Category Archives: Diet And Food

I am thoroughly enjoying a novel with the unusual title The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, by Lisa See.

The novel is set in the Yunnan province of China and is a story of the Akha people, a Chinese ethnic minority. Before I decided to read it, I noticed some negative reviews about the amount of "tea discussion" and thought "great this looks like a book for me" and it is, what a gem!

Tea and tea trade have a long history in many countries including China, India, Sri Lanka and of course the United Kingdom although why we colonials insist on butchering tea with milk is beyond me.

Prior to lockdown, I wrote one of my columns while in India, on my way to Sri Lanka. At the time, I promised to write my next column about my Sri Lankan experience, but the Covid-19 drama on return meant I put those reflections aside.

Reading about the tea plantations in China has reminded me of being up on the Sri Lanka tea plantations watching Sri Lankan women harvest tea, nimbly climbing mountainous slopes in the heat, deftly handpicking leaves into backpacks.

There are parallels of our economy with Sri Lankas, both being heavily land and tourism based. Like New Zealand, Sri Lanka is genuinely beautiful and has that same small country feel being so close to its big brother India.

I went to Sri Lanka to work with a UK company, Capital Agri, led by an ex Otago-ite, Hadyn Craig. They have invested significantly into a leafy green business, Lanka Salads and I was there to meet people involved in Ayurvedic medicine, with a view to adding some of the wonderful medicinal herbs grown in Sri Lanka to their leafy green salad mixes.

Anyone who knows me understands that I get ridiculously excited about seeing exotic food plants grow in their native environment. I was treated to cinnamon plantations, turmeric, nutmeg, cocoa beans and the fabulous red-medicinal pineapple.

Imagine my delight when I met (and ate) red bananas and saw multiple other varieties in the world of big-food, we only ever experience the cavendish banana, which is a real problem in terms of genetic diversity and disease management.

I was treated to a tour of Associate Professor Marasinghes fabulous medicinal plant garden he is a botanist with an encyclopedia knowledge of Ayurvedic plants and medical practices. When I showed him the herbs we were interested in for digestive health, he quickly pointed out that my photo of one herb was the right genus but wrong species. Desktop research can only get you so far, clearly Uncle Google let me down.

On a more sober note, when we were staying in a remote hotel, the proprietors asked for a photo as we were the first Westerners to have visited since the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019. We were a sign to them that much needed tourists might be coming back.

Given the Covid-19 situation, Sri Lankas tourism industry will be faring worse than ours, having already been decimated prior to the virus. One older man I met, who relied on the tourist dollar to live told me he had limited pension and life had been very difficult since the bombing a reminder to be thankful for what we have.

Food businesses have been the first to recover and I am pleased to hear Lanka Salads is doing well again. As we imagine what a post-Covid-19 economy looks like, I hope too that we will take the opportunity to bring greater diversity into our diets and food systems. I hope that those food systems do more to protect and nurture the growers themselves technology should be able to play a role in connecting us to food producers in a way we havent been before. This will work for New Zealand farmers as well as those growing red pineapples in Sri Lanka.

Big-food has given us efficiency, profits and processed food. How can a new economy shape a more sustainable food model?

Anna Campbell is managing director of AbacusBio Ltd, a Dunedin based agri-technology company.

See the original post:
It is time to diversify our diets and food systems - Otago Daily Times

First Nations are essentially in a never-ending battle of trying to assert their indigenous rights to manage resources, says Burt. Though British Columbia was the first Canadian province to sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into law in 2019, it has yet to be endorsed at a national level.

Each time we want to have one of the things we did pre-history we have to go to court, and its dragged on for decades, says Wilson. Canada has enacted blanket laws like the Fisheries Act and Indian Act that generically undermines rights of indigenous peoples to resource sovereignty on traditional territories. Yet in regaining the recognition of resource rights and sovereignty, each nation has to go separately, says Wilson. Its like having a bully at school.

Swimming forward

Though a return to their once widespread global distribution is still not secured, in its ability to come back, the sea otter is a remarkable story of resilience, says Angela Doroff, scientist with the International Union for Conservation of Natures sea otter specialist group. Sea otters have some special traits that have made a comeback possible. These, she says, include its diversity of prey, its ability to learn and share learning.

