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MDOT hopes ‘road diet’ will improve M-139 safety | WSBT – WSBT-TV
by Cassidy Williams, WSBT 22 Reporter
M-139 near Berrien Springs // WSBT 22 photo
Changes are likely coming to a road in Berrien Springs with a history of crashes.
Plans are in the works for M-139 around the US 31 interchange to be reduced from five lanes to three.
MDOT is calling it a road diet. They hope that slimming down that stretch of M-139 will make the area safer.
Driving involves decisions: When to merge, when to turn, when to slow down. Drivers along that stretch of M-139 will soon involve fewer decisions.
"If you're making a left-hand turn from -- we'll say a ramp off of US 31 to M-139 -- currently you have to cross three lanes of traffic: Two through-lanes and one turn lane to merge into traffic to make a left hand turn, says Nick Shirripa, MDOT spokesperson. By eliminating one lane in each direction, we're making that turn shorter. You have to look for fewer gaps instead of looking for two gaps."
MDOT says this stretch of road has a crash history and something needed to be changed. Those who live nearby agree.
It's always interesting because you have multiple lanes pulling in and people speed -- never within the speed limit," says Beth Perrone, who lives in Berrien Springs.
Some community members say they've been asking for a traffic light, but MDOT says reducing the lanes is the best option.
MDOT will be holding a public meeting Monday to get more input.
"This is a chance for folks to tell us what they think, says Schirripa. If they have some feedback. If they have some different ideas they'd like to see implemented. Maybe if we've missed something in a local context, to let us know."
And those who drive the road every day are hoping this "road diet" is a healthy diet.
"Will it be safer or will it not? It will be interesting," says Perrone.
MDOT says construction on the project could begin by the end of the summer. Mondays public meeting is at the Oronoko Township Hall from 4-6 p.m.
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MDOT hopes 'road diet' will improve M-139 safety | WSBT - WSBT-TV
This Couple Lost 600 Pounds Together By Following One Specific Diet – Delish.com
Transformative weight-loss stories can start to sound the same after a while. Someone got motivated, they started dieting, and then they hit the gym hard. But every now and then there's a super inspiring journey that grabs your attention and really gives you pause. That's exactly the backstory for Ronnie and Andrea Brower, the powerhouse couple who lost a combined 578 pounds.
After getting married on May 13, the couple has made headlines for their tale of love and health. They met shortly after Ronnie started documenting his weight loss journey on a public Facebook page called 600 lbs to Success (which has since garnered more than 19,700 likes). Inspired by his mission, Andrea reached out about her own goals. The pair immediately hit it off and have since worked together to stay on track.
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"We just kind of helped each other through the journey," Andrea told People.com. "Towards the end, we were really each other's support system, along with our trainers Nick and Jill."
At his heaviest, Ronnie weighed 675 pounds. For Andrea, that was 250 pounds. Today, they have both reached their fitness goals (Andrea has lost 120 pounds and Ronnie a cool 458) but continue to workout side-by-side at the gym.
So what exactly did they do? Both followed a strict ketogenic diet, which consists of the following restrictions: low-carb, high-fat, moderate protein, and vegetable-centric.
When he first started working out, Ronnie would simply lift his arms while sitting, then he'd get up out of a chair and sit back down repeatedly. From there he started going to the gym and worked out for three hours per day. As a result, he lost 100 pounds in the first 100 days.
Both Ronnie and Andrea enlisted the help of personal trainers to help push them through workouts, remain on a schedule, and tailor exercises to meet their goals. But the couple also made it a priority to hold each other accountable and still do. Instead of relying solely on their trainers, they encouraged one another every day.
Healthy eating and gym time remain major priorities for the duo. "I need to work out to keep healthy for me, her, and our marriage," Ronnie told Today.com. And Andrea agreed. Even if that means late nights on the treadmill, or dragging their partner to the weight room when they've had a bad day.
However, Ronnie stresses, there is no quick fix or simple solution. "People come to me all the time, asking for weight-loss advice," he told the New York Post. "I just tell them there's hope out there. If you want it bad enough and put your mind to it, anybody can do it."
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This Couple Lost 600 Pounds Together By Following One Specific Diet - Delish.com
I Followed Khlo Kardashian’s Diet for a Week and This Is What Happened – The Daily Meal
Have you ever wanted to have a body like a Kardashian sister? Whether or not youd actually admit it, you probably have. They have curves for days! And if youve ever wondered how they got that way, theyll tell you its through diet and exercise (though most suspect that plastic surgery plays a significant role).
So, when Khlo Kardashians nutritionist Dr. Philip Goglia detailed her diet in an interview with Healthista earlier this month, I decided to give it a whirl and see just how these ladies live. Honestly, reading through it, it didnt seem that insane.
After losing 40 pounds last year and then sort of falling off the weight-loss wagon, I figured eating like Khlo could be a decent way to jumpstart my healthy eating habits once again. I mean, what could go wrong?! Sure, eating a cup of celery and 12 almonds for a meal is downright sad, but when you think of it as a snack, its fine or so I thought.
Before my diet even officially started, I ran into some speed bumps. It probably goes without saying, but eating like a Kardashian is insanely expensive. I followed Khlos diet plan and stocked up on fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, and almonds. It cost me about $90 for five days worth of groceries, and I didnt even shop organic. Normally, I try to do my grocery shopping on a tight budget, like $50 a week for me and my husband. It may surprise you, but an online journalist doesnt make nearly as much as a socialite/Instagram advertiser/occasional TV host. (Seriously, what does Khlos business card say?)
