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For nearly 30 years, this little-known nonprofit has been cooking and delivering medically tailored meals to sick, homebound people throughout Eastern Massachusetts, currently serving about 1,000 clients a day. And now spreading its wings after a $24 million expansion, with its founding concept of food is medicine gaining traction nationwide Community Servings is poised to start serving the entire state next month.

On a recent afternoon, the scent of cinnamon filled the room as Nick Bruning, a packaging manager who also has a special interest in dessert, slathered a thin piece of amber cake with cream cheese filling and curled it into Swiss pumpkin roll.

In another room redolent of roasted meat, a worker sliced a golden-skinned turkey breast; another slid a knife through a chunk of roasted ribeye. Elsewhere, a tray of pumpkin truffles coated in dark chocolate awaited packaging, and workers peeled the deep purple skin of eggplants about to be chopped and roasted.

Mission No. 1 is to make people want to eat the food were making, said executive chef Brian Hillmer, who has previously worked at such restaurants as Legal Sea Foods, Not Your Average Joes, and Tavern in the Square.

In addition to the turkey and ribeye, the Thanksgiving menu options include cranberry-apple braised chicken, roasted sirloin, spaghetti squash gratin, spiced citrus baked fish, and roasted vegetable risotto.

The clients live with conditions in which diet plays a role including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, HIV, and kidney disease and are unable to shop or cook for themselves. Most have multiple diagnoses. The average age is 53.

Community Servings provides each with two meals plus snacks for five days a week. The meals are free to patients, the vast majority of whom live below the poverty line.

The meal becomes almost like a prescription, said chief executive David B. Waters. If I said to you, Go to the store and make a meal that controls for glucose, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and vitamin K, no matter who you are, youd probably find that impossible. For people without access to quality food or too sick to get off the couch, Waters said, the system sets you up to fail. Thats when you become that high-cost patient.

But food cant promote health if it goes in the trash instead of the stomach, and many sick people have no appetite.

Thats why the menu starts with the chef. Hillmer dreams up something delicious and then shows his plans to Valerie Machinist, director of nutrition services, who employs a computerized recipe analysis program to break down the nutrient content.

A back-and-forth ensues between the guardians of nutrition and taste. Swapping an ingredient here, reducing a portion there, they collaborate to devise meals that are appealing, nutritious, and medically appropriate.

For example, everyone who eats meat received Thanksgiving turkey, but only breast meat with a small piece of skin. The Swiss pumpkin roll was lightened with whipped egg whites and low-fat cream cheese in the frosting.

The menus address 15 medical diets. Kidney-disease patients have the most restrictions, needing to avoid whole grains, potatoes, beans, and legumes. Heart-disease patients get dishes with little sodium and saturated fat. People with diabetes must limit carbohydrates.

Menus take into account a weeks worth of meals, rather than individual dishes. To compensate for cake, there may be fewer carbohydrates in the other components, for example.

By nutritional necessity, the food doesnt contain as much salt as the American palate has come to expect. Hillmer said the dearth of salt is one complaint he cant address.

A few days before Thanksgiving, an assembly line of workers was packing the food, weighing each component before spooning it into the container, which they then sealed in plastic, labeled, and froze. (The agency can serve only people with refrigerators to store the food and microwaves or stoves to heat it.)

Community Servings has 60 employees, their efforts boosted by about 75 volunteers a day. Additionally, much of the food preparation is done by participants in a 12-week food service training program for people emerging from incarceration, addiction, homelessness, or other challenges.

The agency has its roots the AIDS epidemic and was founded in 1990 by the American Jewish Congress. At the time, with no treatment available, AIDS patients were dying of a wasting syndrome.

We became the only medicine, Waters said. We were trying to keep people we loved alive in hopes of a cure, in those early, scary years. A dozen similar groups sprang up across the country in the cities most affected by AIDS, but Community Servings is the only one of its kind in New England.

Though no cure ever came along, medications now enable most HIV and AIDS patients to live full lives, and in 2004 Community Servings expanded its mission to other sick people. Still, HIV patients make up a third of its clients.

In the ensuing years, Community Servings has sought to demonstrate that its charitable work also makes business sense, by partnering with food researcher Seth A. Berkowitz. He has published studies in major journals showing that Community Servings clients spend fewer health care dollars, use hospital emergency departments less frequently, and experience dramatically fewer hospital admissions.

Those findings caught the attention of health insurers and cleared the way for Community Servings to win contracts with managed care organizations. Such arrangements have boosted its resources beyond the federal grants and charitable donations on which it has relied.

In December the agency will expand beyond the 21 communities it now serves to reach the entire state, shipping its frozen meals by UPS to the farthest reaches of the Berkshires.

