Category Archives: Diet And Food

Thanksgiving is a traditional time for Americans to celebrate Earths bounty. The whole of humanity, however, can be thankful that extraordinary advances in agriculture have enabled food producers to keep pace with a fourfold increase in population since 1900 and rising standards of living in the developing world. Can that progress be sustained in the face of climate change? This months selection of books and reports addresses this fundamental question from a variety of perspectives. Their answers may cause you to look more closely at whats on your plate over the holiday.

As always, the descriptions of the books and reports are drawn and/or adapted from copy provided by the publishers or organizations that released them. When two dates of publication are provided, the second is the date for the paperback edition.

The Fate of Food: What Well Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World, by Amanda Little (Penguin Random House 2019, 352 pages, $27.00)

The race to reinvent the global food system is on, and the challenge is twofold: We must solve the existing problems of industrial agriculture while also preparing for the pressures ahead. Through her interviews with farmers, scientists, activists, and engineers, Amanda Little, a professor of journalism and writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt University, explores new and old approaches to food production while charting the growth of a movement that could redefine sustainable food on a grand scale. Little asks tough questions: Can GMOs actually be good for the environment? Are we facing the end of animal meat? What will it take to eliminate harmful chemicals from farming? How can a clean, resilient food supply become accessible to all?

Kiss the Ground: How the Food You Eat Can Reverse Climate Change, Heal Your Body & Ultimately Save Our World, by Josh Tickell (Simon & Schuster 2017/2018, 352 pages, $16.00 paperback)

Kiss the Ground explains an incredible truth: by changing our diets to a soil-nourishing, regenerative agriculture diet, we can reverse global warming, harvest healthy, abundant food, and eliminate the poisonous substances that are harming our children, pets, bodies, and ultimately our planet. This richly visual look at the impact of an underappreciated but essential resource the very ground that feeds us features fascinating and accessible interviews with celebrity chefs, ranchers, farmers, and top scientists. Kiss the Ground teaches you how to become an agent in humanitys single most important and time-sensitive mission: reversing climate change and saving the world through the choices you make in how and what to eat.

We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast, by Jonathan Safran Foer (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2019, 288 pages, $25.00)

Some people reject the fact, overwhelmingly supported by scientists, that our planet is warming because of human activity. But do those of us who accept the reality of human-caused climate change truly believe it? If we did, surely we would be roused to act on what we know. In We Are the Weather, Jonathan Safran Foer (explains that) the task of saving the planet will involve a great reckoning with ourselves with our all-too-human reluctance to sacrifice immediate comfort for the sake of the future. We have, he reveals, turned our planet into a farm for growing animal products, and the consequences are catastrophic. Only collective action will save our home and way of life. And it all starts with what we eat and dont eat for breakfast.

Global Hunger Index: The Challenge of Hunger and Climate Change, by Klaus von Grebmer, Jill Bernstein, Fraser Patterson, Miriam Wiemers, Reiseal Ni Cheilleachair, Connell Foley, Seth Gitter, Kierstin Ekstrom, and Heidi Fritschel (Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide 2019, 72 pages, free download available here, eight-page synopsis available here)

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. The GHI is designed to raise awareness and understanding of the struggle against hunger, provide a way to compare levels of hunger between countries and regions, and call attention to those areas of the world where hunger levels are highest and where the need for additional efforts to eliminate hunger is greatest. Measuring hunger is complicated. The report explains how the GHI scores are calculated and what they can and cannot tell us. This years report also focuses on the impact of climate change on hunger.

Climate Change and Agricultural Risk Management into the 21st Century, by Andrew Crane-Droesch, Elizabeth Marshall, Stephanie Rosch, Anne Riddle, Joseph Cooper, and Steven Wallander (United States Department of Agriculture 2019, 63 pages, free download available here; two-report summary available here)

Programs that help farmers manage risk are a major component of the federal governments support to rural America. Changes to this risk and thus to the governments fiscal exposure are expected as weather averages and extremes change over the coming decades. This study uses a combination of statistical and economic modeling techniques to explore the mechanisms by which climate change could affect the cost of the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) to the federal government, which accounts for approximately half of government expenditures on agricultural risk management. We compare scenarios of the future that differ only in terms of climate. (We find that) differences between the scenarios are driven by increasing prices for the three crops studied, caused by lower production, inelastic demand, and increasing volatility.

Climate Change and Land: An IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems, by IPCC Working Group III (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2019, 1542 pages, free download available here; 43-page Summary for policymakers available here)

This report addresses greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in land-based ecosystems, land use and sustainable land management in relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation, desertification, land degradation, and food security. This report follows the publication of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C, the thematic assessment of the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) on Land Degradation and Restoration, the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and the Global Land Outlook of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This report provides an updated assessment of the current state of knowledge while striving for coherence and complementarity with other recent reports.

Growing Better: Ten Critical Transitions to Transform Food and Land Use, by co-lead authors Per Pharo and Jeremy Oppenheim (The Food and Land Use Coalition 2019, 237 pages, free download available here; 32-page executive summary available here)

There is a remarkable opportunity to transform food and land use systems, but as the challenges are growing, we need to act with great urgency. The global report from the Food and Land Use Coalition proposes a reform agenda centered around ten critical transitions of real actionable solutions. These could deliver the needed change to boost progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris agreement, help mitigate the negative effects of climate change, safeguard biodiversity, ensure more healthy diets for all, drastically improve food security, and create more inclusive rural economies.