Also, Khlo has a chef who will prep her meals for her, but once again, I dont have her money, so it was up to me to cook. Working full-time and coming home to cook is a goal I always have, but like many New Yorkers, its one I rarely achieve.
Day 1:
Meal 1: Ive never been a breakfast person. Even as a kid, getting me to eat a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch was a daily struggle for my dad. And Cinnamon Toast Crunch is delicious! So Im not looking forward to having to get up early and make myself something for breakfast especially something in which one of the main ingredients is ice. But I persist and make my smoothie. Because Ive already totally busted my grocery budget and because I hate the taste and texture, I forgo the protein powder so I have a shake of strawberries, almond butter, and ice. My husband thinks the sound of the blender in the morning is reminiscent of farts, and the taste of this shake is only slightly better than that.
Meal 2: An apple isnt typically thought of as an entre. But, for Khlo, it is a complete meal. My pomme of choice is a Golden Delicious. Granted, it is fairly delicious. But Im hungry. Eating in the morning is supposed to help fuel your day, but this just makes me ravenous.
Meal 2.5: You know what Khlo doesnt necessarily drink? Coffee. That is a big no-no in my book. I work an office job, and even the idea of forgoing coffee is exhausting. I do some journalistic research (i.e., Google it), and find that, in a former diet plan, Khlo did indulge in a cup of black coffee every morning. I think this means I didnt even make it five hours on the #KhloeDiet, but Im allowing myself this small indulgence.
I never said I was a role model.
Meal 3: I heard that Khlo will eat a Chinese chicken salad for lunch, and lucky for me, thats one of my favorite lunches too! I find a low-calorie ginger sesame salad dressing at the store and pour it on top of my salad. It tastes surprisingly good! The texture of raw spinach always makes my teeth feel weird, but its a small price to pay for a #revengebody.
Meal 4: Now I face the true test: the infamous cup of celery and 12 almonds. Its so depressing, and I am so excited to eat it because it is awful. The celery is fine, but it tastes weirdly bitter in a way that makes me think I dont know how to properly wash my vegetables. The almonds, on the other hand, are the first things that have made me feel mildly satiated all day.
Meal 5: More fresh vegetables. Since I was chopping up a bell pepper for my salad the night before, I cut some extra slices for my fifth meal. I am not going to stomach raw tomatoes. Raw tomatoes are gross, and bell peppers have tons of vitamins, too, so it balances out (in my mind). Im also a little sad because I forgot to shock my hard-boiled eggs when I made them, so theyre a little gray. I swear I know how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs. Im only human, though, and I messed up.
Meal 6: I arrive home from work tired and hungry. Normally, I would order some takeout pizza on a long Monday like this one, but I channel the strength of Khlo after her divorce from Lamar and cook a meal. Despite the blistering NYC heat, I bake a salmon steak in the oven and saut asparagus. I deviate a bit from Kardashians dairy-free lifestyle and use some butter in my dinner. (Im counting only about 900 calories for the day, which is dangerously low. I have to pad it with some lovely fats, so I go with a classic.) I pair it with another Asian salad.
Meal 7: Dinner keeps me full for like 45 minutes, but then I am famished again. Its 9 p.m. and I cut up a mango as my final meal. Its the fruit of my choice! It tastes alright, but doesnt do nearly enough to cut my hunger. Im tired, and its easiest to just go to bed at this point.
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I Followed Khlo Kardashian's Diet for a Week and This Is What Happened - The Daily Meal
Clique Media’s Hillary Kerr Feasts on Red Sauce in LA – Grub Street
At Jon & Vinnys in Los Angeles. Photo: Bradley Meinz
As the co-founder of Clique Media Group the parent company behind WhoWhat Wear, Byrdie, MyDomaine, Obsessee, and College Fashionista Hillary Kerr has been on a mission to democratize and modernize the fashion industry since starting her company in 2006. (She just launched a mobile shopping app and a clubhouse for College Fashionistas members.) Kerr, who lives in West Hollywood, has a very Los Angeles diet, filled with kale salads and vegan chocolate mousse, but she mixes it up with vodka-sauce pizza and Russ & Daughters spreads (shipped in from New York, natch). Read all about it in this weeks Grub Street Diet.
Thursday, June 15 Im in Ojai at the Ojai Valley Inn for the last day of our annual executive retreat, which means my last day of quasi-decent resort food. I get up at 7 a.m. and head to the gym for 30 minutes. Before our day of meetings starts, I grab a turkey sausage, egg, and cheese on an English muffin, a small cup of blueberries, and a black, unsweetened iced tea at the hotel coffee shop.
We break at 12:30 p.m. for lunch, which is an assortment of salads, sandwiches, and a huge basket of fries. Naturally, I only want the fries, but Im an adult, so I load up my plate with an arugula salad; a mini caprese salad with cherry tomatoes and cherry bocconcini; half a bacon, turkey, and lettuce sandwich; and some fries. I dont love the turkey, so I take it out, add in the cherry tomatoes, and have a semi-BLT. Theres some sort of brownie situation for dessert that I try a bite of, but its not great, and I know Im going to feast tonight, so I leave it alone.
After a couple of brutal hours in traffic, I get home from Ojai and get ready for an earlyish dinner at one of my favorite places in Los Angeles: Jon & Vinnys. Its right by our house, and its definitely my go-to spot for work breakfasts and indulgent dinners. Tonight, Im particularly excited because my husband, Jonathan, and I are having dinner with one of my oldest, dearest friends from college and his new fiance. Theyve never been before.
