Category Archives: Diet And Food

St. George Spectrum & Daily News

Record heat waves in America and Europe endanger millions, as wildfires rage, in a brutal manifestation of man-induced global warming.

Each of us can reduce our personal contribution by cutting back on consumption of animal foods, which account for a whopping portion of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide is released by burning forests to create animal pastures. Methane and nitrous oxide are released from digestive tracts of cows and sheep and from animal waste pits.

In an environmentally sustainable world, vegetables, fruits, and grains must replace animal food products in our diet, just as wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources replace fossil fuels. The next trip to our favorite supermarket provides a great opportunity to explore the delicious, healthful, eco-friendly plant-based meat and ice cream products in the frozen food section.

Strat Gonzalez

St. George

It has taken me 21 years to appreciate the amazing work your community angels accomplished in coming to our rescue after our plane made a middle-of-the-night emergency landing at your airport on September 18, 2001.

From my point of view as a passenger back then, all I could appreciate was my own and my fellow passengers trauma as our plane made an extremely precipitous descent into your airport after there was a fire in the cabin. What I realize only now is that your communitys emergency services people acted quickly, inventively, and safely to get us all off the disabled plane and into the terminal where we sheltered for the next 12 hours.

Living moment-to-moment in the emergency I was blind to the effort it must have taken to awaken a probably closed airport and mobilize a construction lift to remove us from the aircraft. As our big plane had landed quite far from your small terminal, you also found school buses and drivers to transport us to the terminal. In the morning I saw the pick-up trucks (who organized those?) filled with our luggage, awaiting a replacement plane to complete our journey to Chicago.

One week after 9/11 everyone in this country was experiencing some degree of trauma. I am so thankful that your community arose to help rescue strangers who dropped out of the sky that night.

Marie Shakespeare

Bloomington, Indiana

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Letters to the editor for July 24 - The Spectrum

The US News & World Report magazine invites many experts in cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, nutrition, obesity and food psychology to review and rank dozens of diets each year. Among them, the Mediterranean diet has been ranked as the Best Diet Overall for five years in a row and ranked the first in several categories in 2022, including:

Numerous studies have proven that following the Mediterranean diet can reduce weight, protect heart and brain health, and prevent cancer, diabetes, and chronic diseases.

However, adopting a Mediterranean diet does not necessarily mean that you can get these benefits directly. It also depends on how you do it.

The four keys to the Mediterranean diet are:

However, due to some misconceptions, using the Mediterranean diet in the wrong ways can be detrimental to our health. What are the common mistakes to avoid, and how can we consume a Mediterranean diet correctly?

The Mediterranean diet can be a balanced diet with a variety of foods, but many people do not pay attention to the word balance and ignore the proportion and quantity of food, said nutritionist Jiahuei Lee. She said with a smile that people may find it annoying to hear balanced diet all the time, but it is the basics of everything.

For instance, the United States government recommends adults to eat at least two to three cups of vegetables a day to replenish fiber and various nutrients. Although there is no upper limit to daily vegetable intake recommendation, this does not mean that eating too much will not make people feel uncomfortable.

Since vegetables contain a lot of indigestible dietary fiber, when too much is consumed, it may cause symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and flatulence.

Dietary fiber promotes gastrointestinal motility and also increases gas emission, which can cause flatulence when dietary fiber is consumed in large quantities.

Certain vegetables are particularly prone to making gas and should be consumed in moderation. They include onions, garlic, leeks, cabbages, broccoli, snow peas, peas, and asparagus.

In addition, vegetables often contain the mineral potassium, some at very high levels. Patients with chronic kidney disease need to limit potassium intake, so they need to be careful about their choice of vegetables. This doesnt mean they cant adopt a Mediterranean diet, only that it requires additional vigilance regarding their potassium intake.

The medical journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation actually published a review that listed the Mediterranean diet as the preferred diet for patients with chronic kidney disease. In the article, the Mediterranean diet was stated to be able to significantly reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease and to reduce the risk of end-stage renal disease by 16 percent, thus improving patient survival.

Patients with chronic kidney disease can choose vegetables and fruits that are low in potassium, such as broccoli sprouts, towel gourds, white flowered gourds, wood-ear mushrooms, white radishes, purple onions, wax apples, watermelons, and apples. Or, when cooking vegetables, they can reduce the concentration of potassium and not drink the soup.

The Mediterranean diet does not avoid fats or oils, but they have to be healthy ones, such as extra virgin olive oil, macadamia nut oil, and avocado oil. And when adding these oils into the diet, we still need to pay attention to the amount. Even for healthy oils, excessive intake will add a burden on our bodies.

