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Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that can be brought under control if you commit to a healthy lifestyle. That's because the primary threat posed by type 2 diabetes - high blood sugar levels, is kept at bay by healthy living. Diet holds the key to regulating blood sugar levels and certain rules must be followed.

As the NHS explains, there's nothing you cannot eat if you have type 2 diabetes, but you'll have to limit certain foods.

The main culprits to cut down on are starchy items, such as bread, pasta, rice, couscous, potatoes, breakfast cereals.

The reason for this is that starchy foods have a high carbohydrate content.

Carbohydrate is broken down into glucose relatively quickly and therefore has a more pronounced effect on blood sugar levels than either fat or protein.

READ MORE:Type 2 diabetes: Having an extreme sensitivity to this hot beverage is a lesser known sign

One particular non-starchy vegetable that has been shown to lower blood sugar levels is broccoli.

According to a study published in Science Translational Medicine, broccoli contains an ingredient that can help those with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar level.

A chemical found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and sprouts called sulforaphane is thought to be responsible for the blood sugar-lowering effect.

To identify the suitable compound, researchers used computer models to identify gene expression changes linked with type 2 diabetes, and then sift through thousands of chemicals that might reverse these changes.

The study found participants who took the equivalent of around five kilograms (11 pounds) of broccoli daily saw a reduction in their blood sugar levels of about 10 percent.

According to the study researchers, that reduction is sufficient to reduce complications in the eyes, kidneys and blood.

The finding is not surprising.

According to Diabetes.co.uk: "Vegetables are one of the most powerful defences against complications and a plentiful intake of non-starchy vegetables is highly recommended for all people with diabetes."

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Type 2 diabetes: The best leafy green vegetable to reduce blood sugar levels revealed - Express

By DR JANE AMBUKO More by this AuthorBy MEHRDAD EHSANIMore by this AuthorBy MILANI PEIMANMore by this Author

The food we eat and the content therein determine the status and levels of what makes up our bodies minerals, carbohydrates, fat, protein and water.

Therefore, a balanced diet and good nutrition are not only important as a source of energy for our active lives, but are also critical for our defence against diseases.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy diet helps protect against malnutrition in all its forms, as well as noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

While there is no specific drug or vaccine for the Covid-19 infection and no food can by itself prevent the infection, a nutritious and healthy diet rich in protective foods can boost ones immunity and capacity to fight the infection.

Poor diets are associated with poor health

Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water are the main groups of nutrients, which together but in variable amounts, make up a balanced diet.

Daily consumption of recommended portions of each of the seven nutrient groups is important for good health.

Therefore, deficiencies, excesses and imbalances in any of these nutrient groups result in various forms of malnutrition.

Malnutrition and poor diets are the leading cause of death and one of the top two risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide.

Theres evidence NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, make individuals more vulnerable to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, influenza, and pneumonia.

WHO data also suggests that patients with NCDs are 16 times more likely to be hospitalised from contracting Covid-19.

Balanced diet: What proportion of the seven nutrient categories should you eat?

Kenyas National Guidelines for Healthy Diets and Physical Activity (2017), recommends as follows:

Eat a variety of foods from different groups every day. Include whole or unprocessed starchy foods as part of mealsEat plenty of green leafy vegetables, red and yellow vegetables and fruits every day and include a variety of other vegetables and fruits.

Eat beans, peas, lentils, cowpeas, pigeon peas, soya, nuts and edible seeds regularly (at least four times a week).

Eat lean meat, fish and seafood, poultry, insects or eggs at least twice a week.

Drink fresh milk, fermented milk or yoghurt every day.

Use oil or fat in moderation in meals. Limit the amount of solid fat and use fortified oil.

If you use sugar, use it sparingly.

Use iodised salt but use it sparingly.

Drink plenty of safe water.

The food pyramid is a visual representation of the foods that should make up the basics of a healthy diet in the base and the foods that should be consumed sparingly in small amounts at the top.

The pyramid presented below is an adaptation of the nutritional recommendations about the main food groups by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations aimed at improving citizens health and prevention of NCDs through the food-based dietary guidelines.

A table (left) highlighting the important nutrients that we need in our food, their sources and health benefits and (right) the food pyramid; a visual representation of the foods that should make up the basics of a healthy diet in the base and the foods that should be consumed sparingly in small amounts at the top. TABLES | COURTESY

A healthy diet should contain proportionate amounts of the various food groups as indicated by the number of servings.

Increase servings of protective foods for better health and defence from disease infections.

Protective foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts and whole grains contain substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals, micronutrients and other beneficial phytochemicals.

Examples of protective foods, constituents and health benefits are shown in the table on the right.

As shown in the table, protective foods can boost immune function and lower NCD risks. Therefore, adopting protective diets can significantly contribute to lower incidence, morbidity and mortality of Covid-19 and similar infectious diseases.

These foods, however, are generally under-consumed globally and this has a significant negative impact on global health.

According to Kenyas Ministry of Health, only 2.5 million Kenyans (6 per cent), consume the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.

Low consumption of the two has been aggravated under Covid-19 due to various reasons including less physical and economic access to these food commodities.

The WHO recommended daily intake is at least 400g, or five portions (80g each) of diverse fruits and vegetables.

There is need to devise strategies at the global, national and household levels to increase use of the recommended amount of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and other nutritious foods.

Healthy diets that are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and other health-promoting phytochemicals can boost immunity and the capacity to fight infectious agents including Covid-19.

Besides increasing our consumption of protective foods, we must drink clean water regularly and stay well-hydrated.

Drinking ample amounts of water and fluids (at least eight glasses a day for adults) also helps our immune system.