At our core, said chef Hillmer, we just want to feed our neighbors and make sure theyre healthy.

Felice J. Freyer can be reached at felice.freyer@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @felicejfreyer

Continued here:
This Mass. nonprofit makes Thanksgiving feasts for people with dietary restrictions - The Boston Globe

GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) According to the American Dietic Association, vegetarian diets are associated with lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes and cancer risks.

After being diagnosed withcoronary artery disease, Judy Columbuss cardiologist recommended she switch toa plant based diet, so she became a vegan and has noticed a dramatic increasein energy.

Weeat a lot of beans,legumes, rice, Columbus said. Ive lost 30 pounds. Thirty pounds in 6months!

Columbus says the benefitsare also economical, and that her grocery bill has been cut in half.

Bon Secours St. FrancisClinical Dietician Jalak Patel says shes seen firsthand how patients havebenefitted from plant-based diets.

Theyvenot only improved theirlipid profile but they just had so much more energy, Patel said.

She attributes the benefitsto a lower intake of saturated fats and higher intake of fiber, vitamin c andcomplex carbohydrates.

We say 75 percent ofyour plate or meal should be fruits vegetables, whole grains, nuts seeds andbeans, she suggested. Whole food means minimally processed.

In response to thequestion, Do vegetarians and vegans get enough protein by eliminating meat?she says yes, if they are eating a properly balanced plant-based diet withmostly whole grains.

Patel argues that everyonecould benefit from eating a mostly plant-based diet, consuming meat only 25percent of the time.

I think if we go 75percent plant based is a good place to start, but its hard, she said. We area society of all or none, right? But what if we started somewhere? If youre aperson that likes to eat sausage with breakfast, maybe we change that.

However, she cautionsvegans to watch out for this B12 and Omega 3 fatty acid deficiencies.

Patel has the following generalguidelines for plant based dieting per day: at least 64 ounces of water, 5-7servings of fruits and vegetables, half a cup of beans or lentils a day and aquarter cup of nuts and seeds. She also suggests making sure that at least halfof your grains are whole and minimally processed.

To submit a health question for our series, click here.

See the original post here:
Health benefits of a plant-based diet - WSPA 7News

By Jeff Hogan, anchor/reporter, and Rick Armstrong, producer

Raleigh, N.C. Research shows that consuming too many sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks can lead to serious health issues over time, doing more harm than just adding weight.

For many people, soft drinks are a daily habit. But a recent study in JAMA unveiled concerning data on almost 500,000 people averaging 50 years of age.

Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Mark Hyman commented on the study.

"There was an increased risk of death from all causes -- and from heart disease -- in people who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages and sodas and, not surprisingly, artificial sweeteners," Hyman said.

Results showed that people who drink two or more soft drinks per day -- both containing sugar or artificially sweetened -- were at increased risk of death from circulatory or digestive disease.

Other studies show that artificial sweeteners are linked to obesity, diabetes and other health risks.

According to Hyman, it's important to understand that diet soda doesn't give you a free pass to drink as much as you want.

"The diet drinks have artificial sweeteners in them that actually affect your brain chemistry," Hyman said. "They make you hungry, they slow your metabolism and affect your gut microbiome in ways that are not good."

Health experts say enjoying soda in moderation and drinking more water are the healthiest alternatives.

If you crave the carbonation or flavor, Hyman suggests looking for sparkling water or adding small amounts of fresh fruit to a glass of water.

Read more:
Research shows drinking soda and diet soda can be devastating to your health - WRAL.com

When people want to lose weight they usually turn to a new diet and exercise regimen to help them shed a few pounds. These diets are relatively affordable and anyone could try it, but there are some that only celebrities have the money to afford.It is said that the average American spends about$2,641 per year on food, and these diets have that number skyrocketing by thousands of dollars.

We have compiled a list of diets that are going to be way out of your price range. The horrible thing is that most customers tend to put the weight back on within a year of completing the diet program. Keep reading to learn about the ten most expensive diets only celebrities can afford!

RELATED: 10 Celebrities Who Swear By Yoga

Some popular celebrities like Mariah Carey and Queen Latifah have used this diet to shed some pounds, but it isn't cheap. When you sign up for the program, you can choose between 12-weeks, 12-months, or two-years and then you are assigned a personal consultant.

Dieters eat six times per day, plus a healthy snack they make themselves, and all of the meals are provided by the company. The costs come in when you consider the sign-up fee of $100, the $20 a month membership fee, and the cost of food which is around $150 per week. You could spend that money instead of paying off bills, buying an ATV, and so much more.

