Category Archives: Diet And Food

DGP D. Gautam Sawang on Wednesday said that personnel who were on COVID-19 duties would get special diet pay.

Thousands of personnel were on emergency duties to implement the lockdown and with the Centre extending it till May 3, they have to be on the vigil for 18 more days, Mr. Sawang said.

Our men are performing their duties braving the hot weather. We are planning to give nutritious diet and energy drinks to protect them from sunstroke. Several IPS officers have been leading from the front since Janata Curfew which preceded the lockdown, he said.

The DGP thanked all those who did their bit by extending financial aid. I request the personnel to take care of their family members, who are extending all cooperation to them.I salute them all, the State police chief said.

Mr. Sawang said a medical helpline (Manavata Helpline) was launched to help the families of the personnel. He thanked the government for extending all cooperation to the police.

Police family members can dial mobile numbers .9966673480 (or) 9966673111. Besides, family welfare help desks have been opened in all districts. To contact the help desks, police families may use the Dial 100 service or contact the Special Branch Inspector of the district concerned, said OSD (Police Welfare) P.V.S. Ramakrishna.

Family members can use the helpline in case of any health emergency, DIG (Technical Services) G. Pala Raju said.

Mr. Sawang said instructions had been given to all private hospitals, clinics and Rural Medical Practitioners (RMPs) not to treat persons with coronavirus symptoms, and refer such cases to COVID-19 hospitals.

All private doctors should refer such patients to the COVID-19 designated hospitals. Public can also dial 104 in emergency for treatment or to pass information on suspected patients, the DGP said.

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Originally posted here:
Police personnel on COVID duties to get special diet pay - The Hindu

Diet tips for lockdown: In caseyour appetite reduces because of stress, you can opt for eating small, frequent meals. Munch on healthy snacks like fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, ghee-roasted makhanas, roasted chana, etc. You can have a full meal as and when you have the appetite for it.

Diet tips: Stay away from sugary foods when feeling stressed during lockdown

Lockdown stress: Staying at home, not being able to meet friends, missing gym etc are all too many changes at a time. For those who were used to being always on the move with every hour of the day planned, are now left with many unplanned hours in the day. On top of it all is the very challenging task to complete chores and your work commitments at the same time. Long story short, lockdown can be chaotic and stressful. The key is to not let the stress take a toll on your mental health.

In this article, we are going to talk about foods you should avoid when feeling stressed. Many people usually resort to comfort foods like sugary foods and desserts when they get sudden bouts of stress. Doing so must be avoided. Keep reading to know why.

Also read:Nutritionist Explains How Stress Affects Immunity And What You Can Do About It

All those cups of coffee may help you be on-the-go, but they may also intensify feelings of anxiety and stress. With the onset of summers, you can opt for refreshing summer drinks like lemon water, buttermilk or coconut water. These drinks are hydrating in nature and can also help you get rid of the afternoon slump. Excessive intake of caffeine has been found to have a negative impact on your performance, well-being and overall mood.

Many people drink at the end of the day to cope up with stress and feelings of emotions. Just like caffeine, alcohol can too worsen stress and anxiety. It can also disrupt your sleep, worsen your health and cause weight gain.

Avoid drinking alcohol in order to deal with stress and anxietyPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Coronavirus: Bid Good Bye To Stress Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak With These Guidelines By WHO

Resorting to sugary foods is the most common way of dealing with stress. Chocolates, desserts, sugary drinks can provide short-term relief from stress and anxiety. Sugary foods give you empty calories and can play havoc on your blood sugar level.

Including fresh fruits and vegetables in your deit can provide you with antioxidants, fibre and healthy fats in abundance. Doing this can reflect positively on your mood and can even help you lose weight.

Whole grains like wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley and quinoa can be beneficial for keeping you stress-free. They contain a type of amino acid which increases your body's level of serotonin, which is known as the happy chemical. Serotonin contributes to well-being and happiness.

