This is part ofCanadian Health and Wellness, a series in which Corus radio stations nationwide dig into health issues facing Canadians with the help of some of todays most respected diet and exercise practitioners. Read the rest of the series here.

When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, most health professionals will tell you that it starts with what you put into your body.

But what do we need to eat to fuel our bodies when were working different jobs? Basically, it depends on how much of your day you spend sedentary.

It comes down to the energy requirements and what the physical demands are, says registered dietitian Katrina DuBois.

If you are being more physically active, you are going to need more food just because youre moving a lot more than somebody whos sitting all day, and your needs for protein and carbohydrates are going to be a little bit higher than somebody whos not moving as much.

The sedentary worker

The biggest challenge that office workers face is the fact that food is all around us now, and theres a tendency to almost overdo it while youre eating at work, says Heidi Bates, director of integrated dietetic internship at the University of Alberta.

Popping down to Starbucks for that coffee and a muffin which doesnt seem like much if you dont make the right choice and have a very simple coffee and a very small muffin, your morning snack could actually be the calorie equivalent of a full fast-food meal.

DuBois agrees and says people who are sitting for long periods of time say, an office worker or a long-haul truck driver need to imagine a dinner plate and split that plate into quarters when planning their meals.

Its really important to keep in mind that we need half of our plate coming from vegetables, she said. So were really loading our plate with that fibre, really lots of high-end vitamins and minerals, so that were fuelling our body with that, and its going to help keep us full for longer periods of time. And the other quarter of our plate, its going to be coming from protein, and then the last quarter, grains and starches.

Both experts agree that eating something healthy and small every two to three hours is the best way to keep the more sedentary worker focused and productive through the day.

That way, youre keeping the amount of sugar in your blood, which is fuelling your brain, kind of constant across the whole day, Bates says.

The active worker

For someone who needs to fuel their body to be more active throughout the day, dietary choices shouldnt change too much from what a more sedentary worker would eat, but DuBois recommends imagining that same dinner plate and splitting it into thirds instead.

A third is coming from the protein, a third coming from grains and a third would be coming from vegetables, she says.

One of the bigger challenges of eating healthy for someone like a construction worker may come from the fact that a fridge and a microwave arent readily available. In that case, chef Lisa Lindquist recommends reaching for a thermos and bringing along chili or soup with a lot of protein and easy-to-store snacks.

Something like beef jerky or some grapes or something for an afternoon snack will help you avoid being depleted, Lindquist says.

The athlete

For an athlete, the caloric intake to fuel their body through training, practice and games may be even higher than the average active worker, but an athletes diet also tends to take more prepping and planning.

Theyre going to be requiring a lot more food to keep their energy levels up and to keep their productivity levels high because thats going to relate directly to how their productivity is being affected, DuBois said.

But there still isnt one formula for all when it comes to an athletes diet. It can vary widely from sport to sport and even from position to position in a given sport.

Linemen are big, powerful guys, and their diet can have more fat in it because they need to be bigger in general, Edmonton Eskimos wide receiver Natey Adjei said. They need to keep their weight on because part of their job is keeping grown men away from our quarterback. So they need to have as a good mix of fat and muscle on their body. So, you know, with their diet, itd be typically a lot different, more calories.

However, Adjei, who needs to stay nimble and light on his feet as he attempts to score a touchdown, focuses on lean proteins and very balanced diets.

Youre getting all your food groups: youre getting your protein, youre getting your carbs, youre getting your grains in every meal and also your vegetables, he said. So everything is included, and it needs to be lean.

For Edmonton Oilers forward Sam Gagner, his diet changes depending on his schedule.

For myself, I always find that if I can get as many carbs as I can post-game, I tend to respond a lot better, he said. During the day, Ill limit carbs a little bit more. And then around my training, you add some more into it.

Not only are you spending a lot of energy playing the game, but theres the stress factor of thinking about it all day and that kind of stuff. You got to try to get as many nutrients as you can post-game to make sure you recover for the next day.

Finding balance

Regardless of the type of work you do, Bates, DuBois and Lindquist all agree that its important to find what works for you to fuel your body but also allow you to enjoy life.

Its what you do most of the time that counts, Bates says. At every office, youre going to have those events where somebody shows up with something. But its when it starts to be an everyday feature of things things can really add up.

Lindquist says planning your meals ahead can help you to stay on track.

