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There was a time when, if you told people you were planning to raise your baby vegan from the get-go, youd be met with raised eyebrows or even indignant comments. How would your child get enough protein and nutrients? Wouldnt they have deficiencies?

(Annnnd this is why we dont always share our child-rearing plans with others, right?)

These days, with the increasing popularity of plant-based diets, its far more accepted to bring your child up on a diet free of animal products.

In fact, according to a 2016 position paper from Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, appropriately planned vegetarian diets (including a vegan diet) can be healthful and nutritionally adequate for people of all ages including infants and children.

Still, its important to know that raising a vegan baby does come with some risks and may not be suitable for all children. Heres everything you need to know about raising your child on a vegan diet as a baby, toddler, and beyond.

When it comes to babies and veganism, safety seems to be the question on everyones minds. Is it really okay for a growing 0- to 12-month-old to never eat meat, dairy, fish, or eggs?

For most kids, yes! In general, its safe and healthy to offer a plant-based diet [for this age range], confirms pediatric dietitian Amy Chow, RD.

Of course, for your childs first several months, theyll need only one type of food: breast milk or formula. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing solids around 6 months of age.) While some vegan soy-based baby formulas do exist, they can be hard to find.

The good news, though, is that breastfeeding is compatible with a vegan lifestyle. Although breast milk is technically an animal product, because it is human milk made for human babies, it poses no ethical conflict.

Even when do you introduce solids, keeping animal products off the high chair tray doesnt have to be problematic for your childs health and safety. However, meal planning probably wont be as simple as it would be for omnivores.

For all diets, its important to keep the three macronutrients in mind: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. But for vegan babies, the right amounts of protein and fat are especially critical.

Protein is usually met through a vegan diet, but only if animal proteins are adequately replaced by plant-based proteins (i.e. beans, peas, lentils, tofu, nut/seed butters), says Chow.

Use caution with feeding your child low-protein vegan milk alternatives like almond, coconut, or rice milk, too. These arent recommended for babies and toddlers, as they will fill up their tiny tummies without much nutrition.

Getting enough fat also supports growing baby bodies and brains. When introducing solids, Chow suggests sticking to healthy plant-based sources of fat, such as vegetable oil, nut and seed butters, hemp hearts, ground flax seeds, chia seeds, and avocado.

Unfortunately, foods that provide DHA omega-3 fatty acids (the kind that contribute to neural and cognitive development in babies) come primarily from animals.

After your child is weaned from breastfeeding or a DHA-fortified formula, talk to your doctor about the possibility of a DHA supplement.

The nutrients of concern on a vegan diet are, of course, those that come in smaller amounts in plants than in animal foods. These include (but arent limited to) vitamin B12, iodine, iron, and calcium.

Vitamin B12 is a micronutrient found in meats, eggs, and dairy products. Many fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals and soy milk, are enriched with B12, so take care to offer plenty of these to your baby.

As for iodine, although seafood, eggs, and milk products are among the best sources, you can find it in some cereals and grains. However, this is one nutrient you may need to supplement in your childs diet, partly because much of our dietary supply comes from fortified salt.

Plant-based diets can be low in iodine, and because added salt is not generally recommended for babies under 12 months, vegan babies may be at risk for iodine deficiency, Chow says.

And theres good reason why youll often see iron touted as an important mineral for growing babies. Iron needs for babies are highest from 7 to 12 months due to the rapid growth rate, Chow explains.

However, non-heme iron from plant-based sources has low bioavailability (has less of an active effect in the body). And the higher amount of fiber from a vegan diet specifically, certain compounds found in grains and beans may actually decrease that active effect even more.

Chow shares some helpful strategies: Combine non-heme iron (i.e. lentils, peas, beans, ground seeds, seed butters, tofu) with a source of vitamin C, use a cast iron pan for cooking, and offer iron-fortified baby cereal.

Last but not least, wed all probably point to cows milk as a top source of calcium but since it comes from a cow, youll obviously need an alternative for your childs vegan diet. Look to other calcium-rich foods like fortified soy milk, tofu, almond butter, sesame butter, and leafy greens.

Although many Americans are deficient in dietary fiber, a vegan diet can actually provide too much fiber of your babys tiny GI tract.

Not only can this cause gas, diarrhea, and extra fussiness, it can have other, less obvious consequences. Too much fiber can lead to poor absorption of important nutrients like iron, zinc, and calcium, says Chow.

So whats a vegan parent to do when introducing fiber-rich foods like grains, soy, veggies, and beans? Try the following:

In an ideal world, everyone who provides care for your baby would understand what does and doesnt belong on your childs vegan diet and be on board with the idea. The real world, of course, isnt so perfect.

Its possible you may face resistance or ignorance from caregivers about the choices youve made for your babys eating. As much as you may provide guidelines for what your child can eat, you may end up having some tough conversations with caregivers.

You also may need to be prepared for the fact that, when outside of your care, your child will eventually consume some animal products (even if accidentally).

As much as possible, do the emotional work to make peace with what you cant control, knowing that an unwitting bite of cheese or hamburger wont ruin your child for veganism forever.

Just like for adults, there are some circumstances where its not the best choice for children to eat a vegan diet.

