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Professor Christian Bugge Henriksen, a climate and food security expert at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, says that feeding city dwellers sustainably is a triple challenge.

The first part of it is increasing urbanisation: by 2050, its expected that 6.5 billion of us will live in megacities thats nearly two out of every three people. The second issue is the negative effects on our climate; forests are cleared to produce farmland, ruminants produce methane, and transportation of food from farms to cities emits huge amounts of carbon dioxide. The third part is malnutrition: many of us, especially in cities, eat too much of the wrong things, particularly processed meat. Currently, 70% of all deaths in Europe can be somehow linked to non-communicable diseases that are affected by malnutrition, said Prof. Henriksen.

One solution might lie in having the inhabitants of cities eat food that is produced as close to them as possible. It is commonly believed that eating locally produced food is better for the environment because it has travelled a shorter distance from farm to fork. But what does the evidence say?

Truth be told, there isnt an awful lot of it, which is why Professor Matthew Gorton at Newcastle University, UK, began coordinating the Strength2Food project. This is a sprawling endeavour, looking at short food supply chains in terms of their environmental and social sustainability.

Prof. Gorton says that, in general, the project has found that short food supply chains live up to their good reputation. By and large, they provide better margins to producers, the carbon footprints tend to be lower, with also better indicators for social sustainability, he said.

But there are instructive anomalies. Take a part of the project where Prof. Gorton and his colleagues looked at the fishing industry around the Newcastle area. The main catch landed here is langoustine, but it is nearly all exported to Italy, France and Spain, while UK consumers eat mainly imported fish such as salmon, he says.

One of the things were interested in is: how can we improve that? said Prof. Gorton. How can we get local fish on the menu in the north east of England?

Fish box

One idea the team explored was to create a fish box containing fresh local catch that people couldnt otherwise buy. But it wasnt a quick win. It turned out consumers wanted recipes and cooking instructions as well as the fish, and some wanted it more or less often. Also, subscribers of which there are currently only 45 pick up the boxes from local restaurants, which means the service isnt easy to scale up quickly and involves a dedicated car journey separate from the customers supermarket shop.

But while the scheme wasnt an overnight hit, it provided some useful lessons, such as how crucial it is to not ask consumers to make several separate journeys to pick up food.

One way to solve that is to get local food into supermarkets. The trouble is that people often think with their purse when out for their weekly food shop and tend to buy cheaper options even if they like the idea of local food. Prof. Gorton suspected that this could be remedied if there were point of sale displays to remind people of the benefits of local food.

This idea was tested out with one of the projects partners, Konzum, a supermarket chain. The team set up an experiment in 18 stores across Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia where local apples were sold alongside cheaper imported apples in three different ways.

In one group of stores the local apples had point of sale displays with the slogan: I buy local; I buy it fresher; I support the local farmer. A second group of stores had a picture of a young and healthy-looking farmer with the national flag. In both of these groups, the idea was to send the message that these local apples were healthy and buying them supported local people. The third group was a control, with no extra marketing material.

The team found this promotional material had a significant effect on peoples buying habits. For example, in stores in and around Zagreb, Croatia, local apples accounted for only 34% of the sales in the control stores during the test, but that rose to 56% in the stores with the pictorial point of sale displays.

The time is really ripe to go in and transform the food system.

Prof. Christian Bugge Henriksen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

All this suggests short food supply chains are a positive move and can be made to work, even if its not easy. But how do we scale up the schemes that work? An answer should be forthcoming from the FoodSHIFT2030 project, which is led by Prof. Henriksen.

His team is looking at how we can scale-up innovations that will help make food in urban areas both more sustainable and more healthy. There is a particular focus on getting people to switch to a plant-based diet, which can halve the carbon emissions associated with an omnivorous diet.

Its early days for the project, which formally began in January 2020. But it has already established spaces known as accelerator labs, in nine cities around Europe that are each exploring different innovations that could be scalable. These range from educating school pupils about local food in Athens, Greece, to vertical farming and other food production technologies in Barcelona, Spain.

Urban agriculture

Besides short food supply chains there is also potential for scaling up urban farming. A global study has demonstrated that up to 10% of the global output of legumes, roots and tubers, and vegetable crops could be produced by urban agriculture, said Prof. Henriksen. In other words, cities could grow a significant amount of the vegetables their populations need on roofs, allotments and other bits and pieces of space.