Ambuko is an Associate Professor of Horticulture and Postharvest Specialist, Department of Plant and Crop Protection, University of Nairobi. Mehrdad Ehsani is the managing director and Milani Peiman,consultant, Food Initiative of the Rockefeller Foundation.

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The A-Z of a nutritious diet during Covid-19 pandemic - Daily Nation

There is more to this diet though than just a list of healthy foods. Let's dig into everything you need to know about the Sirtfood Diet.

Sometimes a new fad diet hits the zeitgeist and all of a sudden the whole world finds themselves curious about how it works and if they should give it a try even. This week, the diet everyone seems to be discussing is called the Sirtfood Diet. Coming out of the U.K. by two nutritional experts, this new diet seems to have really risen to fame after none other than popular singer, Adele, posted a new photo of herself on Instagram this week and people cannot stop remarking on her noticeably slimmer figure.

At first glance, the list of sirtfoods allowed on this diet really don't seem all that bad, albeit, they're mostly insanely healthy withfoods like apples, kale, blueberries, green tea, citrus fruits, soy, buckwheat, strawberries, turmeric, capers, medjool dates, parsley, coffee, onions and olive oil. Thereally big ones that tend to get peoplequite excitedare dark chocolate and drink red wine, as you can still dine on these two foods while remaining a sirtfood rich regimen.

There is more to this diet though than just a list of healthy foods. Let's dig into everything you need to know about the Sirtfood Diet.

With celebrities such as Adele and Pippa Middleton said to have hopped on the Sirtfood Diet train, it has everyone interested asking how does the Sirtfood Diet work exactly. Promoted for bringing "effective and sustained weight loss", the diet is all about eating certain foods that will "activate" one's "skinny gene".Food Networkbreaks it down that all of the foods listed above contain a "natural chemical called polyphenols that mimics the effects of exercise and fasting".

If one sticks to the foods rich in polyphenols for a prolonged period of time, it can "trigger the sirtuin pathway to help trigger weight loss". Sirtuinsare specific proteins which are believed to "protect cells in the body from dying when they are under stress and are thought to regulate inflammation, metabolism and the aging process."

In terms of vast research and how long this diet has actually been around, it's still very young and there hasn't been enough in-depth investigation into the long lasting effects of maintaining a diet of only these types of foods for an extended period of time.

One note that is catching the eye of the many people suddenly paying attention to this diet is that you can supposedly lose approximately seven pounds in seven days. This can supposedly be accomplished in the phase one portion of the Sirtfood Diet.According toHealthline, the diet takes place over two phases which take course over three weeks time. There is a Sirtfood Diet book that exists in which you can go by for fuller instructions and it's also full of recipes that enlist all of the sirtfoods in theirmeal plans.

For phase one, which lasts a week, it's basically set out to kind of jump start the weight loss. You basically drink three green juices per day, plus one meal, with a decrease to two green juices and two sirtfood-rich meals in the latter part of week one.

As you head into phase two, which lasts for two weeks, it's known as the "maintenance" phase in which you should continue to lose weight as you have three meals full of sirtfoods and one green juice per day. If you're looking to continue to lose weight, the book suggests that you can go back to phase one and begin the process all over again.

For some people, trying out the Sirtfood Diet might sound like a bit of a dream, especially if you're a vegetarian or someone who eats quite a healthy mostly plant-based diet anyway, but there are some drawbacks and things to think about with this new way of eating and weight loss. According toBBC Good Food, not all dietitians are on their way to promoting a diet restricted to only sirtfoods. Especially during phase one of the process, the calorie intake for that first week is between 1,000 - 1,500, which is warned that it could be awfully hard to achieve for a lot of people as that is not a lot of food and enough calories to keep up one's energy.

Also, a lot of diet experts would likely be concerned about the lack of protein and iron intake as well as how short the list is for the sirtfoods and how someone who is looking for a well-rounded diet needs to be eating all sorts of fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats or meat alternatives in order to get all the vitamins and nutrients they need. There is also cause for concern with sudden and rapid weight loss as it usually isn't the healthy way most doctors would recommend losing weight.So, before you dive all in, as usual, it's best to consult with your own physician and health experts in order to determine what meal and exercise plan is best for you and your health.

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Continued here:
The Sirtfood Diet: Everything You Need To Know | Moms.com - Moms

Steve Sando among the beans. Illustration: Margalit Cutler

Steve Sando has been living through a great bean rush. His company, Rancho Gordo, is the purveyor of choice for garbanzo geeks, and overwhelming orders have led to shipping delays for regulars and its semi-famous Bean Club. Most people have understood. But one guy called me reprehensible, says Sando, who also recently published The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide. Sando lives alone in Napa, California, where he gardens obscure vegetables, cooks for his mother next door, and trades beans with neighbors for duck eggs, wild mushrooms, and other foods. The bean boom also has Sando working six days a week, but hes still cooking all the time the way he likes to: repurposing and reusing ingredients, with a California sensibility. You could find him cooking his weekly pots of beans, marinating chicken thighs and pickling mushrooms, and baking his favorite cornbread.

Thursday, April 30I drink Peets French Roast made in an Italian Moka pot. Whole scalded milk. I used to use sugar but now I use BochaSweet kabocha sugar. Its not as good, but its not bad like most artificial sweeteners.

Super-dark European coffee is what I grew up with, when it was a total trend in San Francisco. Thats where I picked up on it. Theres a trend now for light coffee. I know people like to say dark roast is burnt and a waste of good coffee, but I think theyre nuts. Im sorry, Id rather drink coffee in Italy than almost anywhere. I think they know what theyre doing. I dont get Blue Bottle at all. In the early days of the farmers market theyd always want to trade with me, and it was like, ugh, no I dont want this.