Shared learning, it appears, benefits otters and humans alike. From the beginning of the project, we have all been willing to learn from each other and trust each other, says Salomon. That positive relationship fostered between First Nations and Western scientists around study design, focus, and implementation, is not typically done in science or resource management, argues Salomon. It ought to be. It needs to be, she says.

Towards more harmonious sea otter-First Nations coexistence, Wilson sees collaborations between scientists and indigenous communities as the kind of outside the box [solutions] that we have to do.

From a purely species-driven ecological perspective, the sea otter boom along the British Columbian coast might seem like a simple success story. Otters were locally extinct. Now they are thriving and recolonising. But setting aside that narrow, colonialist conservation lens, a more complex picture emerges. The story of rebounding otters, notes Burt, is a narrative where the costs and benefits differ depending on what perspective you come from.

With First Nations increasingly leading research efforts, the next chapter of the story could benefit from a new view: that the humans that have lived alongside otters for millennia are an important thread not separate from, but woven into the rich fabric of Pacific coast ecosystems.

--

The emissions from travel it took to report this story were 0kg CO2. The digital emissions from this story are an estimated 1.2g to 3.6g CO2 per page view. Find out more about how we calculated this figure here.

--

Join one million Future fans by liking us onFacebook, or follow us onTwitterorInstagram.

If you liked this story,sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called The Essential List. A handpicked selection of stories fromBBC Future,Culture,Worklife, andTravel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

--

Lesley Evans Ogden is @ljevanso on Twitter.

Go here to read the rest:
The sea otter rescue plan that worked too well - BBC News

Ever since she's declared 2020 her "Year of Health," Rebel Wilson is opening up about how hard she's working on her goals in frequent workouts, training sessions, and of course, in a brand new diet. The Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect star says she's trying to reach a goal weight of 75 kilograms, about 165 pounds, by the end of the year: "Even if you have to crawl towards your goals, keep going [and] it will be worth it, she shared on Instagram.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Having opened up about her journey on Instagram over the last year, Rebel's fans have returned the favor by letting her know how she's inspired them. "You are looking so fantastic!!!!!!! You give me motivation," one fan shared on a new photo, where Rebel got dolled up for a friend's wedding in what fans call a "stunning" dress by Australian-based designer Wayne Cooper. "Looking fly these days. Motivation... I cant get myself together like you!" another commented on a photo of Rebel in a garden. "You're the best motivation."

The 40-year-old Australian actor and comedian reportedly found her inspiration for her new health journey after visiting a well-known wellness center in Austria. According to People, Rebel's 2020 goals stem from a trip to VivaMayr with pal and TV host Carly Steel in 2019 where she saw "amazing results" based on the center's plan. What kind of treatment did she encounter there, you might ask? As shared in a personal review published in Grazia, Viva Mayr helps guests through a signature detox that involves certain spa treatments, mental health sessions, and a thorough diet and fitness revamp.

Not everyone can jet off for a stay in a medical center in Austria or locations in London, Mumbai, Istanbul, or Moscow for a consultation at the clinic (which costs around $211, according to The Guardian). But Viva Mayr's diet program specifically has been made popular by Harald Staussier, one of the clinic's founders, in a 14-day diet plan that's now known as the Mayr Method Diet, which promises to help you "revamp your health and feel years younger."

Believe it or not, the Mayr Method has been around for more than a century, according to VivaMayr personnel it's based on the "Mayr Cure" created by Franz Xaver Mayr, also known as F.X. Mayr. The basics of the program have to do with a "clean" gut, and a focus on eating foods that massage digestive systems. Maximilian Schubert, the medical director of VivaMayr, told NBC's Today that the Mayr diet has rarely changed over time: "The main idea behind this if people have a healthy gut system and healthy digestive system, then they are going to have a holistic approach of health," Schubert explained.

Courtesy of Amazon

Usually, people are first introduced to this diet by visiting VivaMayr or one of its many wellness retreats around the world during a prolonged stay and a series of consultations. "VivaMayr combines modern complementary medicine with traditional diagnostics and therapies according to F.X. Mayr, the VivaMayr website reads. Once we have treated your condition, proper nutrition combined with exercise and improved mental awareness become the building blocks of your new life.