The recommended daily intake of lipids and oils is 3 to 8 tablespoons (1 tablespoon is 15cc).

People who eat a Mediterranean diet are generally accustomed to using olive oil. Lee said that people all know that olive oil is good for our health, but I have heard of people drinking it directly. The reason is related to the myth that olive oil does not tolerate high temperatures, and that the nutrients in it will be destroyed when the oil is heated.

In fact, there has been no research to support the claim that drinking olive oil is more beneficial than using it in cooking. Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London, tried a one-week olive oil diet that included drinking olive oil for the sake of scientific experimentation and his book. As a result, he experienced nausea and dizziness and later abandoned the experiment.

Lee pointed out that some people drink olive oil for the sake of health benefits, and then they also use oil when they cook, so they end up consuming too much oil, which will cause a burden to their body. Therefore, it is recommended to add the oil into the meal rather than drinking it directly.

Olive oils smoke point, which is the temperature that will destroy its nutrition, is around 190 degrees. The cooking temperatures are usually not that high, so we can safely use olive oil as cooking oil. In addition, a recent study from Spain shows that minor constituents of extra virgin olive oil prevent fatty acid and vitamin oxidation during cooking.

In addition to olive oil, Lee suggested using a variety of edible oils alternatively, choosing ones that are rich in unsaturated fatty acids like olive oil.

When choosing cooking oil, many people will buy olive oil in transparent glass bottles or plastic containers, which are cheaper. In fact, it is best to store olive oil in dark glass bottles, because such bottles insulate the oil from light to prevent rapid oxidation. Furthermore, the use of plastic containers and cans is a concern due to the release of plasticizers.

The oxidation process of oil and grease will produce lipid peroxides, which are quite unstable and will continue to disintegrate and produce more and more free radicals in the process of oxidation and deterioration of oil and grease. Free radicals are unstable factors that can damage cells and cause aging and many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and cancer.

Some people may also choose large containers of inexpensive blended oil for financial reasons. This kind of cooking oil, which blends different vegetable oils in different proportions, also contains higher unsaturated fatty acids, but the larger containers of oil are prone to oxidation and spoilage if they are not used up quickly. Therefore, if you have a lot of family members who often cook, you can choose blend oils, but you have to finish them quickly.

One of the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet is the consumption of a glass of red wine at meals. The health benefits of red wine are thought to be related to resveratrol, a polyphenol.

However, academicians who promote the Mediterranean diet do not necessarily recommend people to drink wine, due to its alcohol content.

Dr. Chih Hao Lin, neurologist and director of the Brain Stroke Center at Lin Shin Hospital in Taiwan, is against people drinking red wine or other alcoholic beverages. He pointed out that after analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of drinking alcohol, it is found that alcohol does not have much benefit to the body and also reduces the quality of sleep.

Drinking too much alcohol can cause fatty liver and damage the brain. One study found that alcohol causes atrophy of the hippocampus, which is mainly responsible for memory and spatial orientation navigation.

Once alcohol reaches the liver, it further turns into a carcinogen, increasing the risk of many cancers. In 2020, more than 740,000 of all new cancer cases worldwide were attributed to alcohol consumption, of which about 100,000 were caused by light and moderate alcohol consumption.

So is it okay to drink a small amount of alcohol? The Lancet, a top international medical journal, gave us the answer: after a systematic review of alcohol consumption and its health effects in 195 countries from 1990 to 2016, it was found that the safe intake of alcohol is 0.

Lee said that people who dont drink to begin with should not start drinking red wine when they adopt the Mediterranean diet. Or, they can cook with red wine, such as making beef bourguignon. However, although alcohol content diminishes with cooking time, even after long cooking times, such as two and a half hours, there will still be 5 percent of alcohol remaining in the dish.

If you want to supplement resveratrol, you can just eat grapes or blueberries with deep purple or dark red skins, or even have a glass of grape juice.

Many people have the misconception that fruits with a refreshing taste are low in calories, so they eat a lot of them with relish. Lee reminded us that we should pay special attention to the amount of fruit consumption.

Clinically, there have been people, who seldom consumed sweets or sugary drinks ending up with high blood lipids, fatty liver, or weight loss failure, due to their excessive fruit consumption and fructose intake.

Epidemiological studies have shown that high fructose intake is associated with independent risk factors for obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline.

Furthermore, it is best to eat fruits after meals and to avoid turning them into fruit juice. Some studies have pointed out that eating some food before eating fruits can activate the small intestines ability to metabolize fructose, which has a protective effect on the liver. However, the study emphasized that if we eat too many fruits (high-dose of fructose) or drink fruit juice (the fructose release rate in the intestines is relatively high), it may still lead to fatty liver.