Meal planning makes a big difference because you want to set yourself up for success, so whenever you can plan ahead and kind of visualize what those events are going to look like for you, then you can make really good choices ahead of time and still allow yourself to enjoy it, too, and enjoy some treats, Lindquist says.

Meanwhile, Adjei says he takes a break from his balanced diet every now and then.

Its kind of like, you know, pride at the end of the week, Adjei says of so-called cheat meals. Like you went through a hard week of practice, you got through the game, and now its time to try to relax and treat yourself before you get back into the grind.

- Global News

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BEYOND LOCAL: Experts say how you should fuel your body depends on your line of work - TimminsToday

Low-carb diet: Can it help you lose weight?

Could a low-carb diet give you an edge in losing weight? Help you keep weight off permanently? Here's what you need to know about the low-carb diet.

A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates such as those found in grains, starchy vegetables and fruit and emphasizes foods high in protein and fat. Many types of low-carb diets exist. Each diet has varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates you can eat.

A low-carb diet is generally used for losing weight. Some low-carb diets may have health benefits beyond weight loss, such as reducing risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

You might choose to follow a low-carb diet because you:

Check with your doctor before starting any weight-loss diet, especially if you have any health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.

As the name says, a low-carb diet restricts the type and amount of carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates are a type of calorie-providing macronutrient found in many foods and beverages.

Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. They can further be classified as simple refined (table sugar), simple natural (lactose in milk and fructose in fruit), complex refined (white flour) and complex natural (whole grains or beans).

Common sources of naturally occurring carbohydrates include:

Food manufacturers also add refined carbohydrates to processed foods in the form of sugar or white flour. Examples of foods that contain refined carbohydrates are white breads and pasta, cookies, cake, candy, and sugar-sweetened sodas and drinks.

Your body uses carbohydrates as its main fuel source. Complex carbohydrates (starches) are broken down into simple sugars during digestion. They're then absorbed into your bloodstream, where they're known as blood sugar (glucose). In general, natural complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly and they have less effect on blood sugar. Natural complex carbohydrates provide bulk and serve other body functions beyond fuel.

Rising levels of blood sugar trigger the body to release insulin. Insulin helps glucose enter your body's cells. Some glucose is used by your body for energy, fueling all of your activities, whether it's going for a jog or simply breathing. Extra glucose is usually stored in your liver, muscles and other cells for later use or is converted to fat.

The idea behind the low-carb diet is that decreasing carbs lowers insulin levels, which causes the body to burn stored fat for energy and ultimately leads to weight loss.

In general, a low-carb diet focuses on proteins, including meat, poultry, fish and eggs, and some nonstarchy vegetables. A low-carb diet generally excludes or limits most grains, legumes, fruits, breads, sweets, pastas and starchy vegetables, and sometimes nuts and seeds. Some low-carb diet plans allow small amounts of certain fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

A daily limit of 0.7 to 2 ounces (20 to 60 grams) of carbohydrates is typical with a low-carb diet. These amounts of carbohydrates provide 80 to 240 calories. Some low-carb diets greatly restrict carbs during the initial phase of the diet and then gradually increase the number of allowed carbs.

In contrast, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calorie intake. So if you consume 2,000 calories a day, you would need to eat between 900 and 1,300 calories a day from carbohydrates.

Most people can lose weight if they restrict the number of calories consumed and increase physical activity levels. To lose 1 to 1.5 pounds (0.5 to 0.7 kilogram) a week, you need to reduce your daily calories by 500 to 750 calories.

Low-carb diets, especially very low-carb diets, may lead to greater short-term weight loss than do low-fat diets. But most studies have found that at 12 or 24 months, the benefits of a low-carb diet are not very large. A 2015 review found that higher protein, low-carbohydrate diets may offer a slight advantage in terms of weight loss and loss of fat mass compared with a normal protein diet.

Cutting calories and carbs may not be the only reason for the weight loss. Some studies show that you may shed some weight because the extra protein and fat keeps you feeling full longer, which helps you eat less.

Low-carb diets may help prevent or improve serious health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In fact, almost any diet that helps you shed excess weight can reduce or even reverse risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Most weight-loss diets not just low-carb diets may improve blood cholesterol or blood sugar levels, at least temporarily.

Low-carb diets may improve high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglyceride values slightly more than do moderate-carb diets. That may be due not only to how many carbs you eat but also to the quality of your other food choices. Lean protein (fish, poultry, legumes), healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and unprocessed carbs such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products are generally healthier choices.

