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Most women have poor diets around the time of conception that may increase the risk of pregnancy complications like excessive weight gain, high blood pressure, impaired fetal growth and preterm deliveries, a U.S. study suggests.

During the three months around conception, the study found that women got roughly one-third of their energy from so-called empty calories like alcohol and foods loaded with sugars and fats. Their top sources of energy were soda, pasta, cookies, cake, bread, beer, wine and spirits.

"In particular, the fact that soda was the primary source of calories was concerning," said lead study author Lisa Bodnar, a public health researcher at the University of Pittsburgh.

"Soda provides essentially no nutrition," Bodnar said by email. "But it is something that can be replaced with water or other non-caloric beverages to eliminate those extra calories that may be contributing to obesity."

For the study, researchers examined data from dietary questionnaires completed by 7,511 women when they were 6 to 14 weeks pregnant. Participants were asked to recall what they ate during the three months around conception, then researchers scored women's diets with up to 100 points for following every aspect of healthy diet guidelines.

Overall, the average score was just 63 points, researchers report in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

However, more white women got close to achieving an ideal diet than the Hispanic or black women in the study. About one quarter of white women scored in the top-fifth, with scores typically around 79, while only 14 percent of Hispanic women and 4.6 percent of black women were in this healthiest-diet category.

Among all the women, higher education levels tended to go along with higher-quality diets.

It's possible the racial and ethnic differences in diet quality may help explain differences in pregnancy and birth outcomes for women of color, who have higher rates of complications like preterm birth and poor fetal growth than white women, Bodnar said.

One limitation of the study is that it relied on women to accurately recall and report on what they ate right before pregnancy, the authors note. The study also isn't a controlled experiment designed to prove that eating or avoiding certain things might influence the risk of specific pregnancy complications.

It's also possible that the women were reporting eating habits during rather than before pregnancy or describing healthier diets than they really had because they were already pregnant when they completed the surveys, said Dr. Emily Oken, a public health and nutrition researcher at Harvard University in Boston who wasn't involved in the study.

Women planning a pregnancy should ensure they are consuming a healthy diet at least three months before they conceive and try to maintain this diet throughout pregnancy. This includes avoiding soda and sugary drinks as well as eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy, Bodnar said.

One place women can go for guidance is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate Daily Checklist, she added (http://bit.ly/2b9ygoS).

Nutrition is important, but it is just one aspect of health women should try to focus on before getting pregnant, Oken said by email.

"It is critically important that women enter pregnancy with healthy levels of characteristics that are related to diet and nutrition - adequate nutrient intake, healthy weight, normal blood pressure, and normal blood sugar," Oken said. "These factors are important for long-term maternal health, as well as child health, and the very early pregnancy period is especially critical."

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Many US women start pregnancy with poor diets - Fox News

Some people become vegetarians because they love animals. Some, as comedian A. Whitney Brown put it, because they hate plants.

But vegans are committed. Not only do they not eat food that harms or kills animals, some dont even want food that inconveniences animals.

Like honey. Hardcore vegans will not eat honey because, as Noah Lewis of vegetus.org puts it, the simple fact is that the bees are enslaved. Similarly, some vegans will not eat sugar because, while it comes entirely from a plant, some sugar is whitened by using bone char, which comes from animals.

Although the vegan diet lacks in meat, dairy and egg productsor because of itthe diet can be better for you than that which the standard American eats. In 2009, the American Dietetic Association took the position that vegetarian and vegan diets reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and lead to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

It can be healthy, but there are some things to watch out for when on a vegan diet: You have to make sure to get enough protein and vitamin B-12and calcium, iodine, vitamin D, iron, zinc and n-3 fatty acids.

Fortunately, a well-balanced vegan diet provides all of these essential nutrients, though you may want to take vitamin B-12 supplements, just in case.

Still, cooking a well-balanced vegan diet can be difficult, at least if you want to stick to what most Americans think of as normal ingredients. Many vegan recipes attempt to re-create meatless versions of familiar meat-based dishes, and to do so they rely on such potentially off-putting ingredients as vegan chicken, egg replacers and nondairy cheese.

Other recipes use soy products such as tofu and tempeh for their protein, and it is one of these that I tried first in cooking a vegan diet for a day.

