Category Archives: Diet And Food

Dr. Vijay Bindingnavele joined us on 3 News First Edition to talk about the importance of adding fiber to your diet.

KIII 8:00 AM. CST February 19, 2017

CORPUS CHRISTI (KIII NEWS) - Constipation is a relatively common problem, but one, that can be avoided by sticking to a diet that is high in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Dr. Vijay joined us this morning, to talk more about fiber and what is recommended in order to keep things flowing properly.

Dr. Vijay said, there have recently been reports of laxatives causing serious health problems. This can occur particularly if they are used incorrectly or by those who should not be using them. Constipation is a relatively common problem and one that can be avoided by sticking to a diet that is high in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. This would give you the amount of fiber that is recommended and would help greatly in keeping bowel movements regular. When this alone doesn't work, then prunes or prune juice usually does the trick. When this also doesn't work and this problem occurs frequently, then a trip to your physician would be best. He or she may be able to identify changes in your diet that may help regularize your system.

( 2017 KIII)

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Dr. is In: The Importance of adding Fiber to your Diet - KIII TV3

Posted: 12:00 a.m. Sunday, February 19, 2017

The reduction from five to three lanes, with better bike lanes, came up in a study of the U.S. 183 corridor.

Just to calm the waters up around the Arboretum, if I can, know first that the city of Austin is not about to narrow Jollyville Road from its current five lanes to three lanes. At least not in the next few years.

City transportation officials told me this last week, and I believe them. So Northwest Austin residents who have been atwitter about the possibility after it emerged as an option in an ongoing study of improvements in the U.S. 183 corridor for active transportation (cycling and walking, basically) can probably relax for now.

But the prospect of Austin officials putting the key thoroughfare on a road diet, something the city has already done to about 45 other road segments in Austin, provides a timely excuse to kick it around here. No doubt youve noticed the changes around town over the past 15 years or so, primarily the conversion of four-lane city streets to three lanes (a travel lane in each direction and a center left-turn lane), with wide bike lanes.

The city maintains, with what seems to be credible backing from studies and national transportation regulators, that for roads with traffic loads under 20,000 vehicles a day, cutting out a through lane in each direction can actually make things better for drivers. And, of course, for bicyclists, who typically would go from having no bike lane, or slender ones delineated only by painted stripes, to having a wide lane in each direction possibly protected by curbs or pylons.

The theory, as laid out in a May 2015 city report on right-sizing streets, is that the real traffic choke points on most four-lane streets are the intersections, not the stretches in between. That report says that at an intersection with a traffic signal, just 600 vehicles an hour can make it through the intersection on each lane. So if there are two lanes at the intersection (and those intersection lanes are typically retained in road diets), thats 1,200 cars an hour.

But the through lanes, the city argues, can each carry 1,800 cars per hour. So one lane, under this line of reasoning, is roomy enough to handle 50 percent more vehicles than can actually make it through the intersection.

On the upside (leaving the cyclists out of the argument for the moment), having a center turn lane or a median with left-turn bays means that oncoming cars have a 10- to 12-foot buffer zone. If a car strays out of its lane, it would be less likely to collide with an oncoming car. And there are fewer rear-end collisions as well, the argument goes, because people in a four-lane configuration might come up on a left-turning car unexpectedly and be unable to stop in time.

Nationwide right-sizing studies, that 2015 report says, typically observe between 19 percent and 47 percent reductions in overall crashes.

Oddly wide range, but, OK.

Back to Jollyville, which the careful reader might have noted above is a five-lane street, not a four-lane one. That means it already has the vehicle safety benefits associated with a center turn lane. So the question, to the extent that at some point the city will be mulling it for real, is whether the loss of a vehicle lane in each direction is worth the added safety for cyclists.

I asked city officials whether the city had actually done any five-lane to three-lane road diets in Austin. I was surprised to hear that it has occurred eight times: on Shoal Creek Boulevard north of Steck Avenue, Harris Ridge Boulevard near Parmer Lane, Grove Boulevard north of Riverside Drive, Mesa Drive north of Spicewood Springs Road, Rutherford Lane near Cameron Road, Northcross Drive west of Burnet Road, Middle Fiskville Road north of Koenig Lane and East 51st Street west of U.S. 183.

However, all of those road sections have traffic volumes less than the section of Jollyville under study, according to Nathan Wilkes, an engineer with the Austin Transportation Department.

