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Nutrition is one of the most overlooked and underutilized treatment options for stress. Fortunately, many foods and beverages have stress-relieving qualities. As a board-certified OBGYN and Culinary Medicine specialist, Dr. Haver recognizes that pharmaceuticals are important, but some should try nutritional changes first before considering other options.

"The holiday season can be a stressful time," said Dr. Haver. "Making small nutritional changes by adding specific foods into your diet and staying away from the obvious highly processed foods can help your body alleviate some of the stress."

Dr. Haver's top three stress battling foods include:

Additional foods that can help curb stress are parsley, sunflower seeds, kimchi, artichokes, shellfish, cruciferous vegetables, chickpeas, tahini, chamomile tea and blueberries,you can read her full post with recipes on her website hereor check out a her video All About Cortisol, the Body's Stress Hormone.

The Galveston Diet is the first and only nutrition program created by a Female OBGYN, designed for women in menopause. The Galveston Diet is dedicated to helping women reach their health and wellness goals through an anti-inflammatory approach to nutrition. For more information visit http://www.galvestondiet.com, follow on Facebook @thegalvestondiet, Instagram @thegalvestondietand Tik Tok @galvestondiet.

MEDIA CONTACT:Meghan Bailey[emailprotected]

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Top Foods To Battle Stress From Founder Of The Galveston Diet - PRNewswire

A new study of older pet dogs found that problem solving, sociability, boldness and dependency decline with age, and reported no associations between an enriched diet, lifelong training experiences, and measures of behavior and cognition after a one-year diet period. A team of researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria, and University of Liverpool, UK present these findings in the open-access journalPLOS ONEon September 16, 2020.

Like humans, dogs can experience cognitive decline and behavioral changes as they age. For instance, they may display less curiosity about novel objects and show decline in social responsiveness, memory and attention. Also like humans, individual dogs vary in their rates of cognitive decline. Some research suggests that lifelong training and an enriched diet could slow cognitive aging in dogs. However, few studies have explored aging in pet dogs, as opposed to dogs in laboratory settings.

To better understand aging in pet dogs, the authors assigned 119 pet dogs--aged over 6 years and of varying breeds--to receive either an enriched diet (including nutrients such as antioxidants, omega-fatty acids, Phosphatidylserine and tryptophan) or a control diet over the course of one year. They also asked the dog owners to report their pets' previous training experiences. After one year of dietary treatment, the researchers evaluated the dogs' cognition and behaviors in a newly developed battery of tests known as the Modified Vienna Canine Cognitive Battery (MVCCB).

The analyses showed that, in general, the aging dogs experienced declines in four out of six total factors addressed by the MVCCB: problem solving, sociability, boldness, and dependency. The two other factors, trainability and activity-independence, showed no change with age. Previous training experiences and an enriched diet showed no significant association with the observed cognitive declines.

These findings suggest that additional research is needed to determine whether and how training and diet might impact aging in pet dogs. The authors highlight that the MVCCB could be a useful tool to detect age related changes in dogs for future research.

Author Durga Chapagain adds: "Modified Vienna Canine Cognitive Battery can be used as a tool to determine behavioural changes and cognitive deficits in aged dogs."

Originally posted here:
Diet and prior training show no impact on cognitive decline in aging pet dogs - Jill Lopez

We know what youre all thinking, another article on the Mediterranean diet and its many benefits. Weve heard them all! But have you?

A new study by the researchers atWake Forest School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist Health, has discovered something possibly groundbreaking.

The findings have led researchers to believe that eating a Mediterranean dietmay provide arelatively easy way to help lessen the physiological effects of stress and promote healthy ageing.

These findings, the first preclinical trial to measure the effects of long-term consumption of aWesternversusMediterraneandiet on stress under controlled experimental conditions, are published in the current online edition of the journalNeurobiology of Stress.

It is very difficult to control or reduce stressors in our lives, said Carol A. Shively, PhD, professor of pathology and comparative medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine and principal investigator of this study.

