Category Archives: Diet And Food

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The biggest contributor to heart disease is cholesterol-caused blockages in the blood vessels that hamper the heart's smooth working. Cholesterol is that waxy (sticky) and light substance that is produced by our lives. Our body needs some cholesterol but not too much.

Famed US nutritionist Joy Bauer told Today.com about foods that can help your heart, spotlighting foods that can help lower your cholesterol, including apples, lentils and avocados. .

Joy Bauer says, "When we eat junk food diets that are high in saturated fats, trans fats and sugar, our livers get prompted to produce way too much cholesterol. This cholesterol then travels throughout the body, collecting all sorts of inflammatory substances and dumps it all on the inner walls of our arteries in the form of plaque."

Joy says that the good news is that you can eat foods that can help lower cholesterol.

How to tweak your diet to lower cholesterol?

Indian diet is well balanced and extremely appetising. The spices and additives such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, chilli peppers etc only add to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory base. But during the preparation process, people usually tend to put a lot of oil, ghee, sugar or spices which robs it of its goodness.

Changing what foods you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream. If you eat a low-cholesterol diet, you need not worry about artery-clogging atherosclerosis.

Add these foods to lower LDL cholesterol:

Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fibre, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol, say Harvard experts.

Originally posted here:
High cholesterol? Vegetables and fruits that mop up LDL and help statins lower bad lipids level - Times Now

Low-carb diets have been controversial for decades.

Some people assert that these diets raise cholesterol and cause heart disease due to their high fat content.

However, in most scientific studies, low-carb diets prove their worth as healthy and beneficial.

Here are 10 proven health benefits of low-carb and ketogenic diets.

Hunger tends to be the worst side effect of dieting.

It is one of the main reasons why many people feel miserable and eventually give up.

However, low-carb eating leads to an automatic reduction in appetite (1).

Studies consistently show that when people cut carbs and eat more protein and fat, they end up eating far fewer calories (1).

SummaryStudies indicate that cutting carbs canautomatically reduce your appetite and calorie intake.

Cutting carbs is one of the simplest and most effective ways to lose weight.

Studies illustrate that people on low-carb diets lose more weight, faster, than those on low-fat diets even when the latter are actively restricting calories.

This is because low-carb diets act to rid excess water from your body, lowering insulin levels and leading to rapid weight loss in the first week or two (2, 3).

In studies comparing low-carb and low-fat diets, people restricting their carbs sometimes lose 23 times as much weight without being hungry (4, 5).

One study in obese adults found a low-carb diet particularly effective for up to six months, compared to a conventional weight loss diet. After that, the difference in weight loss between diets was insignificant (6).

In a year-long study in 609 overweight adults on low-fat or low-carb diets, both groups lost similar amounts of weight (7).

SummaryAlmost without exception, low-carb diets leadto more short-term weight loss than low-fat diets. However, low-carb diets seemto lose their advantage in the long term.

Not all fat in your body is the same.

Where fat is stored determines how it affects your health and risk of disease.

The two main types are subcutaneous fat, which is under your skin, and visceral fat, which accumulates in your abdominal cavity and is typical for most overweight men.

Visceral fat tends to lodge around your organs. Excess visceral fat is associated with inflammation and insulin resistance and may drive the metabolic dysfunction so common in the West today (8).

Low-carb diets are very effective at reducing this harmful abdominal fat. In fact, a greater proportion of the fat people lose on low-carb diets seems to come from the abdominal cavity (9).

Over time, this should lead to a drastically reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

SummaryA large percentage of the fat lost onlow-carb diets tends to be harmful abdominal fat that is known to cause seriousmetabolic problems.

Triglycerides are fat molecules that circulate in your bloodstream.

It is well known that high fasting triglycerides levels in the blood after an overnight fast are a strong heart disease risk factor (10).

One of the main drivers of elevated triglycerides in sedentary people is carb consumption especially the simple sugar fructose (11, 12, 13).

When people cut carbs, they tend to experience a very dramatic reduction in blood triglycerides (14, 15).

On the other hand, low-fat diets often cause triglycerides to increase (16, 17).