This diet has shown to help patients who suffer from heart disease, and it is technically a form of veganism. You want to avoid fats at all costs so things like meat, oil, sugar, beans, nuts, and avocados should not be eaten.

Dr. Dean Ornish, the man who created this diet plan, has his own program calledDr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Diseasethat costs$7,344 to enroll. It only lasts for 72 hours, and, after that time it is up, to you to keep up with this expensive diet.

The first step is to buy the book that lays out the rules of this diet plan, and then you can craft your meals based on its suggestions. It takes you through four different phases depending upon your weight loss as it rewards you for making progress.

People spend an average of $100 a week on their meals, but this number drastically increases if you buy more prepackaged items and make the more expensive meals in their book. It might be something moderately affordable at first, but celebrities usually take it to the next level.

Weight Watchers focuses on providing customers with a support system that they can use while crafting their diets. There have been several celebrities to use this diet plan like Tina Fey, Jenny McCarthy, and Oprah, and they paid quite a bit to use it. The plan itself costs around $50 per month with apersonal coach who you can call at any time.

They do have a food line, but everything in it is quite expensive when compared to other generic brands, and this is where the price drastically jumps. Many people spend an average of $700 per month on their food, and this price could change depending upon what you buy.

RELATED: 10 Celebrities Who Swear By Crossfit

Organic foods are those that are made without pesticides and have a higher concentration of antioxidants. The goal of this diet is to only eat these types of foods and cut out extra dairy and gluten products along the way.

It can grow quite expensive pretty quickly as people spend upwards of $300 a week on meals for themselves. This is a new diet fad in the industry that people have hopped on board with, as natural is always better, but it is not so great on your wallet.

This diet was created by a man named Dr. Sears and the goal is to combine a healthy diet, Omega-3 fish oil, and polyphenols found in plants together to help you lose weight. The diet itself portions your plate out in terms of protein, fat, and carbs.

The weekly cost of buying this food is around $100, and that doesn't include the Omega-3 fish oil pills you should be taking. Overall, the costs can add up pretty quickly, especially if you have a more expensive palate of tastes.

The goal of this diet is to stabilize your insulin levels and balance your metabolism, but it comes at a steep price. There are four phases in the program customized to your specific needs that focus on fresh produce, lean meats, and nuts. The program itself starts at $899, but there are more expensive plans you can pursue.

It does depend on where you live and your specific needs, but already it sounds expensive. This plan doesn't include food either, so you can plan to spend at least $100 per week onmeals to feed yourself.

RELATED: 10 Celebrities Who Spend Thousands Spoiling Their Pets

Veganism is a huge diet fad that celebrities like Ellen Pompeo, Zac Efron, and Natalie Portman are all self-proclaimed vegans. A vegan is someone who does not eat or use animal products, which means only naturally occurring foods are available, while eggs and dairy are off-limits.

It can be affordable when you buy the ingredients and make meals yourself, but it changes when you start purchasing premade meals. Some can spend less than $25 a week on food, while others say that they prefer the more expensive items that drive up the price.

Celebrities like Janet Jackson, Melissa Joan Hart, and Dan Marino have used this diet to lose some weight. They provide you withbreakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacksto eat each week from an extensive menu based on the meal plan you choose.

There are over 160 meals to choose from, but they do come at a cost. If you choose auto-delivery than your price is reduced to around $340 per month, but otherwise you are looking at prices of $560 or more.

The Clintons and Nicole Kidman are big fans of this Miami-based diet plan. The top-rated platinum plan costs about $13 per day, and it provides you with all of your meals, snacks, and shakes to help you stay in shape and lose weight.

There are two phases to the plan that help you slowly merge into following this specific diet. It might be a bit more expensive than your average meal, but that is why it is something only celebrities like to follow.

NEXT:10 Celebrities Who Rock Shoes You Can Buy At The Mall

Read the original here:
10 Most Expensive Diets Only Celebrities Can Afford | TheRichest - TheRichest.com

Each year after the holiday season comes to a close, diet culture looms as the new year approaches. Many resolutions involve dieting, and with it often comes anxiety and guilt over weight gain or eating habits.

But author and fat studies scholar Virgie Tovar is encouraging everyone to stop that cycle, which she says not only is personally damaging but also fuels fatphobia.

Fatphobia the fear of fatness is a form of bigotry that essentially says that fat people are inferior and that weight gain is a sign of moral inferiority, she says. Diet culture a culture that equates weight loss and thinness with being healthy exists because of this fear, she explains.

A lot of people don't realize that a lot of our food restriction and our fear of food really comes from the terror that we've been taught to have around weight gain, she says.

