Category Archives: Diet And Food

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Feeding Type-1 PSSM Horses TheHorse.com Therefore, the most important part of feeding a horse with type-1 PSSM is limiting starch levels and readily available sugar from the diet. When horses require additional calories to maintain a healthy body condition, these should come from fat rather ...

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Feeding Type-1 PSSM Horses - TheHorse.com

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) Most of us put very little thought into the food we eat, but one local family has to think about every bite their little girl takes. A lot of foods could leave her with brain damage.

Two-year-old Norah Kasprzyk has a rare metabolic disorder called Phenylketonuria, which means she doesnt have the liver enzyme needed to process phenylalanine, an amino acid found in protein. Phenylalanine can build to toxic levels in the central nervous systems of people with PKU, leading to mental retardation and other disorders.

Norah Kasprzyk was diagnosed with PKU when she was just days old after the results of the standard heel prick test every newborn gets came back abnormal. Norah was the only baby born with PKU in Western New York in 2014, her mother, Staci, told News 4.

PKU affects about 1 in 10,000 infants born in the United States, and can only be managed through an extremely strict diet and frequent blood tests. Shes on seven grams of proteins for the day, Staci Kazprzyk explained. You have to pre-plan your entire day of eating.

MORE | Click here to learn more about how you can help find a cure and raise awareness about PKU

Maintaining the low-protein diet is extremely difficult. Phenylalanine is in everything from meat to eggs to nuts to dairy; its in all food made with the sugar substitute aspartame; even a lot of vegetables and grains have too much protein for Norah to safely eat.

The family has to specially order a lot food for Norah and its very expensive. The pasta that you and I would eat is a dollar a box at the super market, whereas we have to order her pasta, and its $14 or $15 a pound, Norahs dad, Eddie, said.

Thats nothing compared to the cost of the special PKU formula Norah has to drink every day. Its a version of protein without phenylalanine in it and it costs $40/can.

Its something shes going to be on for the rest of her life, Eddie Kasprzyk pointed out.

Unfortunately, PKU is so rare, insurance doesnt cover a lot of the food and formula needs, which is something the Kasprzyk family is asking lawmakers to change. Theyre heading to D.C. in May to try to get support for the Medical Nutrition Equity Act, which would require the insurance companies to cover the formula.

But, their ultimate goal is for Norah not to need the formula anymore. They want a cure for PKU.

One of my dreams is just to take Norah and get ice cream with her, Eddie Kasprzyk said. Just be able to enjoy a slice of pizza. Just to be a kid.

And be able to eat what everyone eats, be able to go to a birthday party and have cake like everybody else does. Just for her to live a normal life, Staci Kasprzyk added.

Thats why Eddie and Staci are co-chairing the Lifting the Limits for PKU gala fundraiser at the Statler on April 29 as they work to collect money to fund critical research that will hopefully one day find a cure for PKU.

The National PKU Alliance has different research projects that theyre working on currently. Where our money is going currently is stem cell research so we can see if that can possibly help, Staci Kasprzyk explained.

MORE | Click here to buy tickets to the gala or make a donation

You can learn more about the event on Facebook, on the National PKU Alliance website, or by contacting Staci and Eddie Kasprzyk by phone at 716.725.3212 or by email ltlbuffalo2017@gmail.com

2 y.o. Norah has a rare metabolic disorder called PKU. She can't eat more than 7 g of protein a day. Now, her family is fighting for a cure pic.twitter.com/KbMoi2DVUF

Katie Alexander (@KatieNews4) April 18, 2017

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Cheektowaga family fighting to cure PKU - wivb.com

A new study recommends that the peanut-allergic try consuming other nutsbut only under the supervision of a licensed allergist.

Millions of Americans live in fear of thepeanut. And for good reason: These humblelegumes are associated with some of the most severe of all food-related allergic reactions, including life-threatening anaphylaxis. Moreover, studies show that peanut allergies in children have more than tripled from 1997 to 2008, leading to what the National Institutes of Health have deemed a growing public health problem.

Its no wonder that the once-ubiquitous peanut butter and jelly sandwich has been quietly disappearingfrom school menus around the nation. But sadly for the peanut-allergic, the trouble often doesnt end with PB&J. Many also know the frustration of having to studiously avoid chocolate chip cookies with walnuts, candy bars with almonds, ice cream with pistachios, or any other delicious treat made with tree nuts.

After all, as theyve been warned by their doctors, skin and blood test resultsreveal that those with peanut allergies are also often allergic to tree nuts. Better safe than sorry, right?

