It was definitely a gradual process, said Ryan Holgate of changing his body. Holgate his just .240 as a freshman last year but had a .378 on-base percentage and drew 35 walks.

Postgame pizza is hard to resist.

But Ryan Holgate was determined to improve his body and, correspondingly, his game so he spurned those slices of sausage and pieces of pepperoni. His host family with the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League graciously provided him with healthier alternatives, such as chicken and rice.

Combined with a workout regimen that included lifting in the morning and extra running before and after games, Holgate transformed his physique last summer. The 6-foot-2 Arizona Wildcats right fielder weighed 232 pounds as a freshman last season. He recently checked in at 203.

I was kind of blown away, honestly, when he walked in the office after summer baseball, said UA coach Jay Johnson, whose team opens the 2020 season against Albany on Friday night at Hi Corbett Field. That Northwoods League is a tough grind. Theyre playing every day, and theyre on buses. Sometimes the nutritional component can be hard there. But he obviously has done a great job with that.

Holgate said he feels fitter, fresher, stronger and more mobile than a year ago and thats a scary thought for Arizona opponents.

Holgate, a prized recruit from Davis, California, had a good freshman season, at least by normal standards. He hit seven home runs, drew 35 walks and had a .378 on-base percentage.

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Managing your cravings while on a diet can be difficult as it is. But what happens when youre trying your best to eat well, and someone at work waltzes by with a large box of hot and crispy French fries?

Yes, you might feel like giving up on your fitness goals for the sake of a few fries, but is that really something you want to do? We all know how hard it is to start a diet again after going off-track for a few days. If only there was a way to indulge in fries without also consuming all the extra carbs from potatoes and unhealthy fats from the oil they were fried in...

Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.

Well, theres a very easy way to accomplish this. You can totally make crispy, spicy and healthy fries - that too at home! All you need to know is how to navigate through three basics: the veggie base for the fries, the medium to cook it in, and a dip to go with them. Heres everything you need to know about making the healthiest fries in the world to indulge in.

Okay, so potatoes are simply delicious. But so are many other veggies that are less starchy and more nutritious. According to a study published inAdvances in Nutritionin 2012, vegetables are some of the richest sources of fibre, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals despite being very low in calories. And when it comes to fries, you have enough healthier options to choose from: carrots, beetroot, sweet potato, parsnips, zucchini, lotus stem, eggplant We can go on with the list, but you get the idea, right?

French fries are crispy because they are deep-fried in hot oil: this idea has taken such a hold of popular imagination that people forget that this method of cooking isnt the only way to get veggies to crisp up. In fact, more than potatoes, its this method that makes fries the enemy of the health-conscious. A study published in theIndian Heart Journalin 2016 revealed how exposure to high temperatures during deep frying or even stir-frying destroys antioxidants and also releases toxins.

So instead of deep-frying veggies, how about you drizzle some olive oil on them, sprinkle chilli, pepper and salt and bake them? With air fryers easily available in the market now, you could give them a try as well. Just dont overcrowd the oven tray or air-fryer basket and were sure the fries will come out as crispy and delicious as the French fries at that fast food joint you love.

Theres no way you can enjoy fries without a sauce to dip in, right? You need some ketchup, cheese dip or mayonnaise on the side. Or do you? The fact is that most of these commercially made sauces and dips have excess salt and sugar, which is not good for your health. According to a study published inPreventive Medicine Reportsin 2015, most of these sauces have a very high sodium content, which can lead to high blood pressure as well as cardiovascular diseases.

So, give the sauce a skip and try making a quick-and-easy healthy dip at home. Try simple ones like hummus, tahini, yoghurt dips or just make a nice and spicy salsa if you want that hit of tomato with your healthy fries.

Now that you know how to nail easy and healthy homemade fries, why dont you give them a try? Practice makes perfect after all. Try enough of these and youll never crave those store-bought fries again.

For more information, read our article onHealthy recipes.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

Updated Date: Feb 11, 2020 19:06:55 IST

Tags : Diet Recipes, French Fries, Healthy Diet, Healthy Fries, NewsTracker, Unhealthy Food

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After a month of plant-based eating, it's finally time to order pizza.

This celebration requires cheese. Lots of cheese.

"It's been a hard month," Sean Jensen said between gigantic bites of pizza. "But this is delicious."

This is the first non-vegan meal for Jensen and his co-workers who switched to a plant-based diet for the month of January to see if it would improve their overall health.

At the start of the challenge, each person tested their blood, body mass index, visceral fat and peripheral fat levels.

After 30 days of veganism, the group of seven one person dropped out of the challenge ran the same tests to see if they were any healthier.

Dr. Raj Attariwala, who runs the clinic, says he lost eight pounds but it was mostly muscle.

"I have to tighten my belt but I gained fat," he said. "I'm a skinnier, fatter guy than I was before."

The employees at AIM Medical Imaging have access to the company's Prenuvo full body MRI scans, which allow them to measure the benefits of their diets in great detail.