Mee Goreng, which is a type of stir-fried noodles, is popular street fare in the Philippines. When I have had it before, it always had meat in it, usually chicken or shrimp or both. But then I came upon a vegan recipe for it using tofu, and tofu fans are sure to be instantly hooked.

If they like spicy food, that is. As with a lot of street food, Mee Goreng usually packs a kick. If you want it milder, simply trim down or eliminate the amount you use of sambal oelek, the all-purpose Indonesian and Malaysian ground chili paste.

Also as is the case with much street food, Mee Goreng tends to be a little oily. The recipe calls for 5 tablespoons of oil for four to six servings; I got by with four tablespoons, but that is still a quarter cup of oil.

Do you need it? Yes. The oil brings the dish together, from the spicy sambal to the faintly bitter bok choy to the sweet sauce made from equal parts of soy sauce, brown sugar and molasses.

The tofu, which has the amazing ability to soak up all the flavors in which it is cooked, serves as a protein-rich punctuation to the meal.

For my next dish, I dispensed with the tofu and received my protein in the form of garbanzo beans, which are also known as chickpeas.

Indian-Style Vegetable Curry With Potatoes and Cauliflower (that name seems a little over-descriptive to me) is another spicy dish. I like spices; sue me. If less fiery food is more your style, you can use a mild curry powder (but I wouldnt use much less) and leave out the serrano chile.

This dish benefits greatly from the mutually complementary flavors of potato, cauliflower, garbanzo beans and curry. A bit of tomato paste and a cup of coconut milk make it deeply satisfying, yet it is so healthful that youll practically pat yourself on the back for eating it.

It is the kind of dish that calls out for basmati rice; if you have it, use it.

Finally, I made a vegan version of one of the least vegan dishes I could think of, pancakes.

Pancakes pretty much need eggs, milk and butter. If you try to make them from just flour, water, sugar, salt, baking powder and a little oil, youll wind up with paste.

Or so I thought. But then a colleague passed me a recipe for Vegan Pancakes that she swore was excellent. And she was right.

I dont know how this works. I dont understand how they hold together without becoming slightly sweetened hardtack. Im guessing the oil has something to do with it, but we are only talking about a single tablespoon for 10 smallish pancakes.

These vegan pancakes are fine the way they are, but I incorporated a couple of additions suggested by my colleague: I added two tablespoons of soy milk (almond milk would also do) and a teaspoon of vanilla, just to make the pancakes even better.

They are a perfect foil for maple syrup. And maple syrup doesnt inconvenience any animal.

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The vegan diet meatless masterpieces - Fredericksburg.com

Food can be potent medicine. Just ask Tia Mowry: In her new book, Whole New You ($20, amazon.com), the actress reveals how a healthy eating philosophy helped her ease the debilitating symptoms of endometriosis.

Food is powerful and has a significant impact, Mowry writes. No matter what you put in your mouththe good, the bad, or the Cheetoits doing something.

The 38-year-old, who hosts her own show on the Cooking Channel, learned this firsthand. Whether she was snacking on junk food on the set of Sister, Sister, or cutting out all processed foods in her 30s, Mowry has experienced both the negative and positive effects that diet can have on the body.

RELATED: Does Period Sex Raise Your Risk of Endometriosis?

She was first diagnosed with endometriosis in 2006, after she began to experience severe abdominal pain. Endometriosis occurs when the lining of the uterus grows outside the womb. The conditionwhich is thought to affect more than 6.5 million women in the United Statescan cause pelvic pain, cramping, and heavy bleeding during periods, as well as painful sex and fertility problems.

Mowry underwent laparoscopic surgery. Then just two years later, she was doubling over in agony once again. She had a second surgery, and took birth control pills and pain pills to manage her symptoms. But Mowry felt frustrated that there wasn't a more permanent solution. She also knew she wanted to have a baby, and that her condition could make it difficult. She was desperate to find another way to treat her disease.

RELATED: 7 Celebrities on What It's Really Like to Have Endometriosis

When her doctor suggested cleaning up her diet, Mowry felt hopeful, she says in her book, even though it would mean giving up some of her favorite foods. (At the time, deep-fried cheese tortellini was her signature dish.) But Mowry was committed to making changes that might improve her health.