SummaryLow-carb diets are very effective at loweringblood triglycerides, which are fat molecules that increase your risk of heartdisease.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is often called the good cholesterol.

The higher your levels of HDL relative to bad LDL, the lower your risk of heart disease (18, 19, 20).

One of the best ways to increase good HDL levels is to eat fat and low-carb diets include a lot of fat (21, 22, 23).

Therefore, it is unsurprising that HDL levels increase dramatically on healthy, low-carb diets, while they tend to increase only moderately or even decline on low-fat diets (24, 25).

SummaryLow-carb diets tend to be high in fat, whichleads to an impressive increase in blood levels of good HDL cholesterol.

Low-carb and ketogenic diets can also be particularly helpful for people with diabetes and insulin resistance, which affect millions of people worldwide (29, 30).

Studies prove that cutting carbs lowers both blood sugar and insulin levels drastically (31, 32).

Some people with diabetes who begin a low-carb diet may need to reduce their insulin dosage by 50% almost immediately (33).

In one study in people with type 2 diabetes, 95% had reduced or eliminated their glucose-lowering medication within six months (34).

If you take blood sugar medication, talk to your doctor before making changes to your carb intake, as your dosage may need to be adjusted to prevent hypoglycemia.

SummaryThe best way to lower blood sugar and insulinlevels is to reduce carb consumption, which may treat and possibly even reversetype 2 diabetes.

Elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, is a significant risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

Low-carb diets are an effective way to lower blood pressure, which should reduce your risk of these diseases and help you live longer (34, 35).

SummaryCutting carbs leads to a significantreduction in blood pressure, which should reduce your risk of many commondiseases.

Metabolic syndrome is a condition highly associated with your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

In fact, metabolic syndrome is a collection of symptoms, which include:

However, a low-carb diet is incredibly effective in treating all five of these symptoms (36, 37).

Under such a diet, these conditions are nearly eliminated.

SummaryHealthy low-carbdiets effectively reverse all five key symptoms of metabolic syndrome, aserious condition which increases your risk of heart disease and type 2diabetes.

People who have high bad LDL are much more likely to have heart attacks (38, 39).

However, the size of the particles is important. Smaller particles are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, while larger particles are linked to a lower risk (40, 41, 42).

It turns out that low-carb diets increase the size of bad LDL particles while reducing the number of total LDL particles in your bloodstream (43).

As such, lowering your carb intake can boost your heart health.

SummaryWhen you eat a low-carb diet, the size ofyour bad LDL particles increases, which reduces their harmful effects.Cutting carbs may also reduce the number of total LDL particles in yourbloodstream.

Your brain needs glucose, as some parts of it can only burn this type of sugar. Thats why your liver produces glucose from protein if you dont eat any carbs.

Yet, a large part of your brain can also burn ketones, which are formed during starvation or when carb intake is very low.

This is the mechanism behind the ketogenic diet, which has been used for decades to treat epilepsy in children who dont respond to drug treatment (44).

In many cases, this diet can cure children of epilepsy. In one study, over half of the children on a ketogenic diet experienced a greater than 50% reduction in their number of seizures, while 16% became seizure-free (45).

Very low-carb and ketogenic diets are now being studied for other brain conditions as well, including Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease (46).

SummaryLow-carb and keto diets have provenbeneficial in treating epilepsy in children and are being studied for theireffects on other brain conditions.

Few things are as well established in nutrition science as the immense health benefits of low-carb and ketogenic diets.

Not only can these diets improve your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, but they also reduce your appetite, boost weight loss and lower your triglycerides.

If youre curious to boost your health, one of these diets could be worth considering.

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No, this is not a diet for wild animals or even people trying to survive in the wilderness on some trendy reality TV show. The carnivore diet, a diet in which people greatly reduce intake of carbohydrates and mostly stick to eating meat, is actually followed by ordinary people looking to up their protein intake and receive certain benefits from reducing carbohydrates of any kind, even fruits and vegetables.

But is the carnivore diet sustainable? Most importantly, is it healthy? Personal trainer and P-Fit Sarasota manager Courtney Willoughby weighs in.