One fear is the way people are socialized to consider dieting as a form of self-improvement. How food and bodies are viewed can be connected to the messaging people digest each day that convinces many to distinguish between what kind of bodies are good and what kind of bodies are bad.

It can foster an environment where worrying over weight gain is normal and where body-shaming is rampant.

So go ahead and enjoy yourself this holiday season without putting pressure on yourself to conform to the norm, she says.

I think for everyone, we can all just opt out of talking about food and bodies, she says. Just call a moratorium on it. Just enjoy.

On ways in which diet culture inundates daily life

One of the things that really surprised me when I started working with women who are recovering from years and years and years of either disordered eating or chronic dieting, they consistently talked about one unexpected place where they experienced the most hostility and that was the workplace. Literally, it blew my mind. I was expecting family or dating. Women tend to work in environments with primarily other women. And so there's kind of this idea, you've probably heard this, that kind of food chatter that goes on at the office. Like, Oh, my goodness, these cookies are so bad. Oh my goodness, somebody brought a cake. This place is terrible. What are you doing? You're being so good at lunchtime [and] going on a walk. Or are you eating a salad?

On food chatter at work and how that may affect how we view our bodies

I think this includes people of all genders, we're kind of socialized to believe that this idle food chatter is innocuous and that it's actually kind of a fun way to connect with people. It turns out that it's extraordinarily triggering. I think when you really get into it, like the women who are essentially paying me to give them tools to deal with this, they're paying a tax for this. Like they're paying for this idle chatter.

On how diet culture thrives in a misogynistic culture

We've been taught to see dieting as a method of self-improvement and this isn't just women. It's exacerbated for women because women are taught to trade our bodies to get access to commodities [for] things that matter to us, like marriage, jobs, clothing. We know that dieting, weight cycling, whenever you want to call it, that it is not efficacious. It literally does not work, and it ultimately creates, over time, an upward trajectory in weight. We do know that it's highly correlated with depression, anxiety, increased likelihood of developing an eating disorder and a number of other things that I would argue are pretty objectively negative things. And we're being told that this is for our own good. I think of that as ... a political sedative because women are being told that a behavior that has been proven to be negative and deleterious is a positive thing for them, which is deeply confusing.

On whether she would have listened if someone told her years ago that it was okay to be fat

There's a part of me that thinks, yes, there's a part of me that thinks no. I mean, I remember being in the depths of my own self-hatred. And even in college, I remember seeing a performer, a fat performer, sharing this piece that she had written about being a fat person and loving her fat. And I was mortified. I felt like she was exposing this horrible secret that I thought I could hide.

"At the end of the day, the meaning of 'fat' and 'thin' are socially constructed."

On acknowledging and accepting being fat ones own fatness

People think that they're terrified of fat, but [what] they're actually terrified of is the experience that they have seen fat people have over and over and over again. They know the attitudes culturally that people have toward fat people and they're terrified of the bigotry itself. And they transpose that onto the fat.

So it's important to recognize there are cultures where fatness is totally lauded and considered very attractive and healthful and whatever, including our own culture in certain historical moments. At the end of the day, the meaning of 'fat' and 'thin' are socially constructed. They're time-bound. They're not sort of this time immemorial [where] everybody has loved this one kind of body type. That's not how it's worked. I think to really come to terms with being fat is to come to terms with the fact that you are going to stand unapologetically against every single gender norm in this culture. And that is a very, very daunting task.

On whether radical body positivity in pop culture is more than a phase

Yeah, I don't think it's a moment. I think about the CEO of this incredible plus-size company called 11 Honor, says, 'It's not a moment, it's a movement.' I think that we are seeing a major shift that we're not going to see the end of. I think this is fourth-wave feminism, TBH.

On restructuring how we think about health

The data point that doctors and lots of people are really, really attached to is this data point that says thin people live longer, better lives. We need to unpack this. You really cannot make this statement in a vacuum. What I do know and what we know about public health is that people have this idea that when it comes to your health and it comes to health outcomes, if we were looking at it as like a pie chart, that the biggest slice of the pie is our individual behaviors. That is just patently false. What we know is that the social determinants of health have a much larger impact on the outcomes we're going to have, how long we're going to live, how healthy we're gonna be. Many of them are things we can't control. They include things like childhood experiences of trauma. They include things like access to clean water, job opportunities, income. A lot of these things are things that are outside of the control of individuals. And we really need to understand health in that model.