But we do know that we can control our diet, and previous observational studies have suggested that lower perceived stress is associated withhigh fruit and vegetable consumption.

Unfortunately, Americans consume a diet rich in animal protein and saturated fat, salt and sugar, so we wanted to find out if that diet worsened the bodys response to stress compared to a Mediterranean diet, in which much of the protein and fat come from plant sources.

The researchers studied the effects of the chronic stress of low social status and the acute stress of being socially isolated for 30 minutes on 38 middle-aged animals that were fed either a Mediterranean or Western diet.

The diets were formulated to jointly reflect human diets, with protein and fat derived mainly from animal sources in the Western group and primarily from plant sources in the Mediterranean group.

To determine the diets effect on stress responses, the scientists measured changes in thesympatheticandparasympathetic nervous systems and in the adrenal gland hormonecortisol, in response to acute and chronic stress.

Thesympatheticnervous system is connected to the fight or flight response felt during periods of acute stress and controls bodily functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. The parasympatheticnervous system has opposite effects that help the body return to a calmer, zen-like state.

High sympathetic nervous system activity can be harmful to health, so maintaining a healthy balance between the two systems is important, Professor Shively stated.

Cortisol, the bodys main stress hormone, helps the body access the resources needed to fight or flee. However, if stress is continuous, cortisol levels stay high and damage tissues in our bodies. This stress is referred to as Chronic Stress.

In comparison to the animals fed aWestern diet, those fed theMediterranean dietexhibitedenhanced stress resilience.This was indicated bylower sympathetic nervous systemandcortisol responses to stress, and morerapid recoveryafter the stress ended, Professor Shively said.

Our study showed that the Mediterranean diet shifted the balance toward the parasympathetic nervous system, which is good for health, Shively mentioned.

By contrast, the Western diet increased the sympathetic response to stress, which is similar to having the panic button on all the time, and that isnt healthy.

As the animals aged over the 31-month study,which is equivalent to about nine years in humans, the research group noted that sympathetic nervous system activity increased!

Nevertheless, the Mediterranean diet slowed the ageing of the sympathetic nervous system.

The studys findings suggest that population-wide adoption of the Mediterranean or Mediterranean-style diet may provide a relatively simple and cost-effective intervention to reduce the negative impact of psychological stress on health and delay nervous system ageing, Shively said.

Hence, it can be safely declared that Greek people, in especially ancient Greeks, have the healthiest diet in the world. And that if we truly follow it as our ancestors did, we will reap great benefits, both physically, psychologically and mentally.

A simple rundown of what the Mediterranean entails:

The Mediterranean diet is simply an ancient way of eating whole, fresh foods that are in season. It is based around lots of vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains, and limited consumption of meat from animals. It is not as strict as other fad diets, allowing a wide variety of foods that can be enjoyed, this makes it easier to follow. The diet promotes the eating of foods that are high inOmega-3sandhealthy fats, such as;

To read more about the Mediterranean diet and its myriad of health advantages, clickhere.

To read more about Professor Carol A. Shively and her incredible ongoing research on the effects of the Mediterranean Diet, click here.

The aforementioned study was supported by the National Institutes ofHealth R01HL087103, RF1AG058829, R01HL122393, U24DK097748, and the Wake Forest Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center P30AG012332.

Excerpt from:
Breaking News: Can The Mediterranean Diet Help Reduce The Effects Of Stress? - Greek City Times - GreekCityTimes.com

Grand Slam-winning tennis champion Venus Williams has launched a vegan protein brand, called Happy Viking.

The first product is a vegan protein shake inspired by the post-workout recipe shes used for the past 10 years. It contains 20 grams of plant protein made from peas and brown rice as well as all nine essential amino acids, which aid in recovery and prebiotic fiber to help digestion. It comes in two flavors: chocolate and vanilla.

The decision to launch the new Happy Viking range was inspired by the prolific athletes own diet.

In 2004, Williams found herself in a battle against her own body. She struggled with fatigue, shortness of breath, and muscle and joint pain. Her symptoms continued to grow progressively worse until she could no longer bear it and in 2011, the highly decorated tennis player was forced to take time off to seek professional help.