Kids who are extremely picky eaters or have feeding difficulties may be at higher risk of nutritional inadequacy, says Chow. In fact, any health or medical condition that impedes your childs ability to eat or digest food may be reason enough to forgo a vegan diet.

If your child has this type of health issue, talk with your pediatrician about whether its wise to keep animal products off the menu.

Babies who were born prematurely may also benefit from the growth-promoting proteins and fats animal products provide, so your doctor may recommend a more varied diet until your child has caught up on weight.

Chow notes, too, that a vegan diet poses a health concern for babies at high risk of food allergies. Its recommended to introduce priority allergens early to reduce risk of developing allergies, she says. On a vegan diet, the baby will not be exposed to eggs, dairy, fish, seafood which are part of the top allergens.

Plus, well be honest: If your kiddo has multiple food allergies, such as to nuts, seeds, or soy, it can be a pretty epic challenge to make a vegan diet work.

If you have strong feelings about issues like animal cruelty or the health of the environment, its only natural to want to raise a child whos conscious of these concerns.

On the other hand, since veganism may not be right for certain babies or children at least for a while its best to consult your pediatrician before making the determination to feed your itty-bitty eater a vegan diet.

If you do decide, after consultation with your doctor, that animal-free is the way to go for your whole family, you may be advised to work with a pediatric dietitian. They can help you make a plan for a healthy approach to veganism from infancy on up.

Dont have a referral? Check the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics registry of practitioners in your area.

A vegan baby doesnt have to be a contradiction in terms, even from your childs first days of life. By taking the right precautions, its possible to bring your little one up on a diet free of animal products. Your veggie babe can grow up just as healthy and strong as any omnivore.

Read more from the original source:
Raising a Vegan Baby or Toddler: Is It Safe? - Healthline

How can you tell that your health is steadily improving and your weight loss journey is progressing? Here are some factors to indicate that youre moving in a good direction:

If youre losing weight because you changed your diet to include more proteins and fewer carbs and fat, you may notice that you feel full faster.

Thats because the amino acids in dietary protein send a satisfaction signal to your brain and that signal isnt sent by eating the same number of calories in fat or carbs.

Good news here for vegetarians and vegans: A 2013 study found that the satisfaction signal is stronger with vegetable proteins than with animal-derived proteins.

Losing weight can lead to an all-around improvement in your psychological well-being.

In a 2013 study, people who were trying to lose weight reported that they felt more vitality, more self-control, less depression, and less anxiety than they had felt before their weight loss.

If youre not feeling these emotional benefits yet, dont give up: Study participants didnt report these improvements at the 6-month mark. The big psychological changes showed up at the 12-month interviews.

Another important note: If youre losing weight as an unintentional side effect of trauma, illness, or a big life change such as a divorce or job loss, you might not be experiencing the same emotional upsurge.

You may notice that you dont have to jump to pull on your jeans, even before you see a big difference on the scale which can motivate you to keep doing what youre doing.

In one 2017 study, around 77 percent of women and 36 percent of men said theyre motivated to lose weight to improve the way their clothes fit their bodies.

It can take some time usually weeks or months to build strength and see muscle definition. How fast you see changes will depend on your body and the type of exercise youve incorporated into your plan.

One 2019 study found that young women built more muscle mass in their legs when they performed more repetitions of leg curls and presses with a lighter load than with fewer reps and a heavier load.

If you want to keep building muscle as you lose weight, experts recommend that you get enough (but not too much) protein and do resistance-type exercises.

A shrinking waist size is good news for your overall health. Researchers tracked 430 people in a 2-year weight management program and noted that a reduction in waist measurement was associated with improved outcomes in blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Other studies have drawn a direct link between your waist circumference and your risk of cardiovascular disease. Whether or not the scale says youre down, a looser waistband means better heart health.

Weight loss can help decrease pain, especially in weight-bearing areas of the body, like the lower legs and lower back.

In one 2017 study, people who lost at least 10 percent of their body weight noticed the greatest improvement in chronic pain around weight-bearing zones.

In another study, losing 20 percent of body weight dramatically improved knee pain and inflammation in people with arthritis.

Changing what you eat may affect your bowel movement patterns.

Eliminating meat and adding more leafy greens and vegetables to your diet can improve constipation, whereas adding more animal protein to your diet (as many paleo and keto diets do) can make some people more prone to constipation.

If youre concerned about the differences in your bowel movements, or if theyre interfering with your productivity, it may be a good idea to talk with a nutritionist or healthcare provider about tweaking your plan to improve your gut health.

Being overweight can have a negative effect on your blood pressure, making you vulnerable to strokes and heart attacks.

One way to bring down your blood pressure is to lose weight with a healthier diet and more movement. If youre losing weight, youre reducing the strain on your heart and beginning to normalize your blood pressure.

Snoring has a complicated relationship with weight. Researchers have found that people (especially women) who have metabolic syndrome (a precursor to diabetes) have a tendency to snore.

In fact, snoring and sleep apnea may even cause weight gain. For that reason, weight loss is often one of the targeted therapies for people who snore and who have sleeping disorders.

Making healthy changes to your eating habits can lead to a better mood and more energy.

In a 2016 study, researchers found that a high glycemic load diet consisting of cookies, potatoes, crackers, cakes, and bagels, which tend to cause spikes in blood sugar, led to 38 percent more symptoms of depression and 26 percent more fatigue than a low glycemic load diet.

