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New research shows that one common weight loss strategy time-restricted eating isnt more effective than eating throughout the day.

A team of researchers from the University of California San Francisco and other institutions released their findings last week.

For their study, they created two groups comprising 116 participants.

One group ate 3 structured meals per day, while the other ate nothing between 8 p.m. and noon the following day.

Time-restricted eating, in the absence of other interventions, is not more effective in weight loss than eating throughout the day, the researchers wrote.

Despite the studys conclusions, experts interviewed by Healthline say theres more than meets the eye when it comes to time-restricted diets and individualized weight loss.

Dr. Jamie Kane, chief of the section of obesity medicine and director of the Center for Weight Management at Northwell Health in New York, told Healthline that the studys findings arent necessarily in line with what he and his colleagues have observed in practice.

In our practice, and with a lot of my colleagues, time-restricted eating has worked out, Kane said.

When youre dealing with these controlled trials, how you set up your controls can be very important, he said. So when I read it, I was a little bit disappointed, and then I saw that there are some issues involved that might elucidate why weve had some success whereas this study didnt.

Kane explained that many people respond particularly well to time-restricted eating.

We recommend not going beyond 12 hours of eating in a day, he said. If someones not really willing to make wholesale dietary changes, we try to get them to at least time-restrict. There may be metabolic benefit based on animal models were not sure. But at the very least, youre not going to overeat.

Dr. Minisha Sood, an endocrinologist with Northwell Health who is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, told Healthline that the study didnt record or report the macronutrient composition or caloric intake of the two groups, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions.

The baseline metabolic conditions of the cohorts should also be clearly delineated, she noted. Also surprising to me, to some degree, is that the patients following time-restricted eating lost more lean muscle mass than is usually lost with other weight loss methods. We dont know if this is due to lower protein intake or another factor.

Healthline spoke to Michelle MacDonald, a registered dietitian/nutritionist and clinical dietitian supervisor at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado.

She said that time-restricted eating can work well for some people.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach for weight loss or health for that matter if youre trying to improve metabolic parameters, she explained.

MacDonald said that the clear parameters of time-restricted eating can curb the binges that often contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Many patients tell me that they tend to eat a lot at night mindlessly, go for long periods of the day because theyre too busy, and then forage from late afternoon into the evening, she said. This is a pattern that is very common in people that I counsel. If theres a rule that they cant eat after a certain time, and theyre happy adopting it, it can be an easier pill to swallow than being told what to do.

Just getting people to get on board in a way that theyre happy with, and they dont feel miserable and deprived about, is important. I think mindset is huge, MacDonald added.

Kane said time-restricted eating is often recommended for people with issues with their circadian rhythms for example, those who work nights or have irregular work schedules.

If you eat at night and dont sleep at night, then you become very insulin resistant, in addition to other hormones that govern appetite and energy use, they all get kind of flipped, he said. So we say, OK, we cant change the fact that youre working all night, but lets just eat for 6 to 8 hours during the day. It can help regulate your rhythms.

We have no evidence, hormonally, whats happening, but it seems to work better than just eating willy-nilly, whenever you want, Kane added.

Kane did caution that, while time-restricted eating can yield results, it doesnt mean that the hours when someone is eating can be a free-for-all.

If youre just eating from 12 to 8, and otherwise restricting your eating, dont expect miracles. If youre eating two burgers and donuts and ice cream, foods that we know cause metabolic and inflammatory damage and weight gain, dont expect to lose extensive weight, he pointed out.

While time-restricted eating can help with weight loss, there are some basic tips that can lead to a healthier lifestyle whether youre restricting eating times or not.

Its not any particular diet in terms of low-carb or low-fat, said MacDonald. It has to do with whether a person can stick to it. So this kind of goes along with why you have to individualize your plan. You kind of have to suss that out. Ideally, the person knows themselves well enough to know whether or not a given approach is going to work.