She eliminated dairy, processed meats, packaged snacks, and refined sugar. And began to fill her plate with plants (think leafy greens, fruits, nuts, and seeds), fermented foods, and high-quality protein (including beans, organic animal products, and organic, grass-fed meat). Mowry also added sea vegetables, like kelp and nori; and switched to what she calls "safer sweets," such as stevia, date sugar, and honey.

Her new diet drastically reduced her pain, Mowry says. (She also stopped getting migraines, and her eczema cleared up.) "I started to feel deeply, thrillingly alive," she writes. "For the first time in my life, I understood the concept of profound 'wellness.'"

RELATED: 14 Foods That Fight Inflammation

There's no question diet can play a role in endometriosis, says Kathy Huang, MD, director of the endometriosis program at NYUs Langone Medical Center. "[It's] a very inflammatory disease, so any food that contributes to inflammation can exacerbate the patients symptoms. That would include dairy and any processed food," she wrote in an email to Health. "If the patient can stick to a low-inflammatory diet, it will help their health in general, not just their endometriosis."

Ken Sinervo, MD, medical director of of the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta, seconds that advice. "In general, I recommend an anti-inflammatory diet, which eliminates refined sugars and carbohydrates, and uses organically-grown fruits and vegetables, and organically-raised meats, such as free-range chickens and grass-fed beef," he explained via email.

RELATED: Halsey Opens Up About Her Endometriosis Struggle Following Painful Surgery

But both doctors pointed out that diet alone won't alleviate most symptoms of the chronic condition. Instead endometriosis treatment typically involves a combination of therapies. "We believe in a multidisciplinary approach with surgeons, [a] nutritionist, acupuncture, physical therapy, as well as [a] psychologist, and pain management physician," says Dr. Huang.

Mowry, who is now mom to a five-year-old son, knows that what worked for her may not work for others. Although Ive had my own powerful healing experience, that does not give me the expertise or credentials to offer specific healing advice to anyone with a serious condition, she writes.

Her goal is simpler: to erase the stigma on healthy foods. "Its not just because theyre packed with nutrients and are simply good for you. Im determined to push past that stigma because whole, natural foods, cooked with love, taste absolutely fantastic," she says. "You heard me: fantastic.

This article originally appeared on Health.com.

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The foods Tia Mowry cut from her diet to soothe her endometriosis ... - Fox News

If you're one of the 60 million Americans with a digestive disorder, you may be used to approaching each meal with a sense of dread.

Simply snacking on a piece of fruit can leave you gassy, bloated or in pain. In my case, a couple of pieces of cauliflower can puff up my stomach like a balloon.

I have endometriosis, an inflammatory condition in which uterine cells grow outside of the womb, sparking symptoms like abdominal cramping and bloating. Ditching dairy and meat relieved many of my worst digestive woes. But as I entered my 30s, it seemed as if every bite of food became a gamble.

RELATED: TRENDING LIFE & STYLE NEWS THIS HOUR

Some doctors suggested I take probiotic supplements loaded with healthy bacteria, but each pill gave me gas pain. One diet I tried suggested smoothies made of vegetables like kale, peas and garlic. After one souplike shake, I thought my stomach was going to explode.

Then another doctor suggested something I'd never heard of: the low-FODMAP diet.

FODMAP is an acronym for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols certain carbohydrates prevalent in a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as milk and wheat, among other things. These carbs are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and rapidly fermented by bacteria in the colon, causing a wide range of abdominal woes, especially in people with sensitive guts, like those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

"What's going on when you're eating a high-FODMAP diet is you're getting this osmotic effect in the bowel," said Bethany Doerfler, a research dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "That means that you're eating all of these sugars and fibers that are feeding gut bacteria, and they're causing water to get pulled into the intestine."

The result can be cramping, diarrhea, bloating and those stomach noises even your co-worker three desks down can hear.

Researchers at Australia's Monash University created the low-FODMAP diet in 2005 to alleviate symptoms in patients with IBS, but it's recently been gaining traction with others (like me) who are digestively challenged. Companies such as Nestle have even introduced low-FODMAP products like ProNourish, a nutrition drink.