The team also had tests and analysis work done at the nearby medical clinic Preventum.

Everyone lost weight.Most people saw improvements in their blood tests and visceral fat levels went down modestly.

Attariwala says, however, everyone lost muscle except for one person who started an exercise program partway through the challenge.

"We see that we're thinner and think that we should be healthier, but the truth is we're not," he said.

"My body was basically sucking energy from my muscles instead of from my fat."

Most people found that meal planning was challenging and expensive.It was hard to find healthy sources of protein and it was difficult to stay away fromfoods that were high in carbohydrates.

AIM employee Erica Ferreira says the positive is she learned a great deal about planning meals.

"I'll definitely think about what's going in my body a little bit more from now on," she said. "It was a good experiment."

For Attariwala, who didn't make any changes to his fitness routine, the biggest takeaway from the experiment is the importance of working out.

"It's not just diet, it's exercise, too," he said.

"I'm going to try to eat less and move more."

Around the lunchroom table at the pizza party, the discussion centres around how many foods appear to be vegan such as breads or sauces but actually contain eggs, honey or some other kind of product that comes from animals.

Jensen says he absent mindedly ordered a cappuccino during the challenge and didn't realize he was drinking dairy until he had finished his cup.

"You just have to be so careful," he said.

"When you're out and you think of a place where you can just pick something up quickly, what can you get that's not yam fries?"

Throughout the challenge, everyone also came to appreciate Vancouver's vegan restaurants and realized there are many delicious options.

Jensen isn't giving up meat, and he's certainly not quitting cheese, but he plans to scale back on both.

"I guess you can call me a vegetarian," he said.

"A vegetarian who eats meat."

CBC Vancouver'sImpact Team investigates and reports on stories that impact people in their local community and strives to hold individuals, institutions and organizations to account.If you have a story for us, email impact@cbc.ca.

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Dairy milk got a bad reception at Sundays Academy Awards.

Joaquin Phoenix took aim at dairy farming in his Oscars speech for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Joker. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable, he said. Then we take her milk thats intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.

We fear the idea of personal change, because we think we need to sacrifice something, to give something up, Phoenix added. But human beings at our best are so creative and inventive, and we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and the environment.

Alan Bjerga, a spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation, told MarketWatch in an email: Dairy farmers are committed to animal welfare and proud of their work in helping to provide a nutritious diet for Americans and the world. Its unfortunate that their hard work is attacked from a platform at the Oscars.

The Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a dairy marketing cooperative, said net sales had declined by $1.1 billion in 2018, from $14.7 billion in 2017 to $13.6 billion in 2018. Dairy industry executives say the milk beverage category remains competitive, while the dairy market as a whole has seen growth.

Kim OBrien, a spokesperson for the cooperative, told MarketWatch in an email, The decrease in sales was primarily due to low milk prices, which are derived from global dairy commodity prices. In fact, DFA marketed similar volumes of milk in 2018 (64.5 billion pounds) versus 2017 (64.4 billion pounds).

Dairy milk sales fell to approximately $12 billion last year from $15 billion in 2015, while alternative sources of milk have risen over the same period, according to the market researcher Nielsen.

Almond milk sales have increased by nearly 6% to $1.35 billion over the same period, while oat milk soared 662% to nearly $60 million in 2019, Nielsen added. OBrien added, Alternative beverages have a relatively modest impact on total dairy consumption since Class 1 (beverage) milk makes up only about 21% of the total dairy industry.

Market research group Sentient Media crunched more than two dozen studies involving 80,000 Americans and concluded that there are approximately 6.5 million self-identifying vegans in the U.S., and that does not include those who want a lighter meat- and dairy-free diet. That likely why Nielsen data commissioned by the Plant Based Food Association estimates that plant-based food sales surpassed $3.3 billion in 2018, more than doubling from the previous year.

People change their diets for a lot of reasons: to bring an end to animal farming, to fight for a livable climate, to promote health and personal growth, to be kind," according to the Sentient Media report. There is no right answer here. The way we choose to eat will likely change a number of times over the course of our lives, and thats okay. Ethical eating works like a spectrum, one that is trending towards compassion.

Sales of plant-based varieties have grown 6% over the past year, now making up 13% of the entire milk category, according to separate data released last year from the Good Food Institute and Plant Based Foods Association. Sales of cows milk, meanwhile, have declined 3%. In fact, 11% of consumers say theyre trying to consume less dairy, according to the NPD Group.

Why artificially inseminate heifers? This University of Kentucky paper aims to answer that question: Its quite simple: to increase the number of genetically superior heifers available for herd replacement and sale, it said. However, the bottom line is heifer AI puts the dairy farmer in a position where he or she has plenty of genetically superior heifers available for replacement and sale.

It makes the process safer for consumers and controls the spread of disease, the paper from the universitys College of Agriculture added. Certainly, there are many other valid reasons for using heifer artificial insemination: higher conception rate, increased semen value, calving ease, controlling transfer of reproductive diseases, safety, controlled breeding, better records, and accurate due dates.