Sood said a helpful benchmark is to use the 80/20 rule. Essentially, 80 percent of the time, try to stick to your health goals, leaving the other 20 percent for deviations from those goals.

Aim for no caloric intake within 3 hours of bedtime, choose a plant-rich diet low in processed foods, refined flours, and sugar, she recommended.

Stop eating at meals when youve reached about a 6 or 7 (out of 10) on your hunger scale. If youre doing time-restricted eating, be mindful to keep protein intake intact and invest time in resistance training. Drink plenty of water and sleep at least 7 to 9 hours per night, Sood said.

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Are Time-Restricted Diets More Effective Than Food-Restrictive Diets? - Healthline

In recent times we have seen a wave of vegans, vegetarians and people following a plant-based diet as a trend as people are gradually giving up on meat and animal products. While it may have certain health benefits, lets look at the reasons why it also helps to fight climate change.

After the release of a popular documentary - The Game Changers, a lot of people have taken into consideration the long term health benefits of practicing a plant based diet. Along with multiple health benefits, one of the most crucial factors of having a plant based diet is that it helps combat climate change as it requires less percentage of agriculture land mass essentially.

Along with promoting human health, plant based diet is vital for promoting the health of planet earth as well. The food we consume is the cause and effect of a healthy environment and how we can keep our planet alive. Its important to know the food we eat and its production. The high consumption of meat and dairy products is one of the major factors for global warming and it's highly increasing at an alarming rate.

Lets look at some of the ways a plant based diet can help save the planet and thus, mankind.

1. Save water

If you consume meat then you are responsible for about 15,000 litres of water consumption for a day on average. Cutting down on meat will reduce the water footprint by almost 60 percent. It takes up to 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, you can do the match now.

2. Reduce agricultural land use

Agriculture covers almost 40 percent of land mass on Earth and if we ditch meat and stick to a plant based diet then we require 42 percent of less cropland.

3. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are related to food production out of which most of it is based on animal products. Another reason to switch to a plant based diet is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that if released at a higher rate would lead to global warming.

4. Save lives

It is proven that excess of meat consumption can increase health risks and developing any chronic diseases. Hence, eating more plants than animals can save lives and prevent premature deaths from multiple diseases.

5. Save animals

Last but not least, by switching to a plant based diet can help ease out animal suffering. Several documentaries like Eating Animals, Dominion and Lucent tell us about the gritty reality of factory farming and exposes the conditions in which animal rearing is done.

Also Read:World Vegetarian Day: 5 myths about being vegetarian debunked

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5 Ways a plant based diet can help to save the planet - PINKVILLA

One of the most effective weapons against cancer isnt found in a hospital.

Chemotherapy, radiation and surgical intervention are all important tools in treating the disease. But in the rich green, yellow, orange and red of fresh fruits and vegetables, in the fiber-rich whole grains, in legumes such as beans, peas and lentils, people have the chance to prevent cancer in the first place.

Food is more important than you think, said Abby Emerick, a clinical dietitian and board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition at Franciscan Health Indianapolis.

"What we put into our bodies; we really are truly what we eat. When we put junk in, it makes us feel junky on the outside. When we eat something good, it helps," she said.

Story continues below gallery

The exact way diet impacts cancer risk is unknown, but health officials agree what you eat and drink can have a massive impact on the chances of developing the disease.

That makes nutrition an integral tool in keeping cancer at bay.

Even small changes can have big impacts, Emerick said.

"We all know were going to have our ups and downs. We have to understand that life happens; theres going to be celebrations, and theres going to be weekends or bad days when we might not eat perfectly," she said. "But diet really does play a huge part of cancer prevention and getting our immune systems strong."

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, 1 in 4 people in the U.S. will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Nearly 1.7 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2019.

Certain factors, such as genetics and environment, are untouchable in terms of reducing your cancer risk. But research shows that about 40% of cancer cases are preventable, meaning about 694,000 cases of cancer could be prevented each year.

Diet is one of the simplest lifestyle changes you can make, Emerick said.

