Category Archives: Diet And Food

It's an emerging question for the communities waging battle over methodological weaknesses in the dietary sciences, one highlighted by a recent, widely reported Mayo Clinic clinician-authoredpaperon the association between diet and prostate cancer.

The publication, a Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationstudy by the Mayo oncology and hematology fellow Dr. John Shin and four Mayo Clinic Scottsdale colleagues, reviewed 47 studies dating back 11 years. It rendered a timely, vegan-friendly conclusion that diets high in dairy products "may be associated" with increased prostate cancer risk, and diets high in plant-based foods "may be associated" with decreased prostate cancer risk. The study was reported in new outlets across the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

For those who heard the news and came away with new reasons to swear off animal foods, a valuable piece of context went missing, however. Shin, like thousands of other clinicians across the country, is Seventh-Day Adventist. Sermon-hosting sites offer links to the physician's religious lectures and he serves as a speaker in the Adventist Medical Evangelical Network (AMEN), an independent organization with the goal of "uniting the church to restore Christs ministry of healing to the world, hastening His return."

Why should a nutrition researcher's faith tradition matter? Because an Adventist ministry of healing includes the promotion of a plant-based diet. In response to a recent Forum News Service question asking if Adventism seeks to move the public towards a plant-based diet in keeping with religious beliefs about the foods that promote health, Shin responded in the affirmative.

"Yes," he replied, "because the original diet given to man in the garden of Eden as described in the Bible was a plant-based diet, Seventh-day Adventists believe that this is the ideal diet for maintaining and restoring health." Shin added that the purpose of the AMEN organization is to inspire Christian medical professionals "to incorporate whole person care into their practices," and he disputed that its mission is to bring about dietary change.

Like much of the research that now informs the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, the 47 studies the Shin paper analyzes to impugn dairy are of a methodologically weak form of science known as nutritional epidemiology, so-called case-control and cohort studies that contain no information about cause and effect. The studies were of varying size and quality, moreover, and their findings were all over the place. Most showed no effect, protective or harmful, for any foods in relation to prostate cancer.

Given these results, how did the Mayo group come to their dairy-cautioning, plant-promoting conclusions? By citing the plentiful number of studies with no finding, alongside the few studies showing plants were good and dairy was bad, all as part of the same trend. Shin says this step was justified because the vast majority of papers with findings, outnumbered though by null findings, showed plants to be protective and dairy harmful, a "pattern" favoring his vegan-friendly findings on foods and cancer.

Earlier this year, however, a team of Canadianresearchersconducting a more rigorous statistical method found dairy to be without effect as often as harmful in relation to prostate cancer. The diagnosed rates of prostate cancer within the US during the period studied, moreover, are widelyrecognizedto be inaccurate thanks to the overdiagnosis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screenings. When it comes to diet and prostate cancer, in other words, the room for investigator bias to affect an outcome is high.

Adventist dietary beliefs derive from the writings of Ellen White, its mid-19th century co-founder and spiritual prophet.

"She would go into trances and receive what she called visions from God," says Ronald L. Numbers, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin and expert on the history of Adventism. Numbers says White began to describe visions on diet and health, leading her to become a vegetarian "distinguishing between clean and unclean meat according to the Levitical laws."

Among the hundreds of passages concerning diet which are attributed to White are several that look decidedly vegan or vegetarian. These include "meat eating deranges the system, beclouds the intellect, and blunts the moral sensibilities," and, "people everywhere should be taught how to cook without milk and eggs, so far as possible," and, "grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator." Numbers says Adventists have a diversity of views about the dietary positions of Ellen White.

But Adventist scholars have takencreditfor over 100 years of moving food practices away from animal foods and toward plants. White's contemporaries were early cereal pioneers in Battle Creek, Mich., and their products were instrumental in diverting Americans from bacon and eggs towards carbohydrate-laden breakfasts of today, changes believed to have contributed to the skyrocketing global burden of Type 2 diabetes and secondary illnesses of heart disease, hypertension, Alzheimer's and some forms of cancer.

