There’s no shortage of headlines with “must do” and “never do” steps for healthy eating. It’s not only overwhelming to try to pay attention to them all, it’s made even more confusing because the messages often conflict with one another! In this presentation, we will look at examples of what’s “hot” in the headlines, and examine these ideas in light of current nutrition research and recommendations. Examples might include:

• Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory diets – what we see in the lab and what human evidence supports
• Headlines proclaiming must-eat or can’t-eat foods for cancer prevention
• Issues when targeting weight loss: the 3500 calorie myth, intermittent fasting and unsupported expectations
• Contradictory messages about whole grains and fiber, fats versus carbs or what defines a Mediterranean diet

For health professionals, we’ll discuss how to share the science in understandable ways when patients ask about what they see in the media or from “Dr. Google”.

Amidst all the individual studies and headlines, what are the current major nutrition recommendations for heart health? We’ll walk through key points, and the science and research behind them, and explore practical strategies to meet each recommendation. These can serve as realistic targets on which patients and professionals alike can focus to avoid becoming overwhelmed by today’s abundance of available information. For example, we can explore:

• Saturated fat: does it still matter? What about headline-making choices like coconut oil?
• Carbohydrate: evidence on choices that are and are not heart-healthy
• Blood vessel health: nutrients and natural plant compounds that may play a role
• Weight-related issues like the obesity paradox and metabolically unhealthy normal weight

Plant foods play a key role in recommendations to reduce risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. But what does this mean? We will explore several different patterns: research behind them and ways that they can be used or adapted to create eating habits that lower risk of both cancer and heart disease as part of a long-term healthy lifestyle. For example, we can look at:

• Mediterranean diet in its multiple forms, and what seem to be essential elements
• DASH diet: what research shows, how to really put it in practice
• Nordic diet, and research on how efforts to keep the best of cultural traditions and realistically reshape others can make a difference for health
• Eating patterns from Asia, India and beyond as we see how the kind of eating that research now links to health and longevity has been part of the culture for generations
• How ethnic foods and flavorings can make everyday eating more exciting

People will leave with ideas for how to adapt the lessons learned to make their usual meals more healthful. Instead of searching for one “best” path, let’s explore how each of us can make individual best-fit choices.