Jollyville Road at two spots between Great Hills Drive on the south and Spicewood Springs Road on the north had 18,000 to 19,000 vehicles a day in counts taken last year, Wilkes said. That means it is bumping up against that recommended limit for road diets.

What about bicycles, I asked Miller Nuttle, the campaigns director for BikeAustin, which supports road diets? He didnt have a count.

So I went out Wednesday morning to Jollyvilles intersection with Braker Lane to get a look at both the car and bike volumes during rush hour. I stayed for 90 minutes, starting about 7 a.m. It was a sunny day with temperatures in the low 40s, admittedly chilly for biking but about normal for mid-February.

My best estimate of vehicle volumes, based on counting cars going southbound during the 80-second green light cycles? About 1,500 per hour in that most prominent morning direction. The flow of cars was sporadically thick and pretty speedy. But I never really saw any congestion. No car had to wait through more than a single cycle of the light at Braker.

As for bicycles, well, I saw just 10 in those 90 minutes, and only four going southbound. For a 45-minute period starting at 7:32 a.m., not a single bicycle went by in either direction. Those four southbounders would amount to 0.3 of 1 percent of the total volume of cars and bikes.

Consider how much of the 60-foot-wide, curb-to-curb road would go to bikes 40 percent under a reduction to three car lanes, and the disparity is pretty stark.

Nuttle, perhaps anticipating that very few cyclists currently brave Jollyvilles unseparated bike lanes, said it is a chicken-and-egg situation. People wont ride bikes in significant numbers, he said, until Austin has a connected network of all ages and abilities bike lanes wide and/or protected pathways, or off-street trails but the lack of bike volume is used as damning evidence to argue against spending the money (and allocating asphalt) to build those better bikeways.

Maybe so. Its a theory. Austin has done a lot to help cyclists over the past 10 years or so, and, while there has been some added usage, bike commuting has yet to mushroom. Were still looking at less than 1.5 percent overall, based on the U.S. Census Bureaus 2013 American Community Survey, with something like 10 percent in the core of the city, according to bike advocates here. And Jollyville is far away from that core.

The study was occasioned by the coming expansion of U.S. 183 with four toll lanes, and two added free lanes, between MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) and RM 620. Officials decided it would be too dangerous to put an off-street bike path along U.S. 183 because of all the business driveways through there and decided to look at nearby thoroughfares such as Jollyville.

The early version shows that five lanes could be maintained, with off-street bike lanes, for $42 million. The three-lane version is cheaper: $15 million.

City officials said nothing will happen until the U.S. 183 expansion is done, perhaps five years from now.

Maybe with all that added capacity nearby taking some of Jollyvilles current traffic, they said, the street could thrive in a slimmed down version. But thats a fight for another time.

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Could Jollyville Road drivers survive a 'road diet'? - MyStatesman.com

Feeding is a complicated science never more so than with a competition horse aiming for peak performance. Emily Bevan sorts the facts from the fiction

One of the golden rules of feeding is to be consistent, so making any sudden changes to your horses diet, particularly ahead of a competition when you are wanting him to perform at his best, is never a good idea.

An abrupt dietary change can increase the risk of colic, plus during exercise horses, like humans, use stored energy sources not energy directly from their previous meal, says Spillers competition nutritionist Yvonne Judith. This instant energy may also cause behavioural issues in some horses the last thing you want before a competition.

For a horse to safely receive the full energy benefits that oats provide, he would need to be consuming them daily, rather than just on or before competition day.

Oats are a great way of adding quick-release energy into the diet for horses who can be lethargic or lacking in energy, but this should not be seen as a substitute for ensuring adequate fitness, says Katie Grimwood, a nutrition advisor from Baileys Horse Feeds.

While all riders and owners are aware of the importance of hydration, many withhold water after exercise as they believe its not safe for a horse to drink if hes hot and sweaty.

This really is an old wives tale, says Yvonne Judith. First, cool the horse down until its nostrils are not flaring and its heart rate is back to normal, then offer water.

A horses thirst instinct is at its highest after exercise so its important to make the most of this opportunity to rehydrate your horse.

As long as the breathing rate has reduced theyshould be offered water, little and often and preferably at an ambient temperature, until they are no longer thirsty, says Anne Priestman, UK national sales manager at Gain Horse Feeds.