"What we put into our bodies, and how were using and moving our bodies, is the biggest factor," she said. "The No. 1 cancer prevention tip is to be as lean as possible without becoming underweight."

Through her job, Emerick often works with cancer patients at Franciscan Health Cancer Center. Her focus with them is to take the research and knowledge that medicine knows regarding nutrition and cancer, and try to use it to help patients before, during and after treatment.

She relies on the American Institute for Cancer Research, as well as the World Cancer Research Fund, which provides top recommendations on diet and cancer prevention.

"Theyre the ones who are doing the research, have the science behind it and the studies," she said.

Being obese or overweight leaves a person at increased risk for nearly a dozen kinds of cancers: esophageal, liver, kidney, stomach, colorectal, advanced prostate, breast, gallbladder, pancreatic, ovarian and endometrial, or the lining of the uterus.

One of the foremost recommendations is eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables particularly those with bright colors whole grains and legumes.

"I use the rule of thumb: If it can stain your shirt, its probably a good cancer-fighting fruit or vegetable," Emerick said. "The richer the color, those are the ones with lots of antioxidants and have those anti-cancer properties."

Limit fast foods and processed foods that are high in fat, starches and sugar. Also, limit red meat and avoid processed meat. A link has been found between those foods and cancer, so if youre going to eat meat, opt for more white meats, such as chicken or turkey.

Emerick doesnt advocate for one diet or another, such as going all vegan, keto or paleo. Rather, the key is making good choices overall in what you eat.

"We know that there is power in plants. The more plant-based diet is ideal, but we also know meat and animal products can fit perfectly fine into a diet thats great for cancer prevention," she said. "Its not doing one extreme or the other."

Paired with good diet, physical activity is key to reducing the risk of cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends 30 minutes of activity each day, such as walking, cycling, dancing, even general gardening. As fitness improves, increase that to 60 minutes of moderate activity or 30 minutes of vigorous activity.

Emerick helps her patients understand that, and shows them how to start making small changes to improve their health. She knows that being faced with so many changes can be daunting, and often can discourage people before they even begin to alter their diet.

So its important to offer support with each tiny step.

"Often times when I meet people, they feel terrible. They have a lot of anxiety and fear about cancer, so, just empowering people to start small and gradually add on," Emerick said. "Make progress, and keep on with their healthy habits."

At a glance

Ten cancer prevention recommendations

1. Be a healthy weight: Try to keep your weight in the healthy range and avoid weight gain in adult life.

2. Physical activity: Be physically active as part of everyday lifewalk more and sit less.

3. Eat a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans: Make whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes such as beans and lentils a major part of your normal diet.

4. Limit consumption of fast foods and other processed foods that are high in fat, starches or sugars: Limiting these products helps you control your calorie intake, and makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

5. Limit consumption of red and processed meat: Eat no more than moderate amounts (12-18 ounces per week) of red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb. Eat little, if any, processed meat.

6. Limit consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks: Drink mostly water and unsweetened drinks.

7. Limit alcohol consumption: For cancer prevention, its best not to drink alcohol.

8. Do not use supplements for cancer prevention: Aim to meet your nutritional needs through diet alone.

9. Breastfeed your baby, if you can. Breastfeeding is good for both mother and baby.

10. After a cancer diagnosis, follow these recommendations, if you can: Check with your health professional about what is right for you.

Source: American Institute of Cancer Research

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Changing diet can have impact on preventing cancer - Daily Journal

The coronavirus pandemic has dominated the headlines and our daily lives for most of this year. Medical News Today have covered this fast-moving, complex story with live updates on the latest news, interviews with experts, and an ongoing investigation into the deep racial disparities that COVID-19 has helped unmask.

However, this has not stopped us from publishing hundreds of fascinating stories on a myriad of other topics.

This week, we reported on the long-term cognitive benefits of playing video games (nobody tell my 12-year-old), the link between thunderstorms and an increased number of emergency room visits, and how simple changes to your lifestyle and diet could ward off dementia.