Scaling up any innovation to an entire city requires political buy-in, but there are some good signs on this front. For example, in 2015 the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact was launched and this collective commitment to develop sustainable food systems is now signed by 209 cities around the world.

Theres also the Good Food Policies Declaration, organised through the C40 cities network for the worlds megacities. Signatory cities to this pact have agreed to work towards achieving the Planetary Health Diet by 2030. This diet, developed by EAT, a non-profit organisation, in partnership with The Lancet medical journal, is mostly composed of plants and whole grains and is designed to be healthy and environmentally sustainable for the whole world population.

As well as this, Prof. Henriksen thinks the Covid-19 pandemic might provide added impetus for authorities to rethink food supply chains. So far, long international food supply chains have been remarkably resilient but its not clear how long that will last or that any future pandemic would be so forgiving. At the very least, change is in the air when it comes to food in cities.

You could say, said Prof. Henriksen, that the time is really ripe to go in and transform the food system.

Professor Matthew Gorton gives his top tips for making local food systems work most sustainably.

Think about the benefits to consumers. Many local food initiatives can have a vaguely charitable feel to them, says Gorton, with a support local famers vibe. That may be laudable but its unlikely to work in the long term if its the only appeal to consumers. Its better to sell local produce on the tangible benefits to consumers, such as improved freshness or taste.

And convenience. Local produce boxes can be popular. But the logistics of getting to consumers can be tricky. If people have to make a special trip that not convenient for them, it also adds carbon emissions. Better to think smart and try to organise larger scale activities, like local produce markets or deliveries to large workplaces.

It takes time. Getting people to change their behaviour is tricky and can take time. Too often this isnt recognised in retail for example supermarkets will often trial products for a week or two and pull them if sales dont take off. Behaviour change takes time to bed in.

The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.

Original post:
Eating local and plant-based diets: how to feed cities sustainably - Horizon magazine

Mounting scientific evidence indicates that a regular bowl of berries and a cup of tea may improve our health. Now, the latest research suggest that they may also protect us against Alzheimers. The researchers of the most recent study found that those who consume plenty of flavonoid a chemical found in many fruits and vegetables, along with tea and wine were much less likely to develop the neurodegenerative disease.

In fact, participants who lacked this certain kind of metabolite in their diet were twice to four times more likely to develop Alzheimers disease and related dementias.

Our data looking at dietary patterns and Alzheimers disease in light of other data as well reinforces the fact that eating a healthy diet may have tremendous benefits in Alzheimers, said Paul Jacques, a nutritional epidemiologist at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University and an author of the study, which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Jacques and fellow researchers examined about 2,800 people who were aged 50 and older. Following their diets for an average of almost 20 years, the scientists analyzed the flavonoid content of their foods and divided participants into two groups: Those with low consumption of flavonoid who ate no berries, tea and just over an apple in a month, and participants with high consumption who ate about seven and a half cups of berries, eight apples or pears, and 19 cups of tea per month.

These were observational data so you have to understand the many caveats, Jacques said. But accounting for variables such as other nutrients, lifestyle factors and overall diet quality, he said the relationship between flavonoids and the reduced risk for developing Alzheimers remained strong. People with a low intake of flavonoids particularly flavonols and flavonoid polymers, which are types of flavonoid found in apples, pears and tea were two times more likely to have Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia.

Those who consumed less of a flavonoid called anthocyanin found in blueberries, strawberries and red wine were four times more likely to develop the debilitating conditions.

The study is part of the growing body of research that highlights the importance of diet in maintaining our brain health. A low-carb diet, commonly referred to as the ketogenic diet, may also slow down the early signs of aging in the brain. The Mediterranean diet, which is high in flavonoids and consists of fish, olive oil and vegetables, may reduce peoples risk of cognitive impairment, a hallmark of Alzheimers. And while flavonoids have received much attention in the past 10 years, Jacques said their link to Alzheimers was unclear as past studies have yielded mixed results.

Meanwhile, researchers are still trying to figure out why flavonoids in particular may improve our brain health. Past findings suggest that they protect neurons against stress and suppress inflammation in the brain, which is closely linked to dementia. Scientists also found that flavonoids may increase brain blood flow and encourage the formation of new neurons, improving memory, learning and cognition.