Jon & Vinnys is truly special; the chef, Courtney Storer, is a wonderful human who makes the most insanely delicious pastas, pizzas, salads, and desserts, and the wine list is just gem after gem. I also love Helens, the tiny jewel box of a wine store in the back of Jon & Vinnys, which is my favorite place to buy bottles. We end up getting a chilled bottle of Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino.
Aside from the wine, we order a feast: a gem-lettuce salad with Calabrian-chili dressing and bread crumbs; mozzarella sticks (the best Ive had since I was a kid); the El Chaparrito pizza with homemade chorizo; the Ham & Yeezy pizza with ham, vodka sauce, smoked mozzarella, and pickled fresno chilis; ranch dip for the crusts; the brilliant spicy fusilli; the cacio e pepe bucatini; meatballs with ricotta and garlic bread; and the chicken cutlet with a chicory side salad. Oh, and a chocolate-vanilla soft-serve twist. We make it through almost everything, but I send both pizza halves home with my friends. Cold pizza is my favorite breakfast, but it seems like the generous move, since its their first time.
My husband and I pass out almost immediately upon returning home, and sleep the good sleep of a thousand carbs.
Friday, June 16 My alarm goes off a little before 7 a.m., and I rush around trying to get ready before an 8 a.m. doctors appointment. I dont have time for a proper breakfast, but my husband makes me a to-go cup of tea and I eat a handful of raw almonds in the car on my way.
Im meeting a dear friend who works for Valentino for lunch, and we end up at one of our comfort spots: Du-pars in the Farmers Market on Third and Fairfax. Its an old-school diner thats been there since 1938, and we always get the same thing: a short stack of pancakes (possibly my favorite in L.A.) and a patty melt, both of which we share. Its a working lunch, and the bad thing is, we have so much to discuss; we end up leaving half the pancakes on the table, which makes me feel weirdly guilty. Im also drinking a ton of water, as per usual.
Ive decided to cook tonight, since Ive been on the road all week and am heading to New York in a couple of days, so I start searching for something thats heavy on greens and light on delicious carbs.
I crack open Melissa Clarks new cookbook, Dinner, and pick something almost at random before heading to the grocery store. Shes such an amazing recipe writer, and her recipes work practically perfectly for us 95 percent of the time. (I allow that the 5 percent error might be in my execution, rather than her skills.) Since my husband tends to work late on Fridays, I pick something that I will enjoy knocking out on my own: speedy roasted chicken with garlic, rosemary, and mustard. Im also making a big dinosaur-kale salad to go with it, also one of Clarks recipes and probably the thing I make the most. Because Im not a monster, and also have no willpower, I pick up a pretzel-bread baguette at the store, and use part of it to make croutons for the salad. Best of all: Jonathan gets home early enough to cook with me, which just makes everything better, as hes great at it. This dinner, plus the finale of House of Cards, is exactly what we need after a long week.
Saturday, June 17 Alarm goes off at 8 a.m. because I have a workout class that morning. I have the usual: a small handful of almonds and a cup of breakfast tea. I take a liter of water to class with me, and its gone by the time I get home. Im lightly starving at this point, but I must get ready for my business partners baby shower, so I dont have much time. I throw half of a container of Fage Greek yogurt into a bowl and wash a big handful of blueberries, which also go into the bowl, along with some leftover toasted coconut flakes. Ive never liked the flavor of coconut, but when its toasted, I am quite into it.
After getting ready and finishing wrapping presents, I head to Katherines baby shower, ready for lunch. Im in luck! The shower has made-to-order street tacos, so I get a chicken and a steak taco with onions, cilantro, and radishes, along with some grilled veggies and a little rice and beans. Its hot as hell, and Im driving, so I opt for fizzy water over the fruit-and-tequila drink. There are all kinds of gluten-free desserts, and I end up eating an oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookie (which is a little healthy-adjacent for my taste; if youre a cookie, be a cookie, you know?) and some strawberries, blackberries, and pineapple (perfect). Its the ideal baby shower: no games, no balloons, no presents, just good people and good food. I approve. I spend the rest of the afternoon being lazy (translation: reading magazines on the couch) and purging my closet, as you do. Lots more water along the way, as you do.
We have dinner plans with two of Jonathans friends. They are a Taurus-Virgo couple, just like us, but the real reason we get along is that they are just exceptional humans. They are the easiest semi-vegans in the world, and have taken us to some amazing places that youd never know are vegan, which is apparently the highest compliment. Normally, that phrase makes me roll my eyes, but in this case, its true. The destination tonight is Elf in Echo Park for veggie-forward food with a slight Moroccan vibe.
We start with their special watermelon, mint, and Feta salad, and then eat market greens with grilled halloumi, with oranges and cumin almonds. We have salt-cured potatoes that come with a mojo-verde sauce, which is kind of like the perfect mash-up of pesto and chimichurri. We order roasted oyster mushrooms with eggplant pure; fresh pasta carbonara; risotto with grilled pimento and smoked vegetables; and a khachapuri with muhammara and fresh greens, which is some sort of pastry-tart situation with marinated Feta, smoked mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, and red peppers. Its a lot, and truthfully, theres probably more Im missing. We end with a vegan chocolate mousse thats deliriously good, though Im admittedly a sucker for anything chocolate.
Jonathan and I had secret plans to visit one of our favorite taco trucks Taco Zone for late-night mulitas (theyre like small quesadilla sandwiches, if you havent had one), but were so stuffed, we cant muster the strength. We are sad, but resigned.