Schubert told Today that the first recommendation made to many clients is to start a new fasting regimen: "In general, the first step is always a monotone and restricted diet, to really calm down the body system, food-wise," he said. In addition to adopting a short-term fast, the program will also include a prescribed cleanse, taking new or expanded vitamins, and supplements in what Schubert calls a "detoxification process." It's unclear which vitamins or supplements are used at clinics or Viva Mayr retreats, but there's a good chance that both have to do with aiming to lower the body's pH level based on the tenets of the alkaline diet.

According to our friends at Women's Health UK, in addition to establishing a fasting schedule, dieters will also refrain from eating sugar or drinking coffee (anything containing caffeine) and alcohol during the program. "Quite often, people will have some headaches and mood changes in the first three or four days afterwards, they recover very well again," Schubert told Today.

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

While the suggestions above are made within the 14-day diet guide, there isn't clear restrictive guidelines for the diet program, and you may adapt the program over time: "It's perfectly acceptable to create your own meals rather than following suggested menu plans, although you may want to try them for a few days first, to get the hang of the way food is prepared at Viva Mayr," the meal plan's introduction reads.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Ultimately, the diet is often purported to be based on the basics of an alkaline diet, but Stefani Sassos, MS, RD, CDN, the Good Housekeeping Housekeeping Institute's registered dietitian, explains that the foods on the diet plan's shopping list aren't actually included in true alkaline-forward diets. "Many foods on this list, including polenta, risotto, meat, and dairy aren't normally allowed on an alkaline diet as they are thought to be 'acidic.'" It may not matter in the end though, Sassos explains, because the alkaline diet's benefits have to do with eating more vegetables, reducing sugar and processed foods intake, and drinking more water (all things you can do without prescribing to a diet!).

Here's a majority of the Mayr Method Diet shopping list as highlighted in the book's introduction:

The 14-day diet plan also comes with a prescribed meal plan and recipes to help you get started.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Because most of the consultations happen at the clinic, Sassos says she's judging what's in the diet's book alone. Overall, the prescribed shopping list and meal plans in the book wouldn't be harmful, per se: "Would the foods on this list do you harm? No, I don't think so." Like every other diet, Sassos says you should enjoy everything on the Mayr diet's approved list in moderation and you should also feel comfortable having prohibited items, like coffee, in moderation as well. "The quality of macronutrients matters in any food, but you could easily gain weight if you're eating an excessive amount of certain foods on this list that are very calorically dense, like cheese, butter, and polenta."

If you attempt the Mayr Method Diet at home, there are a few takeaways you should focus on above all else, including the suggestions to eat more mindfully at mealtimes. "Many of us rush our meals and don't chew our food enough, and chewing is important to ensure proper digestion and maximum absorption later on in our digestive tract," Sassos explains, adding that somewhere between 30-40 chews per mouthful is something you should aim for. "It takes about 20 minutes for your body to signal to your brain that it is full. If we are eating too quickly, we can easily overeat before our brain is able to register that we are full."

One thing you shouldn't try at home is finding supplements to mimic any clinic treatment. "If you see [any product] with cleanse or detox slapped on it, be suspicious and ask questions," Sassos says. "For gut health in particular, staying hydrated and incorporating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, and kombucha into your diet is ideal. I always say food first before reaching for a supplement or pill."

The bottom line: You should always consult your doctor before making a long term change to your diet, but most principles of the Mayr Diet shouldn't be harmful. Remember, any diet needs to be paired with exercise (Rebel is also working hard on her fitness routine, Women's Health reports) for healthy, long-term weight management. The best principle of the VivaMayr program may be to focus more at mealtime: "Take time to actually register what you are eating, savor the flavor, and properly digest your food," Sassos says. "It can also improve your relationship with food and enhance the enjoyment of mealtime."

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

This commenting section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information on their web site.

See more here:
What Is the Mayr Method Diet? Breaking Down Rebel Wilson's Reported Weight Loss Program - GoodHousekeeping.com

New Delhi, August 19

Highlighting thekey role played by healthy food in combating morbidities and building ones resilience and immunity towards various kinds of diseases, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said people of the same household have been showing different responses to COVID-19 based on their immunity acquired through nutrition.