It was then that Williams was diagnosed with Sjgrens syndrome, an autoimmune condition that affects the nervous system and is identified by symptoms such as dry mouth and eyes, fatigue, and joint pain. She stepped away from the U.S. Open for the rest of the year and as a result, she fell from the top 100 tennis players for the first time since 1996.

Sjgrens syndrome cannot be cured, but it can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes. In addition to taking medication, Williams adopted a raw vegan diet to help manage her symptoms.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, following an anti-inflammatory diet may help alleviate symptoms of Sjgrens syndrome. This means eliminating common triggers, such as red meat, dairy, refined carbohydrates and sugars, alcohol, and gluten. However, no two bodies are alike, so a change in diet may affect people in different ways.

I learned so much about the food system and how it can affect your body and your health. As an athlete if Im not at optimal performance, someone else will be, Williams told Fast Company. The star athlete returned to tennis in 2012 and finished the season ranked at number 24.

Now, nearly a decade later, Williams has applied her experience with going plant-based to launch Happy Viking.

She no longer follows a strictly raw vegan diet, but she still leaves animal products off her plate. In a 2019 interview with Insider, the tennis player said she introduced some cooked foods into her diet. Lentils are now one of her favorite post-workout meals.

That way of eating was just hard to maintain for long periods of time, she said. Sometimes you just need something more substantial some rice, some potatoes after a workout.

Happy Viking is available through the online store or through Amazon.

LIVEKINDLY is here to help you navigate the growing marketplace of sustainable products that promote a kinder planet. All of our selections are curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, LIVEKINDLY may earn a commission.

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Venus Williams' New Vegan Food Company Is Inspired By Her Diet - LIVEKINDLY

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The high fat, low carb keto diet could help people with diabetes control their blood sugar, according to a new research analysis.

Researchers found the keto diet improved blood sugar and insulin resistance, and also helped patients lose weight.

This adds to a growing body of evidence that keto could be a helpful treatment for type 2 diabetes as well as obesity, but more long term research is needed to how better implement the potential benefits.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

There's even more evidence that a keto diet could help patients with diabetes control their blood sugar.

In a review published November 30 in Nutrition and Diabetes, researchers from the First Hospital of Jilin University in China looked at 13 different studies of the keto diet as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. They found that the low-carb, high fat diet was effective at helping diabetics control their blood sugar levels and improve their sensitivity to insulin.

The keto diet also helped obese and overweight participants lose weight - an average of 19 pounds across all the studies, which ranged from one week to a year in length.

This study is a promising addition to existing evidence that keto can benefit people who have type 2 diabetes or are at risk of developing it.

Researchers theorize that it works because eating carbohydrates raises blood sugar levels. Typically, the body produces a hormone called insulin to regulate blood sugar, but people with type 2 diabetes have become resistant to the effects of insulin.

Reducing carbs targets the source of the problem by preventing blood sugar from rising in the first place, said Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, a professor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine who haspublished several studies on keto and diabetes.

"The most impactful thing on your blood glucose is the amount of carbs in your diet. The low-carb diet is effective because it lowers the insulin load," Cucuzzella previously told Insider. "Insulin is the master switch."

Story continues

Unlike carbohydrates, dietary fat doesn't raise blood sugar. By replacing carbs with fats from foods like avocado, dairy, nuts, fish, olive oil, or meats, the keto diet helps people reduce blood sugar spikes without cutting calories or having to eat less.

This newest analysis didn't look at side effects of the keto diet, since few of the studies included that information. It was also limited to relatively short-term data.

A lack of longer-term data on the keto diet has led some doctors and dietitians to express concerns about the high fat content of keto diets, particularly when it comes from saturated fats like red meat and dairy. That's because those fat sources may increase the level of unhealthy cholesterol in the body, upping the risk of heart disease.

Another obstacle for keto research is that the definition of the diet varies widely. In this analysis, the keto dietranged from fewer than 15 grams of carbohydrates a day to as many as 30 to 50 grams of carbs, or as much as 10% to 14% of total daily calories.

