TheWorld Health Organization(WHO) recently released alistof 13 urgent health challenges the world will face over next decade, which highlights a range of issues including climate change and health care equity.

According to WHO, the list provides an overview of "urgent, global health challenges" that WHO developed with help from experts around the world. WHO said the challenges included on the list "demand a response from more than just the health sector," adding, "Governments, communities, and international agencies must work together" to address these "critical" issues.

WHO said all of the challenges included on the list are urgent, and several are interlinked. As such, WHO did not list the challenges in any particular order.

1. Climate crisis

The world's climate crisis has major health implications, according to WHO, with air pollution alone killing an estimated seven million people annually. In addition, more than 25% of deaths from chronic respiratory disease, heart attack, lung cancer, and stroke are attributed to the same emissions responsible for global warming, WHO said. Climate change also worsens malnutrition and promotes the spread of infectious diseases, according to WHO.

To address the issue, WHO said it is working toward creating "a set of policy options for governments" that aim to lower the health risks associated with air pollution. The organization said, "Leaders in both the public and private sectors must work together to clean up our air and mitigate the health impacts of climate change."

10 easy opportunities to go greenand improve your bottom line

2. Health care delivery in areas of conflict and crisis

WHO noted that, in 2019, most of the disease outbreaks that required the organization's "highest level of response occurred in countries with protracted conflicts." WHO said it recorded a total of 978 attacks against health care workers or facilities in 11 countries last year, which resulted in 193 deaths. The conflicts also forced a record number of people to leave their homes, resulting in limited health care access for tens of millions of people, WHO said.

WHO noted that it is "working with countries and partners to strengthen health systems, improve preparedness, and expand the availability of long-term contingency financing for complex health emergencies." However, the group said "political solutions" are need "to resolve protracted conflicts, stop neglecting the weakest health systems, and protect health care workers and facilities from attacks."

Infographic: View a snapshot of health systems around the world

3. Health care equity

There are major discrepancies in the quality of people's health across socio-economic groups, WHO said. For example, WHO noted that there is an 18-year difference between the life expectancy of people in low- and high-income countries, as well as significant differences in life expectancies among people living within the same countries and cities. In addition, low- and middle-income countries face a disproportionately large burden of cancer, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases, which can quickly put a strain on the resources of low-income households.

WHO said it is working to address disparities in health equity by improving "child and maternal care, nutrition, gender equality, mental health, and access to adequate water and sanitation" and providing guidance on how countries can work to improve health care equity.

Report: How to integrate psychosocial risk factors into ongoing care

4. Access to treatments

According to WHO, about one-third of people across the world lack access to essential health products such as diagnostic tools, medicines, and vaccines. Limited access to these products fuel drug resistance and threaten people's lives and health, according to WHO.

To address the issue, WHO said it will "sharpen its focus" on efforts to combat "substandard and falsified medical products; enhance[e] the capacity of low-income countries to assure the quality of medical products throughout the supply chain; and improve[e] access to diagnosis and treatment for noncommunicable diseases."

Telehealth 101: Get the primer series

5. Infectious disease prevention

HIV, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis and other infectious diseases will kill an estimated four million people this year, accord to WHO. Vaccine-preventable diseases also are expected to kill thousands of people over the next decade.

Part of the reason why infectious diseases continue to spread is because of weak health systems in endemic countries and insufficient levels of financing, WHO said. As such, WHO said there is "an urgent need for greater political will and increased funding for essential health services; strengthening routine immunization; improving the quality and availability of data to inform planning, and more efforts to mitigate the effects of drug resistance."

Related: Where to start with antibiotic stewardship

6. Epidemic preparedness

An airborne and highly infectious virus pandemic "is inevitable," WHO said, but countries around the world continue to spend more on responding to these emergencies than preparing for them. This leaves countries unprepared for when another pandemic strikes and potentially threatens the lives of millions of people, according to WHO.

WHO said countries should invest in evidence-based practices to strengthen their health systems and protect populations from disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and other health emergencies.

Briefing: Make sure your disaster plan includes these key elements

7. Unsafe products

Nearly one-third of today's global disease burden is attributed to a lack of food, unsafe food, and unhealthy diets, according to WHO. WHO said while food insecurity and hunger continue to be an issue, there also is a growing number of people who have diets that are high in fat or sugar, leading to a rise in weight- and diet-related diseases. Further, there's been an increase in tobacco and e-cigarette use in most countries, raising additional health concerns.

WHO said it is looking to combat health risks related to unsafe foods and other products by "working with countries to develop evidence-based public policies, investments, and private sector reforms to reshape food systems and provide healthy and sustainable diets," and "to build political commitment and capacity to strengthen implementation of evidence-based tobacco control policies."

Report: Improve patient access to nutrition-reinforced diets

8. Underinvestment in health workers

There is a shortage of health workers around the world because of low pay and chronic underinvestment in health workers' education and employment, WHO said. According to WHO, the shortages negatively affect health systems' sustainability and jeopardize health and social care services. An additional 18 million health workers, including nine million nurses and midwives, will be needed across the world by 2030, according to WHO.

