Category Archives: Diet And Food

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Steering clear of salty foods might not be as helpful for your heart health as previously thought, a new study claims.

Participants in a long-range heart study did not appear to derive any health advantage from a low-salt diet, said lead researcher Lynn Moore.

"People who were on a lower-sodium [salt] diet in general over the next 20 or 30 years actually had no benefit, specifically in terms of their blood pressure or their risk of developing heart disease," said Moore, an associate professor with the Boston University School of Medicine.

On the other hand, these people did enjoy better health when they increased their intake of potassium, a mineral that helps the heart in a couple of ways, Moore and her colleagues found.

"Higher intakes of potassium were strongly associated with both a lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease," Moore said. "The same was true for magnesium."

But before you reach for the shaker, consider that a leading proponent of low-sodium diets, the American Heart Association (AHA), questioned the study's validity and said it would continue to recommend limiting salt intake.

"When there are really well-conducted clinical trials that show a direct and progressive relationship between sodium and blood pressure, I would pause before I did anything based on what's reported in this abstract," said AHA spokeswoman Cheryl Anderson. She's an associate professor of cardiovascular epidemiology with the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

The AHA recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams -- about a teaspoon -- of sodium a day, and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) daily for most adults.

Moore said her results show that Americans' average sodium intake -- around 3,000 to 3,500 milligrams (mg) a day -- should be healthy, particularly if they also get enough potassium and magnesium.

"There seems to be no real added risk in that range," Moore said. "I think the average American is probably doing OK in terms of sodium, but almost all Americans need to increase their intake of potassium."

Foods rich in potassium include dark leafy greens, potatoes, beans, squash, yogurt, salmon, avocados, mushrooms and bananas.

The new study comes on the heels of another controversial paper published last May. It suggested that restricting dietary salt to less than 3,000 mg a day appeared to increase the risk of heart disease as much as eating more than 7,000 mg a day. The AHA also disputed the earlier study, which appeared in The Lancet.

Moore's findings are based on data from more than 2,600 men and women participating in the Framingham Heart Study, a long-range heart health study of people from Framingham, Mass.

Participants had normal blood pressure at the study's start. But, over the next 16 years, those who consumed less than 2,500 milligrams of sodium a day tended to have higher blood pressure than participants who consumed more sodium, the researchers reported.

The investigators also found that people with higher intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium had lower long-term blood pressure.

But the research team relied on six days of detailed dietary records to estimate people's intake of sodium and other various minerals, which is a relatively unreliable method, Anderson said.

The gold standard for tracking sodium levels is through urine samples taken across multiple days, she said. Food diaries can be inaccurate.

"They may not have captured sodium intake accurately," Anderson said.

The study's positive results regarding potassium have been supported by other studies, Anderson added.

Potassium helps the kidneys flush salt from the body, reducing blood levels of sodium, Moore said.

The mineral also helps relax the blood vessels and make them more flexible, which can help lower blood pressure, Moore and Anderson said.

People who consume a lot of salt -- 5,000 milligrams per day -- should cut back, Moore said.

Also, "for that subset of the population that's sensitive to salt in the diet, a really critical thing is how much they're getting of other minerals, in particular potassium but perhaps magnesium as well," Moore said.

Moore was scheduled to present her findings Tuesday at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting, in Chicago. The results should be considered preliminary until the data is peer-reviewed for publication in a medical journal.

WebMD News from HealthDay

SOURCES: Lynn Moore, D.Sc., associate professor, Boston University School of Medicine; Cheryl Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor, cardiovascular epidemiology, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; April 25, 2017, American Society for Nutrition, annual meeting, Chicago

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Is a Low-Salt Diet Always Healthy? - WebMD

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Professional athletes dont get to the top by accident. It takes superhuman levels of time, dedication, and focusand that includes paying attention to what they put in their bellies. In this series, GQ takes a look at what pro athletes in different sports eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the daily diet of Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ryan Murphy.

Here are the two most frequent thoughts that go through your mind when watching Olympic swimmers: Wow, they are fast and Wow, they have good absand not necessarily in that order. And with Aquaman Michael Phelps having officially retired with a mere twenty-eight medals, U.S.A. Swimming is going to need to find a newest set of fastest abs in the water. Ryan Murphy may just be that man. The 21-year-old went 3-for-3 in gold medals in Rio last summer, in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke and in the 4x100-meter medley relay (in which he set a world record for fastest 100-meter backstroke split in the process). He also just finished collegewinning the 100- and 200-meter backstroke national titles, the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year, and the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, all at Cal. Needless to say, he was not on the typical undergrad's Oreos and Easy Mac diet.

