We invited author and restaurateur Sarma Melngailis to answer some of these questions with her own personal testimonial of how raw foods changed her life, boosted her energy, and stabilized her weight. A former investment banker and French Culinary Institute-trained chef, Sarma is the glamorous co-author of  Raw Food, Real World and co-owner of Pure Food and Wine, a restaurant devoted to creative, tasty raw food.  

Raw foodists maintain that cooking degrades the enzymes, vitamins, and minerals contained in whole foods. Our nutrition scientist Nick Gillitt, PhD, confirms that "steaming or light boiling can reduce the nutrition value of some foods, though not as much as you may think, maybe by 10-25%."  In some cases, cooking actually increases the nutrition value of foods, such as tomatoes, carrots and red bell peppers. The cooking process helps break down the cell walls, liberating the nutrients to be absorbed by the body.

For more on raw foods, visit Sarma's website, www.oneluckyduck.com, and to learn about the particular benefits of various fruit and vegetables, visit our Food Facts at dolenutrition.com.

In one study, Scottish researchers reviewed data for 460 participants, taken at age 11 then again at 79, to see how cognitive performance stacked up against physical prowess (e.g., grip strength, walking speed, lung function). The results suggest that trading in your remote control for a pedometer could help protect you against age-related brain decline. Previous studies indicate that the cerebral benefits of exercise aren't limited to preserved mental function late in life, but also yield more immediate results in terms of academic test scores and job performance.

French researchers also weighed in recently with a five-year study of 2,223 participants linking higher Body Mass Indices (BMIs) with lower scores on cognitive tests. What's more, the heavier test subjects were at the beginning of the study, the greater their cognitive decline at the end of the study. In other words: The longer you put off getting in shape, the more likely those extra pounds will drag down your IQ. Indeed, another 2005 study published in the British Medical Journal found that obese people had a 74% increased risk of dementia, while the overweight had a 35% increased risk.

Why might this be? Neuroscientists believe the same lifestyle choices that damage the heart may impede mental functioning, resulting in minute blockages of blood to the brain. The good news is that those who take action to reduce their risk factors -- by losing excess weight, adopting a regular exercise regimen, reducing saturated fat intake and eating more fruit and vegetables -- have far more control over their long-term intellectual fortunes than previously believed.

Bonus: Exercise to your favorite tunes and you may reap even greater mental benefits than if you exercise without music.

A recent, Harvard-led study of 20 meditators, ranging in age from 25-50 years old, found that 40 minutes of daily meditation correlated with physiological differences in brain structure measurable by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). By contrast, the non-meditating control group had thinner cortices, reflecting the kind of brain shrinkage that occurs with age. Researchers hypothesize that regular meditation may help to preserve the integrity of those areas of the brain involved with sensory perception, rational thinking and emotional processing.

Other studies have linked meditation with reduced stress, better sleep, pain management, heart protection, and even increased immunity. For example, one recent study found that meditators produced more antibodies -- an indicator of robust immune function -- in response to a flu vaccine compared to non-meditators. Other research shows improvement in productivity, job performance and job satisfaction with regular meditation practice. Companies with cutting-edge corporate wellness programs, like Dole Food Company, have even introduced "meditation breaks," enabling workers in its Westlake Village, California headquarters to devote part of their lunch hour to collective, quiet contemplation in a reserved conference room.

Phytochemicals like naringenin may contribute to grapefruit's well-documented health benefits, including protection against cancers of the colon, lung and mouth. But naringenin has another effect when combined with several common medications: By inhibiting the body's ability to metabolize certain drugs, it increases drug potency, including any potential toxic effects.

Naringinen is so bioavailable that within minutes of consuming grapefruit, the antioxidant can be detected circulating in the blood. It acts swiftly to neutralize free radicals and flush them from your system, but also acts swiftly to inactivate a particular family of detoxifying enzymes (cytochrome P450) in the intestinal wall. That means that the enzymes that would be ordinarily working over-time to metabolize statin drugs like Lipitor, tranquilizers like Xanax, or even mild stimulants like caffeine -- have essentially gone "off duty," allowing those drugs to increase concentration, potency, and  toxicity within the body.