Previous research has also found that cocoa, apples, tea and other flavonoid-rich foods may lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. And, there are promising findings that flavonoids may be beneficial for memory, attention and executive function.

But whether flavonoids can cure or prevent Alzheimers by staving it off for the course of ones life remains an unanswered question. According to Jacques, its nearly impossible to conduct any long-term controlled trials to examine the link as researchers would have to prohibit participants in a controlled group from eating flavonoids for up to 20 years.

The team of scientists are now examining whether vitamin B may reduce peoples chances of developing dementia. For future research, the team hopes to assess how certain nutrients in healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet may influence early cognitive changes.

See the original post:
In a 20-Year Study, This Dietary Factor Appeared to Cut Alzheimer's Risk in Half - Being Patient

Have you ever struggled with anxiety? Do you know someone who battles with depression or has any diagnosed mental health challenge? I think when it comes to something like anxiety, we all struggle with it at some point. The concern is if it persists or if it overwhelms life itself.

Mental health challenges are growing every day. It can affect our dear friends, close family, and even ourselves. The truth is, there are many things to think about when it comes to the balance between food and lifestyle and your mental health.

When inflammatory foods and nutrient deficiencies come together, they can become root causes for mental health challenges. Not many people may agree with this, but its definitely something to look into.

The second step involves looking at how can food support you, even if you have a diagnosed mental health condition. There can be many foods that are helpful in reducing inflammation and improving nutrient sufficiency, and these can be deeply supportive.

Here are some of my diet recommendations:

Fatty fish can improve mental health

Fish is rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids. It is simply alarming how many people are deficient in omega-3 and therefore struggling with anxiety and depression. While some vegans might consume algae instead, it is important to know that algae are also a potential source of mercury.

If you do not mind eating fish, then adding it to your diet a few times a week can be very helpful.

Bananas can maintain electrolyte balance in the body

The good old banana is a wonder fruit. Not only does it drastically improve digestion, it is also loaded with nutrients. Improving gut health is critical to mental health.

Bananas also help eliminate pathogenic bacteria from the gut, feed beneficial bacteria, improve dysbiosis and support microbial balance, all of which play a key role in mood and mental health. The best way to consume them is to eat them an hour before your meal, where they act like a prebiotic, helping to improve digestion of the meal that follows.

Saffron can improve circulation and support overall brain health

The aroma of saffron is simply fantastic! It is a potent phytonutrient and antioxidant. The phytonutrients in saffron can be helpful in treating insomnia and easing depression. It has anti-inflammatory properties that improve circulation and support overall brain health. Try a glass of coconut milk with some saffron, black pepper, turmeric and honey. It tastes simply divine!

Mushrooms are anti-inflammatory and can improve your immunity

Mushrooms are anti-inflammatory and immune supportive. They are a good source of Vitamin D, which plays a key role in mental health. Shiitake mushrooms are specifically healing, as they contain fibre, protein, B Vitamins, and Vitamin D. They are antioxidants which improve mitochondrial health, combat free radical damage, improve cellular oxygenation and reduce chronic fatigue. Improving cellular function is critical to mental health.

Walnuts re full of anti-oxidants

Well, who doesnt see the image of the brain in a walnut? The fact that it resembles the brain is testimony to how brilliant it is for mental health. Walnuts contain antioxidants and a mix of tocopherols, which are full of Vitamin E.

They are so simple to add into food, as toppings into salads, adding it into baking or even making it into a walnut butter that can be spread onto a gluten free toast or roti. Add this brain-shaped nut into your diet and support the brain that is within you!

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)

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Diet and mental health: Here's how to manage your moods and feel good with the right foods - YourStory

Whenever I've gone grocery shopping these past few weeks, the produce department has been well stocked. But the customers have been few and far between. On a recent trip, I spent nearly 15 minutes perusing the produce alone before two other shoppers showed up.

I asked those two why they thought so few shoppers were in the produce section.

"We've been buying less because the prices are so high," said Lisa Banks, wearing a mask, as she shopped for vegetables with her husband, Michael. He said: "Ever since the pandemic began, the prices have been going up and up." She added: "We just have to choose carefully."

There has been a significant increase in the price of produce within the past month - by some accounts, the jump has been the steepest since 1974. The reason: When restaurants closed because of the pandemic, more people began buying fruits and vegetables - before they stopped - and the higher demand led to higher prices. Now, the unemployed or those with the lowest-paying jobs will be the first to lose access to the healthiest foods.