A new study by a team of allergists suggests that those tests arent as accurate as we thinkmeaningtree nut allergies may be massively overdiagnosed. In many cases, peanut-allergic individuals who studiously avoid other nuts could be doing so without cause, the authors conclude. Not only that, but people who've had an allergic reaction to one type of tree nut may actually be able to eat all the ones they've never triedeven though blood or skin tests suggest otherwise.

Prior to their study, published March 27 in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the authors noted that there was little research on nut allergies beyond peanutswhich are actually legumesthough they weren't sure exactly why. [Allergy]research has focused primarily on peanut, egg, and milk allergies, says Chris Couch, a Phoenix-based allergist and co-author of the study.

To fill that knowledge gap, Couch and his co-authors decided to (very, very carefully) feed tree nuts to a group of people with known peanut or other nut allergies.

The results were eye-opening. The peanut-allergic participants, they found, were able to eat other nuts without incident at a stunning rate of 96 percent. Moreover, more than 50 percent of participants with a known allergy to one tree nut tested negative to the othersmeaning that many of those who had gone their whole life thinking they were allergic to all tree nuts could actually be enjoying other types of nuts.

We want to liberate people's diet as much as we can, says Couch. Unlike a peanut allergy, which renders many types of cuisines off-limits,"it's possible to just avoid one type [of tree nut] if that's all you're allergic tothat cashew or pistachiowhile still eating others.Based on the results, the researchers suggest that more people who have tested positive for tree nut allergies should considertrying small doses of nuts they haven't tried, under the supervision of a licensedallergist.

Couch adds that the uncertainty and fear his patients often experience can be magnified when they believe they or their children are allergic to foods but don't know for sure, because they've never actually tried them. The new findings, he hopes, will relieve a lot of anxiety.

An allergy occurs when your body reacts inappropriately to food or another substance, thinking its an invader. When this happens, your immune system produces antibodies known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight off the allergen. Reactions can vary, but allergic responses to both peanuts and tree nuts are more likely to induce severe reactions including anaphylaxis, a sometimes life-threatening condition in which blood pressure plunges, and breathing can be difficult.

While death by any food allergy is rarefood-related deaths likely total fewer than 50 cases per yearaccording to a study of U.S. healthcare databasesthese allergies are responsible for about 200,000 emergency room visits annually. Besides the obvious psychological cost to the individual, systematically over-diagnosing allergies has a larger economic cost as well. In a study last year, Couch and co-authors calculated that delaying food challenges for a patient who turns out not to be allergiccosts the health care system more than $4,000 per yearfor extraneous services.

An estimated.6 to 1.3 percent of the U.S. population hasa peanut allergy, according to a 2014 report by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. About half that numberhave a tree nut allergy. Given those numberscoupled with the difficulty of determining exactly which kinds of nuts were in different foodsallergists have historically taken a conservative approach to nut allergies. If you've had a reaction showing you're allergic to peanuts or one kind of tree nut, manyadvised simply avoiding all other tree nuts.

According to the new study, though, the assumption that one nut allergy is usually linked to other nut allergies may not always be true. The allergists studied 109 people with known allergies to one type of tree nut, because they'd had a physically adverse reaction in the past. Such patients are considered more likely to have other nut allergies, and indeed,study participants did often test positive for allergies to nuts other than the type that had caused their reaction.

But upon trying some ofthose other nuts for the first time, more than half of them found that they had no ill effectsmeaning that despite blood and skin test results, they weren't allergic after all.Almonds were a special case: 100 percent of participants passed the almond challenge, with cashews being the most likely tree nut to cause a reaction.

(It should be noted that oral food challenges can be dangerous and should never be attempted at home, the researchers caution. These tests took place in a controlled environment, with researchers feeding participants carefully measured doses of food and closely monitoring them for any reaction. At the first sign of allergy, like flushing skin or hives, the test was stopped and the patient can be given any needed medical treatment.)

Andrew MacGinnitie, clinical director of immunology at Boston Children's Hospital, says the research supports an emerging consensus among many allergists that they aren't challenging enough kids. We know from this work and other work, that the testing we have now isn't very good for predicting who's going to have a reaction and who isn't, says MacGinnitie, who wasn't involved with the new study. There can be two people with identical testing and one will react during a food challenge, and one won't.

The study also paid close attention to participants who reported known peanut allergies. Researchers had those 46 peanut allergic patients take 68 different food challenge tests with various tree nuts. Surprisingly, the peanut-allergic participants passed allergy tests for other nuts at the high rate of 96 percent. We found that the pass rate for tree nut challenges was pretty high for people with peanut allergiesand that's a little different from previous studies, Couch says.