GQ: Youve been swimming since you were 4. How do you not get burnt out? Ryan Murphy: Until I was 12, I did football, baseball, soccer, and swimming. And thats the time when traveling baseball, traveling soccer, tackle football were all starting. I decided on swimming because theres always something to improve on: recovery, nutrition, sleep, strength, endurance, technique. Its almost like this little game. Youre striving for perfection in a sport that its not possible to reach perfection in. Its almost like an addiction, trying to be the best you can.

And whats your first meal every day? On days I do doubles, Ill wake up at like 5:20. Ill have a PowerBar and a banana before practice. After practice, Ill come back or go to the dining hall and have some eggs, spinach, some fruit, usually some oatmeal, maybe some Greek yogurt with granola and fruit.

You eat all of that? Sometimes Ill just make eggs and the granola, or eggs and the oatmeal. Usually I switch off between those two. And then, through my day, Ill usually have trail mix or something with me. Ill have a little sandwich for lunch. And then, after [the second] practicethis is something I got into a lot before the Olympics, not so much now because it kind of tastes badI make a smoothie and put it in the fridge. I buy raw beets from Whole Foods, chop that up. Put in the beet leaves, a stalk of kale, some spinach, some berries, some dry oats with some soy milk, and Id put in a sweet juicea splash of orange or cherry juice. And if I was pretty hungry, or I felt like I didnt have enough fat in my diet for the day, Id put in some almond butter. I scoff that down right after practice, just to make sure Im immediately getting nutrients.

And for dinner? I usually have a whole mash of stuff. Ill make pasta with tomato sauce, turkey, cut up some onions, throw some peppers in there, boil down some spinach and throw that in. That has everything that you really need in it.

Do you track calories? A little bit. I actually gain weight pretty easily for a swimmer. I would say Im probably around 4,000-5,000 calories a day. So [its] not like these crazy, 12,000-calorie diets. If Im eating chocolate chip pancakes in the morning, Im probably going to gain some weight. So I try to stay away from stuff like that. And super fatty foods I try to stay away from. I figure that way Ill stay decently lean.

What was the hardest thing to cut out? I mean, youre in college! Thats when youre supposed to eat whatever you want. I have a terrible sweet tooth. Im a big sucker for those Brookside Dark Chocolate Covered Acai and Blueberries. Im a big ice cream guy. Chocolate. I love those Trolli Eggs. Like once a week, I try to let myself have frozen yogurt or something like that. Because I think if I was just totally locked down on my diet all the time, Id probably go insane. So I think its good for me to have that one day to look forward to, like, All right. I can get through today because tomorrow Im going to have a dessert.

After you were done in Rio, did you congratulate yourself with whatever you wanted to eat? The line at McDonald's was always terrible, so I didnt actually go to McDonald's, but I just went to the dessert section in the dining hall, and my dinner after the last relay consisted of chocolate cake and the little ice cream bars and stuff like that. I just binged dessert for two weeks. I gained eight pounds.

Swimming has always struck me as one of the most painful sports. When you hit the 115-meter mark in a 200-meter backstroke, youre just over halfway and your legs are starting to hurt. But you train for being uncomfortable. So you can push through that and it just hurts. But by the time you reach 175 meters of a 200 back, hard to pick up your legs. Your legs just feel like theyre not moving anymore, these big bodies of mass just floating behind you and weighing you down, and you have to find a way. The last 25 is like, Ugh! Get. To. The. Wall. Im trying to look around, see where people are and use my competitiveness to get there. But its insane. Your legs just dont work. If you watch my reaction after the 200 back [in Rio], I physically couldnt celebrate. I was so pumped to have won, but I couldnt even lift my arm because I was so tired. So I just hung on my line and died for a little bit.

How much did your diet play into your success there? Eating right was huge for me this past year, probably the first year that I really took diet seriously. I cook most of my meals for myself, so it was easy to track how much oil I was using, what type of ingredients I was buying, and make sure that everything was prepared as healthy as possible. Essentially, I didnt have a bad practice for three months in a row, just because I felt like I was doing everything right.

How many hours of sleep do you get a night? I usually try to shoot for at least eight. Last year, we trained four mornings a week, and then two afternoons a week. So on the afternoons days, I was probably hitting ten hours, and on the mornings, I was making sure I was hitting eight. And I took a lot of naps.

When are you training? On doubles day, it will be 6:00 to 8:00 A.M., and 1:00 to 3:30 P.M. So mornings are all swim. Afternoons, well do an hour of weight, then stretch for fifteen minutes, then come down to the pool. And those are usually more speed-oriented. Those days are brutal. Theres only five hours between practices, so youre still pretty tired going into that second practice.

And how do you suggest we get swimmers abs? We do a lot of abs, probably at least ten minutes a day. You want to make sure you dont have an arch in your back, so really working on the lower abs, so you can kind of shift your hips forward in the water. We do L-raises. You have to make sure your lower back is on the ground the entire time. If you arch your back and thrust, you can get your legs up, but controlling it is key. We usually do 20 at a time. A lot of plank holds, too, so plank on your stomach, plank on your side, you get the obliques. And then we do lower-back training, too, just to make sure all the stabilization muscles are working well. You gotta look good to rock a Speedo.