Phoenix and other critics of dairy farming argue that it treats the animals like theyre machines.

Dairy farmers should not be satisfied with average sires, and should be encouraged to breed heifers to above average sires, the University of Kentucky paper added. With a little selection, dairy farmers should expect daughters of AI sires to out milk their non-AI counterparts by much more than 1,200 pounds per lactation.

Still, many people feel so strongly about alternative milk varieties whether for reasons relating to health, the environment or animal rights that theyre willing to pay big money for non-dairy varieties, particularly oat milk. When the Swedish oat milk brand Oatly sold out of its Barista Edition Oatmilk variety in December, one Amazon AMZN, +0.79% seller posted a 12-pack of the milk cartons for $226 (a 32-ounce carton retails for $4.99).

The plant-based markets best-selling alternatives almond milk and soy milk cost almost double at $4.29 a half-gallon (64-ounces), respectively, compared to $2.17 for regular dairy milk, according to a price check by FreshDirect, the online grocery delivery service that delivers in the New York metropolitan area, and areas in Connecticut, Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Oat milk is almost 2.5 times the cost of dairy milk ($5.29 a half-gallon).

Last year, the dairy company Dean Foods Co. voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying it was working toward an orderly sale of the company. Consumers want to reduce, not eliminate, the amount of animal proteins we consume, Darren Seifer, a food consumption business analyst at NPD Group, told MarketWatch at the time. Theyre pro-protein, they just dont want to have more meat or more milk to achieve these goals.

People are certainly becoming more interested in meat and dairy alternatives. Beyond Meat BYND, -2.16%, the plant-based meat company, is up 85% since its initial public offering in May 2019, after soaring nearly 238% in the months after its IPO. More large food companies want a slice out of the vegetarian and vegan market: Meat producer Tyson Foods Inc. TSN, -0.72% also entered the alternative protein market last year, unveiling new products under the Raised & Rooted brand.

In his speech, Phoenix called on people to find alternative sources to dairy farming. We fear the idea of personal change, because we think we need to sacrifice something; to give something up, he said. But human beings at our best are so creative and inventive, and we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and the environment.

Bjerga, meanwhile, appeared to pour cold milk on Phoenixs speech. Oscars acceptance speeches have long been an outlet for celebrity opinions. The hard, worthwhile work of dairy farmers will continue long after everyone has forgotten who won best actor in 2020, he said.

(This story was updated with additional comment from the National Milk Producers Federation.)

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We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby. Joaquin Phoenixs Oscar speech will be welcomed by Americas growing army of...

(CNN) The number of deaths from the Wuhan coronavirushad risen to over 1,000 by Tuesday morning, as experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived in China to assist with controlling the epidemic.

Chinese health authorities said 108 people died from the virus in mainland China on Monday, with the majority of those deaths occurring in Hubei province, the capital of which is Wuhan the city where the virus was first found. The total number of deaths stands at 1,018, all but two of those in mainland China.

Globally, 43,090 have now been diagnosed with the virus, again with the majority in China. Around 4,000 patients have been treated and released from hospital in China since late December.

A team of World Health Organization (WHO) experts landed in China on Monday. The organizations director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said they will lay the groundwork for a larger international team, which will join them as soon as possible.

The WHO group in China is led by Bruce Aylward, who helmed the bodys response to Ebola, as well as initiatives for immunization, communicable diseases control and polio eradication.

Their arrival comes as the WHO is facing increasing criticism for its initial decision not to declare a global health emergency, and for officials effusive praise of Chinas handling of the crisis, even as Beijing faces outrage domestically for, among other things, the death of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, and the subsequent censorship of that news.

Outside of China, the single largest outbreak is on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, currently docked in Yokohama, a port city south of Tokyo.

At least 135 people have tested positive for the virus so far, as Japanese health authorities continue to examine hundreds of passengers and crew, who have been under quarantine for almost a week. The recommended quarantine time is 14 days.

Passengers have been vocal about their displeasure with ship operator Princess Cruises and the Japanese governments handling of the outbreak. On Monday, several crew members appealed for help from the Indian government, alleging they were at risk of infection by not being segregated.

We are extremely scared at this point in time, Binay Kumar Sarkar said in a video obtained by CNN. Our request is to segregate the crew members from the infected.

He said that none of his colleagues had been checked for the coronavirus.

Only people who are recording temperatures higher than 37.5 degree Celsius are being checked, he said. Please help save those who have not been infected yet. There are 160 Indian crew members and 8 Indian passengers on board. Please rescue us. Help evacuate us before we contract the virus. 90% of us are healthy as of now. I appeal to Indias Prime Minister Modi, please bring us home safe and sound.

Princess Cruises did not respond to a request for comment about the video.

Three other cruise ships have faced delays and quarantines in the past week over virus fears, in Hong Kong, Thailand and the US, though none have confirmed an outbreak.