Sunday, June 18 Sunday is normally our farmers market day, but I wake up dreaming about the tortillas from Burritos La Palmas, which are Jonathan Golds favorite flour tortillas in L.A., if one Pulitzer Prizewinning mans opinion matters to you. While Burritos La Palmas is an hours drive from our place, sometimes the tortillas are sold downtown at Grand Central Market, at the Chiles Secos stand. This seems like a more reasonable food journey, so after my husband makes us coffee, we set off, day-dreaming of tortilla (or at least I am).
Disaster strikes: The women manning the stand tells me that theyre not selling tortillas right now. Fortunately, I am consoled by pupusas at Saritas Pupuseria. Id never had a pupusa until I started dating my husband, and now Im moderately obsessed with them. He orders us a handmade bean, cheese, and pork pupusa, with extra pickled cabbage and hot sauce on top. It is heaven, and makes up for the lack of tortillas.
On our way out, we stop by Clark Street Beard, which makes my favorite bread in the city. One of Jonathans colleagues is having a pool party, and I decide to bring one of the beautiful seeded loaves as a hostess gift (along with a bottle of Champagne, because manners). I also end up buying a pain au chocolat, a loaf of Danish rye, and a baguette for no real reason other than gluttony and desire, both of which I have in spades. Before heading to the party, I eat some more blueberries and share the pain au chocolat with Jonathan, and by that, I mean he gets two bites.
At the pool party, there is a full-on spread from Russ & Daughters: tons of bagels, lox for days, and like nine kinds of cream cheese. Jenni, our hostess with the mostess, loves food the way we do, and has a huge pitcher of Bloody Marias waiting on the kitchen counter, along with a big bowl of cold ros and white wine. Theres also a box of apple fritters and old-fashioned cake doughnuts from Bobs Coffee & Doughnuts from the farmers market, not that I notice.
After a couple of hours, we head home for a productive afternoon. Well, productive for Jonathan, who is working on the theme music for my upcoming podcast for MyDomaine.com, which is called Second Life. I spend the afternoon on the couch, catching up on magazines and a Veep binge. As for dinner, Ive been dying to try Fat Dragon, which is a new Chinese place in Silver Lake. I end up eating a boatload of their Persian-cucumber salad, which is spicy and fresh and fabulous, some honey-walnut shrimp, and noodles with mixed veggies and chicken. Its delicious; well definitely eat here again.
Monday, June 19 Back to regularly scheduled programming! I like routine, so as per usual, I get up at 7 a.m., eat a few almonds, grab a bottle of water, hop into my car, and head out for a tiny-trampoline workout class. Yes, I am an adult woman who bounces on a personal trampoline for fitness, and I love it. Dont knock it till you try it.
I race home, hop in the shower, and make breakfast a piece of that amazing Danish rye bread from Clark Street Bread, toasted with Rodolphe Le Meuniers beurre de baratte. I buy it at Cape Seafood and Provisions, which is Michael Cimarustis incredible shop, and its worth every penny. Its the same butter they use at Providence and Petit Trois, and its like the Alec Baldwin of butter it just makes everything significantly better. I also eat the final handful of farmers market blueberries before they go soft.
I spend the morning in meetings, on calls, and doing interviews, and then run out for a quick lunch with Courtney Wartman, who is our VP of business development. We decide to pop out and have our meeting over lunch at Cecconis. We get crudits with avocado-and-chickpea dip to start, and then I have the Tuscan-kale salad with almonds, apple, parmigiana, and chicken. Nine times out of ten, youll find me eating a kale salad for lunch during the week, mostly because I dont want to think about it.
The afternoon is spent in more meetings, and working on the upcoming podcast, and then I cut out a little early to go home and pack for my trip to New York tomorrow. On my way home, I pick up chicken thighs, lemons, and preserved lemons because I want to make a recipe that Jenni the pool-party hostess recommended strongly. Its a recipe from Food52 by way of Canal House, and its dead simple, but takes a little time, so I want to get them on the stove before I start packing. Im also making another kale salad, and use the baguette to make garlic croutons; I can make it with my eyes closed at this point. The chicken thighs are incredible and my favorite kind of cooking: low fuss, high impact.
Tuesday, June 20 Im flying to New York, which means a 4 a.m. alarm for a 6 a.m. flight. Not my favorite time of day, but what can you do? Skipping my normal breakfast, I eat a fruit plate on the plane, some Greek yogurt, and drink yet another breakfast tea. Since Im doing some on-camera work tomorrow morning, I drink two liters of water on the plane.
By the time I land in New York and get to the Bowery Hotel, Im ready for dinner, and I consider my options. I have another 5 a.m. call time tomorrow, and a bunch of writing to get through before bed, so I decide to stay in, which is a wise but painful choice. My favorite delivery order is a salad, deviled eggs, mini-waffles, and a piece of fried chicken from Root & Bone, which is around the corner from the hotel, or scallion pancakes and dumplings from Mimi Chengs, but the salt factor makes me slightly nervous. Cant be puffy for the cameras, so I end up ordering the chicken paillard with an arugula-and-cherry-tomato salad from room service.
The room service at the Bowery is one of the reasons I stay here; its delicious, fast, and they charge you normal restaurant prices, not crazy room-service prices. Since I have been good tonight, I plan to Postmates scrambled-egg gougres, an everything croissant, and a couple of crullers from Daily Provisions tomorrow. Dont worry, thats not all for me; the crullers are for my husband. Yes, Im planning on taking pastries on the plane back to L.A. tomorrow afternoon. Thats normal, right?
