Category Archives: Diet And Food

For those who believe that the key to good health is a return to more primitive forms of eating, its a great time to be alive. The cultish Paleo method of diningwhich encourages ingesting mostly meats, fruits, vegetables, and good fats, only when you are hungryhas been the most-searched weight loss method on Google for the past four years. Many fast-casual restaurants have sprung up around the trend, and fancier spots have incorporated the ethos into their menus.

But theres a way to get even closer to ancient ways of eating: moon eating. A nascent trend that started in Hawaii, moon eating has yet to be co-opted by a profit-making enterprise like the South Beach Diet or Atkins. You can just start doing it on your own. If you want to, heres everything you need to know.

First of all, moon eating is not the same as the whack-a-doodle Lunar Diet (also known as the more frightfully named Werewolf Diet) that has graced the gossip rags, wherein aging celebs engage in strange fasting practices looking for their fountain of youth.

Crops planted and picked properly, according to ancient lunar calendar-based traditions, are better according to moon eating advocates.

Source: Grand Wailea

Basically, moon eating takes many of the tenets of clean living that are already trending around the world (eating organic, unprocessed foods that are locally grown or foraged, reviving ancient grains, etc) and adds a layer of timing based on the phases of the moon. The idea is, you eat certain foods at certain timesacknowledging something that the centuries-old civilizations recognized, which is that the human body and our behavior operate on roughly monthly loops like the menstrual cycle.

If you are able to grow your own food, even better. According to the chefs behind the movement, specific cycles of planting and harvesting will provide the best, most nutritious produce. The goal is to be healthier, feel better, and be able to prepare physically for regular changes in the environment around you.

Ultimatelyyou may lose weight by moon eating, but thats merely a welcome side effect; the primary goal of mindful consumption is truer connection to our planet and thus a heightened sense of well beingboth emotionally and physically. Its a lifestyle.

The modern-day moon eating craze is taking shape in Hawaii, where Michael Lofaro, chef at the iconic Grand Wailea, is trying to cast a culinary spotlight on Kaulana Mahina, the ancient Hawaiian lunar calendar.

Chef Mike Lofaro, an early proponent of moon eating.

Source: Grand Wailea

Although treated as mythology today, the Kaulana Mahina was grounded in scientific observation and was once a covenant of the land. The Hawaiians tracked the moons waxing and waning energies and perceived an incredible impact on two types of water: the big water (such as the tides bringing fish to shore) and small water (which encompasses everything from tree sap, to aquifers, to your testosterone levels). The influence of the calendar increasedto dictate practically every element of the quotidian, from fishing larger marine life (when the highest tides would roll in) to signing contracts among chieftains (during the waxing energies of lunar cycle.)

For the past two years, Chef Lofaro has been working with Kainoa Horcajo, the Grand Waileas cultural ambassador, to create special Ka Malama dinners during different phases of the moon throughout the year. The word malama is a double entendre meaning both "month" in Hawaiian and care for the world around us. A fully immersive experience, the intimate luaus celebrate the lunar cycles bounty while introducing participants to the moon eating lifestyle. And with the reopening of the hotels signature restaurant, Humuhumunukunukuapuaa, at the beginning of this year, Lofaro is now bringing the moon eating ethos to the masses with a series of ever-revolving menu items that adhere to the hunter-gather principles.

Last week, for example, while teaching a workshop on the Kaulana Mahina at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, he prepared a dish made of akule and ulu. Akule, bigeye scad, and ulu, breadfruit, are both downmarket items rarely seen on the gourmands plate. But the ulu was planted and picked on the full moon for maximum flavor and was paired with the akule, which are fished at the same time because thats when their population comes in close to the Maui coast.

The restauarant Humuhumunukunukuapua'a at the Grand Wailea.

Source: Grand Wailea

Dozens of other farms and seaside fish shacks in Maui are also pulling inspiration from the Kaulana Mahina. A look at the hundreds of images tagged #moonphaseproject on Instagram will reveal the neonatal stages of the food fad throughout the island. Here, moon eating affects not only how vendors serve fresh fare, but also how they grow it, when they procure it, and how they harvest it to ensure the highest, most robust quality possible.Fruits are once again a great entry point into purposeful planting by the local farmers, as many itemssuch asavocado, mango, and breadfruitnaturally mature throughout a lunar month. By starting and ending the cycle on the eve of the full moon, the produce is noticeably more plump and much more delicious and vitamin-rich when harvested in the correct season (breadfruit during Aprils lunar month, mango throughout the summer). Fishing practices are also much more methodical than simply dropping a linein addition to big fish moving closer inland at high tide, small mollusks and shellfish are most easily captured during the lowest tides of the lunar month. Believers in moon eating think that there's a reason why these foods become more available to human at these times, and that, essentially, we should be better about taking the earth's suggestions.

Kai Momona, prepared by Chef Mike Lofaro of Humunumunukunukuapua`a at Grand Wailea.

Source: Grand Wailea

Further extending their influence, Lofaro and Horcajo reach a wide audience of Hawaiian viewers with their local television program, Search Hawaii, which encourages viewers to plan their meals based on holistic place-based sourcing. They call this practice Mauka-Makaiessentially Land and Seaa local tradition of pairing proteins from the ocean with seasonal fruits on the land, such as limpets and mountain apple, and sea urchin and breadfruit. But they arent the only two champions of the movement. Off-island bloggerHank Shaw really drills down to the core of a similar culling methodologyadjusting your needs to your place, not trying to change the environment to suit your desires, and how to maximize the earths naturally occurring bounty.