What other exercising are you doing in the gym? Well do weightlifting. And if were doing heavy squats, well combine it with box jumps. Because, in our sport, the races are less than two minutes most of the time, so you still have to have those fast-twitch muscles, so we dont really lose track of that when were in the weight room. And then well do medicine balls, abs, the typical pull-ups, push-ups.

And what about recovery? Massage. Ice tubs. Ill do cupping, depending on the time of season and how much time I have before my next race. It has to be pretty targeted. You have to know your body for that to be effective. It works pretty well in conjunction with other stuff, like stretching and lacrosse balling, making sure that youre working out the muscles after you get cupped. Because that just brings blood to the surface, so you gotta make sure you find a way to work that out still.

How often are you working out? We go six days a week. We have Sunday off. Im usually so tired by that point, I just sink into my couch, watch some football.

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The Real-Life Diet of Olympic Swimmer Ryan Murphy - GQ Magazine

A: Gout is a form of arthritis that happens when sharp particles, called urate crystals, build up in a joint, causing severe pain, tenderness and swelling. As in your situation, treatment usually is not recommended after just one attack. But gout can come back. Being careful about what you eat may help prevent another gout flare-up. If it does come back, medication is available that can effectively control gout.

The urate crystals that lead to gout form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines substances found naturally in your body, as well as in certain foods. Uric acid usually dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. But sometimes your body either makes too much uric acid or your kidneys flush out too little uric acid. When this happens, gout is often the result.

Certain foods and beverages have been shown to increase the risk of gout attacks, including those that are rich in fructose, such as fruit-flavored drinks, non-diet soda and many processed foods. Seafood, fatty fish and red meat also are associated with increased risk of gout.

Drinking alcohol, especially beer, is a significant gout risk factor. Studies have suggested that drinking two or more beers a day can double the risk of a gout attack. So limit the amount of alcohol you drink, or avoid it completely.

One of the most helpful things you can do to prevent gout attacks is to stay at a healthy body weight. Research has shown that excess weight is a major risk factor for developing gout. If you are overweight, losing weight can lower uric acid levels in your body and significantly reduce your risk of gout attacks.

When it comes to the specific diet you should follow, traditionally it was thought that reducing all foods that contain purines could substantially decrease the risk of gout flares. However, managing a low-purine diet can be quite cumbersome, and the success of such a diet in lowering blood uric acid levels is actually quite low. Even if you strictly follow a low-purine diet, the amount it can decrease your blood uric acid level is rarely enough to cure gout.

Instead, a lower-calorie diet one that replaces refined carbohydrates with more complex carbohydrates, limits meat, and increases vegetables and fruit often can be much more effective at reducing blood uric acid levels than a low-purine diet.

Specifically, if you want to lower your risk of gout, eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk products. Get your protein mainly from low-fat dairy products, which may have a protective effect against gout. Limit the amount of meat, fish and poultry you eat to no more than 4 to 6 ounces a day. Drink 8 to 16 cups about 2 to 4 liters of fluid daily, with at least half of that being water.

If you have another gout attack, your doctor may recommend that you take medications. A drug called colchicine or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be useful in reducing the symptoms of a gout attack. A group of drugs called xanthine oxidase inhibitors, including febuxostat and allopurinol, can help prevent future gout flare-ups. They work by causing the body to produce less uric acid.

These medications are often very effective in controlling gout. If you experience another episode of gout, talk to your doctor about your treatment options and which medications may be best for you.

Continued here:
Diet monitoring may help prevent gout flare-up | Duluth News Tribune - Duluth News Tribune

EO file photo

Sagar Sathuvalli, a potato breeder with Oregon State Universitys Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, shows off potato varieties in November 2014.

EO file photo

Michaela Ewing flips potato flatbread while grilling it for the crop up dinner at HAREC in August 2016 in Hermiston.

The U.S. potato industry has taken umbrage with a popular dietary fad, which is based on the premise that humans ate healthier during the Stone Age than following the advent of agriculture.

The Paleolithic diet coined by Colorado State University emeritus professor Loren Cordain promotes foods that would have been available to hunter-gatherers more than 10,000 years ago, such as grass-fed meat, wild game, nuts, fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

In addition to processed foods and salt, the popular diet frowns upon some of the major commodities produced in the Northwest, including potatoes, cereals, dairy, sugar and legumes. Cordain reasons the foods werent present during the Paleolithic Period, and humans, therefore, havent adapted to eating them.

Cordain vows Paleo dieters achieve weight loss, reduced diabetes and diseases, increased energy, fewer allergies, better digestion and increased muscle. Critics counter that modern foods, developed over centuries of selective breeding, dont resemble Paleolithic foods. They also note the diets conspicuous absence of Stone Age dietary staples such as rats, mice, squirrels, stripped bark, insects and lizards and question the wisdom of emulating an ancient people who typically died in their 30s.