Creating a Sustainable Food Future: A Menu of Solutions to Feed Nearly 10 Billion People, by 2050, by Tim Searchinger, Richard Waite, Craig Hanson, and Janet Ranganathan (World Resources Institute 2019, 564 pages, free download available here; 96-page synthesis report available here)

Can we feed the world without destroying the planet? The World Resources Report, Creating a Sustainable Food Future, shows that it is possible but there is no silver bullet. The report offers a five-course menu of solutions to ensure we can feed 10 billion people by 2050 without increasing emissions, fueling deforestation or exacerbating poverty. Intensive research and modeling examining the nexus of the food system, economic development, and the environment show why each of the 22 items on the menu is important and quantifies how far each solution can get us. This site presents text from the Synthesis Report, with download links to full chapters from the complete report.

Climate-Smart Agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals, by Shereen DSouza, Julian Schnetzer, and Rima Al-Azar (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2019, 144 pages, free download available here)150210

Rising sea levels and more intense storms and droughts are becoming the new normal. In addition, the imperative of reducing food insecurity and population growth amid changing dietary preferences requires increased food production at a time when natural resources are more and more constrained. Given these intertwined challenges and threats to sustainable development, the world needs a comprehensive approach to addressing one of the primary connections between people and the planet: food and agriculture. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) offers a wealth of opportunities in this respect, combining a focus on sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; building resilience and adapting to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, where possible.

Delivering Sustainable Food and Land Use Systems: The Role of International Trade, by Christophe Bellmann, Bernice Lee, and Jonathab Hepburn (Chatham House/Hoffman Centre for Sustainable Resource Economy 2019, 80 pages, free download available here)

Meeting future global food security requirements is not just about quantity; it is also about meeting growing needs in a manner that safeguards human as well as planetary health. International trade and trade policies play an ambiguous role in the current food system. With 80 per cent of the worlds population depending on imports to meet at least part of their food and nutritional requirements, trade has a unique function in offsetting imbalances between supply and demand. However, in the absence of effective regulatory frameworks or pricing frameworks that internalize environmental, social or health costs, trade can exacerbate and globalize challenges associated with food production and land use trends such as deforestation, land degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and the shift to unhealthy diets.

Beyond the Impossible: The Futures of Plant-Based and Cellular Meat and Dairy, by Martin Rowe (Brighter Green 2019, 58 pages, free download available here; two-page brief available here)

Beyond the Impossible: The Futures of Plant-based and Cellular Meat and Dairy imagines what the United States might look like as a vegan country in 2050. Martin Rowe, who heads the Vegan America Project, has read widely in plant-based meat and cellular agriculture, and he has listened to scientists (both natural and social), food marketers, entrepreneurs, investors, and policy mavens. Rowe has gathered the results of his research in a work that is both a state-of-the-industries overview and a work of speculation, a critical effort to reconcile competing concerns and values. Beyond the Impossible is oriented toward a vegan future, even as it recognizes that cellular agriculture has the means to transform just what vegan might mean in that future.

Editors note: Those not yet ready to embrace veganism but still wanting to reduce emissions from the meat in their diet can consult Achieving Peak Pasture: Shrinking Pastures Footprint by Spreading the Livestock Revolution (Breakthrough Institute 2019, 80 pages, free download available here).

Youth in Motion for Climate Action! A Compilation of Youth Initiatives in Agriculture to Address the Impacts of Climate Change, by Melanie Pisano, Fiona Korporaal, and Rima Al-Azar (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2019, 60 pages, free download available here)

This publication is a compilation of 10 successful youth-focused or youth-led initiatives in agriculture that address the impacts of climate change. The case studies are organized under five themes: E-agriculture, innovation and technology; youth employment; capacity development; entrepreneurship; and Alliances and Networks. For each theme one FAO-led initiative and one non-FAO initiative is showcased to provide a broad picture of the activities being implemented around the world at various levels. FAO and other institutions believe that partnerships and collaboration on youth-focused projects, programs and initiatives produce stronger results on the ground. This publication highlights these multi-organizational, collaborative efforts.

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13 new books and reports about the future of food - Yale Climate Connections

If youve been told by your doctor to decrease your intake of red meat and shift to a more plant-based diet, youre not alone.

At any age, but especially as we get older, eating more fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and obesity, says Dr. William Li, a physician, researcher and author ofEat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.

Catering to the popularity of this diet shift, one of the biggest food trends of 2019 has been the rise of plant-based meats. These contain no animal products and are instead produced with plant-based ingredients such as soy, providing similar protein content to real meat.

Two leading makers of these products,Impossible FoodsandBeyond Meat, have taken the food world by storm, winning over meat lovers with burgers and other products that have a taste and texture surprisingly similar to real beef.

You can now buy Impossible and Beyond meat-substitute products in many grocery stores and restaurants across the U.S. For example, Burger King now has an Impossible Whopper and Subway has a Beyond Meat meatball sandwich.

If you really love the taste of a burger, the new trend of plant-based meats may help you satisfy your cravings while sticking with a plant-based plan, says Li.

But while these products do have some nutritional merits, there is debate over how healthy they truly are, and if they could potentially cause more harm than good. Before you swap in plant-based patties for your beef burgers, heres what to know:

While you may think youd be eating virtuously by choosing one of these alternatives to meat, biting into an Impossible or Beyond burger is a far cry from eating a plate full of greens.

The marketing teams behind these plant-based meats make the food sound enticing. But in reality, these products are highly engineered plant protein sources made from soy or pea protein isolate, says Maura Rodgers, a registered dietitian with her own practice in San Francisco. Theyre not made out of vegetables; theyre made from processed soy, she adds.