High-quality protein can be found in beans, fish, eggs, and meat, in descending order of protein quality. White meat (e.g. poultry) is of higher quality than red meat (e.g. beef and pork), and the latter should be consumed no more than twice a week.

Whether it is plant-based protein or animal-based protein, we should avoid preparing it with high-temperature cooking.

Some people enjoy eating fried and grilled fish, but this can deplete the health benefits of fish oil and even spoil it. Moreover, the proteins in meat are easily denatured at high temperatures, and beans are also suspected of producing carcinogens after being processed at high temperatures.

As staple food sources, whole grains and cereals, such as brown rice, germ rice, pearl barleys, oats, rye, buckwheat, quinoas, wheats, barleys, and millets, are all familiar to us.

These grains provide the body with various nutrients and starch. Starch can be a source of energy for the body, but too much starch intake can still cause high blood sugar and high blood cholesterol.

However, there are many ingredients that look like vegetables, but are actually whole grains, which can make people accidentally consume too much starch. Such food items include corn, taros, pumpkins, yams, lotus roots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, red beans, green beans, broad beans, and chestnuts.

In addition, whole grains such as brown rice are high in phosphorus, so patients with chronic kidney disease who need to limit phosphorus should keep and eye on the amount they consume. Fortunately, plant-based sources of phosphorus are not fully absorbed by the body, and studies have shown that only 40 percent to 60 percent of phosphorus in plant-based foods is absorbed.

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6 Common Mistakes That Make This Top-Ranked Health Diet Ineffective - The Epoch Times

Do I need to warm up before a swimming workout?

Warming up before a workout is always a good idea. Taking 5 to 10 minutes to warm up the muscles you plan to use before starting your workout can help loosen your joints and prime those muscles for exercise, Koleber says. Before swimming, perform a few sets of push-ups and planks on dry land, and then spend a few laps swimming at a slow, easy pace to warm up.

The number of calories youll burn when swimming varies depending on your age, sex, body weight, and the intensity and duration of the exercise. However, as mentioned above, a 150-pound person may burn 216 calories from 30 minutes of general swimming (not vigorous), according to Harvard Medical School. If that same person increases the intensity, the expected calorie burn can jump to 360 calories in 30 minutes.

When youre first starting out, any number of laps youre able to do is a good swimming workout. For those who need concrete numbers, however, four laps of any basic stroke is a good distance to start with, Slabaugh says. (For reference, standard-sized pools tend to be 25 yards long, according to U.S. Masters Swimming.) From there, the number of laps you do will depend on your goals, intensity, fitness level, and how much time you have to exercise.

Swimming is a full-body workout. It works the large muscles in your back (latissimus dorsi and trapezius), chest (pectoralis major), shoulders (deltoids), hips (glutes), legs (quadriceps and hamstrings), and midsection (abdominals), Buckingham says.

Many groups of people, including beginners, kids, older adults, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions, and those with joint pain or injuries, can all potentially benefit from swimming. However, its a good idea to consult with your physician if you have any medical condition or injury that may make exercise and swimming in particular unsafe. In addition, Slabaugh recommends avoiding swimming if youre recovering from surgery, have open wounds, or cant complete the strokes.

A comfortable swimsuit and a pair of goggles may be all you need. However, some people may want to wear a swimming cap to protect their hair from damage from pool chemicals or salt water.

Aside from a swimsuit, goggles, and a swim cap (if you prefer to use one), most other swim gear is optional. However, if youre swimming in a natural body of water, its a good idea to get a safety buoy to increase your visibility and give you something to hang onto if you get tired, Koleber says.

Optional gear includes:

While swimming is low-impact, the repetitive motions can still cause pain and injuries, if youre not careful. The most common swimming-related issues include swimmers shoulder, lower back pain, breaststroke knee, and foot and ankle tendonitis, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery(HSS).The best way to avoid all of these injuries is to use proper swimming technique, build strength in the muscles that support your stroke, include a warm-up and cooldown in every workout, and progress your routine gradually, per the HSS.

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Swimming: What It Is, Health Benefits, and Getting Started - Everyday Health

The National Weather Service is warning about a dangerous and record-breaking heat wave that will impact most parts of the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley, as high temperatures continue across many areas of the southwestern U.S. Nearly 35 million people are under excessive heat warnings or heat advisories, the agency says, noting that the oppressive heat is expected to continue.

There are also high temperatures expected in many parts of the east coast this week. The National Weather Service shared on Twitter that heat-related advisories and warnings are likely throughout the week.

