For many, summer is a passport out of the hot confines of the kitchen and into the territory of the outside grill. Celebrate the change of scenery by taking advantage of nature's delicious bounty. Let local produce provide inspiration for easy and wholesome summer meals, like grilled salmon fillets served alongside preboiled corn-on-the-cob. And, as you plan your meals, add to the enjoyment by making them as healthy as possible. For example, grilling high-fat meats directly above flame or close to the heat source for a long period of time can create carcinogens (chemicals believed to lead to cancer). In short, when it comes to healthy outdoor eating, think lean protein with lots of vegetables and fruits grilled over low-heat as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Check out our summer grilling article for more tips and tricks on how to make this grilling season the best one yet.

More reasons to love tangy, juicy mangos: according to a preliminary study published in the FASEB Journal, mangos may help improve cardiovascular and metabolic health in normal-weight and obese people. The study included 21 participants who were 18 to 55 years old and had either a normal body weight (body-mass index [BMI] of 18 to 25 kg/m²) or obesity (BMI greater than 30 kg/m²). They were given 400 grams of mango pulp (a little more than one medium-sized mango) daily for 42 days. Researchers measured the participants’ blood pressure, as well as several metabolic and inflammatory markers, at the beginning and end of the trial. When researchers compared the two sets of measurements, they found:

• Average systolic blood pressure dropped by 4.41 mmHg in normal-weight participants, but did not change in obese participants.
• Hemoglobin A1c, a marker of blood sugar regulation, improved in obese participants, but did not change in normal-weight participants.
• Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, a marker associated with atherosclerosis and blood clot formation, was reduced in both groups.

The healthy changes seen in this study may be due to mangos’ reportedly high levels of polyphenols—compounds with strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that could contribute to lower risks of a range of chronic diseases. However, controlled clinical trials are needed to understand whether mangos could play a role in disease prevention and treatment. In the meantime, mangos make a sweet snack packed with vitamins A and C. And if you find this fruit troublesome to eat, here’s a tip to make it a breeze: using a sharp knife, cut the fruit away from the pit. Then, score the fruit crosswise and peel away the skin for easy-to-eat cubes.

Source: FASEB Journal

Giving your dad a Father’s Day gift that supports a balanced lifestyle is a perfect way to give him something he'll use and feel good about. Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning:

• Companionship: Researchers have found having partners to exercise with can help motivate people to stick to a fitness routine. So, consider getting your dad a gift certificate to a fitness class or helping him find a walking or cycling group. Better yet, invite him to join you on regular walks or hikes.
• Motivation: Fitness trackers are a great exercise-motivator. If your dad's tech-saavy, get him a wearable device or an app for his smart phone or tablet that will monitor his heart rate and give him information about the intensity of his workouts.
• Mindfulness: Consider enrolling your dad in a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course. MBSR has been found to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress in people with diabetes and heart disease.
• Flexibility: Help your dad find a yoga class that suits him. There's a growing body of evidence that shows having a regular yoga practice can help reduce stress and improve mood.
• Nourishment: If your dad has diabetes, look for engaging cookbooks that lean toward a Mediterranean diet or a low-glycemic load diet—these diets have a good track record for helping people manage their diabetes. Or, consider gifting him an essential kitchen tool, like a quality chef's knife or a Dutch oven.

Source: Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Here’s some food for thought: Research has found that a new diet, aptly named the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, may slow the rate of age-related cognitive decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. A recent, large observational study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, found that participants following the MIND diet had a slower rate of cognitive decline than participants following other diets. And those who adhered most strictly to the MIND diet had the cognitive function of a person who was 7.5 years younger when compared with participants on other diets.

Another large observational study published in the same journal found that participants who adhered rigorously to the MIND diet reduced their risk of Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 53% compared with participants who only followed it moderately. In addition, even moderate followers had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared with those not following the MIND diet, and compared with those only moderately following other diets with brain-healthy reputations, such as the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet.

While taking up this diet may seem like a no-brainer, more clinical research is needed to confirm the results in more populations and to understand the MIND diet’s link to brain health. In the meantime, if you’re interested in trying it out, here are two good things to keep in mind:

• Eat brain-boosting foods. The MIND diet is comprised of ten brain-healthy food groups: green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine. It includes at least three servings of whole grains, a salad, and one other vegetable every day. It also includes at least two servings of berries and poultry and one serving of fish per week, and a serving of beans every other day or so. The diet also advises snacking on nuts and drinking a daily glass of red wine.
• Avoid brain-bummer foods. On the flip side, the MIND diet designates five food groups as unhealthy—red meat, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food. According to the diet, one should eat less than a single tablespoon of butter per day and no more than a serving a week of butter, cheese, and fried or fast food.

Source: Alzheimer’s & Dementia

A study reported on in NutraIngredients found an association between supplementing with rose hips, long used in traditional medicine to promote health, and improved knee joint function. The study, published in the journal Gait & Posture, randomly assigned 94 adults with self-reported knee-related walking limitations to receive either rose hip supplements (a total of 2,250 mg per day) or a placebo for 12 weeks. Researchers analyzed the participants’ knee joint movement at the beginning and end of the study to assess any differences. After three months, here is what researchers found:

• In the researchers’ observations, knee joint movement while walking significantly improved for participants taking the rose hip supplements compared with those taking a placebo.
• There was no significant difference in self-reported knee mobility and health-related quality of life between the two groups at the end of the study.

Although the participants did not report knee joint benefits, the findings of this study do align with other related research that has found rose hips may decrease pain in people with osteoarthritis. Other research has found that rose hips may also benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis and back pain.

Source: Gait & Posture