While most countries and territories are reporting low numbers of cases, there were renewed fears of a separate outbreak in Hong Kong Monday.

Memories of the 2003 SARS crisis run deep in Hong Kong, which has been on high alert for weeks now, with many people working from home and runs on face masks and hand sanitizer amid concerns about shortages. The citys leader Carrie Lam closed most of the border crossings with mainland China last week, following intense pressure from health care workers, many of whom walked out in protest at the decision not to seal the city earlier.

In the early hours of Tuesday, health officialsbegan a partial evacuation of residentsfrom an apartment block in Tsing Yi, in northwestern Hong Kong, over fears the virus may have been transmitted via the buildings pipes.

Two residents living on different floors of a high-rise tower called Hong Mei House had been infected with coronavirus, health officials said. Parts of the building have now been evacuated as health officials and engineers carried out emergency checks.

Microbiologist KY Yuen said that an improperly sealed pipe could have resulted in the virus, by carrying feces into the buildings ventilation system and blowing it into peoples apartments.

As the pipeline that transfers feces is connected to the air pipe, it is very likely for the virus in the feces to be transmitted through the air fan into the toilet, Yuen said. He added that the transmission route is not clear yet, so the evacuation was a precaution.

At least 12 cases have been confirmed at Hong Mei House. During the SARS outbreak, pipelines were amajor source of transmission. At theAmoy Gardens housing estate, there were more than 300 infections and 42 deaths, after a flaw in the plumbing design allowed SARS to spread throughout the building.

Much of China was due to go back to work on Monday, after the Lunar New Year holiday became an extended voluntary quarantine for hundreds of millions of people across the country. With many remaining in isolation or working from home,fears of a larger economic shockare growing.

The epidemic has alreadydriven up the price of food nationwide, with vegetables 17% more expensive. The worst price rise was in pork, a major staple of the Chinese diet that was already under pressure because of a devastating swine disease. Pork prices have risen 116% compared to a year ago.

Other items saw modest price rises by comparison: Health care was 2.3% more expensive, for example, while clothing prices rose 0.6%, according to the countrys statistics bureau.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that the country needs to stabilize the economy and prevent large-scale layoffs during the coronavirus outbreak.

During a meeting at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi said the economy had been doing well, and he predicted that the economic impact of the coronavirus would be short lived.

He added the country is ready to help companies resume production and would assist those that have been heavily affected.

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In the United States and many other countries, a dietitian is a board-certified food and nutrition expert. They are highly educated in the field of nutrition and dietetics the science of food, nutrition, and their impact on human health.

Through extensive training, dietitians acquire the expertise to provide evidence-based medical nutrition therapy and nutritional counseling tailored to meet an individuals needs.

They are qualified to practice across a span of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, research institutions, or local communities, to name a few.

To earn the credentials of Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), a person needs to complete the criteria set forth by governing bodies like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) in the United States or the Dietitians Association of Australia (1, 2).

Additionally, in some countries, people may earn the title of registered nutritionist, which is synonymous with registered dietitian and requires certification from a governing body.

These are professional organizations that oversee the field of dietetics in their respective countries.

To clarify, the credentials of RD and RDN are interchangeable. However, RDN is a more recent designation. Dietitians can choose which credential they would rather use.

To earn these credentials, dietitians-to-be must first earn a bachelors degree or equivalent credits from an accredited program at a university or college.

Typically, this requires an undergraduate science degree, including courses in biology, microbiology, organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology, as well as more specialized nutrition coursework.

As of January 1, 2024, all dietetics students must also hold a masters degree to qualify for their RD board examination in the United States (3).

In addition to formal education, all dietetics students in the United States must apply for and be matched with a competitive internship program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

Similar internships may be required in other countries.

Internships typically expose the student to 9001,200 unpaid supervised practice hours across the 4 domains of practice, with careful adherence to competencies, or specific areas of study, complemented by in-depth projects and case studies outside of those hours.

Furthermore, the student must usually pass an exit exam mirroring the content of the board exam before completing the internship. The successful completion of these requirements qualifies them to take a board examination.

Finally, a dietetics student who passes the board exam in their respective country can apply to become a registered dietitian.

Earning dietitian credentials requires national board certification. Whats more, many states, such as Texas, California, and Nebraska, require that dietitians be licensed in order to practice (4).

The process of licensing sometimes has additional requirements, like passing a jurisprudence exam. This is meant to ensure that dietitians practice under a code of conduct to protect public safety.

The dietitian must also continue their professional development by completing continuing education credits, which helps them keep up with the ever-evolving field.

There are four main domains of practice for dietitians clinical, food service management, community, and research.

Clinical dietitians are those who work in an inpatient hospital setting. Outpatient dietitians may also work in a hospital or clinic, but they work with people who arent admitted to inpatient care and are usually less ill.

Both inpatient and outpatient dietitians provide support to the medical team to treat many acute and chronic illnesses. Dietitians in long-term care facilities may also supervise the nutrition of people with serious conditions that require ongoing care.