Contemporary Adventism has figured in over300health outcome studies of its communities, often conducted with NIH funding and in partnership with researchers from Harvard School of Public Health. Though studies of church-going populations have characteristics that limit their usefulness, this sustained appeal within the medical literature to the benefits of Adventist so-called lifestyle medicine is cited widely, including by the so-called "Blue Zones" longevity initiative adopted in cities like Albert Lea, Minn.

In perhaps the most direct position of influence on the direction of dietary policies today, Joan Sabate, an acknowledged Adventist and professor at the SDA-affiliated Loma Linda University School of Public Health, currently sits on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee of the USDA.

Shin says"Adventists focus on health because we believe that when the body is healthy, the mind is better able to comprehend spiritual truths, thus enhancing ones relationship with God." He adds that the teetoling, tobacco- and caffeine-avoiding faith also promotes exercise, adequate sleep and spending time with family. But while exercise, sleep, and family time is largely uncontested in medicine, a rigorous debate exits over the wisdom of the advice to avoid animal foods.

Should being Adventist while studying nutrition require a disclaimer?

"The real issue for me is that Seventh-Day Adventists began their religion as a health religion, so they are compromised in making broad decisions about society's health"

"The real issue for me is that Seventh-Day Adventists began their religion as a health religion, so they are compromised in making broad decisions about society's health," says Belinda Fettke, an Australian who blogs on the subject of Adventism and health. "We should be asking them how best to do a vegetarian or vegan diet, because they understand it. But they shouldn't be telling the world that animal fats and protein are dangerous, which is what they do ... I don't think I've ever come across a religion that's so involved in a health message, and I think that's a concern."

Shin counters that all researchers approach their work with a bias, it's just that his is visible.

"My Seventh-day Adventist faith provides me with the predisposition to believe that plant-based foods are healthful, and therefore I have an interest in conducting research to show whether or not this is true," he says. "In this sense, my ability to maintain my objectivity in conducting diet-related research would be no more compromised than any other dietary researcher, the only difference being that my predispositions can be more readily traced to my religion."

He says he believes requiring a disclosure "would imply that someone of that faith is somehow less qualified or trustworthy to conduct the research in question. It would be a form of discrimination."

When asked if a devout Adventist could make a dietary recommendation contrary to the faith, the historian Ronald Numbers is skeptical. "That would be difficult," he says.

"If you even found that eating pork contributed to health, you would be in a bad quandary ... I assume that the nutritional studies that show Adventists live longer, healthier lives are reasonably accurate. But then of course, studies of Mormonism show they live longer lives. And they're not vegetarian."

So, should Adventists be asked disclose their faith when conducting nutrition studies?

"That is an incredibly interesting question," he says.

More here:
Adventists believe the Bible favors vegetarianism. Shouldn't their dietary studies tell us that? - PostBulletin.com

Following a complete roster overhaul and an absurd amount of injuries, the 2019-20 Warriors hardly are recognizable compared to the past few years.

The only remaining players on the roster from a team that went to the NBA Finals last season are Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Jacob Evans III and Damion Lee. Of the players that had moved on from the Warriors from last season, many of them have not seen any basketball action for various reasons.

That list includes Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingstonand DeMarcus Cousins. Let's check in on the former Warriors whoare currently playing basketball:

Cook moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers, as part of an improved bench to support the star-studded squad. So far in this young season, Cook has struggled to find consistency. After averaging 21 minutes per game in October, his playing time has fallen considerably to about 12 minutes in November.

Excluding two games where he combined to go 5-for-8from long distance, Cook has struggled to find his shooting stroke from deep, making only four of his 20 3-point shots in all the other games combined. As Warriors fans know, Cook can be streaky at times, so more likely than not, he will grow accustomed to his new team and end up contributing primarily with his normally efficient shot.

Zo was a late-cut for the Warriors once the team needed to find a roster spot for Marquese Chriss, and he quickly was scooped up on waivers by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The small forward started the season completely out of the rotation, but has since seen his role grow considerably.

A couple games ago, McKinnie played 30 minutesand scored 14 points while going 3-for-6 from deep. Last season with the Warriors, McKinnie started red-hot out the gate, and then injuries and inefficient shooting derailed his overall play asthe year went along.

He will try to improve on his consistency in a growing role with the Cavs.