Nuts and seeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help in reducing stress. Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Cashews and sunflower seeds contain tryptophan, which can boost serotonin and reduce stress.

Nuts and seeds are a great option for healthy snackingPhoto Credit: iStock

In caseyour appetite reduces because of stress, you can opt for eating small, frequent meals. Munch on healthy snacks like fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, ghee-roasted makhanas, roasted chana, etc. You can have a full meal as and when you have the appetite for it.

Also read:Revealed! The Right Way To Consume Nuts And Seeds For Weight Loss

On this extended lockdown or lockdown 2.0 as it is being popularly called, let's pledge to eat healthy, be physically active and do everything possible to take care of health.

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.

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Beat Lockdown Stress With A Healthy Diet: Know Foods To Eat And Avoid - Doctor NDTV

The ketogenic (keto) diet is an increasingly common choice for those looking to lose weight. The diet recommends eating protein, high-fat and low (or no) carbohydrates. Doing this will cause the body to enter ketogenesis, which will reportedly help your body burn more fat and lose weight. But unlike other low-carb diets (such as Atkins or Paleo diets), many people report experiencing flu-like symptoms after adopting the diet making many ditch it altogether.

After we eat, the body converts carbohydrates into blood sugar (known as glucose), which it uses for energy. But the ketogenic diet is based on research from the 1920s that found lowering the availability of carbohydrates made the body rely more on using other substances (such as fat) for energy. By metabolising fat to produce glucose or energy, the body generates ketones in the process hence the term ketogenic. Any diet containing less than 20g per day of carbohydrate is deemed to be ketogenic.

The production of ketones by the liver indicates that fat, instead of sugar, is being metabolised and that this fat is close to our entire source of energy. This is thought to correlate to weight loss but really correlates with an altered blood insulin profile. Whether this enhances weight loss compared to other diets is debatable, since withdrawal of carbohydrates results in losses in body water, exaggerating the appearance of weight loss.

But many people report experiencing something called the keto flu after changing their diet. People report symptoms such as nausea, constipation, headaches, fatigue and sugar cravings, similar to influenza apart from the sugar cravings.

These side effects are related to the key concept of the ketogenic diet: carbohydrate withdrawal. Glucose (which is produced from foods containing carbohydrates, such as potatoes or bread) is the primary energy source of the central nervous system, including the brain. A reduced supply of carbohydrates will result in reduced function, leading to headaches. Nausea can be explained through consuming high volumes of fat. This is because fat takes a long time to digest and absorb.

When eating a conventional diet that includes carbohydrates, glucose increases in the blood. This stimulates a rise in the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels and allows your body to use the glucose for energy. It lowers the presence of fat in the blood, and helps glucose enter the bodys cells. Insulin also suppresses the release of fat particles from fat stores in the body by the same mechanism. The hope is that by eating low (or no) carbs, this mechanism will be reversed, helping to increase the appearance of fat in the blood and its availability to other cells to use for energy and result in fat loss.

A high level of insulin release occurs if a person consumes a large volume of carbohydrates in a single sitting. Therefore, the ketogenic diet aims to reduce the insulin response through excessive carbohydrate restriction. But reducing insulin causes an increase in circulating fats that displace a protein, called tryptophan, from its carrier. This circulating tryptophan causes an increase in serotonin in the brain and the increase in serotonin results in fatigue, even when you arent exerting yourself much.

Having fewer carbohydrates to use is also a stressor to the body, since theyre the bodys preferred energy source. The lack of carbohydrates stimulates the release of cortisol a stress hormone. The amount of cortisol the body releases depends on the size of the stressor. Cortisol releases fats and proteins from tissues in the body, which is the aim of the ketogenic diet. These nutrients are then metabolised by the liver to produce carbohydrates. However, cortisol secretion can become fatigued as a result of this stressed environment. Since cortisol helps increase immune function, the body may be more prone to infections, such as the common cold.