The chain initially didnt even offer to comp her beer.
The claims include that the products are mislabeled and include pathogens.
The chef and restaurateur is running the show at the Lower East Sides Public Hotel.
Its our weekly ranking of the citys most important restaurants.
A new editor will take over as the food glossy moves its headquarters out of New York.
The USDA discovered ketamine in the poultry of Americas third-largest producer.
The brilliant spicy fusilli, the cacio e pepe bucatini, meatballs with ricotta and garlic bread.
The judge told him that shes never heard anything like the conduct that brings us here today.
The stainless-steel Blanda Blank might come with a bonus feature.
Just in time for summer.
The accident that killed a French fitness model has happened before.
The tech giant has the chance to help the grocery chain get back to its original mission, while still keeping an eye on the future.
A company has developed a low-morphine version.
In the City Point development.
The highest and best use of carrots is roasting, not with seven other things, but alone, whole with a lot of butter.
Well still be very much a part of Casamigos. Starting with a shot tonight. Maybe two.
Duane Sorenson will open Puff Coffee in Portland this November.
Outdoor patios, great rooms for escaping the humidity, and dives where you can be left alone.
It disappointed investors with this development in an SEC filing.
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Clique Media's Hillary Kerr Feasts on Red Sauce in LA - Grub Street
10 food swaps to add taste and nutrients to your diet – Today.com
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Bacon. Its a meal, condiment, side dish, dessert and a topic of conversation. I am confident in saying there is no substitution for it.
This is an isolated scenario, however, as many other food swaps and substitutions exist that can help boost health, prevent disease, and what we all want to read help you lose weight. Here are ten of the easiest food swaps you can make.
Riced vegetables are trending right now and for a few good reasons. They not only provide a way to get more vegetables in our diets, but a creative way to reduce carbohydrates. Choosing riced cauliflower instead of rice in your bowls and burritos saves you calories (almost 200) and carbs, and increases the nutrient density of your meal. Think cauliflower rice is too plain? Try a fried rice version by sauteing the rice with green onions, a scrambled egg, soy sauce and some olive oil.
Watermelon gets a bad rap sometimes due to its high sugar content. Many of my patients comment they dont like the high glycemic index (the extent to which blood sugar rises with a particular food) of watermelon and so choose to avoid it. As it turns out, watermelon has a low glycemic load (less impact on blood sugar than bananas). It also has sky high water content, so having it as a snack is not the blood sugar and insulin disaster you might think.
A boost in whole-food ingredients (such as whole beans) and fiber make bean-based chips a game changer from the old standbys of potato chips and pretzels. For example, a popular black bean chip boasts 5 grams of protein, only 85 mg of sodium and only 10 digestible carbohydrates (carbohydrates minus fiber). Choose plain and baked versions. Try pairing with hummus or guacamole.
I often teach my patients there are no healthy sugars. However, many of them think agave is a healthy option. Theres not a lot of evidence to support this concept. Agave is a big carrier of fructose, a sugar that may be linked in some ways to an increase in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Honey has a little less fructose. Its also a more natural source (made by bees). While both sugar sources contribute calories and could lead to weight gain and increases in disease risk, honey may be a better choice when youre craving something sweet.
Beans rule yet again. Bean-based options have taken over the pasta aisles. Theyre creating competition for other healthy options like 100 percent whole-wheat versions. However, the numbers significantly favor the bean options. In addition to being gluten-free, bean-based pastas, on average, contain about 20 grams more protein and 8 or more grams of fiber.
As an added bonus, they might fill you up quicker than the traditional whole-wheat options and are a great source of plant-based protein. Look for versions that have the least amount of ingredients.
The benefits of swapping ground poultry over beef equate to less saturated fat. Thats important if you want to maintain your waistline. A 2017 study found too many saturated fats in the diet could lead to more fat gain in the middle. Choose breast meat to eat the least amount of saturated fat. Add soaked chia seeds (which swell in liquid and cause added moisture) to avoid dryness.
Full disclosure: Its much easier to go to the store and buy cheese than it is to make cashew cheese, but should that matter? Sometimes an extra step may make all the difference. In this case, the difference is extremely significant. I make cashew cheese all the time. This option is especially beneficial for individuals looking to either cut or eliminate dairy without having to rely on more processed alternative cheese options.
Salads are a wonderful way to consume low-calorie nutrients. There are numerous ways to ruin a salad, though. Adding refined grains, like croutons, is one of them.
Instead, opt for roasted chick peas that you can either make or buy. The addition will help add fiber, which increases your satiety, as well as some healthy fats to help metabolize all the glorious fat soluble vitamins youll be consuming in your colorful bowl. Just dont blow it by adding on a sugar-laden, fat-free dressing.
In the world of food allergens, there are specific foods that are more prevalent than others. Many of my patients avoid soy, gluten, dairy nuts, eggs or corn. For these individuals, it can be difficult to find wraps or breads to meet their needs. Plantain wraps may be the next best thing to make at home, or may even be available at your local store. They will also help add in another vegetable into your day!
Sweet potatoes are flowing with antioxidants. Vitamin A and C, potassium and fiber are staples of this orange delight, and swapping this veggie for bread can go a long way towards reducing grains in your diet and helping you lose weight. Cut a raw sweet potato in thin slices (keep that delicious and fiber-rich skin on), toast until brown and then top as you would toast (think avocado, banana and nut butter, eggs, fruit).