During the quarantine, Ive been eating a lot. I get a CSA box on Tuesdays from a local charcuterie shop, the Fatted Calf. (They wrote In the Charcuterie the breadth of their knowledge of Italian, French, and even Mexican charcuterie is just shocking to me.) The box is full of veg from Riverdog Farm but I also get a lot of meat, dairy, and Spanish chorizo from Fatted Calf while Im there. I also tend to get Straus Family yogurt.

At some point later in the week, I also go to a local Mexican Market, La Tapatia, where I get tortillas, chicharrones, and vegetable basics like onions, limes, and chiles. Ill often get a pound of the carnitas they make there, the tortillas, salsa, and call it a day, because its really good. Ive only been to the conventional grocery store once since lockdown. It was very unpleasant and I would avoid it at all costs in the future. It was no fun. Between the Mexican market, the Fatty Calf, and my CSA, Im pretty good. Plus I have all the beans I want, which definitely helps.

I was affected by the Napa fires two and a half years ago, we were evacuated for two weeks; then weve had these rolling blackouts; and now we have this and its like I dont trust anything. I also think by having a garden, its like Im off the grid a little bit, Im out of the system, and Im a little more self-reliant. Now, Im not freaking out, but I dont like going to the store if I dont have to. At night, when Im coming home from work, I think, eh you know what? I can skip yet another day. Which is really bad for these businesses in general, but for me, its like theres a satisfaction for going, I can actually do a lot less. And its actually even more fun. Thats one good thing thats come from this.

For breakfast I had some leftover kale from my CSA box (made with Fatted Calf pancetta) tossed with previously cooked ayocote morado beans. I prefer dandelion greens, chard, or rapini to kale but with enough pancetta, anything is delicious. With kale, its a sort of penance it feels like youre doing your duty.I love the bitterness of the dandelions, and the chards slightly sweet. I just think theyre more versatile.

Im here by myself. My mother lives right next door, so I see her, and I have another family that lives on the property, but mostly Im here by myself at this point. I have extra food and bring it to my mom.

Snacked on mixed nuts. I buy a bag each of almonds, cashews, and pecans and mix them myself from Trader Joes. I live on this.

Pounded chicken thighs pan-roasted, with roasted asparagus reheated in the pan juices with a little chicken stock to get the bits from cooking the chicken. The asparagus was in the CSA box. I used to steam them all the time, but I think tossing them in olive oil and roasting them is great.

I like buying boneless, skinless chicken thighs and pounding them before marinating them. I marinated these in olive oil, banana vinegar from Veracruz that we have, salt and pepper, and oregano indio. I dont overkill it. I try to keep it as neutral as I can, but the banana vinegar is out of this world. Its true rotted bananas and plantains. I think a lot of the fruit vinegars are plain vinegars with fruit flavoring added.

You can heat up a steel pan or cast iron until very hot and cook about six minutes each side. Let it rest and cut them up. It has the same satisfaction as steak for me. Normally I buy a whole chicken and cut it up and use as needed, always making broth, but I got these from the grocery store when I went. They were so cheap I thought, Im gonna do this.

My thing is, you just want to keep reinventing the ingredients you have. Theres that great book, An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. I love the whole concept. Her thing is, food will never be as fresh as when you brought it home from the market. So do as much prep as you can up front. When youre tired, youre not going to sit there and create this beautiful vegetable medley. But when its sitting there in a container and ready to go, you can heat up some vegetables and call it a day. Then you incorporate beans and, for me either, the charcuterie or marinated chicken thighs you can do everything pretty quickly once you lay the groundwork.

Ended my night with Strauss whole milk Euro-style yogurt with Bocha Sweet kabocha sugar. This yogurt is so good, it takes the place of ice cream for me.

Friday, May 1Beans. More ayocote morado (and bean broth) with roasted cauliflower, pinch of Burlap & Barrel cumin and our own pimenton. I had made a pot early in the week, and then Friday morning I made this dish with them. It just keeps giving.

I go on jags, and this week, I was just on this jag of Spanish pimenton and cumin. Not enough that you can tell what either one is, because I think then youve almost used too much, so just a scant, scant amount. Its just this great combination. But, more than anything else, I love thyme. I actually dont think theres a better herb in the world, until I decide to use rosemary.

Also, chicharron con carne. When I went to my Mexican market, to buy tortillas, I couldnt resist the great carnitas and chicharrones they have. Its not just the skin. I dont know how to describe it but Im sure a full diet of these would cause gout. Theyre scary good. The fat just melts in your mouth in a completely appealing way. I dont do it often, but sometimes get one for the road. Its this perfect blend of meat and fat and skinny. Its not gristly fat. Pork fat by itself is disgusting to me. I dont know what the deal with this is, but its terrific.

Chicken tacos made with the pounded chicken thighs, plus white onions, cilantro, limes and, Cosecha Purepecha chipotle salsa. Thats from Michoacn. When I was there maybe 15 or 12 years ago, we actually went to the factory because my friends who live down there said, oh, this is great stuff. And I just loved it. Locally I noticed they had it at Tapatio, and Ive just been hoarding it. We make a chipotle salsa at Rancho Gordo, which is excellent, but with things I love, I dont limit it to us. I still buy other peoples beans, for example, and this chipotle salsa in particular is just great.

Saturday, May 2Made a soup with the last of the ayocote morados and their broth, a scoop of hongos en vinagre from wild mushrooms from Wine Forest. Connie Green is a local forager who wrote a great book, The Wild Table. She lives up here on the mountain, so sometimes well trade, and because she was really tied in with chefs she got stuck with all these fresh mushrooms. I had way too many, so I pickled them.