You dont have to be in Hawaiior necessarily surrounded by natureto get in on moon eating.

Kealopiko's lunar journal.

Source: Kealopiko

Horcajo recommends starting with keeping a lunar journal (like the one from Kealopiko) to recognize the cyclical behaviors of our environment, from tracking the weather outside and the quality of our daily commute, to monitoring our moods and even the temperament of our bosses and friends.

Our survival depends on our ability to analyze patterns. Without understanding patterns, we would simply die, he said, pointing out historic needs (agricultural cycles; how to hunt prey) and their modern counterparts (data analysis; avoiding heavy traffic).

Horcajo adds that after keeping a diary for some time, youll start to notice uncanny patterns in nature, essentially being able to overlay events from past years on top of one anothera phenomenon long blurred by the arbitrary mathematics of the January-December calendar. When youre first starting out, Horcajo recommends documenting the days when its particularly hard to get out of bed (hangovers notwithstanding). He maintains that the bodys energies are weaker around the first and third moon quarters, which the Hawaiians call the ole phases, meaning "without."You can conceive of it as the moon eating version of Mercury being retrograde. Police officers and medical staff can corroborate the tangible upswing in erratic behavior as the moon becomes full. Planning around the moons impactextra sleep during ole, or leaving early for the office during full-moon traffic jamsis just as important as planning what to eat when.

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Then work on your green thumb by planting as much as you can, wherever you can, be it in a garden, window box, or rooftop plot. Root cropsthink sweet potatoes, carrots, beetsshould be planted around the new moon, and above-ground producesuch aslettuce, kale, and strawberriesgo in around the full moon.According to ancient Hawaiian beliefs about small water, this is the perfect system to get the fullest, most nutrient-rich harvest.

The full moon rises from behind the hills among the silhouette of palm trees in Lahaina on the island of Maui, HI.

Photographer: shootthebreeze/Getty Images/iStockphoto

For those without the time or interest in gardening, its best to start at a farmers market. While the "organic" branding is well and good, youre looking to create a base layer of knowledge aboutwhat grows when, and, according to Horcajo, it may sound like something out of a Portlandia episode, but you can quite literally feel the fullness of produce when its planted and harvested during the energetic parts of the lunar cycle. Just ask the farmer what day that week the fruits and vegetables were pickedonce youre in the swing of moon mindfulness, youll know what to make of the answer.

Ultimately, you might be surprised to find that moon eating works into your life more easily than any diet youve ever tried before. Whether it is the stock market or the farmers market, when you begin to pay attention, not just once in a while but all the time, you begin to spot the patterns, the ebb and flow. Its just the hubris of modern man to think that one is more important than the other. continues Horcajo. Most people involved in the various food industries around the worldmodern foragers, organic farmers, back-to-the-earth advocates are all already basing their lives around the moon calendar. They just dont know it.

See the original post here:
Tired of the Paleo Diet? Maybe It's Time to Try 'Moon Eating' - Bloomberg

There are no quick fixes to be found at the grocery store.

While some nutrition plans can help you achieve your weight loss or health goals, they probably dont include foods with the word diet or low-fat on the label.

For the casual follower of nutrition trends, this may sound obvious. But data on consumer habits show were still eating this stuff, according to Zhaoping Li, the director of the Center of Human Nutrition at the University of California-Los Angeles. Just take one look at the grocery aisle and youll see beloved brands like Halo Topand Arctic Zero ice cream, for example, appearing in droves.

As dreamy as their calorie or fat contents sound, theres a catch. Many of these products are still highly processed and can encourage overeating.This is hardly healthy, but the labels subtly suggest otherwise. And it pays off for retailers: Research shows that shoppers still view low-fat markers as good for you, even though they donot guarantee nutritional quality.

Low-fat does not equal healthy, Li told HuffPost. Low-fat, high-carb [diets] may not decrease your overall calorie intake nor improve your diet quality compared to high-fat foods.

Experts like Li agree for the most part that products marketed to being low-fat or diet foods arent doing anyone any favors. Here are just a few specific reasons why we should ditch them for good:

A recent study published from the University of Georgia found that diet products that are stripped of fat and include added sugar can lead to unwanted weight gain. These foods may also damage the liver, according to the studys authors.

Its important to note that this experiment was only conducted in rats, so more research needs to be done before a definitive conclusion can be made on how it affects humans. And plenty of other studies have reached similar conclusions:Swapping fat for sugar, like in that beloved fat-free ice cream or even in cereal, is only having a detrimental impact on weight.

This doesnt just apply to food: Diet beverages can also have a poor effect on health. One study even found that diet soda drinkers have larger waistlines and more likely to have type 2 diabetes and risks associated with heart diseasethan people who didnt drink diet soda at all.

Products that feature low-fat labels in flashy text arent really doing anything for your ticker, either.This is especially true for dairy: The message that you need to buy milk thats low in fat is misleading,according to Robert Bobrow, an associate professor of clinical family medicine at Stony Brook University.

As Bobrow points out, a 2013 Harvard study even found that swapping whole milk for reduced fatlacks an evidence basis for weight management or cardiovascular disease prevention. The switch could even be detrimental to health if stuff like sugar are substituted for fat.

If you happen to like the taste of defatted milk, thats one thing, Bobrow wrote in a HuffPost contributors piece. But it wont help you lose weight or render you heart-healthy.

And fat isnt exactly something to avoid. Studies show diets rich in high and healthy fats (hello, avocados!) may raise levels of the the good cholesterol in your body, which helps with artery blockage. They also may help with other risks associated with heart disease.

Food is not the enemy. You can and should enjoy it.