The potato industry still seeking to improve consumer perceptions affected by the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet craze recently launched a campaign highlighting the importance of the spuds protein, vitamin C, potassium and carbohydrates to athletic performance.

I think a lot of people are really getting tired of all of these really restrictive diets and are more interested in learning how to eat properly in a way they can work into their lifestyle, based on the basic ideas of moderation and good diversity, said John Toaspern, chief marketing officer with Potatoes USA.

The organization has been publicizing a paper critical of the Paleo diet, published in the December issue of the American College of Sports Medicines Health and Fitness Journal. The author, Katherine Beals, an associate professor in Utah State Universitys Department of Nutrition and Integrated Sociology, has consulted for Potatoes USA in the past, though her paper wasnt commissioned by the industry.

During the peak of the Atkins diets popularity, Beals conducted a clinical study finding its benefits were short-lived, and werent sustainable beyond a year. She has similar suspicions about the Paleo diet, and her recent paper found no scientific basis to support eating like a caveman.

Beals, who serves on the committee that ranks the best and worst diets for U.S. News & World Report, recommends diets that dont restrict food groups, but rather promote consuming a broad variety of foods in moderation. She emphasizes exercise is often overlooked in diets, and peoples survival depended on being active in the Stone Age.

I find it irritating that people are making money off of unsuspecting consumers that are truly looking for a way to become healthier and lose weight, Beals said.

Cordain, who credits his mentor Dr. S. Boyd Eaton with developing the concept for the Paleo diet in a 1985 landmark paper, said 25 scientific reviews confirm its long-term effectiveness.

Millions of people worldwide have been following the Paleo diet for more than a decade, suggesting that it is indeed sustainable and healthful, Cordain said.

Cordain points out that USDA-sanctioned vegan diets also restrict entire food groups, and USDA guidelines support Paleo diet goals of reducing consumption of refined grains and sugars, as well as processed foods. Furthermore, he said the vitamin content of wild and domestic plant and animal foods is nearly identical.

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Potato industry targets trendy Paleo diet - East Oregonian (subscription)

In-silage tannins may make dairy cattle more efficient without the need for additional dietary protein, says researcher.

A team of researchers from the US Department of Agricultures US Dairy Forage Research Center examined the use of Lotus corniculatus L. or birdsfoot trefoil (BFT) as a forage alternative to alfalfa in terms of protein production in milk and attempted to find the optimal amount of dietary condensed tannin (CT), they said. The group published its results in the Journal of Dairy Science .

We were pursuing the condensed tannin [level], because of our hope that it would improve production and the environmental footprint of dairy, said Glen Broderick, USDA researcher and corresponding author.And it does, but the plants are not as good.

It can be more of a challenge to grow a tannin-containing plant like birdsfoot trefoil (BFT) because not as much work has been done to establish strains of the plant that are resistant to concerns like drought and cold weather, he told FeedNavigator. The extension of this is that through genetic engineering, it looks like it would be possible to have the trait expressed in alfalfa, he added.

Birdsfoot is a good source of forage with dairy cows it would work somewhat better in a dairy ration that alfalfa, he said. If you can grow it; and you might have sufficient land and are not worried about a yield knock.

The team found that cows getting diets containing condensed tannins, produced less milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and that there was little variation in the level of milk true protein, said the researchers. However, additional work is needed to pinpoint the amount of CT needed for the diet as results were somewhat inconclusive.

Compared with AS diets, diets containing BFT reduced MUN and urinary excretion of urea and total N [nitrogen], which would be expected to reduce ammonia emissions from manure; however, little improvement was made in conversion of feed CP [crude protein] into milk true protein, said the researchers. Although earlier work suggested that milk and component yields were optimal at 1.0 to 1.6% CT, feeding BFT silage containing 0.5% CT gave rise to the greatest yields of milk, ECM [energy corrected milk], milk protein, and other components in the current trials.

Several legumes contain levels of condensed tannins that are involved in hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding with the proteins in conserved forages, said the researchers. Those activities limit protein degradation and the formation of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) during ensiling.

When a silage is created, it also can contains enzymes that will digest the protein in the feed, said Broderick. For ruminants, this means that over time the usefulness of the proteins dwindles.

Previous research has found that the presence of CT improved the growth and milk production of ruminants, said the researchers. Using a forage that included CT also limited the output of urinary urea and ammonia.

However, the interaction of CT with proteins in forage and the chemical properties vary based upon which legume produced them, they said. It has been suggested that the tannins found in birdsfoot trefoil is particularly effective for boosting ruminant performance.

In previous research using fresh-cut forage, feeding BFT improved milk production in cows and ewes, when compared to production results from animals getting a diet where the CT had been inactivated, they said.