They follow standards of practice and detail a persons medical history and current status, including lab work and weight history. This allows them to assess acute needs, prioritizing life-threatening conditions.

Inpatient and outpatient dietitians also provide nutrition education to people with specialized needs, such as those newly out of surgery, in cancer treatment, or diagnosed with chronic illnesses like diabetes or kidney disease.

In the outpatient setting, they give more in-depth nutritional counseling working towards a nutrition-oriented goal.

Dietitians may also work in other settings like research hospitals, universities, or food service management.

They can advocate for public policies and provide expertise in the community setting, such as school districts or public health organizations like Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Food service management dietitians oversee the production of nutritionally adequate food that meets food safety guidelines within a large organization, such as a school district or military base.

A community dietitian can help design and implement programs aimed at populations instead of individuals, such as community cooking initiatives or diabetes prevention interventions. They can also advocate for public policies with a focus on nutrition, food, and health issues.

Research dietitians typically work in research hospitals, organizations, or universities. They operate within a research team headed by a primary investigator and carry out nutrition-focused interventions.

Once dietitians have earned their credentials and are working in the field, they can go on to specialize in a particular subcategory, such as pediatrics or sports dietetics.

Finally, dietitians may also run private practices to provide services like nutritional counseling.

They may additionally teach in an academic or research institution or write about nutrition-related topics. Others may work as health and nutrition experts in media or as public speakers.

Dietitians are qualified to manage nutrition therapy across a span of acute and chronic conditions. The type of conditions they treat depends most on the setting of their practice.

This means that they can treat nutrition problems that may arise from cancer or its treatment, as well as work with a client to prevent the onset of diabetes.

In hospitals, they treat a range of people, such as those who are clinically malnourished, as well as those who require nutrients via feeding tubes.

Dietitians also treat people undergoing bariatric (weight loss) surgery or those with kidney issues, as these individuals can have many nutritional restrictions and benefit from individualized care to fully meet their bodies needs.

Eating disorder dietitians have usually acquired additional training or education to treat this population. They work with a team of psychotherapists and doctors to help individuals recover from these disorders (5).

Eating disorders include chronic starvation (anorexia nervosa) or binging and purging (bulimia) (5, 6).

Sports dietitians specialize in optimizing nutrition for enhanced performance in athletes. These dietitians may work in gyms or physical therapy clinics, as well as with a sports team or dance company (7).

Dietitians can apply their expertise across a broad range of settings, such as hospitals, research institutions, and sports teams. They may prescribe nutrition therapy to help treat or prevent acute and chronic illnesses.

In some countries, people may translate their title as nutritionist rather than dietitian, though their educational background closely resembles that of a dietitian.

However, in the United States and other countries, a nutritionist is a person with an interest in nutrition and diet. There is no legal precedent for this term, so anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.

As a nutritionist has no legal standing in the United States, there is no code of conduct or standards of practice established to describe what they do.

They may apply their interest in nutrition to anything from running a food blog to working with clients.

However, because uncredentialed nutritionists typically lack the expertise and training for medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling, following their advice could be considered harmful (8).

Further, nutritionists in the United States dont have to abide by a code of conduct, which are designed to protect the public and avoid conflicts of interests in promoting haphazard supplements or food products (8).

In the United States and many other countries, no degrees or credentials are required to be a nutritionist. You simply need an interest in the field.

However, alternative education and certifications may earn someone the title of Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS).

Those with CNS credentials are health professionals like nurses or doctors with advanced health degrees who have sought out additional coursework and completed supervised practice hours, as well as passed an exam overseen by the American Nutrition Association.

Unlike RDs, CNSs do not prescribe nutrition therapy, though they can oversee community nutrition education programs.

In the United States, nutritionists have no legal standing to treat health conditions. Giving nutrition advice without the proper knowledge and training can be harmful, especially when counseling those with health conditions.

Moreover, those without credentials may see clients who seek approaches to nutrition that are outside the scope of traditional medicine.

However, this is typically less evidence-based, which may pose a health risk.

In the United States, nutritionist is a term that carries no legal meaning. Therefore, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Yet, alternative education and certifications may grant titles like Certified Nutrition Specialist.

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Dietitian vs. Nutritionist: What's the Difference? - Healthline

For many runners, summer fueling is pretty straightforward: we load up with cold smoothies, water-laden produce, and salty snacks; we let sweat and thirst cues guide our hydration; and we build our plates with a rainbow of in-season foods.

Winter, on the other hand, presents more challenges for those of us logging steady miles. Our produce options are more limited, many refueling standbys are as cold as our core temperatures, and drinking takes some effort when we dont feel as parched.

As we approach winters midpoint, its a good time to check in on our fueling habits and make tweaks where needed. Two registered dietitians and competitive runnersMaddie Alm and Sakiko Minagawashare six common errors that runners make this time of year, with actionable ideas for correcting each one.

