The media loves talking about the health benefits of salmon, almost as much as they love analyzing Shiloh’s outfits. Our doctors tell us to eat it and our favorite magazines often have a “cook an amazing salmon tonight” sort of recipe. Heck, you as a reader probably think salmon is a nutritious food and are wondering where I am heading with this article.  After all, salmon has an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, the exact fats we need to consume in our diets for a healthy brain and heart. And while it is true that salmon is loaded with omega-3s, it’s also got some other stuff in it.  Stuff that is bad.  Stuff that is so bad and gross that the use of such “stuff” is illegal in the United Kingdom.

The scientific term for this “stuff” is canthaxanthin. Canthaxanthin is an artificial pink food dye manufactured by a company called Hoffman-La Roche.  Hoffman-La Roche is a pharmaceutical company that distributes its trademarked SalmoFan (which is a color chart similar to paint store swatches), so fish farmers can have a choice of various shades of pink from which to dye their salmon.

You see, salmon raised in the wild develop a natural pink color from eating pink crustaceans, but all farm-raised salmon eat a processed “fish meal,” which leaves their skins a lovely (not so appetizing) shade of gray.  Hence, the need to use the aforementioned “stuff.”  So back to why the UK, and most European countries for that matter, are suspicious of canthaxanthin.  Well, canthaxanthin was linked to retinal damage in people when taken as a sunless tanning pill.  The British banned its use as a tanning agent, but we Americans still use it for tanning purposes without any warnings from the government.

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I know, I know – us glamorous CollegeCandy readers are so busy saving the world, getting better than A+ grades, and flirting with the boy next door, that it’s so hard to incorporate a consistent healthy diet into our daily lives. Yet it’s important to understand that beauty and health last beyond our college years, so we have to do everything in our power to keep the summer glow and prevent any aging wrinkles… or at least offset the 5-day benders that seem to get more and more frequent every year.

Try incorporating any of these five foods into your diet and you will see and feel the positive health benefits. Seems daunting? I’ve even included some ways to sneak these foods into your everyday meals, so now you’ve got no excuses not to get healthy.

1. Fruit: Raspberries
These cute lil’ red things are a great source of fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C. As translation, eating just a cup of berries a day will reduce cholesterol levels, maintain organ balance, and improve your immune system. In fact, studies have shown that these great tasting berries even diminish risks for cancer. Snack on them in between classes, top them on your breakfast parfaits, or cool down in the summer heat with a raspberry-peach smoothie!

2. Nuts: Raw Almonds
Yes, that says RAW. That means no added sugar, salt, “honey-roasted”, or “dipped in chocolate”. If you snack on 20-23 of these organic nuts, you can be guaranteed some heart-healthy fats, 6 grams of protein, and over 35% of your daily need of Vitamin E. Okay, so “raw” and “nuts” doesn’t sound tempting for your belly? Slather some almond-rich, homemade beauty products on your face! Almonds have been proven to create an awesome complexion and soft skin. Read More »

We’ve all heard of so-called “brain food.”

Brain food should be healthy foods that stimulate your thinking, but I mainly use it as an excuse to eat during finals.  When I started feeling sluggish after downing a bag of Skittles during my most recent study-a-thon, I decided to put down the bag of Sun Chps and look into what really constitutes “brain food.”

Here are the top 4 foods you should be eating to help stimulate your brain power in both the short and long term.

Fatty fish:  Fish high in omega-3 fats, such as salmon, bluefin tuna, and anchovies can help your brain in multiple ways.  A study in Finland determined that frequent fish eaters are less likely to be depressed than those that eat fish less frequently.  Another study found that eating fish or seafood at least once a week can diminish your risk for developing dementia later on.  This in no way means that you should pile your plate sky high with sardines in hope to avoid dementia.  While fatty fish contain high levels of omega-3s, they also contain trace amounts of mercury which can actually cause harm to the body in large amounts. To get just the right level of omega-3s to stimulate that brain, look to eat about 2 to 3 servings of fish per week.

Blueberries: Blueberries, along with other fruits and vegetables, have been shown to decrease the onset of brain degeneration due to Alzheimer’s disease.  Blueberries, due to their high phytochemical content, have also been linked to improved memory status and function.  Although blueberries are one of the best, other fruits and vegetables with high antioxidant contents can be just as effective.  Nosh on other (seasonal!)  fruits and vegetables to get your daily dose. Read More »

Believe it or not, what you eat actually influences how you feel on the inside and look on the outside.  I’m not just talking about your weight here – I’m talking about your skin.  Feeding your body tons of nutritious foods leads to happy skin and in turn, a happier you.  So what should you eat?  Check out the list below for some of the top recommended “skin foods” from the specialists at WebMD.

Water – Water is probably the most important thing you ever put in your body throughout a given day.  Having enough water in your system helps everything run smoothly, including your digestion, thought processes, and alertness.  Plus, it helps flush (read: pee pee) out all of the toxic byproducts of your normal body processes.  This is the part that makes your skin glow, look fresh, and appear more rested.  While how much water you drink is constantly in dispute, my general rule of thumb is to drink enough water to keep your pee light yellow.

Omega-3 Rich Foods – This includes foods like salmon, flax seeds, walnuts, and certain types of beans.  Eating these foods on a normal basis increases your intake of essential fatty acids, which help your skin remain plump and fresh by holding water into your skin cells.  Omega-3s also act was an anti-inflammatory agent, which can improve the blood flow to your face, making you glow.

Selenium-Rich Foods – Studies have shown the power of this mineral in preventing damage to the skin cells.  Foods high in selenium include whole grains, turkey, and tuna.  Selenium can help prevent oxidative damage, which can age and roughen skin cells.  Pour yourself a bowl of whole wheat cereal in the morning to get closer to your daily selenium needs. Read More »

By now you’ve probably heard that fish is good for you—really, REALLY good for you! Besides being a lean and healthy form of protein, lower in saturated fat than poultry or beef, fish contains omega 3 fatty acids, sometimes referred to as fish oil. Although “fish oil” sounds kinda gross, it’s good for your heart, and may even contribute to healthy skin and strong immunity. Good stuff.

But how the heck do you cook it? A lot of fish is breaded or fried (or both), which sort of defeats the purpose of it being a health food (kinda like tempura. Seriously people…fried veggies?) However, one of the healthiest ways to cook fish is also one of the easiest.

Have tinfoil and an oven? You can cook fish. Read More »

Although the results of research done on matters such as how a woman’s weight affects her intelligence level are usually correlational (meaning there are relating factors, but one thing does not directly cause the other), I find it extremely refreshing to see news reports that suggest a healthy weight actually does have positive benefits.

The most recent study comes from scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California, Santa Barbara, who used data from a study of 16,000 women and girls. Details of their body measurements and their scores in cognitive tests were collected.

The results? Women with a greater difference between the waist and hips scored significantly higher on the tests, as did their children.

These findings are great, but how can this actually be true?

Slate does a wonderful job of breaking down the different theories and showing why they are just that–theories, and their take on it is copied below.

Theories:

1) Hip fat contains omega3 acids, which promote “growth of the brain during pregnancy” and “could improve the woman’s own mental abilities,” whereas waist fat has more omega6 acids, “which are less suited to brain growth.”

2) Teen mothers produce dumber kids because they’re thinner and deficient in omega3. 3) Men like curvy women due to “the double enticement of both an intelligent partner and an intelligent child.” Read More »