Bell only has played six games so far this season as he has dealt with injuries throughout training camp and into the first weeks of the season. His minutes mostly have come in garbage time situations for the Timberwolves, but he has performed well in his limited playing time.

It will be hard for him to crack the rotation for a team that has a solid frontcourt, but Bell has the potential to be an electrifying bench piece if given the right set of circumstances.

Out of all the bench pieces that currently are playing, the Warriors mightmiss Jones the most to start the season. In five of the 13 games he has played, Jones has shown off his normal athletic, bouncy talents for the Hawks. He even has hit two of four shots from 3-point range this season.

In November, he is averaging nearly 20 minutes per gameand his playing time is rising. The Warriors also are happy with Omari Spellman, whom they acquired for Jones, and it seems like it has been a win-win trade for each team.

The former Warriors two-way player has played four games for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. The 6-foot-7 power forward out of Georgetown will try to earn his way back to the NBA, and will have to do so by being a small stretch-four that can hit shots from deep consistently.

After playing so well to start the season for the Warriors, Jerebko's game fell off considerably in the second half. After not receiving any NBA offers of his liking, Jerebko instead went overseas to Moscow and now plays for Khimki of the EuroLeague.

[RELATED:Barnes details 'We Believe' Dubs' party after upsetting Mavs]

Bogut returned to the NBA to help a depleted Warriors team compete in the playoffs last season after playing 28 games for the Sydney Kings in Australia. He returned back to his homeland to play for the Kings this season, and will have the option once their season is done to get picked up by an NBA team yet again.

With the Warriors in a rebuilding year, it is highly unlikely there will be a reunion this season.

Read more from the original source:
Paschall added one key item to diet to deal with NBA grind - NBCSports.com

Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body cant control the amount of glucose in the blood. The body doesnt respond to insulin properly and may not produce enough. This causes a persons blood glucose level to become too high. If blood sugar stays too high and the condition is left untreated, a number of dangerous health complications could ensue, including kidney failure, nerve damage and heart disease. But father-of-two, Joe Paterson from Stockport managed to reverse his type 2 diabetes.

Joe had never been very health conscious and after losing both his parents he turned to food for comfort, and before he knew it, his weight had ballooned to almost 22 stone.

At Christmas in 2017, Joe received the devastating news that he had type 2 diabetes.

Joes mindset and motivation was at an all-time low and with his weight creeping up so did his fear for serious health risks due to his untreated condition.

READ MORE: Type 2 diabetes: Noticing this sign on your skin could mean youre at risk

I had always dodged the diabetic bullet, so to speak. That was before I was diagnosed with the condition. I still didnt do anything about my weight and my health was deteriorating; I was getting bigger," said Joe.

"On January 8 this year, thats when things started to change for me. I wanted to live longer and to see my girls grow up.

"It was eye-opening and having said it, I knew I had to do something. What really brought it home was the weigh-in.

"At 22st 12lbs, I was two pounds short of what my dad had been when he was at his heaviest, something which affected his health in later life. I didnt want history repeating itself.

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How Joe lost the weight and put his type 2 diabetes into remission

Joe embarked on the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.

The 1:1 Diet, originally known as the Cambridge Diet was launched in the UK in 1984 and has helped more than 30 million people worldwide lose weight and reduce their health risks.

The diet works as a meal replacement diet in which 415 to 1,500 calories consumed daily through a combination of meal replacement bars, smoothies, shakes and soups.

How low-calorie diets help with type 2 diabetes management?

Diabetes UK said on its website: Theres some evidence showing us that low-calorie diets can be used to treat or manage type 2 diabetes.

The diet is a short-term plan of meal replacements. This type diet isnt right for everyone.

You need to speak with your doctor before starting a low-calorie diet, so you can be sure that its safe and could work for you.

Joe lost a total of five stone and couldnt believe the positive effect the diet plan was having on not only his life, but his health too.

The biggest achievement was, of course, reversing my diabetes. It was such a relief, he divulged.

A pilot scheme was launched last year by the NHS where thousands of people with type 2 diabetes were prescribed a very low-calorie diet in the hope of reversing the condition.

NHS England has also announced its expanding a programme to prevent people developing type 2 diabetes.