A report from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Obesity Society concluded that there isn't enough evidence to say whether most low-carbohydrate diets provide heart-healthy benefits.

If you suddenly and drastically cut carbs, you may experience a variety of temporary health effects, including:

In addition, some diets restrict carbohydrate intake so much that in the long term they can result in vitamin or mineral deficiencies, bone loss and gastrointestinal disturbances and may increase risks of various chronic diseases.

Because low-carb diets may not provide necessary nutrients, these diets aren't recommended as a method of weight loss for preteens and high schoolers. Their growing bodies need the nutrients found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Severely restricting carbohydrates to less than 0.7 ounces (20 grams) a day can result in a process called ketosis. Ketosis occurs when you don't have enough sugar (glucose) for energy, so your body breaks down stored fat, causing ketones to build up in your body. Side effects from ketosis can include nausea, headache, mental and physical fatigue, and bad breath.

It's not clear what kind of possible long-term health risks a low-carb diet may pose because most research studies have lasted less than a year. Some health experts believe that if you eat large amounts of fat and protein from animal sources, your risk of heart disease or certain cancers may actually increase.

If you follow a low-carbohydrate diet that's higher in fat and possibly higher in protein, it's important to choose foods with healthy unsaturated fats and healthy proteins. Limit foods containing saturated and trans fats, such as meat, high-fat dairy products, and processed crackers and pastries.

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Low-carb diet: Can it help you lose weight? - Mayo Clinic

A new twist on extreme weight loss is catching on in some parts of the United States. Its called the "keto diet."

People promoting the diet say it uses the bodys own fat burning system to help people lose significant weight in as little as 10 days.

It has also been known to help moderate the symptoms of children with epilepsy, although experts are not quite sure why it works.

Proponents say the diet can produce quick weight loss and provide a person with more energy.

However, critics say the diet is an unhealthy way to lose weight and in some instances it can be downright dangerous.

Read More: What is the Caveman Diet?

The keto diet is any extremely low- or no-carbohydrate diet that forces the body into a state of ketosis.

Ketosis occurs when people eat a low- or no-carb diet and molecules called ketones build up in their bloodstream.

Low carbohydrate levels cause blood sugar levels to drop and the body begins breaking down fat to use as energy.

Ketosis is actually a mild form of ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis mostly affects people with type 1 diabetes. In fact, it is the leading cause of death of people with diabetes who are under 24 years of age.

However, many experts say ketosis itself is not necessarily harmful.

Some studies, in fact, suggest that a ketogenic diet is safe for significantly overweight or obese people.

However, other clinical reviews point out that patients on low-carbohydrate diets regain some of their lost weight within a year.

Read More: How Exercise Helps You Lose Weight

The keto diet was created by Dr. Gianfranco Cappello, an associate professor of surgery at the Sapienza University in Rome, Italy.

He claims great success among thousands of users. In his study, more than 19,000 dieters experienced significant, rapid weight loss, few side effects, and most kept the weight off after a year.

According to the reported results, patients lost an average of 10.2 kilograms, or about 22 pounds, after 2.5 cycles of the keto diet. Cappello concluded that the diet was a successful way for overweight and obese people to lose weight, and the few side effects, such as fatigue, are easily managed.

Bette Klein, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Childrens Hospital, has used the keto diet for years to help ease the symptoms of children with epilepsy.

She told Healthline it is particularly effective with children with refractory epilepsy who have not responded well to at least two different drug treatments.

Klein said about half of these children who go on the diet see a reduction in the number of seizures they have.

The dietitian said, however, that medical professionals are not sure why the diet works in these cases.

There is not a clear definition of what is happening, she said.

Rudy Mawer, a sports nutritionist, has also found some success with the keto type of diet.

He said he uses this low-carb approach with some people who have trouble losing weight. He also has high performing athletes on the plan.

Mawer told Healthline there are a number of benefits to the program.

One benefit is its quick results. People can lose some initial weight rapidly and that, in turn, helps encourage them.

You can get motivated by this weight loss, he said.

He added the keto diet is simple in concept. It eliminates a food group, making it easier for people to follow.

He said the diet also makes people feel full despite having fewer calories and it gives them more energy. Thats because, he said, people are giving up their sluggish diet of processed foods. He added the keto diet keeps blood sugar levels stable, which produces a more stable flow of energy.

Mawer notes there are some drawbacks.