Also, marketing for these products often implies they are healthy choices, but that depends on how you define healthy. Some brands use nonorganic ingredients that may have been exposed to chemicals or that may be genetically modified (for example, more than90% of soy in the U.S. is genetically modified, according to the Agriculture Department).

If you look at the ingredient list for a Dr. Praegers veggie burger or other popular brands like Boca and Morningstar, which have been around for decades, youll see fresh plants: carrots, onions, string beans, zucchini and broccoli.

Plant-based meats such as the products made by Impossible Foods, however, are different. Theyre doing serious food science and drastically changing the [whole food ingredients], Rodgers says.

For example, while the process may have started with soy, in the final product, its been converted into a soy protein concentrate made by removing the soluble carbohydrates from soy flakes.

In my opinion, this style of eating soy is so young, and we dont have a lot of studies to assure us that these textured vegetable proteins and soy protein isolates are not creating adverse long- or short-term detriments, Rodgers says.

Its worth noting these new plant-based meats dont come cheap, either, says Li. At about $9 per pound, theyre about 50% more expensive than traditional veggie burgers.

Its important for older adults to consume enough protein tohelp prevent muscle lossandmaintain metabolism, says Samantha Presicci, lead registered dietitian at Snap Kitchen, a service that delivers ready-made meals in several U.S. cities.

At first glance, Impossible and Beyond products seem like smart choices for this reason, boasting 19 and 20 grams of protein per serving, respectively. The issue, however, is that plant-based proteins, such as the ones found in some plant-based meats, are not complete proteins, except for soy (a complete protein means it contains all essential amino acids).

Real meat offers highly bioavailable protein, which means that the protein and micronutrients in meat are more easily absorbed by our bodies compared with plant foods, says Presicci.

Instead of plant-based meats, I would recommend consuming more highly bioavailable protein, especially for adults over 55, in the form of responsibly raised meats and seafood, she adds.

Related: Why some restaurants are turning up their noses at Beyond Meat

If you are vegetarian or vegan, you can include complete proteins in your diet byeating a variety of plant foods, like legumes, lentils, nuts and whole grains, daily, said Rachel Stockle, a licensed dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, in an article on the clinics website.

Its also worth noting that the Impossible Burger contains 8 grams of saturated fat per 4-ounce serving due to the addition of coconut oil and sunflower oil, which help make beef patties sizzle when grilled. Beyond Meat has six grams of saturated fat per serving, containing refined coconut oil and expeller-pressed canola oil.

In general, we know that too much saturated fat found primarily in animal sources is harmful to our health, associated with heart attacks and inflammation in the body, says Rodgers.

Theres still a debate in the medical community over whether coconut oil, the non-animal source outlier, provides more value than detriment. Rodgers says aging adults especially should proceed with caution when consuming products with coconut oil.

As you get older, you are at a higher risk for chronic disease, she explains, so while it may be time to re-evaluate how much meat youre consuming and transition to a more plant-based diet, simply swapping your beef burger for a plant-based one isnt necessarily the answer.

Most plant-based meats provide roughly the same amount of calories as regular meat, and a lot more sodium.

For older adults trying to limit their sodium intake to reduce risk of high blood pressure and heart disease plant-based meats may not be a better option, says Megan Wong, a registered dietitian who works with AlgaeCal, a calcium supplement company in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Also read: The No. 1 reason to become a vegan its not about your health

The Impossible Burger, for example, contains 370 milligrams of sodium per 4-ounce patty. However, theres a silver lining; it also contains 610 milligrams of potassium (thats about 200 milligrams more than a banana), which helps your body get rid of excess sodium, Wong says.

Plant-based meats can also provide more iron than the average beef patty, Wong says. This can be helpful for older adults who dont consume enough iron and are at risk of, or have been diagnosed with, iron-deficiency anemia, she says.

A deficiency in the B vitamins B12 and folate can lead to anemia, which becomes more common as we age and the Impossible Burger is high in both. Additionally, the Beyond Meat burger is a good source of calcium, providing 80 milligrams per serving (about as much as one serving of almonds), which can help older adults reach therecommended amount of calcium 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams per day after age 50.

Looking beyond the health element, plant-based meats are becoming more popular for their reduced impact on the environment.

For example, a 2018 study commissioned by Beyond Meat with the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan found that a plant-based burger generates90% less greenhouse gas emissions, requires 46% less energy to produce and has 93% less impact on land use than a traditional U.S. beef burger.

Plant-based meats are not only for the vegetarians and vegans of the world. In an unofficial taste test of side-by-side sliders one beef and one plant-based this writer can say it is hard to distinguish the difference.

Even reviewers at Food & Wine magazine described the Impossible Burger asalmost identical to beef.

Thats exactly what the companies producing these products are going for, replicating the same meaty texture and juiciness of ground beef without the actual meat. The Impossible Burger has even been genetically engineered with hemoglobin, a plant version of the protein that makes blood red, to look like it bleeds when you cook it, Li says.

While plant-based meats can help older adults reach their daily recommendations for protein, iron, B vitamins and calcium, theyre still highly processed. In principle, Li says he thinks theyre superior to red meat, but that its still too early to know for sure about the health effects of plant-based burgers.

If you want to try incorporating plant-based meats like the Impossible or Beyond burgers into your diet, first make sure your diet is mostly made up ofwhole foodsrather than ultra-processed foods, Li says.

Then, consider if plant-based burgers fit your budget, if youre allergic to soy or other plant proteins and if you enjoy the taste, he says. If all systems are a go, then by all means, dive in and enjoy one but only in moderation.