Our hypothesis was that the presence of CT in BFT would, relative to the AS [alfalfa silage] control, improve protein utilization for milk production in lactating dairy cows, said the researchers. Moreover, we wished to identify the CT concentration that would optimize cow performance.

Researchers ran two separate feeding trials to examine the feed ingredient.

In the first feeding trial, 32 cows were given one of four diets for a four-week period, and then rotated to the next diet, said the researchers. Diets included an alfalfa-based diet, and one with a low, medium and high amount of condensed tannins.

Samples were taken of the silages, total mixed ration, orts and analyzed for dry matter, total nitrogen (N), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF), they said. Milk yield was recorded and samples were taken to check for fat, true protein, lactose, solids-not-fat (SNF), MUN ECM and the efficiency of feed conversion, N utilization and body weight (BW) change were established.

Fecal matter and urine were collected to test for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), NDF, ADF total N and indigestible ADF, they said.

In the second study, 50 cows were given one of five diets for 12 weeks, said the researchers. Diets were fed as TMR and contained (DM basis) 48% AS (covariate and AS control diet), 16% AS plus 32% of 1 of the 3 BFT silages with varying levels of CT, or 48% of a mixture of equal DM from all 3 BFT silages, they added.

Diet samples were collected and tested for DM, ash, OM, total N, NDF and ADF, while milk collected was checked for protein, lactose, SNF, MUN and ECM, they said. Body weights were noted and urine and fecal matter were collected and analyzed.

In the first study, the alfalfa diet had more ash and crude protein, while the mid-level birdsfoot diet had the most ADF and NDF, said the researchers.

Dry matter intake was higher for diets with BFT, and cows on the AS diet lost weight, they said. Milk yield was similar for all diets, but there tended to be more milk protein concentration and true protein yield in the BFT diets.

MUN was reduced linearly with increased BFT and apparent N-efficiency was higher, they said. Apparent digestibility of DM, OM (organic matter), N, NDF and ADF were larger for the alfalfa diet, but fiber digestion did not decline linearly with an increase in CT.

In the second feeding trial, the diet with the most tannins was found to have the most NDF, ADF, neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN), with less N and NPN than the other diets, they said. Cows getting the BFT diets tended to have more DMI and milk yield.

The DMI responses were reflected in linear effects on yield of milk, ECM, fat, true protein, lactose, and SNF, indicating reductions with increasing CT concentration, said the researchers.Milk concentrations of fat, lactose, and SNF were not affected by diet; however, milk true protein was lower on the mixed BFT diet versus the other three BFT diets.

MUN was larger for the AS diet, but apparent N-efficiency was not altered, they said. However, the apparent digestibility of DM, OM and ADF was similar among all diets.

There was a generally positive use from the birdfoot rather than the alfalfa, said Broderick on the results. But, the team was unable to pinpoint the best level of dietary tannin, he added.

However, there could be several reasons for the results found, he said. You have to have cows that are in a position to use the extra protein, if theyre later in lactation or the requirements are met on the control diet, when you increase the supply of metabolizable protein you may not see much response, he added.

If you had access for birdsfoot trefoil forage and you were getting appropriate yield, youd have improved protein utilization and somewhat improved protein yield of the cows with the same amount of protein in the diet, he said was the overall takeaway.

Source: Journal of Dairy Science

Title: Replacing alfalfa silage with tannin-containing birdsfoot trefoil silage in total mixed rations for lactating dairy cows

DOI: doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-12073

Authors: G. Broderick J. Grabber, R. Muck, U. Hymes-Fecht

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Tannins in feed may offer production boost for dairy cattle - FeedNavigator.com

India has an abundance of food items that are nutritious, healthy and locally available without pinching your pocket. One of these many food items is amla or the Indian gooseberry. The small, green fruit is a powerhouse of nutrition and is often referred to as a superfood. Amla has more Vitamin C than an orange and improves your eyesight as well as your hairs texture. Including it your diet can do wonders for your health and body. However, it is important to keep things exciting so that you dont get bored of eating the same thing every day. And so, we have listed different ways to include amla in your diet. (ALSO SEE Top 5 Indian superfoods you should include in your diet)

Drink yourself to good health by having amla juice in the morning. You can even opt for concentrated power shots in tiny shot glasses if you do not want to drink up a whole glass. If you are making a tall glass of amla juice, dilute it with water, add a dash of honey and include other fruits you like to make a yummy drink.

These days, amla is quite popular as a candy too and is easily available in the market. You can try these sweet and tangy candies that add some more taste to the fruit. The candies are bite-sized and you can snack on them every day. Some are sweetened with honey or jaggery while some are spiced with Indian masalas to add a punch of flavour. Pick the one you like and gorge on amla candies every day. (ALSO SEE Foods to improve your immunity)

Amla chutney is another great way to ensure that you get your daily dose of amla. The chutney can be prepared in bulk and stored in the fridge and you can savor it with all meals in small quantities. Many people add green chillies and salt to the chutney to enhance the flavour. You too can make it at home this way and enjoy it with your meals.