It's a common clinical situation that we test someone who has reacted to peanut, and is clearly allergic to peanut, and their tests also show much lower values to tree nuts, MacGinnitie adds. Our practice has been to tell those people to avoid tree nuts. But I think that this study sort of shows that we are wrong about that and a lot more of those patients could tolerate tree nuts.

Food allergy tests, whether blood tests or skin prick tests, work by detecting the levels of IgE (the antibodies your body produces) that are associated with the food you've consumed. But that association isn't ironclad, notesMatthew Greenhawt, an allergist at the Children's Hospital of Colorado and a co-author on the study. Greenhawt is also a panel member on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseasess Guidelines for Peanut Allergy Prevention and a member of physician and medical advisory boards for Aimmune, Nutricia, Kaleo Pharmaceutical, Nestle and Monsanto.

In cases where no antibodies are detected the test results are pretty easy to interpret, says Greenhawt. It's very hard to be allergic without any antibody detection, he says. But the presence of antibodies, we have a much harder time interpreting that, ... For example, you might test positive to a tree nut because you're allergic to birch pollen, which is in the air in your region. The test is detecting an antibody that's there, but it doesn't have the context that you needand these things look alike.

By giving food challenges to people whose test results show nut allergy at varying levels of IgE antibodies, Couch and Greenhawt hope tohelp identify new thresholds at which people would benefit from taking a food test. They suggest that in many cases, because of the inaccuracies in skin and blood tests they describe, those who tested positive actually had a 50/50 chance of passing a food test. Hopefully, this is a reasonable ratio that could encourage providers to offer more testing, Greenhawt says.

Currently the ratio used for recommending a food challenge is often much higher than that, MacGinnitie adds. There's no exact ratio that's correct but I think it should be a lot closer to 50/50 than to 90/10.

Testing decisions should also be individualized and factor in patient choices, MacGinnitie adds. He describes a situation that was recently documented by Robert Wood at Johns Hopkins:

If you have a kid you know is allergic to five tree nuts, and has reacted to those, clearing her for Brazil nut probably isn't very important to her, he says. On the other hand, what if you have some kid whose only thought to be allergic to almonds and he is about to go off to college? Even if it's only 20 or 30 percent likely that he's not allergic, because of the chance that he can eat safely at the dining hall and not carry an EpiPen, taking a food challenge might be worth it.

So yes, just because youre allergic to peanuts or one type of tree nutdoesnt necessarily mean you cant eat all the others. But until you've spoken with your licensed allergist and undergone the appropriate food challenges, you'd still be nuts to try eating them on your own.

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Tree Nut Allergies May Be Massively Overdiagnosed - Smithsonian

CONOVER Two Catawba County men who became friends through their mutual love of running will compete in the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Chris Fulbright, 45, of Conover, began running four years ago when he was trying to lose weight, and soon developed a passion for it.

For Fulbright, running is about more than just exercise.

For me, I always say, what do I love about running? Friendship and medals, Fulbright said.

It was through running that Fulbright met his friend, William Adair, of Newton, who will be joining him at the Boston Marathon.

Adair, who turns 49 this year, ran in high school and college but only resumed running in the last six years when his children began to show an interest.

Fulbright has already run six marathons, and Adair has run three.

Both see the Boston Marathon as the highest goal.

I would say the Boston Marathon is the pinnacle for a runner to achieve, Fulbright said.

Being a part of the Boston Marathon means running alongside the best in the world, Adair said.

And honestly, I mean, the worlds best marathoners want to win that race, Adair said. For average people like us to even have the opportunity to step to the same start line that world class athletes are stepping to, thats pretty humbling.

To run in the Boston Marathon, a runner must either meet a qualifying time in an officially recognized marathon, or participate as part of a charity.

Fulbright qualified for the Boston Marathon at the Peak to Creek Marathon in October 2015 with a time of 3 hours; 14 minutes; 56 seconds.

Adair qualified in March 2016 at the Myrtle Beach Marathon with a time of 3 hours; 22 minutes; 19 seconds.

And for runners, seconds do count, Fulbright.

Both men began training for the Boston Marathon in late 2016, with Fulbright starting in November and Adair starting on Christmas.

For both Adair and Fulbright, the 22-mile runs have been the most challenging part of practice.

Weather also has played a role in making the 22-mile runs difficult, with Adair running it in hot weather and Fulbright running it in windy conditions.

Nutrition also plays a key role in the mens marathon training with the men eating diets that emphasize protein and carbohydrates.

Fulbright likes chicken and bagels, while Adair likes fish and almonds.

