Category Archives: Diet And Food

While our nation has been focused on COVID-19, other public health problems have not disappeared. In particular, microorganisms transmitted by food continue to cause major public health problems in the United States.The bacteriasalmonellaandcampylobacterare of specific concern, accounting for over 70 percent of the foodborne illnesses tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network.Thesetwo bacteria annually accountfor approximately 3 million illnesses in America and cost over 6 billion dollars.Chicken and turkey are among the most common foodborne sources for these bacteria.

As leading food safety scientists in the United States, we have spent our careers trying to fight this problem.Salmonellaandcampylobacterare so damaging to public health that reducing the number of these illnesses is included in the Health and Human Services Healthy People goals, national health goals set every 10 years.The number of people falling sick from these bacteria has not changed in 20 years, though, meaning the Healthy People 2020 illness reduction goals were not met and almost the exact same goals were included inHealthy People 2030goals established last year.

A primary reason for this lack of progress is the outdated food safety regulation of poultry products by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which has not substantially changed since the 1990s. The regulation is based on science that lags behind what we know today.

The regulation approaches all types and amounts ofsalmonellaand campylobacter contamination the same.New evidence shows that somesalmonellatypes, such assalmonella Heidelberg, pose a much greater danger to human health than others, such as salmonella Kentucky, which causes very few human illnesses.New technology is also available to distinguish between these types ofSalmonellaand estimate the amount of bacterial contamination on products.Yet, under the current regulatory system, onesalmonellaKentucky organism in a 25-gram sample of chicken is treated the same as 1,000 multi-antibiotic resistantsalmonellaHeidelberg in the same size sample.The same holds true for finding one campylobacteror more dangerous amounts in a sample.USDAfoundsalmonellain 31 percent of ground chicken and 8 percent of chicken partsit sampled at slaughter plants in 2019.It did not consider thesalmonellastrain or whether the sample contained one or 1,000 bacteria in determining if action to protect consumers should be taken.

This system of treating all contamination the same establishes disincentives for controlling the most dangerous types ofsalmonella. AssalmonellaKentucky is the most common type ofsalmonellathat is found on poultry carcasses, resources are spent attempting to preventsalmonellaKentucky contamination and diverted from developing programs targetingsalmonellatypes that actually threaten public health.

Another key problem with current regulations is that they focus solely on the presence ofsalmonellaandcampylobactercontamination in slaughter plants and on poultry end products, drawing attention away from where the bacteria may be most effectively controlled: at the farm. Some European country regulators have already successfully focused on farms, where vaccination (available for somesalmonellatypes), hygiene, and other control practices can have an impact felt throughout the supply chain.Reducing contamination at the farm can also reduce the spread ofsalmonellato nearby water that could contaminate fields used to grow produce. In contrast, the end-product focus in the U.S. establishes incentives for companies to respond tosalmonellaand campylobacterprimarily with post-slaughter controls that allow them to meet the broad regulatory standards.

The changes needed are clear.Regulation at the USDA should better encourage reducing poultry contamination with the most dangerous bacteria at all stages of the supply chain and help prevent them from even entering slaughter plants. In addition, regulations should reduce contamination with thosesalmonellatypes which pose the most danger to the public rather than target allsalmonella and should include a focus on reducing the frequency of contamination with high levels of bacteria.Years of evidence indicate that the current regulations do not work as well as they should to protect public health. Trying to meet the 2030illness reductiongoals with the same regulations and policies that already failed makes no sense.

COVID-19 made clear that there are many weaknesses in our public health system that should have been addressed before the pandemic. We know that our food safety system is antiquated; now is the time for regulatory changes.Lets modernize our regulatory approach, using up-to-date science, to truly build an effective and efficient national food safety system.

Craig Hedbergis professor and interim division head, Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota.J. Glenn Morrisis director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute and professor of medicine at the University of Florida.Martin Wiedmannis a professor of food safety and food science at Cornell University.

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Unhealthy diet? Food safety regulations need updating | TheHill - The Hill

In a clinical trial carried out by scientists at the Stanford School of Medicine in the US, 36 healthy adults were randomly assigned to a 10-week diet that included either fermented or high-fibre foods rich in legumes, seeds, whole grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits.

The two diets resulted in different effects on the gut microbiome and the immune system. Those eating foods such as yogurt, kefir, fermented cottage cheese, kimchi and other fermented vegetables, vegetable brine drinks, and kombucha tea experienced an increase in overall microbial diversity, with stronger effects from larger servings.

"This is a stunning finding," said Justin Sonnenburg, PhD, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology. "It provides one of the first examples of how a simple change in diet can reproducibly remodel the microbiota across a cohort of healthy adults."

In addition, four types of immune cells showed less activation in the fermented-food group. The levels of 19 inflammatory proteins measured in blood samples also decreased. One of these proteins, interleukin 6, has been linked to conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Type 2 diabetes and chronic stress.