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What nutrition experts are saying about imitation meats in your diet - MarketWatch

Food is nourishment, culture, pleasure, tradition, sociability, and identity. Food plays a vital role in peoples well-being, health, and longevityand has a powerful preventive function. Food accompanies us throughout our lives and is an element that defines us in both the private and social dimensions.

The impact of food on the environment is increasingly at the center of the international debate: producing food requires land and natural resources such as water and nutrients, and contributes to the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere.

Overall, global food production and consumption system contributes 21 percent to 37 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and has now become a fundamental focus of action aimed at mitigating global warming.

In many countries of the world, excessive amounts of processed and unhealthy foods are consumedwe consume large quantities of meat (especially red meat), refined sugars, fats, and salt. In recent decades there has been a decline in adherence to healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, and overweight and obesity have become the main risk factors for developing diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), sustainable diets are those diets with low environmental impacts that contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable, nutritionally adequate, safe, and healthy, while optimizing natural and human resources.

In line with this definition, a number of actions can be taken to make the global diet more sustainable, to benefit human health and the environment.

Preference should be given to plant-based foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables, and nuts. The daily diet should include at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables, while meat and dairy products should be consumed in moderation. The right amount of protein, iron, and calcium can be consumed by consuming plant-based foods such as legumes and nuts. In addition to benefiting human health, plant-based foods have, on average, a significantly lower environmental impact than animal source foods, according to Clark et al., among others.

By choosing local and seasonal food, eaters can maximize the nutrient content of foodvitamins, mineral salts, and phytochemical compoundshelping promote better health, while also helping to preserve agrobiodiversity, and supporting local economies.

The increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods in diets has been identified as one of the causes of unhealthy diets and overweight as well as increasing GHG emissions. A diet that respects the planet prevents food waste, which currently accounts for about 20 percent of food produced in the European Union, with a cost of EU143 billion. In Italy, about 65 kilograms of food per person per year is wasted, mainly in the areas in the home and at restaurants.

Drinking tap water can also help the environment. Bottling 1.5 liters of water surprisingly requires 1.9 of water for bottling, packaging, and transport, says Nicolucci et al. In many EU countries, the amount of plastic that gets recycled is still less than 50 percent of total production. Moreover, reducing disposables, recycling and reusing materials, and choosing foods with less packagingfood packaging accounts for 25 percent of plastic materials that end up in the environmentall contribute to environmental sustainability.

When making more conscious eating choices becomes a collective commitment, it has the power to preserve and protect the planets resources. On October 10th, 14 global cities in the C40 network signed the Good Food Cities Declaration. The C40 mayors are committed to promoting healthy and sustainable diets, cutting food waste in half, and implementing green procurement policies, to protect the health of their 64 million citizens while respecting their cultures and traditions.

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Opinion | Sustainable Diets for the Future - Food Tank

Jason Aldean recently revealed he switched to a healthy diet, which he is now opening up about. The 42-year-old, who will head out on the road in early 2020 on his We Back Tour, reveals exactly what he eats, and how he manages to stick to his regimen even when he is away from home for long stretches of time.

"We have a chef on the road with us so its pretty easy to eat out there," Aldean told Parade. "I have a list of things that I want on the bus every week when I get on there. And then I just try to stick to it when Im at home too. Im not over the top with it. With me, its just more of just trying to pay attention to choosing healthier foods and cut out sugar. Its pretty simple stuff.

"Im not like all out," he added, "but I think when youre on the road, you just kind of have a tendency to get into bad habits of eating late at night and the kind of stuff you eat isnt always the best for you."

Part of those bad habits, which Aldean is now breaking, was junk food after a show, which had become a staple for him.

"You get on your bus every night after a show and theres a pizza there," said the singer. "And trust me, I would love to just hammer it, but it just kind of comes to a point where Im trying to be a little smarter about what I eat. Playing shows and traveling as much as we do takes a lot out of you, energy wise. When you feel good, you have more fun out there. And to me, thats what it was all about."

Aldean tries to not just eat the right foods, but also eat at the right time, pacing his meals so he has energy to carry him through his nightly concerts.

"I think thats the biggest thing with us being on the road," Aldean acknowledged. "You get a lot of times in the groove of just eating bad stuff. And you eat late at night and you eat at kind of the wrong times of the day and find yourself just sitting on the bus all day.

"So Ive made it a point to really try to eat healthier, to get up, eat throughout the day, and to eat the right stuff," he continued. "Playing the kind of shows that we play takes a lot of energy out of you, too. So Ive been focusing on racking up protein all day so eating mainly high protein, low carb."

The Georgia native also is working out more, but doing it on his terms instead of joining a gym.

"I work out a little bit," Aldean said. "I like to play sports and really enjoy things like playing basketball on the road. I can get on a treadmill and run for 10 minutes and then Im over it. But I can play basketball for three hours and have fun and it doesnt feel like Im working out. So Id rather do things like that ... Usually me and the band will head out and go to a gym or a Y and just find a court and start playing."

Photo Credit: Getty / Terry Wyatt

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Jason Aldean Reveals How He Transformed His Diet on the Road - PopCulture.com

Thanksgiving dinner (Flickr)

Thanksgiving means time with family and friends.

Well, its also perhaps a time to break a diet and theres plenty of opportunities for that.

Its a day of celebration, something you do once a year with loved ones, said Allie Mitchell, clinical director and certified health coach with The Nutrition and Wellness Center in Williamsburg. Never let food hold you back from being completely present with friends and family.