I asked a stock clerk why he thought the produce was always piled high on tables and overflowing in vegetable bins, as if untouched. He cited a reason I'd heard from other shoppers. "Some people will see the water sprayed on the vegetables to keep them fresh and act like somebody sneezed on them," the clerk said.

What kind of virus is this, preventing people from getting the foods that could help strengthen them?

In a Washington Post story in March, a virologist was quoted as saying that covid-19 is capable of "switching from being alive to not being alive." The story described the virus as a kind of biochemical zombie, invading our cells and multiplying itself.

Causing the immune system to malfunction and attack not just the virus, but healthy cells.

Turning the body against itself.

Now it was scaring people away from fresh foods, making them act against their best interest. Or it was driving up the cost, making it harder for the most vulnerable among us to afford the foods they needed most.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year that youngsters need 40 to 50 hours of nutrition education each school year to change their pitiful sugar-laden eating habits. They weren't getting anywhere near that much before the pandemic - maybe seven hours, tops. But at least it was something. Now the illness has closed the schools.

In the absence of a cure for covid-19, the single most important thing a person can do is maintain a healthy immune system.

Corrine Bush, the American Nutrition Association's director of science and a member of the ANA's Personalized Nutrition and Covid-19 Task Force, told me that eating fruits and vegetables is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to boost the immune system.

"What we know is that a personalized nutrition program can solve our chronic disease epidemic, and those diseases - such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity - are what make us more vulnerable to the worst outcomes from covid-19," Bush said. "Right now, we are in the acute phase of the pandemic. But even if we flatten the curve, we will have a second wave. What we should be doing and talking about now is mitigating the second wave, getting people to focus on nutrition, things like flavonoids and omega threes."

Anyone who thinks flavonoids are what Baskin-Robbins uses to make its 21 flavors may want to check out the ANA website.

Neither Bush nor the ANA claims that you can prevent or cure covid-19 with a diet. No one appears to be immune from the disease and no cure has been found. But the task force has compiled a wealth of research about nutrition that "points to optimizing immune responses and/or inhibiting viral load in general" by eating the right foods.

An editorial in the May 1 issue of the Journal of Renal Nutrition about the impact of nutrition on covid-19 stated that, "notwithstanding emerging quackery on immune-boosting and magic foods to prevent or cure COVID-19 infection as a result of global desperation and anxiety, it is reasonable to ensure adequate consumption of citrus fruits (e.g., oranges, nectarines, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons, limes) as well as tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cantaloupe, kale, kiwi, sweet potato, strawberries, papaya, and all those fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C."

The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition added its backing of a healthy diet in its April issue, stating that the "responsibility of the individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic lies in making an effort to choose a healthy lifestyle, eat diets high in fruits and vegetables, exercise during free time, try to maintain a healthy weight, and get an adequate amount of sleep."

I spoke with Baxter Montgomery, an African American cardiologist in Houston, who prescribes raw fruits and vegetables as part of his treatment for patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

"The bottom line is, people shouldn't sit around worrying," he told me. "Start eating fruits and vegetables, get outdoors, into the sunshine, walk around in the grass, barefoot."

Told that some people may not be buying fruits and vegetables because of rising costs, Montgomery suggested the next best option: cutting back on sugar, salt and processed foods. "It cost nothing not to go to a fast-food joint," he said. "I never heard of anybody being charged for not ordering a cheeseburger and fries."

I don't want to come off as blaming the victim. We need to make healthy foods as affordable as fast foods.

Still, we need to do a better job of taking care of ourselves. Poor diet is the leading cause of death in the world, ahead of tobacco, according to the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study. Too much salt, too much processed food, too few whole grains, not enough fruits and veggies.

We're far from the end of this crisis. And it's more than likely that another wave of the virus awaits us this winter. Until there's better treatment, a vaccine, a cure, all we can do is try to improve our chances of survival. The produce department may be our best shot for now.

Follow this link:
Virus has made healthy eating more costly - just when we need a better diet - Bryan-College Station Eagle

When David Goggins was 24, he stood 61 and weighed nearly 300 pounds. Motivated by a chance encounter with a television commercial one night, he decided he wanted to become a Navy SEAL. His weight, unsurprisingly, was a problem; according to a recruiter, at his height he could only weigh 191 pounds if he wanted to be a SEAL. In less than three months, in what he admits was a crazy, crazy, crazy routine, Goggins dropped the pounds.