WHO said the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 as the "Year of the Nurse and the Midwife" in an effort to spur "action and encourage investment in education, skills, and jobs" for health care workers. In addition, WHO said it is working with countries to generate new investments to ensure health care workers are trained and paid "decent salaries."

Infographic: Use these 3 paths to help close the experience-complexity gap among nurses

9. Adolescent safety

Each year, more than one million adolescents ages 10 to 19 die, with road injuries, HIV, suicide, lower respiratory infections, and interpersonal violence leading as causes of death among teens. According to WHO, a number of factorsincluding harmful alcohol use, unprotected sex, and lack of physical activityincrease the risks of these types of death.

WHO said it will aim to promote mental health and curb harmful behaviors among adolescents in 2020 by issuing new guidance and working to bolster emergency trauma care.

Just released: Your behavioral health access playbook

10. Improving public trust of health care workers

The spread of misinformation, coupled with weakening trust of public institutions, is playing an increasing role in the health decisions patients make, according to WHO. But when patients trust health care systems, they are more likely to follow a health care workers' advice on how to stay healthy and are more likely to rely on health services, WHO said.

In order to bolster public trust in health care workers and systems, WHO said it is working to help countries "strengthen primary care" and to combat misinformation on social media platforms. Further, WHO added that "scientists and the public health community need to do a better job of listening to the communities they serve," and there is a need for investments "in better public health data information systems."

Report: How to create a consumer-focused digital strategy

11. Capitalizing on technological advancements

Breakthroughs in technology have revolutionized disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, WHO said, and genome editing, digital health technologies, and synthetic biology have the potential to solve a number of health problems.

However, WHO also noted that these technologies raise a number of questions regarding how they should be regulated and monitored. WHO cautioned that without the appropriate guardrails, these technological advancements have the potential to create new organisms and harm people, and said it is setting up new advisory committees to review evidence and provide guidance on the technologies.

Report: 8 clinical technologies with the potential to transform health care

12. Threat of anti-microbial resistance and other medicines

Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) has the potential to undo decades of medical advancements and has increased due to a number of factors, including limited access to quality and low-cost medications, the unregulated prescription and use of antibiotics, poor infection control, and more, WHO said.

The organization said it is working to combat AMR "by addressing its root causes, while advocating for research and development into new antibiotics."

Report: 7 imperatives to transform your quality strategy

13. Health care sanitation

Billions of people across the world live in communities without adequate sanitation services or potable water, which are major causes of disease. And about one-fourth of health care facilities across the world lack basic water services, which are critical to health systems, WHO said. A lack of water and other basic resources results in poor-quality care and increases the likelihood of infections, according to WHO.

To address the issue, WHO and its partners are working with low- and middle-income countries to improve hygiene, sanitation, and water conditions at the countries' health care facilities. WHO also is calling on all countries to ensure all health care facilities have basic hygiene, sanitation, and water services by 2030 (WHO, "Urgent health challenges for the next decade," 1/13).

Go here to see the original:
The 13 biggest threats to global health, according to WHO - The Daily Briefing

January is a time when our thoughts turn to our drinking habits, detoxes and whether we should be inhaling so much coffee.

As is human nature, we tend to overreact, setting ourselves drastic new health plans full ofstrict rules surrounding sugar, caffeine and carbs. No wonder that come the third week of January, we're collectively staring down the barrel of Quitter's Day Sunday the 19th this year when we're said to be most likely to give up on our resolutions.

Instead of chasing after tough goals, how aboutbecoming just healthy enough? Find a relaxed, intuitive and sustainable way of eating and exercising that doesnt require a huge amount of effort but, crucially, will still keep your health ticking over nicely. Here's how...

January diets are all about giant leaps forward, but when it comes to eating healthily, its the small steps in the right direction that keep you healthy, says dietitian Helen Bond. So rather than imposing strict rules on yourself, just eat these five food groups every day: high fibre wholegrain carbs, which will give you energy and feed your gut microbiome; a colourful mix of fruits and vegetables; something green with every meal; protein, whether its meat or plant-based;a little fat and oil. And drink enough water so your urine is a pale straw colour.

The rest is here:
Stop worrying about diets and detoxes: here's how to be 'healthy enough' - Telegraph.co.uk

Last summer, nine-time NBA All Star and two-time Olympic Gold medalist Chris Paul thought he finally might be slowing down. The 34-year-old point guard (now playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder) was entering his fifteenth season in the league, and he found himself balling next to 19 and 20 year olds. In other words: he was feeling slow.

Earlier that year, Paul had worked on the documentary The Game Changers, a controversial film, which Mens Health fact checked, about the dangers of carnivorous consumption habitsand the boons of plant-based alternatives. As a competitor, Paul wanted whatever advantage a new diet might grant. Plus, he wanted to see if he could do it. So Chris Paul passed on meat.

People on the internet always wanna judge my game, my body, my style, he told Mens Health in a recent video interview. Paul stopped by the Mens Health offices the day after a game in Brooklyn to face his internet opponents and plant-curious fans. The NBA All Star talked about his new, late-career energy, his decision to go plant, and why hed never trade bodies with Kevin Hart. (Dont worry; the two are friends.)