If your food choices are causing fewer peaks and valleys in your blood sugar, youre probably feeling some of the emotional and psychological benefits that come from weight loss.

A healthy body weight improves your overall health and well-being in many, many ways. If youve changed your diet and exercise habits with the goal of losing weight, theres more to measure than just the number on the scale.

Some of those indicators are external, like the fit of your clothes and the curve of new muscle. Other measures are internal: less pain, lower blood pressure, better sleep, and a deeper sense of well-being, to name a few.

If youre noticing these positive changes, keep going. If youre seeing negative side effects like fatigue or hair loss, it may be time to reevaluate your strategies. You may want to team up with a dietitian or a doctor to make sure youre progressing safely.

We live in a data-driven society where numbers are often haled as the best measure of success. It might be more motivational to appreciate the whole weight loss journey, however, instead of focusing so intently on the numerical mile-markers by the side of the road.

Read the original:
10 Signs of Weight Loss to Look for - Healthline

For the first time, researchers have demonstrated how the gut microbiome the community of microorganisms living in the gut can influence the immune system in humans. Their work could lead to new treatments for immune-related conditions.

The researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, tracked the recovery of patients gut microbiota and immune system after bone marrow transplants (BMTs) following treatment for blood cancers.

Healthcare professionals use chemotherapy and radiation therapy to destroy cancerous blood cells in conditions such as leukemia and lymphoma. After completion of the treatment, which also kills healthy immune cells, specialists inject patients with stem cells from a donors blood or bone marrow.

These donated cells slowly restore patients ability to make their own blood cells.

However, patients have to take antibiotics in the first few weeks after the transplant because they are still vulnerable to infections. These upset the balance of their gut microbiota, killing friendly bacteria and allowing dangerous strains to thrive.

Once patients immune systems are strong enough, they can stop taking the antibiotics, which allows their gut microbiota to recover.

The researchers at Sloan Kettering used this unique opportunity to study how the microbiota affects the immune system.

The scientific community had already accepted the idea that the gut microbiota was important for the health of the human immune system, but the data they used to make that assumption came from animal studies, explains systems biologist Joao Xavier, who is co-senior author of the paper with his former postdoc Jonas Schluter.

The parallel recoveries of the immune system and the microbiota, both of which are damaged and then restored, gives us a unique opportunity to analyze the associations between these two systems, says Dr. Schluter, who is now an assistant professor at NYU Langone Health in New York, NY.

Using blood and fecal samples from more than 2,000 patients treated at the cancer center between 20032019, the researchers were able to track daily changes in their gut microbiota and the number of immune cells in their blood.

Our study shows that we can learn a lot from stool biological samples that literally would be flushed down the toilet, says Dr. Xavier. The result of collecting them is that we have a unique dataset with thousands of data points that we can use to ask questions about the dynamics of this relationship.

The researchers used a machine-learning algorithm to identify patterns in the data, which included information about patients medications and the side effects they experienced.

One of the findings was that the presence of three types of gut bacteria called Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus 2, and Akkermansia was associated with increased blood concentrations of immune cells called neutrophils.

By contrast, two types called Rothia and Clostridium sensu stricto 1, were associated with reduced numbers of these immune cells.

Computer simulations by the researchers predicted that enriching microbiota with the three friendly genera would speed up the recovery of patients immune systems.

This research could eventually suggest ways to make BMTs safer by more closely regulating the microbiota, says co-author Marcel van den Brink.

The study appears in Nature.

Concluding their paper, the authors write:

Our demonstration that the microbiota influences systemic immunity in humans opens the door toward an exploration of potential microbiota-targeted interventions to improve immunotherapy and treatments for immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases.

A previous study found that having a greater diversity of bacterial species in the gut is associated with a better chance of survival after a stem cell transplant. This research also found that a low diversity of bacteria increased the likelihood of potentially fatal graft-versus-host disease, when the donor immune cells attack the recipients tissues.

In 2018, the Sloan Kettering researchers published results from a clinical trial in which they used fecal transplants to restore patients microbiota after treatment for blood cancer.

They used the patients own fecal matter, which had been collected and frozen before the bone marrow transplant and antibiotic treatment disrupted their gut microbiota.

See the original post here:
Gut bacteria can help rebuild the immune system - Medical News Today

We all know that when it comes to weight loss, dropping the pounds is the easy part. Its keeping weight off thats hard. In fact a 2001 meta-analysisof 29 long-term weight loss studies concluded that most dieters regain more than half the weight theyve lost within two years and pile 80 percent of it back on after five years.

There are all sorts of reasons staying slimmed down is tough, but in the final analysis they all boil down to one thing to keep the weight off you have to consistently eat fewer calories than you did prior to losing weight. Its been estimatedthat to maintain lost body weight over two years the average person needs to chow down on 170 fewer calories per day than before.

This is because when you lose weight, theres less metabolizable you meaning your resting energy expenditure drops. But the effect is often magnified by metabolic adaptationessentially your body becomes more energy efficientwhich magnifies the drop in metabolic rate.

So reverse-dieting, which claims you can train your body to maintain a new lower body weight at a higher calorie intake, is raising a few eyebrows in the nutrition world.