Soda and sugar are to be avoided, Adair said.

I think at our age, too, its that your rest days are as important, or maybe more important, than your workout days, Adair said. You cannot work out every day.

Adair said he typically works out five days and rests two during marathon training, while Fulbright typically works out six days and rests one.

As the day of the race closed in, the strenuous part of the training was behind them.

While they would take some easy runs in the week before the marathon, that time is largely a rest period, Adair said.

Adair said the time just before the race is an anxious time.

Youre pretty much now at the top point where theres not a whole lot you can do right now to get any better, but you can sure do a lot of things in the next 10 days to make it worse, Adair said.

Theres a lot of things that can get in the way in 10 days.

Fulbright himself recently injured his calf and has been undergoing therapy, but said he believes it will not prevent him from running the best he can in the marathon.

Both men agree running a marathon is more than just a physical activity.

Running a mile or running a 5K is physicalbut if youre on your feet for 3.5 hours, its mental, Adair said.

In the early parts of the race, one of the biggest issues is pacing and keeping the excitement in check, Fulbright said.

The beginning, youre just trying to control your anxiety, your emotions, youre just trying to keep calm, in check, because youre just so excited to get started, Fulbright said.

Each of the men has developed ways of dealing with the mental aspects of the marathons.

Adair likes to set smaller goals for himself, like focusing on making it to the next mile marker, rather than thinking of the total amount of distance he has left or how fatigued he is.

For Fulbright, getting in with a group of people who are running the same pace and striking up conversation is helpful.

Both of the men also spoke of the support they received from family members and fellow runners at a group called Run Time Races.

Mike Lawson, their friend and informal running coach, also has been a major source of inspiration for both men.

Lawson knows the emotion that comes with running the Boston Marathon, having run it himself last year only two months after tearing his meniscus.

You feel like an elite runner, like a pro and its just a rush, Lawson said in a phone interview.

The only advice Lawson has for Adair and Fulbright is to take in the experience.

It doesnt matter what your time is, Lawson said. You made it.

Enjoyment ranks high as a goal for both Fulbright and Adair, along with just finishing the marathon.

The men also have specific time goals.

Adair would like to run a 3 hour 25 minute marathon, while Fulbright wants to make a 3 hour 30 minute time.

They also want to re-qualify for the Boston Marathon at the race.

For those seeking to get started in running, the men have simple advice.

Put some shoes on and go, Adair said.

They also recommended Run Time Races, which holds races and is open to runners of a variety of different paces, Adair said.

In addition to Fulbright and Adair, three other Catawba County residents will be running in the marathon.

Kenneth Little, of Conover, and Chris Mundy, of Hickory, qualified for the marathon, while Crystal Olson, of Hickory, will participate as part of a charity, Fulbright said.

For more information on Run Time Races, visit http://runtimeraces.com.

Excerpt from:
Catawba County residents, friends to compete in 'pinnacle' of race at Boston Marathon - Hickory Daily Record

The diets of athletes vary greatly from one sport to another. Some athletes, such as wrestlers, follow a very strict diet that is designed to limit their calories and help them maintain their body weight. Others load up on carbs and protein to facilitate their tough workouts.

Swimmers fall in the latter category and have been known to eat a tremendous amount of calories every day. In 2008, the 12,000-calorie per day diet of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps went viral during the Beijing Olympics, and people were blown away by just how much Phelps ate. The swimmers diet included two pounds of pasta, a full pizza, three slices of french toast and three pancakes.

While Phelps diet is definitely an extreme, it is not uncommon for swimmers to eat colossal amounts of food. Soren Dahl, a senior on the NC State swimming and diving team and member of the 2016 Danish Olympic team, discussed his daily eating habits.

Im not sure how big my calorie intake is exactly, Dahl said. I do know for sure that I dont think about or care what I eat exactly. I can just eat whatever I want to, because the workouts are so hard and take so much out of me. Basically, I need to keep on eating all day. I have probably about five meals a day, spread out over the day.

Dahl doesnt count his calories because he doesnt need to. Swimming is widely regarded as one of the hardest workouts, and a student-athlete who spends hours in the pool each day doing it competitively burns enough calories to eat whatever they want.

For Dahl, the day consists of multiple, high-calorie meals to help fuel him. He uses a mix of on-campus dining options and food at home to sustain him throughout the day. His meals are big and he eats all kinds of foods.

I start out in the morning having oatmeal and some sort of protein probably like an omelet or something, Dahl said. Later in the day, around 10 or 11, I will eat some fruit or some snacks, something like that. Then I eat a big lunch around 1. Usually, I go to the Atrium and get a wrap and then maybe two orders of fries. Theres a chance Ill get a sandwich or something too.