"Microbiota-targeted diets can change immune status, providing a promising avenue for decreasing inflammation in healthy adults," said Christopher Gardner, PhD, the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor and director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. "This finding was consistent across all participants in the study who were assigned to the higher fermented food group."

By contrast, none of these 19 inflammatory proteins decreased in participants assigned to the high-fibre diet. On average, the diversity of their gut microbes also remained stable. "We expected high fiber to have a more universally beneficial effect and increase microbiota diversity," said Erica Sonnenburg, PhD, a senior research scientist in basic life sciences, microbiology and immunology. "The data suggest that increased fiber intake alone over a short time period is insufficient to increase microbiota diversity."

A wide body of evidence has demonstrated that diet shapes the gut microbiome, which can affect the immune system and overall health. According to Gardner, low microbiome diversity has been linked to obesity and diabetes.

"We wanted to conduct a proof-of-concept study that could test whether microbiota-targeted food could be an avenue for combatting the overwhelming rise in chronic inflammatory diseases," Gardner said.

The researchers focused on fibre and fermented foods due to previous reports of their potential health benefits. While high-fibre diets have been associated with lower rates of mortality, the consumption of fermented foods can help with weight maintenance and may decrease the risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The researchers analyzed blood and stool samples collected during a three-week pre-trial period, the 10 weeks of the diet, and a four-week period after the diet when the participants ate as they chose.

The findings paint a nuanced picture of the influence of diet on gut microbes and immune status. On one hand, those who increased their consumption of fermented foods showed similar effects on their microbiome diversity and inflammatory markers, consistent with prior research showing that short-term changes in diet can rapidly alter the gut microbiome. On the other hand, the limited change in the microbiome within the high-fibre group dovetails with the researchers' previous reports of a general resilience of the human microbiome over short time periods.

The results also showed that greater fibre intake led to more carbohydrates in stool samples, pointing to incomplete fibre degradation by gut microbes. These findings are consistent with other research suggesting that the microbiome of people living in the industrialized world is depleted of fibre-degrading microbes.

"It is possible that a longer intervention would have allowed for the microbiota to adequately adapt to the increase in fiber consumption," Erica Sonnenburg said. "Alternatively, the deliberate introduction of fiber-consuming microbes may be required to increase the microbiota's capacity to break down the carbohydrates."

In addition to exploring these possibilities, the researchers plan to conduct studies to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which diets alter the microbiome and reduce inflammatory proteins. Another goal is to examine whether the consumption of fermented food decreases inflammation or improves other health markers in patients with immunological and metabolic diseases, and in pregnant women and older individuals.

"There are many more ways to target the microbiome with food and supplements, and we hope to continue to investigate how different diets, probiotics and prebiotics impact the microbiome and health in different groups," Justin Sonnenburg said.

Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status

Hannah C. Wastyk, Gabriela K. Fragiadakis, Dalia Perelman, Erica D. Sonnenburg, Christopher D. Gardner, Justin L. Sonnenburg

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019

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Fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity and lowers inflammation, study finds - FoodNavigator.com

In January of this year, Denmark published its new official dietary guidelines. For the first time, the advice which replaced that introduced in 2013 factored in both human and planetary health.

The development process for the new guidelines started back in 2018, when the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) tasked the National Food Institute at DTU with reassessing the 2013 advice with health and environmental sustainability in mind.

The Institute saw combining health and sustainability as a unique opportunity to benefit both the planet and Denmarks population health, recalled its director Christine Nellemann at a recent European Food Forum (EFF) event.

So what scientific research contributed to the decision-making?

To begin with, DTU Food considered the varying climate impacts associated with different protein-rich foods by drawing on Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemeceks 2018 study Reducing foods environmental impacts through producers and consumers, published in the journal Science.

Food products from beef or lamb have quite a large CO emission per kilogram of product, Nellemann told delegates. Looking at other meat products, such as chicken and pork, however, reveals a much lower footprint. Lower still are plant-based proteins, and some vegetable oils.

This is quite a complex field when you look into the different food products, we were told.

The task became increasingly more complex when the Institute investigated the variances in dietary environmental impacts.

DTU Food observed that by following the dietary guidelines of a western diet, consumers could lower the carbon footprint by between 5-10% and land use by between 5-20%. No change would occur to blue water use, the water on the surface and in groundwater reservoirs, but green water use rainfall that infiltrates into the soil and is available to plants could be cut by 6%.

Following another diet, that of inter-food group substitution whereby a climate-friendlier food within the same food group is consumed, for example chicken instead of beef could cut the carbon footprint by 20%, and land use by between 20-35%.

Plant-rich and vegetarian diets push the environmental benefits even further. When following these diets, consumers would not only substitute food items within the same food group, but incorporate more plant-based foods. Flexitarians would fall under this category.