Carbohydrate-rich foods often contain vitamins, minerals and fibre. We require 30g of fibre per day and, if we dont consume enough, our digestive health suffers, leading to constipation. The lack of fibre-rich foods in the ketogenic diet such as baked potatoes and apples may result in constipation, another reported symptom of the keto flu.

Removing such foods from the diet also limits vitamins and minerals, which play a role in all aspects of cellular function particularly immune function. Sugary fruits that are high in vitamin C (such as oranges) are avoided in the ketogenic diet. Low levels of vitamin C might also cause increased risk of infections, such as the common cold.

Ketogenic diets are sometimes clinically recommended for managing some medical conditions, such as epilepsy. Its thought that maintaining a constant low blood glucose level and the production of ketones will maintain the central nervous system through numerous molecular mechanisms, reducing seizures.

But for most people the side effects of such diets arent worth the potential benefits. Such diets are often unsustainable if religiously adhering to low or no carbohydrate intake because of the short and long-term sugar cravings.

Though the keto diet might work for some, a balanced diet including white meat, fish, fruits and vegetables and avoiding pre-made or processed foods is still an effective way to manage or lose weight. Getting enough exercise can also help manage weight, while improving aerobic and muscular fitness. This will lead to improved cardiovascular health and decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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Keto diet: here's why some people experience fatigue, nausea, headaches after starting it - The Conversation UK

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. The call for more modern diet studies on muskies is being answered, and Lake Miltona in Douglas County is part of a project that will take a close look at the big game fishs primary prey in some Minnesota lakes.

Kamden Glade is a 25-year-old graduate student at Bemidji State University who is in charge of gathering most of the diet data. The Minnesota DNR and Bemidji State University have a contract to complete the project, with Brian Herwig of the Bemidji DNR office and Jeff Reed of the Glenwood office leading the overall research.

The work is scheduled to look at 11 bodies of water in Minnesota. Seven of those lakes hold muskies, but northern pike, largemouth bass and walleyes are also a part of the study that is designed to do a wide-ranging diet overview of some of the states most popular predatory fish and see how the species are co-existing in Minnesota waters.

Were taking diets from muskies, northern pike, walleye and largemouth bass in all the lakes so that were able to compare diets between lakes and between seasons, Glade said. Then we have (four) reference lakes too to see if theres any kind of significant difference in walleye, pike and largemouth bass diets in lakes that do or dont have muskies in them.

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to stop spring sampling in 2020, but Glade said they are hopeful that sampling not done this year could be rescheduled to 2021. The work is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2021 with final publication of the results following that.

Glade has not analyzed all the numbers from every lake that was sampled in 2019 due to the study being ongoing, but he has taken a hard look at the data from Lake Miltona.

Most of the muskies that are sampled are captured through electrofishing at night. Researchers also looked at the diets of fish on Miltona by going along with crews from the Glenwood Area Fisheries department during netting surveys in 2019.

Diet samples are taken from muskies by placing a small piece of clear tubing through the fishs mouth and into the back of its stomach. Water is then slowly pumped in before pressure builds enough to cause the fish to regurgitate any stomach contents. Some fish sampled had nothing in their stomachs due to not feeding recently.

Overall, we had a 67% full stomach rate on muskies throughout all seasons, which is actually quite a bit better than most of the other studies that Ive seen, Glade said.

From Miltona, 29 muskies were sampled with full stomachs in the spring, compared to two in the summer and 15 in the fall. The contents ranged from easily identifiable species that had just been eaten, down to matter that was nothing more than bones or a small piece of tissue.

Some of those you can identify the species based on the bone structure, Glade said. Beyond that, were working with Dr. Loren Miller from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota DNR. Hes a geneticist. Hes able to take a little chunk of flesh from a diet and he can do genetic barcoding on that chunk of flesh and tell us what species it was.

The preliminary numbers on Lake Miltona showed that yellow perch made up the largest percentage of the muskies diet by numbers.