At NC State, student-athletes have the option to eat at Case Dining Hall for dinner. While Case is open to all students for breakfast and lunch, in the evening it is exclusive to student-athletes and is somewhere that Dahl frequents for dinner. He said he normally eats two plates of food. He also eats a late-night snack before bed, which he said was normally some form of protein.

While Dahl likes to dine at the on-campus options, he also enjoys meals off-campus as well. He says his favorite places are sushi restaurants and Which Wich. He also expressed that his favorite meal from his homeland of Denmark was called kebabs, which are similar to Greek gyros.

While the dining halls and other options on States campus are enough to fuel the Olympian, Dahl was able to experience a whole new level of dining halls while in Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Dahl said along with a McDonalds, he was able to experience all kinds of foods in the Olympic Village.

They had a humongous dining hall, Dahl said. Probably like 15 times the size of any of the dining halls here on campus. They had eight or nine different stations. They had an Asian station, then African food and European food and American food. A lot of different kinds of foods.

Dahl eats a lot and often, maybe not quite as much as Phelps, but still an incredible amount compared to the average person. Many may envy this type of diet; however, it is well earned by swimmers for the amount of work that they put into the pool.

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Dahl carves Olympic appetite - N.C. State University Technician Online

Isanti Family Chiropractic Clinic Announces Availability of DOT Physicals P&T Community Other types of medication, or control via diet, are permissible. For blood sugar, the maximum level is 200. "The DOT exam ensures that Minnesota drivers are in good enough condition to safely operate their trucks. It involves a quick and simple set of ... and more »

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Isanti Family Chiropractic Clinic Announces Availability of DOT Physicals - P&T Community

From teas to casseroles, certain flowers have been on man's dinner table throughout history. Archaeologists have even found evidence that flowers were part of prehistoric man's diet. The Romans, the Chinese and even the Victorians embraced the beauty and culinary marvels flowers could offer. You can wow modern crowds with a little research and careful selection of just the right flower to serve in a gastronomic coup.

Day lilies, cornflowers, begonias, hibiscus, lilacs, marigolds and more will soon be dressing your landscape, but some could have them dressing their dinner table as well. Edible flowers are everywhere in our gardens, but to take advantage of their culinary attributes one needs to educate themselves.

The first and most important rule is to understand not every flower is safely consumable. Some can really make you sick, and some are not recommended if you have certain conditions like asthma, allergies or hay fever. With all the resources available to an individual today doing your homework as to the characteristics of a certain flower is not a difficult task. In short don't sample something and then research it - research it first and then sample knowing its makeup.

As you plan your edible garden, ready the space as if you would any other garden area making sure the soil is ready and in a sunny well-drained location. Try to plan it in a convenient location close to the kitchen if possible. Choose your flowers so that you have an edible blooming from spring through fall. Annuals are good from May to October, but your perennials usually have a particular time to bloom and then they fade.

If you are going to use flowers in your favorite recipes forgo using pesticides and other chemicals in the garden. Only harvest flowers where you can confirm their growth history. Just because its growing wild beside the road doesn't mean it hasn't had something dumped on it as it grew out of the soil. The best advice is it's always better to be safe than sorry, so choose a well known organically grown flower.

When you first select flowers for your favorite recipes - whether it be a salad or a soup - use them sparingly to see how their taste adds to your dish. The flowers usually have a similar but spicier taste than the leaf of the same plant, and you can add more next time if you so desire. As you use flowers in your recipes realize that sometimes the center or stamen can offer a bitter taste, so remove them. Again do your homework so you will know what parts of the flower are best to use. For example, all parts of the honeysuckle are edible but with roses and chrysanthemums only the petals are consumable.

As you go about harvesting your pretties for the day's salad, plan to pick in the morning or evening. The best time is morning after the dew has evaporated and the blossoms are cool. Choose only the best perfect blossoms, store them in a plastic container in the fridge, and gently wash them just before adding them to your recipe.

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Edible flower garden takes research, planning - Huntington Herald Dispatch

A Swadlincote doctor has warned parents of the dangers of childhood obesity following new research which revealed that only eight per cent of 11 to 18-year-olds are eating the recommended five portions of fruit or vegetables every day.

The figures were published by the World Cancer Research Fund, which found that overall, youngsters in this age group consume just 2.8 portions each.

Figures collated from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which assessed the diet of the general population of the UK, showed that eight per cent of boys in this age group managed their five-a-day compared with nine per cent of girls.