Now, we know that consuming too much pickle isnt too good for health due to the large amounts of salt and oil it contains. However, you can safely eat one to two spoonfuls of amla pickle every day. Most amla pickles are water-based and do not contain much salt. They have a short shelf-life but are perfect for adding nutrition to your diet. (ALSO SEE 10 foods that make you look younger)

One of the easiest ways to eat amla is to cut the fruit and eat it raw. To balance the sour taste, sprinkle salt on it. You can also add a dash of red chilli powder. This will help enhance the taste and make it easier to consume the fruit. You can also boil amla in water along with turmeric powder and salt and then eat it once it cools down.

Whichever way you prefer, incorporate amla in your daily diet as it full of health benefits for your body. If you know more ways to eat amla, do share with us in the comments section below.

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How to include more amla in your diet: Top 5 ways to eat amla - India.com

TheHorse.com

More Work Might Mean Your Horse Needs More Calories TheHorse.com Not all horses need a change of diet as their work level increases. Easier keepers might maintain their body weight on a forage diet with a ration balancer even as work intensity increases. Monitoring body condition is important to identify whether ...

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More Work Might Mean Your Horse Needs More Calories - TheHorse.com

Harvesting natures bounty sounds a wonderful idea but knowing which plants are good to eat, and those that are not, is that much easier with an experienced forager at your side. SUE BRADLEY joins a course run by Wiltshires Fred Gillam

STINGING nettles, ground elder, hairy bittercress and dandelions: to a gardener these sound like a whole bunch of weeds, but for Fred the Forager theyre a gourmet feast.

Wiltshire-born Fred Gillam is a big fan of scouring fields, hedgerows and woodlands in search of tasty leaves to add to salads or gently steam and enjoy as a vegetable, and he says the British countryside is more bountiful in delicious things to eat than we might think.

Hes keen to get more people out picking their own wild food, both for the nutrients it contains and the benefits that exposure to nature can bring to our physical and mental health.

Nevertheless he urges beginners to exercise caution when they first set about searching for natural goodies they should equip themselves with a good reference book and, ideally, join an organised forage like the ones he runs to learn whats safe to eat and whats not.

You might think well he would say that, given that he earns money from such activities, but its when he sends us off into a shady woodland to pick the leaves of wild garlic or ramsons as some people know them that the value of spending time with somebody like Fred becomes apparent.

For nestling among the lush and pungent-smelling foliage, like a coiled snake waiting to pounce on its unsuspecting prey, is another type of green leaf that would make a meal memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Lords and ladies, also known by the common names cuckoos pint or Jack-in-the-pulpit, and Arum maculatum under the botanical nomenclature, could cause serious poisoning.

Knowing that it exists, and can often be found growing among clumps of wild garlic, should help to save the budding forager from suffering serious damage.

And, should a lords and ladies leaf be unwittingly placed into a basket, another piece of sterling advice from Fred should root it out later on.

I always tell people to check things as they put them in their basket, check while theyre sorting through and throwing out any twigs that may have fallen in, and check while theyre preparing it to be eaten, he says.

Freds advice is built on a lifetime spent looking for and eating wild food, both in Wiltshire and all over the UK, and his knowledge is such that he is now an internationally recognised fungi specialist who works with Natural England as part of a national cross-organisational panel on the future of foraging. He also represents the Foragers Association in a similar group convened by the Forestry Commission on the future of looking for wild food in the New Forest.

Last month his The Wild Side of Life company was named Trade Monthlys Food & Drink Awards Foraging Education Provider of the Year.

The 48-year-old, who also earns his living as a herbalist, grew up on a private estate in All Cannings near Devizes, where his dad, George, worked as a gardener. It was here that Fred first found an affinity with the countryside, spending his school holidays and weekends exploring, fishing and foraging for tasty wild fruits such as blackberries and damsons that his mum, Pat, would incorporate into the familys home-cooked meals or use to make jams and jellies.

We had a very simple diet back then, says Fred, who now lives in Avebury. There were always lots of vegetables growing in the garden and Mum would always cook with what we brought home, which was quite encouraging.

George took great pleasure in passing on his knowledge of plants to his son and over time Fred began reading up on wild species and increasing his knowledge of what was good to eat. As a teenager he developed an interest he calls it an obsession - with mushrooms and set about learning all he could about the UKs native fungi.

By the time I was 13 I had an understanding of simple things, particularly mushrooms, although there was one occasion, when I was 14, when I managed to poison myself and this taught me great respect for fungi in particular. What happened was that I had a couple of childrens nature books that contained pictures of one or two mushrooms, and I didnt realise there was anything else. Thats why education is so important.