Under this scenario, the carbon footprint could be reduced by up to 35%, and land use by between 20-50%. Small changes could be made to blue water use, and a significant 18% reduction in green water use, Nellemann continued.

And finally, following a vegan diet would drive the most dramatic changes, with a 45-50% reduction in carbon footprint, a 50-55% reduction in land use, and a 26% reduction in green water.

From this data, DTU scientists observed that environmental impacts could be reduced by changing food groups. But actually, we could do a lot by eating more plant-based food, said Nellemann.

The scientists combined research from a variety of sources to create the report, which would then form the scientific foundation for the Danish Dietary Sustainable and Healthy Dietary Guidelines.

Evidence used included not only that concerning the climate impact of foods and diets, but also their nutritional values. Specifically, the scientists looked at the EAT-Lancet reference diet and analysed the Danish food database to determine which foods are consumed locally.

Then we looked into what foods, and in what amounts, reflect the Danish food culture. We needed to have some local or national or regional work on these dietary guidelines, as I see it, because otherwise we are not going to follow them, said Nellemann.

The last step was to adjust the nations 2013 food based dietary guidelines, taking the scientific evidence, as well as the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR), into account.

DTU Food submitted its report to the government in February 2020. Stakeholder involvement was then sought from industry organisations, NGOs, and academic institutions, which preceded a consumer survey and a pilot campaign. The official guidelines launched in January 2021.

The published document is made up of seven guidelines, some of which have been altered since the 2013 advice.

In 2013, for example, the guidelines advised Danes to 'eat varied and not too much'. The 2021 update advises Danes eat plant-rich, varied and not too much.

Eat more vegetables and fruits remains unchanged from the 2013 version. A 600g portion of these categories combined is recommended.

However, the values for eat less meat choose legumes and fish has been amended. In the latest guidelines, the recommended weekly meat portion has been lowered to 3 x 50g, and 100g of pulses is recommended daily. Concerning fish, 350g is recommended per week.

Elsewhere in the guidelines, the government recommends Danes eat whole grains; choose vegetable oils and low-fat dairy products; eat less of the sweet, salty, and fatty; and drink water.

Additional tips include limiting food waste, and opt for the Keyhole logo a voluntary nutritional labelling scheme used in Sweden, Denmark and Lithuania carried by products that adhere to standards on fat, sugar, salt, fibre, and whole grain content.

One of the things I like about this campaign is that no one can do everything, but we can all do something, said Nellemann. I think this is what we need as consumers, to feel and think that we can do something. And here are some guidelines that we can use.

The DTU Food chief also appreciates the guiding nature of the campaign, she suggested. It is not restrictive, saying you can only eat this, an approach she doesnt think would help. But actually, its a guiding and helping hand to understand what we can do ourselves.

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The nuts and bolts of factoring CO emissions into Danish diets: 'We saw a unique opportunity for human and planetary health' - FoodNavigator.com

Indulging and eating clean it can be done! Ariana Biermann is proof of that. The former Dont Be Tardy star is open about her incredible 50-pound weight loss, and shes more than happy to flaunt all of the different foods she eats while maintaining her trim figure.

However, the Bravo alum doesnt always get positive reactions when she shares her journey online. In July 2021, Ariana slammed fans and followers who had been speculating that she has an eating disorder following her impressive weight loss.

Im so over everyone acting like I lost 50 pounds overnight, the influencer explained via her Instagram Stories. I was 167 [pounds] my sophomore year. 145ish [pounds] my junior, started really working out, eating healthy, etc. [in] January of 2020. I am now 118 [pounds] over a year and a half later. I was 125 [pounds] last summer. Please stop. I do not have an eating disorder. I worked my ass off to get to where I am today. I am not sick. This is ridiculous and awful to say to someone. Stop commenting on peoples bodies and worry about yourself.

The starlet has previously opened up about body-shaming and receiving hate for being heavier however, she still made it a point to explain how she was able to drop the weight and find her confidence.

She added in subsequent posts on her Instagram Stories, I wish I could give yall some insane secret to get skinny overnight, but I cant. Thats not what I did. I ran [three to five] miles a day with a waist trainer on in 90-degree weather. I went to the gym and worked out. I went into a caloric deficit. I did intermittent fasting. I counted my calories. I ate healthy. I stopped snacking. I didnt drink soda anymore. So, it is a process. It takes time. But believe in yourself. Do it for you. You got this st!

It was not easy. But it was the best thing I ever did for myself and my body, Kim Zolciak-Biermanns daughter added. Im so happy with myself. Ive never felt so beautiful.

Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of what Ariana eats for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-between!