Dr Shareen Forbes, reader in diabetes and endocrinology at the University of Edinburgh, said: "There are now a number of studies that demonstrate remission of type 2 diabetes with weight loss.

"Such interventions can have significant economic impacts given the levels of type 2 diabetes now in society.

Here is the original post:
Type 2 diabetes: Father of two puts diabetes into remission with this diet - what is it? - Express

Thomas Trutschel / Contributor/Facebook/Francesca EasdonGetty Images

When you write a sweet note and slip it in your childs lunchbox, you kind of assume youll get some warm fuzzy vibes back. Unfortunately, all one mom in Texas got was mom-shaming.

Francesca Easdon sent her 5-year-old son Kyler to daycare with a note inside his lunchbox that said, "Please tell [my son] that his mommy loves him so much and I'm thinking about him." Super cute, right? Well, she apparently didnt get the best answer back.

Instead of writing I did! He loved the note!!! or, you know, nothing at all, Easdon said she got a message back that said, "NO! Put him on a diet + GO AWAY!"

Easdon was understandably shocked and shared the note on Facebook, where it quickly went viral. In the caption, she detailed how Kyler has been an extremely picky eater, so shes been introducing new healthy options in his lunch and talked about the changes with his school. I am in absolute shock at what happened, she wrote. I sent this note in Kylers [sic] lunchbox, thinking that it would make him smile at lunch time, but instead, I received this in return from one of the teachers!

Easdon said she was absolutely livid and immediately reached out to the school. Easdon said she was told that the note was being investigated and handled, yet almost no remorse was shown. Easdon also noted that one teacher later confessed to writing the note and was fired.

Still, Easdon said, shes disgusted that I put my trust in these people to care for my child. As for Kyler, he's left his daycare and is headed to a new one. Easdon ended her post with this warning: Monitor your daycares closely. Noted.

The rest is here:
A Texas Mom Is 'Disgusted' After Finding A Note From A Daycare Employee That Said Her Son Should Be On A Diet - Delish.com

(Reuters Health) Even among smokers, people who eat more fiber and yogurt may be less likely to develop lung cancer than those who dont consume much of these foods, a research review suggests.

Researchers examined pooled data from 10 previous studies that included a total of almost 1.45 million adults in Asia, Europe, and the United States. After following people for an average of 8.6 years, 18,822 cases of lung cancer were documented.

Compared to people who never ate yogurt, those who consumed the most yogurt were 19% less likely to develop lung cancer, the analysis found.

People who had the most fiber in their diets, meanwhile, were 17% less likely to develop lung cancer than those who ate the least fiber.

And individuals with the highest fiber intake and highest yogurt consumption were 33% less likely than those with the lowest consumption of both to develop lung cancer, the study team reports in JAMA Oncology.

Our study suggests a potential novel health benefit of increasing dietary fiber and yogurt intakes in lung cancer prevention, senior study author Dr. Xiao-Ou Shu of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues write.

While the study wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove yogurt or fiber protects against lung cancer, its possible these kinds of foods might lead to changes in the gut microbiota - the bacteria living in our digestive tract - that help protect against cancer, the study authors hypothesize.

Its also possible fiber and yogurt might help protect against inflammation, which in turn helps reduce the potential for tumors to develop, the researchers note.

Fiber-rich foods typically have lots of prebiotics, nondigestable compounds that can be fermented in the gut and serve as food for beneficial bacteria, the authors note. Yogurt has lots of those beneficial bacteria, or probiotics.

Considerable research links the gut microbiota to the immune system overall. And some recent studies have suggested that the gut microbiota may play a role in lung inflammation, the study authors point out.

The reduced risk of lung cancer associated with fiber and yogurt in the study persisted even after researchers accounted for smoking habits.

For people who never smoked, the lung cancer risk reduction associated with the highest levels of yogurt and fiber consumption was 31%, while for smokers it was 24% and for former smokers, 34%.

The researchers point out that they didnt know what type of fiber people consumed or which types of foods they ate to get their fiber, or the type or fat content of any yogurt people ate.

They also lacked data on some other risk factors for lung cancer, including low income or limited education levels as well as any history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

Even so, the authors conclude its worth considering the potential protective effect of yogurt and fiber.