Molasses is a byproduct of sugar cane or beet so naturally has a high sugar content. While sugar is fine in moderation, many riders and owners believe the high sugar levels in molasses will give their horse too much energy on competition day. However, what they dont realise is that molasses is already included in most competition mixes in a diluted state to bind the ingredients and dampen the mixture to reduce dust.

Molasses gets blamed for a myriad of problems, including hyperactivity, says Saracen Horse Feeds senior nutritionist Lizzie Drury. Molasses supplies the horse with digestible energy because it is composed entirely of sucrose, glucose and fructose. The amount of molasses in a typical helping of a concentrate feed cannot, however, induce hyperactivity.

Its important to look at the sugar content in your horses diet as a whole rather than singling out specific ingredients.

TopSpecs nutrition director Nicola Tyler adds: Molasses contains approximately 50% sugar and its contribution to the total level of sugar in the diet should be calculated before ruling it out.

Horses are trickle feeders and need to have regular access to forage to keep their gut mobile. Forage also contains all the essential nutrients a horse requires and should form the basis of every horses diet. One of the main components of forage is fibre.

Fibre supports the way that the horse has evolved to graze and provides a bulk to the feed to maintain and support digestive health, says Katie Grimwood. It can also allow the horse to better utilise the nutrients received through the concentrate feed.

There is a common belief that forage shouldnt be fed to a horse while travelling or before competition as it gives them colic or slows them down.

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The opposite is actually true, says Yvonne Judith. A lack of fibre can increase the risk of gastric ulcers and colic. Fibre does bind water in the gut but the slight increase in weight will not impact performance.

Its important to take advice from a nutritionist to ensure you are feeding a balanced diet and are not wasting money on fad products or supplements.

There is a belief among lower level competitors that feeding a certain product or supplement can help your horse to gain topline without supporting the diet with a structured exercise plan. As a result, owners can be tempted to load the horse up on excess ingredients that he doesnt actually need, says Blue Chip Feeds Emma Nicholls.

Protein is one of the key supplements owners often include, believing it helps condition muscle.

While protein is required to build muscle tone and topline and is needed for the growth and repair of body tissues, feeding protein alone is not sufficient to promote topline and should be used in combination with correct training, explains Katie Grimwood.

If your horse is consuming a balanced diet he should be receiving the nutritional support he needs for all areas of development.

Topline develops from the correct working of the horses muscles along the spine to build a top line. Quality amino acids are required to help build muscle and feeding the correct diet according to the horses requirements should provide these amino acids, without the need for additional supplements, says Anne Priestman.

Grassroots competitors are often nave in what they are feeding their horses and think that when they step up a level they need to increase their horses feed intake, says Emma Nicholls. The overriding message is my horse needs more energy so I will up his feed rather than looking at the type of feed he requires.

Understanding your horses dietary requirements is essential if he is to perform to his best and maintain a healthy weight. Advice from a nutritionist can not only help to ensure your horse consumes the correct feed, but also that he receives the appropriate quantities.

Another common misconception is that feeding high energy feeds can help to improve energy levels without causing weight gain, explains Katie Grimwood.

Calories are just units of energy, so high energy feeds are also high in calories. Although feeds such as competition mixes or straight oats can work to an extent, if used they should be incorporated as part of a fully balanced diet and in combination with a suitable fitness regime.

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While a bran mash may be considered a warm, comforting treat and it can help increase your horses water intake, if it is not a regular component of his diet it has no place in his feed bucket.

Abrupt dietary changes are never a good idea and bran is no exception. Bran is not balanced, especially in terms of calcium and phosphorus, and can actually be quite abrasive on the digestive system, says Yvonne Judith. Also be warned: some products marketed as mashes, especially within Europe, can be very high in starch which could contribute to colic, tying up or behavioural problems.

Article continues below...

This article was first published in the 2 February issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Adding oats and other myths about feeding competition horses debunked - Horse & Hound

Rolling Plains Master Naturalists, by Kim Mason 1:02 a.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017

A female mallard duck dines at a ground feeder filled with cracked corn.(Photo: Kim Mason/Special to the Times Record News)Buy Photo

On a clear winters morning, the sunrise was unremarkable, but, the bird show was spectacular.

Wrens and doves dotted the brown meadow. Several blue jays, cardinals, and mockingbirds sat upon bare branches. A pair of mallard ducks flew in and dropped helicopter fashion onto the pond. Next, a blue heron joined the couple. The serenity of the moment was disturbed when a hawk landed in a nearby tree. Within milliseconds, every small bird vanished. Only the heron and the mallards remained, too large to be breakfast for a small hungry hawk.