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Ariana Biermann Is All About Balance When It Comes to Her Diet See What the Dont Be Tardy Alum Eats! - Life&Style Weekly

Your mood may be directly related to your food. That's the finding of a new study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine, Women's mental health is tied even more directly to the food they eat, since eating a healthy diet of whole grains, dark leafy greens, beans, and nuts allow people to work out more often than a standard American diet high in fat and simple sugar, which can negatively impact mood.

The study, led by researchers at Binghamton University, found that womens mental health is more impacted by diet, exercise, and even caffeine than men are. It also foundthat the anxiety that caffeine can cause some women is neutralized by exercise. The study tracked the eating habits of some 1,200 men and women over the age of 30 via anonymous online questionnaires, to find out the impact ofdietary factors such as how often they ate healthy, what they ate in the hours before exercise, andhow caffeine impacted their mental health.

By the end of the study, the researchers found that women's mental health was more linked to dietary factors than men's mental wellbeing is. They found key variations in dietary and lifestylehabits that can either support or deter one's mental wellbeing and mood,proving that mood and food are integrally related.

So if you think your stress eating is leading you to eat chips, cookies, and other junk food, it very well could be the other way around: Junk food is bringing down your mood and leading to poor diet and other self-destructive habits. Diet plays a key role in mental outlook, resilience, and overall mood, the study found. The answer is to eat healthier to feel better both mentally and physically, according to the authors.

"Interestingly, we found that for unhealthy dietary patterns, the level of mental distress was higher in women than in men, which confirmed that women are more susceptible to unhealthy eating than men, Dr. Lina Begdache, Ph.D., RDN, an Assistant Professor at Binghamton University who is also the principal investigator of the study, said in an interview.

Past studies have investigated gender-specific dietary patterns and their effect on mental distress. A 2018 study published in Nutritional Neuroscience by the same lead researcherDr. Begdache, found that mental wellbeing was associated with a Mediterranean-style diet in women and a Western diet in men. Moreover, wellbeing for women is harder won: Women are less likely to experience mental wellbeing until a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle are followed, the study states.

Participantsfilled out a questionnaire online and the data was collected over three-yearintervals to account for the change in seasonality and to diversify the target population. Responses were collected from North America, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The studyfound a strong correlation with following healthy dietary practices, exercise, and mental wellbeing.

The study examinedhow oftenparticipants ate these foods:

Most of these food groups are low incalories and high in fiber, and are packed with micronutrients such as B vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids all of which increase brain function. Study subjects reported how often they ate these foods, and whether they ate them prior to or in conjunction with their exercise routine.

Results of the study found that eating more healthy food groupswas alsoassociated with a higher frequency of exercise, suggesting that there is also a link between eating healthy foodand exercise whichalso is known to improve mental wellbeing. This may be attributed to how the nutrients in the foods lead to keeping blood glucose steady as well as maintaining normal blood pressure, and strong skeletal muscle, which all support ones ability to exercise, previous studies have found.

Moreover, science has shown that the nutrients in these food groups (whole grains, darky leafy greens, various beans, and nuts), lead to optimal neurotransmitter synthesis and brain function, which may enhance motivation and performance of the physical activity. Food groups may provide a certain concentration of amino acids that act as neurotransmitters. Some of these neurotransmitters can impact mood and motivation, Dr. Begdacheexplained.

Lack of consuming healthy food not only negatively influences ones daily workout routine but also causes mental distress. The working muscle and the brain are high metabolic organs, which may share the same energy source and necessary nutrients. Therefore, when people workout heavily without proper nutrition, their brain function may be impactedleading to stress and low mood, Dr. Begdache says.

Previous studies have shown that excess caffeine has been linked to feelings of anxiety. This study observed that exercise reversed the negative relationship between caffeine and mental distress in women but did nothave the same effectin men.

This association can be attributed to how stimulants work on the brain. As a stimulant, it activates the hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal (HPA) axis that modulates the stress response,"the study states. "Caffeine delays fatigue during exercise, it concludes. Therefore, women who consume high levels of caffeine and do not exercise are more likely to experience mental distress than those who do exercise.

Consuming caffeine prior to exercisehas been shown to helpincrease the benefits of exercise by allowing the individual to work out longerwithout fatigue.Previous studies have shown that consuming caffeine before a workout can enhance performance. The study authors said moreresearch is needed to understand how caffeine, exercise, and mental wellbeing are linked.

Previous studies have shown that exercise improves mental health by reducing negative moods and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. This is attributed to how physical activity increases endorphin levels, the bodys famous feel good chemical produced by the brain and spinal cord, which creates feelings of happiness and euphoria.

The study found that low to moderate exercise supported mental wellbeing among men regardless of the food groups they consumed. However, low exercise did not lead to mental wellbeing in women even if they consume healthy food. This suggests that women need to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity in addition to a healthy diet to achieve mental wellness.