Social media is awash with before and after lean body pictures, with captions alleging you can increase your food intake by 200, 300 or even 500 calories a day while still maintaining a svelte frame, or even continuing to lose some pounds.

While this would be fantastic theres very little science to go on. But its an area that researchers are beginning to take a look at, and it may not be as crazy as it sounds.

Also referred to as the diet after the diet,reverse dieting has its roots in aesthetic sports where bodybuilders severely restrict calories to look ripped for a competition, then slowly increase food intake again in an attempt to go back to eating more calories without a disproportionate gain of fat mass.

But the practice is gaining traction among average eaters too, with reverse dieters increasing daily energy intake in a very controlled wayusually 30100 calories a weekafter the completion of a weight loss program. The aim, over several weeks, is to reach a higher level of food and calorie intake that (hopefully) becomes the persons new normal for weight maintenance.

Advocates assert that this can reignite a metabolism made sluggish by months or years of calorie restriction and yo-yo dieting, while restoring hormone balance in favor of better appetite regulation.

Among the more overblown claims are some nuggets of truth.

There is something to [reverse dieting] if it is done in a smart way, says Lilian de Jonge, PhD, assistant professor at the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, George Mason University, Virginia, and collaborator on the weight loss trials POUNDS LOSTand CALERIE. Its well known that weight loss decreases metabolic rate beyond what can be explained by the loss of lean mass. There is some evidence that if you trick your body into eating more, metabolic rate can go up and this is especially true if this is done by increasing protein intake.

Dr de Jonge is planning to run a trial on reverse dieting, but for now it is on hold due to COVID-19. However her previous pilot study showed that reintroducing calories slowly over eight weeks prevented weight overshoot and preserved lean body mass in weight training athletes who had lost weight for competition.

A randomized controlled trial study into reverse dieting is already underway at the University of Colorado, with a scheduled study completion date of December 2020. This study has recruited normal subjects (not athletes), which is a crucial and interesting difference. It could be expected that the results hinge quite heavily on how well the participants adhere to the exercise portion of the intervention.

A downside of reverse dieting is the need to track calories so closely, which at best is a faff and at worst could trigger obsessional eating. You can certainly see this played out on Instagram where reverse dieting often barely disguises a dysfunctional relationship with food and fitness.

That said if youre a numbers nerd, reverse dieting might prove to be a weight maintenance approach that works well for you.

And when you strip away the hype, the tenet behind reverse dietingthat after youve successfully lost some weight, you absolutely need a plan to keep it off-is solid.

What we already know about who successfully keeps weight off comes from the U.S. National Weight Control Registry, a database of over 10,000 people who have shed at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year.

This database shows that while there is no one way to slim or keep weight off, there are some common characteristics across successful weight maintainers. These include eating breakfast (78 percent of participants), stepping on the scale at least once a week (75 percent), watching TV less than 10 hours a week (62 percent) and exercising on average one hour per day (90 percent)

Of course managing to avoid weight gain in the first place is the ideal, as youll never then need the diet after the diet. But if that ship has sailed its good to know that putting weight back on doesnthaveto be inevitable.

Reverse dieting might prove a way to make it easier.

Angela Dowden is a British award-winning health journalist and Registered Nutritionist with over twenty years of experience writing for consumer sites and publications that have a global reach. These days she hangs out quite a bit in LA, where she likes to sniff out nutri-nonsense and write about it. Find Angela on Twitter @DietWrite

A version of this article was originally posted at the American Council on Science and Health and has been reposted here with permission. The American Council on Science and Health can be found on Twitter @ACSHorg

More:
'Reverse dieting' fad reality check: Is it possible to maintain a lower body weight while consuming more calories? - Genetic Literacy Project

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Suraksha Naturals has been expanding their line of specialty keto products throughout 2020 and have seen tremendous sales growth. Suraksha Natural's Keto-Veyda product-line is designed to work in tandem with a keto diet, utilizing a modern take on traditional Ayurvedic practices.

Ayurveda has roots that trace back over five thousand years and refer to a traditional type of diet and practice that addresses the body as a whole; treating the entire body and its overall health, instead of simply responding to specific ailments.

The Keto-Veyda product line offers supplements designed to help support healthy kidney function since the kidneys may not always receive adequate nutritional support while practicing the ketogenic diet.

Keto-Veyda's Kidney Support Remedy helps to promote healthy kidney function using Ayurvedic herbs, all while allowing customers to remain in ketosis. A few of the potent ingredients in Keto-Veyda's kidney remedy include dandelion, turmeric, tribulus, uva-ursi, coriander, long pepper, and moringa. These ingredients are powerful on their own, and better together, working synergistically to help support healthy kidney function.

Supporting liver function is also a major component of staying healthy while staying in ketosis. Keto-Veyda also produces a Liver Support formula to help enhance and maintain the liver with Ayurvedic herbs. This blend of herbs utilized in Suraksha's Liver Support works as a cohesive nutritional unit to achieve results with well-researched ingredients like, artichoke, kalmegh, turmeric, long pepper and milk thistle.

Milk thistle, otherwise known as "liver tonic," has been used for over 2,000 years for its health benefits. The ingredient "long pepper" is used often in Suraksha's herbal combinations because it is known to help the body better absorb other nutrients.