Largemouth bass were a fairly important diet item for them as well, Glade said. They had a decent amount of bullheads there, and also some crappie and bluegill. Then white suckers were also important for them.

Yellow perch came out to about 65% of the total diet items by number for Miltona muskies, but that is not the only thing researchers look at when assessing diet studies.

Percentage by mass, the total mass of one prey species divided by the total mass of all prey species present, is also an important factor. Yellow perch made up about 8% of the muskies diet by mass on Lake Miltona.

Thats because muskies will commonly feed on larger prey. One muskrat, one ring-billed gull, 11 northern leopard frogs and two northern pike were found in muskies on Miltona. A couple of bowfin, commonly known as dogfish, were also found.

Theyre not eating extremely frequently, but when they do eat theyre eating some fairly large diet items, Glade said. We had a couple muskies from Miltona that had white suckers in their stomach that were at or over 20 inches in length.

A total of three walleyes were found in muskies on Lake Miltona. That made up less than 1.5% of the muskies diet by number and less than 2% by mass.

Its definitely not like they were targeting walleyes, Glade said. We expected to see some. I was kind of surprised we didnt see more, just based on how often we saw muskies and walleyes in the same areas when we were sampling.

Researchers for the study are using an overlap metric to analyze how the predator species are competing for limited resources within a lake. That overlap metric is accumulated by looking at each species diet as it relates to percentage by number and by mass.

It gives a number between zero and one. For muskies and walleye, that was about 0.23, so definitely low, Glade said. Anything below 0.4 is considered low overlap. So its definitely looking like at least on Miltona they are not competing for the same resources too much.

Yellow perch are an important prey species for all the game fish, but the low percentage by mass that perch accounted for in the muskies diet made for that low overlap with walleyes.

Northerns surveyed on Miltona had a diet of yellow perch that consisted of almost 70% by number and 40% by mass. Largemouth bass also had nearly 40% by mass of yellow perch, and walleyes relied on perch for their diet at 40% by number and about 60% by mass.

Walleyes, northern and bass exist in the lake at much higher densities. Miltona is managed as a trophy lake for muskies, and fingerlings are stocked at low numbers in order to create better opportunities for fish measuring 50-plus inches.

I havent really analyzed the numbers from a lot of the other lakes, but just from looking at Miltona, there was a lot higher chance of overlap between the other three species than muskies had on any of the other three species, Glade said. For instance, walleye had a relatively high overlap with both pike and largemouth bass. That was a little interesting to see, but not entirely unexpected. The muskies had relatively low overlap with all three of the other species.

Sampling is completed on Lake Miltona, with more lakes left to look at across Minnesota over the next two years. The end result should be some modern research that can help guide management decisions on Minnesota waters.

If there is a significant shift in diets when were stocking muskies, maybe that is something we need to look at a little closer, Glade said. If theres not, that also gives managers important information theyre able to continue stocking or increase stocking and have scientific data to back that up instead of anecdotal observations.

Read more:
Minnesota study will look at primary prey of muskies and other predatory fish - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

If youre looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet is probably a good fit, blending the basics of healthy eating with the traditional flavors and cooking methods of the Mediterranean.

Two new studies recently took a closer look at the diet, discovering that those who closely follow it can reduce their risk of cognitive impairment by half by taking advantage of the diets strong emphasis on vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil.

People with the higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet had almost a 45% to 50% reduction in the risk of having an impaired cognitive function, said lead author Dr. Emily Chew, who directs the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications (DECA) at the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

Closely following the diet was defined as eating fish twice a week and regularly consuming fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and olive oil while reducing consumption of red meat and alcohol. The risk for cognitive decline increased as the levels of adherence dropped, Chew said.

The Mediterranean diet didnt appear to slow cognitive decline in people with the ApoE gene, which dramatically raises the risk for Alzheimers disease, Chew said. But when the study looked at just the levels of fish consumption, eating fish twice a week did slow the decline in people with the gene.