Ultimately, the differential relationship between exercise, mental wellbeing, and healthy food among men and women requires further exploration. Future research on diet and mood should consider the potential indirect effect of exercise as a mediator.

Top 15 Legumes and Beans

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Diet Is More Linked to Mental Health for Women, Study Finds - The Beet

THE first study of its kind has discovered the diet that can protect you from both catching Covid, and getting severely sick from it.

It means stocking up on foods like salmon, porridge and baked beans while steering clear of white bread, processed meats and ice cream.

1

Unsurprisingly, researchers led by Kings College London found that it was healthy foods that were linked to a lower risk of Covid.

They said a good quality diet improves gut health, which in turn can boost immunity and potentially protect you from Covid.

The study found people with the highest quality diet were around 10 per cent less likely to develop Covid than those with the lowest quality diet.

They were also 40 per cent less likely to fall severely ill.

The study was based on data from almost 600,000 British and American people using the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app.

Contributors filled out a survey about the foods they ate in February 2020, just before Covid was declared a pandemic.

Of the 600,000 app users, nearly 32,000 ultimately caught Covid, according to the symptoms they reported.

Their diets were used as a way to measure Covid risk.

Read our coronavirus live blogfor the latest updates

Meanwhile, another study published in June found that a daily cup of coffee can protect against the virus.

It's thought the antioxidant and antiflammatory compounds in the brew mediate the risk of developing symptoms, researchers said.

Each person in the ZOE study was quizzed on their food intake, asked how often they ate 27 food items in a typical week from either "rarely" to "five or more times a day".

The researchers then stratified the foods in two ways, describing their methods in a pre-print paper published online.

One method had a score of between 14 (bad diet) and 70 (good diet), while the other had a range of between five (bad diet) and 15 (good diet).

High points were given for eating foods like:

Lower points were given for foods that are ultra-processed or high in sugar, salt or unsaturated fats, or that generally shouldn't be overconsumed such as:

Those with the healthiest diet tended to be women, older, healthcare workers, have a low BMI, exercise, and live in affluent areas.

This is the first study to show that a healthier diet actually reduces the chances of developing the disease in the first place.

Coffee 'protective against Covid'

Caffeine addicts can rejoice that their morning cuppa is protective against Covid, according to one study.

Researchers with Northwestern University analysed nearly 40,000 people from the UK Biobank - a database of health information used for studies.

The team studied dietary habits, particularly intake of coffee, tea processed meat, red meat, fruit, vegetables and oily fish, between 2006 and 2010.

Then they linked the data up with Public Health England Covid testing data.

They found habitual consumption of one or more cups of coffee per day was associated with about a 10 per cent decrease in risk of Covid-19 compared to less than one cup a day.

Coffee contains hundreds of compounds, some of which have antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties.

Coffee consumption favourably correlates with inflammatory biomarkers linked to Covid-19 severity and mortality, study authors wrote.

Eating veg and being breastfed as a baby also had protective effects, the study suggested.

But as the study is only observational, more research is needed to confirm the findings.

The results were published in the Nutrients journal.

It comes after other smaller studies have shown that people who are vegan or pescatarian are less likely to become severely ill with Covid.

Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist at ZOE COVID Study and professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London, said: These findings chime with recent results from our landmark PREDICT study, showing that people who eat higher quality diets have a healthier collection of microbes in their guts, which is linked to better health.

You dont have to go vegan, but getting more diverse plants on your plate is a great way to boost the health of your gut microbiome, improve your immunity and overall health, and potentially reduce your risk from Covid-19.

Professor Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist and director of epidemiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and professor at Harvard Medical School, said: Diet quality is an established risk factor for many conditions that are known to have an inflammatory basis.

Our study demonstrates that this may also hold true for Covid-19, a virus which is known to provoke a severe inflammatory response.

Importantly, the relationship between diet quality and Covid still remained after accounting for other risk factors, such as age and ethnicity.

The link was independent of obesity too, meaning if someone was fat but ate healthily, their risk may be reduced. The same would go for skinny people who ate an ultra processed diet.

But the odds of Covid were amplified by living in a poor area.

People living in low-income neighbourhoods who had a poor diet had a 25 per cent higher risk of Covid than rich people who were eating in the same way.

Based on these results, the researchers estimated how many cases might have been avoided if this was not the case.

They said nearly a quarter of infections could have been prevented if these differences in diet quality and socioeconomic status had not existed.

The researchers therefore said the study emphasises how important access to nutritious foods are.

Dr Sarah Berry, study co-lead and Reader in nutritional sciences at Kings College London, said: Access to healthier food is important to everyone in society, but our findings tell us that helping those living in more deprived areas to eat more healthily could have the biggest public health benefits.