The carnivore diet was developed by former American orthopedic doctor Shawn Baker. In 2019, Baker wrote a book titledThe Carnivore Diet,where he touted the benefits of eating a meat-focused diet. He discusses some of the theories behind why humans were meant to eat meat, and comprehensive strategies to implementing the diet into a lifestyle. He also debunks misconceptions about carnivorism.

"This diet could help you feel fuller due to high protein intake, and help with possible blood sugar stabilization," says Willoughby. Other practitioners claim it can aid weight loss and stabilize mood.

Weight loss studies have also shown a connection between losing weight and maintaining high levels of protein and low carbohydrates. Willoughby recommends eating 0.8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight, striving to eat lean protein at every meal.

The Carnivore Dietbooks carries the belief that human ancestral populations ate mostly meat and fish and that high-carb diets are to blame for today's high rates of chronic disease. Despite claims of it treating depression, anxiety, arthritis, obesity and diabetes, there has been no significant research to analyze or confirm these effects.

When you follow a carnivore diet, you are restricting several other food groups thought to be crucial to a well-balanced diet. The diet can also be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which may increase your LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels.

Eating a carnivore diet may also increase sodium intake because some processed meat products, like bacon, contain sodium to preserve freshness and flavor. High sodium intake has been linked to high blood pressure and kidney disease.

"Lack of fiber can cause digestive issues like constipation," says Willoughby. "There is also a lack of micronutrients from fruits and vegetables that can cause fatigue."

Maintaining a carnivore diet can also be expensive, as meat typically costs more than produce.

When on the carnivore diet, you can eat meat, fish, animal products such as eggs, lard, bone marrow and bone broth, and dairy like heavy cream, hard cheese and butter. Dairy products must be low-lactose because they tend to be lower in sugar and carbohydrates.

These guidelines are on a sliding scale, however. Some people choose to incorporate things like yogurt, milk and other cheeses because they're still considered animal products.

Some people have claimed that the carnivore diet greatly improved their mental health because fats have been linked to better brain function. But it's the type of fat that is more important. Eating enough Omega 3-fatty acids found in nuts, seeds, avocado and fatty fish like salmon or sardines can be most beneficial.

There is a marked difference between saturated fats and fatty acids that impact the bodies in different ways. If you need more guidance on the type of fat that is most beneficial, consider seeking advice from a nutritionist.

While many people believe that cutting out carbohydrates completely is the best way to lose weight, it is not always the most sustainable. If you want lasting energy throughout the day, improved heart health and function and want to keep the weight off, incorporating healthy complex carbohydrates, like whole grain bread, pasta and other grains like oats, is important.

"The carnivore diet is not practical for someone working out consistently or professional athletes," says Willoughby. "The pure lack of other nutrients like carbs, fiber and vitamins will not allow them to perform properly or at an elite level."

For the average person trying to lose weight or help mental health issues, the carnivore diet may worth a try under the supervision of a licensed dietician or doctor.

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What Exactly Is the Carnivore Dietand Is it Good for You? - Sarasota

Newswise Widespread pain, fatigue, headaches, cognitive dysfunction, and gastrointestinal issues. These are some of the symptoms of the debilitating, chronic pain condition known as Gulf War Illness that afflicts many U.S. veterans who served during the Persian Gulf War of 1990-91. Now there is the promise of a dietary intervention that could help reduce veterans symptoms and provide some measure of relief from an illness for which there is no cure. The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor of Health Studies and Neuroscience, Kathleen Holton, a grant of $6.4 million for a clinical trial to confirm the efficacy of the low-glutamate diet as a treatment for Gulf War Illness.

The clinical trial builds on a smaller study Holton conducted that showed positive results for 40 veterans who participated. The new study will recruit 160 veterans with diversity in race, gender, and body mass index.

We want to show that this diet will work for all veterans. In the previous study, the veterans suffered from, on average, more than 20 different symptoms, Holton said. We saw profound widespread symptom improvements in veterans with GWI after one month on the low-glutamate diet. Improvements were noted in every symptom area and included significant reductions in overall symptom number, with an average of nine symptoms going away. The veterans reported significant improvements in cognitive function and quality of life. The majority continued to follow the diet three months after study completion, suggesting continued improvement and good feasibility.