Studies show that the timeless advice to consume everything in moderation may not be so useful after all, but there are workarounds: Some research suggests that a technique called intuitive eating can help. Instead of abiding by what you should or shouldnt eat, this habit relies on consuming what you want based on listening to your hunger and satisfaction cues. Those who followed this method had lower body weights, according to a 2016 study.

Sadly, there are no shortcuts for optimal well-being. When it comes to weight loss, theres no better way than the old fashioned way: Healthy whole foods and exercise.

Read the rest here:
It's Time To Admit That 'Diet' Food Is Bogus - Huffington Post

New details about Jackie Kennedy's life and habits after the tragic passing of her husband are coming to light in a new book Jackie's Girl: My Life With The Kennedy Family from her former assistant and live-in nanny, Kathy McKeon.

McKeon, who worked for the former First Lady for 13 years and lived with the family at their 5th Avenue apartment for 11 years, became extremely close with Jackie and gave very personal details about their relationship.

She recalled in the book that the notoriously thin-framed First Lady was just "not a big eater" and maintained her thin physique through a very strict diet. In an excerpt shared with People ahead of the release, she talked about how difficult her husband's death was on Jackie.

"She never had much of an appetite," writes McKeon, "and the toll of the horror she survived was plain to see on her painfully thin frame."

Of course, the horror that McKeon is referring to is the death of President Kennedy, which rocked their family and the entirety of the United States.

McKeon often looked to the former First Lady for advice. When she gained weight, she said that Jackie took her to the kitchen and instructed the cook to make the same meals for her that she did for McKeon. It was a strict diet of a "boiled egg and tea for breakfast, cottage cheese with fresh fruit at lunch, and a poached chicken breast or fish, with a salad or steamed vegetables for dinner (with plain yogurt to snack on when she was hungry)."

PHOTOS: Jackie Kennedy through the years

42 PHOTOS

Jackie Kennedy Onassis through the years

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(Original Caption) Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of the President, smiles as she leaves the jet at Idlewild Airport that returned her to the U.S.A. on her flight from Athens, Greece. She left immediately for Washington, D.C., on the Kennedy private plane.

(Original Caption) Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy (center) appears to be enjoying her vacation in these islands as she smiles at a well-wisher here June 9th. While in Greece, Mrs. Kennedy plans to do some water skiing and sun bathing just like any other tourist.

(Original Caption) Jackie and John Kennedy cut their wedding cake in 1953. (Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma via Getty Images)

Jackie Kennedy the wife of American President John F. Kennedy, at home with their daughter Caroline, 1960. (Photo by Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Portrait de profil de Jackie Kennedy, circa 1960. (Photo by REPORTERS ASSOCIESGamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

circa 1960: Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (1929 - 1994), wife of American president John F Kennedy and, after Kennedy's assassination, of Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. (Photo by MPI/Getty Images)

Senator John F. Kennedy sits beside wife Jackie in Hyannisport. Kennedy is about to embark on a campaign tour for the presidential elections.

Jackie Kennedy. October 14, 1960. (Photo by William N. Jacobellis/New York Post Archives / (c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images)

10th December 1960: Jackie Kennedy (1929 - 1994), the wife of the American President-Elect John F Kennedy with her son John Kennedy Jr (1960 - 1999). (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Frank Sinatra escorting Jacqueline Kennedy to her box at a gala, held at the National Guard Armory in Washington DC, the night before the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, 19th January 1961. The gala was staged by Sinatra to help pay off the campaign debts of Kennedy and the Democratic Party. (Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns)

President-elect John F. Kennedy and wife Jackie applaud at a pre-inauguration gala on January 19, 1960.

Jackie Kennedy and Nina Chruschtschowa are meeting at the reception and great dinner at Schnbrunn Palace during the two-day summit between Presidents John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna. Schnbrunn. Wien 13. 3. Juni 1961. Photographie. (Photo by Votava/Imagno/Getty Images)

Second day of the visit of American President John F Kennedy and his wife Jackie to London, England. Jacqueline Kennedy leaving the London home of her sister Princess Lee Radziwill for the christening of her niece Anna Christina Radziwill. 5th June 1961. (Photo by Daily Herald/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)

Nikita Khrushchev and Jackie Kennedy share a light moment during the summit meetings in Vienna between President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Khrushchev, Vienna, Austria, June, 1961. (Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images)

(Original Caption) Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower (left) calls out to an acquaintance among the newsmen, as she is greeted at the White House by Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy today. The First Lady and her predecessor, who are honorary co-chairman of the National Cultural Center, will discuss future plans for the proposed center at a tea in the Executive Mansion.

7th June 1961: Jackie Kennedy (1929 - 1994), wife of president John F Kennedy, boards a BEA aeroplane at London airport. Accompanying her on the flight to Athens is her sister Lee Radziwill. (Photo by Jimmy Sime/Central Press/Getty Images)

(Original Caption) Flanked by the Presidents of two North American neighbors, Adolfo Mateos (left) of Mexico and John F. Kennedy, her husband, Jacqueline Kennedy takes center stage away from them here, June 29th. The Mexicans were just wild about Jackie. The 'vivas' for her were as loud and as fervent as for her husband on their triumphal arrival in this ancient Aztec capital. The Kennedys are here on a 48-hour visit.

381091 72: The President and Mrs. Kennedy ride in a parade March 27, 1963 in Washington. (Photo by National Archive/Newsmakers)

(Original Caption) Mrs. John F. Kennedy bids farewell to Nicaraguan Ambassador to the U.S., Guillermo Sevilla-Sacasa (right) and Dr. Jose Mora, Secretary General of the Organization of the American States, as she left the Pan American Union today. Mrs. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert K. Kennedy, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy attended the luncheon to discuss the proposed John F. Kennedy Memorial Library with Latin American officials.