"I think this is probably the first diet that we've had that has excellent data behind it to say manipulating carbohydrates actually helps change your symptoms," Doerfler said. "Before that, it was a little anecdotal."

Those wanting to try a low-FODMAP eating plan should talk to their doctor and consult a dietitian familiar with the diet; it's important to make sure you're getting enough nutrients since you'll be cutting out or reducing important food groups.

Low-FODMAP followers start by eliminating high-FODMAP foods from their diet, often for a few weeks, before gradually reintroducing them. The idea is to keep a close eye on symptoms to figure out which foods you can tolerate. You might only have a problem with one category, and lower portions of some foods could be fine.

If you eat something problematic, it may take a couple of hours or a day for your gut to get back to normal.

"I remind people that if they have a symptom flare, they're not in danger they just feel crummy," Doerfler said.

What foods should low-FODMAP followers avoid?

Forgo dairy products with large amounts of lactose, a disaccharide. This means no ice cream, milk or yogurt. Humans can't digest lactose without the help of lactase, an enzyme many people stop producing as they age. Products with low-lactose levels butter and feta and cheddar cheeses tend to be well-tolerated. Almond-based milks and desserts are dairy-free alternatives.

Watch out for wheat. If you get gassy after eating bread or drinking beer, you could be reacting to the fructans an oligosaccharide not the gluten protein. Don't just switch to artificially gluten-free products, which can still be hard on the gut. Try sourdough bread. The fermenting process breaks down some of the fibers for you.

Raw onions and garlic are also high in fructans. If you're sensitive to garlic, you can still use garlic-infused oil. For onions, substitute the green parts of scallions or leeks.

Most beans need to be avoided, but you can try a quarter cup of canned chickpeas or a half cup of canned lentils. The canning process leaches out some of gas-producing elements.

Fructose is another red flag. These are the single sugars, or monosaccharides, found in fruit. It becomes a problem when the amount of fructose is higher than the amount of glucose. Opt for fruits like bananas and blueberries instead of apples and cherries.

Limit your intake of sugar alcohols, or polyols. They occur naturally in foods like mushrooms, watermelon and cauliflower and are used to make artificial sweeteners. If you need to add a little sweetness, try table sugar or stevia instead. Avoid any sugar ending in "ol."

In my case, I realized I'd been eating high-FODMAP foods throughout the day. I put artificial sweetener in my coffee, had whole-wheat toast for breakfast and black beans for lunch. My usual afternoon snack a nutrition bar was chock-full of things on the high list.

I now have steel-cut oats with natural peanut butter and a banana in the morning. Lunch is sourdough bread, tofu and carrots. For dinner, I make sure to cook all my food.

"Heat is a great natural digestive enzyme," Doerfler said. "I think that for some of these vegetables that might be too difficult to do raw, it's a wonderful option to have them cooked."

After the first week, I lost 2 pounds and my post-meal balloon belly had all but disappeared. After three months, I have an even stronger grasp on my problem foods. I still have bloating issues if I dine out, but at least I know my triggers.

FODMAPTools

For an updated list of high-and-low FODMAP foods, download Monash University's app. It's $7.99 at the Apple App Store and $9 on Google Play.

Other helpful resources can be found at MyGiNutrition.com (which receives funding from Nestle Health Science) and KateScarlata.com, a site run by a Boston-based dietitian by the same name.

If you're looking for a guidebook with recipes, check out "Healthy Gut, Flat Stomach: The Fast and Easy Low-FODMAP Diet Plan" by Danielle Capalino ($17.95, Countryman Press).

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How the low-FODMAP diet helped me beat my bloat - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Tribune

Out with the old, in with the nutritious. With winter weather behind us, now is the perfect time to do a bit of spring cleaning in your pantry. By purging junk food from your pantry, you take away much of the temptation to eat it. If its within reach, its easy to indulge and even small nibbles throughout the day can really add up.

Food to get rid of:

Salty, high calorie snack foods, which are all around bad for your waistline: theyre high in empty caloriesandbloat causing salt. (i.e. a 150 calorie serving of tortilla chips is only 9 chips!)

Swap salty chips for:

Foods high inaddedsugars. Regardless of the type, added sugars really dont do anything for your body: theyre just empty calories, and they can send your body for a ride on the blood sugar roller coaster.