He said the diet would not necessarily improve athletic performance, a fact that may discourage some athletes.

He added people need to adhere closely to the program or it will not work.

It is a very strict diet, said Mawer. You have to do everything right.

Every individual, he notes, is different and will react differently to such a program.

Whats great for one person can be horrible for another person, he said.

Read More: Experts Say Obesity is Stamped In

Critics say the keto-type diets usually work only in the short term and can be unhealthy.

For starters, most of the lost weight is water weight, according to Lisa Cimperman, R.D.N., a clinical dietitian at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Once your body enters ketosis, you also begin to lose muscle, become extremely fatigued, and eventually enter starvation mode. Then it actually becomes even harder to lose weight, Cimperman told Healthline.

Mawer said he doesnt believe the keto diet causes muscle loss. He did caution its not optimal for someone trying to gain muscle.

Other experts interviewed by Healthline had stronger words of caution.

Keto diets should only be used under clinical supervision and only for brief periods, Francine Blinten, R.D., a certified clinical nutritionist and public health consultant in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, told Healthline. They have worked successfully on some cancer patients in conjunction with chemotherapy to shrink tumors and to reduce seizures among people suffering from epilepsy.

In the general population, Blinten said a keto diet should only be considered in extreme cases.

It can do more harm than good. It can damage the heart, which is also a muscle, she explained.

Anyone with type 2 diabetes can benefit from weight loss and a reduced-carb diet because it will improve insulin sensitivity, Cimperman explained.

But there are many other ways to do it besides a fad diet that wont keep weight off long-term, she said.

Blinten, who has used a keto diet for some cancer patients in specific circumstances, cautioned, people will do anything to get the weight off. However, a keto diet will do more harm than good for the majority of patients, especially if they have any underlying kidney or liver issues.

People are using this for cosmetic reasons, but its so extreme that its dangerous, she said.

Read More: Why Severe Anorexia is So Difficult to Treat

Some have taken the keto diet a step further, using a feeding tube inserted into the esophagus through the nose.

Dieters adhere to a strict 800-calorie high-protein, no-carb diet administered through the tube by a slow-drip pump mechanism. Only black coffee, tea, or water is allowed in addition to the liquid diet.

A Florida doctor, Oliver Di Pietro, has been offering this tube diet to anyone who can pay the $1,500 cost. According to a 2012 local news report, Di Pietro learned of the diet while on a trip to Italy. He insists the keto diet is safe and effective, even for those wanting to shed just a few pounds.

This is a ridiculous approach to weight loss, said Cimperman.

With an 800-calorie-a-day diet, youre essentially starving yourself, Cimperman said. Of course you will drop weight.

Anything under a 1,200-calorie daily diet is considered a starvation diet and is not meant for long-term weight loss.

Tube feeding is a legitimate tool in a hospital setting, she explained.

Someone who is on a ventilator, or cant swallow because of a stroke or cancer, might have to eat this way. But its usually used as a last resort, she said.

In an otherwise healthy individual it can create serious complications, including infections if the tube gets contaminated, increased sodium levels, and it can cause dehydration and constipation, Cimperman added. What would even possess people to want to walk around with a tube up their nose?

Melinda Hemmelgarn, a registered dietitian in Columbia, Missouri, and host of the Food Sleuth radio show, told Healthline, Its crazy to consider sticking a tube down your nose to lose weight. It sounds to me like somebody is making a lot of money on someone elses vulnerabilities. Just say no to this idea.

Read More: Doctors Finally Begin to Treat Obesity

Hemmelgarn advised anyone thinking of going on a fad diet to keep food in perspective. Its a gift. Its how we nourish ourselves and stay well.

Marketing this diet to brides just plays into our weight-obsessed society, according to Hemmelgarn.

Instead, anyone preparing for marriage should nourish herself well, engage in plenty of physical activity like walking, jogging, or bike riding, and be good to herself by eating fresh, whole, minimally processed organic foods.

There is no magic bullet for long-term weight loss, said Blinten. For long-term weight control, a Mediterranean style diet focused on fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish, and olive oil, is one that can be healthy for life.

We fall prey to wacko diets, but the truth is theres no quick fix, Blinten said. Cutting refined carbs and replacing them with fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, cutting processed foods, and avoiding too many additives will keep you healthy in the long term.

Cimperman said the healthiest approach to weight loss is to set realistic goals and ask yourself if your diet plan is:

If the answers are no, then that is a red flag, she cautioned.

