My friend just started eating red meat again after being a vegetarian for years. She claims she has more energy and just feels "better." Is this just psychological, or is there really something about eating meat that gives you more energy?
It is possible that your friend is more energetic after adding meat back into her diet. It's also possible that what she's experiencing is more psychological than biological. Meat is a good source of protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12 - important for rebuilding muscle, healthy blood, immunity and nerve transmission, respectively. A lack of these nutrients can lead to a run-down feeling, tiredness and a weakened immune system. (It is important to note that well planned vegetarian diets can provide all of these nutrients, as well - except possibly for B12 if a person doesn't eat dairy foods.) If, for example, your friend was anemic (as a result of an iron deficiency) when she was on a vegetarian diet, she may be feeling more energetic now that she is eating meat - a rich source of iron and zinc. A vitamin B12 deficiency may also cause a type of anemia, and eating meat may help to correct this imbalance as well. As I said, however, it is also possible that your friend is simply embracing this new way of eating as a healthy lifestyle change. Since she chose to add meat back into her diet, she likely had reason to believe that eating meat would bring her some kind of benefit - and, even if any of the above physiological stuff is true for her, is also feeling "better" because she believed that she would if she added meat to her diet.
I keep seeing these ads for almonds that say they're a "nutritional feast" and really healthy. But I thought nuts were high in fat. Are almonds really some kind of "superfood"?
Almonds are something of a nutritional powerhouse. High in vitamin E (an antioxidant that some researchers have found to be important for heart health), zinc and magnesium, almonds provide important nutrients for good health. In addition, almonds can contribute to your daily protein goal. You are right, though, that they are calorie-dense - that is, because they have a lot of fat in a relatively small amount of food, they also have a lot of calories. But the good news is that the fat in almonds is a "good" fat. Almonds are high in unsaturated fat, which is considered to be more healthful than saturated fat. (And, even though they are calorie-dense, almonds are also considered "nutrient-dense" - that is, they are rich in nutrients for a small amount.) When adding almonds to a healthy diet, just be sure to do so in moderation. A one-ounce (about 18-20 nuts) serving contains about 170 calories and 15 grams of total fat.
I can't believe my luck! Chocolate is good for you? Is this really true? I mean, can I eat a couple of Hershey's Kisses after every meal?
I wish this were the case! But, as you may have guessed, there is no magic food - and there is almost always a caveat when considering whether certain foods, such as chocolate, are "good for you." Unfortunately, eating Hershey's Kisses isn't going to offer you any nutritional benefit other than adding to your caloric intake. But, if you like dark chocolate, you may be in better luck. Dark chocolate contains a type of antioxidant called flavonoids. These antioxidants help to scavenge free radicals (harmful oxygen molecules), and may protect against heart disease and cancer. (Milk chocolate, unfortunately, does not seem to have the same benefits.) Despite dark chocolate's potential health benefits, this isn't a license to eat pounds of chocolate. Chocolate contains primarily fat - more than half of the calories in chocolate come from fat, and it has about 150 calories in one ounce (roughly the size of a Hershey's miniature). If you're going to incorporate dark chocolate into a well-balanced diet, do so in moderation, keeping in line with your overall calorie goals.
Sara Wilson is a registered dietitian and a graduate student in nutrition communication at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a BS in nutrition from Syracuse University, and worked as a clinical dietitian in prior to coming to Tufts. Wilson is also co-editor of Balance.