According to Maddie Alm, a 4:13 1500-meter runner and the owner of Fueling Forward Sports Nutrition in Boulder, Colorado, vitamin D deficiencies are common among athletes in winter. Shorter days and colder temperatures mean less exposure to vitamin D-producing sunlight. And while the vitamin is well known for its association with bone health, Alm explains that it also plays a role in immune system functioning, digestive health, and even mood.

The fix: Eat more vitamin D-rich foods (shoot for 600 IU per day), get routine bloodwork, and catch some rays.

Good sources of the vitamin include milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, tuna, salmon, egg yolk, and mushrooms. Some cereals and orange juices are also vitamin D-fortified. For reference, 3 ounces of salmon contain 450 IU, 1 cup of cows milk contains 180 IU, 1 large egg yolk contains 40 IU, and 1 cup of fortified cereal contains 40 IU.

Its a good idea, Alm adds, to check your levels through blood work in a lab once or twice a year and to consult a professional if your numbers come back low. If you have a hard time hitting that daily quota through food alone, you may be a good candidate for vitamin D supplementation. Finally, while not a dietary fix, getting regular doses of sunshine is also important.

To be clear: Even when its cold, you still sweat, says Sakiko Minagawa, an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and the owner of Peak Performance Sports Nutrition, also in Boulder. So even though we may not end our runs with cotton mouths and sweat-soaked clothes, its still critical that we stay on top of pre- and post-run fluid replenishment.

The fix: Keep a reusable water bottle handy and reimagine your hydration sources.

Minagawa suggests carrying around a reusable water bottle so you remember to drink throughout the day.

If you have a hard time filling up on cold water, keep in mind that there are other sources of hydrationlike fresh fruits and vegetables, soups, broths, and anything else you can sip on. Some of Alms favorite winter drinks, which double as recovery fuel, include hot chocolate, mochas, and bone broth. She also makes water infusions at home by adding flavor enhancers (try cucumber and mint, or lemon and basil) to water bottles or pitchers and chilling them overnight.

Michael Moeller / EyeEmGetty Images

Although we can now get almost any food at any time of the year, eating seasonally offers many benefits. In-season produce, Alm says, is fresher, more nutrient-dense, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly if it hasnt traveled long distances to reach your plate. Taking advantage is just a matter of knowing whats in and how to prepare it.

The fix: Shop for dark, leafy greens, root vegetables, and citrus fruits.

Alm concedes that winter is more of a transition period than a time of bountiful harvestbut there are still some seasonal staples worth keeping on your grocery list. These include grapefruit, clementines, pomegranate, kiwi, squash, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, pears, kale, and cabbage. Even if these foods dont make up the bulk of your diet, increasing your intake will do your body good.

Vitamin D isnt the only overlooked vitamin this time of year. As Minagawa explains, vitamin C (also called ascorbic acid) impacts immune health as well as growth and tissue repair. It may not prevent you from getting sick, she says, but some research shows vitamin C may decrease the duration of cold symptoms.

The fix: Up your consumption of foods with vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, greens, and strawberries. Aim for 75 mg (for women) or 90 mg (for men) per day.

Unsurprisingly, many foods on the in-season list are also high in vitamin C: citrus fruits and dark, leafy greens, for example. Bell peppers and strawberries are good sources, tooabout 210 mg in one large red or orange bell pepper, and 90 mg in a cup of raw strawberry halves, each of which achieves the recommended daily allowance. To see how other foods stack up, use the FoodData Central search on the U.S. Department of Agricultures site.

Because vitamin C helps with iron absorption, Minagawa suggests pairing the two when possible, in meals such as a spinach salad with strawberries, an omelet with spinach and red bell pepper, or a tomato soup with lentils or black beans.

Tough conditions, scant daylight hours, and limited races make winter a convenient time for many athletes to dial back their training. While regular resets are beneficial over the long haul, Minagawa warns that a decreased training load will naturally lead to some weight gain if your nutritional habits dont change too.

The fix: Maintain an exercise routine and make sure your nutrition matches your activity level.

Minagawa encourages runners to continue to exercise through the winter season, even if that means swapping some runs for bike rides, swims, or elliptical sessions. Find ways to stay motivated, she adds, by recruiting friends to meet you for frosty workouts or easy-to-skip treadmill runs.

Building a spring racing schedule can also hold you accountable to your goals and the consistency they require. However you change your normal workout routine, let your food intake fluctuate in conjunction.

If you find yourself feeling sluggish this time of year because its after the holidays or your training isnt consistent, it can be tempting to repent with cleanses, detoxes, and extreme exercise regimens. But such quick fixes rarely pay off in the long run, Alm warns, as they put you at risk for injury, burnout, and subpar seasons to come.

The fix: Allow your body to normalize gradually by resuming a wholesome diet.

Unless youre preparing for a key race in the winter or early spring, Alm suggests not stressing. Just like returning from an injury or a break from running, your body will naturally find its sweet spot if you slowly ramp up your training and gravitate to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Trust the process and dont panic, Alm advises. Be okay not being at your leanest year-round.