(Original Caption) President John F. Kennedy applauds as his wife is introduced at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast, November 22nd. Later in the day, an assassin firing into the President's open car in Dallas hit the President and the Governor of Texas, John Connally.

Jackie Kennedy Onassis (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

(Original Caption) Mrs. John F. Kennedy, chats with Mies Van Der Rohe, internationally known architect on 4/12. Architects, designers , and artists assembled here to discuss type and design of the $10 million memorial to be erected on the Harvard University campus at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Jackie Kennedy And Her Sons At Gstaad - Jackie And Caroline In Gstaad, Switzerland, January 1966. (Photo by Andre SAS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

11/6/1967- Sihanoukville, Cambodia: Prince Norodom Sihanouk walking on red carpet with Jackie Kennedy prior to dedication of John F. Kennedy boulevard.

18th October 1968: Millionaire shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (1906 - 1975) with his wife Jackie (Bouvier Kennedy, 1929 - 1994). (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Jackie Kennedy Onassis during Jackie Onassis and Ari Onassis Sighting At Le Cote Basque - October 6, 1969 at La Cote Basque Restaurant in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Kennedy Onassis during Jackie Kenendy Onassis Sighting - January 1, 1970 at La Cote Basque in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Kennedy Onassis during Jackie Onassis At JFK Airport - March 1, 1970 at JFK Airport in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Kennedy Onassis (Nina Ricci sunglasses, Gucci bag) in Paris, leaving Crillon Hotel, march 19, 1970. (Photo by RDA/Getty Images)

Caroline Kennedy & Jackie Onassis during Royal Ballet performing 'Sleeping Beauty' at Metropolitin Opera House in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Onassis (1929 - 1994), widow of American President John F Kennedy and wife of Greek born Argentinian ship owner Aristotle Onassis, leaving Claridges Hotel in London. She is wearing a safari-style jacket over flared hipster trousers and a polo neck jersey. (Photo by Ted West/Getty Images)

Jackie Onassis during Jackie Kennedy and Family Shopping in Capri - August 24, 1970 in Capri, Italy. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Caroline Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy Jr. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Onassis, Joe Kennedy, and Ethel Kennedy during Funeral of Cardinal Cushing in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Kennedy Onassis during Jackie Onassis At Caroline Kennedy's School Dinner - November 11, 1970 at La Cote Basque in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Onassis (Photo by Tom Wargacki/WireImage)

Jackie Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Jackie Onassis, Caroline Kennedy, Rose Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

Washington, D.C. May 14th 1976. Jackie Onassis and Alexandrje Orfila at The Kennedy Center (Photo by Tom Wargacki/WireImage)

Jackie Onassis during Caroline Kennedy's Graduation Party - June 6, 1973 at Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport, United States. (Photo by Tom Wargacki/WireImage)

Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Ethel Kennedy during RFK Pro Celebrity Tennis Tournament - August 23, 1975 at Forest Hills Stadium in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

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"The diet was almost exactly what Madam herself ate at home when she wasn't entertaining," explained McKeon.

But Jackie didn't stick to that diet forever. Once she met Onassis, Jackie reportedly let some things flow and enjoyed cocktail hour and late-night desserts.

"If she went into the kitchen and saw my brownies or chocolate chip cookies she would grab one and eat it right there," McKeon recalls. "Sometimes we'd crash into each other at night in the kitchen pantry. She didn't put on the light because she didn't want anyone to know she was in there!"

"She was eating ice cream out of the container with a big spoon," she says with a laugh. "Not a teaspoon but a big spoon! She was a lot of fun."

Here is the original post:
Jackie Kennedy had a strict diet of boiled eggs and cottage cheese ... - AOL

Most diets fail. Whether the goal is losing weight or just generally eating healthier, a commonly cited (and probably overstated) statistic says 95 percent of diets dont work. But new research suggests the secret of a better diet could be hiding in our DNA.

Our eating habits are complex, and are shaped by environmental, cultural, and psychological factors as much as by genetics. But a better understanding of the latter could help people design diets that are optimized to their most fundamental food preferences, according to researcher Silvia Berciano of the Autonomous University of Madrid. Presenting her research teams work Saturday at the Experimental Biology 2017 conference in Chicago, Bercianorelated how a study of 818 men and women revealed links between genetic variation and dietary choices.

For instance, how the brain expressed a particular gene associated with obesity was linked to how much vegetable and fiber intake a person got. Another gene connected to the hormone oxytocin played a role in a persons fondness for chocolate. Still other genes shaped how much salt and how much fat a person tended to have in their diet. There were a few other links the researchers found, but there was less evidence these connections were significant.

In theory, this sort of research could help build better, more personalized diets. Somebody who, for instance, has a genetic predisposition toward chocolate but not toward salt would do better to cut down on the latter and be more likely to not quit on such a diet. Understanding how specificgenes affect food preferences could also tell us more about the genetic risks behind diseases that are in part shaped by peoples diets, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Those who participated in the study sites in Minneapolis and Salt Lake City were all of European ancestry, so an important next step will be to see whether these results hold for people of different ethnicities. Previous studies found genetic components to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, but this is the first time researchers have studied how genes might shape eating habits more generally.

Its early days yet for gene-based dieting, but even these preliminary results are intriguing for everyone hoping for a better diet to come along.