Temperatures are currently soaring in Europe, too, including in the U.K., where the thermostat is predicted to reach 104 degrees on Monday.

If you live in an area thats under a heat warning or facing high temperatures, its understandable to have questions about why whats been dubbed the Historic Heat Wave of 2022 is such a big deal and how to stay safe. Heres what you need to know.

A heat wave is a period of unusually hot weather that usually lasts two or more days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In order for something to be considered a heat wave, temperatures need to be outside the historical averages for an area.

Heat waves usually happen because of trapped air that gets warmed like air inside an oven, NOAA explains. High-pressure systems force air downward, preventing air near the ground from rising and hot air just gets hotter.

Heat waves can cause heat illnesses, which include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms of those illnesses can include:

Heat illness can be incredibly serious, says Lewis Nelson, M.D., chair of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. As our body temperature rises due to persistence in a hot environment, our vital body functions, such as enzymes and organs, begin to malfunction, he says. This leads to organ failure, and if untreated, can be lethal.

While everyone is at risk for heat illness, some are more vulnerable than others, says Nicholas Kman, M.D., emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. "Those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include infants and children up to four years of age, people 65 years of age and older, people who are overweight, and people who are ill or on certain medications." Theres also greater risk with greater exposure, he says. Meaning, if you're going to be outside in high heatand especially if you're going to be active while doing ityou're more likely to get sick.

If you have time to prepare for a heat wave, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommends taking a few steps to minimize the odds youll have issues when temperatures soar:

And, if the heat has already hit, the Red Cross has a laundry list of suggestions for how to stay cool. Those include:

Dr. Nelson also recommends carrying water with you. Maintaining adequate hydration is important, but it is equally important not to overdo it, he says. When we sweat, we lose salt and water, and if we only drink water without electrolytes, we run the risk of lowering our body sodium to concerning levels. Thats why he suggests eating regularly, along with drinking water or drinking electrolyte-containing beverages like sports drinks.

Overall, Dr. Nelson says keeping cool and safely hydrated is most important. And, if you need to be outside in high heat, he recommends keeping tabs on how you feel and heading into cooler temperatures if you start to feel off.

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What We Know About the Historic Heat Wave in 2022 - Stay Safe in Extreme Heat - Prevention Magazine

A plant-based diet could be helpful if you want to lose weight, avoid diabetes, or reduce your risk of Alzheimers.

According to a recent commentary in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, all doctors should be aware of the advantages of a plant-based diet for six different health conditions, including COVID-19, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and weight loss.

The field of medicine, despite its prominent influence in society, has invested little to promote healthy lifestyle choices, says the commentary co-authored by Saray Stancic, MD, FACLM, director of medical education for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The consequence of this is reflected in our ever-rising chronic disease statistics, most notably obesity and diabetes rates.

The authors claim that medical schools only provide a meager level of nutrition education throughout the course of four years and that this situation is not improved during postgraduate study. They point out that 90 percent of cardiologists who participated in a recent study of over 600 cardiologists said they had not obtained the necessary nutrition education during training.

The commentary accepts that not all doctors need to be nutrition specialists, but asserts that they should at the very least have a basic understanding of the advantages of a plant-based diet for these six conditions, for which they present detailed evidence, including the following:

It is time for all physicians across the globe to speak to the importance of diet and lifestyle in health, concludes the commentary, which recommends that physicians do this by counseling patients, assuring hospitals provide healthy menus, lecturing in the community, writing articles, using social media, and providing commentary to media.

Reference: Six Applications of Plant Based Diets for Health Promotion by Saray Stancic, MD, Josh Cullimore, MD and Neal Barnard, MD, 26 May 2022, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.DOI: 10.1177/15598276221104023

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6 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet - SciTechDaily

By The European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN)July 18, 2022

By the time they were 18 months old, infants who began receiving taster portions of the new Nordic diet were eating 46% more vegetables than those who were fed a conventional diet.

Introducing infants and toddlers to a lower-protein Nordic-style diet that places an emphasis on plant-based foods could allow them to obtain healthy eating habits

New research recently presented at the 54th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN)suggests that the key to healthier eating habits may be to introduce babies and toddlers to a lower protein Nordic-style diet with a greater focus on plant-based foods.

By the time they were 18 months old, infants who began receiving taster portions of the new Nordic diet, which includes fruit, berries, roots, and vegetables, along with breast or formula milk, were eating nearly twice as many vegetables (a 46 percent increase) as those who were fed a conventional diet.

As part of the OTIS experiment, researchers from the University of Umein Sweden, the Stockholm County Council Centre for Epidemiology, and the University of California in the United States studied two groups of infants from 4-6 months to 18 months. 250 infants in total participated, and 82% of them completed the study.