Blinten advised dieters not to skip meals because your body goes into overdrive the next time you eat. That can actually cause you to eat more, not less. She suggested eating your largest meal at midday, then having a healthy afternoon snack.

It keeps your metabolism and insulin levels more regular, she explained.

Exercise, of course, is also vitally important. Every pound of muscle equals 50 calories burned, so a plan that includes a muscle enhancing regimen will help you reach your goal faster.

Hemmelgarn added, Stay away from fashion magazines. They make us feel inadequate. If you are even considering this insane approach to weight loss, go for a walk right now! Itll clear your head.

Editor's note: This story was originally written by Liz Seegart and published on December 19, 2014. It has been updated several times since then.

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Keto Diet Dangers You Should Know About

By WAIRIMU GITHUKA More by this Author

Diet, discipline and determination did it for us, say two women who succeeded in losing almost half their weight.

I lost over 60 kilos and regained my health

At the beginning of every year, members of CITAM Church on Valley Road, Nairobi, undertake a 40-day fast.

For years, I had joined my fellow church members in the annual fast, sometimes going for five or seven straight days without food.

I had never attempted the 40-day fast, partly because I wasnt sure I could hold out that long.

But I decided to give it a try in January, 2018, living on water and one meal a day at 6pm for 40 days. I did it for spiritual reasons and felt an incredible sense of accomplishment.

Although I wasnt fasting to lose weight, I was pleasantly surprised to note that my weight had dropped from 138 to 132 kilos.

I was always the chubbiest child in class and the playground. Even as a grown up, I was always the biggest of all my friends.

Not that it bothered me. I am a confident and outgoing person.

Still, I had tried losing weight several times using different diets I found on the internet.

I would diet in the run-up to events, aiming to fit into certain clothes, or whenever my clothes became too tight.

I occasionally lost weight but would revert to my normal eating habits right after, regaining all the kilos, and some.

For a person standing 58, my weight 138 kilos at my heaviest brought a lot of health complications.

I was in my early forties but seeing the doctor every three weeks; I had sleep apnea (a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts), asthma, high blood pressure, dizzying headaches and joint pains.

So bad were my knees that getting up from a chair or climbing a flight of stairs was difficult.

Because of the sleep apnea and high blood pressure, I was sleeping only one or two hours a night, leaving me tired and drowsy during the day.

Things got so bad that I tried to convince my doctor to prescribe sleeping ills for me. But he refused and advised me to lose weight instead.

Although I decided to follow the doctors advice, I had challenges finding the right weight loss method.

I needed to lose almost half my weight 70 kilos. That sounded almost impossible to achieve.

I was still mulling over how to go about it when my sister told me about a childhood friend shed bumped into.

The friend, a medical doctor who had always been as chubby as I was, had lost 40 kgs.

My sister pushed me to look for her and I did, and she was more than happy to share her secret.

On her advice, I booked an appointment with a representative from the Wellness Project Africa.

The weight loss companys website said it provided medically monitored and tailor-made medical plans for individuals.

Their programme used foods to balance weight- influencing hormones in order to trigger fat burning.

I had my blood samples taken for the purpose of monitoring the levels of various weight-influencing hormones in my blood, as well as my liver, kidney and thyroid functions.

I began my weight loss journey on June 18, 2018, strictly following instructions from my wellness partner, a trained individual assigned to help me navigate the process. I lost five kilos the first month.

The foods prescribed were great and there were many options to choose from.

I was glad that my favourite foods like beef, chicken, traditional greens and fruit were included. The meals were also easy to prepare, even when I was travelling.

By the second month, my energy levels had increased, enabling me to join a gym and go for walks in Karura Forest.

I no longer suffer from sleep apnea and insomnia and my blood pressure is normal. PHOTO | COURTESY

After six months (June to December 2018), I went from 133 to 85 kilos. It was almost unbelievable.

My friends and I flew to Cape Town to celebrate my achievement. Although I relaxed a bit on the diet during that holiday, I still stuck to the principles avoiding junk food and processed carbohydrates and sticking to protein, fruit and vegetables.

In January, 2019, I went back to strictly following the diet. It paid off because by April, my weight was down to 77 kilos, the lowest in my adult life.

But when I dropped to 74 kilos, my family became concerned, saying, I looked a bit weak.

On the advice of my wellness partner, I completed the diet and increased my protein intake while taking up weight training to build muscle.