A few hours in Freds company are all thats needed for even the most convenience food-addicted couch potato to start seeing the countryside as not just a pretty place but a veritable larder of fresh produce to enjoy as long as they know what to look for and what to avoid.

Those signing up for his Wild Side of Life courses get to discover the delights of lesser celandine leaves, although were told to go for the young, marbled ones rather than the older specimens, which can be tough and bitter; blackberry shoots, which are best eaten in moderation; garlic mustard, also known as Jack by the Hedge; goosegrass, or cleavers, the bendy tops of which are lovely steamed and said to be a tonic for the lymphatic system, and rib plantain, Plantago lanceolata, the buds and seedheads of which have a mushroomy taste, although Fred doesnt bother with them when theyre actually in flower.

The delicate inner shoots of hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), known as fiddles, are as tasty as asparagus, says Fred, although he cautions that theyre toxic if not first blanched in boiling water for five minutes, with the fluid being discarded, before being sautd in butter with salt and pepper for three minutes. Take care not to mistake common hogweed for the giant version (Heracleum mantegazzianum), the shoots of which are much larger, and avoid it altogether if in any doubt.

Hawthorn leaves, traditionally referred to in rural areas as bread and cheese, contain nutrients that are proven to be good for the heart.

Elderberries are particularly recommended by Fred, both for making a balsamic vinegar substitute and because they contain flavonoids that attack the flu virus and are much cheaper than buying off-the-shelf remedies made from the same ingredients from chemists.

Ground elder now the scourge of gardeners was actually brought to the UK as a vegetable by the Romans, who prized its ability to grow untended. Young tips are great when wilted for 30 seconds and have a celery or gin-like taste, says Fred.

All of these sound well and good, one might think, but stinging nettles?

Freds a big fan of these calcium and vitamin C-packed leaves and uses large amounts of them in his spring cure, a soup made with nutrient-rich wild plants that was traditionally cooked in the West Country to kick-start bodies left lethargic by meat-rich winter diets.

He even eats them raw, and, to prove it, demonstrates a technique for rolling leaves to break down their tiny needles so that they dont sting the throat on their way down.

Many may be surprised to learn that the right to forage is enshrined in law, namely the Theft Act of 1968 that says that picking wild leaves, flowers, fruit and fungi for non-commercial use isnt an offence, although digging up plants is not permitted. This legislation does not provide a defence for trespassing on other peoples land or taking farmers crops, however, and Fred urges those looking to forage on nature reserves to ask permission first as their activities may harm valuable conservation work.

Its a common misconception that foraging is bad for the environment but its not a bad idea; its about foraging intelligently and sustainably, says Fred.

In the past it was especially important that people could forage: during the Second World War the government actually produced two guides to foraging as a way of improving the content of peoples diets.

I encourage people to focus on common plants, those that are regarded as pests, and those that are plentiful. Its also a good idea to be aware of areas of the countryside commonly used for walking dogs. Its a matter of using your common sense.

With all the positives that come from foraging, its surprising that more of us arent including more wild foods in our diets, although, as Fred says, the time constraints of modern life make it more of a luxury than a necessity.

It is hard work and very seasonal: people would have to learn the art of preserving to get them through the winter, which can be pretty bleak for wild food, he says. Its not possible to run a job and then get home and go off looking for plants to eat for supper.

Nevertheless hes keen to spread the word about natural food; the good things known to our ancestors and the benefits that come from being close to nature, so long as we set out into the big wide yonder equipped with the knowledge that will save us from biting off more than we can safely chew.

Visit http://www.thewildsideoflife.co.uk.

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Help yourself to nature's larder - This Is Wiltshire

The arrival of Dr. Marie Collier, a recently hired epilepsy specialist at St. Marys Hospital, means Grand Valley patients wont have to drive across mountains to get care.

By the time many epilepsy patients end up in Dr. Marie Colliers office, they can be desperate for answers. I have a lot of empathy for patients with epilepsy because they tend to be alienated and tend to be discriminated against, Collier said. Im a very strong patient advocate, seeing this group of people disenfranchised solely because they have a disease.

By Katie Langford Monday, April 24, 2017

Dr. Marie Collier specializes in second chances.

As medical director of the epilepsy program at St. Marys Hospital, Collier works with people who have seizure disorders, specifically those with hard to manage cases. Theyre people who have tried myriad medications to prevent seizures with minimal success. By the time theyre in Colliers office, patients can be desperate for answers.

I have a lot of empathy for patients with epilepsy because they tend to be alienated and tend to be discriminated against, Collier said. Im a very strong patient advocate, seeing this group of people disenfranchised solely because they have a disease.

Collier moved to Grand Junction in September to help run the hospitals new epilepsy program, including a new four-bed epilepsy monitoring unit that opened in summer 2016 and thats unique on the Western Slope.