Holton, a member of AUs Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, explores howfood additives contribute to neurological symptoms. The role of glutamate figures prominently in this work. Glutamate is a few things: its a key neurotransmitter in the brain; it occurs naturally in some foods; and its also created chemically and added to foods as a flavor enhancer. Glutamate is most often associated with monosodium glutamate, or MSG. However, the majority of peoples exposure comes from free glutamate in other food additives, or foods where it occurs naturally, such as soy sauce, fish sauce, seaweed, mushrooms, and aged cheeses like parmesan.

When theres too much glutamate in the nervous system, it acts as an excitotoxin that can disrupt brain signaling and kill cells. Other research has shown that glutamate is high in pain processing areas of the brain in individuals with fibromyalgia and migraine. High concentrations of glutamate have also been linked to some psychiatric illnesses as well as diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons. Reducing glutamate exposure, while also increasing consumption of micronutrients and antioxidants which protect against excitotoxicity, is the focus of Holtons research.

Over the years, Ive met many veterans suffering from Gulf War Illness who were driven from pillar to post as they sought help or even just recognition that their plight was real, said Max Paul Friedman, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of history and international relations. Now superstar researcher Katie Holton has developed, on the basis of cutting-edge neuroscience, a safe, low-cost treatment that promises relief in ways that can potentially make a huge improvement in the quality of life of countless veterans. Dr. Holton is truly a changemaker for a changing world."

Origins of GWI

Soon after the end of the Persian Gulf War, veterans developed chronic conditions and a variety of symptoms and illnesses that defied explanation by established medicine, according to the DoD. The symptoms varied widely and included widespread pain, muscle aches, headache, persistent problems with memory and thinking, fatigue, breathing problems, stomach and intestinal symptoms, and skin abnormalities. In addition to the physical symptoms, changes in behavior and problems with interpersonal relationships frequently occurred, the DoD found.

GWI is estimated to affect 175,000 to 250,000 of the nearly 700,000 troops deployed during the war. The DoD also reports that GWI rates are high among those who served in areas in proximity to combat. During the war, according to the DoD, service members were exposed to low levels of chemicals, including chemical warfare agents released by the destruction of Iraqi facilities, widespread spraying and use of pesticides, prophylactic medications to protect against hazardous exposures, constant dust and sand storms, and effluent from oil well fires ignited by Iraqi troops.

These exposures are known to negatively affect the blood-brain barrier, which keeps out toxins, and create excitotoxicity due to downstream release of glutamate in the brain. Prior GWI research has also reported evidence of inflammation in the brain and oxidative stress, a process that can damage cells, tissues and even DNA, as key components of the illness.

The clinical trial will rely on methods of the previous study, such as analyzing blood and brain measures. However, the trial also will allow Holton to explore additional research questions about the neurotoxic triad of excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

These three conditions have the ability to reinforce one another in a negative cycle, Holton said. We are very interested in understanding how the low-glutamate diet affects all three. For example, we know dietary antioxidants can help alleviate oxidative stress.

For Holton, its an exciting time to research the low-glutamate diet.

It is an honor to do research which may be able to give back to these veterans who have given so much to their country and who have been suffering for so long, Holton said. If we see similar effects in this trial compared with the previous one, this diet could be implemented throughout the country in the Veterans Affairs system by training dietitians on how to administer the diet as a treatment. Were getting closer to realizing a treatment for veterans that has the potential to be more effective than medication in helping to alleviate GWI symptoms.

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The Power of the Diet - Newswise

Eggs are a popular food known for their protein content as well as a source of nutrients including vitamin D.

A fad diet known as the boiled egg diet seeks to take advantage of the benefits of eggs by incorporating them heavily into one's daily food routine.

Despite the diet's name, it does not only feature eggs. Followers can also eat other foods such as non-starchy vegetables with the aim of losing weight.

Nutrition experts have spoken to Newsweek about the diet's pros and cons. People may consider speaking to their healthcare provider before making any changes to their diet.

The boiled egg diet involves eating several servings of hard-boiled eggs per day.

Erin Palinski-Wade, a nutrition consultant and author of several diet books, told Newsweek: "The boiled egg diet is a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet that will promote weight loss due to a calorie deficit.