A graphic explaining the benefits of a Nordic-style diet. Credit: The European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN)

The toddlers in the 2 groups had quite different eating patterns, according to the study. Those who followed the new Nordic diet, who received Nordic home-made baby food recipes, protein-reduced baby food products, and social media support from other parents, ate 4245% more fruit and vegetables at 1218 months of age than those who followed the traditional diet currently advised by the Swedish Food Agency.

Although in the traditional diet group, fruit consumption remained constant, but between 12 and 18 months, infants receiving the traditional diet consumed 36% fewer vegetables.

Babies on the Nordic diet had an average protein intake 17-29% lower than those on the conventional diet at 12-18 months of age. This was still within recommended protein intake levels and the overall calorie count between the two groups was the same. The protein reduction in the Nordic diet group was replaced by more carbohydrates from vegetables, not more cereals, together with some extra fat from rapeseed oil.

Lead researcher Dr. Ulrica Johansson, a Medicine Doctor in pediatrics and registered dietitian at the University of Ume, Sweden, said there did not appear to be any negative effects from having a lower protein intake.

Commenting on the findings, Dr. Johansson says: A Nordic diet with reduced protein introduced to infants naive to this model of eating, increased the intake of fruit, berries, vegetables, and roots, establishing a preferable eating pattern lasting over a 12-month period.

There were no negative effects on breastfeeding duration, iron status or growth.

A Nordic diet reduced in protein is safe, feasible, and may contribute to sustainable and healthy eating during infancy and early childhood, she added.

The novel research could pave the way to broadening the taste spectrum in infants and potentially provide an effective strategy for instilling healthier eating habits early in life.

The Nordic diet has a higher intake of regionally and seasonally produced fruit, berries, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, tubers, and legumes, as well as whole grains, vegetable fats and oils, fish and eggs, and a lower intake of sweets, desserts and dairy, meat, and meat products.

Typical Nordic fruits include lingonberry, buckthorn berry, cranberry, raspberry, and blueberry, as well as fiber-rich vegetables such as turnip, beets, swede, root celery, carrots, parsnip, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale.

Chair of the ESPGHAN Nutrition Committee, Professor Jiri Bronsky, stated: The authors have shown a significant effect of the diet in 12 and 18 months of age of the children. The Nordic diet group consumed more fruit and vegetables and less protein than the control group. The Nordic diet was well tolerated and did not negatively affect the growth of the child or breastfeeding duration. Importantly, this research demonstrates that this diet is safe, feasible and exposes infants to a variety of flavors which may influence long-lasting food preferences.

Meeting: 54th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN)

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Research Shows a Lower Protein Diet Could Be the Key to Healthier Eating Habits - SciTechDaily

Decoding the Indian DASH diet and its benefits

Jul 24, 2022, 07:15 am 2 min read

Indians are prone to developing high blood pressure by the time they hit 40. This could be due to stress, pollution, or even genetics. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet attempts to prevent hypertension and is followed all over the world. The Indian DASH diet uses the same principles but with an Indian twist, making it a more easy approach.

Hypertension or high blood pressure occurs when the force exerted by the blood while pushing against the walls of arteries is too high. It can damage the walls of arteries and increase the risk of heart and kidney diseases. The normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg. When systolic pressure is over 130 and diastolic is over 80, it's the first stage of hypertension.

Foods involved in Indian DASH diet

The Indian DASH diet encourages the intake of methi water, fruits and vegetables, dal paratha without oil, grilled paneer, moong sprouts, palak paneer, oats upma, green salad, curd, low-fat chapati, and brown rice. These are beneficial for reducing blood pressure levels and must be eaten in moderation. You can also add pork, beef, or bacon in controlled portions to your diet.

Remove these foods from your diet

Salt must be completely eliminated from your diet. Along with this, sugary snacks like cookies, pastries, and sodas should be avoided. Alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, and dairy products, along with some types of meats, should also be removed from your diet. Usage of oils must be minimal to none, as excessive oil can ruin the diet plan and affect your health.

Additional habits and precautions

It is vital to maintain regular physical exercise alongside the DASH diet. Forms of intoxication like smoking and alcohol consumption must be stopped entirely as they pose a threat to heart health and cause blood pressure levels to fluctuate. Reducing stress is essential to reducing hypertension, which can be done through hobbies, sports, or mindfulness and meditation.

Other benefits of DASH diet

There are many more benefits of the Indian DASH diet apart from maintaining blood pressure levels as this diet greatly promotes your overall health. This diet strengthens your bones, reduces uric acid levels in the body, prevents metabolic disorders, reduces bad cholesterol levels, and is also said to lower the risk of cancer. The DASH diet also promotes healthy weight loss.