In this study, while the Mediterranean diet overall decreased risk, the strongest factor to really move the needle was regular fish consumption, said Dr. Richard Isaacson, who directs the Alzheimers Prevention Clinic at New York-Presbyterians Weill Cornell Medicine Center.

Chew and her colleagues examined data previously collected by two massive clinical trials called AREDS and AREDS2. Both examined nutritional supplements as a potential treatment for age-related macular degeneration, a progressive eye disease causing blurred vision and vision loss.

These studies included information about the participants diet and assessed their cognitive function periodically over five- and ten-year periods, respectively. The researchers also asked participants to report how often they consumed nine components of the Mediterranean diet.

The retina is an extension of the brain, Chew said. A third of your brain functions for vision and the retina lines the eyeball and travels back via an optic nerve all the way to the brain. Thats why it made sense that any antioxidants which might improve the retina might also improve the brain, she said.

The researchers new evaluation shows that participants who stuck closest to the Mediterranean diet had the lowest risk of cognitive impairment. Eating lots of fish and vegetables appeared to have the greatest protective effect. At the 10 year mark, participants with the highest fish consumption had the slowest rate of cognitive decline.

Thats because of two important antioxidants that are not naturally produced in the body: lutein and zeaxanthin. Responsible for the bright colors of vegetables, lutein and zeaxanthin are found in all vegetables, but especially good sources are green, leafy vegetables such as kale, parsley, spinach, broccoli, and peas.

Achieving some of these potential brain benefits doesnt require a total diet overhaul. Radically changing what one eats is a complicated task, shaped by economic factors and social pressures, Chew points out. Instead of a total overhaul, she suggests making small changes.

The new studies, however large, are also observational, so more work is needed to definitively link this diet to cognitive preservation. Previous research has linked the diet to a wide array of benefits, from being good for heart disease to reducing the effects of air pollution.

The studies were published in the journal Annals of Neurology.

The rest is here:
The Mediterranean diet can lead to better cognitive function, studies show - ZME Science

Even in normal times, home-cooked meals are a healthier option, and incorporating them back into your life now can help you focus on your overall health, too.

Meals dont just provide us with energy and nutrients, its also a time of pleasure and enjoyment interacting with the people in your house, said Jessica Bihuniak, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the nutrition and food studies department at N.Y.U.

Dr. Bihuniak added that sharing meals provides emotional benefits, too, and that because so many of us are working and eating in the same area or nearby, cooking and sharing a meal can help us draw boundaries to stave off work-creep into our personal lives.

Now can be a good time to experiment with new types of food and recipes, she added.

Self-control is already challenging without the stress of a pandemic, so as you slowly resume normal-ish daily life, consider simply not stocking foods youll want to phase out of your current diet, added Dr. Li, calling this a golden time to think about not just your health, but your environment.

Its a time for spring cleaning, Dr. Li said. Any processed food, including the wonderful cereals, cookies and juice, they need to be out. Processed food is never doing us anything good.

She added: We want to take a lesson from this virus pandemic to refocus our own health, our familys health, so in the future it doesnt matter what comes along. What matters is good health is our own defense system.

Still, a bottomless bowl of snacks makes for an easy addition to any home office, and as our lives have moved almost entirely indoors, some processed foods, once shunned by health-conscious consumers, have had a resurgence in sales. But those small, seemingly insignificant mini-meals add up quickly and, for many of us, they are far outside our normal eating habits.