The charity, which has launched a new recipe website, said the figures were "seriously worrying" as a diet low in fruit and vegetables could increase a person's risk of lung, mouth, pharynx and larynx cancer in later life.

Now Dr Buk Dhadda, GP partner at Swadlincote Surgery in Darklands Road, said that "child obesity levels are on the rise".

Dr Dhadda said: "Childhood obesity is increasing which leads to significant health issues both in childhood and in later life, including increasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, as well as having an indirect effect on mental health, which puts significant strain on health services as well as the individuals affected.

"Obesity is related to lifestyle, both in terms of diet and levels of activity. Tackling these during childhood is essential if we are going to help people lead more healthy and active lives into adulthood and we need to impress upon our younger population the importance of this.

Only eight per cent of 11 to 18-year-olds eat the recommended portions of fruit and vegetables. (Getty Images)

"Having a healthy, balanced diet is essential and that also means looking at taking the five portions of fruit and vegetables a day as well as reducing intake of unhealthy foods and soft drinks. Only by looking after our children well will be ensure a healthier future for them as adults."

However, it isn't only children dodging the vegetables as the study found that only 29 per cent of adults aged between 19 and 64 manage to eat five portions a day, compared with 36 per cent of over-65s.

A recent study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, found that consuming 10 portions of fruit and vegetables every day could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

While eating the recommended five a day still helped reduce disease risk, the highest benefits were seen when people consumed 10 portions, researchers found.

World Cancer Research Fund says its new website, Real Recipes, provides meal tips which have been checked by qualified nutritionists and are backed by the charity's cancer prevention evidence.

Sarah Toule, head of health information at the charity, said: "These figures are seriously worrying, so we decided to do our bit to encourage people of all ages to fill up on healthy, homemade dishes featuring lots of fruit and veg. We know from our global research that eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight are two major steps you can take to reduce your risk of cancer.

"The younger these healthy habits are developed, the easier they are to maintain into adulthood. Real Recipes is a site where you can trust all the recipes to be healthy, as well as helping reduce your risk of cancer."

Dr Louis Levy, head of nutrition science at Public Health England, said: "Children need a variety of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. It is vital for a healthy diet and to help children avoid becoming overweight, a problem which they are likely to carry into adulthood.

"Managing portion sizes and reducing their intake of salt, saturated fat and sugar will help children maintain a healthy weight and minimise the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers later in life."

To find out more visit: http://www.wcrf-uk.org/realrecipes

Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps children and teenagers grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases - such as heart disease, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer and being overweight or obese.

Children's growing bodies require good nutrition, and fruits and vegetables contain a multitude of vitamins, minerals and other healthy compounds. Citrus fruits and strawberries are rich in immune system-boosting vitamin C, carrots are loaded with eye-healthy vitamin A and spinach is a good source of iron, a mineral that helps prevent anaemia.

Eating fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colours will provide a wide range of nutrients that help keep kids healthy.

Fruit and vegetables are a key part of the diet, whether you are a child or an adult. Getty Images

Fruits and vegetables are high in filling fibre, but low in fat and calories and high-fibre foods, such as fruits and vegetables, help the digestive system function properly.

Children with healthy diets, including high consumption of fruits and vegetables, performed better on academic tests than children who consumed fewer fruits and vegetables in a study published in the April 2008 issue of the "Journal of School Health."

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Swadlincote GP's warning as it's revealed only eight per cent of children eat enough fruit and veg - Burton Mail

Alex Lasker, AOL.com

Apr 14th 2017 4:18PM

Brunchers of the world, rejoice -- mimosas are about to get a hell of a lot healthier.

Casa Gancia, a sparkling wine producer based in Piedmont, Italy, is currently rolling out a new product called Gancia Leggero, a "light" prosecco that only has 65 calories per glass.

Gancia Leggero, which means "light" in Italian, also has 75 percent less sugar than your garden variety prosecco.

Yes, you read that right -- no more sugar head aches!

However, just because Gancia Leggero has less calories doesn't mean it's watered down -- the diet beverage still clocks in at 11.5% alcohol.

Unfortunately, Americans will have to wait for quite some time to get their hands on these guilt-free bubbles.

Gancia Leggero will only be available at select London pubs for the next six months, with a larger U.K. rollout expected later this year.

If you're itching to try it sooner, we suggest looking up flight prices.