Swap soda for:

Swap candy for

Foods withtransfat.Trans fats are the lab-created fats that are particularly bad for health. Theyre abundant in packaged foods like cookies, cakes, cracker and chips sometimes theyre even lurking in unexpected places, like tortillas.

Subtraction by addition

Think of nourishing foods toaddin, rather than just cutting things out. By adding in good stuff, you have less room in your pantry for less nutritious foods.

Suggestions:

Get inspired by healthy blogs, recipes, and social media influencers. Check out healthy recipes onharmonsgrocery.com

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How to Spring Clean Your Diet - Good4Utah

Lunch

Spinach salad topped with pecans, goat cheese, dried cranberries, light vinaigrette, 2-3 slices of avocado

Misty's Ballerina Body breaks down her nutrition philosophy into "Act 1" food (main ingredients and primary supplier of fats like animal protein and plant fats) and "Act 2" food (vegetables, fruits, starches, grains) you can mix and match. Her plan suggests always picking one of each for both lunch and dinner, making sure each plate has protein and carbs.

She calls this method "Meal Choreography" and explains, "Like ballet and our workout routine, which take a medley of steps and build from there in combination and complexity, you'll be able to mix and match a variety of foods to make sure you enjoy wheat you're eating and your taste buds don't get bored."

Grilled salmon, roasted onions, carrots, butternut squash seasoned with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. A glass of prosecco OR a peanut butter cookie.

For dinner, you should include one of each "Act 1" food and "Act 2" food, then add in a starch like brown rice or winter squashes. "Act 1" food, she writes, should be grilled, baked, poached, or broiled rather than fried. Because she's pescatarian, dinner usually revolves around fish. On giving up meat, Misty wrote, "I dove in headfirst, becoming a pescatarian overnight. I wouldn't necessarily recommend going cold turkey like I did. I had dreams of bacon and giant hamburgers for months! But I felt amazing. My energy level skyrocketed."

Misty loves Red Lobster. But, she stays mindful of what she's consuming, even when at a restaurant. "I like to go with options that don't have a ton of empty calories added to them. For instance, I'll order the crab legs and a garden salad. Go for cleana piece of fish that isn't breaded or fried, a salad or vegetable, and quinoa, lentils, or couscous instead of rice," she explains.

Another major "do" of hers is to "eat mindfully," that is, eat slower to aid digestion. It "Allows you to really relish the flavors you're tasting, and can help you realize when you're truly full."

"I like to take along packaged food that I can rely on to give my body what it needs, especially if I'm heading overseas. I usually carry packets of plain oatmeal, packaged tuna, whole wheat crackers, and nuts."

Lastly, sugar, processed food, junk food, fast food, white flour, artificial sweeteners, and soda are among the things Misty steers clear from. She also suggests easing off salt and reaching for garlic, onions, and herbs, instead. Another big tip: don't eat to the point of being overstuffed. "It's okay to leave food on the plate," Misty assures.

Get Ballerina Body here.

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Exactly What Misty Copeland Eats in a Day - ELLE.com

Step away from the scalesit may not be the key to improving your mental health.

Despite the message that the happiest you is just 10 pounds away, new research suggests that improving the quality of your diet may be the recipe to protecting and even improving your mental health, not losing weight.

Over the past decade, dozens of studies have shown that maintaining a healthy diet is associated with both a reduced risk for developing depression (paywall) and an effective strategy for treating existing depression. But a review of mood-food studies has shown that the clear relationship between diet and depression is quite independent of body weight.

This was reinforced in a recent world-first trial where participants followed a 12-week dietary-improvement program for the treatment of depression. Most of the participants in the trial were overweight and remained so at the end of the intervention. But despite not having lost any weight, those who improved their diet experienced significant improvement in their symptoms, and one third of them experienced remission of their depressive disorder.

Theres no disputing the health importance of being a healthy weight. But while being overweight or obese (and the associated metabolic problems with both) are risk factors for depression, it doesnt appear that being overweight prevents people from accessing the physiological and psychological benefits of eating well.