Making some simple swaps can make all the difference in helping you to stay full, satisfied, and happy, without sacrificing taste. Sorry about the bacon.
Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, R.D., is the manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, and the author of "Skinny Liver." Follow her on Twitter @KristinKirkpat. For more diet and fitness advice, sign up for our One Small Thing newsletter.
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10 food swaps to add taste and nutrients to your diet - Today.com
Heart healthy diet as effective as statins, American Heart Association says – Baltimore Sun
Replacing foods high in saturated fats with those that have unsaturated fats can reduce a person's chance of developing heart disease as much as cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins, according to new advice from the American Heart Association.
This would mean, for instance, swapping that steak for a healthier avocado, using canola oil instead of butter, and not eating carb-filled junk food.
The new guidance from the heart association is not a leap from past direction, but the group sought a fresh look at the evidence in light of some newer, less scientific studies and dietary fads that officials feared were confusing the public.
How the message about diet is received by patients will largely depend on their doctors' delivery.
While most physicians would agree that heart health depends on a good diet, some suggest there is a bit more wiggle room than the heart association advisory suggests. Other doctors and health care providers believe the advice does not go far enough in explaining what foods can truly protect their patients from heart disease, the nation's leading cause of death.
"This tries to put it all in perspective the view from 10,000 feet but sometimes food can still be controversial," said Dr. Michael Miller, director of the University of Maryland Medical Center's Center for Preventive Cardiology. He served on the heart association panel that made the recommendations published this month in the journal Circulation.
It's long been known that consuming less saturated fat lowers people's LDL, or so-called bad cholesterol, which clogs arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes. But the heart association finds that this is only the case when saturated fat is replaced with unsaturated fat and not refined carbohydrates that contain sugar but no fiber. Both unsaturated fat and fiber have been found to help lower cholesterol.
The group says some newer studies mucking up the healthy heart message didn't consider these dietary replacements.
The guidance should be useful to doctors in advising patients, said Miller, who is also a professor of cardiovascular medicine, epidemiology and public health in Maryland's School of Medicine. But he's not a stickler on eliminating all saturated fat. He advises moderation instead.
That means a small, fist-size steak once in a while, two egg whites for every one yoke and even a bit of coconut oil, a culinary darling of late that is mostly saturated fat.
"If you're good most of the time, allow yourself one unhealthy breakfast, lunch and dinner a week," he said. "But don't go nuts and eat a 24-ounce steak."
He also emphasizes making lifestyle changes such as adding regular exercise and reducing stress. He wrote a whole book on the subject called "Heal Your Heart."
Anne Butta credits a good diet, low in calories, salt and fat for the good health of her father, John Henry "Hank" Butta, who visited with Miller recently.
Butta, the former CEO of C&P Telephone of Maryland, now part of Verizon, and the great-great grandfather of four, is trim and quick witted at 89 years old.
The Highlandtown native said he grew up eating big Italian dinners and evolved into a "meat and potatoes" guy. He worked a lot and also spent time serving on advisory commissions for former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, as well as refereeing football games and playing golf.
In 2010, he needed triple bypass surgery. This led him to a diet low in calories, salt and fat, although, he still has the occasional treat at home or restaurant.
"One time a month," he said about how often he now eats a steak. A decade ago, it was "every other meal."
Miller approved of that schedule. He summed up the heart association advice this way:
Replacing 10 percent of calories from saturated fats (red meat, butter, palm oil) with polyunsaturated fats (safflower and corn oils, walnuts and salmon) reduces risk of heart disease by 50 percent.
Replacing 10 percent of calories from saturated fats with monounsaturated fats (canola and olive oil, almonds and avocados) reduces risk of heart disease by 30 percent.
Replacing 10 percent of calories from saturated fats with complex carbohydrates (whole grains, beans and vegetables) reduces risk of heart disease by 18 percent.
Replacing 10 percent of calories from saturated fats with simple carbohydrates (sugary foods and soft drinks) does not reduce the risk of heart disease.
Still, not all doctors think this is the right message.
Dr. Dana Simpler, an internal medicine doctor at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, said the consequences of a poor diet can be so dire that she believes the heart association report was a missed opportunity to warn people about how much all their food matters.
She joins other doctors who advocate for a whole-food, plant-based diet, for which she said there is evidence of reducing the chance of a first or recurrent heart attack close to zero.
That means eating foods that are not processed and have little to no sugar, salt or added oil.
"It continues to surprise me that the AHA makes such modest diet recommendations for preventing our number one killer heart disease," she wrote in an email. "Simply substituting saturated fats (bacon, red meat, butter) with unsaturated fats (vegetable oils) reduces heart attacks by 30 percent, but, what about the other 70 percent that still have life threatening heart disease?"
She conceded that a plant-based diet is not easy to follow, "and many people may decide it is too hard for them, but at least let the American public know that there is a diet that will prevent and reverse heart disease almost 100 percent."
Dr. Seth Martin, co-director of the John Hopkins Hospital's Advanced Lipid Disorders Center, said he'd like all his patients to eat so well but said "perfection" is tough to achieve. He encourages them to do what they can, from starting with one change or adopting the Mediterranean diet or the DASH diet, which both center on low-fat, whole-grain and plant-based foods.
The new heart association advice will help him steer patients to food they can substitute for what they should give up.