Vardhan, whopresided over an online orientation workshop organised by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as part of its Eat Right Challenge, emphasised that 61.8 per cent deaths from non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular complications, etc are directly or indirectly related to faulty diet, a Health Ministry statement said.

Even communicable diseases like tuberculosis disproportionately affect people who are undernourished. People of the same household have been showing different responses to COVID based on their immunity acquired through nutrition, he was quoted as saying in the statement.

He also launched FSSAIs Eat Right India Handbook and the website eatrightindia.gov.in to help various stakeholders scale up Eat Right India initiatives across the country.

Addressing officials of 197 cities and districts,the Union Health Minister highlighted the pressing need for the campaign.

He stated that of the 135 crore people inhabiting India, 196 million are victims of chronic hunger while another 180 million suffer from obesity. 47 million children have stunted growth while another 25 million are wasted. 500 million are deficient in micro-nutrients and 100 million suffer from food-borne diseases.

This movement will sharpen our focus towards prioritising food, nutrition and awareness about our eating and dietary habits to prevent and address these challenges. This will also bring into sharper focus the problem of food wastage and disposal of food, Vardhan said.

The Eat Right India movement initiated by FSSAI under the aegis of the Ministry of Health has been creating awareness among people about safe, healthy and sustainable dietary habits.

To achieve this end and to convert the program into a peoples movement, the FSSAI recently announced the Eat Right Challenge, an annual competition for 197 districts and cities in a unique way to strengthen the food safety and regulatory environment, build awareness among the consumers and urge them to make better food choices.

The Food Safety Commissioners and district officials such as District Magistrates and Designated Officers of the cities also joined the online workshop.

Releasing the Eat Right Handbook, a useful reference guide for officials to adopt and scale-up Eat Right India (ERI) initiatives in their respective jurisdictions, Vardhan said, Food is not only about hunger or taste but about health and nourishment. The workshop is unique in that it brings big restaurant chefs to roadside eatery owners under the same umbrella to achieve a single goal.

Minister of State for Health, Ashwini Kumar Choubey highlighted the role of age-old wisdom and traditional Ayurveda in guiding people to right eating practices by categorizing food based on the effect they have on the body.

Reminding everyone of the Prime Ministers commitment of creating a new India by its 75th year of independence in 2022, Vardhan said, The Prime Minister initiated Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan on October2, 2014 to rid the country of diseases arising out of poor sanitation. Through the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide potable piped water which will aid in prevention of water borne illness in the country while the Ujjwala Yojana provides access to clean fuels to tackle smoke and lung diseases.

Highlighting the importance of Poshan Abhiyaan, Anaemia Mukt Bharat and Fit India movement, he added that they are cornerstones of Prime Ministers New India by 2022.

The main focus of the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness centres is on preventive, positive and promotive health, the minister stated. The HWCs form an integral component of the prime ministers vision of a healthy India, he added. PTI

Link:
Diet, nutrition play key role in preventing deaths due to diseases including COVID: Vardhan - The Tribune India

The scale isnt your only tool in determining how fit and healthy you are. Other measurements, like body fat percentage, waist circumference, and BMI tell as much or more aboutyour overall health and fitness picture as the number on the scale. Heres the best news: All of these can be improved on a plant-based diet.

If youve ever tried to lose weight, you know how obsessed with the scale you can become. Yet while knowing your weight can be a useful tool, it only gives you a fraction of the story. Other measures like body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, both of which are tied to body fat, play into this as well. Heres the scoop on what each of these measurements indicate, how you can check them at home, and why you should eat even more plants to improve all of them.

How many times have you heard people refer to fat as a four-letter word? Maybe youve even said the same. Heres the catch: When people say this, theyre usually referring to the pinch an inch type of fat, essentially the kind that sits right under your skin. Yet subcutaneous (or surface) fat isnt the big issue. Instead, you need to direct your attention to two other types of fat in your body, namely visceral and intramyocellular fats which sit deeper and cause more harm.