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The Covid DIET revealed first study finds the foods that protect against coronavirus... - The US Sun

In todays society, we talk about how busy we are like a badge of honor humble bragging about how late we went to bed, how early we got up or how we never have free time to exercise. Comparing hectic schedules can become an unspoken competition amongst friends and family members as we praise each other with comments like How did you work that many hours this week?, or I cant believe how much you have on your plate, its so impressive how you manage it all. The irony in these compliments is that while being busy is championed, consistently overstretching ourselves can chip away at our daily energy levels and metabolic processes, resulting in stress and fatigue.

As we push the limits of what our brains and bodies can handle on a daily basis, people often seek an answer to the million-dollar question of how to increase their stamina, have more energy and avoid fatigue. There are several factors that make fatigue difficult to treat, the first being that fatigue is a symptom, not a disease state or condition. Fatigue could be a result of a plethora of causes such as hectic lifestyles, regularly not sleeping well, eating poorly, aging or perhaps an underlying medical condition that affects energy to name just a few reasons. Or, it could be all of these things combined, and more. You have to pinpoint what is causing the fatigue to get it to go away, which can be perplexing and takes time.

MORE FUEL UP: What to know about staying hydrated in the Houston heat

Another challenge in treating fatigue is that it presents itself differently depending on the person. For me, I feel sluggish and as if I could lay down on the spot and take a nap regardless if Im in my cozy bed or at the grocery store. Many people feel a different combination of signs, such as weak muscles or brain fog. Each persons definition of how it feels to be energized and what contributes to that feeling is unique, making fatigue difficult to define and study in research. Since medical treatment is based on scientific research studies, we currently dont have specific nutrition treatment that targets fatigue. If you suffer from chronic fatigue, I strongly recommend working with a doctor and registered dietitian to holistically explore and treat the source.

The promising and positive news is that we do have nutrition recommendations for the systems that overlap and work together to promote energy production and mitigate fatigue. People often go for extreme interventions like sketchy herbal supplements to battle debilitating fatigue. I recommend following the nutrition tips below in sequential order as a checklist to help boost energy and fight fatigue.

1. Identify gaps in your daily health and wellness routine: Your health and wellness routine should consist of regular exercise, seven to nine hours of quality sleep, a balanced diet, staying hydrated and regularly practicing stress management. This is the low-hanging fruit that people often ignore in the pursuit of more energy and focus. To feel good on a daily basis, its essential to practice these pillars of wellness on a daily basis.

2. Eat to meet your calorie (energy) needs: Calories are a unit of energy. I often find that patients I work with are either drastically undereating, or consuming too many calories both of which can lead to fatigue. Many people chronically and severely restrict food in an effort to lose weight, which can hinder your metabolism and lead to very low energy. Nowadays, there are many apps and websites that can help you calculate a very rough estimate of how many calories you need in a given day and subsequently log your food intake. Even if you try this out just for a few days, you can determine if you are roughly coming in range of your needs. For more specific numbers and potential calorie goals, it would be helpful to work with a dietitian. In general, you want to spread your intake out by aiming for three meals and one to two snacks per day.

3. Make breakfast part of your daily routine: Breakfast should always be one of three meals helping you meet your energy needs. Ideally, your breakfast should include a high-quality carbohydrate such as fruit or grains, a source of protein and some healthy fat like avocado or peanut butter. Many people dont have time to make a full-blown breakfast or are simply not breakfast people if this is you, anything is better than nothing, even if its just a handful of nuts or a protein smoothie. Having breakfast revs up your digestive system, provides some energy and sets the tone for the rest of the day.

MORE FUEL UP: Want to reduce inflammation? Try the Mediterranean diet.

4. Skip the inflammatory foods: Low-grade inflammation is often discussed in research as a contributing factor to fatigue. We want to minimize foods that could increase inflammatory load, like highly processed foods, and foods high in sugar or saturated fats. When we feel fatigued, our inhibitions are typically lowered and we are more inclined to choose these highly palatable foods, contributing to a vicious cycle. Instead, pack on the antioxidants with fruits, vegetables and unsaturated fats. Omega-3s in olive oil, avocado, nuts and oily fish are particularly anti-inflammatory and have been shown to contribute to better mood and cognition. Try to aim for at least one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetables (about cup of each) per meal and swap the potato chips for nuts.

5. If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation: If you do not consume alcohol, there is no need to start! Drinking in moderation is defined as one standard size drink for women and two standard size drinks for men per day. Alcohol can disrupt sleep quality and cause fatigue even after just one drink. We want to be mindful of our fluid consumption in general. Water should be our primary source of fluid intake. Coffee or caffeinated beverages can increase alertness, but it is easy to over-do it and should only be used as a short-term intervention. Energy drinks should be avoided when trying to beat fatigue, as people often experience significant crashes when the energy wears off. These drinks also typically contain unknown amounts of added ingredients in the form of proprietary blends, which can present risks in not knowing all thats in said blend.