Each year, tables are set with turkeys, stuffing and pies but that doesnt have to terrify those trying to stick to a healthy meal plan.

Sentara Healthcare suggests heading into the holiday with a mind toward respecting the body while still including plenty of seasonal produce. The autumn season is one that provides various opportunities for nourishing meals with winter squashes, vegetables and apples that contain different disease-fighting ingredients:

With winter squashes, a number of Thanksgiving items can be made. While the classic pumpkin pie is always a good choice, Sentara recommends adding a variety of winter squash, such as butternut squash and acorn squash, to homemade soup with broth and aromatic spices such as garlic and ginger.

Vegetables are also a good way to fit in a healthy meal. In the winter, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards, and Brussels sprouts can be enhanced with a drizzle of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.

Apples of all varieties can also enhance any bowl of oatmeal by adding the fruit and a little cinnamon. Chopped apples can also add a different texture to favorite fall salads. In addition, there are a variety of pies that shine when baked with apples.

Sentara recommends shopping at local farmers markets for holiday produce, because it provides shoppers with the opportunity to learn more about fresh foods and preparing their produce.

But not everyone can control what food is being served at the Thanksgiving table and temptations are tricky.

If you eat something more than you should, forgive yourself and move on, Mitchell said. You have a brand new day on Friday and you wont lose any of your progress.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends coming to the table ready with a plan.

First, those wanting to stick to a diet should avoid skipping meals or varying from typical eating times because then it will be easier to overeat come Thanksgiving dinner.

In addition, if the dinner is hosted by someone else, a good idea might be to bring a healthy dish for the table. For those who have a sweet tooth, the CDC recommends eating less carbs with other food, like potatoes and bread, so the dessert can be fully enjoyed without guilt.

The Thanksgiving dinner table can be spread as an all-you-can-eat buffet in some homes. When thats the case, diners will want to have a small plate of foods they like best to practice portion control. Starting with vegetables and eating slowly can help to take the edge off an appetite.

Mitchell recommends always having the healthy snacks in an easily reachable location and putting the less-healthy options a bit farther away.

Keep the finger foods light and healthy for those to reach and then youll have to make more of an effort to get to the foods you like, she said. Its easier to pick up a healthy snack when its right in front of you.

When planning your plate of small foods, the CDC said to pick the selections that bring the most joy. Its okay to enjoy a treat, especially when its special to the holiday.

The CDC also suggests people find ways to stay active during the holiday. Being active is a good way to make up for any extra eating as well as reduce stress. This can be done in simple ways, such as taking a family walk after dinner.

While the Thanksgiving Day spread might seem like treacherous territory for anyone on a diet, there are easy ways to eat healthy through the holiday.

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Here's how you can stick to a diet when faced with Thanksgiving dinner - Southside Daily

After reading recent articles, I am wondering about whether vegans can get enough vitamin B12 and enough choline, and if there are other elements that are problematic for them. I have an adult child who has become vegan after years of being vegetarian. He does not cook much and eats a lot of prepared foods, which is not the best anyway, but now I wonder about these issues. I hope you can offer some advice. Thank you, Carolynn.

Dear Carolynn,

By definition, vegan diets exclude all animal foods, including eggs and dairy products. Honey (because it comes from bees) is also a no-no to some vegans.

The latest position paper on this topic by the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics assures us that A well-planned vegetarian diet containing vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds can provide adequate nutrition.

The key phrase here is well-planned. Whether or not your adult child is getting the most benefit from becoming vegan depends like it does for all eating styles on the nutrient balance in the foods he chooses to eat.

Vitamin B12 has always been a concern in vegan diets as this vital nutrient is not found in plant foods.

And vital means essential; a deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause fatigue, tingling in the fingers or toes, poor digestion and mental symptoms that mimic dementia.

Studies have shown that fermented foods (such as tempeh), nori, spirulina, chlorella algae and unfortified nutritional yeast cannot be relied upon as adequate or practical sources of vitamin B12.

Nutrition experts therefore recommend that, in addition to a supplement that contains vitamin B12, vegans should consume foods fortified with this vitamin at least twice a day. (Many breakfast cereals and other grain-based foods are fortified with B12; check the label.)

Choline is an essential nutrient that helps preserve the structure of all our bodys cells.

In addition, choline helps form neurotransmitters that keep our memory, mood, muscle control and other important functions up to par.

Animal-based foods are the best sources of choline, but this nutrient is also found in plant foods such as cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.

An added bonus: our bodies can manufacture some choline in the liver.

Surprising to some, protein needs can usually be met in vegan diets with the regular consumption of legumes and soy-based foods.

An exception is the fruitarian vegan diet, which is limited to fruits, and possibly some nuts and seeds. These diets typically supply inadequate amounts of protein.

So there you have it.

Since vegan diets restrict readily-available sources of some key nutrients, your son needs to understand how to plan his meals so as to avoid any nutritional deficiencies.

A registered dietician nutritionist can help. The Monterey County Herald/Tribune News Service

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietician nutritionist and certified diabetes educator in the United States.

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Going on a vegan diet? Plan it properly to avoid nutritional deficiencies - The Star Online

Personalised nutrition startup Atlas Biomed claims to be the only company in the world offering both DNA and microbiome testing kits for a holistic picture of health and now it is launching a phone app allowing people to discover what foods will best improve their gut health with the simple snap of the camera.

Sergey Musienko, bioinformatician andfounder of the UK-based firm launched in 2014, says the app differs from all other diet apps on the market as it will allow customers to genuinely learn how to modulate their microbiomes through their diet choices by teaching them about diet variety and fibre intake.