More from AOL.com: Take a look inside this Italian villa that Hollywood's biggest stars keep on coming back to As Trump defends O'Reilly, Fox uses 'Access Hollywood' tape in harassment seminars Street style tip of the day: Contrasting whites

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Diet Prosecco is now a thing that exists - AOL

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"What we get out of our bodies is a direct result of what we put in. Food is fuel, and we believe that food can help you achieve and sustain your peak performance." -- Tom Brady, on the packaging for the official TB12 Performance Meals

I first noticed those words from the New England Patriots quarterback scrawled on the delivery box in a violent red that looked like B-movie blood as I dunked the last bite of Buffalo chicken pizza into a melted Chunky Monkey container. (Don't judge me. I was out of ranch dressing.) Tom Brady's Goop-for-bros personal brand, TB12, recently joined forces with meal subscription service Purple Carrot on a line of health-centric feasts, and I was intent on unpacking its purportedly nutritious secrets.

I am no fan of high-performance diets, or, as a die-hard New Yorker, of Brady himself. But I do respect the guy, especially his ability to achieve unprecedented heights of success while effortlessly lying to everyone in America. So I figured, What the hell, maybe I can actually learn something from this Bill Belichick-approved goon. Instead of treating my body like a Pats fan scarfing down buckets of deep-fried Oreos at Gillette, I would start treating my body like this living legend who doesn't even care if he chops his thumb off in the name of healthy eating.

Of course, this meant ordering Brady's Purple Carrot meal plan, based around his insanely weird diet. He doesn't eat fruit. Or dairy. Or even freakin' eggplants. But I read somewhere that "what we get out of our bodies is a direct result of what we put in," so I ponied up for a week's worth of meals and submitted fully to the constraints of his diet.

Would I reach Peak Performance? Would my already disproportionately attractive significant other turn into a disproportionately attractive Brazilian significant other? Would I get a six-pack?

The Brady meal plan arrived on a Tuesday in the typical trappings of any meal delivery service. There were copious amounts of packaging, laminated menus, and enough dry ice to kill a small dog.

Noticeably, no photos of Tom Brady were included inside the package, but I did find a lovely "handwritten" inspirational message from the five-time Super Bowl-winning QB that assured me he was on this journey to Peak Performance right there with me. Neat! I promptly framed the letter and hung it where my diploma used to be.

I've had some experience with Purple Carrot, the gratingly vegan meal-plan service. Compared to competitors (like Blue Apron), it's definitely not easy to prepare. Especially for a person like me. I can't even make toast without starting a forest fire, and I don't even live near the woods.

The first meal was an appealing "white lentil risotto -- a 'creamy comfort dish.'" It seemed like every ingredient was a root vegetable, and they all had at least two or more names: gold beets, ivory white lentils, frisee lettuce. It was the kind of shit you might roll your eyes at as a waiter rattles off daily specials at an overrated bistro where they serve food encased in a sideways Mason jar.

But, it did include a delightful broccoli-cauliflower mutant hybrid hilariously dubbed "the broccoflower." It was electric green and easily the most enchanting vegetable experience of my life, aside from that talking rutabaga I met at Burning Man.

I won't bore you with the minutiae of cooking, but Brady & Co. basically want everything in their diet to be minced into oblivion. If you don't have a sous chef on hand, you might want to check out Craigslist. If you don't have carpal tunnel on hand, you will. The step headers were pretty standard, except they kind of gave off this pseudo-drill sergeant vibe:

Step 2: Knife Skills!

Step 4: Get Dressed

Step 5: Plate It Up!

I took particular offense to Step 5, because if I want to gorge my gullet to Peak Performance by eating straight out of the skillet like an animal, I have every right to.

But I didn't. I portioned two generous servings and, unsurprisingly, found all that hard work paid off. Despite being practically vegan (a great name for a reality show) and directly sponsored by every Massholes adopted god, the meal was excellent. Like, I would eat this by choice. And ultimately, I really only like to eat things by choice.

We were off to a good start.

After eating the Brady meal plan for a day, I noted some minor improvements in my life. When I went on a run later that evening, I found I had more energy than previous nights where I would have probably eaten some variance of Buffalo chicken pizza dipped in Chunky Monkey.

And while Purple Carrot's meal plan only comes with two servings of three different meals, I had a thought: Why limit myself to only one serving size of excellence per day? Why not buy into Brady's theory of energy and double down? It was likely the only way I could reach Peak Performance without being bit by a radioactive spider.

That meant I had to adopt Brady's rigid diet rules to every meal. Basically, he only eats organic food. No gluten. No white sugar. No white flour. No caffeine. No dairy. And certainly no schnitzel with noodles. This is unfortunate, as those are a few of my favorite things.