While intramyocellular fat are essentially fat droplets stored in muscle cells, visceral fat is the fat in your belly, around your waist and around your organs, and both lead to poor health. Increase in intramyocellular fat leads to insulin resistance that can cause a myriad of problems, diabetes included, says Kim Scheuer, M.D., plant-based lifestyle medicine physician and founder of DOKS Lifestyle Medicine in Aspen, Colo. Meanwhile, visceral fat is even more indicative of disease, as it causes inflammation in the body which is paramount to heart disease and many other chronic diseases.

So how can you check your body fat? There are several ways, including the gold standard of hydrostatic weighing where youre dunked underwater while holding your breath, DXA which is similar to bone testing, and skinfold calipers that pinch the fat you can squeeze. Yet there are drawbacks to each. The first two require special equipment while the calipers check only subcutaneous fat and arent that accurate, Scheuer says.

Fortunately, there are ways you can keep tabs on your body fat at home, and the first is BMI. While BMI has come under fire as less than ideal as a way to gauge the population, many experts still consider it a useful tool. BMI is an excellent indicator, as its practical and easy to determine, and it reliably correlates with the percentage of body fat and body fat mass, says Charles Elder, M.D., internal medicine physician in Portland, Ore.

To determine your BMI, divide your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in meters) squared. If you know both, you canuse a BMI calculator to do thematch for you. In general, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, 25 to 29.9 is overweight and 30 orhigher is considered obese, Scheuer says.

Yet because BMI may overestimate the degree of body fat in people who are technically overweight but have a lot of muscle mass, such as athletesor bodybuilders, you should also measure waist circumference. Increased waist circumference, which assesses abdominal obesity, has been shown to be a predictor of cardiovascular complications and provides useful additional information beyond just BMI, Elder says. Measure this at home by placing a measuring tape around your middle, just above your hipbones. If you're a man and have a waist circumference of 40 inches or youre a womanand have a waist measures of 35 inches or more, youre considered at risk of having heart disease and other issues, Scheuer says.

When it comes to maintaining a leaner physique, plant-based eaters typically have always had the leg up in this department. Numerous studies suggest that plant-eaters have lower BMI than their meat-eating counterparts, including a smaller waist circumference, and lower body fat. The studies also indicate that a strategy to lose weight is to adopt a plant-based diet.

Whats the magic? Simple: The more whole-food, plant-based you eat, the more nutrient-dense ... your diet will be, so that youll lose more fat and weight overall, Scheuer says. Eat a low-fat diet, and youll do even better. She quotes John A. McDougall, M.D., founder of the McDougall Program and Dr. McDougalls Right Foods, whos famous for saying that the fat you eat is the fat you wear.Thats because while fat has nine calories per gram, whereas carbohydrates and proteins have just four calories per gram. As a result, plant-based foods, most of which are low in fat, are much less calorie-dense than meat, cheese, and other animal products. Yet because the meat and dairy both lack fiber, these calorie-dense foods are easy to eat faster and thus lead you to overeat, Scheuer says.

Plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains also have other ways in which they aid your physique. Theyre rich in water and fiber, both of which fill you up, and they feed good gut bacteria, which improves satiety and helps boost metabolism, Scheuer says.

And while most animal foods consist of long-chain fatty acids, which promote fat accumulation and insulin resistance in the body (which signals your body to store fat to be used later), plants have higher levels of short-chain fatty acids, which help your body burn fat for fuel. Short-chain fatty acids help increase fat burning for energy and are associated with many other health benefits, Elder says.

Want to improve BMI, waist circumference and carry around less body fat? Make sure youre loading yourplatewith as many plants as possible, knowing that going 100 percent plant-based is healthiest for you, as well as the planet, andfactory-farmed animals, Scheuer says. Its not just what you eat but when you eat, that matters. Because your digestion is naturally strongest in the middle of the day at around noon when the sun is highest in the sky, have your main meal at mid-day with a lighter dinner and no snacking at night, Elder says.