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Decoding the Indian DASH diet and its benefits - NewsBytes

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Hello. I'm Dr David Johnson, professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. Welcome back to another GI Common Concerns.

All of us routinely see diet recommendations on the Internet like TikTok or in new books. Every possible diet seems to receive this promotional push, although the evidence behind them is often lacking.

So what do we mean when we talk about a "healthy diet"?

Today, I'd like to spend a few minutes updating you on the current evidence and how I discuss it with my patients so that you can perhaps do the same in your own patient discussions.

The Western diet has really cannibalized the health of the United States and Western civilizations.

This diet is typically characterized by high intakes of processed and prepacked food items, red meat, dairy, and grains, consisting of high-fat, high-protein, and low-fiber components. These food items have become diets of convenience as opposed to diets potentially promoting health.

They've led to an associated increase in so-called "diseases of civilization," including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and a variety of metabolic diseases and cancers.

Western diets have been also associated with a variety of microbial and gut integrity changes, which in turn, are associated with an assortment of bad outcomes. Specifically, they're associated with decreases in microbial diversity in the gut; upregulation of proinflammatory mediators, cytokines, and chemokines; and several changes to gut integrity, immunity, and pathways that are derivatives toward diseases and even promoting translocation of gut bacteria.

In contradistinction, we have the Mediterranean diet, which is often proffered as the good or healthy diet for most patients. This comprises a diet that's high in fiber and low in animal protein and saturated fat, and is characterized by a higher ingestion of vegetables, fruits, and healthy fat and a lower intake of red meat and dairy. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend a Mediterranean diet for promoting health and minimizing disease.

The high fiber content of Mediterranean diets is a key reason behind that recommendation. Fiber comes in soluble and insoluble forms. Soluble fiber gets digested, whereas insoluble fiber moves through the gastrointestinal tract, bringing components of water absorption and promoting gut motility, particularly in the colon.

Insoluble fiber has a variety of ascribed benefits, particularly related to the changes in the gut production of short-chain fatty acids, which are incredibly important for optimizing intestinal function.

We know that short-chain fatty acids increase secretion of immunoglobulins, induce regulatory T-cell tissue repair, promote antimicrobial peptides and mucus production, and basically optimize intestinal function and the intestinal barrier integrity. This is all critically important in promoting health.

There are also some data on short-chain fatty acid production as it relates to crossing the blood-brain barrier. This association with the brain-gut axis potentially changes gut-related derivatives, driving mood and behavioral activities in the brain. Therefore, we can say that the short-chain fatty acid derivative from the intestinal microbiome does have central nervous systemrelated effects.

There are also some very interesting data in this area related to the progression of COVID to severe disease or long-haul COVID, or even the development of COVID. Enhanced microbial diversity seems to be somewhat protective and, if infected with COVID, predictive of a rapid response and resolution. Short-chain fatty acids also serve as a marker, particularly when they're reduced. Branch-chain shorty acid called L-isoleucine has been shown to be predictive of longer-term consequences and more-severe COVID. So diet may have a significant role in even in the COVID world.

There are other elements in the diet that may contribute to disease.

Some things commonly added to diets have been shown in animal models to have a significant impact in changing gut integrity. In particular, this is observed in prepacked foods that are often found in the Western diet, which incorporate things such as emulsifiers and food additives with a goal toward enhanced aesthetics and taste.

Some that we see routinely in popular food items are carboxymethyl cellulose and polysorbate-80. These are derivatives in a variety of dairy products. Interestingly, they decelerate the melting of ice cream. That may be good for your kids eating an ice cream cone in the backseat in the summer, but not so good potentially for the intestine.

The same is true as it relates to maltodextrin, which is a very common thickener and sweetener, but again decreases the mucosal layer thickness and increases gut permeability.

Carrageenan, which is made from red seaweed, is added to increase texture, primarily in dairy products and sauces. It also decreases gut integrity and permeability changes and antigenic translocation.

Another common food additive is high-fructose corn syrup, something we're seeing more and more data about. Its use in sugary beverages was once implied to have, and now clearly is associated with, an increased risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, early colon cancer, and a variety of other cancer pathways. Recent animal model data have shown mechanistically how it contributes to colon cancer. It was also most recently associated with liver cancer in postmenopausal women ingesting one sugary beverage a day.