YouTuber Will Tennyson wondered what would happen if he tried to follow in Goggins footsteps, in what he calls the most epic and intense routine I have ever seen in my life. It helped Goggins lose more than one pound a day, but as Tennyson learned, that meant starting the day at 4:30 AM. Breakfast consisted of: a banana. Then he hit the exercise bike for an hour. (It goes without saying: This is not a routine we'd recommend anyone actually tryit's not healthy, and for the vast majority of people, not sustainable.)

For some people, that would be enough exercise for one day, but Tennyson was just getting started. Next up was a two-hour swim. Then a three-hour, high-rep workout. Were talking extremely high reps, in the hundreds; Goggins once beat the world record for pull-ups, at 4030.

Tennyson goes on at that pace all day, essentially never resting, fueled by nothing more than a banana and water from breakfast until dinner. Its a grueling pace that leaves him ready to barf multiple times. The next day he wakes up five pounds lighterat least partly from dehydration. He burned more than 5000 calories, and consumed just 800, for a ridiculous calorie deficit. He spent 441 minutes exercising.

Again, that's likely not sustainable for most peopleand definitely not recommendedeven if it was an average day for Goggins. Tennyson, for his part, says just a single day of the Goggins workout tested me mentally and physically. Watch the video here:

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This Guy Tried the Workout and Diet That Helped Navy SEAL David Goggins Lose 100 Pounds in 3 Months - menshealth.com

Pregnancy has been described as a teachable moment for promoting healthy lifestyle choices. This is because pregnant women are highly motivated to make behavioural changes. Whether the change involves taking a prescribed medication or supplement, or giving up a risky behaviour such as smoking, pregnant women are more committed because they feel a responsibility towards the health and well-being of their unborn child.

Such positive lifestyle changes will always be beneficial. But, for women who fall pregnant with conditions such as obesity, they may come too late. This is important because the nutrition environment experienced by fetuses during pregnancy can affect their growth and development in early life. This, in turn, affects their risk of developing obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease as they age.

Obese women, or those with gestational diabetes (glucose intolerance beginning or first recognised during pregnancy), are more likely to give birth to larger babies (over 4kg) with greater adiposity (or body fatness). This puts moms at higher risk of delivery complications, such as requiring a caesarean birth. It also increases the chances of their children becoming obese. In turn, obese children are five times more likely to grow into obese adults and thus, more likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

What has been less understood so far is how diet during pregnancy influences growth in the womb, particularly in communities where obesity rates are high as is the case in South Africa.

We conducted a study of women from Soweto three years ago in which we recorded their dietary patterns during pregnancy. We explored whether these were related to the amount of weight that they gained, as well as their newborns birthweight and their levels of body fat.

We found that there were positive effects of an improved diet during pregnancy. But we also found that these benefits were most obvious in women whose weight was normal at the start of their pregnancies.

This suggests that improvements made to the diets of overweight and obese women once they are pregnant may have a limited impact on their health and that of their babies.

Two thirds of women in South Africa are overweight or obese. One in four adults die prematurely (before the age of 70) from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer or chronic respiratory disease.

Among women living in Soweto, one in ten will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Half of them will go on to develop diabetes within the following 10 years.

This explosion of obesity and related chronic diseases has been linked to rapid lifestyle changes as a result of urbanisation, including a transition towards more processed diets high in sugar, saturated fat, salt, cooking oils and convenience foods.

Often poor dietary behaviours are adopted during the teenage years long before girls and young women have considered the idea of becoming mothers. The impact of unhealthy lifestyles, poor-quality diets and excess body weight on chronic disease burdens has been explored exhaustively. But the implications for future mothers and the next generation of South Africans has not received the same attention.

In our study we found that women who were accustomed to a more westernised diet gained more weight during pregnancy. This is a diet high in refined carbohydrates such as white bread, processed and red meat, sweets and chocolate and sugar-sweetened soft drinks. So did women whose diets were particularly high in added sugar.