Since they do not like deep water, mallard ducks are frequent visitors to our small, shallow pond. Sometimes its a duck couple, but, occasionally its one female (hen) and two males (drakes). No matter the number of drakes, the duck lady is always the boss! The hen will waddle her way to the bird feeder, and the male(s) follow politely behind her. They wait patiently while she eats bird seed and cracked corn. When boss lady is done dining, the group will follow her lead. They waddle off or take flight as she decrees.

In addition to free feeder food, mallard ducks enjoy an omnivorous diet including fish, larval insects, wormsand aquatic plants. They belong to the duck group called dabblers. Instead of diving, these ducks feed, or dabble, just a few inches below the surface of the water. They will also dine on cultivated crop seeds.

In the past, mallards have been visitors at my workplace, Presbyterian Manor, a retirement community. A pair of mallards selected a courtyard for a nesting site. The pair was oblivious to the fact that a large expanse of glass had created a nursery viewing window for excited onlookers. Residents and employees line up along the window to watch the duck display.

The female selected an elevated planter box and proceeded to construct her bowl shaped nest in the soft dirt hidden between the shrubs. The male stood guard as she labored. She lined her nest with leaves and down feathers pulled from her own body. After the nest was constructed, the male disappeared. Everyone watched, with pregnant anticipation, as the single mother incubated the clutch of almost a dozen greenish-white eggs. The continual question was Have they hatched yet?

The incubation period of 28 to 35 days seemed like an eternity. Finally, the day of hatching arrived! Everyone was amazed when each newly hatched duckling jumped out of the planter box and dropped several feet to the concrete ground. Seemingly uninjured, the ducklings shook off the experience and took off running. Unfortunately, one egg was a dud and remained unhatched.

Ducks enjoy a fairly long life. The oldest known duck was over 27 years of age. Sadly, he was shot, in Arkansas, in 2008. He had been banded in Louisiana in 1981. The average duck lifespan is about 20 years. Since there is no fear of gunshots on our property, ducks can safely enjoy their casual lifestyle. The Mallards (drake & hen) like to sit upon an old wooden pier to preen, nap and enjoy some sunshine. And, the Masons (my husband & I) like to sit upon our lawn chairs to enjoy yet another bird show. If youre just a big kid at heart and love nature, consider joining Texas Master Naturalist. The Rolling Plains Chapter is offering a spring training program that begins on March 7. The training sessions are held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursday in March and April and conclude on May 4. The training also includes four nearby field trips on Saturdays. It is permissible to miss a few classes and do make-up sessions at later date. The class is $100 and includes a great reference book about the flora and fauna of Texas.

The deadline to sign up and pay for the classes is March 1. To sign up and pay, please contact Robert Mauk, robert.mauk@tpwd.texas.

Learn more about the Rolling Plains Master Naturalists at: http://txmn.org/rollingplains or contact chapter President Terry McKee at dgm59@aol.com.

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Mallards provides weeks of entertainment for TCC staff - Times Record News

I dont know whether I missed the memo on this or something, but it seems 2017 is the year were attempting to break the world record on stupid.

The Huffington Post put out a piece spotlighting a new book written by chef Amy Cramer and author Lisa McComsey. The book, called Seagan Eating, advocates for a fully plant-based diet with one exception you can eat seafood. Apparently the book is targeted at those looking for a healthier diet but who are unable to go whole-hog and become vegan. Oh and, the seafood has to be sustainably-fished, low-mercury seafood. Because happyfish, right?

With respect to ethical vegans, Cramer says that we absolutely honor and admire them. Of course, because thats what the fish want your admiration of those who dont unnecessarily kill them whilst you go ahead and feast on their bodies. Apparently, the way to respect the lives of sentient beings isnt to stop exploiting them, its to make sure youre only consuming safely caught aquatic animals who are not close to extinction. And dont forget, only consume fish with a low mercury content, because the fish clearly give a fuck about that when theyre hauled out of the ocean to suffocate.

Aside from the heinous rights violations this pair are advocating including but not limited to getting friendly with your fishmonger and having a sniff of the bodies before buying theyre promoting seaganism as an environmental position. That makes as much sense as promoting the consumption sustainably raised beef or dairy as an answer to climate change. Animal agriculture in whatever form is an ecological disaster.