"It is a very restrictive meal plan and not likely to be sustainable long term. There are a few variations of the diet, but the general outline of the meal plan is to eat two eggs with fruit at breakfast and then eggs or another lean protein with non-starchy vegetables at the other two meals during the day."

Lean protein in the diet could include fish or chicken. Snacking is generally not permitted on the diet.

Other foods encouraged in the diet are low carb fruits such as oranges, berries, and grapefruit; fats and oils like coconut oil in small amounts; and, in some variations, low fat dairy products.

At the same time, the diet limits high carb foods such as bread, starchy vegetables like potatoes, processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.

One popular version of the diet is based off of a book of the same name by author Arielle Chandler.

While the diet restricts sugar-sweetened drinks, calorie-free drinks such as water and unsweetened tea or coffee can be consumed.

Palinski-Wade said: "This is most likely to help 'speed' weight loss with carbohydrate restriction since cutting carbs will accelerate water losses."

Eating carbohydrates can lead to water retention, which translates to the number on the scale, because of how they are stored in the body.

There is also some evidence that reducing the intake of carbohydrates in one's diet can aid weight loss in the longer term.

A number of experts told Newsweek that they would not recommend this diet even though it might result in some weight loss in the short term.

Part of the reason for this is the diet's restrictive nature, which many people may find difficult to stick to.

"To sum it up, including eggs, lean meats, and vegetables into your diet is a healthy way to boost protein as well as vitamins and minerals," Ashley Irwin, research project manager at the Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Newsweek. "However, limiting yourself to only a handful of foods often takes a lot of the joy out of eating and isn't sustainable for the majority of people.

"A restrictive diet, such as this, will likely result in some weight loss in the short term, but that can be expected when the calories consumed are so low."

Richard Mattes, distinguished professor of Nutrition Science at Purdue University, told Newsweek that diets encouraging high amounts of one type of food are "as old as the hills" and may have short-term results. However, he said that such diets are "often nutritionally unbalanced" and "generally fail" as people may struggle to follow them.

Similarly, Palinski-Wade said the diet includes foods that are rich in nutrients but that "the long list of 'foods to avoid' is the real problem."

"The meal plan is very restrictive, unlikely to be sustainable long term, and cuts out many beneficial nutrients found in foods such as nuts, seeds, oats, beans, and lentils," she added.

Irwin recommended that people speak to a registered dietitian if they're looking for an eating approach that is best for them. "A dietitian can help you to tailor your eating in a way that can help you meet your goals whether you like eggs or not," she said.

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What Is the Boiled Egg Diet and Is It As Crazy As It Sounds? - Newsweek

Although carbohydrates, or carbs, have gotten a bad rap for years theyre considered a scourge by some popular diets nutrition experts remind us that carbs are a key ingredient of a healthy diet.

Carbs represent the main nutrient that readily converts into glucose, or sugar, in the bloodstream, says Carla Duenas, a registered dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) withCommunity Healthat Baptist Health South Florida. Carbs provide the energy that your muscles and your brain need to function.

Ms. Duenas says carbohydrates also provide important vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. When eaten in excess, however and not as part of a balanced meal she says that carbs can easily fuel spikes in blood sugar levels, leading to health issues such as weight gain and insulin resistance.

Choosing the right carbs and eating the appropriate portion size according to your needs is important if youre going to include them in your daily diet, Ms. Duenas says, adding that there are simple carbs and complex carbs. Some carbs are better than others, she cautions.

Simple carbohydrates

Ms. Duenas says that simple carbs are those, which can be broken down quickly for energy, raising your blood sugar levels more easily. They include natural foods like fruits and milk as well as refined-sugar products such as cookies, pastries and other desserts as well as sugar-sweetened drinks. The naturally occurring sugars found in whole fruits are considered healthy when eaten as opposed to drinking the juice, because it is loaded with fiber, antioxidants and other important nutrients, she says.

Unsurprisingly, the refined-sugar products are the least nutritious, she says. On average, Americans consume about 13 percent of their daily calories from added sugars that is, the sweet stuff many people add to their coffee or which tops the ingredient list in many sweetened beverages. These simple carbs especially sugary sodas and other drinks have really helped contribute to the obesity epidemic here in the U.S., Ms. Duenas notes.

