados, red meat and lentils. Almost any processed food made with flour has folic acid.
Folate research began as early as the 1920s, when scientists believed that anemia was caused by folate deficiency. (We now know it’s typically caused by iron deficiency.) However, it wasn’t until 1965 that a truly major discovery was made: a lack of folate can lead to birth defects such as Spina Bifida. The nutrient helps build and maintain nucleotides — the building blocks of RNA and DNA — as well as red blood cells, which is why it’s crucial for pregnancy. Cells must synthesize at high speeds for an embryo to grow and develop. [read more]
Green Smoothie
Designed by: Chef Mark Allison, Director of Culinary Nutrition at Dole Nutrition Institute.
Ingredients:
2 cups of almond milk or water
4 cups of fresh spinach
2 cups of mango, peeled and diced
2 cups pineapple, peeled and diced
2 bananas, peeled and diced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/4 cup of almonds
[full recipe here]
Nutrition Facts:
Dark leafy greens like spinach are important for skin and hair, bone health and provide protein, iron, vitamins and minerals.
Bananas contain vitamin B6, manganese, vitamin C, potassium and fiber.
Pineapple, whether fresh or frozen, is the only known source of bromeliad–a protein-digesting enzyme.
[read more]