Read more here:
Heart healthy diet as effective as statins, American Heart Association says - Baltimore Sun
Plants vs. diabetes: Toledo man reverses diagnosis by adopting vegetarian diet – Longview Daily News
TOLEDO As a former Type II diabetic, Norm Baird admits that he used to abuse dairy. For years, the retired engineer enjoyed eggs and loved yogurt. He used to cut off little pieces of cheese to nibble on as he passed through his kitchen. His diet resembled a typical Americans: high in sugar, processed foods, meat and scant on vegetables.
But the silver-haired Toledo resident and cancer survivor no longer looks like a dairy abuser, having shed about 65 pounds and his diabetes diagnosis after adopting a plants-based diet in February 2016.
The 72-year-old is one of a small but growing number of people who have opted to go vegan or near-vegan as a first-line treatment for chronic weight- and diet-related illnesses such diabetes.
With more than two-thirds of American adults considered to be overweight or obese, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the country. The number of people with Type II diabetes is expected to double by 2030, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Washington, Cowlitz County ranks 10th among the states 39 counties in prevalence of the disease. About 13 percent of Cowlitz residents are living with the condition, according to a chronic disease report by the Washington State Department of Health. Thats more than a third higher than the statewide average of 9 percent.
Things first started to change for Baird when he was diagnosed with cancer, and they snowballed from there.
As you get older it feels like doctors have two columns of health conditions, Baird said. Every year that passes it seems they move another one over from the list of possible conditions into the column of ones you have.
During his cancer treatment Baird started injecting himself with insulin to counteract a steroid he was taking that drove up his blood sugar.
After chemotherapy, Baird stopped taking his insulin until he was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. At a follow-up visit, Dr. Robert Ellis, an oncologist at the Kaiser Permanente Clinic in Longview, proposed the idea of adopting a vegetarian diet.
Ellis is a passionate champion of plants-based eating. In an interview, he noted that the top health conditions in the United States cancer, heart disease and obesity are all preventable and treatable through diet and nutrition.
One of the first things I go over with patients is their diet, he said. If you had a high-performance car and I told you that it needs high performance gas, would you really drive to Costco and put that crappy gas in your car?
In 2013 Kaiser issued a nutritional update for physicians urging health care providers to recommend plants-based diets to patients. Its now one of the most-cited scholarly journal articles ever published on the subject.
As one of the nations largest not-for-profit health plans and the largest managed care agency in the United States, with 10.2 million members, its in Kaisers interest to keep its patients healthy.
Ellis said he has serious discussions about diet with about 80 percent of his patients. Of that number, about 40 percent to 50 percent say theyre actually going to change the way they eat, he said. And the percentage that go full crazy on you and adopt a vegan diet like Bairds is around 10 percent to 20 percent, he said.
Were not hiding something, Ellis said. This isnt quantum physics.
A person can dramatically lower their blood sugar by eating plants and whole foods while avoiding meat and other animal products that are high in fat, he said.
Some of the biggest impediments to adopting this kind of diet are socioeconomic. Not having much money for food and living far away from grocery stores that sell quality produce can make it hard for people to commit, Ellis said.
But Baird is one of the few who has bought into the eating program. With a referral from his primary physician in hand, he next met with Andrea Ferreiro, a Portland-based Kaiser nutritionist who specializes in healthy eating plans.
Norm was kind of the ideal patient, Ferreiro said in an interview. Norms an engineer and hes pretty analytical, so we just kind of told him exactly what to do and how to do it and he implemented it precisely.
Baird proceeded to cut out all meat, dairy and other animal products from his meals. In a mere five weeks, his A1C score a measure of blood sugar dropped to 6.1, placing him below the 6.5 or above score used to classify a person as diabetic.
Baird was able to stop injecting himself with the insulin he had been using twice daily for two years. He also stopped taking an oral prescription medication for diabetes and went from monitoring his blood sugar four times a day to just two.
Its exceptional its a really big deal, Ferreiro said of Bairds progress.
Ellis said he had to revise Bairds medication regimen to compensate for the chemistry changes that can occur within the body after just a few days of vegetarian meals.
The rest of Bairds follow-up visits were conducted by phone by one of Ferrieros assistants, and he still receives a weekly call to review his numbers.
They call once a week to make sure nothings out of whack, he said.
Baird said he still fixes himself a plate with some meat on special occasions like Christmas and Thanksgiving but only one.
No seconds and no leftovers, he said.
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Plants vs. diabetes: Toledo man reverses diagnosis by adopting vegetarian diet - Longview Daily News
World-First Trial Shows Improving Diet Can Treat Major Depression – Anti Aging News
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Many people suffer from depression. In as much as the causes of this mental disorder remain largely unidentified, numerous therapies have been advanced. Mental health experts have been trying to advance therapies that provide a longstanding solution to this disorder. Public awareness has equally been raised in an effort to address the social stigma that is associated with depression.
A study spearheaded by Deakin University researchers indicate that an improvement in ones diet can go a long way in treating depression. Deakin Food and Mood Center Director Prof. Felice Jacka, opines that the study will definitely offer a new approach in the treatment of depression.
For a while, it had been hypothesized that there is a link between peoples risk for depression and the quality of their diet. The situation cuts across different geographical regions, age groups, and cultures. In addition, healthy diets have typically been associated with a lower risk of depression. The study is the worlds first randomized trial and sought to test whether there is a correlation between improved diet quality and low depression levels.
The Trial
During the trial, adults who are affected by major depression were recruited and unsystematically assigned to receive either support from clinical dietitians, or social support for three months. The social support group was headed by trained personnel whose role was to lead discussions on neutral topics that were of interest to participants. This was done to ease the symptoms of major depression. The dietary intervention group was headed by nutritionists whose role was to guide participants about healthy diets.