Read more:
Eating Is Weird Now. Heres How to (Kind of) Get Back to Normal. - The New York Times

Jackson, MS, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diet Doc, the nation's leader in telemedicine weight loss coaching and wellness support wants to remind consumers how important it is to keep an eye on their self-care amid times such as these. During this nationwide as well as global lockdown, it can be difficult to maintain your physical and mental well-being. Gyms are closed, and the nonstop breaking news can lead us to indulge more than normal or neglect our health in search of comfort-inducing activities that may not be as healthy, such as overeating, binge eating, and a lack of physical activity. If you were already on a diet and/or exercise regimen, the COVID-19 health scare may have made a big difference in your routine. However, continuing or beginning a new healthy regimen can help you fight off the additional stress, it can help you balance your emotions, it can improve your heart health and it can also help you better prevent getting infections diseases by boosting your immunity. The more weight gained, the more suppressed your immunity can become.

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Diet Doc Advises Consumers on How They Can Stay Healthy During Times of Crisis - Benzinga

With the global coronavirus pandemic in full swing, a deluge of articles have surfaced recently offering advice on what to eat to ward off the virus along with a number of quick fixes and miracle cures. Most of the advice revolves around how to boost our immune systems, but no one food is directly linked to a better immune system and certainly none can prevent you from contracting the virus. However there are a number of proven, proactive steps you can take to give yourself the best shot at staying healthy and happy while weathering this pandemic. Below is our list of ten things you can do today to put you and your body in the best possible position.

Above all, be wary of unscrupulous marketeers preying on a vulnerable, anxious population and check your national public health guidelines as the situation continues to evolve.

Ignore the articles about miracle nutritional cures. These range from consuming lots of garlic, herbal teas, special yoghurts, and supplements such as zinc and Vitamin C, turmeric and chicken soup to simply sipping water. None of these approaches are based on scientific evidence.

Whilst zinc lozenges and Vitamin C supplements have some evidence of working in the case of a common cold, the coronavirus is different. If taking your normal supplement of Vitamin C, Zinc, or multivitamin makes you feel better and in control, then carry on, but be sure to check any possible interactions with other medications.

Following any special diets e.g. low carbohydrate, ketogenic or fasting (excluding religious reasons) is not advised.

There is no one specific nutrient which will give you a better immune system. But a mixed diet with lots of fruit and vegetables has a certified gold star benefit. A balanced diet will give you both the macronutrients (protein and carbohydrate) and the vital micronutrients. Eat a wide range of foods if you can to cover all food groups.

Vitamin D is especially important for your immune system and fighting infection. Derived mostly from sunshine during the summer months, we get little from our food. With the restrictions currently in place around the world curbing our outside activity, ensuring we are getting enough of this vitamin is especially important at the moment.

Try to get out in your allotted outside time (especially if sunny) either by exercising outside or simply sitting in the garden or on abalcony for at least 10 15 minutes in the sunlight if possible. We are all advised to take a supplement of Vitamin D; 10 micrograms per day. Food sources of Vitamin D include oily fish (e.g. salmon or sardines), eggs, meat and milk as well as some fortified products (e.g. cereals, margarines, and yoghurts).

Whilst there is some evidence that Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium may shorten the duration of colds, it is not yet clear whether they have any effect on the coronavirus. However it would be prudent to continue if you are already taking them.

As opportunity for exercise is limited your requirement for calories is also reduced. Your appetite will somewhat compensate for this but boredom and lethargy may kick in and draw you towards food treats. Treat yourself by all means, but be mindful about what you eat, steering clear of high calorie foods such as sugary or fatty foods.

If you are self-isolating its important to maintain good nutrition and hydration, especially if you are feeling unwell. Try to eat and drink regularly even if you feel unwell. If you are not able to cook then tinned soups, microwavable or frozen ready meals may help.

You have more time to cook, so be inventive and learn new skills like making bread or trying out new recipes. Food may be difficult to find, so plan your menu using the food you already have, but also think ahead and write a shopping list. Trying different recipes and new meals with spices and sauces could make you look forward to eating. Easy to prepare foods such as dried pasta, tinned sauces and soups, canned veg and beans make useful bases for meals. Make a batch of dishes and freeze.