For the first time to our knowledge, a potential synergistic association between fiber and yogurt intakes on lung cancer risk was observed, the study authors write. Although further investigation is needed to replicate these findings and disentangle the underlying mechanisms, our study suggests a potential novel health benefit of increasing dietary fiber and yogurt intakes in lung cancer prevention.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2XBJ6LJ JAMA Oncology, online October 24, 2019.

See more here:
Diets with more fiber, yogurt tied to lower risk of lung cancer - Reuters

Over a billion people globally are too poor to eat a sustainable diet that would combat climate change.

This concerning revelation comes from a recent study that analyses the findings of the landmark EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, and Health which came out earlier this year. The Commissions ambitious report drew up the recommended climate-conscious diet for the planets 10 billion people by 2050 one higher in fruits and vegetables, and lower in animal products and carbon emissions.

But the researchers on the new study say that the influential analysis nevertheless failed to factor in one important consideration: affordability across the globe.

The new findings, led by Tufts University, reveal that the cheapest possible version of the EAT-Lancet diet would cost an average of US$2.84 per person, per day. In low-income countries, that would use up 90% of the mean household income. Thats compared to only 6.1% in richer countries. Even more extreme, for 1.58 billion people across the planet, that diet comes at a cost that actually exceeds their household earnings.

Several countries including Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Yemen are earmarked as places where the daily cost of the recommended diet actually surpasses the mean household income of their citizens.

But what was particularly striking was that this problem isnt confined to low-income countries alone: of the 1.58 billion who cant afford the diet, 80% actually occur in middle-income countries. The researchers emphasize that these figures are also conservative, because household income would simultaneously be devoted to several other costs, such as housing, education, and transport leaving behind even less to pay for food.

This recommended diet while relatively inexpensive in high-income countries is unaffordable in many other nations, because its made up of a high proportion of foods that are costly, compared to other products that are locally available.

Fruits and vegetables made up the largest share of the diet and also its cost accounting for almost a third of the expense followed by legumes and nuts. Then came animal products including meat, eggs, and dairy: these were still included in EAT-Lancets recommended climate-friendly diet, but in smaller portions relative to a regular meat- and dairy-heavy, wealthy-country diet.

But relative to the diets of poorer people, this recommended diet actually contains an increase in costly animal products. That partly explains why its ultimately so expensive for people in poorer nations.

To put this all into perspective, the researchers calculated that overall, the EAT-Lancet diet would cost an average 60% more than the cheapest nutritionally-adequate diets available worldwide.

To determine global affordability, the researchers combined datasets on global food prices and household income from 2011, incorporating 744 foods and 159 countries. That helped them draw up the most economical version of the EAT-Lancet diet, and then to compare its cost to the mean household income across their vast dataset thus revealing the huge chasm between rich and poor. For comparison, the researchers then measured this cost against alternative, cheaper diets that still met global essential nutrient requirements.

The findings underscore a deep conundrum: the inarguable importance of pushing for a sustainable diet at the global scale, but the huge challenge of making it accessible to everyone. So whats the solution? Its a big question that deserves a big, broad answer which the researchers deliver.

Getting more people on board with a greener diet would require large-scale increases in earnings in poorer countries, more favorable pricing of sustainable foods, and financial assistance for people on the lowest incomes, they explain.

Granted, none of that sounds easy or even necessarily feasible in the short-term. But understanding the true extent of dietary inequality across the globe is a first step towards making green-eating the subject of so much current attention something that we might one day realistically achieve, at scale.

See the rest here:
A global dietdesigned to protect the planetis too costly for 1.5 billion people - Anthropoce

Long life expectancy can be achieved through eating the right food and drink. Some foods have been found to have a positive impact on blood pressure, inflammation, blood sugar and heart health, while others have been found to increase the risk of serious health conditions developing.

While genes play a role in life expectancy, environmental factors like diet are key.

Here are five diet changes recommended by experts to help keep health in check and achieve longevity.

Both drinks have been found to decrease the risk of chronic disease.

The polyphenols and catechins found in green tea may decrease a persons risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

READ MORE:Prostate cancer: How you sleep may increase risk of developing the deadly disease

And coffee has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and brain ailments like Alzheimers disease.