On her tips for avoiding the cycle of diet culture and canceling fatphobia

I think for the people who are really, really terrified and I know there are many, many, many of you out there, for those of you who are terrified, I would really offer to have a little plan leading up to and perhaps even after the meal, like take care of yourself after. If you know that there is a likelihood that you're gonna get triggered or people are going to be food shaming or body shaming you, take a few minutes today to write out a plan that you're going to going to implement afterward. And that can include like just sitting down and breathing or journaling or doing something that takes care of yourself and recognizes that what happened was not okay. And I think for a lot of people, what happens is they get triggered into that really deep weight loss behavior, which is deeply harmful for most people. That plan is about not going to that place, just taking a minute, taking a breather. And if you have a little bit of extra time, figure out some boundaries you want to set going into the thing, like how you're going to exit conversations that are upsetting, what you might say to a person very quickly when you're not interested in having the conversation they might want to have that might be fatphobic or food shaming.

Cristina Kimproduced and edited this interview for broadcast withTodd Mundt.Serena McMahonadapted it for the web.

The rest is here:
Don't Let Diet Culture Stop You From Feasting This Thanksgiving - Here And Now

GM diet for weight loss: GM diet or the General Motors Diet works on the principle of reducing calorie intake for a week for achieving quick weight loss. It has been found that following this diet diligently can help you lose around 7 kgs in week's time. The pattern in which the diet is followed can help in burning of fat and stimulating weight loss. The diet is followed for a period of seven days with strict rules regarding food groups to be consumed on each day. Along with helping you for quick weight loss, the GM diet helps you get rid of toxins and impurities in the body, helps in improving your digestion and can improve your body's ability to burn fat.

Foods that you are supposed to eat as part of GM diet are low in calories. This can help in promoting weight loss by creating a calorie deficit. Some of the foods that you are supposed to eat even included negative calorie foods-foods that provide fewer calories than they take to digest. You need to keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking sufficient water and eating hydrating fruits and vegetables.

On an average, you are supposed to eat 8 to 12 glasses of water in a day. On each day, you can consume 2 to 2 bowls of soup made with cabbage, celery, tomatoes, onions and belly peppers.

Also read:1500-Calorie Diet Plan: Here's How It Can Help You Lose Weight Without Starving

First day of the diet involves eating only one fruit (except bananas) in each meal. Portion size is not specified. 1 Water melon, berry, pear, apple and orange can be consumed throughout the day during different meal times.

Day one of GM diet involves eating fruits apart from bananasPhoto Credit: iStock

Second day of the diet involves eating on vegetables in either raw or cooked form. Portion size, again, is not specified. Potatoes should be eaten during breakfast only. You can begin you day with a bowl of boiled potatoes, followed a bowl of baby carrots, 1 head of steamed broccoli, a bowl of cherry tomatoes, 1/3 of sliced cucumber. This is just an example of the variety of vegetables and the portion size in which you must eat them. You can tweak the vegetables and their portion size according your choice as well.

On the third day of this diet, followers are allowed to both fruits and vegetables, except bananas and potatoes. You can begin your day with 1 apple (breakfast) followed by 1 bowl of cherry tomatoes (snack), 1 bowl of spinach, cucumber and tomatoes (lunch), 1 orange (snack), 1 bowl of kale, strawberries and avocado (dinner), 1 bowl of mixed berries (snack).

Also read:Weight Loss: Satisfy Your Sugar Cravings Without Loading Up On Calories With These 3 Quick And Easy Hacks

Fourth day of GM diet allows you to eat milk and bananas only. You can eat around 6 large or 8 small-sized bananas. Drink 3 glasses of milk, preferably skimmed milk. Have a glass of milk along with 2 bananas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

You can eat bananas on fourth day of GM dietPhoto Credit: iStock

Fifth day of this diet allows followers to eat meat. You can have around 300 gm of chicken or fish. Along with meat, you can have around 6 whole tomatoes. Vegetarians can replace meat with cottage cheese. On this day, you need to increase water intake by 2 glasses at least, in order to flush out uric acid produced by meat consumption.

On day 6, you can have around 300 gm of meat and unlimited amount of vegetables, barring potatoes. Vegetarians can have brown rice or cottage cheese as a replacement of meat. Increase water intake by 2 glasses to flush out uric acid.

On the last day, you are supposed to have brown rice, fruits, vegetables and fruit juice. You can begin your day with a bowl of brown rice and some watermelon wedges. For lunch, you can have a bowl of brown rice along with broccoli and a cup of fruit juice. For dinner, you can have a bowl or brown rice and mixed vegetables.

You can eat brown rice on last day of GM dietPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Top 5 High Protein Vegetables That Should Be A Part Of Your Weight Loss Diet

The diet by and large promotes intake of fruits and vegetables, which is considered to be weight loss friendly. You need to make choices that are low in calories in order to create a calorie deficit for weight loss. The diet can offer weight loss benefits for those who want to shed extra kilos quickly. For sustainable weight loss, you can follow cyclical GM diet by keeping a gap of a week in between two cycles.