There are lots of recipes for hongos en vinagre online but I tend to follow Diana Kennedys instructions. If you find yourself with a lot of mushrooms, like I did, this is a great way to extend their life and you always have a good snack on hand. Its another fast food. (Ill just come home from work and put them in a tortilla and make a pickled mushroom taco and thats fine. I wouldnt serve it to company, but to get through the night its great.) The vinegar from the mushrooms was a perfect bit of acid for the rich bean broth. I used regular chicharrones as croutons. They make a real snap-crackle-pop sound and theyre delicious in a soup like this.

That soup was one of the most successful things Ive ever done. This is why you make beans for yourself, so you can have things like this bean broth. It was mostly bean broth and mushrooms and vinegar. To me its the most exciting thing: when you do leftover cooking and you come up with a great dish like that. I probably at some point would write about the soup it was so good.

I havent been baking sourdough, but the fact that people are so into sourdough some people roll their eyes I think it is one of the best things to happen. Its all about control. You can control the rising of water and flour? That must feel great. I think about this with beans, I can turn this rock into something creamy. Maybe Im wrong, but its little places where you can control things that helps you get through this.

Dinner was pan-roasted duck breast (from Liberty Duck in Sonoma) and sauteed Red Russian kale. I have a weird love of duck breast, also its sort of a challenge because theres nothing like it and theres nothing worse if you overcook it then it gets rubbery. I just did salt and pepper, then deglazed the pan with the kale cookings. I hadnt put the pancetta back in it and I thought, this is so rich, it doesnt need that. I also thought, how this would be great for two meals. Well, it wasnt. It barely made one.

Sunday, May 3Red Russian kale with pancetta, a fried duck egg I traded for with a neighbor I bet both thought we came out ahead and cornbread made with Antebellum coarse white cornmeal from Anson Mills. I used their skillet cornbread recipe but I replaced some of the milk with goat yogurt. I love that they dont use flour in those recipes.

Theres no consistency with Southerners. Despite what you hear, some say you do need to add sugar. Some say it has to be buttermilk. Its exhausting, and not being a Southerner and growing up on really crappy Jiffy cornmeal, I discovered the Anson Mills coarse grind and nothing is better with beans. The cornmeal is a game changer compared to what I had.

You can heat up the skillet with the fat on the stove, pour the batter in and it sizzles, and then put it in the oven. Its 20 minutes, and theres just nothing like it. Im just shocked by how good it is. If the pan is hot enough when the batter hits, it forms a crust thats not very deep but is almost like when you eat cheese and it has that crystalline thing going. Its the most subtle, sublime crunch-to-cornbread ratio. The only problem with this cornbread is it doesnt keep. And the other problem is deciding what the word portion means. Can I get away with eating the whole thing? You just turn into such a pig because its so delicious.

You slather it with butter and its hot and you almost cant even talk its so good. Or you add beans and bean broth or even kale and the kale potlikker, and youre thinking, why arent we doing more of this? Id rather learn more about this than some obscure Italian preparation. Theres so much great simple food to eat at home, its frustrating we dont do more of it. A Southerner told me about taking the cornbread, breaking it up into a glass, and then you pour buttermilk over it. I thought, that just sounds as disgusting as it gets. I tried it and it was absolutely delicious.

Later, I made a quesadilla with onions, cilantro, Cosecha salsa, and crap jack cheese. Mexicans dont actually use jack cheese, but they use bland cheeses, so I dont think its such a crime. When I went to the grocery store, I just bought a ton of it because it was super cheap and the expiration date was far away. Its so funny where Im a snob and where Im not. There is a line I wont cross, but crappy cheese is fine. It has its place.

I also had a salad of garbanzos, Fatted Calf Spanish chorizo, Trader Joes marinated red peppers, onion, Olive Oil Jones Gata-Hurdes from Extremadura, Spain (home of pimento and the conquistadors), chives, and sherry vinegar. I love salads, I like lettuce fine, there are all sorts of interesting ones. But living alone, its really hard dealing with lettuce, and Ive discovered if I have super crunchy things, plus beans, its this creamy, crunchy combination that makes a great salad. Lately, Im loving shaved fennel. Not by itself, but mixed as part of something else.

Monday, May 3Penance, sort of. Even for me that was a rough four days or so. Okay, we need to slow down a bit here.

I try to skip breakfast as much as I can. I did have a half cup of homemade sauerkraut this morning, which would actually be a typical breakfast for me. Just having that so Im not dying, that works for me.

I always make it. This winter, we got a lot of cabbage from the CSA. I have a beautiful fermenting pot. I tend not to spice it while its fermenting, its probably fine, but I always worry about a little bit floating to the top and causing trouble. I find, though, you have to add tons of onion, which makes it 10 times better. I added tons of carrots, too, and I tend to like the red cabbage more just because it looks cool.

Chard and Anson Mills Carolina Gold rice. I did have pancetta leftover, and I opened a can of tomatoes, so I chopped up some tomatoes and added them as well, so it was a little more of a sauce for the kale. Theres a brown rice I love called Massa from Chico, California, its like eating nuts. But I had the Carolina Gold, and with that rice you want to keep it as simple as you can.

For dinner, I had Manchego cheese, a bit more Spanish chorizo, mixed nuts, and a sherry. Thats all. I was like, I just need to slow it down a bit. But I was about to start it all over again the next day. I had the CSA coming. It was just one day of simple eating.

Im not minding the shelter-in-place, until I do, and then it drives me crazy. I really dont love going to restaurants all that much unless theyre really special its not something I do casually. But almost every week I have a dinner party here, I have a couple of friends over, and thats the thing that kills me. I can almost bear all of this, but that part seems nice, and it seems like if we had mass testing we could take smarter, more calculated risks. But its not worth it at this point. Thats the thing: I want to open that door and see someone on the other side that would make me very happy.