I still do that, having changed my eating habits for good. My weight now oscillates between 74 and 77 kilos, almost a year after finishing the programme.

The benefits Ive reaped are immeasurable. For someone who got asthma at age 25, it is very refreshing not remembering the last time I had an attack or used an inhaler.

For the first time in my life my weight is normal and I can sleep throughout the night.

I no longer suffer from sleep apnea and insomnia and my blood pressure is normal.

Although my knees are still a little inflamed, I go to the gym, climb stairs and get up from my seat without a struggle.

One of my greatest achievements, which many people might take for granted, is that I can now cross my legs when seated, wear stockings and balance in high heels.

Although I was never a big eater, I now realise that skipping meals and snacking on junk foods like chocolate, cakes, ice cream and pizza was the reason I gained so much weight.

Because I had a busy schedule and lived alone, I rarely cooked, opting for unhealthy takeaways.

I also never drank water, but relied on Fanta soda to quench my thirst, even when I woke up at night with a parched throat because of sleep apnea!

I havent eaten chocolate, pizza, chips or any junk food since 2018, and I no longer even crave them.

Im not one to ask anyone to lose weight as I dont believe in judging others. Weight loss is a personal decision, and everyone should be allowed to do it on their own terms.

I lost over 50 kilos and said goodbye to gout and arthritis

Caroline Olumwa, businesswoman

I stopped weighing myself after I broke a friends weighing machine. I weighed 120 kilos.

Whenever I walked into clothes shops, the attendants would quickly point out that they didnt have my size.

I hated being told I was obese, but I couldnt stop eating, and the weight kept piling on.

My weight bothered me. For someone in her late thirties, it was too much. Id occasionally get motivated to start exercising, waking up at 4am to go jogging or to the gym, but would soon get frustrated and give up.

I would eat beef and rice or chips for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and down chapatti with milk in the middle of the night to soothe my flaring stomach ulcers. I would snack on junk food right after a meal.

My house was always stocked with juice, soda and biscuits. I never ate vegetables.

I was living alone and going through depression, so I never cooked but relied on unhealthy takeaways.

My tummy grew bigger with every meal, resting on my lap when I sat. At one point I looked nine months pregnant!

My relationship with food hadnt always been like that. My weight problem was triggered by a nasty break-up, so I sought comfort in food. Ironically, the more I ate, the worse I felt.

Then, one night in June, 2018, I developed pain in my right knee. I lay in bed, unable to stretch or bend it. It was hot and swollen.

I thought exercising would offer relief so for weeks, I tried exercising. In October, unable to bear it anymore, I went to the hospital.

Tests showed that I had developed gouty arthritis. The doctor put me on medication for three months and banned me from eating red meat.

He also told me to watch what I ate, whatever that meant. My business selling handbags in Eastlands was doing badly.

But something else was bothering me; my mother was battling severe rheumatoid arthritis and I feared I could end up like her.

I couldnt move or bend my right leg and would drag it along when I walked. I once bumped into an old friend who, exclaimed: Sikujua mtu anaweza kuwa kiwete akiwa mtu mzima, (I didnt know one could become handicapped in adulthood).

For three months, I religiously took the prescribed medicine but there was no change.

And I could not afford the Sh5,000 consultation fees, so I called the doctor. He suggested that I continue with my prescription.

But I had no money and relied on painkillers to be able walk and took sleeping pills at night.

I suffered constant headaches, coughs and colds and had extremely painful menses and stomach ulcers that constantly flared up.

I wasnt just sick. At size 24, I also had body image issues and didnt want to take any photos.

One day a matatu tout told me that I would have to pay for two seats since nobody wanted to sit squeezed next to me.

A nice passenger got me out of the awkward situation by letting me sit next to him.

I broke the news about my leg to my mum on phone, since I could not go visiting for Christmas.

Naturally, she was worried I was going down the same painful path she was on.

In January, 2019, I stopped taking the prescribed medicine because I couldnt afford it and opted for painkillers.

In February, when I could barely able raise Sh100 for a days dose, a neighbour told me about a doctor who was visiting him from Kakamega and offering free treatment.

He diagnosed me with the same ailment as the first doctor. But his prescription cost over Sh20,000.

When I told him about my financial situation, he advised me to go for intermittent fasting (IF), a system where you go through cycles of eating and fasting.

He said going hungry would cost nothing, but would improve my condition. He was so nice that he even printed notes on IF for me.