The types of fat sources can also vary widely, particularly in popular representations of keto, which depict the diet as relying heavily on red meat like burgers and bacon, butter, and even fast food.

This can make it tricky to determine which, if any, of these versions are best for health and which might have unintended negative effects. More research could help people find the diet that works for them.

A 'well-formulated' keto diet is one that focuses on whole-food sources of fats, retains nutrient-rich vegetables, and avoids processed food even if it's low-carb, according to Dr. Sarah Hallberg, medical director for Virta Health, a company that specialized in keto diets for type 2 diabetes.

"The idea that this is all meat sticks and heavens knows what else is not true," Hallberg previously told Insider.

Read more:

The keto diet may help people with diabetes control their blood-sugar levels

A woman successfully used the keto diet and intermittent fasting to control her diabetes without medication

A low-fat, high-carb vegan diet could speed up your metabolism and boost weight loss, a new study says

Read the original article on Insider

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The keto diet could help people with diabetes control blood sugar, lose weight, and improve insulin sensitivity, according to a new analysis - Yahoo...

Development & Aid, Editors' Choice, Featured, Food & Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Food Sustainability, Global, Headlines, Poverty & SDGs, Regional Categories, TerraViva United Nations

Food Security and Nutrition

A young boy cooks food at his home in Masunduza, Mbabane, Eswatini. Experts say the current food system does not promote or produce healthy diets. Credit: Mantoe Phakathi/IPS

MBABANE, Dec 3 2020 (IPS) - As the world accelerates towards achieving the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, it is time to replace the current broken food system. With only a decade left to reach the deadline, evidence shows that the way food is produced, processed and transported is not only destructive to the environment but it is also leaving millions behind.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) The State of Food and Nutrition in the World 2019 report, over 820 million people across the world are hungry. In the meantime, the World Health Organisation states that in 2016, 1.9 billion adults were overweight and, of these, 650 million were obese.

Moreover, in 2005 the agriculture sector accounted for more than half of the global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic showed that an already fragile system was not resilient as more people were left hungry as lockdowns imposed by governments across the globe exposed a system that relies on transporting food for several miles across the world.

Farmers in African countries grow what they do not eat and eat what they do not grow. Eswatini, for instance, does not grow enough maize to feed its 1.1 million people but it exports tonnes of sugarcane to Europe each year. It does not help that more than a billion tonnes of food are wasted globally each year.

As experts observed during the one-day Resetting the Food System from Farm to Fork summit hosted by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition Foundation (BCFN), on Dec. 1, the food system is incapable of taking the world to the promised land Zero Hunger by 2030.

This is because despite the lack of access for many people and the negative impact agriculture has on the environment, most of the available food is not healthy.

According to Jeffrey Sachs,professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University and director of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the world needs a new food economy.

Food is overly processed with too much sugar added to it, leading to unhealthy diets, said Sachs. He blamed this on companies who are obsessed with profit to the point of feeding people with highly addictive processed foods and poor regulation by governments to ensure a change of behaviour.

Sachs said while diets will differ based on cultural context but, generally, healthy diets have more fruits and vegetables and are based more on plant protein rather than animal protein.

Changing the food system is a complex challenge, but the first step is to knowwhere we want to go, and thats toward a healthy diet produced with sustainableagriculture, said Sachs.

While many of the speakers during the event lamented a broken system, Chris Barrett, professor and co-editor-in-chief of Food Policy at Cornell University, said it is not all gloom and doom. He said the system has been phenomenally successful in 2020 such that the world is seeing a record high cereal harvesting despite the pandemic and climate change. He also said about 5 billion people will have access to affordable healthy diets this year.

How do we combat the challenges while acknowledging the successes? he asked.

As other speakers noted, it is a system that was designed many years ago and it has served its purpose. The current cracks to the system are a sign that it needs to be replaced with one that is compatible with the new normal.

