Happy February: What I’m Reading and Who I’m Following for Aging Well

February is often associated with affairs of the heart, making it the perfect time to focus on heart health. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, let’s talk about foods that support the heart—not a list of foods to avoid, but foods to enjoy while caring for the vital organ that never takes a day off.

What Is the Portfolio Diet?

I’m revisiting a dietary pattern you may not be familiar with: the Portfolio Diet. Researchers at the University of Toronto explored what would happen if they combined several foods already known to lower cholesterol into one eating pattern. The result? Participants following the Portfolio eating pattern saw an average 30% reduction in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

So, what’s in this “portfolio”?

• Viscous (sticky) fibers
  Found in beans, peas, lentils, oats, oatmeal, barley, and fruits such as apples, oranges, pears, and prunes.
• Soy protein
  Including soy milk, tofu, edamame, soy nuts, miso, and tempeh.
• Nuts and nut butters
  All types count—peanuts, almonds, pistachios, and their butters.
• Plant sterols
  Naturally present in plant foods or added to products like certain margarines and salad dressings. These help reduce cholesterol absorption.

For more information, you can explore the Portfolio Eating Pattern and review the original Toronto-based research study published on PubMed. Click here to learn more about the research and here to learn more about the eating pattern.

The American Heart Association endorses a plant-forward approach, aligning well with this eating pattern. A day might look like oatmeal topped with dried apples and nuts and a glass of soy milk for breakfast; mandarins for a snack; a tofu noodle bowl for lunch; and black bean or lentil soup for dinner. Simple, satisfying, and heart-healthy.

Who I’m Following

This month, I’m enjoying Gunter Kuhnle’s Nutrition, Food & Health on Substack. Kuhnle is a professor of nutritional science at the University of Reading in the U.K., and his post, “Chocolate Isn’t a Health Food”—feels especially timely.

You can learn more about him at https://kuhnle.co.uk/ and read his Substack at https://ggck2.substack.com.

I appreciate his reminder that food doesn’t always need health justification. Chocolate can be enjoyed simply for pleasure, without guilt or feeling the need to work it off. As he writes, “There is nothing wrong with eating food simply for the enjoyment—food is not exclusively for the nourishment of the body, but also for the nourishment of the soul.”

What I’m Reading

I’m revisiting David McCullough’s The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870–1914. While it isn’t a food or nutrition book, it deepens my appreciation for this extraordinary engineering achievement as I prepare to attend FoodFluence, a food and nutrition conference in Panama City. I’ll have much more to share after the conference—stay tuned.

Key Takeaways

• Despite recent Dietary Guidelines emphasizing meat and saturated fat, plant-based diets remain strongly supported by science and are beneficial for heart health.
• Eat more plants—everything from peas to pistachios, oats to oranges, and edamame to avocados.
• Enjoy chocolate on Valentine’s Day without calculating how much exercise it will take to “earn” it.

As always, continue to eat well, move well, and be well in 2026 by taking small, meaningful steps toward better health in all three areas.

P.S. Between an unusual cold spell in Georgia, my lingering cough, and my husband’s recent Mohs surgery, we were reminded how important a positive mindset can be. I commented that life throws us curveballs at every age, and my husband replied, “We need to get better at hitting those curveballs.” So, here’s to learning how to hit those curveballs, while maintaining perspective and optimism. (You can read more in my post on positive mindset by clicking here).

About Me: I’m Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD (Registered Dietitian) and nutrition professor emerita (a fancy word for retired) at Georgia State University in Atlanta. I am also a 51-year member of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I love to read and write and share the fascinating world of nutrition with (older) adults. I co-authored Food & Fitness After 50 (with Bob Murray) and we just sent off the revised manuscript for a second edition (more to come on that).