In fact, in addition to their capsule supplements, Suraksha Naturals also offers an entire line of Keto-Veyda liquid supplement sprays. Spray supplements are designed to be taken easily, providing increased absorption. Throughout the cold and flu season, Suraksha Naturals' B12 Spray has been particularly popular with anyone looking to add more B12 to their diet in a convenient way.

Suraksha Naturals is bringing this ancient practice into the modern-day by using it to enhance the ketogenic diet and place more rounded wellness at the forefront of this nutritional trend. Suraksha Naturals prides itself on being one hundred percent based in nutrition science, employing an acclaimed team of research professionals in the development of their Keto-Veyda product line.

Suraksha Naturals has been expanding their retail sales both in their home market and internationally throughout the year and have products for sale in some of the largest stores in the American e-commerce marketplace including Amazon.com. Suraksha plans to continue expanding the availability of their Keto-Veyda product line in 2021.

Please direct inquiries to:Curtis Kally(954) 639-4867 [emailprotected]

SOURCE Suraksha Naturals

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Keto-Veyda Takes Off In The US - PRNewswire

The Clarks have created a new meal, which we eat about 2 p.m. We call it flunch, short for after lunch. But we dont eat lunch anymore.

Think of the ways the pandemic has changed so many of the routines we thought were fixed in stone: how we work, meet, consult with a doctor, dress, groom, travel and, yes, how we eat if we are lucky enough to have food on our plates at all.

Before COVID-19, I would eat a big breakfast and head for the office. At noon I would hit a local eatery for a hearty lunch. Id get home about 6 p.m. for dinner. Its important to note that I worked in a food office. We served meals to visitors or students and there were always leftovers. My mouth was always moving. If I wasnt talking, I was eating. Noshing U.S.A.

The Clarks might eat out at local restaurants, sometimes five meals a week: an Italian feast on Friday night, Saturday morning breakfast near the beach, seafood on Sunday. We ate a lot. And we spent a lot.

Over the years, I grew and grew. From 147 pounds at the age of 40 to 182 pounds 30 years later. When my pant waist got tighter and tighter, I knew it was time to cut down, but I did not know how. Along came the pandemic.

The pandemic brought stress. Like a lot of people, I feel anxiety in my stomach. My appetite can disappear. This was not a new thing. From the time my wife first underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer five years ago, it felt like a punch in the gut for both of us.

COVID-19 brought a change in our eating schedule. We usually woke at 7 a.m., but to shorten the stay-at-home day, we might sleep for an extra hour. Breakfast was mostly the same: a healthy bowl of cereal often with fruit: half a banana, blueberries or strawberries. And coffee!

Weather permitting, after breakfast we headed out for a morning walk, often to Crescent Lake Park, where the bird life is quite amazing: One day we spotted 10 white pelicans and 19 baby ducks.

Some people call a late breakfast brunch, but thats too elaborate for what we like to do, usually about 11 a.m. after our walk. Before, we might visit one of the many great coffee shops in St. Pete, eating inside, greeting old friends and making new ones.

We have not eaten inside a restaurant since March. But outside is okay if tables are separated and servers are wearing masks.

Our morning snack is a muffin either blueberry or cranberry/almond, and coffee, usually a latte. This costs about $15. We enjoy it. It gets us some fresh air. From a safe distance, we can people- and dog-watch. It supports a local business. And it curbs our appetite for what might be a bigger lunch.

Three hours later it is now 2 p.m. Im feeling a little hungry. Enter the flunch. I believe I am the inventor. Think of flunch as half-a-lunch or less. You have to be able to make it in 10 minutes and consume it in 15. It is low in cost and in calories.

Here is a recipe for my favorite flunch:

Toast one piece of Jewish rye bread I prefer seedless and cut it in half.

Take one packet of tuna fish and stick it in the freezer for two minutes.

Mix tuna with a little mayo. Make a little sandwich. (There will be enough tuna to share with the cat.)

Possible side dishes: a handful of potato chips, two apple slices or six small carrot sticks. Miniature Twix bar or one cookie for dessert.

A half glass of brewed iced tea no sugar washes it down.

I usually prepare flunch in a three-meal cycle: tuna, peanut butter and jelly, American cheese.

This is not the healthiest meal you will ever eat. Substitute your salads, your fruits and veggies, your tofu toast. But, for me, flunch has these advantages: cheap, quick, easy. I control the portions, eliminate sugary sodas from my diet and dull my appetite.

Our dinners have become much smaller. A bowl of soup or a quiche. Or Ill cook up some scrambled eggs and grits. Heres what dinner looks like when we splurge: a rotisserie chicken ($4.99 at Sams Club), mashed potatoes, broccoli, and cranberry sauce from the can. Smaller portions mean we can eat it again later in the week.

Ive left out the two most important elements of my diet: beer and ice cream.

After a good medical checkup last year, my doctor asked me my secret. Every day, I told her, I have one beer before dinner, and then 3 ounces of vanilla ice cream after. Her eyes got wide. I assume she has not recommended the Clark Diet to others.

The result of these changes in our eating habits is that we have saved a little money, tossed a couple of bad habits and (ta-da!) lost a little weight. We dont own a scale, but there is a giant one at Publix. I step on, sans hat, wallet, phone, keys and glasses. Hold my breath. Down to 172 pounds! My jeans feel a little looser at the waist!