Use up perishables like fruit and vegetables first. Sort your fridge out and only keep in there what needs to be chilled thereby freeing up space for the more perishable foods. Use frozen food and vegetables to make smoothies, crumbles and compotes. Frozen foods are just as nutritious.

Be inventive with cooking to maximise food availability e.g. roast a chicken for a main meal, use leftovers for a stir fry and use the bones to make stock which makes a delicious base for risotto or soup.

Keep your shopping trips to a minimum and avoid panic buying and stockpiling. Stock up on foods and staple products which will last longer than a week, for example potatoes, onions, root vegetables, rice, couscous, and pasta.

You are unlikely to catch coronavirus from food but continue to follow food safety advice by washing hands, avoid putting your hands to your face and clean kitchen surfaces.

Chronic stress may diminish the immune system. Keeping calm, meditating and exercising mindfulness are all good weapons against this. Exercise and getting outside while respecting social distancing measures is equally important. Get lots of high quality sleep, aiming for 8 hours per night.

If you have any specific or urgent questions about your nutrition, ask a nutritionist if virtual appointments are available: modern technology allows for convenient and safe virtual consultations.

Read more:
Ten nutrition tips for taking on the coronavirus and coping in a lockdown - Row360 Magazine

Whenever you restrict calories and lose weight, you disrupt your bodys basal metabolic rate (BMR) the number of calories your body burns while at rest. Thats where the concept of reverse dieting, or a recovery diet, comes into play.

Reverse dieting is supposed to give your BMR a boost, returning it to baseline where it was before you lost weight, and help you burn more calories during the day. That way, youre more likely to keep off the weight you lost and not gain it back.

At least, thats the idea. Reverse dieting is not proven, and most of the evidence for it is anecdotal. In practice, the actual eating plan of reverse dieting can be beneficial, but relying on your metabolism to keep the weight off is a bad idea.

Insider spoke to Manhattan-based registered dietician Brittany Modell, founder of Brittany Modell Nutrition and Wellness, about reverse dieting and how to best recover from a restrictive diet.

On a reverse dieting plan, you are supposed to gradually increase the number of calories you eat over several weeks to months so that youre no longer in a caloric deficit and your weight can stabilise, Modell says.

Overall, the theory is to eat more calories gradually, rather than restrict and increase dramatically, she adds. This is a good way to ease out of a diet and prevent weight gain.

And, according to the reverse dieting philosophy, this is also supposed to help increase your BMR and prevent you from regaining weight as you add more calories back to your diet.

However, it is not so simple. It is impossible to make claims that a reverse diet will recalibrate your metabolism and maintain the weight you lost. The body is much more complex.

Our bodies are influenced by many hormones, like ghrelin and leptin, that dictate our appetite and hunger levels. Ghrelin triggers hunger and leptin signals when youre full. So your body releases a certain amount of ghrelin when you need to eat and then replaces it with leptin when its time to stop eating.

However, when you lose weight, researchers have found that your body releases more ghrelin and less leptin meaning you feel hungrier when its time to eat and less full after youre done.

These hormones and the way they contribute to weight control is totally separate from the role that metabolism plays. Plus, these hormones likely play a larger role in whether or not you keep the weight off that you lost.

In other words, relying on your BMR to keep the weight off for you is a bad, and likely unsuccessful, game plan.

If youve found yourself in a restrictive mindset and youve dieted for a long time, you can adopt healthier habits to ease yourself out of a diet without putting on pounds.

Chances are you likely restricted carbohydrates and fat. If this is the case, start by adding in carbohydrate and fat sources with breakfast or lunch, for example, adding oatmeal and peanut butter to breakfast or beans and avocado at lunch, says Modell. This will increase your overall calorie intake as well as incorporating back some healthy fats and carbs, which your body needs.

Eating these types of whole, fibre- and protein-rich foods instead of introducing or reverting back to processed foods will help you feel fuller longer and may help prevent overeating.