Our diet seems to exert its effects on mood through pathways that may not require change in weight.The biology behind this is not yet clear, but our diet seems to exert its effects on mood through pathways that may not require change in weight. For example, a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and plenty of fiber can improve the health of your gut microbiota through bacterial fermentation and the production of anti-inflammatory, short-chain fatty acids. This is likely to reduce the chronic inflammation that is a risk factor for depression, as well as other chronic diseases. This is because both microbiota and the immune system communicate with the stress-response system and enteric nervous system, which influences circulatory biomarkers that regulate our moods.

According to the evidence, a key step for good mental health is to reduce the amount of extras we eat: foods that provide energy, but offer little to no nutritional value, such as chocolate, cake, chips, and other snack foods. Were better off spending these calories on what are often referred to as brain foods, which are often high in fat, but just as high in important nutrients. Fatty fish like salmon or trout, olive oil, and nuts are foundational to the Mediterranean diet, which is known for its benefits to both the brain and body. These foods, as well as greens and whole grains, are broken down into molecules that feed our gut bugs, which help build neurotransmitters, fight inflammation, and protect healthy brain cells.

Making changes to our lifestyles to improve how we feel and function is challenging, especially when were not feeling our mental best. Losing weight is a long haul, but the good news is that the benefits of eating well can be felt relatively quickly, whether youre overweight or slim, and without maintaining a calorie deficit. Calories are necessary fuel, but the quality of calories matters.

Taking simple steps, like swapping chips or chocolate for fruit and nuts, may not make much of a difference to our calorie scorecard, but the benefits for both our mental and physical health quickly add up. Unlike some of the other factors that contribute to our mental health, food is a domain over which we have some control. So keep in mind: Small changes matter to mental health, whether the scales move or not.

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Losing weight won't make you happierbut eating a balanced diet will - Quartz

Pop a Pill for Heartburn? Try Diet and Exercise Instead New York Times While definitive evidence for most of the risks identified thus far is lacking, consumers plagued by acid reflux would be wise to consider an alternative approach, namely diet and lifestyle changes that can minimize symptoms and even heal damage ...

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Pop a Pill for Heartburn? Try Diet and Exercise Instead - New York Times

Almost everyone tries dieting at least a few times in their life.

Maybe youre successful and you lose weight, but then you gain it all back again. Or maybe you just tried for a few days and didnt see any results. Maybe you even spent a lot of money on diet supplements or coaching.

If it didnt work, then now what?

First, you need to understand why it did not work. If youre just dieting for a short time, with the goal of losing 5 or 10 pounds, then that can work. But if you need to lose 20 or 30 or 50 pounds, then you need more than just to change what you eat, because ultimately you wont be able to stick to that. Instead, you need a strategy to support you changing your lifestyle. This is the subject for a different article! But for now, lets say you want to do a short term diet, but its not working the way you want what are you doing wrong, or whats missing?

Probably, you do not have a structured plan, and you are not tracking your progress.

You need an eating plan so that you know you are eating enough vegetables, protein and fruits. I suggest you make a list of what youll need to eat the following week. Lets say youre starting your diet on a Monday. In that case, on the Friday before you start, make your shopping list and then go shopping for all the ingredients that youll need. Remember why you are doing this you want to be healthy, and its your choice to go on this diet.

Your focus should be on nutrient dense food, not on how many calories you are consuming. Yes, of course calories do matter, but if you push too hard too soon then its likely that youll fail on your diet, and sooner or later youll give up and eat more. So instead, focus on nourishing your body with a variety of food sources such as different colored vegetables, fruits, and different sources of lean protein.

The key is that you do your shopping and prepare your meals beforehand, so that when you need to eat, everything is ready.

The second most important thing is to track your weight every day. Yes, every day. This will help you to understand whether you are following an eating plan that is correct for you, or whether you need to adjust your diet. Write down your weight somewhere that you can easily see it maybe a piece of paper on your fridge. Remember that its just a number, but it will help you to understand how close you are to reaching your health goals.

Ask for support from your family and your friends. Tell them how important it is for you, and they will help you with your progress.

Remember, without a map you will probably get lost. But with a well designed map or plan you will gain your health back and you will lose weight. And this success will mean much more than just losing weight, it will give you confidence, a feeling of accomplishment, and its an important step towards creating a new healthy you with healthy eating habits.