Originally posted here:
Knowing Your Genetics Could Help Design Just The Right Diet - Vocativ

High-fat foods are often the primary target when fighting obesity, but sugar-laden "diet" foods could be contributing to unwanted weight gain as well, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Researchers found that rats fed a diet high in sugar but low in fatmeant to imitate many popular diet foodsincreased body fat mass when compared to rats fed a balanced rodent diet. The high-sugar diet induced a host of other problems, including liver damage and brain inflammation.

"Most so-called diet products containing low or no fat have an increased amount of sugar and are camouflaged under fancy names, giving the impression that they are healthy, but the reality is that those foods may damage the liver and lead to obesity as well," said the study's principal investigator, Krzysztof Czaja, an associate professor of veterinary biosciences and diagnostic imaging in UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine.

"What's really troubling in our findings is that the rats consuming high-sugar, low-fat diets didn't consume significantly more calories than the rats fed a balanced diet," Czaja said. "Our research shows that in rats fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, the efficiency of generating body fat is more than twice as highin other words, rats consuming low-fat, high-sugar diets need less than half the number of calories to generate the same amount of body fat."

Over a four-week period, researchers monitored body weight, caloric intake, body composition and fecal samples in three groups of rats. One group of test subjects consumed a diet high in fat and sugar, another group was fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet and a third group was given a balanced or "normal" diet.

Both the low-fat, high-sugar and high-fat, high-sugar groups displayed an increase in liver fat and significant increases in body weight and body fat when compared to the balanced diet group. Liver fat accumulation was significant in the high-sugar, low-fat group, which Czaja said "is a very dangerous situation, because the liver accumulating more fat mimics the effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease."

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by fat buildup in the liver, and serious forms of the disease can result in liver damage comparable to that caused by heavy alcohol use.

The unbalanced diets also induced chronic inflammation in the intestinal tract and brain. Former studies in rats conducted by Czaja have shown that brain inflammation alters gut-brain communication by damaging the vagus nerve, which controls sensory signals, including the brain's ability to determine when one is full.

"The brain changes resulting from these unbalanced diets seem to be long term, and it is still not known if they are reversible by balanced diets," Czaja said.

This study expands upon the researchers' previous work that determined high-fat diets alter the gut microbiome, the collection of bacteria, viruses and other microbes that live in the digestive tract. The recent study found that the unbalanced diets decreased the microbiome's bacterial diversity, and the low-fat, high-sugar diet increased gut bacteria that are associated with liver damage.

Here is the original post:
Study shows 'diet' products can make you fat - Feedstuffs

A healthy diet is important to both men and women to conceive.

Megan Morris, KUSA 12:36 PM. MDT April 26, 2017

There are some very specific dos and don'ts when it comes to diet and fertility.

This is National Infertility Awareness Week and if youre struggling to get pregnant youre not alone! In fact, 12% of American couples dealing with infertility issues.

If you are facing challenges, one important thing to keep in mind is your diet and how that impacts your ability to get pregnant.

Dr. Sara Barton with Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine will join us on 9NEWS at NOON to talk about what foods and drugs help both women and men when it comes to conception.

Dr. Barton says what you put in your body can affect a women's eggs and a man's sperm.

Suggested Fertility Diet for Women:

Avoid Alcohol

Cut Out Caffeine

Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables

Fish & Omega-3s

Lean Meats

Eat Complex Carbs vs. Refined Carbs

Suggested Fertility Diet for Men:

Eat food rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants

Zinc

Folic acid

Cut out (or back on) alcohol

2017 KUSA-TV

Link:
Foods and supplements that increase fertility for both men and women - 9NEWS.com

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and May 1 is Melanoma Monday, a day focused on raising awareness of the deadliest form of skin cancer.

On average, one person dies of melanoma every hour. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. In fact, it is estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

Anyone can get skin cancer, regardless of skin color. Nearly 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. Skin cancer is highly treatable when it is detected early. If melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent.

The American Academy of Dermatology is launching its 2017 SPOT Skin Cancer campaign, Check Your Partner. Check Yourself, on Melanoma Monday to encourage the public to check their partners and themselves for signs of skin cancer.

Because men older than 50 have an increased risk of developing melanoma when compared to the general population, the AAD is asking women to help their male partners examine their skin for new, changing or suspicious spots. Research has shown that women are nine times more likely than men to spot melanoma on others.

The AAD encourages everyone to perform regular skin self-exams. If you notice any suspicious spots on your skin or your partners, or anything changing, itching or bleeding, see a board-certified dermatologist.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, which frequently develops in a mole or suddenly appears as a new dark spot on the skin. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial.

You can identify melanoma warning signs by looking for the ABCDEs of melanoma:

A is for Asymmetry: One half doesnt match the other.

B is for Border irregularity: The edges are ragged, notched or blurred.

C is for Color that varies from one area to another.

D is for Diameter: Melanomas are usually greater than 6 millimeters (the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed, but they can be smaller.

E is for Evolving: The mole is changing in size, shape or color.

Tips to protect your skin

Follow these tips to protect your skin from the damaging effects of sun exposure and reduce your risk of skin cancer:

Apply sunscreen. When you are going to be outside, even on cloudy days, apply sunscreen to all skin that will not be covered by clothing. Reapply approximately every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.

Use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen that protects the skin against both UVA and UVB rays and that has an SPF of at least 30.

Use 1 ounce of sunscreen, an amount that is about equal to the size of your palm. Thoroughly rub the product into the skin. Dont forget the top of your feet, your neck, ears and the top of your head.

Seek shade. Remember that the suns rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.