And dont forget that other lifestyle habits are important too, including exercising daily for 30 minutes or more, reducing stress by enjoying time doing what brings you joy, and logging sevenor more hours of sleep at night. Another strategy that works to lower BMI, fat and overall weight: Try limiting the hours you eat (Scheuer recommends stopping eating at 7 p.m.), and drinking plenty of water. Shoot for two glasses of cold water before breakfast, lunch and dinner, she adds. Then know that you've done everything you can to be your fittest, healthiest self.

Read the original post:
How Healthy Are You? The Truth About BMI, Body Fat, and Diet - The Beet

Is anti-ageing simply aesthetics or is there more? On the one hand, its obviously tempting to look at it from a standpoint of aesthetics alone, for after all, who doesnt want to look younger?

The right foods can fight age (Pic credit: Shutterstock)

What exactly does ageing mean? For this, let me explain the oxidative stress within the cells in your body.

Imagine if you cut an apple and leave it out in the air, allowing it to oxidise. Thats what it looks like within your body if you have high levels of oxidative stress, poor intake of antioxidants and the inability to deal with oxidative stress as you normally should.

Many nights of poor sleep or sleeping at the wrong times can instantly drop the melatonin levels in your body. Oxidative stress simply means that in the metabolic process of converting food to energy within your cells, the byproducts or free radicals are very high.

High levels of oxidative stress can slow down systems in the body as your cells are stressed. This causes you to age. It is also what makes you look old and feel old. If you think that its just age catching up, think again. It might not be.

The idea of longevity might seem something beyond your reach or just a saga from magical tales such as the existence of Shangri-La or strategies out of your reach or buried within a Himalayan cave, but this is just not true.

Here are some of the ways you can combat the rigours of time with anti-ageing foods

Orange sweet potatoes are rich in fibre (Pic credit: Shutterstock)

The first reaction I get when I mention sweet potatoes is that they belong to the "carbohydrate" group of foods. I think the word carbs is really misunderstood today. Complex carbohydrates are like super foods for your digestive system as they improve detoxification, which is the first system that needs to work amazingly well to prevent oxidative stress and ageing.

Tulsi tea is an excellent antioxidant (Pic credit: Shutterstock)

Adaptogens are compounds found in plants that can help you combat physical and mental and oxidative stress.

These are usually found in plants which have undergone some level of stress within nature, withstood these obstacles and continued to survive under the harshest situations.

Grilled salmon (Pic credit: Shutterstock)

Be it wild Alaskan salmon or local Indian salmon, fish is an anti-ageing superstar! Oily fish like salmon is loaded in omega-3 essential fatty acids which help to neutralise free radical activity, boost mitochondrial function, relieve oxidative stress and combat ageing.

Cranberries contain Vitamin C which helps fight age (Pic credit: Shutterstock)

Cranberries are usually associated with bladder health, so many people dont select it consciously. Did you know that cranberries contain specific phytonutrients called polyphenols and are very rich in Vitamin C?

In fact, they are such powerful antioxidants that they improve your overall cellular recovery and fight oxidative stress. Make sure that you find cranberries that are dried without sugar or preservatives, and add a palmful into your salad!

Add these foods to your diet and you will find out how you can be in charge of fighting age with the power of the right diet and proper nutrition.

(Images: Shutterstock)

Want to make your startup journey smooth? YS Education brings a comprehensive Funding Course, where you also get a chance to pitch your business plan to top investors. Click here to know more.

Link:
Never look a day older: Heres how the right diet can be the key to anti-ageing - YourStory

Lentils are loaded with some essential nutrients that should be a part of your diet. Here are notable health benefits of lentils you need to know.

Lentils are loaded with fibre which can help in weight loss

Lentils are a part of the legume family. These are edible seeds loaded with several health benefits. Lentils are available in different shapes, colour and texture. There is a wide variety to choose from. These are easy and quick to prepare. You can add them to your diet in several healthy and nutritious ways. Adding these to your diet can also help you maintain a healthy weight. Lentils are a blessing for vegetarians as these are an excellent plant-based source of multiple nutrients. Not just these, there is a wide variety of health benefits that lentils can offer. Here's a list of reasons why you should add lentils to your diet.

These tiny seeds are well-packed with nutrients. Lentils contain- folate, vitamin B6, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, carbs, fibre, calcium and much more. You can prepare these in different ways. In India, lentils are commonly used to prepare curries. These can also be added to your soups, salads and dips.