Complex carbohydrates

Known as the healthy carbs because they tend to be more nutritious, complex carbs take longer to break down into glucose, either from their molecular structure or because they are high in fiber which, according to Ms. Duenas, helps slow down the rates at which carbs are digested and blood sugars are raised.

Most of us probably know what healthy carbs are, says Ms. Duenas. They include plant foods that deliver fiber, vitamins and minerals, and phytochemicals such as those found in whole grains, beans and starchy vegetables.

Whole grains vs. refined grains

Whole grains are healthier than refined grains, according to Ms. Duenas, because they are in their original state the whole seed, or kernel, of the grain. Whole grains have more nutrients than refined grains, which consist of a seed stripped of one or more its layers, Ms. Duenas explains. Some examples of whole grains are whole wheat, corn, brown rice, oats, barley, quinoa, sorghum, spelt and rye.

Ms. Duenas suggests reading nutrition labels and looking for brands that provide at least five percent of fiber per serving. When reading the ingredient list, the key word to look for is whole, she adds.

Fruits and juices

Some people shy away from fruits and juices because they contain sugar or because theyre following a fad diet that eliminates all carbs. Keep in mind that whole fruit is different, Ms. Duenas explains. A glass of orange juice is not the same as a whole orange because it lacks fiber. An orange will provide a small amount of sugar paired with fiber, she says, while a glass of juice contains the sugar of five to six oranges with none of the healthy fiber. Fruit juices, even if unsweetened, are not the best choices to be drinking regularly, Ms. Duenas adds.

Whats the right amount of carbs?

Factors such as your physical activity, age, weight, height and medical history can determine how many carbohydrates you should be consuming every day. According to the U.S. Department of Agricultures MyPlate guidelines, in general about 25 percent of your daily plate should consist of whole grains or complex carbs. Half of your daily consumption should consist of whole fruits and vegetables, with the remaining 25 percent made up of lean proteins. Its best to choose lean or low-fat meat and poultry, Ms. Duenas advises.

Most restaurant menus now offer whole-grain options, according to Ms. Duenas, making it easier to eat healthier when dining out. Always ask if they have a brown rice or whole wheat pasta or crust option, she suggests. Its not the end of the world if they dont just make sure your meal also includes salad or vegetables and a lean protein. Unfortunately, Ms. Duenas adds, most restaurant meals are big enough to feed two people and contain way too many carbs, making portion control a challenge.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, healthy carbs with good sources of dietary fiber include:

When choosing carbs, Ms. Duenas says to remember that while the quality of the carbs consumed is important, so is the quantity. Brown rice is healthier because its a whole grain and has fiber, but that doesnt necessarily mean you should add more of it to your plate, she says.

Tags: carbohydrates, carbs, Carla Duenas, community health, healthy diet

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Nutrition Expert: Carbohydrates Key to a Healthy Diet - Baptist Health South Florida

The things you eat and drink could be impacting your mental health as well as your physical health, according to an expert.

According to, Aimee Newton, a Registered Dietitian working at Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital, says there may be some diet habits that impact the way you feel mentally.

Studies have shown that some foods can increase serotonin levels - dubbed the 'happy hormone' - which in turn lifts moods.

On the contrary, a lack of this hormone can have a negative impact on your mental health.

When it comes to food and drink, the expert explains that there is a link between hydration and energy and the body's ability to produce the so-called 'happy hormone'.

1. Not drinking enough

We need sufficient energy to maintain the structure of our brain and nervous system. Dehydration can affect your brain's ability to produce energy and can obstruct the brain's production of happy hormone, serotonin. This is because the body needs water to transport amino acid, tryptophan, across the blood-brain barrier to convert it to serotonin.

2. Not eating enough variety

There are many studies suggesting a link between reduced diversity of the bacteria in our gut and mood disorders. This is because the gut microbiome helps turn the food we eat into different molecules which enter our bloodstream and communicate with the brain. Some of these are neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which can then influence mood and behaviour.