However, any diet that requires you to go on a calorie deficit may do more harm than good in the long run. A healthy weight to lose weight is consume a balanced diet, practice portion control and exercise regularly. This will prevent nutritional deficiencies and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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GM Diet For Quick Weight Loss: Lose Weight In 7 Days With This Diet- Here's How - NDTV News

Berkley residents and business owners can get an update on the study of the citys temporary road diet on Coolidge Highway.

The issue is on the agenda for the City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday.

Its been six months since Berkley changed road striping and reduced motor traffic from four to two lanes on Coolidge Highway between 12 Mile Road and 11 Mile Road.

The two-year pilot project included adding a center left-turn lane and bike lanes on both sides of Coolidge. Adding the turn lane was expected to increase safety and reduce rear-end car accidents.

City Manager Matt Baumgarten said city residents began weighing in on the project with emailed comments through the citys website at berkleymich.orgafter the road diet began in May.

The response to the road diet has been mixed, he said. The feedback weve gotten (ranges from) people who say it has had no effect to people who do not like it at all.

One of the chief complaints has been about motor traffic backups on Coolidge during peak commute times, much of it near Catalpa and Berkley High School.

A left-turn signal on Coolidge at Catalpa may help address that issue, Baumgarten said.

Weve also heard from people saying they are having a hard time making left turns from side streets at high-traffic times, he said.

Some people in Berkley want to change the location of the bike lanes. They are pushing to have the bike lanes on Coolidge next to the curb with the horizontal parking spaces to the left, to buffer cyclists from motor traffic.

Before the study began, traffic counts were done along Coolidge and some neighborhood side streets on average daily traffic, peak-hour numbers and motorists travel speeds.

Recently the city had the Traffic Improvement Association re-measure the same data, along with any accident numbers, as part of a continuing comparison.

Berkleys Downtown Development Authority last year did a traffic study through the Traffic Improvement Associations to measure the benefits of reconfiguring the number of lanes on Coolidge.

The DDA is covering the roughly $200,000 cost of the road diet study project, which also included two pedestrian crossings that were added two years ago then closed following an accident.

Berkleys DDA members saw a road diet as a way to transform Coolidge from a low-speed highway through the downtown into a local road more friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Andrew Gilbert, chair of the DDA board and owner of Berkley Eyewear on Coolidge, plans to attend Mondays council meeting.

Im aware we have some new data, but I havent seen it yet, he said. From my view as a business owner, the (road diet) seems to be very effective in controlling the speed of motor vehicles.

Slowing motor traffic and encouraging more foot traffic is often beneficial to downtown areas.

Ferndale made a similar move on Nine Mile Road near Woodward Avenue in its downtown nearly two decades ago.

At the time, many in Ferndale feared that reducing traffic lanes on Nine Mile Road would swamp side streets with traffic. However, the impact was not as great as expected and the road diet on Nine Mile played a large role in revitalizing Ferndales downtown and attracting commercial investment.

All the research we did on this showed (the road diet) would have a positive impact on business, Baumgarten said.

The two-year pilot road diet is also a way for city officials to determine whether it is acceptable to residents before making any permanent changes to the Coolidge roadway.

Officials will continue to monitor resident comments before making a final decision after the study period ends in May 2021.

If we get more email from people who dont like it than from those who do, were going to end it and re-stripe the road back to four lanes, Baumgarten said.

Continued here:
Berkley to give update on Coolidge road diet, reactions mixed - The Daily Tribune

Many diets out there claim to help you lose weight, feel great, or even cure cancer. We see them on TV shows (sometimes touted by medical doctors!), in magazine ads, in social media and beyond. Maybe you have friends who say they are going keto or nightshade-free. Theres a lot of information out there and, unfortunately, its not all backed by science.

Whether you are trying to prevent cancer, recover from it, or just stay healthy before you make changes to your diet, its important to understand whats behind the craze.

In our upcoming Hype Guide, PCF analyzes the good and the bad, the fad and the craze, behind all of the latest nutrition trends. Below is a sneak peak of whether the anti-angiogenic diet, popularized in a 2018 Newsweek story (among others) has any scientific weight behind it.

Diet name: Anti-angiogenic

What it is: Angiogenesis is the normal bodily process of developing blood vessels. Because tumors rely on the development of a blood supply for growth, cancer growth is dependent on this process. Therefore, this diet aims to prevent the growth of blood vessels that feed nutrients to cancer cells by targeting foods with anti-angiogenic properties.

