Trending Up/Trending Down -- Foods to Eat or Avoid
Nutrition trend expert Max Lugavere rejoins The Doctors to reveal which trendy foods are actually good for your – and which ones don’t belong on your plate.
ER Physician Dr. Travis Stork tells Max, “I both love it and hate it when you come on the show, because I’m always a little bit scared about the trends you’re going to try to make us eat!” Max laughs, “We couldn’t have a better subject for you guys to taste today!” He’s brought along big bowls of natto, a fermented soybean product, for them to sample.
“It’s literally one of the healthiest foods on the planet!” he promises The Doctors. Natto is popular in Japan. However, he adds, “It has kind of like a dirty-sock odor to it.” Ob/Gyn Dr. Nita Landry observes, “Who doesn’t want to eat a dirty sock!?”
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But that’s not all – natto also is a bit … slimy. “I liken it to beans with personal lubricant,” Max admits. The stringy goo is actually a bacterial matrix chock-full of probiotic organisms. And natto is rich in the little-known Vitamin K2, which is key for keeping calcium levels in bones high, while keeping calcium out of soft tissue where it doesn’t belong.
Dr. Stork keeps eating, and announces, "It’s not bad!”
“It’s not GOOD,” counters Dr. Landry. “Nobody lives forever – take your chances, America!”
Dr. Stork points out that many flavors are acquired tastes – maybe this is one of them? Because of the many health benefits, Max says natto is trending up! And Dr. Stork agrees, but adds, “Best thing, though, probably -- eat it on a day when the taste buds are chilling out.”
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Next up are “memory-enhancing drinks” – bottled beverages that claim to improve memory and cognitive function. “A lot of them come loaded with caffeine,” warns Max, “And many, including the one I’m holding in front of me, have lots of sugar.” He notes that sugar is toxic for the brain, “So this is probably the worst possible thing for your memory.” Drinking excessive sugar is associated with weight gain, “And we know that bigger bellies, smaller brains.”
Looking for a healthy drink? Reach for water, coffee, or green tea. According to Max, memory-enhancing drinks are trending way down!