Protect your skin with clothing. When going outside wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

Use extra caution near water, sand or snow as they reflect and intensify the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chances of sunburn.

Get vitamin D safely. Eat a healthy diet that includes foods naturally rich in vitamin D, or take vitamin D supplements. Do not seek the sun.

To learn more about skin cancer detection or prevention, or to find a free SPOTme skin cancer screening, visit SpotSkinCancer.org.

Dr. Anthony L. Timko is a board-certified dermatologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. He has been providing dermatological care to the communities of Central Colorado for more than 15 years. He is the sole provider at Central Colorado Dermatology in Salida, but said he is welcoming Dr. Kathryn Echols to his practice in July.

Sweet revenge

by Julia Powell, RN

Special to The Mail

The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison, according to Ann Wigmore, founder of the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute.

One dietary poison that continues to repeatedly and increasingly prove itself guilty is sugar.

At the scene of numerous crimes, sugar has long been implicated in an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, tooth decay and some forms of cancer all justified evidence for locking sugar behind bars.

But mounting evidence regarding its status as criminal comes from a 2016 study published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases. The study examined decades of research showing that sugar may actually be even worse for the heart than saturated fat, the designated No. 1 dietary villain in cardiovascular disease (CVD) for the past 50 years.

The study revealed that a diet high in sugar triples the risk for fatal CVD!

In a nutshell, a high sugar intake can trigger the following:

Boost blood sugar,

Boost insulin levels,

Cause insulin resistance,

Increase triglyceride levels,

Promote fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome,

Damage the LDL cholesterol, turning it into very bad LDL,

Lower the heart-protective good (HDL) cholesterol and

Promote inflammation.

All of which set the stage for arterial-plaque buildup and cardiovascular disease.

Laura Schmidt of the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine says, The average American consumes 22 teaspoons a day (of sugar). Thats about three times whats recommended.

For reference, 1 teaspoon of sugar is equivalent to about 4 grams.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting daily added sugar intake (not counting the sugar content of fruit and dairy products) to 9 teaspoons (37.5 grams) for men. It recommends 6 teaspoons (25 grams) for women and children ages 2-18, and zero for children younger than age 2.

Added sugar in foods may surprise you, so read the labels, count up the grams and recognize the villain lurking within. Some of the culprits may surprise you!

A serving of Shredded Wheat: 0.1 gram (virtually none).

One slice of multigrain 100 percent whole wheat bread: 4 grams (1 teaspoon sugar).

A serving of Kelloggs Special K: 4 grams (1 teaspoon sugar).

A typical 6-ounce serving of flavored yogurt: 21-27 grams (5-6 teaspoons sugar).

8-ounce serving of Campbells Tomato and Sweet Basil Bisque: 24 grams (6 teaspoons sugar).

Snickers bar: 27 grams (6 teaspoons sugar).

16-ounce bottle Snapple Green Tea: 30 grams (7 teaspoons sugar).

McDonalds Fruit & Maple Oatmeal: 33 grams (8 teaspoons sugar).

Dunkin Donuts Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin: 39 grams (9 teaspoons sugar).

15.2-ounce bottle Odwalla Original Superfood Fruit Smoothie: 51 grams (12 teaspoons sugar).

Chilis Caribbean Salad with Grilled Chicken: 70 grams (17 teaspoons sugar).

20-ounce bottle Mountain Dew: 77 grams (19 teaspoons sugar).

Remember: Sugar is addictive.

Julia Powell is a nurse in the Cardiopulmonary Department at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center.

Is anti-gluten frenzy about to be countered by a pro-wheat comeback?

Americans at one time lived their lives utterly unconcerned about the gluten in their diets. But an anti-gluten craze that erupted in the last decade has become so prominent that it spawned a $16-billion-a-year industry.

Gluten became branded as the enemy of good health, bestselling books scared the public away from wheat, and foods marketed as gluten-free popped up everywhere.

But its time everyone takes a deep breath and re-evaluates this whole wheat-is-a-villain attitude, Dr. John Douillard said in a press release.

Douillard is a doctor of chiropractic and a sports medicine and Ayurveda practitioner. He is author of Eat Wheat and six other health books and a former director of player development and nutrition counselor for the New Jersey Nets NBA team.

Wheat was found guilty without a fair trial, and there are risks when we just blindly take a food that people have eaten for 3.5 million years and remove it from our diets, Douillard said.

Hes ready to lead the charge in the opposite direction, though Douillard acknowledges that avoiding gluten is the right move for certain people.

May, for example, is Celiac Awareness Month, which brings attention to the genetic autoimmune disease that damages the small intestine.

People with celiac disease should avoid gluten, theres no doubt about that, Douillard said. But for the greater majority of people, the anti-gluten frenzy has gone too far and needs to dial it back.

Far from being a dinner-table scoundrel, wheat can be beneficial, helping to lower the risk of diabetes, obesity and Alzheimers disease, he said.

The real problem is that processed foods have changed our digestive systems, Douillard said. Thats why people often feel bad when they eat wheat. But taking foods out of the diet wont fix what processed foods have done to your system. That just kicks the problem down the road, leaving people at risk for more serious health concerns later on.

So if going wheat-free isnt the answer, what can you do to begin to improve your digestive system? That can get complicated, but Douillard has a few suggestions to get you started in the right direction:

Eat more fiber. Aim for 50 grams of fiber in your diet each day. Make half your plate green vegetables, one-fourth starch and another one-fourth protein.

Increase the amount of beans you eat. Of course, beans can be difficult for some people to digest, but one easily digestible bean is the split yellow mung bean. As your digestion improves, you can reintroduce other beans.