Why it Seems to Work: Molecules found in specific fruits, vegetables and herbs have been shown to suppress angiogenesis. In an extreme form of the diet, by solely eating foods such as berries, cruciferous veggies, green tea, and garlic, people believe they can starve cancer cells by cutting off the blood supply that feeds them.

Reality: For the most part, the ability of anti-angiogenic foods to inhibit tumor growth has yet to be investigated in large, rigorous clinical trials in humans. Much of the research so far has been conducted in cell samples or animal models. This diet also may promote a very narrow view of healthy eating. While anti-angiogenic foods are components of a healthy, balanced diet, its important to include a broad range of high-fiber whole foods rather than cherry-picking (pun intended!) a few supposedly standout anti-angiogenic examples.

Stay tuned for more from our Hype Guide in 2020!

Make sure to discuss any dietary changes that you are considering with your doctor. There is no single diet that will prevent or cure cancer.

Diets: Hype, Hope, and Reality

Read more from the original source:
Diets: Hype, Hope, and Reality - Prostate Cancer Foundation

Rome, November 27, 2019 Promoting traditional healthy diets is important for advancing our efforts towards a food system that respects the environment, culture and well-being of people, which is a fundamental element of sustainable development.

That was the main message at an event today organized by the Government of Italy with support from FAO aimed at deepening understanding of the Mediterranean and other traditional diets from around the world and their nutritional benefits, as well as raising awareness on how they can help achieve progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Promoting and protecting healthy diets and making them available, accessible and affordable is critical for having a fulfilled and happy life, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said in his opening remarks.

He cited some good examples of traditional healthy diets that contain the wisdom of our ancestors and the cultural essence of generations. These include the Mediterranean diet which implies high intakes of diverse vegetables, fruits, legumes, herbs and olive oil, the New Nordic Diet, traditional Japanese Diet, and the South of Chinas Regional Cuisine. All of them can boast a number of benefits, for example, they can lower cholesterol, prevent heart diseases and diabetes, Qu added.

However, the FAO Director-General warned that despite the numerous benefits of these diets they are often neglected due to a combination of factors such as population growth, globalization, urbanization, economic pressures and the fast pace of life which are driving change in our diets and consumption patterns.

Qu called on all the stakeholders to join our efforts in ensuring that traditional diets regain their importance and well-deserved position in the peoples mind, and encouraged particularly the young generation to re-discover enjoyment of cooking healthy meals at home as opposed to opting for fast-food meals.

The event, which took place at FAO headquarters, in Rome, also saw the participation of Italys Secretary-General, Ministry of Health, Giuseppe Ruocco, and Deputy Secretary-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Michele Baiano, as well as nutritionists and other diet-related experts from around the world, UN agencies and academia.

Need to transform food systems to ensure healthy diets

Malnutrition in all its forms is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st Century. While the causes of the current state of malnutrition around the world are complex, unhealthy diets remain one of the major contributors to malnutrition as recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Noting that traditional and indigenous healthy diets play an important role in eliminating hunger and malnutrition, Qu highlighted the need to transform our food systems to become more nutritious and inclusive, to produce food that not only feeds the people but also nourishes them.

He reassured that FAO will continue to support its member countries to develop Food-based Dietary Guidelines, so governments can advise their citizens on healthy eating that is suitable to their local context.

Qu also referred to the recently released Guiding Principles on Sustainable Healthy Diets developed jointly by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) to support countries in their efforts of promoting healthy diets.

Transforming our food systems is essential in ensuring healthy eating patterns, he said, stressing the need to make sustainable healthy diets affordable to all, especially to the most vulnerable.

Celebrating Mediterranean Diet

The Year 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the declaration of the Mediterranean Diet as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, and FAO and Italy are organizing a series of seminars focusing on different aspects of the Mediterranean Diet in preparation for this celebration next year.

Todays event Being and well-being: Traditional healthy diets from the Mediterranean and beyond the second of a series of Mediterranean diet-related events focuses on the nutritional aspects of the Mediterranean diet and other traditional diets from around the world.

This initiative will continue throughout the 2020 with further events designed to explore the different aspects of the Mediterranean and other traditional healthy diets, such as environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, women empowerment, urban-rural relation, as well as the management of food loss and waste.

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Putting Mediterranean and other traditional diets back on the consumer's plate - YubaNet

Its Thanksgiving time. A lot of Americans are thinking about food. But a lot of them are also thinking about a diet a diet that is much more than a diet. Its a lifestyle. Its a culture. Its keto. Ketosis is this Holy Grail fat-burning state that people on the ketogenic diet quest after, explains Vox senior health reporter Julia Belluz.