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Why is your diet not working? - Huffington Post

You may not walk like an Egyptian, but you might want to eat like a Tsimane.

A study published today in The Lancet says the forager-horticulturist tribe in South America has the lowest reported levels of vascular aging of any population on Earth.

Besides the healthy heart conditions, these indigenous people of the Bolivian Amazon region also have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, and low blood glucose.

The researchers attributed these healthy qualities to the tribes high level of physical activity and its plant-based diet.

They concluded that the lack of this type of activity and diet in developed countries such as the United States should be added to the risks associated with heart problems.

The loss of subsistence diets and lifestyles could be classed as a new risk factor for vascular aging and we believe that components of this way of life could benefit contemporary sedentary populations, said Hillard Kaplan, PhD, senior author and anthropology professor at the University of New Mexico, in a press statement.

Katie Ferraro, a registered dietitian and assistant clinical professor at the University of San Diego and University of California, agrees with the assessment.

We could certainly move in their direction, Ferraro told Healthline. We could look to them as models.

Read more: Why nutrition advice is so confusing

The researchers visited 85 Tsimane villages in 2014 and 2015.

They took CT scans of the hearts of 705 village residents between the ages of 40 and 94.

They checked for hardening of the coronary arteries as well as the villagers height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, blood glucose, and inflammation.

They discovered that 85 percent of Tsimane people had no risk of heart disease. That included two-thirds of the villagers who were 75 years or older.

Another 13 percent of the tribe members had a low risk, while 3 percent had moderate or high risk.

A similar study of 6,814 people in the United States ages 45 to 84 showed that only 14 percent had no risk of heart disease. About 50 percent had a moderate or high risk. Another third had a low risk.

The Tsimane population also had low heart rates and healthy levels of blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol.

This was despite the fact that about half of villagers did show elevated levels of inflammation.

The inflammation common to the Tsimane was not associated with increased risk of heart disease and may instead be the result of high rates of infections, said Dr. Randall Thompson, cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute.

The researchers credited the villagers plant-based diet and physical activity level for their health.

They noted that the Tsimane people spend only 10 percent of their waking hours being inactive. That compares with a 54 percent inactivity level in people in industrialized nations.

The researchers said hunting, fishing, gathering, and farming keep the men working six to seven hours a day, and the women working four to six hours a day.

They also noted the Tismane peoples plant-rich diet, which is 72 percent carbohydrates, includes nonprocessed foods such as rice, corn, nuts, and fruits. Their diet is about 14 percent protein, coming from animal meat.

Smoking is also rare in these villages.

Read more: Hold the butter. Its not that good for you

Ferraro said the activity level and the carbohydrate-rich diet were the two factors that stood out in the study.

She noted high-carb diets are generally considered unhealthy in the United States, but thats because Americans tend to get their carbohydrates from processed foods.

The villagers are eating the right carbohydrates, said Ferraro, who teaches a cultural foods class at San Diego State University. Theyre a prescription for heart disease prevention.

Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD, a licensed, registered dietitian who is a wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, agreed with that assessment.

It shows that having a high-carb diet is not as bad as people think with the key point that their carbs were also loaded with fiber, something the body cannot digest, Kirkpatrick told Healthline. I've always recommended a back to the basics approach to diet and this clearly shows the upside to that.

Both dietitians also pointed to the high activity level as another key.

I think the physical activity factor here is huge, said Kirkpatrick, and for sure corresponds to the new studies showing that inactivity is as risky to health as obesity.

Both acknowledge that Americans arent going to move to a tent in a national park and try to hunt game.

However, they said there are ways people in modern societies can incorporate parts of the Tsimane lifestyle.

One is to significantly reduce the amount of processed foods in the diet.

The mantra of fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts is applicable here.

The other is to lead a more active lifestyle, even for people who have desk jobs where they are sitting most of the workday.

Ferraro said its a good habit to get up every hour from your desk and be active for 5 to 7 minutes. You can even set a timer to remind you.

That practice will add 45 minutes to an hour of exercise to your day.

Make movement part of your daily routine, she said.

Read more: Children consuming lots more artificial sweeteners

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The Tribal Diet That Could Eliminate Heart Disease - Healthline

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