While technological advancement and innovations are part of the proposed solutions to change the system, policy formulation and education for behavioural change are equally important. Protecting the rights of the marginalised such as indigenous people and ensuring that they have access to land are part of the game-changers.

Elly Schlein, the Vice President Emilia-Romagna, Italy, observed that political will and resources are needed to create the right incentives to change the system.

A timely discussion as the world gears for the U.N 2021 Food Systems Summit which the U.N Secretary-General, Antnio Guterres, will host on November 30 to December 04. The objectives of the U.N. Summit are:

The Resetting the Food System from Farm to Fork summit produced five recommendations for the U.N. meeting, which Dr Agnes Kalibata, the Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, gladly accepted. She said the summit presents an opportunity to evaluate progress towards 2030 and shift things around to ensure that the SDGs are met.

A decade is enough to shift things around as suggested by Guido Barilla, the Barilla Group and BCFN Foundation chair. He said only doubters would want to languish in their comfort zone claiming a decade is too short to change the status quo.

While bringing issues to the table and discussing them during a summit it important, the real test is in the implementation of strategies that such meetings produce.

Visit link:
Fixing the Food System to Produce Healthy Diets - Inter Press Service

Unhealthy versions of love are often romanticized by the mass media so its no wonder we find ourselves in dysfunctional relationships thinking they are normal.

Take The Notebook, one of the most famous romantic movies of all time.

Why is love going to be really hard? Is that what we should expect from love?

Now lets consider The Fault in Our Stars.

I understand the sentiment but again, why is pain a consequence of love?

Lets take one more example, this time from the Golden Age of cinema:

No, jealousy is not a good sign, and it certainly isnt healthy.

We can so easily overlook the real meaning in these sentiments because its love and we have come to expect that:

Shakespeare clearly has a lot to answer for.

If we are ever to figure out what healthy love is then we need to go back to the drawing board.

The dictionary definition of love is an intense feeling of deep affection.

By definition then, love is not an emotion. Love lasts for longer than emotions do which come and go as and when we need them. In addition, we can feel numerous emotions when in love, and because there are good and bad emotions we can easily conclude then that love can also be good and bad.

But, if love is not an emotion, then what is it?

One definition which I think goes some way in explaining the intangible quality of love is:

Love is first and foremost something we feel in our hearts. It is when love manifests itself as an emotional experience that it is characterized by the sort of profound ecstasy or deep attachment that, when suddenly interrupted or unreciprocated, can cause intense suffering.

Berit Brogaard, Professor and Director of the Brogaard Lab for Multisensory Research at the University of Miami.

So, love = joy unless restricted in some way then love = pain. This definition also explains the link love has with emotions in that it manifests itself as an emotional experience.

So, what if we listened to the emotions and feelings that we experience when in love and then rationally decide whether we want to feel that way rather than just accepting it for what it is? Would this not lend itself to a healthier version of love?

If youve ever done something stupid for the sake of love (havent we all?) then you may have justified it by saying you were following your heart (emotional) rather than your head (rational). But then isnt that the same as saying that we cant rationalize what we feel.

It seems then that we dont need to understand love to be able to feel it and yet if we want a healthier version of love then we need to be able to rationalize what we feel. In the process of rationalizing we then identify whether what we have is either a healthy or unhealthy type of love.

Lets look rationally then at three types of love that most of us will experience in our lifetime and identify exactly what is healthy and what is not.

Regard for ones own well-being and happiness

At the core of all healthy loving relationships is self-love because self-love promotes a higher level of self-worth and this, in turn, means you are more likely to make healthier choices in your relationships. Expressed in the simplest way possible:

Healthy self-love is having compassion for yourself. You accept who you are, and that is not to say you dont recognize that you have flaws but you dont let that reduce your self-worth. Its like being your best friend supportive, uncritical, and caring. If you have a bad day then you give yourself a break, you dont beat yourself up about it because you are human and you are not meant to be perfect. Self-love can mean different things to different people but here are some examples of what healthy self-love can look like:

Unhealthy self-love can fall into the realm of narcissism. High levels of self-importance can result in the inability to form meaningful relationships with others. Signs of narcissism can include:

Thankfully, research shows that narcissism is extremely rare and actually the majority of people fall into the low self-confidence category. Females are more likely to suffer from low-self confidence than males and while this does improve with age why wait when you can start practicing self-love now.