The nutritional group received info and assistance aimed at augmenting the quality of their diets. Emphasis was placed on increasing the consumption of fruits, veggies, whole grains, olive oil, lean meat, nuts, and fish. Consumption of unnatural foodstuffs such as sugary drinks was discouraged. Both groups underwent equal seven hour-long sessions during the course of the trial.
The trials results were recently published and indicate that subjects who were placed in the nutritional intervention group had an impressive reduction in depression levels compared to those who only received social support. (add this in?: At the end of the trial, a third of those in the dietary support group met criteria for remission of major depression, compared to 8 percent of those in the social support group. ) Prof. Jacka states that the results of the trial cannot be adequately explained by body weight or physical activity. Those who adhered to the nutritional program more closely had the lowest depression levels at the end of the study.
New Insights into the Treatment of Depression
The trials findings will offer therapists a new dimension as far as treating major depression is concerned. Mental disorders are the main cause of disability. Up to half of those who are affected by depression will be helped by dietary control. The trials results will spawn other numerous benefits considering that depression escalates the risk of common physical disorders such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Besides lifestyle diseases, depression has also been linked to inflammation and the health of micro biota in the body. Both of these are linked to ones diet. The trial suggests the adaptation of healthier lifestyles as a natural way of reducing the devastating effects of major depression. It similarly suggests the addition of clinical dietitians to psychotherapy teams since it can help those who suffer from depression. Therefore, an improvement in the quality of ones diet goes beyond the treatment of major depression. It is a crucial determinant of physical and mental health.
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World-First Trial Shows Improving Diet Can Treat Major Depression - Anti Aging News
Do the risks of a gluten-free diet outweigh the benefits? – New York Daily News
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You might feel a surge of productivity after lunch, or feel especially useless on mornings when you skip breakfast, but when, what and how you eat can all have some surprising effects on your ability to work. Theres a reason nearly two-thirds of Americans drink coffee every day, with an average of 2.7 cups per day, per drinker. Coffee is one of Americas favorite caffeinated beverages, meant to serve as a pick-me-up before or during work. Instinctively, you might guess that caffeine has a positive effect on your productivity, since its associated with higher energy levels, reduced fatigue and better alertness and focus. And for the most part, youre right. A cup of coffee has about 200 milligrams of caffeine, which is enough to suppress the adenosine in your brain that would ordinarily make you feel sleepy, and provide you with cognitive boosters like better memory and cognitive function. If timed right, coffee (and other forms of caffeine) can improve your performance in the short term. Create a budget for your caffeine consumption, so you dont overindulge and interfere with your sleep cycle. Consider gradually shifting to decaf coffee as the day moves toward a close. However, much depends on how you consume caffeine, and in what quantities you consume it. Consuming too much caffeine can lead to jitteriness and anxiety, distracting you from work and interfering with your sleep schedule; and if you lose too much sleep, no amount of caffeine will be able to make up for your cognitive impairment. At the same time, caffeine dependency can actually cause withdrawal symptoms if youre ever left without coffee for a day. Experts suggest keeping fruit or nuts around as a snack to boost your energy midday, and thats generally good advice, but it pays to know why. Blood glucose is a complicated topic, and its effects on productivity arent cut-and-dry. Researchers have found that the ideal amount of blood glucose to have circulating in your body is 25 grams; less than that, and your productivity will take a hit. Any more than that, and you wont be able to do much with the extra energy. So how does this matter to your diet? Almost anything you eat will raise your blood sugar in some way; therefore, if your blood sugar gets too low, youll need to eat something if you want to achieve your optimal performance. However, not all things raise blood glucose in the same way or in the same amounts; foods higher in the glycemic index, like candy bars and white rice, will cause your blood glucose to spike, preceding a crash shortly thereafter. Low glycemic index foods, like oatmeal and most fruits and vegetables, will provide a steady release over the course of hours. Have you ever felt less productive and more irritable because you were hungry? You arent alone. It turns out, judges give harsher sentences when theyre hungry, and people are generally less productive when they have food on the mind. This is linked to blood glucose, but serves independently because of the subjective feeling of hunger. Eating filling foods, like proteins and foods high in fiber, early in the day will help you stave off hungerand feel a lot less grumpy. Having a healthy snack nearby can also help. The foods you eat have an impact on your health, but your health has an impact on your productivity. When it comes to absenteeism (days missed due to health complications) and presenteeism (productivity lost during the day due to health complications), the annual cost for a normal-weight employee is $10,000. ' The annual cost for an obese employee is $16,000. Put simply, engaging in unhealthy eating habits could cause health-related productivity losses 60 percent more than those of average employees. Your Video Begins in: 00:00 So what can we learn from these four insights? Follow these fast tips to get the most out of your workday: You dont have to become a health nut to reap major benefits. A handful of simple changes to what, when and how you eat and drink each day will do the trick! Go here to see the original:1t}|/|+o liHNkH@}&*'-c-N>c?5h?Fo0$O>bzoGDOGgQ].icO3b9>f'85An-}yp.%is}OUQ3b6E%:3?rrB$]Z*T <-tD<lck FvaQ+%H93cGmW83Mov"WCx/@u}qQC1W:.cp`9r YkXcMLt4`iQ>x F{.> j+(y3O
Do the risks of a gluten-free diet outweigh the benefits? - New York Daily News
4 Surprising Ways Your Diet Is Affecting Your Productivity – NBCNews.com
4 Surprising Ways Your Diet Is Affecting Your Productivity - NBCNews.com