Almost all sugary beverages have shifted from using cane sugar to high-fructose corn syrup because it's cheaper and sweeter. Interestingly, as data have become more onerous regarding its disease associations, in 2012 the corn industry went to the US Food and Drug Administration and petitioned to change the name from high-fructose corn syrup to corn sugar. That term sounds a lot easier and maybe even sweeter when it comes to possible health implications, but the FDA said no.

Since then, the widespread use of high-fructose corn syrup has been described as a food public health crisis. High-fructose corn syrup is something that is very easy to avoid when you talk about sugary beverages.

When it comes to artificial sweeteners, the top three that have been studied to date are aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose (Splenda). They are not absorbed but rather are fermentable sugars that get to the gut and change the gut microbiome. In animal models, they have been shown to promote obesity and diabetes, which is very much paradoxical to what their advertised intent is. Again, this has only been studied for these three agents, and we also don't have data in lower-threshold exposures.

I think it's common sense to minimize the use of these things and instead ask patients to use natural sugars, consume water, and incorporate other strategies; that's what I discuss with my own patients.

We can go the wrong way and make our patients too rigid about reading nutritional labels. I want to caution you about emerging food restrictive disorders that very much can become an eating disorder. So we don't want to go the opposite way.

I tell my patients to be a good, conscientious thinker, look at your food, minimize the processed foods, and build your meals. The Western diet needs to go. The more we can use the Mediterranean diet, the better off we are. You can still have your occasional cheeseburger and French fries but use common sense.

The Mediterranean diet really is simple. I routinely recommend this to my patients with inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, along with other inflammatory disease conditions. But I do think we can make this a general recommendation across all patients in our attempt to promote health and thereby prevent disease.

I hope this has been helpful.

I'm Dr David Johnson. Thanks for listening.

David A. Johnson, MD, a regular contributor to Medscape, is professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, and a past president of the American College of Gastroenterology. His primary focus is the clinical practice of gastroenterology. He has published extensively in the internal medicine/gastroenterology literature, with principal research interests in esophageal and colon disease, and more recently in sleep and microbiome effects on gastrointestinal health and disease.

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Forget Fad Diets, Here's the One You Need - Medscape

Companies should think beyond traditional health care benefits and consider social medias impact on employees well-being.

Almost every large organization is trying to get employees to adopt healthful habits. Managers have long known that healthier employees are more productive, loyal, and, frankly, less expensive, given that healthy behaviors can lead to lower health care costs. Given the steeply rising cost of providing health insurance benefits, more companies have experimented with paying employees to start healthy habits. Adobes wellness reimbursement program compensates employees up to $360 each year for gym memberships, bike-share programs, fitness classes, massages, nutritional counseling, and more. Google has gone so far as to build out most of these amenities directly onsite at its main campuses.

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These organizations have a promising opportunity to broaden the types of wellness efforts in which theyre investing. Existing programs definitions of healthy habits are generally woefully limited to diet and exercise. While physical activity and nutrition are surely two significant factors affecting health (and insurance-related expenses to self-funded employers), such a narrow view misses myriad lifestyle choices we make every day that drastically affect our health. Social media use continues to be an ever more salient example.

A growing body of research confirms that the joys of social media come with drawbacks directly related to well-being, including disrupted sleep patterns, heightened anxiety, and increased depression. Managers cant shove this aside by categorizing employees online activity as starkly unrelated to work. Depression is the leading cause of disability inside and outside of the workplace, and rising generations of employees are particularly susceptible to health issues fueled by social media use.

To see the value of nudging employees to think carefully about how they use social media, consider a recent experiment conducted by researchers at Stanford and New York University, which found that paying participants about $100 to deactivate Facebook for four weeks reduced their overall online activities, increased their offline activities, and increased mental health measurements.

The research team recruited over 2,000 participants through Facebook ads, asking them baseline questions about their well-being, and had half of them deactivate their profiles. When the researchers checked back in with the participants about their well-being and their time use after a month, the results were striking: There were significant improvements in well-being, in particular in self-reported happiness, life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety, among the deactivators.

Overall, deactivation improved participants social well-being scores by 0.0

Karyn Georgilis-Becker is a design strategist at Fusion, a UnitedHealthcare accelerator.

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Diet, Exercise, and Logging Off? Rethinking Employee Wellness - MIT Sloan

It is widely accepted in modern culture that people should divide their daily diet into three large meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner for optimal health. This belief primarily stems from culture and early epidemiological studies.

In recent years, however, experts have begun to change their perspective, suggesting that eating smaller, more frequent meals may be best for preventing chronic disease and weight loss. As a result, more people are changing their eating patterns in favor of eating several small meals throughout the day.