Studies have also suggested both coffee and tea drinkers benefits from a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of early disease compared to non-drinkers.

But the NHS does advises: It's fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a balanced diet.

If you drink tea or coffee with sugar or you have flavoured syrups in your coffee-shop drinks, you could be unwittingly damaging your teeth and adding unhelpful calories to your diet.

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A number of studies have shown nuts have beneficial effects on heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes and belly fat levels.

One study found participants who consumed at least three servings of nuts per week had a 39 percent lower risk of premature death.

Turmeric is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Curcumin, found in turmeric, is believed to give the yellow spice its health properties, and studies have linked it to improved brain function, lower risk of heart disease and even cancer prevention.

Curcumin has also been linked to an increased lifespan in both insects and mice.

Many studies have linked a plat-rich diet to a lower risk of premature death, as well as a reduced risk of cancer, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, depression and brain deterioration.

Plant foods are believed to hold such properties because of their nutrients, antioxidants, polyphenols carotenoids, folate and vitamin C.

Several studies have linked vegetarian and vegan diets, which involve higher plant food consumption, with a 12 to 15 percent lower risk of premature death.

Research has also suggested the risk of premature death and certain diseases increases with greater meat consumption. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19307518

Heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to liver, heart and pancreatic disease, as well as an overall increased risk of early death.

But moderate consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of developing several diseases, as well as a 17 to 18 percent decreased risk of premature death.

The results of a 29-year study showed men who preferred wine were 34 percent less likely to die early than those who preferred beer or spirits.

Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis.

Drinking should also be spread over three or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week.

Originally posted here:
How to live longer: The longevity diet - five diet tips to increase life expectancy - Express

Pixabay Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland found under the Adam's apple, which support the endocrine system and the production of hormones that control metabolic rate, heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure.

Hypothyroidism refers to the condition when the thyroid hormones are not released adequately by the thyroid gland. This affects cell growth, repair and the bodys metabolism. In majority of the cases, hypothyroidism is the result of Hashimotos thyroiditis, where the immune system malfunctions and destroys the thyroid gland mistakenly.

Genetics, iodine deficiency and surgery are the other causes behind primary hypothyroidism. These conditions occur even when there is enough thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) because thyroid glands do not release them. When the pituitary glands functioning is not at the optimal level, less of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is produced. This state is called secondary hypothyroidism.

How Hypothyroidism Affect Metabolism

When the body stops producing the thyroid hormone, it slows down the rate of metabolism in the body, thus burning fewer calories at rest. In fact, TSH controls the rate of metabolism, which is why fast metabolism indicates good health. The health risks accompanied by slow metabolism are plenty, such as high cholesterol and heart disease risk.

To increase the speed of metabolism, aerobic exercises could work, or even high intensity cardio. The effort does not endthere. In order to maintain your thyroid health, there is a certain diet you need to follow. Read ahead to find out what works best for people suffering with the condition.

What To Eat

Iodine is needed in order for the thyroid glands to produce the hormone. The deficiency makes people more susceptible to hypothyroidism, especially in developing countries. In the U.S., food with iodine content is easily available, hence this is less common. Food such as fish, eggs, seaweed and dairy are rich in iodine.

Taking a supplement may not be the solution since an excess of iodine is linked to health problems. Nuts, legumes, eggs, tuna and sardines are foods that can boost selenium levels that are necessary to stimulate the production of thyroid hormones. Iodine and selenium are both found in the yolks of eggs, hence eggs should be eaten whole.

The mineral also protects thyroid glands from the free radicals. The other mineral that performs the same function is zinc. Eating foods such as beef, chicken, lamb, oysters and shellfish could make up for zincs deficiency.

Adding protein could help increase the bodys metabolism which is lost while suffering the hypothyroidism condition. Cruciferous vegetables, fruits, gluten-free grains ( rice, quinoa, chia seeds and flax seeds ), dairy products and non-caffeinated beverages are all advised to be eaten when suffering from the condition.

Goitrogens are compounds found in spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, pine nuts, peanuts, millet, starchy plants and soy foods, which interfere with thyroid hormone production. Research suggests that this could only be true if the person suffers from iodine deficiency.