We also look at a new light therapy for people with migraine, which has been tested in humans for the first time, and a study that saw stem cell implantation restore motor function in mice with Parkinsons disease.

Finally, we look at the psychology of voting (and not voting) and news from Germany about how even a gentle 10-minute massage can bring about lasting relaxation.

Below are 10 recent stories that you may have missed amid all the COVID-19 fervor.

Good news for gamers, this week, with our report on new research that has found a link between video games and cognition. The results suggest that video games may induce cognitive changes that last for years after people have stopped playing.

Video games are a perfect recipe for strengthening our cognitive skills, almost without our noticing, says the lead author of the study, Dr. Marc Palaus.

Learn more here.

Our detailed report on this extremely rare, very serious congenital condition was read by over 100,000 visitors this week, making it our most-viewed new article.

Mermaid syndrome, or sirenomelia, was first described in the medical literature of the 15th century. It is called mermaid syndrome because the newborn babys legs are fused. Our article looks at the causes, treatments, and care techniques, as well as possible risk factors and the outlook for babies with this syndrome.

Learn more here.

There was also great interest in our coverage of new research that may help both the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimers disease. Nearly 4,000 readers spent, on average, over 6 minutes with this article.

Scientists at the Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, in Spain, identified differences in how the brains of people with Alzheimers chemically label a key protein, called the amyloid precursor protein, with sugars.

Finding this difference in the proteins sugar labeling, or glycosylation, could lead to the development of a new diagnostic test for Alzheimers disease. In the longer term, it may even inspire new treatments.

Learn more here.

This week, MNT reported on a possible link between weather conditions and the number of older adults visiting emergency rooms with respiratory issues. Over the 14-year period covered in their study, the researchers found 52,000 additional visits to emergency rooms on the days to either side of a significant thunderstorm.

Its thought that climate change will cause more intense thunderstorms of the type identified in this study. Respiratory problems spurred by an increase in temperature and particulate matter caused by storms could result in many more older people seeking medical assistance, particularly if they have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Learn more here.

Changing the diet and increasing physical activity levels can reduce the risk of developing dementia, even in older people, after a diagnosis of cognitive decline. That was the conclusion of a proof-of-concept study covered by MNT this week.

The changes proposed in the new study, led by a team from The Australian National University, in Canberra, are relatively easy to adopt and inexpensive to follow, making this approach to preventing dementia a promising option for many older people.

With the right intervention, people experiencing cognitive decline may retain sufficient neuroplasticity for their brain to bounce back from decline, says Mitchell McMaster, the studys lead author.

Learn more here.

Migraine usually involves moderate-to-severe headaches, which may accompany other symptoms that can be debilitating, such as visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and extreme sensitivity to sound and light.

Pain relief medications are not always effective and often cause unpleasant side effects. Light therapy, however, offers the promise of relief without a dependence upon drugs.

This week, MNT reported on new research that suggests that exposure to green light of a particular wavelength and brightness may relieve migraine headaches just as effectively as drugs.

The results have already been demonstrated in mice, and this new study represents the first time a clinical trial of green light therapy in humans has produced a significant improvement in the frequency of migraine headaches.

Learn more here.

In a fascinating study, covered this week by MNT, researches found that the type of neurons transplanted into the brain, rather than their location, was the key to restoring brain health and movement in mice with Parkinsons disease.

Within 45 months, the dopamine-producing stem cells implanted in this study made connections with the area of the brain involved in coordinating movement.

However, the researchers caution that the greater distances between brain areas in humans may make it more difficult for implanted stem cells to make these connections and restore movement in the same way.

Learn more here.

A diet of junk food in your teens and early 20s may contribute to serious health problems decades later, even if your diet improves in the meantime. This was the conclusion of new research that we covered this week.

The authors argue that this evidence supports the prescription of lipid-lowering drugs, like statins, in people aged 2039 years as well as earlier interventions to improve dietary and lifestyle choices if doctors detect high cholesterol.