Those who advocate for eating small, frequent meals suggest that this eating pattern can:

While a few studies support these recommendations, others show no significant benefit. In fact, some research suggests it may be more beneficial to stick with three larger meals.

Here is what the research says.

Early epidemiological studies suggest that increased meal frequency can improve blood lipid (fats) levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. As a result, many experts advise against eating fewer, larger meals a day.

Over the years, some studies have supported these findings, suggesting that people who report eating small, frequent meals have better cholesterol levels than those who consume fewer than three meals per day.

In particular, one 2019 cross-sectional study that compared eating fewer than three meals per day or more than four meals per day found that consuming more than four meals increases HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and lowers fasting triglycerides more effectively. Higher levels of HDL are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

This study observed no differences in total cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. It is important to note, however, that this is an observational study, meaning it can only prove association, not causation.

Additionally, one review published in the American Heart Associations journal Circulation concluded that greater eating frequency is associated with a reduced risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to epidemiological studies.

There is a commonly held notion that more frequent meals can help influence weight loss. However, the research on this remains mixed.

For example, one study compared eating three meals per day or six smaller, more frequent meals on body fat and perceived hunger. Both groups received adequate calories to maintain their current body weight using the same macronutrient distribution: 30% of energy from fat, 55% carbohydrate, and 15% protein.

At the end of the study, researchers observed no difference in energy expenditure and body fat loss between the two groups. Interestingly, those who consumed six smaller meals throughout the day had increased hunger levels and desire to eat compared to those who ate three larger meals per day.

Although calorie intake was controlled in both groups, researchers hypothesized that those who consumed frequent meals would be more likely to consume more daily calories than those who ate less frequently.

Results of another large observational study suggest that healthy adults may prevent long-term weight gain by:

Moreover, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, due to inconsistencies and limitations in the current body of evidence, there is insufficient evidence to determine the relationship between meal frequency and body composition and the risk of overweight and obesity.

Small, frequent meals are often touted as a cure-all for obesity. Many believe that eating every 2 to 3 hours can help boost metabolism.

Digestion of food does require energy. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). However, it does not appear that meal frequency plays a role in boosting metabolism.

In fact, some studies suggest fewer, larger meals may increase TEF more than eating frequent meals.

Although evidence to support increased meal frequency in the general population remains mixed, several experts believe that eating small, frequent meals can benefit athletes.

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, athletes who follow a reduced-calorie diet may benefit from eating small frequent meals with adequate protein because it can help preserve lean muscle mass.

When prioritizing total daily calorie intake, limited evidence suggests that, in athletes, a higher meal frequency may increase performance, support fat loss, and improve body composition.

People who eat more frequently are more likely to have better diet quality. Specifically, those who consume at least three meals per day are more likely to have a greater intake of vegetables, greens, legumes, fruit, whole grains, and dairy.

These individuals are also more likely to consume less sodium and added sugars than those who consume two meals per day.

Similarly, another 2020 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that increased meal frequency approximately three meals per day is associated with higher diet quality.

Researchers found that snack frequency and diet quality varied depending on the definition of snacks.

Based on the presented studies, no substantial evidence supports one eating pattern over the other. Yet many of these studies also have limitations.

For example, there is no universally accepted definition of what a meal or snack consists of. This can have an impact on study outcomes.

With that said, both eating patterns can be beneficial as long the primary focus is on healthful eating habits.

A review published in Nutrition in Clinical Practiceshows that certain populations may benefit from six to 10 small, frequent meals. These include people who:

If your goal is to lose weight, it is important to be mindful of your portion sizes. Be sure to stay within your allotted daily calorie needs and divide them among the number of meals you consume.

For example, if you need 1,800 calories to maintain your weight and choose to eat six small meals daily, each meal should be around 300 calories.

Small, frequent meals often come in the form of ultra-processed foods and snacks that fall short in many vital nutrients your body needs. Thus, it is essential to focus on the quality of the foods you consume.

People who may benefit from three larger meals per day include:

Again, keeping diet quality in mind and prioritizing whole foods is essential. Fewer meals mean fewer opportunities to get in key nutrients the body needs.

While we do not have strong evidence to support the importance of meal frequency, substantial evidence supports the overall health benefits of following a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 20202025, a healthy diet should:

Evidence is mixed about the importance of food frequency. While there is no solid evidence to suggest that one eating style is superior to the other, both can offer health and wellness benefits if you follow a healthy eating pattern.

Thus, it ultimately comes down to personal preference and which approach works best for you. Additionally, if you have certain health conditions, one style may benefit you over the other.

As always, consult your healthcare provider before making any significant changes to your diet.

Read more:
Meal frequency and portion size: What to know - Medical News Today