I would much prefer to be cooking for more people. Im living for these meals, and theres this tiny bit of melancholy that comes at the end, like oh, its done. Its this one bit of pleasure of quarantining, and now its done. Im looking forward to the day that passes, I would say.

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Rancho Gordos Steve Sando Avoids the Grocery Store at All Costs - Grub Street

Being confined in a space close to the refrigerator isn't good for me. Is it good for you?

So you're at home, with kids, with partners, or by yourself. You're cozy and in your most stretchy yoga pants and a big turtleneck fleece. Well, that describes me. Now, I can put on some nice earrings and a cover of scarf and call it dressed up for a Zoom meeting, and no one can see below my waist. But sooner or later, I'm going to have to put on my jeans.

This is how many Americans are making food choices this pandemic, during physical isolation. They are eating junk food. According to Bloomberg News, sales of Oreos, Cheetos, and boxed macaroni and cheese are up. Cans of Spam are up 37%. Of course, those in charge of the shopping may be looking for food with a long shelf life, a very long shelf life. Whether you're buying comfort food because you are stressed and want the foods that you had when someone was taking care of you or you're buying foods that you can use to bargain with your kids into doing some schoolwork, these choices aren't very good ones, not for you or your family.

One of the problems is, when these foods are in the cupboard or the fridge, you and your family are close to the fridge all day long. For the kids, it's a shuffle between the sweet caffeinated drinks, the chips, and the computer. For you, it is snack, snack, snack all day. The fridge and the goodies are always there, and you are always there.

We probably evolved to crave sweet, salt, and fat. We evolved in a low salt environment, so salty is craved. The easiest foods that were low energy to hunt and gather and chew were an advantage when they were high energy in our bodies, meaning easy calories, not high energy like coffee. That meant sugar and fat. Salt, sugar, and fat. And the comfort food industry knows this and adds a lot of fat and salt to their chips, bagels, cookies, and boxed macaroni and cheese.

We are not hunter-gatherers anymore, except in the time of quarantine when we hunt for chips and gather them up to eat in front of the TV. Hunter-gatherers walked all day long and were always on the verge of starvation. We are not. We evolved to pack away these calories into fat to use during times of stress. But this was caloric stress, not this pandemic stress when we may be flooded with calories.

Now, refined carbs, such as cookies, donuts, and granola bars, are the largest source of calories in the American diet, followed by breads, chips, sugary drinks, pizza, and pasta dishes, and other processed foods. They're also high in sodium, except for the sugary drinks. These foods are awful for our blood pressure, our cholesterol, and our insulin. These carbs are low fiber carbs, so they increase the insulin response and push us closer to diabetes.

In this COVID-19 epidemic, people who are hypertensive, obese, and diabetic, and they often all go together, are at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from this virus. Eating well may help our immune system. Eating poorly may suppress our immune system. Eating poorly makes you feel out of control in your life, and you're already in a global pandemic that is out of your control. However, eating well is in your control, so here are some suggestions.

Eat a healthy meal. Then, make your shopping list. Buy only what is on your list. Plan your shop and shop your plan. Don't buy that awful stuff. It's a rare treat, not a daily treat. The stores are well stocked with fresh produce. Buy crunchy veggies and hummus, or better yet, make your own hummus and you can make it with less fat. Dip veggies into plain Greek yogurt spiced up with whatever works for you and your family. It's really easy if you have a blender or a food processor. And it's cheaper. Lock down the fridge for 22 hours a day, the fridge and the cupboards. If possible, set a time for meals, and everyone helps. This pandemic time is not the time when kids are all over the place with friends and activities. This is not the time, unless you're an essential worker, a health care provider, first responders, grocery store workers, car fixers, electricians, plumbers, and farmers, that you are spread out all over the city at mealtimes. You're all home. Set a schedule and stick to it.

Phones, laptops, iPad, etc. are left behind. Make the food at these meals count, count for you and your family if you have your family with you. Make the food count nutritionally. Whole foods and grains and colors and spices. Limit salt. No easy carbs. Everyone helps chop, cook, and clean. Those who don't cook have to clean.

If you cannot get by on three meals a day, schedule snacks. Keep them prepared so that they're right there in the fridge. Alcohol can short-circuit your resolve. Make it once a week treat, not a daily necessity.

Kids say, "I'm hungry," and that whine goes right to your mommy brain. If they're really hungry, they'll eat fruit and veggies. If they don't want that, then they're not really hungry. No foods squirreled away in the bedrooms. It's okay to go to bed a little hungry. Don't eat a lot of easy calories before you go to bed or your kids go to bed. It's especially bad for your heart, your gut, your immune system, and your sugar control.

If you get this virus, you need a strong heart and strong lungs. There are many ways to exercise during this time. Physically distanced walks, jumping jacks in the living room. There are jillions of exercise classes online that you can do in front of your computer or your smart TV. You can do them in your yoga stretchy pants, and you already have them on.

So, just some ideas, and thanks for joining us on The Scope.

Link:
How to Maintain Your Diet and Nutrition During COVID-19 - University of Utah Health Care

Adele sent social media into a frenzy when she posted a photo in honor of her birthday that also showcased the singers stunning weight loss. Now, Access Hollywood can exclusively confirm what the Rolling In The Deep singer has been eating to attain her slim figure!

A source tells Access Hollywood that that Adele has been working with trained nutritionist Dr. Dominique Fradin-Read and has been eating a diet based on the French chef Michele Guerard, who serves up slimming nuveau cuisine.

The chef became famous in the 1970s for pioneering low-calorie French cuisine, swapping the regions famously butter and oil-filled dishes with healthier, lighter ingredients. Guerard recommends a non-restrictive diet so long as you have a healthy balance of natural food intake.