Learn more here.

In recent weeks, MNT has published a number of articles on health and the 2020 election, covering topics like the mental health benefits of voting, advice on how to vote safely, and how health influences voting behavior.

In this Special Feature, we look at voter apathy and some of the factors that may influence the psychology of voting. We ask: Who votes, who does not, and why might this be?

Learn more here.

Finally in this weeks Recovery Room, weve found another reason to unwind with a massage. Psychologists at the University of Konstanz, in Germany, have found that a 10-minute massage measurably increases relaxation.

The researchers divided participants into three groups. One received a moderately intense 10-minute massage designed to activate the stress-relieving parasympathetic nervous system. The second group received a softer massage, and the third group was asked to sit at a table and relax for 10 minutes, no massage included.

All of the participants reported feeling less stressed and more relaxed after the tests, but heart rate variability (HRV), a physiological measure of relaxation, was much higher in those who had received a massage. The team now plans to measure the benefits of other relaxation techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises, using HRV as their guide.

Learn more here.

We hope these have provided a taste of the stories that we cover at MNT. We will be back with a new selection next week.

We publish hundreds of news stories and features every month. Here are some upcoming articles that may pique our readers interest:

Read more here:
The Recovery Room: News beyond the pandemic October 2 - Medical News Today

The currently popular diet of intermittent fasting that restricts eating to eight hours per day, separated by 16 hours of fasting, is not effective on its own as a means of either losing weight or for improving key metabolic health markers, according to a new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco.

While time-restricted feeding has been shown to prevent weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet and reduces weight and metabolic outcomes in already obese mice, most of the reported benefits of such fasting in humans has had limited scientific testing.

This study, which included 116 men and women with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 to 46, found that people who were randomly assigned to only eat during an eight-hour period each day lost 2 lbs. (0.94 kg) on average over the 12-week period, while those with consistent meal timing lost an average of 1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg).

The study found no significant difference between the two groups in total weight loss or in other markers, such as fat mass, lean mass, fasting insulin or glucose, HbA1C levels, energy intake, or total or resting energy expenditure.

First author Dylan A. Lowe, Ph.D., and corresponding authorEthan J. Weiss, M.D., are both affiliated with the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute. Additional findings, authors and affiliations can be found in the paper, published Sept. 28, 2020, inJAMA Internal Medicine.

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This diet is popular but it doesn't work - University of California

Do you have your heart set on having a boy? Looking for a way to stack the odds in your favor? Heard that changing your diet may help?

Theres no proven evidence for a special diet to conceive a boy or, for that matter, to conceive a girl. According to the Mayo Clinic, Theres not much the average couple can do to affect a babys sex.

But there are some proponents who believe otherwise. Here, we take a look at the theories and their evidence or lack thereof.

Sex and gender are evolving terms. In this article, biological sex refers to a babys X and Y chromosomes, with XX determining female and XY determining male.

Although theres no clinical proof that changing your diet can help you conceive a boy, there are many supporters of traditional and natural remedies that feel it can. One of the most popular suggestions supported by anecdotal information is to make your body more alkaline.

This unproven remedy suggests that people with a more alkaline (high pH) environment are more likely to conceive a boy. This method recommends:

While theres no evidence backing this theory, theres rarely any harm in adding fresh fruits and veggies to your diet!

If you want to conceive a girl, on the other hand, this theory suggests increasing your bodys acidity.

A 2008 study of 740 women concluded there was a higher probability of having a male baby when the mother increased her calorie intake and ate breakfast cereals. Researchers hypothesized that this may be because higher blood glucose levels favor having a boy.

However, the United Kingdoms National Health Service (NHS) suggests the conclusions of this study include inaccuracies that make it ill advised to suggest that increasing a womans caloric intake and eating breakfast cereals could increase chances of having a boy.