Related video: 6 things you didn't know about your thyroid [via Health]

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Hypothyroidism Diet: What To Eat When Suffering With Condition - msnNOW

Briana Shaffer Briana Shaffer gained weight after the death of her best friend. One day, she had a wakeup call and began practicing the 80-20 rule and overhauled her health.Hi! My name is Briana Shaffer (@brianakfitness), 25, and I'm from Carlsbad, California. I'm the CEO and owner of a fitness apparel corporation (check it out at @brianakcollection). A personal tragedy led to a period of weight gain for me, but after a wakeup call moment I decided to change my lifestyle and lost 70 pounds in the process.

After my best friend died in a car accident, it turned my world upside down. I gained 70 pounds and became depressed. My doctor told me if I didnt make a lifestyle change, I could end up having even more serious health issues down the line.

So I finally said enough was enough. And in September of 2015, I start logging everything that I was eating, a suggestion from my doctor. I was 190 pounds at only 5-feet, 4-inches when my weight-loss journey began.

I feel like its been awhile since Ive talked about my weight loss journey so here it goes. - Back in 2015, I was 70 lbs overweight. I had developed binge eating problems, depression, and lost every once of confidence that I had. I would go through the Taco Bell drive thru order 2 burritos..eat them in 2 seconds and then head home for dinner. I would sit in the parking lot and feel so empty eating my food. I thought it would make me feel better but afterwards I would feel sick to my stomach. My best friend died in 2012 and if affected everything for me. It ripped out my heart, punched me in the face, and robbed me of my happiness. I felt alone, empty, miserable. All I wanted to do was eat and feel sorry for myself. When people asked me where I was going in life..I didnt know. I didnt even want to be here. I struggled a lot. - Flash forward, I have now lost 70 lbs and kept it off. Im in the best shape of my life at 25. Im the happiest Ive ever been. My mental health has skyrocketed. I now know Im a badass b*tch haha that can do anything. I own a freaking corporation. I have an amazing team, an incredible community that weve all built. I live by the beach with my high school sweetheart and the most adorable fur babies. I do what I love every single day. I feel empowered and fueled every single day. There isnt a thing that I cant handle. Next time you think youre stuck..next time youre sitting on the floor crying wanting to give up..DONT. Fix your crown and keep going. Theres nothing in this life that you cant have. You have to be willing to work..and I really mean work. Do it for the right reasons. Make sure youre heart is 100% in it. Go after whatever it is that you want and dont stop fighting. It will get hard..you will fail, but hey thats what makes it even more worth it.

A post shared by Briana Kathleen Shaffer (@brianakfitness) on Nov 10, 2019 at 3:59pm PST

I started meal prepping and followed the 80/20 rule with my diet: 80 percent of my diet was nutritious, healthy foods, and 20 percent was treats. The 80/20 style of eating has worked best for me because I am able to still enjoy the treats I love here and there, rather than only eating healthy all day every day, which isn't always sustainable. What didnt work was trying to eat chicken and broccoli every single day.

The 80/20 rule has also helped keep me from binging over the weekend. If I let myself have a cookie or a decadent, special meal during the week, I'm not looking ahead at the weekend like this rare time I have to go crazy. It's all about balance.

The 80/20 diet (although you really don't even have to think of it as a diet at all!) is also more maintainable for my lifestyle. I am still able to go out with family and friends without feeling anxious about what to eat.

Eventually, I got a gym membership and started lifting weights five times a week. Strength training helped me cope with the death of my best friend, and after every single workout, I felt stronger, happier, and more confident.

My workout schedule is currently: two full-body days, two leg days, and one arm day. I also decided that its not best for me to weigh myself. Im all about non-scale victories. Instead, I go off progress photos and how my clothes fit.

Fitness is so overwhelming, and I think people complicate it. Ive always taken it one step at a time with working out and my diet. I didn't just wake up one day able to work out five days a weekit took time and practice.

I also had to learn to let go of guilt. If you slack off one day, dont beat yourself up. Start fresh the next day. Feeling guilty will only hurt you and your progress. It's important to be kind to yourself and appreciate even those small accomplishments. You should be doing this because you love your body and want to put it first. Be proud of those baby steps that will eventually add up to the bigger goal.