He tells NutraIngredients: Itallows the customer to take a photo of their meal and the special algorithm allows us to identify the specific ingredients in the meal and based on their latest microbiome test results the app provides a scoring system for each ingredient, showing how beneficial they are to the users microbiome composition.

The whole idea behind this is to help people gamify the process and better understand what ingredients can be harmful or beneficial to their gut bacteria.

The entrepreneur points out that research has shown that the majority of the population in Europe and the US are not eating enough fibre - a nutrient essential for a healthy microbial diversity.

He points out that therecommended daily intake is 30 grams but according to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, UK adults are only eating around 18 grams per day.

He says people should ideally be eating at least 30 different sources of fibre each week in order to keep their microbial diversity up and the app helps people achieve this.

Believe me, its harder than you would imagine to reach this number. I think when I first checked I was getting maybe 20 on a good week.

There are a lot of apps out there that help people track their calories or their macros but this is the first to concentrate of fibre as well as some vitamins, polyphenols and sugar which also have an impact on microbiome composition.

This will help people to discover the best fibre sources for them and it will help people to diversify their diets. We really want to help people to live healthy lives for longer and as soon as you have a basic understanding its quite easy to stay on track its like learning to ride a bike!

Musienko graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology before going on to join theSilicon Valley think tank, at Singularity UniversityCaliforniain 2011,where they train entrepreneurial minds on how to apply technology into projects that can improve the lives of people around the world.

There I had a chance to meet lots of visionaries and entrepreneurs around health technology."Musienko explains, "I spoke to lots of researchers and shared ideas with them and discussed whats the future of preventative medicine. Thats when I had the idea which would lay the foundation for Atlas Biomed taking a personalised proactive approach to health care by predicting conditions and doing everything we can to prevent them.

Back then, in 2011, companies were offering affordable genomics tests but these tests were in their really early days and there was a lot of criticism that they couldnt tell you in a precise way whats likely to happen to the persons health. Of course with all these common but complex issues, like chrones disease, diabetes, obesity, lifestyle has a huge impact as well as genes.

I realised if we want to personalise healthcare or nutrition in an accurate manner it has to be a combination of different factors and thats how we came up with the concept of multiple tests a saliva test for genes and a stool sample test for the microbiome which covers changes in diet and lifestyle.

The company launched its DNA and microbiome tests commercially in Europe in 2017 and since then it has quickly expanded with sales in 17 countries across Europe as well as Canada with hopes to establish itself in the US soon.

Read more:
Startup 'gamifies' gut health with diet app aimed at long-term change - NutraIngredients.com

Vitamin B12 is necessary for the body in various ways. It supports various vital functions inside the body. Here are some reasons why vitamin B12 should be an essential part of your diet. Also, know symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency and foods rich in vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 can affect your mental health as well

The food you eat affects your health majorly. Your diet should be a mixture of multiple nutrients. A balanced diet ensures consumption of all necessary nutrients. You should check your diet and make sure that all the essential nutrients are present in your diet. All vitamins are essential for the functioning of the human body in some quantity to function properly. Similarly, one of the essential vitamins is vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the human body. It supports various functions inside the body. This vitamin cannot be produced by the body on its own. You need to ensure enough amount of vitamin B12 through your diet. Here are some reasons why vitamin B12 should be a part of your diet.

1. Proper intake of vitamin B12 supports the formation of red blood cells. Better formation of red blood cells also prevents anemia. A person with low levels of vitamin B12 is more prone to anemia due to poor formation of red blood cells.

2. Vitamin b12 can also help in preventing age-related macular degeneration. Various studies have shown that B12 might help in preventing eye disease which is also called age-related macular degeneration.

3. Vitamin B12 is beneficial for bone health as well. Enough amount of vitamin B12 ensures better bone health. It can also help you reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

4. Vitamin B12 provides nourishment to your skin, hair and nails. Enough levels of vitamin B12 can help you maintain skin, hair and nails.

5. Vitamin B12 is also good for your brain health. It prevents the loss of neurons. It can also delay or control the onset of dementia.

6. This vitamin is also good for your mood as well and can help in improving the symptoms of depression.

You may feel lazy throughout the day due to low levels of vitamin B12Photo Credit: iStock

Also read:Vitamin B12: What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency? Know The Food Sources

Most people are not aware of the signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. Here are the signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency which you must know-

1. You may experience shortness of breath

2. It may become hard to complete your workout session; you may feel tired and fatigues all the time

3. You may face mental issues like depression or memory loss

4. You may experience pale skin

5. Blurred vision is also a common symptom

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to depressionPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Health Benefits Of Vitamin B12: Here's All You Need To Know All About This Vitamin

Vitamin B12 is usually present in animal-based products. Some limited vegetarian food sources of vitamin B12 include- fortified cereal, cheese, fortified dairy, low-fat milk, yogurt and natural yeast.

Also read:Do You Have A Vitamin B-12 Deficiency? Here Are Foods Rich In Vit B-12

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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Reason Why Vitamin B12 Should Be An Essential Part Of Your Diet; Sings And Symptoms Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency And Food Sources - Doctor NDTV

In 2004, I was the only vegan in the village, says Fiona Oakes, a multi-world-record-breaking marathon runner. But now you see vegan runners everywhere.