Perhaps most disturbingly, the authors see seaganism as fitting a huge need for vegans who want variety and, for health reasons, they now realize they can eat [fish]. Theyre telling vegans that its okay to order the salmon at a restuarant instead of just ordering the vegetables.

Well, its not okay. Cramer and McComseys position is devoid of a moral element, but that doesnt mean there isnt one. It just means theyve assumed animals to be things. There is no moral difference between aquatic animals and any other animals. They are all sentient beings with the moral right not to be used as resources. Our exploitation of them is entirely unnecessary we inflict suffering and death upon them for no other reason than we like how they taste. But pleasure is not a sufficient justification for inflicting suffering and death. Seaganism attempts to assert that there is a health component to the argument for consuming seafood. But that argument is utterly irrelevant when we can live optimally healthy (and in many cases, healthier) lives without inflicting suffering and death. When we recognise that sentient beings have moral value, and that our actions towards them require some form of moral justification, we see that its wrong to assume animals are sources of food just as its wrong to assume humans are sources of food.

The Huffington puts seaganism in the same category as climatarianism and reducitarianism, something that both Cramer and McComsey seem content with. And that makes sense, as another non-position that simply gives people an excuse to continue doing the wrong thing, its right at home promoting continued exploitation.

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Great, Now We've Got 'Seagans' To Deal With - Ecorazzi

February 17, 2017

BY JACLYN BRICE Ministry Medical Group, Rhinelander

Current dietary guidelines recognize the health benefits of certain oils and call for a moderate intake of fat for most Americans.

If you are looking to lose or maintain weight, there is no denying that fats are higher in calories than proteins or carbohydrates. Thats one reason for moderation. As for cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association (AHA) makes the choice pretty simple, by stating Replacing bad fats (saturated and trans) with healthier fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) is better for your heart.

Non-tropical vegetable oils are better than solid fats such as butter, shortening, lard and hard stick margarine, according to the AHA. The better-for-you oils listed in alphabetical order on its website are canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, sunflower and blends of any of these oils. Tropical oils such as palm and coconut have more saturated fat and, as a result, do not make the AHA list.

Saturated fat tends to increase total cholesterol and LDL, raising your risk of cardiovascular disease. It also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Trans fats, usually made from oils through a partial hydrogenation process, are considered hazardous to cardiovascular health.

Solid vs Liquid: Generally speaking, saturated fatsbutter, lard, shorteningare solid at room temperature. Most oils have at least some saturated fatty acids, and the majority of fatty acids in coconut, palm and palm kernel oil are saturated.

Polyunsaturated fats are always liquid, even if you put them in the refrigerator. Monounsaturated fats become cloudy when chilled.

Monounsaturated: Monounsaturated fats have been linked to lower total and LDL cholesterol and higher levels of HDL (the good cholesterol). Subjects whose diets included more than 12 percent monounsaturated fats had lower fat mass and lower blood pressure than those eating less than 12 percent of these fats, according to one study.

Oils that are high in monounsaturated fats include olive, peanut, avocado and canola. Extra virgin olive oil also contains antioxidants (polyphenols) that are associated with good heart health.

Canola oil is more neutral in flavor (a plus for some, a minus for others) and is often highly refined and has fewer antioxidants than olive oil. It does have a relatively long shelf life, however.

Oil that has gone rancid or oxidized has an unpleasant smell and taste and has been found to speed up the process of atherosclerosis. Keep oils in a cool, dark, dry place.

Both canola and peanut oil have high smoke points, the temperature at which oils tend to break down and lose nutrients. This makes them a good choice for cooking over high heat.

Polyunsaturated fats have also been found beneficial to cholesterol and heart health. Oils that are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids include cottonseed, soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, walnut, grapeseed and flaxseed oil. They do not offer equal health benefits.

Two major types of polyunsaturated fatty acids are omega-3 and omega-6. Both are beneficial, but the American diet contains far more omega-6 fatty acids, primarily from packaged foods, refined plant oils, poultry and eggs.

A European study found a lower incidence of heart disease in countries that have diets high in omega-3 fatty acids and use oils with a high ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.

Sunflower oil is almost entirely omega-6 fatty acids; grapeseed and corn oil also have a high percentage of omega-6 as opposed to omega-3s. Blended vegetable oils usually contain mostly soybean and corn oil, considered two of the least beneficial of oils.

Tropical Oils: The AHA essentially rules out tropical oils such as coconut, palm and palm kernel oils because they are high in saturated fatty acids.