I am not a guru wholl tell you what to eat and what not to eat, the chef told TIME in a 2017 interview. As long as food comes from nature herself, I dont see why you shouldnt eat it and just as a reminder, Dominos Pizza does not come from nature! I believe you can eat anything as long as you keep a balanced diet.

WATCH MORE: Adele Looks Unrecognizable Showing Off Svelte Figure In Little Black Dress

But that doesnt mean Adeles transformation happened overnight. The source also revealed that the singer lost weight over the course of two years, and not only was she motivated and disciplined in her approach to training but was sure to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.

Dr. Fradin-Read declined to comment.

Adeles former personal trainer Pete Geracimo just confirmed on Instagram that the singer has a healthy approach to weight loss. Geracimo also defended Adele against what he called fat-phobic accusations.

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As Adeles former London-based personal trainer, its disheartening to read negative commentary and fat-phobic accusations questioning the genuineness of her amazing weight loss. In my personal experience of working with her through many highs and lows, she always marched to the beat of her own drum on her own terms. She never undermined her God-given talent in any way. She let her incredible voice do the talking, or should I say singing! She never once pretended to be something that she wasnt. What you saw was what you got. And we all LOVED it! When Adele and I started our journey together, it was never about getting super skinny. It was about getting her healthy. Especially post pregnancy and post surgery. When 25 dropped and the tour announced, we had to get ready for a 13 month gruelling schedule. In that time, she warmed to training and made better food choices. As a result, she lost considerable weight and people took notice. Her body transformation was splashed across every media outlet. The attention it generated was mind-blowing. Since she moved to LA, its been well documented that she underwent some tough personal changes. Its only natural that with change comes a new sense of self and wanting to be your best possible version. She embraced better eating habits and committed to her fitness and is sweating! I could not be prouder or happier for her! This metamorphosis is not for album sales, publicity or to be a role model. She is doing it for herself and for Angelo. My hope is that people appreciate the hard work that Adele has done to improve herself for the benefit to her and her family only. She did not lose the weight to make others feel bad about themselves. This personal transformation has nothing to do with me or you. Its about Adele and how she wants to live her life. She has not changed from the Adele we grew up with and have loved. There is just a little less of her to go around. #adele #fabulous #strong #songbird #transformation #powerful #voice #love #rumorhasit #pt

A post shared by Pete Geracimo (@petegeracimo) on May 7, 2020 at 10:14am PDT

As Adeles former London-based personal trainer, its disheartening to read negative commentary and fat-phobic accusations questioning the genuineness of her amazing weight loss, he captioned a photo of what appears to be him and Adele relaxing in a pool.

In my personal experience of working with her through many highs and lows, she always marched to the beat of her own drum on her own terms. She never undermined her God-given talent in any way. She let her incredible voice do the talking, or should I say singing! She never once pretended to be something that she wasnt. What you saw was what you got. And we all LOVED it!

When Adele and I started our journey together, it was never about getting super skinny. It was about getting her healthy. Especially post pregnancy and post surgery. When 25 dropped and the tour announced, we had to get ready for a 13 month grueling (sic) schedule. In that time, she warmed to training and made better food choices. As a result, she lost considerable weight and people took notice. Her body transformation was splashed across every media outlet. The attention it generated was mind-blowing.

WATCH MORE: Adeles Former Trainer Shuts Down Fat-Phobic Accusations After Slimmed-Down Birthday Pic

The trainer also made an apparent reference to Adeles high-profile divorce, writing that wanting change is only natural.

Since she moved to LA, its been well documented that she underwent some tough personal changes. Its only natural that with change comes a new sense of self and wanting to be your best possible version. She embraced better eating habits and committed to her fitness and is sweating! I could not be prouder or happier for her! This metamorphosis is not for album sales, publicity or to be a role model. She is doing it for herself and for Angelo.

My hope is that people appreciate the hard work that Adele has done to improve herself for the benefit to her and her family only. She did not lose the weight to make others feel bad about themselves. This personal transformation has nothing to do with me or you. Its about Adele and how she wants to live her life. She has not changed from the Adele we grew up with and have loved. There is just a little less of her to go around.

See the article here:
Adele Used This French Diet To Help Achieve Drastic Weight Loss (EXCLUSIVE) - Access

Mariah Huq looks great in curve-clinging denim these days and if you ask her, that's no thanks to carbs. In a recent Instagram post, the Married to Medicine cast member twirled around wearing a tight jumpsuit that showed off her slim physique. And in the hashtags she added to her caption, the fashion plate made sure to give credit to the popular diet she's following.

In one hashtag, the producer wrote "TRIMMING down," and in another one she spelled out: "Keto." Mariah has opened up about her low-carb, high-fat lifestyle before. Back in March she shared an example of the types of meals she's having lately and revealed herhack for beating cravings.

"I'm trying to stay fit so I'll just take an egg with spicy Guacamole!" she wrote. "When I'm on a diet I always cook [my family] everything I like or want, b/c I get full just from smelling it while I cook!" She does have her cheat days, though just like her fellow Keto enthusiast Briana Culberson does.

Showing a fried fish sandwich with coleslaw in a May 6 Instagram share, Mariah wrote: "YES fried fish Samich! What ya'll know bout that? Don't come hating either talking about spaghetti goes with this! This is more than enough for my cheat day!" She added "no Keto today" in the hashtags.

But whatever she waseating or not eating on the day she took this photo, it's clear that Mariah was feeling and looking fantastic.

Back in December, Mariah revealed that she had shed 14 pounds in five weeks. "Chile the struggle is real!" she wrote back then. "I'm letting have at Christmas..probably gain ever pound back#FACT." Or, maybe not.