Excerpt from:
Winter Run Fuel - How Runners Should Eat in the Winter - Runner's World

Chocolate and Valentines Day seem to go together, and while dark chocolate may have some heart-healthy benefits, there are plenty of other foods that love your heart and keep it beating strong.

Heart-healthy foods include the foods that make up the Agriculture Departments MyPlate: whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean protein and low-fat dairy. Not so heart-healthy foods processed and fatty red meat, added sugars, sodium are to be eaten in moderation.

Here are some tips for implementing a heart-healthy diet.

Replace enriched grains with whole grains. Choose oats, barley, whole wheat, corn, brown rice and sorghum.

Emphasize fruits and vegetables. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the lower your risk of heart disease.

Include dairy. Fermented dairy, including kefir, cheese and yogurt, is being studied for its ability to protect against heart disease. New research indicates that while low-fat dairy is still recommended because its lower in saturated fat, full-fat dairy may not be as harmful to your heart health as originally thought.

Pour a cup of coffee or tea. Moderate coffee drinking (three to five cups a day) is associated with a modest reduction in cardiovascular risk, and drinking three cups of tea a day has been linked to a decrease in coronary heart disease.

Celebrate with red wine and chocolate. The bioactive components in dark chocolate improve blood pressure, blood clotting and dilation of blood vessels. Studies show peoples risk of heart disease goes down when they eat dark chocolate in small amounts between three and six servings per week. Moderate consumption of red wine (one to two drinks a day for men; one for women) is linked to improved heart health. The key, like with any food, is moderation.

Q: Should I switch to a plant-based diet?

A: Including more fruits, vegetables and whole grains has always been a healthy way to eat. Now there is more emphasis on transitioning toward a plant-based diet.

Thats not to say you have to make it all plants and no meat. But including more plants in your diet can help prevent and reverse heart disease, reduce blood pressure, manage diabetes and may help with weight loss. Start slow with a meatless Monday or a second side of vegetables.

Cooking Light magazine is back, publishing four times a year, and the latest edition features comfort food. Heres a recipe for Banana Walnut Bread. The recipe features whole-wheat flour and heart-healthy walnuts. Walnuts have significantly more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than any other common nut.

cup whole buttermilk

cup plus 3 tablespoons quick-cooking oats, divided

6 ounces (1 cups) plus 1 tablespoon white whole-wheat flour, divided

1 teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon kosher salt, divided

cup plus 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, divided

6 tablespoons roasted walnut oil, divided

cup walnuts, chopped

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cups very ripe bananas (about 3), mashed

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir buttermilk into cup oats in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Place 1 cups flour in a bowl. Stir in baking powder, baking soda and teaspoon salt. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons oil, nuts, cinnamon, teaspoon salt, remaining oats and flour in a small bowl. Add bananas, vanilla, eggs and remaining brown sugar and oil to buttermilk mixture; fold in flour mixture.

Spoon batter into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle walnut streusel over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan; serve warm, or cool completely.

Serves 16 (serving size: 1 slice)

Per serving: 190 calories; 4 grams protein; 27 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 16 grams sugar (10 grams added); 208 milligrams sodium

Charlyn Fargo Ware is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Ill., and the media representative for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Contact her at [emailprotected], or follow her on Twitter: @NutritionRd, or click here for additional columns. The opinions expressed are her own.

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Charlyn Fargo Ware: Eating for Your Heart Is Healthier Than You Think - Noozhawk

As we settle into the new year and face new career challenges, our minds often turn to personal improvement. In this depressed economy, workplace performance is more important than ever before, and most of us are eager to excel. With better job performance, we can move up in our company, increase our salary, and begin to save for the future.

But one of the biggest barriers to improving our job performance is finding the energy and motivation to do so. Without these qualities, our attempts to enroll in continuing education courses, take on extra shifts, or excel at work projects can often fall flat. Theres no question about it moving up in the professional world requires a drive and focus that eludes many people who are trying to juggle child care, daily errands, and relationships as well as full-time jobs.

So what can you do to ensure that you can earn a higher salary, improve your job prospects and increase the balance in your bank account? Take heart these six mood and energy hacks can help transform you from a lethargic underachiever to an energetic go-getter. Implementing just a few of these tips may very well take you from being on the verge of unemployment tobeing a top performer.

In order of importance:

With our planets atmosphere under relentless siege, the quality of our daily sunlight has become more corrupted than ever before. Not that it matters most of us are too busy working to notice. And yet Vitamin D3, which is the byproduct of sunlight, is essential to our bodys functioning.

Most people are Vitamin D3-deficient, and suffering tremendously for it. Supplementing with Vitamin D3 has consistently proven to 10x your productivity, reducing your need for sleep, minimizing your appetite and turbocharging your energy levels. While the FDA recommends dosages of 800 IU per day, studies advise dosages in the minimum range of 2000 IU. Ive personally found success taking 6,000 IU daily, and feel like a 15-year-old again. Vitamin D3 begins to become toxic at 10,000 IU per day, so theres plenty of room for error. Source Naturals is a fantastic brand for Vitamin D3.