6. Dont be afraid to snack strategically: Snacks are usually the first to get the boot when one is trying to cut back on their intake. In my opinion, snacks should be incorporated into everyones daily nutrition routine. They present an excellent opportunity to obtain more nutrients and fuel to help you maintain your energy. When we go long periods of time without eating, our blood sugar drops and we feel fatigued and lethargic. To bring it back up and feel more energized, have a snack! Fruit is an excellent option, as youre getting both carbohydrates and energy, as well as antioxidants. Aim for at least one snack per day in between meals to keep up your energy.

7. Work with a dietitian to pinpoint nutrient deficiencies: If youve written a check mark next to all of the points above and still feel abnormal fatigue, its time to work with a doctor and dietitian for a more personal plan. Completing bloodwork and identifying any nutrient deficiencies could provide solid answers as to why you feel fatigued. Many people with chronic fatigue immediately turn to supplementation in an effort to address the issue. One study looking at a sample of adults with chronic fatigue syndrome demonstrated that many people with this diagnosis take supplements even though they report the supplements do not appear to enhance their health-related quality of life. Some supplements often advertised for fatigue are forms of antioxidants, like coenzyme Q10, or are molecules that are cofactors in processes that help produce energy, like vitamin b12. Remember the saying from sixth grade science class: the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell? Some supplement products, like NADH, target mitochondrial function to in theory, help stimulate energy production and decrease fatigue. More studies are needed, but a dietitian can help you decide if this is worth exploring for your case, and help you find a safe product as well.

There are many individualized factors at play that influence fatigue. Its crucial to practice foundational healthy behaviors to mitigate fatigue and pinpoint its source.

Emma Willingham is a registered dietitian who practices in an outpatient hospital clinic and through her private practice, Fuel with Emma. You can find her on social media at @fuelwithemma.

Read more:
Want to fight fatigue? Start with tweaking your diet. - Houston Chronicle

High blood pressure affects about a third of all adults in the UK - but not everybody is aware that they're at risk. If you've been diagnosed with the condition, which is also known as hypertension, you might want to consider adding more cherry juice to your diet, it's been claimed.

High blood pressure is a serious medical condition that raises the risk of deadly heart disease or strokes.

Having hypertension puts extra stress on your heart and blood vessels.

If you have high blood pressure, making just small adjustments to your diet can have a major impact on your overall health.

One of the easiest ways to lower your blood pressure is to regularly drink cherry juice, it's been claimed.

READ MORE:High blood pressure: The hot drink shown to slash risk of hypertension

"Cherry juice is one of the most effective natural remedies for high blood pressure," she wrote on her website, MyLowerBloodPressure.com.

"Juice from tart Montmorency cherries are as effective at lowering blood pressure as some hypertensive drugs.

"Eat fresh cherries as a snack the darker, sourer ones offer the greatest benefits and add them to yoghurt, muesli and fruit salads. Theyre also great when added to fruit juices and smoothies.

"For an on-going medicinal effect, drink Montmorency cherry juice, too. Just 60ml diluted with water, or added to other juices and smoothies is a great way to take your medicine.

There are several different types of fruit that help to protect against high blood pressure, she added.

Avocados could help some hypertension patients, as they're rich in magnesium and vitamin E.

They also contain soluble fibre, which helps to reduce blood clots.

If you'd rather not add more avocado to your diet, you could simply start using avocado oil for frying or baking your foods.

See the rest here:
High blood pressure diet: The 1 'effective' fruit juice to avoid hypertension symptoms - Daily Express

Good nutrition means eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals to fuel your body with what it needs

Good nutrition means eating a balanced and healthy diet. Its important to make sure you are getting the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to function properly.

Plan your meals so that they are nutrient-dense and low in calories:

What should a healthy diet consist of?

Typically, a balanced diet should consist of the following:

Each person has a different set of nutritional requirements depending on their age, gender, level of physical activity, overall health, and lifestyle. Work with a dietician to determine nutrients you will benefit from in higher amounts. You may be eating plenty of healthy foods, but your body may not be getting the right amounts of certain nutrients.

Why is good nutrition so important?

Most people know that good nutrition and physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight. However, the benefits of good nutrition go beyond weight. Good nutrition can help:

When and how much should you eat for good nutrition?

Its important to try to eat at the same time every day. Follow this general schedule for your meals:

When serving yourself a meal, fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables and split the other half between whole grains and lean protein.

If youre trying to lose weight, your daily calorie burn must be higher than your daily calorie intake, so determine how many calories you should get per day and stick to that budget. Balance a high-calorie food or meal with a low-calorie food for the next meal or next day.

Also, make sure that you drink at least 8 glasses of water every day as part of your nutritional diet. Water is a major nutritional component that regulates body temperature, lubricates your joints, and protects your major organs and tissues. It also aids in transporting oxygen throughout your body.