An animal lover who set up her own animal sanctuary, Oakes started a running club called Vegan Runners in 2004. The idea came about after she saw the long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe on TV and spotted an opportunity. Oakes was a good runner and thought that, if she got faster, she could end up alongside Radcliffe at the start line of the London marathon, on national television, with the words Vegan Runners emblazoned across her vest.

It was a way of showcasing the cause, she says. Id been vegan since I was six years old. Id lost my kneecap from an illness when I was 17 and been told I would never run again. If I could do this as a vegan, it showed that anything was possible.

Back then she was a lone crusader, trying to introduce people to the word vegan in a positive way. Rather than cause disruption and be in peoples faces, by running, I was leading by example and generating interest in a positive way, she says.

She went on to twice finish in the top 20 in major marathons, with a personal best of two hours 38 minutes, and also won the north pole marathon. Oakes powerful example has seen the Vegan Runners steadily increase their numbers over the years. But with the interest in veganism growing, partly in response to the global climate crisis, the clubs numbers have swelled exponentially in the past three years; there are almost 4,000 today, with more than 40 local groups across the country, their distinctive tops unmissable at races.

Club activities vary at each branch, but typically involve weekly training runs and group attendance at events such as local parkruns usually with a visit to a vegan cafe afterwards.

Understandably, members are expected to be vegan not just in their diet but in their choice of clothing. Oakes says that the expectation is for members to be living a fully plant-based lifestyle.

Mike Exton from Sheffield joined Vegan Runners in June. Although he is vegan, he primarily joined because the training runs were local. I do find it a little tricky being pigeonholed as a vegan runner, he says. But he feels more comfortable wearing the Vegan Runners vest now than he might have done five years ago, as veganism has become less weird.

In many ways its just another running club, he says, though we do tend to chat about food, recommending things to try and getting advice on nutrition.

Lisa Gawthorne joined Vegan Runners in 2018. She says it is great to be surrounded by like-minded people and that the club forms a really kind and compassionate running community.

I think its important to bounce off people who are going through similar things to you and to share experiences, she says. This may include tips on nutrition or the best vegan running shoes. It all helps. Most running shoes that dont use leather or suede are vegan, but sometimes the glues used in shoes can be made from animal products. The Vegan Runners website has a helpful guide to which brands are fully vegan.

Gawthorne has been vegan for 16 years and is an international road runner and duathlon athlete. She believes being vegan has helped her to perform at such a high level. It improves recovery time, is better for the digestive system and promotes better sleep, she says. I have never had as much energy as I have since moving from a vegetarian to a vegan diet.

Not everyone shares this view. Tim Noakes, a South African sports scientist famous for his promotion of a high-fat, meat-rich diet, says a vegan diet is incomplete in so many ways. In time, a truly vegan athlete will run into trouble unless they are sourcing additional animal-based nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, choline and probably high-quality proteins from somewhere else, he says.

Dietitian Renee McGregor, who works with international ultra-runners, says that while it is possible to be vegan and a good runner, it needs a lot of careful planning. In my clinic, many of the athletes that come in with relative energy deficiency have become vegan, she says, adding that the high intake of fibre more common in a vegan diet can impact the absorption of nutrients such as iron and calcium, as well as displace energy intake.

There are not enough long-term studies to show how vegan diets impact athletic performance, which leaves us with a battleground of anecdotal evidence. Some of the worlds leading long-distance runners swear by the meat-heavy diet promoted by Noakes, while others are vegan, spearheaded by the legendary ultra-runner Scott Jurek, whose seven consecutive victories in the most competitive ultra-marathon in the US, the Western States 100-mile endurance run, make the case that a vegan diet doesnt have to be incompatible with running.

For Oakes, proving this to the world is what gets her out of bed on cold mornings. It gives me a reason to get up and train, she says. To show what is possible, and to promote what I believe in.

The rest is here:
Vegan runners: can a plant-based diet provide what you need to compete and win? - The Guardian

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For breast cancer awareness month, Anna Jones prepared salmon and asparagus foil packets and red cabbage and apple slaw.(Photo: Tori Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

I have been teaching from a non-diet, weight-inclusive point of view for a long time but discovered through learning more about intuitive eating that I'm not the only health care practitioner who teaches this way.

Not only are there many dietitians and therapists who are trained and certified to teach from this same perspective, it is also strongly supported by scientific research.

Intuitive eating has been around for years. If the term is new to you, intuitive eating was created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995, so it's not actually a new concept, but one that has sort of caught on lately.

The authors define intuitive eating as "an approach that teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with your food, mind, and body where you ultimately become the expert of your own body."

It is a weight-neutral, evidence-based model (meaning there is scientific evidence, not just opinion, to support it) with a validated assessment scale. There are around 100 studies supporting its efficacy to date. It is a non-diet approach that emphasizes internal cues and listening and paying attention to our bodies over external diet rules.

The non-diet part of intuitive eating refers to taking the focus offthe scale and other rules and restrictions and putting it on health promoting behaviors, improving body image, and finding peace and enjoyment with food.

It is a process or framework that teaches a different approach to eating and our bodies than the typical weight-centered approach that many of us turn to over and over without success.

In the diet culture,eating is viewed as a moral statement with many labels on foods such as "good" and "bad." Certain foods choices and ways of eating are demonized while others are praised and deemed right and acceptable. Thinness is viewed as the only acceptable body type regardless of genetics and weight loss is promoted at all cost.

In contrast, with intuitive eating and weight-inclusivity the focus is shifted to honoring health, not just our physical health, but also our emotional and mental health. Food and our choices are not viewed from an ethical, right or wrong, perspective, but instead are based on choice, preference, and enjoyment.