Not everyone agrees. Studies have demonstrated that coconut oil raises total cholesterol but increases HDL even more. Whether or not this matters in terms of cardiovascular health has not yet been determined, but most doctors are reluctant to start recommending coconut oil.

As you make changes in your selection and use of oils, keep in mind that views are undergoing changes as new findings are made available.

One thing is clear: oils have an important place in a good diet. Your goal should be to find the best oils that meet your tastes and your health needs.

Jaclyn Brice is a certified health coach with Ministry Medical Group, part of Ascension.

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Does your diet need an oil change? - Starjournalnow

World's First Clinical Trial Finds Diet Works for Depression Psychology Today (blog) Over the past seven years, she published numerous epidemiological (survey-based) studies suggesting that people who report eating an unhealthy diet are more likely to be depressed. However, since these studies were based on questionnaires and weren't ...

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World's First Clinical Trial Finds Diet Works for Depression - Psychology Today (blog)

Women's Health

'I Tried Going Vegan For A WeekHere's What Happened' Women's Health As food trends go these days, going vegan is about as cool as you can get. Not only does eating a diet of just plants promise to lower your cholesterol and make your skin look positively glow-y, but its devotees carry a certain aura of righteousness ...

Originally posted here:
'I Tried Going Vegan For A WeekHere's What Happened' - Women's Health

The volume of bad answers, bad questions, noise and nonsense conspiring to hide the simple, fundamental truths about diet and health seems to swell daily.The task of generating a signal to be heard over this din grows more challenging in tandem.Among the cries populating the cacophony of misinformation is the contention that we know nothing not directly demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial.Much as I like RCTs, having run and published the results of dozens over my career, I consider this view misguided surrender to the tyranny of trial design.

Leaving aside the fact that some extremely impressive randomized controlled trials- with interventions spanning flexitarian diets, Mediterranean diets, and more - do, in fact, demonstrate the fundamental truths about diet and health, the simple fact is that we do not always need a definitive RCT to know what we know.

Suppose you wanted to know with something nearing certainty what specific dietary pattern was best for human health.How would you proceed?

Well, first, I think, you would need to define best in an operational (i.e., measurable) way.Does best mean lowers LDL in the short term, or does it mean raises HDL, or both?Does it mean it lowers inflammatory markers, or insulin, or blood glucose, or blood pressure?Does it mean it reduces body fat, or increases lean body mass?Does it mean all of these, or does it mean something else?Is the short term one month, or three, or a year?

I dont think any of these, or anything like them, really satisfies what we think we mean when we say best for health.I think the intended meaning of that is actually rather clear: the combination of longevity, and vitality.Years in life, and life in years, if you will.I think a diet is best for health and yes, I have wrestled with this very issue before- if it fuels a long, robust life free of preventable chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, dementia, etc.) and obesity, and endows us with the energy both mental and physical- to do all we want and aspire to do.That, I think, is a robust definition of best for health.

We are obligated to wrestle comparably with the operational definition of a specific diet.Low fat, or low carb dont mean much.A low fat diet could be rich in beans and lentils, or made up exclusively of lollipops.A low carb diet could cut out refined starch and added sugar, or exclude all fruits and vegetables.Lets not belabor this, and simply concede that the relevant test to prove that one, specific dietary prescription (e.g., the Ornish diet, or the South Beach diet, or the DASH diet, etc.) is best is to establish optimized versions of the various contenders, from vegan to Paleo, and put them up against one another directly.

And now our tribulations begin.As we noted at the start, our outcome is the combination of longevity and vitality.To get at longevity, we need a very long trial; in fact, our trial needs to last a lifetime.So, just to get started, we are toying with the notion of a randomized trial running for 80-100 years.

Dietary influences begin in utero, so we should really randomize not our study subjects, but their mothers while pregnant with them.Dietary influences are salient during breast-feeding as well, and the composition of breast milk is influenced by maternal diet, so we need the mothers we enroll to agree not only to adhere to their assigned diet throughout pregnancy, but to breast feed exclusively until weaning, and adhere then as well.Only at weaning can our actual study subjects get in the game, adopting their assigned diet as babies.For our study to work, they too must adhere to the assigned diet, whatever it is, and in their case- for a lifetime.

Since we are randomizing participants, we may expect them to be alike, on average, in all ways other than their diet assignment- the very point of a randomized, controlled trial.Since we are comparing optimal versions of diets reasonably under consideration for best diet laurels, we may anticipate that our study participants are apt to be healthier, and longer-lived in general than the population at large, consuming the lamentable typical American diet.