To love someone without conditions.

This type of love can often be mistaken for reciprocal love. Yet, the true definition is to offer our love without repayment. That is to say that you can love someone unconditionally but they may not love you unconditionally.

Healthy unconditional love is accepting the person (partner, parent, child) for who they are. It is giving love without expecting a particular outcome or in other words not placing conditions on the love you give. But most importantly it is about establishing boundaries of what is and isnt acceptable in the relationship.

Unhealthy unconditional love is allowing someone (partner, parent, child) to overstep boundaries. In this sense, unconditional is actually just allowing someone to walk all over you. An example of this may be if you allow a parent to criticize you or a partner to cheats on you. Unconditional love doesnt mean accepting bad behavior that negatively affects you.

While unconditional love does not expect anything in return, if you are in a relationship with someone who you unconditionally love but who does not unconditionally love you back then there is an imbalance in power. Therefore, if you are in a relationship with someone (partner, parent, child) who places conditions on the love they give you then this is not healthy. For example, a partner that only loves you when you are a certain weight or a parent who only loves you when you choose the career that they want for you.

As we found earlier when trying to define love, there is an expectation that love = pain. However, setting clear boundaries will go a long way to eliminating that pain. For example, telling a parent I love you but I will not allow you to tell me what career I must choose, or to a partner I love you but I will not allow you to constantly speak negatively about my appearance.

Do you see that self-love plays a key role here? Having a high level of self-worth will help you to recognize unacceptable behavior in relationships and call it out.

Spend your time on those who love you unconditionally. Dont waste it on those that only love you when the conditions are right for them.

Love that is not reciprocated.

La douleur exquise (French) the heart-wrenching pain of wanting someone you can never have.

Here is a love that does cause pain or as we found in Berit Brogaards definition intense suffering. It can include love for someone you have never been with or even love for someone you have been with but who no longer returns that love.

It may seem odd then to think that there may be healthy and unhealthy versions of unrequited love but like with all love there are always two sides.

Unhealthy unrequited love is expecting that they will change their mind or worse still trying to get them to change their mind. It can include self-destructive tendencies like trying to break up their relationship (if they are with someone else) or even berating yourself for being so stupid that you would expect them to love you. If you are finding it difficult to move on then speaking with a therapist may help.

When we talk about healthy unrequited love, it is more about learning to accept the situation as it is as that will enable you to move on. Yes, this is easier said than done love doesnt just go away, taking time to grieve is important. However, you should never have to fight for someones love, and going back to what we learned about self-love this should teach you that you are worthy of love and if someone doesnt realize that then you shouldnt waste your time on them.

By focusing on self-love, it will help you to rebuild your confidence and find someone who does love you for who you are.

Love doesnt have to be the tortured version were led to believe it should be. Yes, we feel love with the heart but that doesnt mean you cant use your head and rationalize whether the love you have is good or bad. Choose healthy love and you will have healthy relationships. And remember that self-love is the first love you must learn if you want to love and be loved.

This post was previously published on Medium.com.

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The Love Diet: How To Identify Healthy and Unhealthy Love - The Good Men Project

Encouraging people to eat more dried fruit without added sugar could be an effective way to boost their intake of vital nutrients, researchers have concluded.

Low consumption of fruit in the United States and other countries is a major contributor to diet-related disease and disability, according to a recent analysis.

Fruit is a good source of nutrients, such as fiber and potassium, that many people lack in their diet. It also contains bioactive nutrients that provide extra health benefits, including polyphenols and carotenoids.

Research suggests that eating fruit is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

However, only about 24% of females and 14% of males in the U.S. eat the recommended daily amount of fruit, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Several factors might contribute to peoples low intake of fresh fruit, including limited availability, high cost, and perishability.

Recommending that people eat more dried fruit could be one solution.