Some other methods of safely easing out of a diet include:

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What is reverse dieting and how to best recover from a restrictive diet - Business Insider Australia

With school cafeterias closed, New York City has opened 400 campuses serving about 250,000 grab-and-go meals a day to students or any other residents who need food.

Its a fraction of the 900,000 meals served daily in school cafeterias before the pandemic, and it is only making a dent during this time of need, as many New Yorkers have lost jobs or are unable to work because theyre sick with the coronavirus.

Many local nonprofits which typically work within schools and with young people to teach about healthy eating are stepping up to make sure students are fed while school cafeterias are closed.

But the same organizations that are providing groceries and meals some of which are providing direct food assistance for the first time, while others are significantly ramping up their food distribution efforts are themselves facing dire economic circumstances, a new survey shows.

They are facing increased costs while seeing their budgets shrink, according to the Food Ed Hub, a coalition housed within the Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy at Columbia Universitys Teachers College. Reported losses for some organizations are expected to top $1 million, respondents said.

Many organizations report that it is very likely that they will temporarily or permanently reduce the number of overall staff, the Food Ed Hub report said.

The cost of distributing food is up, along with the need to buy protective gear and increase overtime pay as workers become sick. But the public health crisis means that organizations are expecting cuts to government contracts, while social distancing rules mean they cant put on paid programs or host fundraising events that help bolster their bottom lines.

Food pantries across the city have also raised the alarm, and officials recently approved a $25 million infusion to help keep shelves stocked.

In the meantime, food education nonprofits are doing all they can right now.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol operated a food pantry once a month, and provided a hot meal to all of the young people who came to the organization for after school programs.

Now, the West Harlem nonprofit has doubled the pantrys hours and its reach, feeding some 400 people every two weeks. Students can pick up a generous load of groceries stuffed with fresh fruit and canned beans, or even have staff drop it off at their door.

That is a necessity for a pandemic, said Nando Rodriguez, a coordinator for the group. Its healthy, fresh, local food that theyre getting.

In addition to mobilizing around food security, the organization is redirecting resources to counseling, and hoping that funders will understand that they need to be nimble in the current climate.

This is something that no one in our field knew was coming, Rodriguez said. We have had to change our ways with the funds that weve gotten to continue to provide for our members.

Many of the member organizations surveyed said the pandemic hasnt changed the need to address health disparities in low-income communities of color that can often be driven by lack of access to a nutritious diet, and are shifting their programming online.

We know that people with underlying diet-related diseases they have hypertension, diabetes, heart disease theyre just more susceptible to COVID-19. Diet is a key part of the problem here, said Julia McCarthy, director of the Food Ed Hub. This is an opportunity to double down on prevention strategies.

Organizations that would usually work with students to grow fresh vegetables or measure out how much sugar lurks in a soda can, are now launching YouTube channels and setting up Google classrooms. Theyre sharing healthy recipes with ingredients that are affordable, and readily available at a time when many staples are hard to find or connecting with students like they did when school buildings were open.

City officials knew that closing school buildings would exacerbate food insecurity. Roughly 70% of the nearly 1 million children in city schools are low-income, and thousands of students rely on school cafeterias for food.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams thinks more people would be able to take advantage of the free meals now available at schools if the city changed the times that they are available for pickup. Last week, Adams wrote to the mayor and chancellor, saying the current schedule, from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., interferes with remote learning time for students and work obligations for parents.

We need to take that barrier out of the way, Adams said in an interview with Chalkbeat. You cant make a choice between eating and education.

The education department said it is not considering changing the school food schedule.

To ensure no one goes hungry, Claire Raffel, deputy director of the Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, which houses the Ed Food Hub, said the city should work more closely with existing organizations, such as the members of its coalition.

Theres an opportunity here for the city to really strategically partner with all these organizations in our coalition, who have really close ties to families and communities to help get the word out about meals being provided by the city, Raffel said.

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Food education organizations ramp up efforts to feed students, even while facing their own hardships - Chalkbeat Colorado