Lentils are loaded with several essential nutrientsPhoto Credit: iStock

Lentils are loaded with fibre which can help you keep full for longer. These can help you reduce your calorie consumption by keeping you satisfied for longer.

Also read:Weight Loss: Protein-Rich Pulses Can Help You Lose Weight, Here's How; Know Other Health Benefits

Several properties of lentils can help you boost heart health. These can help control bad cholesterol levels and blood pressure (potassium in lentils control blood pressure). Fibre also plays an important role in promoting heart health.

Also read:Pulses Can Control High Blood Pressure: Here's How

Fibre is also responsible for keeping your digestive tract healthy. It can ensure better bowel movement, keeping constipation at bay.

Lentils may help promote digestion and keeps constipation at bayPhoto Credit: iStock

Protein should be an essential part of your diet. It is the building block of the body. Protein also keeps you full for longer and helps you lose weight. Lentils are a good source of plant-based protein.

Promoted

Also read:3 Plant-Based Sources Of Protein And Why They Must Be A Part Of Your Daily Diet

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.

More here:
Reasons Why You Should Add Nutrient-Dense Lentils To Your Diet: Know Impressive Health Benefits - NDTV Doctor

Sixth-generation California rancher Kiah Twisselman recently told officials with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) about her first-hand experience with the benefits of beef in her diet and urged them to do more to encourage beef as part of a healthy diet as they finalize new federal dietary guidelines. Twisselman testified on behalf of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), the nation's oldest and largest national organization representing America's cattle producers.

I know firsthand how important it is for dietary guidance to be practical, flexible, and clear, Twisselman said in a public online hearing today. Two years ago, I began my journey to better health. Ive lost over 125 pounds through small life changes, regular exercise, and a healthy diet. Ive also built a successful weight loss and life coaching business to empower others to do the same.

Twisselman urged federal officials to build on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committees (DGAC's) recommendation to include lean meat in a healthy diet by clearly identifying beef as a lean meat option and highlighting ways to achieve that recommendation by naming specific lean meat cuts like sirloin or 95% lean ground beef. She also called on officials to highlight beef as a common, readily available source for essential nutrients like iron, zinc and B-vitamins.

Lean beef is a versatile, affordable, nutrient-dense, and delicious protein source for a healthy and balanced diet. From my herd to yours, thank you for guiding Americans toward healthier diets with beef, Twisselman concluded.

Over the past two years, NCBA has worked closely with the DGAC, USDA, and HHS to keep new dietary guidelines focused on sound science and nutrition, and as a result, the final draft guidelines recognize beefs role in a healthy diet, including the essential role of beefs nutrients at every life stage. NCBA has provided extensive written and oral commentary through both the Center for Public Policy and the Beef Checkoff. NCBA, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, submitted 21 sets of unique comments, providing over 100 research studies that comprehensively review the scientific evidence supporting the critical role beef plays in a healthy diet.

Read the original post:
Sixth-Generation California Rancher Shares Incredible Weight Loss Story Thanks to Beef to Dietary Guidelines Panel - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE...

Kareena Kapoor Khan had the likes of dal rice and roti sabzi as her meals

Were you smitten by Kareena Kapoor Khan's pictures from one of her recent photo shoots? Well, you're definitely not alone. The actress exuded radiance and glow like never before, in her recently-released looks on Instagram. While some of it may be credited to her pregnancy glow (she recently announced that she is expecting her second baby), the other reasons behind her perfect body and glowing skin are the diet and workout regime that she followed. Talking about the same was her nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar on Instagram. "The good news is that you don't have to deprive yourself of good food to look good. Sustainable diets keep you sexy and sane," Diwekar writes in her Insta post.

The nutritionist goes on to add that the actress was eating good food and not depriving herself, around late May, and mid-June. Here's what here diet plan looked like:

1. Bebobegan her day with some soaked almonds orbanana. She used to have this around 9 or 10 am, Diwekar informs.

2. She would then used to workout (which we are going to talk later in the article).

Also read:Diet Plan For Kareena's Look In Chandigarh Mein Song, RevealedBy Her Nutritionist

3. Around 12 noon, she used to have dahi rice with papad, or chapati with paneer sabzi and dal.

4. Around 2-3 pm, a small bowl or papaya, or a handful of peanuts, or a piece of cheese or some ghee-roasted makhana would suffice.