Dried fruit offers several advantages over fresh fruit in terms of cost, availability, and ease of storage and transport. It could also replace more unhealthful snack food that is high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat.

At the same time, however, there are concerns about overconsumption leading to excess calorie intake because dried fruit is such an energy dense form of fruit.

Previous observational studies have found that eating dried fruit is associated with health benefits. However, the evidence is inconclusive because people who eat more dried fruit may tend to have a more healthful diet and lifestyle overall.

The new study by researchers at Pennsylvania (Penn) State University in University Park aimed to get around this difficulty by comparing days when particular participants reported eating dried fruit with days when they ate none.

They found that people tended to consume more key nutrients on the days they ate dried fruit, including dietary fiber and potassium. However, they also consumed more calories.

Dried fruit can be a great choice for a nutritious snack, but consumers might want to be sure theyre choosing unsweetened versions without added sugar, says Valerie Sullivan of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD, who was a grad student at Penn State when she led the study.

Portion sizes can also be tricky because a serving of dried fruit is smaller than a serving of fresh since the water has been taken out. But the positive is that dried fruit can help people potentially consume more fruit because its portable, its shelf-stable, and can even be cheaper.

The research appears in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

For their analysis, the scientists drew on survey responses from 25,590 individuals who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 20072016.

The respondents provided information about the food they had consumed in the past 24 hours (called dietary recalls).

Dried fruit accounted for only 3.7% of all the fruit consumed. However, a total of 1,233 participants reported consuming dried fruit on one out of two dietary recalls, allowing the scientists to compare their intake on these days.

Data were also available on the participants health, including their body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and seated resting blood pressure.

Even after adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors, the participants who ate significant amounts of dried fruit tended to have better diets, a lower BMI, a smaller waist circumference, and lower systolic blood pressure compared with those who did not.

When the researchers compared the days when a participant ate dried fruit with those when they did not, they found that the average intake of total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, potassium, and polyunsaturated fat was greater on the days they ate dried fruit.

Taken together, the findings suggest that people who ate dried fruit expended more energy, compensating for the extra calories.

In our study, people who consumed dried fruits had a higher calorie intake but a lower BMI and waist circumference, which suggests they were more physically active, says co-author Penny Kris-Etherton, Evan Pugh University Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State.

So, when incorporating dried fruits, pay attention to calories and be sure to substitute out calories from low nutrient foods for dried fruits to get the greatest benefit of eating dried fruits, she adds.

The researchers write that eating dried fruit tended to increase total fruit consumption, rather than replacing other forms of fruit. Thus, increasing dried fruit consumption might help Americans achieve greater fruit intakes.

The authors acknowledge that their study did not prove that eating dried fruit improves health, only that there seems to be an association. People who are likely to eat dried fruit may have better health for other reasons, such as taking more exercise or leading less stressful lives.

In addition, they note that the survey relied on the participants recollection of what they had eaten over the past 24 hours and their ability to estimate quantities accurately.

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Eating dried fruit linked to better overall diet and health - Medical News Today

A lunar eclipse is a big celestial event for skygazers. The year's last lunar eclipse will be visible on Novemeber 30, 2020, coinciding with Kartik Purnima. Much like the last eclipse, this lunar eclipse will also be a penumbral one, i.e. when the earth comes between the moon and the sun.The eclipse will be visible in our country between the hours of 1:04 PM and 5:22 PM, reaching its peak at 3:13 PM. Those who believe in astrology know that eclipses garner special significance in traditional texts and there are a lot of customs and rituals followed on the day too. In some communities, it is even advised that a person does not eat, or work during the hours of the eclipse. There are also some dietary beliefs which are broadly followed on the day.Is it safe to eat on the day of the eclipse?According to modern science, there is no real fear if a person eats or carries out certain tasks on the day of an eclipse. However, lunar eclipses are considered to be a harbinger of changes and a representative of bad omen. Hence, precautions are followed. Pregnant women are advised to be very cautious and avoid contact with harmful objects.Effect of the lunar cycle on the human body, according to beliefsAccording to beliefs, moon's cycles impact our body scientifically, psychologically and our energy chakras as well. Some scriptures suggest that any food we consume on the day, takes a longer while to digest, as our body's vital energies age by approximately twenty eight days. This is one of the primary reasons why traditionally, eating raw food is avoided on the day of the eclipse.