I never read the notes, and the idea of going without food for days sounded crazy.

But in March, 2019, while on Facebook, I saw a group calling itself Intermittent Fasting Support Group Africa (mentor Kelitu Kaseo).

On the page were inspiring accounts by people who had successfully lost weight through IF. I started IF that month, weighing over 120 kilos.

After a week going for 16 hours without food and eating only during an eight-hour window, the pain in my leg started subsiding.

I gradually increased my fasting periods to 24 hours, then 36, 48, 60, 72 and finally 156 (6 days with no food just water, green or black tea, black coffee and bone broth on day three to boost energy).

The third week, I could walk without having to take painkillers. That day did a 10km loop around my neighbourhood and jumped for joy when I returned home with no pain. I couldnt believe it. IF was working!

I lost 13 kgs during my first, five-week cycle, and seven kilos in the next cycle. By November 2019, I was weighing 70 kilos.

Was it hard? No! But the thought of going for six days without food made me anxious. I thought I would die of hunger in my sleep.

But my fears were quickly allayed by other people in the Facebook group.

My happiest moment was when the swelling and pain on my knee went. Just being able to lift, stretch and fold my leg was unbelievable.

I now practice weight maintenance, so I do not fast beyond three days. I look and feel younger, and I no longer get headaches, coughs, colds or period pains.

My ulcers too, have cleared, and I sleep like a baby. IF has permanently changed my eating habits. I eat only one meal a day.

I avoid wheat, processed starch and sugar, and prefer natural whole carbohydrates like arrowroots, sweet potatoes and ugali made from unprocessed flour.

I get protein from pulses and seeds like chia, sunflower, flax, pumpkin and macadamia. Traditional greens and natural yoghurt are also a constant in my diet.

My mentor, nicknamed Kelitu Kaseo on Facebook, helped me safely navigate my IF journey. And Im happier, healthier and lighter!

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Battling the bulge: What women say - Daily Nation

Who knew Rudy Giuliani was psychic?

The evidence is clear. In August 2018, he argued on American television that Truth isnt truth. Earlier that same year, in response to an interviewers assertion that facts are not in the eye of the beholder, Giuliani said, Nowadays, they are.

At the time, President Donald Trumps lawyer was arguing why his client should not testify before a committee investigating possible presidential malfeasance. But Mr. Giuliani could just as easily have been discussing U.S. media coverage of Huawei to date.

Huawei is a privately held company, owned by the people who work there.

Huawei networking products have been repeatedly, independently tested for backdoors and other security risks. Those products have been found to be safe enough to be deployed in networks around the world, networks managed by trusted telecom operators overseen by local governments.

In more than 30 years, Huawei technologies have never been proven to have caused any major network security breaches.

Huawei has worked closely with government cybersecurity experts around the world to maintain this track record. Company leadership has even offered to sign contracts guaranteeing the safety of its offerings.

Huawei founder and CEO, Ren Zhengfei, has gone so far as to offer to license the companys 5G networking technology to an American buyer. Such a move would alleviate concerns over undue influence or access by, variously, the Chinese government, the Chinese military or both. It would also enable U.S. corporate participation in the telecom marketplace.

Yet, if one consumed only a steady diet of most mainstream U.S. reporting about the company, one might never know any of these facts. Instead, many in the U.S. media continue to regurgitate frequently unrebutted, baseless accusations and inaccuracies uttered by politicians, government officials and those who profit by currying favor with them.

All of this is in sharp contrast to the 1970s and 1980s, when the U.S. government engaged in normal trade relations with China. Throughout that period, the U.S. actively sought to influence Chinas activities in areas ranging from intellectual property to human rights. And China became one of Americas top trading partners, which it still is today.

So, how did we get where we are now, where there is no U.S. manufacturer of telecom equipment?

In large part, by American companies forfeiting their leadership in networking technologies during the 1990s and early 2000s, in favor of short-term increases in revenues, profit and returns to shareholders. Once-mighty bastions of innovation such as AT&T Labs sold off their basic research and development resources to companies such as Canadas Northern Telecom and Frances Alcatel.

Eventually, even those companies succumbed to financial pressures and strategic missteps, leaving the door open for companies such as Finlands Nokia and Swedens Ericsson along with Chinas Huawei to take the lead in advanced networking. Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia are now the dominant players in the market for so-called 5G wireless networking, which is poised to revolutionize how people and businesses communicate around the world.