Thats a problem too.If our entire study sample does well, it raises the bar to show that one of our diets is truly, meaningfully better than another.Consider, for instance, that those assigned to an optimal vegan, or an optimal Mediterranean diet, just to name two, have remarkably low rates of chronic disease- and we are trying to show a difference between them in the rates of chronic disease.The smaller the difference we are seeking, the larger the sample size we need to find it, and assign statistical significance to it (lets not belabor this point either; Ive written a textbook on the topic, so trust me- its true).That now means we need not only a RCT unprecedented in length, but unprecedented in size, too.We need to randomize tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of pregnant women to study the effects of competing diets on the vitality and longevity of their offspring- at a cost that is staggering to contemplate, and would certainly run into the billions of dollars.

This study has not been done.This study will not be done.Whatever you do, dont hold your breath waiting for it.

Lets contrast our ostensible need for this RCT to how we know what we know about putting out house fires.

First, there has never been, to the best of my knowledge, a RCT to show that water is a better choice than gasoline.Do you think we need such a trial, to establish the legitimacy of the basic theme (i.e., use water) of the right approach?Would you, and your home, be willing to participate in such a trial when you call 911- knowing you might randomly be assigned to the gasoline arm of the study?

I trust we agree that observation, experience, and sense serve to establish beyond the realm of reasonable (or, even, any) doubt that water is generally good for putting out house fires, and gasolinenot so much.

But what if, as with diet, we wanted to know the specific fire fighting approach that was best.Once again, we would need to define specific approach, which here might mean water at different temperatures, pH, hardness versus softness, and pressure.We might compare hoses of different calibers, and such.And we would need to define best, which here presumably means putting out fires the fastest, with the least damage to people and property.

Consider the size, cost, and inconvenience of a randomized trial to compare water at 40F versus 41F; or a slight difference in water mineral content.We would again expect variations on the sensible theme of fire fighting such as these to produce very tiny differences in outcomes, meaning we would need an enormous sample, a lot of time, and a lot of money to append this bit of specificity to the fundamentals we already knew.

My friends- and everybody else- diet is the same.The want of a RCT addressing this kind of water versus that does not mire us in perpetual cluelessness about the basic approach to putting out fires.Sure, we could do RCTs to add to what we know- but the want of such studies does not expunge what we already know based on empirical evidence, long experience, observation, and sense.

If anything, the fundamentals of a health-promoting diet are better substantiated than those of fire fighting, since they are informed by long experience, the observation of large populations even of entire regions, and even over generations as well as by a massive aggregation of research, ranging from mechanistic study in test tubes to RCTs enrolling people.We are the furthest thing from clueless about the basic care and feeding of Homo sapiens.Here, too, RCTs can append to what we know- but they are by no means the sole basis for it.

I dont know, frankly, whether an optimal vegan diet, or an optimal Mediterranean diet, or an optimal Asian diet, or even an optimal Paleo diet is the best for human health.I do know, because we all know, that a diet comprised principally of minimally processed vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils and pulses, nuts, seeds, with plain water preferentially for thirst is the best theme for human and planetary health alike, and runs commonly through all the legitimate, specific contestants- just as water is the best theme when aiming a fire hose.

To conclude otherwise is to misconstrue the utility of randomized trials, succumb to their tyranny, and lose our way in a bog of tribulations.To conclude otherwise is to fiddle around while the house of public health burns down to the ground.

Senior Medical Advisor, Verywell.com

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Truth, And The Tribulations Of Randomized Diet Trials - Huffington Post

Regardless of your dietary intake, there is no question that getting the proper nutrition daily is important to health, wellness and longevity specifically a healthy, happy sort of longevity. But there have long been questions on what sort of benefits or detriments various standard diets can have, whether that is a standard omnivorous intake, vegetarianism or veganism.

With recent findings, advances in nutritional studies and a fresh eye on intake needs, Americans are finding entirely new ways to live healthy and regardless of your diet, what you put in your body is supremely important.

Julie Hersey is a nutritionist for Stop & Shop New England. She is a registered dietitian, and is passionate about healthy eating and nutritional intake, and her day-today life is never quite the same. Whether she is in-store working with customers to maximize their health through dietary intake, or out on the road working on events or at hospitals, she always has her mind set on healthy lives through healthy diets.