This may be the first time I have ever written about food (other than Halloween candy).

I do enjoy reading about food, especially the work of a writer named Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, known as M.F.K. Fisher. The daughter of a California newspaper editor, she went on to become not just a great food writer, but one of the greatest nonfiction writers of the 20th century. Even when her work included recipes, her stories were really about family, culture, country, travel, health, sex and war.

My favorite book of hers is How to Cook a Wolf, written in 1942. The Wolf was the Nazi menace leading to World War II. At a time of severe rationing for the war effort, Fisher argued that it was a patriotic duty to eat as well as we could with whatever food was available. At a low cost and in the national interest, we could nourish our bodies and our souls.

The same is true now. We deserve some nutrition and modest pleasure in the middle of another long day of house arrest, and we can find it in a packet of tuna or a slice of cheese. May I offer you an oatmeal cookie?

I dont want to end this column without recognizing how many people across the nation are without work and feeling food deprived. I have seen the long lines of cars waiting for hours to receive food donations. Many churches and charitable organizations are trying to help. Ive consulted my pastor, Monsignor Robert Gibbons. He suggests the Clarks direct our donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Its that time of the year, but also now that time in human history. We all feel hungry, in body and spirit.

See original here:
Theres a new meal in town: flunch - Tampa Bay Times

JINNATUL RAIHAN MUMU | Published: December 03, 2020 13:25:45 | Updated: December 03, 2020 18:31:04

The sudden demise of 27-year-old Indian actress Mishti Mukherjee due to kidney failure related to keto diet has recently cast doubt on the boons of the trendy diet. While scrolling on social media like Facebook or Instagram, many people come to know about the advantages of the low-carb diet that gets more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. However, to find out whether the keto diet, known for its wondrous ability to achieve rapid weight loss, has been the real solution or just the hype of social media, one should know about its pros and cons before deciding on it.

Many celebrities vouch for the keto diet to be their holy grail to achieve fitness. Celebrities like Halle Berry, Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, Tim Tebow have shared their positive experiences of the keto diet on social media. The Oscar winner actress Halle Berry says the keto diet helped her manage her body fitness and diabetes. On Instagram, she shared her keto experience, including a story, with two links meant for explaining the keto diet to those who want to try it. In response to that, a fan named Stephanie wrote that while following Berrys keto chart, she felt nauseated for the first two days, followed by headaches and fatigue. And she was quoted as saying in Body plus Soul Magazine, It might work for Berry, but cutting out an entire food group is just not sustainable for me.

Interestingly, over 70 per cent of those surveyed by US News and World say they chose to go on keto diet based on their research or social media posts, whereas less than five per cent say it was recommended by a registered dietitian. The survey shows many people are falling prey to the dark side of the keto diet just by following in the footsteps of celebrities. An Australian study showed that obese people are able to lose, on average, 15 kg over a year. This is 3 kg more than the low-fat diet used in the study achieved. However, the saying there are two sides to every coin aptly explains the drawbacks of the keto diet. According to Priya Bharma, a senior dietician of Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute in New Delhi, any person with ideal or lesser body weight is generally not suggested going for a keto diet. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that only people with a BMI of more than 25 are considered victims of obesity. As a result, people with a normal BMI should not depend on a keto diet to maintain their health.

Due to the active promotion of the keto diet by several celebrities, it is now more like a trend than just a fitness need. In Bangladesh, amid this pandemic, many men and women have been following the keto diet. Compared to men, women are more attracted to this keto trend and have been following it without consulting experts. Nabanita Islam, a third year student at North South University, shared her experience of the keto diet as her worst nightmare in a personal interview. She wrote in a Facebook post that while following a fitness blogger-suggested keto diet chart she almost collapsed and had to be admitted to hospital. According to the hospital report, the reason behind her fainting was low blood pressure caused by extreme dieting.

A similar experience was shared by Mrs Ferdows, a 46-year-old government employee. In a telephone interview, she says she and her daughter both followed the same keto diet chart. Although both of them lost their weight, the child faced problems like depression, nutrient deficiencies, and disordered eating. Melissa Fossier, a registered dietitian at Children's Health, says she would not recommend the keto diet for kids unless it is used only for specific medical reasons.

Jackie Newgent, a culinary nutritionist in New York City and the author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook, says the keto diet is a fad diet that offers temporary results and permanent troubles. To conclude, no matter how beneficial the keto diet is, the risks involved are inexorable. Therefore, the keto diet is only a real solution for those who follow it consulting a dietician. And if someone thinks he/she is badly in need of a keto diet, he/she should consult a dietician rather than putting themselves on it by themselves. Moreover, one should know the history of the keto diet and the prerequisites for ones body to better decide whether to go on such diet.

Jinnatul Raihan Mumu is a third year student of business and technology management at the Islamic University of Technology. She can be reached at [emailprotected].

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Keto diet A hype of social media or a real solution? - The Financial Express BD

At 78, Beatles co-founder Paul McCartney is still working, writing new music and, until the Covid-19 pandemic hit, performing in concerts. In 2019, McCartney grossed just over $100 million on solo shows, according to Forbes.