Other medications similarly affected include certain anti-anxiety drugs, anticonvulsants, antihistamines, high blood pressure drugs, immunosuppressive and even cough suppressants. So, you think, what's the big deal? If you get more of a drug won't it be more effective? Not necessarily. These dosages are carefully modulated, and taking a cavalier attitude toward their potency could prove dangerous.

Stay tuned to this space in the Dole Nutrition News to learn more about drug nutrient interaction.  Nest Issue: Drugs that steal nutrients.

Goji berries handily qualify as an Antioxidant Superfood. In fact, if you match Gojis on a per serving basis against the USDA's list of top antioxidant containing fruit and vegetables, Goji berries come in 10th, below Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples, blueberries, cranberries and blackberries but above cherries, russet potatoes and black plums. In fact, with an ORAC score of 177 per gram, Gojis have nearly six times the antioxidant power needed to qualify in this Superfood category.

While antioxidants are powerful defenders against the kind of free-radical damage that can accelerate aging and raise disease risk, they are not the only nutrient standout in Goji berries’ arsenal of good health.    

One serving (30 grams) of Dole Wild Tibetan Goji Berries also provides 46% of your vitamin B₆ needs, and 138% of your thiamin (or vitamin B₁) needs. As previously explored in the DNN, vitamin B₆ is an "A" player on the DNA defense team. In fact, one Washington University study found 75% more DNA-strand breaks among participants who were on a low B₆ diet.

Thiamin is integral to metabolizing fats and carbohydrates, and may play a role in supporting emotional health and mental acuity. High intake of thiamin was associated with improved sleep quality and increased energy levels among elderly women in one University of California at Davis study.

There are many different varieties of Goji berries on the market. Dole chose Wild Tibetan Gojis as an all-natural, preservative-free, sun-dried fruit of the highest quality. If you're having a hard time finding Gojis at your local grocery store, you can place your order at the Dole Depot.

On average, Americans consume about 27g of saturated fat per day. The 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends less than 22g per day for a 2,000 calorie diet. This represents a little over 15% reduction in saturated fat intake. As it happens, one day is also roughly 15% of the week. Therefore, if you made no other change than to simply swear off saturated fat on Mondays, you'd be on target to meet this dietary goal.  

As previously mentioned in the Dole Nutrition News, there are multiple health rewards to reducing meat consumption. Excessive meat and dairy consumption has been linked to increased risk of prostate and colorectal cancer. Diets high in red meat may also increase the risk of endometriosis among women. Processed meats, also loaded with saturated fat, are particularly unhealthy, possibly increasing pancreatic cancer risk. Visit www.meatlessmonday.com to learn more, and sign up for their weekly newsletter.

Fortunately, new scientific research debunks the beer-benefits myth, proving that alcohol consumption while nursing reduces the quantity and pollutes the quality of breast milk available to suckling infants.

A University of Pennsylvania study tested 17 lactating women for prolactin and oxytocin levels, the two key hormones that influence lactation performance in breast-feeding mothers. Researchers discovered that using alcohol (of any kind) disrupts the hormonal balance required for optimum yield of breast milk -- thus reducing the amount available to the nursing infant. What’s more, other studies have established that consumed alcohol shows up in mothers' milk. Like blood levels of alcohol, milk levels of alcohol eventually dissipate. Still, infants who do consume even small amounts of alcohol may suffer problems with motor development, including a weak suckling reflex, which, in addition to the reduced yield of breast milk, may prevent proper weight gain.

As covered previously in the Dole Nutrition News, breast feeding has many health benefits for both the child and the mother, including a decreased risk of childhood obesity and faster return to pre-pregnancy weight. Other studies suggest a link between a longer breast-feeding duration and higher scores on various verbal and intelligence tests. In cases where mothers are not able to breast feed, there are measures they can take to help reduce their child's chances of becoming obese such as not getting into the habit of allowing babies to take their bottle to bed. University of Wisconsin researchers found that a child was twice as likely to become obese if still taking a bottle to bed by age three.