Different folks have different opinions about having a boy or girl. For some parents, its about balancing out their family with boy children and girl children. According to a 2011 Gallup poll, the most popular reasons for wanting a boy include:

With reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF), you might have high-tech options such as sperm sorting and preimplantation genetic screening to improve your chances of having a boy. Sex selection done this way is much more common now than it was just a few years ago, when Chrissy Teigen and John Legend did it.

However, this practice has a wide range of ethical, religious, legal, and social implications and is considered controversial. If youre doing IVF and have this option, keep in mind that its not necessarily a purely medical decision.

Planning on getting pregnant? You might have heard that certain diets can impact fertility.

There have been studies about the relationship of diet to fertility, but they lack the details to be of real use to people trying to conceive. For example, theres positive fertility impact of vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, omega-fatty acid, and vitamin B12, but its not always clear how much of these supplements to take.

Its good for both men and women to eat a healthy diet whether theyre trying to get pregnant or not. Prenatal vitamins (with vitamin B12 and folic acid) are already routinely recommended for people trying to conceive.

This desire to have a baby of a specific sex is often met with suggestions that havent been clinically proven, such as changing your diet one way to increase your chance of having a girl or another way to have a boy. However, theres no scientific evidence that this works.

If youre focused on having a boy, talk to your doctor about your hopes. They may have a suggestion or two and, importantly, theyll have advice and recommendations on helping you have a healthy, happy baby, whether it turns out to be a boy or a girl.

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Diet to Conceive a Boy: Different Theories and If They're True - Healthline

Steve Steeves shares how we should eat for our body, mind and soul to achieve abundant health

HOUSTON To order "The Trinity Diet: Lifestyle Balancing - Body, Soul and Spirit", click here.

For more information on Steve Steeves, CCN, ND, PscD., log on to NutritionandHealthCenter.com.

Debilitating back pain left Steve Steeves barely able to walk. He was later diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an incurable form of Rheumatoid Arthritis. He was given drug therapy for pain management and told he would be in a wheelchair by age 40 -50. Steeves said it was hard to imagine a life in which he wasn't active. A small voice inside him said, "There's another way. Seek out another way." This inspired him to learn more about health and healing. Steeves set off on a journey studying the human body and learned in the process that our physical health is connected to our spiritual and mental health. Today, Steeves is experiencing the best health of his life and is active jogging, playing basketball and lifting weights.

Steeves works as a clinical nutritionist, naturopath and phytotherapist, and helps others find healing at the Nutrition and Health Center. He's also the author of "The Trinity Diet: Lifestyle Balancing - Body, Soul and Spirit". The book helps readers balance their body, soul and spirit through their food, and focuses on the trinity of macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

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The Trinity Diet - KHOU.com

The coronavirus is affecting the lives of Japans nationally protected species, the Nara deer, which live by Nara Park in Nara City, Nara Prefecture.

Tourists have largely disappeared from the historic tourist destination due the pandemic. And although some of the deer have left the park for a more wild and healthy life, others are becoming malnutritioned due to their dependence on the Shika Senbei rice crackers that tourists feed them.

Approximately 1,300 deer live near the Nara Park. Roughly 13 million tourists visit the park annually, and up to around 20 million deer crackers are sold each year. Excluding the 400 that are housed in the Rokuen deer shelter, around 900 deer roaming the park consume the rice crackers, meaning each deer generally eats more than 60 crackers per day.

The rice crackers weigh about 3 to 4 grams each, and are considered a snack for the deer, who eat about 5 kilograms of grass everyday. However, the nutritional value of the crackers is higher than grass, making them attractive to the deer. Therefore, the deer are often seen hovering around the food stands where the crackers are sold, waiting to entertain the tourists who feed them.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, however, tourist numbers have significantly decreased. Crackers sales have plummeted. with their daily lives upended, the deer themselves started showing signs of change as well.

According to a research conducted by The Nara Deer Preservation Foundation (NDPF) and Assistant Professor Shiro Tatsuzawa of Hokkaido University (Conservation Ecology Department), it was discovered that there has been a decrease in the number of deer staying inside the central grounds of Nara Park.