Drink water between meals. The brains relationship with the rest of the body can be a funny thing. When people are dehydrated, the signals to the brain often get translated as hunger signals. So people scarf down an unhealthy snack when they should be reaching for a glass of water. A good guideline is 16 ounces 30 minutes before each meal.

Dont overeat. Perhaps it can be traced back to our mothers telling us to eat every bite, but people have a tendency to eat until their plates are empty rather than stopping when theyre full. Douillard said its better to stop even before youre full. About three-fourths full is the way to go, he said.

Your digestive strength is the key to a long, healthy and vital life, Douillard said. Whether you eat gluten shouldnt be decided for you because of weak digestion. It should be decided by you based on what you prefer.

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Is that diet soda killing you? New research links diet sodas to strokes, Alzheimer's austin360 (blog) A new study published in Stroke looked at 2,888 people in Framingham, Mass.,, who were are part of a study that originally began in 1971. It compared dietary intake and incidents of stroke and dementia and found those who drank diet drinks were almost ... There's a major problem with what you've heard about the link between soda and brain declineBusiness Insider Is Soda Bad for Your Brain? How About Diet Soda?Huffington Post Diet Sodas Tied to Dementia and StrokeNew York Times Washington Times -WNCN -Fortune -Stroke - AHA Journals all 71 news articles »

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Women are expert multi-taskers, so it should come as no surprise that some manage to squeeze the latest health craze into their daily routine. However, not having time to carefully research the pros and cons of these trends could be dangerous. Take for example, the decision to live diary-free.

Dairy-free diets have turned into a familiar fad in the United States. Onesurveyby the National Osteoporosis Society found that 1/5 of young adults under age 25 have removed or trimmed their dairy intake.Over halfof these young adults claim to have a dairy intolerance, but only 24 percent have actually confirmed it with a doctor.

AVOID TRANS FATS IN FOOD AT ALL COSTS

The society raised concerns about this trend. While young adults have the ability to bounce back from unhealthy habits, their overall nutrition sets the groundwork for their health later in life. During their early 20s, a young adults firm groundwork of healthy bones is of utmost importance.

The societys big concern deals with the amount of calcium that most people get from dairy every day. Both men and women who cut out dairy risk becoming deficient in calcium, leading to other health problems. Anyone adhering to a dairy-free diet, especially women, should ensure that theyre getting major nutrients like calcium from other sources.

Calcium

While calcium can come from some plant sources, women need to monitor their intake if they choose to eliminate dairy. A cup of milk contains about 300 milligrams of calcium, nearly 1/3 of a young womans daily recommended amount. Those who cut out dairy will need an abundance of plant sources to make up this same calcium level.

PREVENTING AND MANAGING CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Again, women on a dairy-free diet risk not getting enough calcium on a daily basis. Thiscalcium deficiencygreatly increases the risk of bone loss and osteoporosis in women.

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis affects over200 million womenacross the globe, and the foundation expects this number to increase over 200 percent during the next 30 years.

Needless to say, women eating little or no dairy must make up for the essential calcium with other foods and vitamins. They should consult a doctor about their diet change and recommended vitamin dosage to ensure safety.

Vitamin D

Another factor of dairy-free diets that women should understand is the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Currently, as many as50 percentof people seen in doctors offices have a deficiency already. This incidence will only increase as more people adopt dairy-free diets.

Vitamin D comes fortified in most dairy milk brands but does not occur naturally in many foods. People must get the recommended amount through fortified foods, vitamin supplements, and sunshine.

Every person needs sufficient vitamin D in order to properly absorb calcium. For women, however, recent studies show that the vitamin helps in another way. Onestudyfrom the University of Massachusetts found that women who experienced the worst pre-menstrual symptoms had the lowest levels of vitamin D and calcium.

LOSE WEIGHT NATURALLY WITH THESE FOUR EASY REMEDIES

In addition, one small Italian study gave women supplements about five days before their expected periods. After a few months of taking the vitamins, these women had lessened PMS by over 40 percent in contrast to those not taking vitamin D.

For young and middle-aged women, one cup of fortified milk contains around half of their total daily recommended vitamin D. Other high sources of the vitamin include fish and eggs. If these women choose dairy-free diets and happen to dislike fish, they will need vitamin supplements and outdoor sunshine to get the levels they need in a day.

Simply put, women benefit from the major nutrients and vitamins packed within dairy products. Women considering a dairy-free diet must understand the risks to their health, especially deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D. Before cutting out this healthful food group, women should consider eating a well-rounded diet instead. Then, they can gain all the benefits of both dairy and non-dairy foods that contain calcium and vitamin D.

This article first appeared on AskDrManny.com.

Dr. Manny Alvarez serves as Fox News Channel's senior managing health editor. He also serves as chairman of the department of obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive science at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Click here for more information on Dr. Manny's work with Hackensack University Medical Center. Visit AskDrManny.com for more.

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There is the Mediterranean Diet. And then there is the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet is said to be one of the most healthful in the world. It emphasizes fruit and vegetables while minimizing red meat. It features plenty of fish, along with poultry. It uses oil instead of butter, and herbs and spices instead of salt. It encourages exercise, along with long meals with family and friends.

The Mediterranean Diet, on the other hand, is what is eaten by people who live around the Mediterranean Sea.

There are plenty of similarities, of course the Mediterranean Diet was begun by looking at what people ate around the Mediterranean Sea. And here it should be noted that it is mainly focused on the northern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean. You wont find many foods on it from, say, Algeria (the researchers who first publicized it, Ancel and Margaret Keys, focused on foods from Greece, Crete and southern Italy).