High weight gain increases the risk of giving birth to a large baby. Its also a risk factor for pregnancy complications such as developing high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia and giving birth by caesarean section. Overweight and obese women are particularly vulnerable to gaining excessive amounts of weight during pregnancy, as the recommended range for healthy weight gain is lower than it is for women who conceive at a healthy weight.

On the other hand, women who ate higher amounts of whole grains, legumes, vegetables and unprocessed meat gained less weight during pregnancy and were more likely to gain weight within the healthy range. Their babies also tended to have lower birthweights and less body fat at birth.

These quantifiable differences indicate that a healthy diet during pregnancy really does have beneficial effects on the health of the mother and the newborn, as well as on the newborns risk of developing disease later in life.

But, to make a real impact on the health and well-being of the next generation, it is critical that food and health systems focus on empowering teenage girls and young women to make healthier choices and to improve their diets long before they become pregnant.

See the rest here:
We tracked Soweto mothers-to-be to find out more about diet and obesity patterns - The Conversation Africa

Know about the micronutrient gap in Indian diet

There is no doubt the Indian diet is the most versatile because it is filled with a variety of ingredients. Across the country, there are diverse types of cuisine, each with traditional ingredients promoting varied health benefits. While some of these are well known, others are not. In the era of fast foods and instant noodles, however, people from all walks of life are generally prone to major deficits of essential micronutrients that act as the building blocks for human cells. As a result, any micronutrient deficiency is akin to a hole in the wall that makes it structurally weak. Even though we add multiple ingredients in making a single recipe, some important nutrients are still missing, which could make the food nutritionally wholesome.

Currently, more than 50% of Indian women and children are afflicted with chronic anaemia. It may be noted that anaemia is classified as a serious health concern if more than 40% of the national or state-level population is afflicted with it. The problem has persisted for decades despite myriad measures being implemented to supplement diets and address micronutrient shortfalls.

(Also read: Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Incredible Benefits And How To Use)

Ongoing nutritional shortfalls indicate that most people are inadequate in meeting widespread needs for micronutrients. These include vitamin B12, calcium, chromium, cobalt, magnesium, selenium and molybdenum in indigenous diets. Adding these micronutrients is crucial as their shortfall is creating a hidden hunger that triggers degenerative, depressive, metabolic and psychological problems as well as maternal and foetal disorders. Besides, prolonged deficiencies can cause higher morbidity and mortality rates.

Nonetheless, one can make daily recipes super-nutritious simply by adding a spoonful of sesame, sunflower and flaxseeds, mint leaves, almonds, peanuts, paneer, dark chocolate, coconuts and roasted Bengal gram powder, among other nutrient-dense foods. These ingredients can be bought from your local kirana stores and even online platforms. Also, adding cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger to daily cups of tea could instantly enhance calcium, magnesium and iron intake.

Even simple fare can be made more delicious, nutritious and appealing by adding beautifully-cut boiled eggs, curd, paneer or mint chutney as a topping. This period of prolonged lockdown is the best time to try some of your grandmother's traditional recipes. These could comprise greens soup, adapradaman, drumstick leaf adai, kadamba sambhar, macher jhol, handi biryani, puranpoli, oondhiyo and such dishes that are tasty, nutritious and filling.

Moreover, rather than discarding orange zest, lemon zest, grape seeds, pomegranate peel, cauliflower greens and similar edibles, it is best to use them in gravies, raita and sauces, boosting the flavour and nutritional values of food.

(Also read: 10 Must-Have Foods During Pregnancy To Stay Healthy)

Besides adding such superfoods to the diet, another major strategy is food fortification. It is being practised at the agricultural level as bio-fortification to increase the micronutrient density of the crops. At the industrial level, fortification of common salt, milk, oils, biscuits, and breakfast cereals has been adopted to help meet the micronutrient demands. These products are easily available in the local market. Apart from all these macro measures, if deficiency persists, then a convenient choice comes in the form of home food fortifiers such as Human milk fortifiers, Vitamin-D fortifier, Vitamin -A wheat/ rice fortifier, Nu-Shakti Powermix for rice and atta etc. to name a few. The latter can be safely added to daily staple foods or their derivatives such as wheat flour and rice, augmenting the micronutrient status and absorption.

Going by the alarming micronutrient deficiency rates, the current lockdown offers a great opportunity to eat delicious and nutritious meals, which may not be possible when consuming outside fare. Eating the right foods and if having any deficiency, adding appropriate food fortifiers and supplements can be an excellent way of combating micronutrient hunger. Thereby, we will be ensuring our bodies are as healthy and disease-free as possible.