In January this year, before the pandemic outbreak caused a drop in tourists, 71.9% of the deer population was recorded as present in the park during daytime. In contrast, only 50.2% of the deer were found in the park during the daytime in June. Nighttime numbers were recorded at 56.5% in January and 34.9% in June, showing an estimated 20% drop in both cases.

Perhaps the deer decided to roam around looking for grass to feed on since there were much fewer tourists to feed them the crackers, suggests Assistant Professor Tatsuzawa.

While the deer population in Nara Park has decreased, the number of deer sitting on the grass during daytime has increased from 19.3% to 59.1%.

Deer are ruminants, meaning they digest their food, such as grass, by bringing it back from their stomachs to chew on it again, making rest time after meals essential. Tatsuzawa states that this increase may be a good indication that the deer are eating more grass and are returning to a more natural healthy diet.

There have already been signs of improvements. Normally, deer droppings are dark and round in shape, but before the pandemic, there were loose feces found all around the park. NDPFs veterinarian, Rie Maruko explains that the deers intestinal bacteria will become out of balance from eating too much Shika Senbei and human snacks, often resulting in loose droppings.

Like humans, deer need to eat a balanced diet to maintain a healthy stomach. Lately, loose droppings have been greatly reducing, and the overall health of the deer population has improved.

On the other hand, a segment of the deer population is becoming extremely thin, apparently due to its dependence on rice crackers. Assistant Professor Tatsuzawa believes some deer might be addicted to the rice crackers, as they are seen roaming around the once populated tourist sites, such as the Nara National Museum, but are not seen eating any grass.

According to a previous survey, some deer ate more than 200 crackers a day, leading the Assistant Professor to speculate that perhaps these deer have become so accustomed to eating the crackers given to them by people that they are unable to adapt to the changes.

Not only has the coronavirus pandemic drastically changed peoples lives, but the lives of the Nara Park deer as well.

(Find access to the story in its original Japanese, here.)

Author: Hiroto Kuwajima

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Naras Deer Miss the Tourists: Some Relearn Natural Diet While Others Grow Thin - JAPAN Forward

As well as eating right, dieters should exercise regularly and drink plenty of water.

When starting out, Emily explained some top tips to follow to cut back on calorie consumption.

She explained: "Use a smaller plate to avoid eating excessive portions.

"Also, make sure youre not distracted when eating. Turn your phone off and dont watch TV, being distracted may mean you miss hunger cues and eat more."

DON'T MISS

Making simple changes to how you eat as well as what you eat could help create healthy habits.

The expert also suggested ditching unhealthy snacks and pre-planning meals to avoid overeating.

"Plan out meals in advance so you know youre staying within your calorie allowance," Emily added.

"And avoid junk food, try to allow yourself to only eat sugary or fatty snacks as a treat."

"The main reason for this is protein is satiating which means it makes you fuller for longer."

How much protein one person needs to eat depends on their weight, the nutritionist said.

She continued: "For adults, the general daily requirement is 0.6g of protein per kilogram bodyweight.

"So if you weigh 80kg, youd need around 48g protein daily to stay healthy, but increasing your protein intake might have benefits if youre trying to lose weight."

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Weight loss: Eating more of one food can help burn fat - how much should you have? - Express

There are many arguments regarding the best diet.

Nevertheless, health and wellness communities admit that diets highlighting fresh, whole ingredients and minimizing processed foods are excellent for the overall wellness of the body.

The whole-foods, plant-based diet does just that. Dropping the phrase plant-based diet is in a buzz when talking about nutrition these days. But why is it so hot right now? Because it focuses on minimally processed foods, specifically plants, and can improve your health, boost energy levels, and prevent chronic diseases. Rohit Shah, CEO & Co-founder, Hemp Horizons tries to present a clear picture.

Plant-based diets also offer all the essential protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals for optimal health, and are also higher in fibre and phytonutrients, says Shah.