With this shift choices are guided by internal awareness, non-diet nutrition knowledge, and movement for wellness, not based on counting calories or points, diet rules and restrictions, and guilt. All body types are viewed as not only acceptable but respected and treated with compassion and care.

We are all born intuitive eaters. As babies and kids, we have the innate ability to listen to our bodys cues and eat what our bodies need. When a baby is hungry, they will let you know and when they are full they have the instinctual ability to stop eating.

Over time though many factors such as family upbringing, genetics, environment, and exposure to diet culture beliefs and rules can confuse or disrupt our ability to trust ourselves.

We get so discombobulated that we get to a point where we dont think we can function without someone else telling us what, when, and how often to eat.

In todays diet focused world many of us areused to turning to the next book or new plan or fad diet to find health, but with intuitive eating you are the expert of your health and your body, as you should be.

Of course, there is room for learning and gaining new information and ways to care for yourself in regard to nutrition, movement, stress reduction and sleep.

The beauty of intuitive eating is that there is no pass or fail or good or bad. Those ideas and notions only make eating and food stressful and set us up to feel like a failure. How often do you start a diet, eat the wrong thing, feel like youve failed and go off the diet?

I was talking with a new client the other day who had this exact experience. She had started Whole30 and stayed with it for two weeks and then had a wedding to go to and didnt want to miss out on all the yummy food so went off her diet and didnt start it back after that weekend.

When I asked her why she didnt restart after the wedding she said with Whole30 once you go off you have to start all over again and she just didnt feel like dealing with it. So, basically your punishment with that plan iswell you screwed up, despite all your hard work, go back to the beginning. So annoying and frustrating.

Ive talked to countless clients and friends who have experienced this same scenario and instead of directing their frustration at the diets and diet industry, they blame themselves. With intuitive eating you learn to let go of the regret, guilt, and shame associated with eating and start to listen to your bodys innate cues for hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and pleasure to better meet your physical and psychological needs.

It really is a whole different way of approaching food and taking care of our bodies and minds. It is a process but is well worth the time and effort.

The positive benefits of intuitive eating are seemingly endless. Here is a list of just a few benefits that have been identified in the many studies done on intuitive eating.

Higher HDL (good) cholesterol

Lower triglycerides

Lower rates of emotional eating

Lower rates of disordered eating and eating disorders

Higher self-esteem

Better body image

More satisfaction with life and less preoccupation with diets and your body

A sense of optimism and well-being

Proactive coping skills

Higher likelihood to exercise because it feels good

The intuitive eating assessment is a good place to start to get an idea where you stand on whether or not you are an intuitive eater. You can find a quick assessment on my website AnnaJonesRD.com under the Intuitive Eating tab to see where you stand.

These are some signs though that may indicate that you are NOT an intuitive eater:

You often label foods as good and bad

You get mad at yourself or feel guilty for eating something unhealthy

You follow strict rules that dictate what/when/how much to eat

You eat when you are stressed, bored, lonely, anxious, depressed, or stressed

You often use food to help you soothe negative emotions

You dont trust yourself to know what, when, and how much to eat

You weigh and measure your food

You count calories, carbs, protein, fat, or points

The framework of Intuitive Eating is based on 10 guiding principles. They are not rules, but instead basic principles that you can incorporate at your own pace. Each one builds on the other in helping people change their perspective on eating and build a healthier relationship with food.

Reject the diet mentality

Honor your hunger

Make peace with food

Challenge the food police

Respect your fullness

Discover the satisfaction factor

Honor your feelings without using food

Respect your body

Exercise feel the difference

Honor your health with gentle nutrition

The best resource for learning more about becoming an intuitive eater is the book by Tribole and Resch, "Intuitive Eating." There is also "The Intuitive Eating Workbook" that can be really helpful in personalizing and individualizing the concepts, beliefs and ideas.

I recently added to my credentials and became a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. With this certification I have even more skills and knowledge to help clients have a healthy relationship with food, get off the diet roller coaster, and tune into their body's own wisdom to help guide them.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I work with clients to process through and unlearn old diet mentality thinking and relearn the freeing and empowering concepts of intuitive eating to ultimately find peace with food and their bodies.

Its one thing to conceptually understand intuitive eating, but it is a process to put it into practice and having an expert guide can be helpful.

I have also become a huge fan of podcasts, specifically ones about intuitive eating. I like to listen to them when I am driving. I share them often with clients too. One client that I recommended podcasts to decided to start with episode 1 of the Body Kindness podcast and listen to all the episodes and has been loving them.

If you are like so many others and are just exhausted from dieting, restriction, deprivation and worrying about your weight, maybe consider what it would be like to stop the madness and try something new.

Food is meant to be savored and enjoyed and our bodies are amazing and deserve respect and love. It is possible to enjoy food and respect our bodies and actually be healthier for it.

Anna Jones(Photo: Anna Jones)

Anna Jones is a registered dietitian. Visit her website atannajonesrd.com.

Podcasts are a great way to hear an introduction to the concept of intuitive eating and see if it resonates with you. A few that I would highly recommend with some specific episodes that I think are fantastic:

RD Real Talk with Heather Caplan

Episode #86: Wait, but what IS Intuitive Eating? with coauthor, Evelyn Tribole

Food Psych with Christy Harrison

Episode #157: The Truth About Weight Science

You Can Eat With Us with Cara Harbstreet

Episode #2: Rachael Hartley & an Intro to Intuitive Eating

Body Kindness with Rebecca Scritchfield

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Intuitive eating takes fresh approach to healthy relationship with food - Tallahassee Democrat