It is, however, too early to make conclusions as to which exact bacterial strains play a role or suggest specific concentrations of these bacteria which are optimal in our gut as there is a lack of human studies in this area. However, watch this space in the future. What we do know is eating foods like wholegrains and fermented foods that increase the diversity of the bacteria in our gut can be beneficial to overall health and mood.

3. Not getting the right vitamins

Some vitamin deficiencies have been linked to low mood. These include vitamins B6, B12, folate and vitamin D. Furthermore, western diets have which are high in processed foods, refined grains, sugar, and fat have been more closely associated with depression in some studies.

That said, its important to stress that mood-boosting foods alone cannot treat depression.

If youre really struggling with your mental health, you should always see a doctor.

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Expert shares three diet mistakes you could be making that impact your mental health - Daily Record

On a 2013 episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, the titular host visits the headquarters of Eat Just, a plant-based company that had developed vegan eggs from mung bean protein. When the episode aired, the products from Eat Just (then called Hampton Creek Foods)fit snugly under a bizarre rubric, using the shows definition as unique and interesting. Only nine years later, Zimmern says the concept is no longer bizarre. Now, he tells me, a fellow carnivore: You and I are the weirdos.

Chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern spent 12 years and 147 episodes exploring the world and trying the quirkiest of grub, from coral worms in Samoa to tarantulas in Cambodia. While food was the focus, he says the show was about promoting cultural tolerance. He extends that same worldview to his current move to more sustainable foods. Just as hes joining as culinary advisor of plant-based chicken company Tindle, hes trying to reduce the amount of meat he consumes, in order to do his part for the climate and all the interrelated issues of unsustainable food production.

Andrew Zimmern [Photo: Mat Hayward/Getty Images for TiNDLE]To say Zimmern has dabbled in meat would be an understatement. Hes eaten fermented shark in Iceland and horse-rectum sausage in Kazakhstan; hes sampled reindeer liver, camel kidney, and snake penis. But when he turned 60 last July, he had somewhat of an epiphany, having read that even reducing meat could add up to nine years to his life. But changing your lifestyle is hard; he admits he cant propel himself headfirst into veganism. If I tried to go all in on this, Im never going to make it, he says. Im going to relapse on meat tonight. For Zimmern, its going to be a slow-and-steady, flexitarian route.

Theres now a whole category of plant-based foods that strive to replicate meat, aimed at carnivores who suffer hunger pangs as they wean off beef burgers and chicken wings. One such brand is Tindle. Launched in Singapore in 2021 by Next Gen Foods, which received record investments, the product is now in more than 200 restaurants in Asia and entered the U.S. market in February. Earlier this month, Zimmern signed on as culinary advisor, a loosely-defined role that will include devising recipes and promoting the protein.

[Photo: Mat Hayward/Getty Images for TiNDLE]Zimmern says he didnt feel that any other plant-based brand hed tasted replicated the flavor, aroma, or texture of meat. They shall remain nameless, he says. I didnt like any of them. The happy outlier for him was Tindle, made from soy protein, oat fiber, coconut oil, wheat gluten, and a proprietary emulsion called Lipi, which aims to impersonate poultry fat, primarily by employing sunflower oil. The company dubs its product Chefs Play-Doh for its supposed versatility, claiming you can grill, stew, or deep-fry it, and features recipes for Tindle schwarma, gyoza, and pot pie. At this years SXSW, Zimmern showcased the product with two concoctions: a Tindle parm slider and crispy Tindle and waffles, topped with hot-honey ice cream.

The humanitarian angle has swayed Zimmern to reduce his meat intake as much as his age-related epiphany. Like the late Anthony Bourdain, Zimmern used food as a vehicle to promote cultural richness and acceptance at a time when the War on Terror had ushered in an era of divisiveness. I sold a Trojan horse to Travel Channel at the time, Zimmern says, explaining that the network declined a straight-up culture show but agreed to 80% entertainment and 20% smarts, he says. It was kind of a Faustian bargain, but it turned out to be the best deal Ive ever been given in my life.

Visiting and living with tribes of Indigenous people, like the Kake in Alaska and the Ju/Hoansi tribe of Botswana, taught him the perils of modernization to the natural world. Now, he says, We cant take the horse and buggy back, we cant take fossil fuels back, but were smart enough to make a difference. That difference can, and should, be in the form of reducing the consumption of animal meat, which is becoming less and less sustainable to eat. Meat accounts for nearly 60% of all carbon emissions from food production; and the equivalent of 3 billion annual metric tonnes of CO2 originate from farming beef.