Meanwhile, Americas government has shifted focus, from innovation to legislation. The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), referred to by some as the Anti-Huawei Act, limited use of Huawei products by U.S. federal agencies. The 2020 NDAA, signed by President Trump, bans the U.S. Commerce Department from removing Huawei from the agencys entity list without proof the company is no longer a national security threat (https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/478197-senators-offer-bill-to-create-alternatives-to-huawei-in-5g-tech).

American government officials have repeatedly called Huawei a threat to national security, despite no clear evidence to support that charge. In January 2020, American representatives presented counterparts in the United Kingdom with a supposedly incendiary dossier (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/13/using-huawei-in-uk-5g-networks-would-be-madness-us-says) of risks associated with Huawei and its products. However, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) reported that the dossier contained no smoking gun, and little if any new information of value (https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51112232).

Countries, companies and governments have repeatedly put Huawei and its offerings to the test. They have come away satisfied they could do business with the company safely. Experts ranging from Microsoft founder Bill Gates to Harvard University economist Jeffrey Sachs have said publicly that attempting to ban Huawei from doing business in the United States is wrong and dangerously disruptive to global supply chains.

It is also dangerously disruptive to American companies, their employees and their families. Huawei had been purchasing more than $11 billion worth of technology from U.S. companies annually. By shutting off that revenue stream, American politicians have put tens of thousands of U.S. jobs at risk.

Every time it misreports or ignores the facts about Huawei, the U.S. media does a grave disservice to those who consume it, and to its legacy of superior investigative journalism.

Throughout 2020, Huawei will intensify its efforts to fight misinformation with facts, at its Huawei Facts website (https://www.huawei.com/en/facts), on social media and elsewhere. Huawei will also tell more stories about its people, its history, and its focus on delivering technologies and solutions that connect, not divide. Because we are all stronger together. And together, we can prove Rudy Giuliani and those propagating alternative facts about Huawei wrong and irrelevant.

Read the original here:
Truth, Facts and Huawei: Time to Get Real, US Media - InsideSources

Music therapy isn't the same for everyone, so find some joy in the music of your real-life and maybe even push away a moody cancer funk.

Martha lives in Illinois and was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in January 2015. She has a husband and three children, ranging in age from 12 to 18, a dog and a lizard.

I remember when my middle daughter was a baby - she was not an "easy" baby - and I'd drive around sometimes for hours just to try to get her to fall asleep. Once, or more precisely "if", she did, I would either just sit in the car quietly reading or sleeping until she woke or I'd risk bringing her into the house, where I'd put her in the crib, car seat and all.

It was during this time that I got a lot of advice from doctors, family, friends, magazines and pretty much every mother or grandmother whose path I crossed that music would soothe this savage beast. Not just any music, though. Classical music.

I still smile when I think about that advice. Classical music was the one surefire way to enrage this baby.

Music is often put forth as a complementary therapy for people with cancer. In the same way I tested out classical music on my daughter, I've tried to get into the calming "cancer music", like the flutes, the music my qi gong instructor puts on at the start of each class. I'm just not soothed by the tones though. I can appreciate the beauty of this music, and classical recordings don't send me into a fit the way it did that little baby in her car seat. Still, for me, music therapy has to sound a little different.

Starting with the early days of my diagnosis, I've actually made good use of my own music-as-therapy. At chemotherapy appointments, putting on my headphones and hitting play on my phone are the first things I do once those drugs are hooked up to the IV pole. It's not dulcet tones though. What I'm listening to is often whatever that same daughter has been playing in the car. It's loud, it's feminist, it's danceableand it has the power to pull me out of a moody funk.

It reminds me of the days when my daughters enthusiastically practiced their songs for Junior High plays, of the fun I've had at small concerts with them and the long days at huge music events in Chicago, where I am certifiably in the old-lady category.

It's music therapy for my real life.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that what people recommend when you're getting cancer treatment may simultaneously not work for you and work great with slight modifications. For me, music therapy falls into that category.

I'm probably never going to be calmed by listening to an Indian flute recording, but with different music, I can wind up in the same place. Sure, I get there with a bit more volume and a lot more movement (and some out-of-tune singing) but this is definitely a situation where it's the destination that matters and not the how-you-get-there.

Take a moment today to think about the exuberance for life that you respond to in your favorite music and let that be a bit of complementary therapy for your heart and soul. Sing it out loud or play it quietly to find the joy we all deserve.

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Music For The Cancer Life - Curetoday.com