I grew up in a big Greek family and weve always loved food, said Hersey. Thats the center of my family. We always had gardens as kids, and wed be in the kitchen making a salad together. I grew up surrounded by home cooking. In high school I was an athlete, and realized the impact of not eating correctly, how that would affect me playing soccer and running for 90 minutes. I learned to make that connection. I took one bio chem class in high school and really loved the idea of how food impacts your body.

Hersey went on to attend Syracuse University, where she received her bachelors of science in dietetics and clinical nutrition services before an internship at the University of Connecticut led to her masters of science at the same school. While nutrition at the time wasnt as popular an interest as it would become, it was something she said she always felt passionate about, and landing in her current role as nutritionist at Stop & Shop was a dream come true.

This was my dream job, Hersey said. I had gotten to work at supermarkets when I was an intern. I wanted to work in the super markets. After I finished my masters I saw the job posting and I was so excited. I knew after a two-hour interview it went well. Most dietitians in a supermarket say its their dream job. Its a little bit of everything. You get to do counseling one one one, get out in the community and teaching people what to do with things.

On any given day, Hersey will teach nutrition classes to children, talk to kids and adults at hospitals, or work with customers within her home store. She also works with the media team doing events, and has worked in the past with the Patriots, Red Sox and more. While vegetarianism and veganism have existed for as long as humans had the ability to make decisions on their intake, rather than what they could forage or hunt around them, the past decades have seen an uptick in individuals classifying themselves as each.

For those unaware, vegetarians do not eat meat, while vegans dont eat meat or any other animal product, such as eggs and dairy. There are myths surrounding each. That it is impossible to maintain healthy nutrition as either is a common belief, and while that can be true without proper intake, vegetarianism, veganism and being omnivorous can all be healthy or unhealthy lifestyles.

You kind of have to sit down and talk to a dietitian to figure out what youre getting and what you might be missing out on, explained Hersey. Are you lacto-ovo? Do you have dairy? You might be OK with calcium and vitamin D. Are you eating eggs? You can be OK with B12. Not only vegetarians are deficient in vitamin D. Calcium is always a controversial one. A lot of dark veggies have calcium. Tofu is fortified in calcium. There are ways to get calcium in those diets, but also exercising is a good way to maintain your bone health.

The issue isnt whether or not any of these options can be healthy they can it is tailoring your intake to match your nutritional needs. For instance, vegetarians and vegans can get iron from plants, but that iron intake should be paired with vitamin C to be properly absorbed. Omega 3 Fatty acids are another area vegetarians and vegans may need help with, but they are not alone in that.

Vegans and vegetarians arent alone in needing omega 3 fatty acids, said Hersey. If you arent eating fish, you are getting it from plant-based sources like flax seeds and tofu and walnuts. The plant-based versions are a little tougher to convert. Fats are making a big comeback, picking the anti-inflammatory fats. Theyre really good for digestion and your joints.

While an omnivorous diet is the most versatile, and from a convenience perspective offers the most straightforward path to proper nutrition, there are difficulties inherent in that diet as well.

Were trying to get people to be more conscious of the portion sizes of meat and also the quality, explained Hersey. Thinking of protein more as a topping rather than the bulk of the dish. Think about the vegetables first. Breakfast is an occasion that most omnivores are not getting enough protein in the morning. Were a carbohydrate-heavy nation at breakfast. Bagels, waffles, bread, cereal. Protein in the morning helps your blood sugar not spike so high. We need to get more protein in that breakfast, whether thats eggs, or Greek yogurt or nuts.

Regardless of your diet, the choices you make in what you put in your body are still the most crucial components, and according to Hersey, that is the number one thing those looking to enhance their nutrition must come to terms with.

I think really, getting back in touch with the fact that food is your fuel, said Hersey. You are what you eat. Really understanding that. If you dont put good gas in your car, it doesnt run well. If you dont put any in, it wont run at all. Your mood, your organs and your skin, everything is affected. I think, mostly, I try to teach people just to live a better life, longer. Not just living long, but living healthy in that long life. You really want to be generally healthy your whole life.

Reporter Joshua Lyford can be reached at 508-749-3166, ext. 325, or by email at Jlyford@worcestermagazine.com. Follow Josh on Twitter @Joshachusetts and on Instagram @Joshualyford.

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Vegetarian, vegan or omnivore: Staying healthy, longer - Worcester Mag