About the author: Dr. Varsha Pramodh is a registered dietician, research scholar and metabolic nutrition consultant.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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The Big Gap Of Micronutrients In The Indian Diet - NDTV

These observational studies show that a healthy diet is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular events, leading many to advocate for stronger public policy to promote healthy food choices.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetablesadministered over a relatively short period of time was associated with significantly lower levels of markers of subclinical heart damage and tension in adults without pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to an observational analysis of the DASH trial published by the Annals of Internal Medicine magazine.

Researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center studied data and stored serum samples for 326 participants in the original DASH trial to compare the effects of diets rich in fruits and vegetables with a typical American diet on their effects on heart damage, heart pressure and inflammation in middle-aged adults without known preexisting CVD.

They found that after 8 weeks, participants in bothfruits and vegetablesand the DASH diet groups had significantly lower concentrations of biomarkers for subclinical heart damage and stress compared to the control group.

These associations did not differ between DASH and the fruit and vegetable diets, and none of the diets affected hs-CRP, a marker of inflammation.

The authors hypothesize thatdietary factorscommon to DASH and fruit and vegetable diets, such as higher amounts of potassium, magnesium, and fiber, may partially explain the observed effects.These findings strengthen recommendations for the DASH diet or increased consumption of fruits and vegetables as a means of optimizing cardiovascular health.

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The keys to a healthy diet that protects your heart - Healthy diet-heart - Phone Mantra

Doing regular exercise can help to boost your lifespan. Its the miracle cure weve all been waiting for, said the NHS.

Making some small diet or lifestyle changes could help to increase your life expectancy and avoid an early death.

One of the easiest ways to lower your chances of an early death is to add eggs to your daily routine.

Eggs are a heart-friendly, calorie-cutting "wonder food", nutritionists have claimed.

READ MORE: How to live longer - the best exercise to increase life expectancy

"These powerhouses are packed with nutrients linked to good health and the prevention of many age-related diseases," said the nutritionists in their book 'Eat Better Live Longer - Understand What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy'.

"Their positive effects on weight loss, memory, and eye and bone health mean that eggs are a great protein food to put on your menu.

"Eggs may have a high cholesterol content, but current research shows that cholesterol in food generally has little impact on blood cholesterol levels or heart disease risk.

"Eggs contain vitamin A, which is vital for healthy vision. In addition, they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants known as carotenoids, which are concentrated in the macula and are critical for healthy eyes."

Read more here:
How to live longer - the best breakfast food to prevent early death and boost weight loss - Express

Picky eaters will never grow out of their fussy habits if they don't have a varied diet by the age of four, a study has suggested.

Researchers found that fussy eating is cemented at a young age and the more parents try to control their children's diets, the pickier they may become.

The best time to try to expand a child's food preferences is when they are a toddler, but any attempts after that are likely to fail, the study said.

The findings, published in the Pediatrics Journal, come from a four-year US study of 317 mothers and their children.

Families reported their children's eating habits and how mothers felt about feeding when the children were four, five, six, eight and nine.

Researchers found picky eating was stable from nursery to school age, suggesting any attempts to get children to eat a wider range of foods need to happen when they are a toddler to be most effective.

The pickiest eaters tended to be under the most pressure to eat more foods, often resulting in them restricting their diet further.

Senior author Dr Megan Pesch, from Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, said: "If your [four year old] often pushes their dinner plate away or wages battles against taking another bite of a vegetable they don't like, they may not grow out of it anytime soon.

"Picky eating is common during childhood and parents often hear that their children will eventually 'grow out of it.' But that's not always the case.

"Mothers of picky eaters may be trying to shape their children's preferences for more palatable and selective diets to be more healthful. But it may not always have the desired effect."

The study also found that children reluctant to eat certain foods tended to have lower body mass index (BMI) and are also less likely to be overweight or obese.

Dr Pesch added: "We still want parents to encourage varied diets at young ages, but our study suggests that they can take a less controlling approach.

"That being said, we need more research to better understand how children's limited food choices impact healthy weight gain and growth long term."

The rest is here:
Picky eaters will never evolve their diets if they fail to vary their food by the age of four - Telegraph.co.uk

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