Plant-based vs. vegan: Whats the difference?

The vegan doesnt consume any animal products, including meat, eggs, milk, dairy, and honey. Yet, a vegan diet is not always as nutritionally virtuous as a plant-based lifestyle. The focus of vegan is usually set to avoid animal products, but the priority is not set on unprocessed whole foods based on plants.

On the contrary, fully avoiding animal products doesnt mean following a plant-based lifestyle (like a vegetarian or vegan). In fact for plant-based eaters, animal proteins can happily fit into the lifestyle yet they typically serve as more of a supporting role to your veggies and whole grains.

Therefore, a plant-based includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. Overall, a plant-based lifestyle is more of a flexible and broad way of thinking about nutrition and ingredient quality. Moreover, with a plant-based diet, the focus is on simple, nutritious, whole foods.

So if youre probably thinking that moving to a plant-based diet sounds like a great idea, but you dont know where to start. Dont worry, weve got you covered!

Eat ample vegetables: At lunch or dinner, fill half your plate with vegetables. Try to include plenty of colours when picking your vegetables. Enjoy vegetables as a snack with salsa, hummus or guacamole.

Include whole grains for breakfast: Start with quinoa, oatmeal, buckwheat, or barley. You can also add some nuts or seeds along with fresh fruit.

Go for greens: Try a variety of green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, spinach, and other greens every day. Steam, grill, braise, or stir-fry to preserve their nutrients and flavour.

Wanna eat dessert? Have fruits: A ripe, juicy peach, a crisp apple or a refreshing slice of watermelon will satisfy your craving for a sweet bite after a meal.

Consume the most nutritious of all- Hemp

Besides all these, the most effective and nutritious plant-based food is Hemp and hemp seeds. Why? It is because they are one of those few superfoods which are incredibly healthy. Hemp seeds can be consumed or used to produce a variety of food products including hemp milk, hemp oil, hemp cheese substitutes and hemp-based protein powder.

Some of the benefits of hemp are as follows:

Rich in Protein and Vitamins: Hemp seeds are a great protein source. They are also a great source of vitamin E and minerals, which can be consumed raw, cooked, or roasted.

Better Heart Health: Eating hemp-based products may reduce your risk of heart disease. It keeps cholesterol and blood sugar at healthy levels and improves blood circulation.

Regulate Digestion: Hemp seeds are packed with antioxidants like fibre which help the digestive system and boost daily energy. As an extra benefit, it is beneficial for people dealing with constipation too.

Helps in weight loss: Due to the rich content of dietary fats and fibre, hemp seeds help you to repress your appetite, which in turn helps you to hit your weight loss goals right.

Best for skin and hair: Hemp oil is used in cosmetics due to its ability to penetrate through layers of skin. This in turn promotes cell growth. Consuming hemp seeds can also repair and moisturize dry and damaged skin.

Why Adopt Plant-based Diet?

Proper weight management: According to research, people who eat plant-based diets primarily tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and lower rates of heart diseases, obesity and diabetes than those who eat meat. People who consume a plant-based diet tend to be leaner than those who dont and the diet makes it convenient to lose weightwithout counting calories.

Prevention from Diseases: Eating plant-based whole food can prevent, halt, or even reverse chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes. Plant-based diets may help people prevent or manage diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance.

Stabilizes blood sugar: Studies have proved that clinging to a plant-based diet helps to improve blood glucose levels for people who have diabetes or are prediabetic. It means a lower risk of diabetes-related medical conditions, as well as a reduced reliance on medications.

A lighter environmental footmark: A plant-based diet puts less stress on the environment. Consuming a plant-based diet not only benefits your health but also protects the environment, as well. People who had adopted plant-based diets tend to have smaller environmental footprints. These sustainable eating habits can heal the environment with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and factory pollution, which are all contributing to global warming and environmental degradation.

Go here to read the rest:
Benefits of plant-based diet - The Statesman

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