As a health supplement, 5-HTP has a myriad of positive health effects. Dr. Daniel Amen of the Amen Clinics recommends 5-HTP for regulating sleep cycles, which helps with energy levels. 5-HTP is also known for being an effective antidepressant, more effective than prescription medication in some cases. Dr. Amen recommends a dosage of 50 to 100 mg, twice per day, for best results. Try the Source Naturals brand for best results.

CBD, which is derived from the cannabis or marijuana plant, has a strong reputation for helping users manage high stress and anxiety levels. Taken in gummy bear, lollipop, tincture, capsule or oil form, even a small dose can have nuclear effects. Hemp Bombs is a high-quality brand to try, although you can find good CBD products at any reputable retailer. At the high end, themost potent Hemp Bombs oils cost over $300 and contain more than 4,000 mg of CBD, makingthem a great choice for even the most severe stress and anxiety.

New Years resolutions about squeezing back into your sports bra or workout belt and hitting the gym are so passe as to be laughable at this point. But did you know that exercising just five minutes a day can have powerful effects on your mood, energy levels, and health? With just a few minutes daily of YouTube exercise videos, jogging or sports, youll feel like a new person.

A good diet can do wonders for your mood and energy levels. But eating well doesnt have to mean getting neurotic about fats and carbs. Everyone knows the basics try to stay away from sugar and fried foods, eat lots of lean proteins and whole grains, consume more produce. But you dont have to overhaul your diet right away start with a few more servings of fruits andvegetables daily, or begin drinking more water. And dont forget to treat yourself!

Getting enough sleep is essential to any self-improvement plan. Although taking Vitamin D3 will reduce your need for sleep, make sure you get your seven to nine hours most nights if at all possible. Develop a bedtime routine, and invest in new sheets, comforters, and pillows for your bed maybe even a comfy featherbed if youre so inclined. Make sure you get home at a decent hour every night and eat a good healthy dinner two to three hours before bed.

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6 tips to improve your mood and energy levels at work - Ladders

The 5:2 diet became popular in late 2012 following a documentary by BBC journalist Michael Mosley.

It advocates cutting weekly total kilojoule intake by using intermittent fasting for two non-consecutive days and then eating a usual diet the other five days.

On the fasting days, women limit their total intake to 2,100 kilojoules and men to 2,500 kilojoules, which is about 25 per cent of the recommended intake for normal-weight adults.

On the non-fasting days, you can eat whatever you want, although Mosley's book recommends making healthy choices.

Advocates of intermittent fasting say it helps in weight loss, and some claim it may reduce the risk of cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer's disease, while also promoting longevity.

They also claim it could be protective against diseases such as diabetes.

Breakfast: Two poached eggs with baby spinach or 40g raw oats (cook into a porridge if desired) served with berries.

Dinner: Waldorf salad (apple, celery, endive leaves, walnuts, yoghurt, and mustard) or a few strips of chicken stir-fried with ginger, garlic, coriander and lots of vegetables.

The jury is still out on the benefits of intermittent fasting.

Studies that initially reported superior results for weight loss were short-term and had low numbers of subjects.

We've examined seven popular diets to find out what you can eat and whether they work.

Recent research compared larger numbers of people on intermittent fasting with others simply reducing kilojoules.

Over 12 months, there were no significant differences in weight loss for either group.

Nor did the researchers find any difference between the groups in blood pressure, heart rate, or in the levels of glucose, insulin, and triglycerides.

However, LDL or 'bad' cholesterol levels did increase significantly in those on the intermittent fasting diet.

Many of the other claimed health benefits have only been shown in rodents.

Claims of reduced risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease have not been shown in any studies on humans.

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If you don't overeat on non-fasting days, your overall kilojoule intake should decrease, so it is likely to be less harmful than many fad diets.

It's also possible that reducing your food intake twice a week could be a new and useful experience, especially if you are in the habit of eating so often that you never experience an empty stomach.

The modified fasting with some food permitted and the inclusion of plenty of vegetables may help avoid some common side-effects to total fasting.

These include irritability, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, dehydration, tiredness, dizziness, and constipation.

Such effects can interfere with work and leisure for most people.

Thinking about trying a new diet? Before you do, read this advice from Dr Sandro Demaio.

The 5:2 diet is unsuitable for many people, including pregnant women, many people with diabetes, those taking certain medications, children and teens.

Given some versions of intermittent fasting fail to promote healthy food choices, there is a possibility you may gorge on your non-fasting days with little regard for the quality of the food you choose.

The 5:2 diet may help some people lose weight. If done well, it may be a valid, but not superior, option to following a traditional reduced-kilojoule diet.

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.

This story, which was originally written by Pamela Wilson and published by ABC Health and Wellbeing, has been reviewed by Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM, nutritionist and visiting fellow, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW, and was updated in 2019.

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What the science says about the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet - ABC News