The ultra-high fat, low-carb diet has you eating things like eggs, bacon, avocados, steak, and vegetables and staying away from items like fruits, bread, pasta, pizza, and birthday cake, Julia says on this episode of Today, Explained. People on the keto diet get about 5 percent of their calories from carbs, 15 percent from protein, and around 80 percent from fats.

Some scientists say the keto trend sweeping the nation could help fight epilepsy and cancer, too. Listen to the full episode of Today, Explained Voxs daily explainer podcast to hear Julia separate fat from fiction. Heres a lightly edited transcript of her conversation with host Sean Rameswaram.

Subscribe to Today, Explained wherever you get your podcasts, including: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and ART19.

Where did this come from? Was this like the Atkins diet where theres some dude who just said, Heres an idea? Is there a Mr. Keto?

Theres no one figurehead. And it is sort of a repackaging of the Atkins diet. Its sort of like this streamlined Marie Kondo version of Atkins. ... Where he had this multi-phase plan and you eventually reincorporated carbs, with keto you just cut all that out and you stay that way and you live that way.

I sometimes see promotions for this diet on social media. Is keto big on the Gram? Is it big with the influencers?

Yeah, I think its this combination of things, so some communities that are quite influential in the diet and exercise space embraced it, like Cross Fitters. There are celebrities in Hollywood like Halle Berry, Kourtney Kardashian. Silicon Valley has glommed on to it, people like Tim Ferriss. Theres an ex-Jersey Shore character who has this massive Twitter following and Instagram following. Hes called Vinny Guadagnino: The Keto Guido.

[Keto] taps into the market of men who have often been forgotten in this diet space. So when you think about Weight Watchers, right? Its something that middle age-ish suburban moms are doing. I dont know if this is all sexist. But then with keto its sort of, its meat heavy. Its something you can do by yourself. You can quantify whether youre on the diet so it has this interesting self-quantification aspect.

Its data driven. You can buy breathalyzers, pee strips that you pee on and they tell you, wow, basically, yeah, whether youre in ketosis or not. And theres blood tests as well.

How does it work? What are you measuring with these urine and blood tests?

Youre just measuring the ketone levels in your body. When were eating the typical high-carb diet, our bodies are fueled primarily by glucose or blood sugar. So when we eat a bagel or a peach at lunch, the glucose levels in our blood rise and the pancreas secretes insulin to turn glucose into a usable energy source, so its able to move the glucose from the blood into our cells.

But our body didnt evolve to actually keep glucose on storage so we just get it basically after we eat. Theres no long-lasting glucose stores around our body. So, if we stop eating carbs, our body has this amazing ability to adapt to whatever else were putting in there and turn that into a usable energy source.

Its kind of like you think about our bodies like flex-fuel vehicles. They can sort of adapt to whatever were putting in them.

Like a hybrid car.

Exactly. One of those adaptations is this process called ketogenesis. And when were in ketogenesis, the liver starts to break fat down both from the food were eating and from the fat thats stored in our body into this usable energy source called ketone bodies, or ketones for short. And basically ketones can stand in as glucose for fuel when were not eating carbs.

Just to break it down again: On the high-carb diet you eat carbs like pasta or bread, your glucose levels rise, the pancreas secretes insulin and then the insulin moves the glucose into our cells to power our body. On the keto diet, a person eats fats like steak and eggs. The glucose and insulin levels in the body fall. The liver converts the fat into ketones and then the ketones fuel the cells and tissues of the body. Youre making the body find a way to use fat as a source of fuel.

Is there another way to get the body into ketogenesis?

Starvation. When you fast think about it again, our bodies dont have glucose stored up anywhere. When youre not eating, it has to turn to fat stores to start to get energy to keep going. Thats part of the reason people can survive for as long as 73 days without food, because we start to just use the fat stores in our body and we can keep going.

If the body thinks this is kind of like itself starving or its similar to that, does this actually work for obesity? I dont believe Vinnies photos where hes all of a sudden got like a beautifully-carved six-pack out there on the streets. But does this help reduce obesity? Could this be, like, a potential cure to Americas obesity epidemic, which I hear is pretty bad, right?

The obesity epidemic is serious and Vinnies abs are probably attributed to more than the keto diet. Hes probably been to CrossFit. And the data we have so far suggest keto performs a lot like basically every other diet. There are some people who see tremendous success. There are some people who just absolutely miserably fail and maybe even gain weight on the diet. On average, most people will lose a few pounds but have a tough time sticking to it in the long run.

But keto does have this real potential as a treatment for a few diseases. And thats the really serious and fascinating scientific exploration thats happening right now.

Listen to the full episode of Today, Explained to learn more about the science behind the keto diet.

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The keto diet: what to know about the extreme diet phenomenon - Vox.com

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