He stays away from fruit almost entirely and throws shade at nightshades. About 85% of what he eats are vegetables. The rest is pretty much super-lean meats and wild grains. But he does drink alcohol every once in a while (probably during the off-season). So I had that going for me.

I threw away everything I actually liked in my fridge, timed another mile run, and played a game of catch with my girlfriend, as a way to compare my progress later.

Look, this was not going to be easy. But Tom Brady didn't get all the way to the top just by being smug and maybe-cheating-just-a-little-bit sometimes, did he?

It had been four days since I began, and holy shit. This was not fun.

The first thing that really kicked my ass was the cold-turkey caffeine hiatus. I don't so much enjoy a morning cup of coffee, as need it to function. If I could freebase my cortado, I would. It took me a few days to adjust.

I was walking around my life in a very un-Brady fashion. Sleepy. Hungry. Randomly eating cashews and baby carrots because that was pretty much the only TB12-approved snacking at Thrillist HQ.

I cracked into another meal plan for dinner, the crispy turnip cakes -- which included my favorite step header: "TA-TA-TABBOULEH!" The finished product made eating like a pseudo-vegan, excellence-obsessed athlete delicious, even if it took me one hour and approximately 61 profanities to make. (That's more than one swear word per minute -- Gordon Ramsay territory.)

When I wasn't eating my Purple Carrot meals (which, after the risotto, I learned I could stretch into three servings), I was basically eating baby carrots and cashews as snacks. For bigger meals? One night, I found the most local steak I could, outside of killing the cow myself with my laptop, and had that alongside some brown rice. Another, I just bought a salad from Sweetgreen and picked out all the naughty bits. A third night, I ate limp chicken without the skin for dinner and washed it down with some baby carrots.

This may sound bleak, but the diet began to get easier by the day, which was an upside. The downside? Eating this way is super-expensive and time-consuming and my wallet was feeling it. The traditional Purple Carrot meals cost $68 (three meals, two servings each), with the same deal at Blue Apron costing about $60. The Brady deal cost $78 -- possibly because Peak Performance don't come cheap. That is $18 more per week, or $936 every year. And these meals take at least an hour to make, no matter what the recipe sheet says. Paying premium prices for organic meat and what seemed like a lifetime supply of baby carrots for the rest of my meals was not inexpensive, either.

All of these issues probably would have been promptly solved with an NFL-sized paycheck and a personal chef. But alas, eating like Tom Brady doesn't actually turn you into Tom Brady.

Living, cooking, and eating like the GOAT is decidedly not as effortless as a prime Randy Moss slant. It's a fucking ordeal. It's Gronk bowling over three linemen then blowing out both knees. It's waiting seven rounds to be drafted while your mom stares at you. It's playing Eli Manning in a game that matters (too soon?).

But -- I could feel myself feeling better. As someone who has subjected his body (and diet) to numerous tests in the name of a paycheck, I know that it pretty much takes close to a week to begin to really know how a change like this can affect you. And in this case, I wasn't drastically changing my life, I was just eating super clean.

I could tell things were moving more fluidly. I did in fact have more energy. And, I just had the indescribable feeling that can only be referred to as "oh, yeah, this right here." Like I was the Tin Man, and baby, I just got oiled.

I no longer craved the food of mortal men. I was eating my veggies, with a side of veggies, and some baby carrots in between. I saved my final Purple Carrot meal for my last night: a ramen bowl with whole-grain soba noodles.

And as I sat over my steaming bowl of soupy noodles, with a glass of Gray Goose vodka on the rocks on the side (for some reason, I feel like this is the only booze Brady would drink), I thought about my brief but brilliantly bright journey into the world of Tom Brady's diet.

When I ran that night, I clocked in almost a full 30 seconds faster than the week before. Plus, the existential dread I'd held in my heart since reading The Stranger in eighth grade seemed to be drifting away. And when I played catch again with my girlfriend, I asked her if my excellence bar had been noticeably raised. She said, "Um, yeah, I guess," which I took as a minor success.

I had reached Peak Performance.

I took a swig of my ramen broth, chased it with some vodka (or, maybe the other way around), and came to my conclusion: Is Tom Brady the GOAT because he eats like Gwyneth Paltrow on a CrossFit challenge? Probably not. But it definitely does not hurt.

Going forward, it's doubtful I will stick to this diet. Mainly because -- even with the Purple Carrot meals -- it's just a little too hindering to my everyday life. And it precludes me from eating Buffalo chicken, in all its forms. But, I respect the hell out of anyone who can do it... including Brady.

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Wil Fulton is a staff writer for Thrillist. He already had a six-pack, full disclosure. Follow him @wilfulton.

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