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Mariah Huq Shows Off Her Gorgeous Figure After "Trimming Down" on the Keto Diet - Bravo

My physicians support my low-carb lifestyle and, honestly, they are impressed with my tight control in less than a year out from my diagnosis, Alli tells Yahoo Life. (Photo courtesy of LowCarbDiabetic)

Receiving a diagnosis of diabetes can be shocking under ordinary circumstances. For Alli, the woman behind the popular Instagram account LowCarbDiabetic, the prognosis came right before she started medical school.

Im a career changer, and had some routine lab work done before leaving for medical school, Alli, tells Yahoo Life. My lab results showed dangerously high glucose levels. Glucose, aka sugar, is your bodys main source of energy, MedlinePlus explains. High glucose levels can be a sign of diabetes.

My doctor and I thought it might be an error because Ive been a runner and health nut for years, Alli says. But, after she did another glucose test, the diagnosis was official: She had diabetes.

It was a shocking diagnosis, but [it] made sense looking back at how Id been feeling over the last year, says Alli. She originally thought the fatigue she experienced and the fact that she was running slower than usual were due to school burnout. Alli also didnt pay a lot of attention to classic signs of diabetes, like having an increased appetite without gaining weight and being thirstier than usual.

Having diabetes is not for the faint-hearted, Alli says. If youre going to have good control, you have to find your inner warrior, she adds.

Alli now takes between four to six insulin injections a day and is very strict with her diet. She was already on a fairly low-carb diet at the time of her diagnosis, and shes maintained that.

But Alli admits she was confused when her doctor handed her a pamphlet from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) after her diagnosis that recommended she eat carbohydrates. It called for eating more carbs than I had in years.

Alli still gets carbs from fruits and vegetables, but shes cut out things like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. Along with running regularly, she says that sticking to a low-carb diet has helped her reduce her insulin doses and helps keep her glucose levels within her target range.

Currently the ADA, notes on its website that eating too many carbs can raise your blood glucose too high. However, the organization adds, Eating too little carbohydrates can also be harmful because your blood glucose may drop too low, especially if you take medicines to help manage your blood sugar.

The ADA specifically recommends that patients with diabetes get their carbohydrates the most from whole, unprocessed, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes and green beans, and less from refined, highly-processed carbohydrate foods and foods with added sugar, like soda, white bread and cake. The ADA advises that minimally-processed carbs like brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta and oatmeal are also OK.

While a low-carb diet may work for some patients with diabetes, its hard to say that its the right fit for all diabetic patients, according to Katherine Araque, MD, an endocrinologist and director of endocrinology of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. Its not one size fits all, says Araque.

Leigh Tracy, RD, a dietitian and diabetes educator at The Center for Endocrinology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, agrees, telling Yahoo Life, that diabetics dont need to swear off carbs if they dont want to. Carbohydrates are not bad. They actually give your body necessary energy, she explains.

My physicians support my low-carb lifestyle and, honestly, they are impressed with my tight control in less than a year out from my diagnosis, she says.

After sharing her low-carb recipes with friends and family, Alli eventually decided to create an ebook of her recipes, called Beginners Guide for Low Carb Recipes.Its a lifestyle.

Despite her controlled diabetes, Alli says her condition is always on my mind. I just have to deal with it, she says. There are people with much more severe illnesses. I got a bad deal, but its really not that bad at the end of the day. Ive taken as much control as I can.

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The controversial diet that helped one woman control her diabetes - Yahoo Lifestyle

In 1958, aphysiologist from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health observed that incidents of coronary heart disease were more common in middle-aged Americans than their European counterparts living in Mediterranean countries.

Ancel Keys postulated that acorrelation existed between peoples risk for heart disease and their eating habits and lifestyle.

This observation led Keys to launch his seminal study, with participants from seven countries around the world the United States, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Japan and Finland to verify the hypothesis.

Consequent research showed alarge discrepancy in the incidence and mortality of heart disease among the monitored populations.

Participants from Italy and Greece, especially Crete, who had similar eating habits, had the lowest heart disease rates among other participants. The same was true for their Japanese counterparts, whose diet was also plant-based, but lacked the unsaturated fat that Mediterranean populations were receiving mainly from olive oil.

Participants from Finland and the United States, on the other hand, had the highest rates of heart disease due to their high intake of saturated animal fat, the research concluded.

The Seven Countries Study demonstrated that low rates of heart disease can occur both with alow and ahigh intake of fat, depending on its nature and the dietary habits of the participants.

This revelation led to the formal definition of the Mediterranean diet in 1980 after the first results of the study were published by Harvard University.

On the fortieth anniversary of the publications of these results, experts from various fields spoke with Olive Oil Times about the characteristics of the diet and its future.

Markos Klonizakis, aclinical physiologist at Sheffield Hallam University, in England, said one of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet is that there are many variations, making it adaptable across cultures.

My team tried to apply aMedDiet closer to the Greek type, containing fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, olive oil and more, Klonizakis said. Our research has repeatedly shown that the MedDiet can act defensively, providing short-term and longer-term benefits, either on its own or in conjunction with mild exercise.

Recently, we found that aMediterranean-style eating pattern can quickly lessen the impact of Type 2diabetes on microvessels, but more time is needed to ease the impact of aging on people, he added.

Klonizakis argued that the eating preferences of people can be shaped by many factors and the current pandemic may be one of them.

Unhealthy food is easier to prepare. Maybe the coronavirus pandemic is achance for us to start eating better, he said. Of course, eating patterns are also amatter of trend, for example, the vegan regime has many adherents even though its benefits are not widely established, but nutritional tradition usually endures through time.

David Katz, adoctor from Yale University and the founder of the True Health Initiative agrees. He told Olive Oil Times that part of the reason the Mediterranean diet is able to endure and remain popular is due to its cultural importance. It is not just apassing fad.

It has been making and keeping people healthy for generations, he said.