That being said, there are certain preventive tips which you can definitely follow to safeguard your health.

Diet do's and don'tsSome of the most commonly believed diet myths surround the food which should be consumed and the ones which should be avoided. Religious texts suggest that the moon's powerful rays may hamper or ruin the nutritive properties of the food and make it unfit for consumption.

We tell you some of the most prevalent dietary customs followed on the day:

Raw food must be avoidedIn traditional communities, consumption of raw food, certain fruits and vegetables is not advised. It is assumed that the rays of the moon can ruin its properties and make it unfit for eating. The same extends to alcohol, non-vegetarian produce or any items which take a long time to digest.

No pre-cooked food in the kitchenJust like some people follow the practice of bathing after the eclipse ends, no pre-cooked food is made available in the house during the duration of the eclipse. Traditional beliefs dictate that the strong emissions which are emitted from the moon can contaminate or decay the food. Hence, as a measure, many families do not cook anything or prepare food in advance on the day of the eclipse, and instead, choose to have something light and fresh once the eclipse ends. Again, there is no scientific claim behind this happening.

Adding Tulsi leaves to prepared food is a mustSome people prefer adding some tulsi (holy basil) seeds to the food while preparing it to cut out the radiation which might tamper the food's taste or quality. While there is no conclusive proof behind this custom, adding tulsi seeds to your food, or simply increasing its intake is good to fight certain infections and keep the body healthy.

Read more:
Chandra Grahan 2020: Is it safe to eat food during Lunar eclipse? What do traditional beliefs say? Explai - Times of India

Mike Tyson has revealed that he has ditched his plant-based diet and turned to stem-cell treatment ahead of his exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. this weekend.

After retiring from the sport in 2005, Tyson gained weight rapidly, tipping the scales at 27 stone at his heaviest. At this point, he opted to change to a plant-based diet in an attempt to slim down.

However, prior to stepping into the ring for the first time in 15 years on Saturday in Los Angeles, the 54-year-old confirmed that he has now reintroduced meat into his diet in order to build up his strength.

I stopped because of the training and because of what I wanted my body to look like and the strength that I wanted to possess.

I only eat elk and bison - wild stuff - and Im starting to feel fit

I realised the stuff thats good for other people - like kale, vegetables and blueberries - for me is really poisonous. Kale will kill me! he said on Joe Rogan's podcast, as reported by The Mirror.

As well as his diet, Tyson has stepped up his training, and looks in remarkable shape for his comeback.

Detailing his daily routine, Bodhizonestates that the youngest-ever heavyweight champion runs up to five miles in the morning, spars before and after lunch, completes multiple strength training sessions, does an hour on the bike and works on his boxing technique in the gym.

Tyson has also told reporters that he has taken the unusual step of trying stem-cell treatment in recent weeks, and is already feeling the benefits.

"Six weeks of this and Id be in the best shape Ive ever dreamed of being in.

"As a matter of fact, Im going through that process right now," he said, as reported by the New York Post.

Tyson's adjustments appear to have worked. 'Iron' Mike weighed in at 220.4lbs on Friday.

This is lighter than he was for his first world title fight in 1986, when he dispatched Trevor Berbick inside two rounds to be crowned champion at the age of 20.

The iconic heavyweight has certainly taken this fight seriously, and it is easy to understand why. He will be facing a formidable foe in Roy Jones Jr. who only stepped away from the squared circle two years ago.

Jones Jr. won titles in four separate weight classes during his career, including at heavyweight in 2003.

Both men appear to be prepared. Now we must wait for Saturday night to see who comes out on top in this highly-anticipated match-up.

Go here to read the rest:
Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jr: Tyson's training regime and 'wild things' diet that saw him lose 100lbs - GIVEMESPORT

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