Myplate.gov is a government-owned site that can help you with your personalized diet planning as per your age and food preferences.

What is an example of a nutritious diet?

The Mediterranean diet is considered good because benefits include:

The Mediterranean diet consists of:

Latest Nutrition, Food & Recipes News

Medically Reviewed on 7/9/2021

References

Good nutrition: https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/healthy-living/good-nutrition

Mediterranean Diet Repeats as Best Overall of 2020: https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20200102/mediterranean-diet-repeats-as-best-overall-of-2020#

Nutrition Basics: https://www.eatgathergo.org/eat/planning/nutrition-basics/

Read more here:
What Is Good Nutrition and a Healthy Diet? - MedicineNet

My decision to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) stemmed from a lifelong struggle with my weight.

Weighing over 10 pounds (4.5 kg) when I was born placing me in the 99th percentile Im not exaggerating when I say lifelong.

The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a low carb, high fat eating pattern that involves limiting your carb intake to 2550 grams per day or fewer to achieve ketosis a metabolic state in which your body burns fat instead of carbs for its primary source of fuel (1).

Its also the first diet that has allowed me to successfully lose and maintain my weight while keeping me feeling full and satisfied.

In fact, I hesitate to use the word diet, as I think of keto more as a lifestyle than a temporary or trendy way of eating.

Sure, there are times when I eat more carbs for instance, during my recent pregnancy and now while Im breastfeeding and Im certainly not militant about my intake.

However, keto is the baseline that I continually return to because it makes me feel my best.

While the keto diet has been used for many years in the management of childhood epilepsy, were just starting to understand how the diet may be beneficial for blood sugar management and weight loss (1).

This article explains why I find the keto diet to be the best and most effective option for my weight loss journey and provides a glimpse into what I typically eat in a day.

The first time I tried keto was just an experiment to see if it lived up to the hype.

At that point in my life, I was heavier than I wanted to be and felt shame and cognitive dissonance around being an overweight dietitian.

I had also tried so many approaches to lose weight or at least not gain weight without success. As a result, I thought I was just a weak-willed person, despite the discipline I had in other areas of my life.

However, I now understand that my struggles with hunger and food cravings had nothing to do with a personality deficiency. Rather, they were the result of choosing foods that were negatively affecting my gut health, blood sugar, and hormone levels (2, 3).

When I tried keto in 2019, I lost 30 pounds (14 kg) in 4 months, and it was surprisingly easy since I wasnt constantly preoccupied thinking about my next meal. Instead, I finally felt satisfied, both physically and mentally.

Whats more, I noticed improvements in other areas of my health.

For example, a fellow RDN gushed to me about how amazing my skin looked something Id never been complimented on before.

My occasional episodes of mild heartburn also vanished, and I felt consistently energized, motivated, and productive throughout the day.

Then came 2020.

As for many of us, 2020 was a difficult year.

I was not only dealing with the stress of navigating pandemic life but also pregnant, working a healthcare job during the day, writing at night, taking care of my family, and frequently preoccupied with the political and social unrest in the United States.

Feeling totally overwhelmed, I found myself turning to food for comfort, with many nights spent stress eating.

While 2020 showed me that still have some work to do on my relationship with food, it also highlighted just how much my quality of life had previously been improving on the keto diet.

I know that keto isnt the right approach for everyone. However, I cant deny that following a low carb, high fat diet freed me from my food hang-ups for the first time in my life.

Research suggests that there are four main reasons why the keto diet appears to be effective for weight loss, including:

Still, keep in mind that research on the keto diet for purposes other than epilepsy only began in earnest within the past decade.

As a result, more studies are needed on the long-term effects of keto in the general population.

Additionally, while keto may have benefits for weight loss and blood sugar management, its important to talk with a trusted healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, especially if you have diabetes or are taking prescription medications.

Curious what the keto diet looks like to me?

Heres what I eat on a normal day:

Another thing I like about keto is that its easy to find options when dining out. Depending on the restaurant, Ill usually order a salad, bunless burger, or steak and veggies.

While keto often gets a bad reputation for being all butter, bacon, and cheese, Ive found that I eat more fresh produce now than I ever have in my life.

I know how hard it is to constantly feel hungry while trying to lose weight, which is why I feel so fortunate to have found a diet that works for me.

In fact, I can honestly say that keto has changed my life and reignited my passion for nutrition and health.

While there are many ways to live a healthy lifestyle, the keto diet is worth considering if youre struggling to find a diet that satisfies you.

Just make sure to talk with a trusted healthcare provider first, particularly if you have a preexisting medical condition or are taking prescription medications.

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What Healthy Eating Looks Like to Me, a Dietitian Who Eats Keto - Healthline