One strategy that helps the septuagenarian stay active as he ages? A fitness routine. McCartney described his approach to wellness on a recent episode of the podcast "Smartless," hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett.

"I have a very definite routine," McCartney explained on the podcast. But he doesn't have a personal trainer, "it's just me," he said.

First, "I get on the mat, and I do a bunch of stuff there," McCartney said. For example, he said he stretches his legs and uses a foam roller.

"Then, I move over to a cross-trainer," also known as an elliptical machine, McCartney said. Sometimes he will "do a bit of running" for added cardio.

In total, McCartney said he spends about five or ten minutes on each segment of his workout. "It's not a huge workout, but it's good. I like it," he said.

McCartney's "favorite bit" of his workout is a headstand that he does to finish his circuit. The musician regularly practices yoga with a group of friends, including actor Alec Baldwin, that he calls "The Yoga Boys," he said. (A representative for Baldwin did respond to CNBC Make It's request for comment.)

"If I'm in a gym and all the big guys have got big weights and they're doing all the big stuff, at the end I do a headstand," he said. "And they come over to me [and say], 'That's pretty impressive man.'"

Yoga and meditation have been part of McCartney's routine since his Beatles days. In the '60s, The Beatles famously helped popularize Transcendental Meditation, a form of meditation that involves sitting for 20 minutes twice a day and repeating a mantra.

As the story goes, George Harrison's wife, Patti Harrison, suggested that the band meet with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an Indian spiritual guru who was known for introducing Transcendental Meditation to the West. McCartney has referred to meditation as "a lifelong gift."

"Whenever I have a chance in a busy schedule, I'll do it, if I'm not rushing out the door with some crazy stuff to do," he wrote in a 2015 blog post.

Today, Transcendental Meditation is a proprietary practice taught by certified teachers. Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio took up Transcendental Meditation after hearing about the benefits from The Beatles. And fellow billionaire Oprah Winfrey is also a fan of the practice.

McCartney said on the podcast that his vegetarian diet is another way he stays in shape.

McCartney has been a vegetarian since the late '70s, long before plant-based diets were trendy. "You can get loads of vegetarian options these days, so it's not like it was like in the old days when you just got the boiled sprout," he said in an interview with Wired published in September 2018.

In addition to going to the gym and eating well, McCartney said on the podcast that he enjoys riding horses, a hobby he developed with his first wife, Linda McCartney.

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78-year-old Paul McCartney's fitness routine includes headstands and yoga with Alec Baldwin - CNBC

In 2011, Venus Williams was exhausted. The Grand Slam-winning tennis champion found herself out of breath and constantly tired. She was forced to pull out of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, and for the first time since 1996 she was no longer ranked among the top 100 professional women tennis players in the world. It was then that a doctor diagnosed her with Sjgrens syndrome, an autoimmune condition that causes dry eye and dry mouth, as well as fatigue. Suddenly, everything made sense.

After taking time off from the pro tennis circuit, Williams began overhauling her lifestyle. She wanted to keep competing at the highest level of her sport. To do that, she had to keep her symptoms in check. Her first move was changing to a vegan diet. It worked: She entered the 2012 season ranked number 124 and finished 100 spots higher at number 24.

Now, almost a decade later, she is launching Happy Viking, a plant-based protein company, created in partnership with Dyla Brands, the maker of Stur Drink Mixes and Forto coffee. The first product is a protein shake made from the recipe she has relied on to sustain her when she exercises. The shakeavailable on the Happy Viking website and on Amazon todaycontains 20 grams of protein (made from pea and brown rice), as well as amino acids for protein synthesis and nutrient absorption and prebiotic fiber to help with digestion. The shake is available in two flavors made from all-natural ingredients: vanilla and chocolate.

[After my diagnosis] there were times I just couldnt play. Thats where my journey started, Williams says. 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.

[Photo: courtesy Happy Viking]Happy Viking is not Williamss first business endeavor. She has spent years quietly building up a small business empire. The famously fashionable tennis pro has a 13-year-old clothing and skincare line, EleVen by Venus Williams, as well as V Starr Interiors, a commercial and residential interior design firm in West Palm Beach, Florida.

To accomplish all this, Williams does what she is known for on the court: She plays to her strengths. She says that building strong teams and delegating tasks to colleagues so she can focus on what she is good at has helped her run her businesses. Williams says that she loves to focus on the creative aspects of her work and the design elements, delegating other areas to her employees.

Another key skill: multitasking, which she honed studying online for a BA in business administration from Indiana University Eastwhile also competing on the tennis circuit; she completed her degree in 2015. Thats not to say it was a cakewalk: I made the mistake of taking accounting over the summer, which is when there are a lot of tennis tournaments, she says. My eyes literally got so dry and my vision got blurry because I was studying and training so much. Eventually, she dropped the class and took it a semester later.

The pandemic has been a reflective period for Williams, who says that down the line she wants to give back to her community. I love teaching tennis, she says. I actually love teaching beginners. So if I can help young people use their skills or become confident and healthy . . . thats whats next for me.

Until then, Williams has some advice for anyone who feels overwhelmedby lockdowns or any aspect of life. I have a good rule for when I feel overwhelmed or Im panicking, she reveals. If something goes wrong, I have 10 minutes to feel it and then I shut it down.