An epilepsy monitoring unit allows doctors, nurses and technicians to monitor patients around the clock by charting the brains electrical activity and other physical symptoms in a safe, controlled environment. In some cases, it means that Collier and her team can safely induce seizures and gather data that helps to better treat a patient.

Collier and her team serve nearly 500 patients who previously had to travel to Denver or Salt Lake City for care.

Dr. Logan McDaneld, a neurologist at St. Marys Hospital, said building the monitoring unit was part of meeting a community need.

Prior to this, patients and their families had to drive to Denver or Salt Lake City, which is time consuming, can be risky in winter and for many families cost prohibitive, he said. In addition, there was no unit over there willing to see Medicaid patients from the Western Slope. So there was a huge gap in the care that patients were able to receive.

And along with a state-of-the-art epilepsy monitoring unit, McDaneld said, the hospital wanted to hire top-notch personnel to run it.

Collier previously worked in Montana as the only board-certified epileptologist in the state.

Since coming to St. Marys Hospital, she has helped secure the hospitals level three certification, which sets us apart and tells people that we maintain a standard of excellence here to be able to provide comprehensive care to patients with complex epilepsy, Collier said. My hope is to get the word out to the community that were here, they dont have to drive over the mountain to get care.

While the new epilepsy unit and advanced technology are important tools, Collier also focuses on treatment options as simple as nutrition, diet, exercise and stress levels.

The more epilepsy patients try medications that fail, the less likely it is that new medications will be effective, Collier said, so exploring every aspect of health is important to a patients success.

Collier said shes looking forward to using more integrative medicine with epilepsy patients and expanding the support network for patients and families who can now receive treatment locally.

This is possible because of a dynamic group of people who were motivated to bring this to the Grand Valley, she said. Theyve been incredibly supportive, and its been really, really cool, seeing on a weekly basis the difference were making in peoples lives. Getting that kind of feedback keeps me going.

More here:
New epilepsy unit at St. Mary's a boon for locals - Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

(Reuters Health) - Consuming too much choline, a nutrient sold in over-the-counter dietary supplements, can boost the risk for blood clots, researchers warn.

Thats because bacteria in the intestines interact with choline to produce a compound that encourages platelets to clump together and form clots.

Choline is found in a variety of foods including meat, eggs and milk. Its whats known as an essential nutrient, which means the body cant make enough choline on its own and so it must be provided in food.

But unless prescribed by your doctor, avoid supplements with choline, said senior study researcher Dr. Stanley L. Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, in a statement.

Hazen and colleagues had previously shown that bacteria in the intestines interact with choline and other dietary nutrients to produce a substance called TMAO, and they linked high levels of TMAO in the blood to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Also, in studies in animals, they linked higher levels of TMAO to a higher risk for blood clots.

Their latest research, reported in the American Heart Associations journal Circulation, shows that choline in food can affect blood clotting risk in humans, and in some cases, that risk can be minimized by taking low-dose aspirin.

In the current study, they gave oral choline supplements to 18 volunteers and then measured TMAO levels, along with the responses of platelets, tiny particles involved in clotting.

After taking the supplements for up to two months, participants had more than 10-fold increases in blood levels of TMAO. The tendency of their platelets to clump together and form clots was also significantly increased, in direct proportion to the increases in TMAO levels.

Aspirin, which reduces the stickiness of platelets, reduced both the increases in TMAO and the increases in platelet clotting associated with choline, but it didn't completely eliminate them, the researchers found.

The findings are of particular concern in people at high cardiovascular risk, whose increased risk of blood clots may not be overcome by low-dose aspirin. The researchers recommend further study.

They also say it's worth exploring whether low-dose aspirin is beneficial in otherwise healthy people with high TMAO in the blood although at this point, they cant explain why the aspirin seemed to bring down TMAO levels.

Dr. Herbert Tilg from Medical University Innsbruck, Austria, who has studied the link between gut microbes and blood clots, told Reuters Health by email, This and earlier studies show that we now definitely have to consider dietary aspects in this context, i.e., diet drives thrombosis risk.

These associations are totally new and unexpected: a link between diet - gut microbiota - and thromboembolic events, he said.

They are extremely relevant for the public and in medicine, given that clots are very, very common and can be fatal, he said.

Tilg added that preventive strategies are needed, and probably aspirin is not sufficient. This needs further studies.

SOURCE: bit.ly/1q3uqj1 Circulation, online April 24, 2017.

Large drugmakers with piles of cash are on the hunt for promising medicines being developed by small companies to treat NASH, a progressive fatty liver disease poised to become the leading cause of liver transplants by 2020.

(Reuters Health) - - Mindfulness-based stress reduction programs (MSBR) appear to improve low back pain only slightly, and only temporarily, a review of previous research suggests.

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Diet and gut bacteria linked with blood clots - Reuters