Katz added that supplementing the MedDiet with extra virgin olive oil makes it more pleasurable and enhances its health benefits. Following ahealthy diet helps to improve the immune system.

You can make extra virgin olive oil part of adietary pattern to improve your health acutely and reduce your risk of severe coronavirus infection, he said.

Mary Yannakoulia, an associate professor of nutrition and eating behavior at Harokopio University of Athens, named some of the traits of the Mediterranean diet demonstrated by numerous scientific studies.

Many studies have shown that higher adherence to the MedDiet, leads to lower risk for coronary disease, cancer, dementia and Alzheimers, she told Olive Oil Times. In my opinion, the MedDiet is ahealthy dietary pattern that can be used in Greece to promote the citizens health, and even prevent various diseases, given the availability of the staple Mediterranean food and its direct connection with the tradition and the culture of our country.

In 2013, the MedDiet was named as aUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for both its health benefits and its cultural importance to the Mediterranean region.

In spite of all this, Yannakoulia remains skeptical about the long-term adherence of consumers in Greece to the MedDiet.

It is aquestion of how much we have moved away from the MedDiet, she said. No easy answer exists, considering that eating habits change over time, as do societies.

Basic elements of the MedDiet continue to exist in the dietary patterns of people in Greece, such as the everyday use of olive oil and the frequent consumption of fruits, veggies, legumes and grains, she added. On the other hand, many people in Greece nowadays have started to consume more meat and processed food.

However, on the other side of the Atlantic, Lizzy Freier believes the Mediterranean diet will continue to gain popularity with younger consumers. Freier works at Technomic, afoodservice research and consulting company in Chicago, and said that the diet is linked to many current healthy eating trends.

These health trends include the growth of vegetable-forward diets and afocus on unprocessed foodsboth of which are core attributes of Mediterranean fare, she told Olive Oil Times. Emphasizing health benefits of Mediterranean items especially appeal to younger consumers who are conscientious, are increasingly changing their diets to limit animal products and are looking to include more natural foods.

Freier cited some market research statistics to back up her observation and said that 42 percent of consumers have tried and liked Mediterranean cuisine. An additional 37 percent have not yet tried aMediterranean eating plan, but would like to do so.

As health and diets evolve and consumption of ethnic food continues to expand, the Mediterranean diet is poised to grow as apopular cuisine that appeals to diners with flavorful, healthy dishes, Freier said.

Brynn McDowell, an American dietician and blogger, agrees that the Mediterranean diet is likely to continue growing in popularity in the U.S. She said the flexibility of the diet plays abig part in making it an easy eating plan to follow.

There arent any strict rules, instead its based on aset of guidelines such as including more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans and nuts, she told Olive Oil Times. Emphasis is placed on what you should add to your diet for health. While some foods, such as red meat and sugary desserts and pastries, are recommended to be enjoyed in moderation, they arent forbidden. This makes the Mediterranean diet easily customizable to your lifestyle.

McDowell sees this flexibility as away to prevent consumers from getting frustrated by the limitations of the diet, which is one of the key reasons why people find more strict diets harder to follow.

I feel like people are starting to get frustrated with the newest fad or restrictive diet and instead, getting back to falling in love with good food and healthy, fresh ingredients again, which is what the Mediterranean diet is all about, she said. Its my opinion that the Mediterranean diet is here and popular for the long haul.

The Mediterranean diet has been selected as the best diet of 2020 by the U.S. News and World Report. It was the third consecutive year that the eating plan was selected as the top diet.

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40 Years of the Mediterranean Diet: Whats Next for the Worlds Healthiest Eating Plan - Olive Oil Times

New US research has found that older adults who include plenty of flavonoid-rich foods in their diet, such as berries, apples and tea, may have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Carried out by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University in Massachusetts, the new study looked at 2,801 participants aged 50 and older to investigate the relationship between eating foods containing flavonoids and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias over a period of nearly 20 years.

Flavonoids are natural substances found in plants, fruits, and vegetables, such as pears, apples, berries, onions, and plant-based drinks like tea and wine, as well as in dark chocolate. They have previously been linked to a wide variety of health benefits, however previous studies which have looked at the link between nutrition and dementia have usually only looked at diet over a short period of time.

The findings of the new long-term study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that participants who had a low intake of three types of flavonoids appeared to have a higher risk of dementia than those with the highest intake.

More specifically, those with a low intake of flavonolds (found in apples, pears and tea) or a low intake of flavonoid polymers (in apples, pears and tea) appeared to have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, while a low intake of anthocyanins (found in blueberries, strawberries and red wine) was associated with a four-fold risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

The researchers explain that a low intake was equal to no berries per month, around one-and-a-half apples per month and no tea. A high intake was equal to around 7.5 cups of blueberries or strawberries per month, eight apples and pears per month, and 19 cups of tea per month.

"Our study gives us a picture of how diet over time might be related to a person's cognitive decline, as we were able to look at flavonoid intake over many years prior to participants' dementia diagnoses," said senior author Paul Jacques. "With no effective drugs currently available for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, preventing disease through a healthy diet is an important consideration."

"Tea, specifically green tea, and berries are good sources of flavonoids," said first author Esra Shishtar. "When we look at the study results, we see that the people who may benefit the most from consuming more flavonoids are people at the lowest levels of intake, and it doesn't take much to improve levels. A cup of tea a day or some berries two or three times a week would be adequate," she said.

Jacques also added that even later in life at age 50, which was the age at which the participants' first had their diets analyzed, it's still not too late to make positive diet changes. "The risk of dementia really starts to increase over age 70, and the take-home message is, when you are approaching 50 or just beyond, you should start thinking about a healthier diet if you haven't already," he said.

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Including more berries, apples and tea in the diet could protect against Alzheimer's - Yahoo News

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