[Photo: courtesy Happy Viking]Happy Viking Protein Shake

Williams has relied on the recipe for her Happy Viking protein shake to help her post-workout recovery for the past 10 years after getting diagnosed with Sjgrens syndrome and going changing to a vegan diet.

EleVen by Venus Williams On-the-Defense Sunscreen SPF 30

Williams launched clean mineral sunscreen EleVen in May. The reef-safe formula dries to a sheer matte finish and works on all skin tones: Williamss sunscreen doesnt leave any white residue and is designed to prevent skin from looking ashy.

[Photo: courtesy EleVen by Venus Williams]EleVen Wonder Woman collection

Asked to pick a favorite item from her clothing line, Williams says she loves the Wonder Woman collection. Shes a fictional character that embodies who we strive to be. She is powerful, and has good values. She is always questioning herself to make sure her actions live up to her [own] standards. Some of her favorite items include theWonder Woman Stay Fit Legging, the Peak Windbreaker, and the Grind Catsuit.

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Venus Williams launches Happy Viking, a plant-based food company - Fast Company

Members of the Restoring Shoshone Ancestral Food group: UW assistant professor Jill Keith, Caroline Mills holding chokecherry patties, Carmen Underwood with biscuitroot and Vernetta Pantzetanga with blue bells. (UW Photo)

CASPER, Wyo. The University of Wyoming said on Monday that the Restoring Shoshone Ancestral Food Gathering (RSAFG) group has been working to reclaim knowledge of traditional Shoshone methods used to gather and prepare foods.

UW says that the groups efforts were supported by a National Institutes for Health grant through the IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence at the University of Wyoming in 2018.

The grant was used to study the effects of Shoshone ancestral foods on health, identity, culture and well-being, UW says. The NIH grant assisted community efforts to identify traditional Shoshone foods and how they were used; gathering and processing of the foods; and preparing recipes for participants.

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A three-month long health study began in January but was interrupted in March due to the COVID pandemic. Participants in the study received Shoshone foods each week for four weeks and were asked to keep food diaries and meet in person each month, according to UW.

The data collection included a survey; biometrics, including blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference; and blood draws glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides through Wyoming Health Fairs, UW says.

The survey also asked participants questions about how the traditional diet affected their overall feeling of cultural connectedness and wellness.

Findings from the study will help determine whether traditional Shoshone foods make an impact on health. UW says results of the study are currently being analyzed.

In addition, the RSAFG group is developing a photo and recipe book and are working to create a traditional food database.

Recipes include teas made from wild berries and fir needles; biscuits made from root plant flour; and soups made with wild game such as buffalo, deer and elk, UW says.

The RSAFG group meets each month to to collect, process and preserve foods such as yampah root and fireweed. Those meeting have elicited some peoples childhood memories of preparing traditional Shoshone foods.

Back in the early days, we lived on all of the wild game, big and small, RSFAG avisory member Vernetta Pantzetanga said in UWs release. I remember watching my gah goo (grandma) cooking the food for her large family.

Whether it was game meat or berries, it was the healthy way. Now, as I look back, I find myself trying to prepare good, healthy food for my family just like my gah goo.

UW Department of Family and Consumer Sciences Assistant Professor Jill Keith has worked with members of the group on the project for the last four years.

She says the efforts have uncovered knowledge that wasnt known such as how to dig up biscuit root and prepare it to make biscuits. Keith says the the photo-recipe book and traditional foods database will be important to sharing the groups work with the community.

The traditional foods database will be added to the groups website upon project completion and identify the various plants and when to collect them; house information for what the plants are used; and offer traditional recipes, UW says. The database is intended for community members to reclaim traditional knowledge, and the RSAFG advisory group will guide the process of sharing the database.

UW says that an elder member of the RSAFG group provided cultural training early in the project to inform people on how to respectfully gather plants.

Keith says that food has spiritual and cultural significance for people.

I would not want to speak to the cultural value of the food because I dont have an Indigenous lens, Keith told UW. But, Ive gathered and processed and preserved foods alongside community members, and its more than just collecting and eating food. Its really connected. That aspect of it being very spiritual is very, very important.

Keith said that commodity foods that are provided to reservations across the United States tend to contain high amounts of refined carbohydrates. Meats tend to be higher in fat content and the foods provided make for a diet that includes more dairy and salt than a traditional diet.

Keith said that traditional diets were healthier and that more physical activity was involved in the act of gathering and preparing the foods.

She said that reclaiming knowledge of traditional diets is important to addressing health disparities that may have come about due to changes in colonization and changes to food supply.

RSFAG member Caroline Mills recalled that her mother gathered bitteroot when she was young.

It was a chore to help put food on the family table, Mills told UW. Eighty years later, I enjoy gathering healthy food for my familys table. This is food that is not available in the local grocery stores. And all of the various berries provide antioxidants.

The RSFAG group worked with the Eastern Shoshone Business Council and UWs General Counsel to develop a data use and sharing agreement for the project.

All reports or presentations about study results must be approved by the RSAFG advisory group and the Rocky Mountain Tribal Institutional Review Board before sharing, UW says.

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Group works to restore knowledge and use of Shoshone ancestral foods - Oil City News

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