[Photo: Mat Hayward/Getty Images for TiNDLE]The climate crisis also doesnt exist in a silo; its an ecosystem of interrelated problems. If you jump into the climate crisis, youll bump into hunger and food waste, he says, as well as racial justice, immigration, and healthcare. Overall, his mentalityjust as it was with Bizarre Foodsis focused on considering other human beings around the world in his decisions. We have to start thinking of our fellows, he says. And I think weve done a really shitty job of that as of late. For Zimmern, plant-based proteins are part of the solution.

Zimmern sees a societal shift already happening, from a time when vegetarianism in America was stigmatized and options were limited to green salads and grilled vegetables. Now, restaurants that pride themselves on monstrous pieces of meat are playing to a shrinking crowd. When I was growing up, if meat was not the centerpiece of every plate at every meal, something was wrong, he said. Now, his son doesnt think twice if an evening meal is meatless.

Whats so endearing to Zimmern is that this shift echoes meal practices in some of his favorite places visited with Bizarre Foods, like mezze-style meals in the Levant and Turkey, and the Indian subcontinent, where he could go days without meat and never miss it. Im thrilled that were looking at a new age, he says, that were adopting things from other countries.

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'Bizarre Foods' host Andrew Zimmern on why he's shiftingslowlyto a plant-based diet - Fast Company

We are living through a time where fad diets are a common part of health cultures; it seems as if there's a new one trending every day! There are diets to tell us what will help you shed those pounds, which ones will help with certain ailments like memory loss, the list goes on. And now thanks to a new study, it has been discovered that there are even diets to help fight certain types of cancers, including pancreatic cancer.

A recent study from The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) suggests that the ketogenic diet (also known as keto) may help eliminate pancreatic cancer cells by promoting positive chemotherapy results.

The laboratory experiments showed that the keto diet decreased glucose (sugar) levels in the tumor, which suggests the diet helped starve the cancer. The diet also elevated ketone bodies produced by the liver (small water molecules used as an energy source when glucose is not readily available), which put additional stress on the cancer cells.

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According to the study, the keto diet created a microenvironment in which a triple-drug therapy designed by TGena combination of gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel, and cisplatinwas more effective at knocking out the tumor, therefore destabilizing the cancer cells.

"By limiting glucose availability, the ketogenic diet may promote chemotherapy efficacy," said TGen Professor Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D. in the recent study overview.

In addition, the keto diet was shown to have a beneficial impact on antitumor immunity by inducing pro-inflammatory tumor gene expression, which further weakened the cancer.

If you're not familiar, the keto diet consists of foods low in carbohydrates and high in protein and fat. The diet forces your body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates, overall having you lose weight quickly. However, due to the excessive amount of protein and less intake of carbohydrates, the keto diet could cause problems such as low blood pressure, kidney stones, constipation, nutrient deficiencies, and an increased risk of heart disease.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

If you're thinking of starting keto, be sure to take note of these 7 Warning Signs You Should Stop the Keto Diet Immediately.

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The #1 Best Eating Habit for Pancreatic Cancer, Says New Study Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

I was told that the reason I was getting psychologically abused for my body was because I was fat, and I was fat because I ate too much food. I started restricting in hopes that I could finally be liked, be accepted, and feel OK. I never ever would have called it an eating disorder (ED). I just thought I was trying to be pretty, normal, and healthy. Since culture contends that beauty, normalcy, and health are synonymous with thinness, I skipped meals often and waited for the day when I would emerge from the cocoon of my fatness and finally become the real thin me. At the age of 10 or 11, I started starving myself for the first time, while also doing two to three hours of exercise a day. This type of behavior continued for another decade. My ED was never detected because doctors rarely suspect fat people struggle with this illness and because emaciation (and whiteness, it seemed) was part of ED diagnostic criteria things I never was and never would be.

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As the Fat Daughter of Immigrants, Dieting was a Toxic Component of Assimilation - Refinery29