5. The fourth meal of the day would be consumed around 5 or 6 pm. It could be a glass of mango milkshake or a bowl of litchi, or some chivda (flattened rice).

6. She used to dinner around 8 pm. It would either be vegetarian pulao with some raita, or palak or pudina roti with some boondi raita. Dal rice and sabzi was another dinner option.

7. A cup of haldi milk with some nutmeg was part of actress' nightime routine. In case she used to feel hungry at this time, she used to have a fresh fruit, or curd with raisins or cashews, or nimbu sherbet (lemon water) or nariyal pani (coconut water), or chaas (buttermilk) with kalanamak and hing.

Also read:Having Rice For Dinner? Here's What Rujuta Diwekar Has To Say About It

The aforementioned diet and workout plan is a testimony to the fact that having a meals in a balanced way and being regular at exercise, with sufficient rest days, is what you need to be fit, lose weight and have a sparkling glow on your skin!

Also read:Weight Loss: Do Long-Duration Workouts Give Better Results?

(Rujuta Diwekar is a nutritionist based in Mumbai)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

Excerpt from:
Weight Loss: Here's Kareena Kapoor Khan's Diet And Exercise Regime For Her Recent Look- Her Nutritionist Gives Details - NDTV

Biotin-rich diet may help hair grow and stop hair fall.

Highlights

There are many factors that determine our hair health, our diet factoring in as a huge contributor. Just like our body, our hair too needs its fill of nutrients to grow and stay healthy. You may already know that proteins and calcium are one of the most important nutrients for hair growth. If you ever consult a dermatologist, they would suggest upping the intake of biotin too. Biotin is a B vitamin, which is known to convert ingested foods into energy. But, since it is a water-soluble vitamin, it is difficult to retain in the body and we need to replenish it regularly.

There's a host of biotin supplements flying off the shelves of medical stores but there's nothing like getting our diet do the job naturally. So, if you are serious about putting an end to that dreadful hair loss and help your mane grow into healthy and gorgeous tresses, include these biotin-rich foods to your daily diet.

Milk, cheese, curd - all dairy products contain a good amount of biotin. These foods should be consumed on a daily basis for good health and great hair.

(Also Read:Monsoon Hair Fall: 5 Foods You Must Include In Your Diet)

All dairy products are good for hair health.

2. Spinach

We all know that spinach is a powerhouse of protein and iron; you may not know that this green leafy vegetable is a good source of biotin too. So, keep having palak paneer, dal palak and other Indian dishes or include spinach in your breakfast recipes like omelettes and baked eggs.

3. Egg Yolks

If you tend to discard egg yolks to eat egg whites only, stop now! Egg yolks contain many important nutrients including protein and biotin. Just make sure not to over-consume them. One whole egg including yolk provides 10 mcg Biotin, according to the data provided by International Food Information Council Foundation.

4. Nuts And Seeds

We can't stress enough the importance of having nuts and seeds daily. Along with so many health benefits, these foods also help with maintaining hair health. Add almonds, walnuts, peanuts and sunflower seeds to your salads, smoothies and desserts or eat them raw as snacks.

(Also Read:7 Foods for Hair Growth You Should Be Eating Daily)

Nuts and seeds are rich source of B vitamins.

5. Salmon

The pink coloured fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as biotin. Salmon offers many properties for overall well-being and beautiful, long hair. According to International Food Information Council Foundation, 3 ounces of salmon contains 5 mcg biotin per serving.

Get heavy, healthy hair you always dreamt of. Enrich your diet with these biotin-rich foods.

About Neha GroverLove for reading roused her writing instincts. Neha is guilty of having a deep-set fixation with anything caffeinated. When she is not pouring out her nest of thoughts onto the screen, you can see her reading while sipping on coffee.

Follow this link:
Healthy Hair Diet: 5 Biotin-Rich Foods That May Stop Hair Fall And Help Them Grow - NDTV Food