But there are also differences.

For instance, the Mediterranean Diet specifically recommends fatty fish, such as salmon, and the use of canola oil. But salmon is a cold-water fish, native to the Northern Atlantic and Northern Pacific neither of which is particularly close to the Mediterranean Sea.

And canola oil comes primarily from Canada (the can in canola is for Canada). It is also produced in China, India and northern Europe. In other words, nowhere near the Mediterranean Sea.

Meanwhile, the Mediterranean Diet features a lot of lamb and goat meat. Youll find scant mention of either one in references to the Mediterranean Diet. And in northern Italy they use far more butter than olive oil.

So my goal in taking a healthful dip into these foods was to find that happy intersection where the Mediterranean Diet meets the Mediterranean Diet. To see where the healthy benefits of the diet are actually enjoyed by the people for whom it is named.

I began with an appetizer that couldnt be more Mediterranean if it surrounded Italy on three sides: Marinated Olives and Feta. This is a simple dish, but it creates an explosion of flavor.

Or rather, flavors. Everything that is so great about Mediterranean cooking is combined in one chunky dip: olives, feta cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, fresh rosemary and crushed red pepper. Its like going to a Mediterranean food store and buying everything on the shelves.

I marinated mine overnight to allow the flavors to blend, and served it on top of crusty bread and crackers. As the Greeks would say, Nstimo!

Next up was a dish that was, as hard as it may be to believe, even easier to make. Date Wraps are like a slightly healthier and more elegant version of perhaps the best hors doeuvre in the world, dates wrapped in bacon.

This time, the dates are wrapped in prosciutto. The rich flavor of the cured meat plays beautifully off the sweetness of the dates, and the saltiness means you can dispense with the Parmesan cheese that is an important part of the bacon version.

A twist of black pepper on top provides just the right amount of spice to make it interesting. As the Italians would say, Delizioso!

For a side dish, I turned to perhaps my favorite vegetable, asparagus. In Andalusia the southern area of Spain that borders the Mediterranean Sea they cook it in an astonishingly good way.

First, they saut the asparagus spears in olive oil, which is a truly auspicious way to start anything. But then they go a step further by baking the asparagus with a topping made from blanched almonds, garlic and bread crumbs that are sautd in olive oil auspiciously and then all ground together.

Its not the garlic that goes so magnificently with the asparagus, or the almonds or even the bread crumbs. It is the combination of all three. As the Spanish would say, Excelente!

And for a main course, I made fish, of course. Both versions of the Mediterranean Diet involve eating a lot of fish.

I used one of the most popular fish in the region, swordfish, and topped it with an abundance of Mediterranean ingredients: olives, capers, tomatoes and olive oil.

How did it taste? Lets just say the French would call it superbe.

MARINATED OLIVES AND FETA

Yield: 6 servings

1 cup sliced pitted olives such as Kalamata or mixed Greek

1/2 cup diced feta cheese

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately, with crackers or toast points, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Per serving: 100 calories; 9 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 11 mg cholesterol; 2 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 280 mg sodium; 86 mg calcium

Recipe from EatingWell

DATE WRAPS

Yield: 16 pieces

16 thin slices prosciutto

16 whole pitted dates

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each date. Grind pepper on top.

Per piece: 38 calories; 1 g fat; no saturated fat; 6 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 248 mg sodium; 4 mg calcium

Recipe from EatingWell

ANDALUCIAN ASPARAGUS

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 pounds young asparagus

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, peeled

12 almonds, blanched, see note

1 (2-inch) slice crusty country-style bread, crusts removed, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon very good quality sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Note: To blanch almonds, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add raw almonds. Let almonds sit in hot water for 45 seconds to 1 minute, but no longer. Drain immediately and briefly run under cold water to stop cooking. Remove peels; they should easily slide off with a pinch.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove and discard the bottom few inches from each spear of asparagus, rinse the remainder and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, almonds and bread, and saut, stirring constantly, until all the ingredients are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not allow them to burn. Transfer the almonds, garlic and bread cubes (use a slotted spoon if oil remains in the pan) to a food processor or blender. Add the vinegar and salt and process briefly until the mixture is a coarse meal.

3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan, if necessary, and saut the asparagus over medium-low heat until the stalks change color and start to become tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Remove the asparagus and place in an ovenproof gratin dish. Bring a cup of water to a boil and pour it over the asparagus. Then sprinkle the almond-bread mixture over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the asparagus is thoroughly cooked and most of the liquid has boiled away. Serve immediately.

Per serving (based on 6): 183 calories; 12 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 5 g protein; 15 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 3 g fiber; 111 mg sodium; 50 mg calcium

Recipe from The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, by Nancy Harmon-Jenkins

BAKED FISH WITH CAPERS AND OLIVES

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 pounds boneless fish, especially swordfish, sea bass, haddock, cod, snapper, grouper fillets, halibut steaks or salmon

1 cup very ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or 1 cup drained imported canned tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon drained capers, rinsed

1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives, preferably large Italian olives

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a teaspoon of oil to coat the inside of a baking dish large enough to hold all the fish in one layer. Place the fish in it.

2. Chop the tomatoes and mix with the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the capers and olives and mix again. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Pile the tomato sauce on top of the fish pieces. Distribute the bread crumbs over the top and drizzle on the remaining 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) oil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked and the sauce is very bubbly and browned.

Per serving (based on 6): 199 calories; 5 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 63 mg cholesterol; 28 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 309 mg sodium; 39 mg calcium

Recipe from The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

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