You dont need supplements, weight loss teas, and pills. You dont have to give up food that you love or miss out on functions. Its all about finding that balance.

It took me two years to lose the weight. Starting my health and fitness journey changed my whole life. It helped my self-confidence in addition to my physical health. It has also helped me build a solid foundation to continue working out long term. And honestly. the biggest change has been on my mental health.

Fitness gave me a platform to help other women achieve the same self love that I now have. Fitness also opened up the doors to me now running my own company and doing what I love every single day.

Gallery: 30 things you should never, ever do at the gym

Originally posted here:
'I Gained 70 Lbs. After A Personal Tragedy. I Started Strength Training To Cope And Got Stronger Than Ever' - msnNOW

Nuts are one of the most popular snack foods. Theyre not only tasty but also good for you, especially when it comes to heart health.

However, you may wonder which food group nuts belong to fruits or vegetables?

This article digs into the details.

To understand whether nuts are vegetables or fruits, its important to understand the differences between these two food groups.

Fruits and vegetables are divided into botanical and culinary classifications.

Botanical classification is based on the structure and functions of plants. While fruits grow from the flowers of plants and have seeds for reproduction, vegetables are all other parts of the plant, including the roots, stems, and leaves (1).

On the other hand, culinary classification depends on taste. In this case, fruits tend to be sweet or tart and work best in desserts, snacks, smoothies, pastries, or juices. Conversely, vegetables are mild, savory, or bitter and work better in sides, stews, soups, salads, and casseroles.

Botanically, fruits grow from the flowers of plants and contain seeds, while vegetables are the plants other parts. Yet, from a culinary perspective, fruits are sweet or tart, while vegetables are mild, savory, or bitter.

Botanically, nuts are classified as a fruit that has a single edible seed with a hard, inedible outer shell. Theyre considered indehiscent, which means that their shell doesnt open when ripe (2).

However, a lot of foods that people consider nuts are really the seeds of drupes fruits whose flesh surrounds a single shell with a seed inside (3).

For example, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pine nuts, and most other nuts are botanically the seeds of drupes.

Meanwhile, true nuts include chestnuts, acorns, and hazelnuts.

Interestingly, peanuts one of the most popular nuts in the world are technically a legume and thus botanically a vegetable. However, peanuts nutrient profile and characteristics are closer to that of other nuts.

Nutritionally, most nuts nutrient composition resembles legumes rather than fruit due to their high protein content.

From a culinary perspective, the term nuts is more relaxed and in line with what most people think are nuts large, oily kernels found within a shell.

Botanically, most nuts are the seeds of a fruit, while true nuts such as chestnuts, acorns, and hazelnuts are fruits in and of themselves. Peanuts are the exception, as theyre legumes and thus technically vegetables.

Although most nuts are botanically considered seeds, theyre still very healthy.

Nuts are an excellent source of plant-based protein, fat, fiber, antioxidants, and key vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, magnesium, copper, and selenium (4).

In addition, they have been linked to many health benefits, such as reduced inflammation and improved heart health, blood sugar control, and digestion (5, 6, 7, 8).

Current dietary guidelines in the United States treat nuts as a protein source rather than fruits or vegetables due to their high protein content (9).

However, as nuts are also high in calories, 0.5 ounces (14 grams) of nuts or seeds is considered equivalent to 1 ounce (28 grams) of other protein sources, such as meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood.

As such, you should eat nuts in small portions and in place of other protein-rich foods (9).

Nuts are versatile and can be enjoyed whole, chopped, or as nut butters. Theyre widely available and can be bought roasted, raw, salted, unsalted, and flavored.

That said, some packaged varieties harbor additives, including salt, sugar, and preservatives. Thus, its best to check the ingredient list and choose raw or dry-roasted options when possible.

Nuts are a scrumptious food loaded with protein, healthy fat, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals. Theyre best consumed in moderation due to their high calorie count.

Most nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, and cashews, are botanically defined as seeds rather than fruit. Yet, a handful of true nuts like chestnuts and hazelnuts are technically fruits.

The lone exception is peanuts, which are a legume.

From a culinary perspective, nuts are widely utilized as a plant-based protein and make a healthy, simple addition to your diet.

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Are Nuts Fruits? - Healthline