I chose a plant-based life. So far, so good. Not easy. But for me its working. I started plant-based in June. I went cold turkey. I tell you: I was itching. I thought I needed a chicken wing or something. But somehow I made it through. I had the opportunity to executive produce a move/documentary called Game Changers, which talks about plant-based diets and how it helps athletes. For me, being as competitive as I am, I looked at this and I was like: hold up, let me try this out. And I tried it, and the first thing that changes when you go plant basedand it might be too much informationis going to the rest room. It becomes a lot faster. A whole lot faster.

I do feel really good right now. I think the biggest change for me is the aches and pains of the season. I started working out and training and I got to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and I thought, am I not lifting hard enough? Am I not training hard enough? Why am I not achy? I aint trying to say you have to stay with it, but give it a try.

"Last year was Houston. When I was in L.A., I wanted to end it there. Where I want to end my career is somewhere where youre appreciated. It sounds like a weird answer, but thats been the coolest part even right now in Oklahoma. I started my career there. Life happened and I ended up there, and its been great being back and around everyone."

"If you spent a day with me now, youd just be like: man, thats what youre eating? My cheat day meal now: I like cookies. Its so crazy being 34 and having teammates who are 19 and 20. Having to chase these guys around. Im always conscious of how much sugar Im getting. But understand, theres always a method to the madness. Theres a reason why I try to eat the way I do and be as disciplined as possible."

Read the rest here:
NBA Star Chris Paul on His Plant-Based Diet and The Game Changers - menshealth.com

A recent survey of registered dietitians named the low-carbohydrate keto diet yet again as the most popular diet in the US. Powering this diet is fat, and loads of it up to a hefty 90 per cent of ones daily calories.

Its fans feed social media with before and after photos, crediting the diet for life-altering weight loss or other effects. They swirl butter into their coffee, load up on cheese and eat lonely burgers without its bestie, the bun.

The diet is hailed for dropping pounds, burning more calories, reducing hunger, managing diabetes, treating drug resistant epilepsy, improving blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, the major storage form of fat in the body. People have reported improved concentration, too.

What is a keto diet?

A typical ketogenic diet consists of at least 70 per cent of calories derived from fat, less than 10 per cent from carbs and less than 20 per cent from protein. That can mean chowing down on a lot of cheese, butter, eggs, nuts, salmon, bacon, olive oil, and non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, greens and spinach. The keto diet is vastly different from the USDA dietary recommendations of 45 to 65 per cent of total calories to be from carbohydrates, 20 to 35 per cent from fat, and 10 to 35 per cent from protein.

The goal of the ketogenic diet is to enter a state of ketosis through fat metabolism. In a ketogenic state, the body uses primarily fat for energy instead of carbohydrates; with low levels of carbohydrate, fats can be converted into ketones to fuel the body.

For ketosis, a typical adult must consume less than 20 to 50 grams of net carbohydrates total carbs minus fibre each day. Crossing that threshold is easy: a thick slice of bread adds 21 carbohydrates, a medium apple 25, and a cup of milk 12. Its not just bread and soda that are on the outs but high sugar fruit and starchy veggies like potatoes, as well as too much protein.

There are many ways to interpret the keto diet. Some people eat a salad with chicken, dressed in olive oil, while others feast on bacon washed down by diet soda, the kind of diet known as dirty keto. Thats eating anything, including processed foods, as long as your carbs are low enough and your fat high enough to achieve ketosis. The best diet is one that works for you, but if you want to try this, avoid trans fats such as margarine and limit saturated fat by consuming lean cuts of beef, skinless chicken breast and fatty fish like salmon. Reach for foods high in unsaturated fats such as avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil.

Christopher Gardner, the lead author and a professor of medicine and nutrition scientist at Stanford Prevention Research Center, US, also says he sees one common misconception about keto: eating too much protein. Most amino acids in protein foods can be converted into glucose in the body, undermining efforts to keep carb intake low. It drives me nuts that people dont get it, he said when he sees people eat, for instance, steak after steak.

Can I lose weight on it?

For the first two to six months, theres evidence that a very low carbohydrate diet can help you lose more weight than the standard high carbohydrate, low fat diet, according to a new literature review of low-carb diets by the National Lipid Association.

By 12 months, that advantage is essentially gone, said Carol F. Kirkpatrick, director of USs Idaho State Universitys Wellness Center, and lead author of the new literature review. She said keto is best used to kick start a diet, before transitioning to a carb intake that you can adhere to for the longer term.

How long to see results?

For some, its the promised land of diets. Instead of cringing through carrot sticks, they can fill up on chorizo with scrambled eggs. Indeed, some evidence suggests that people feel less hungry while in ketosis, and have fewer cravings.

Thats why its become so popular for the general population, said Dr Mackenzie C. Cervenka, medical director of Johns Hopkins Hospitals Adult Epilepsy Diet Center in the US. Because once you are in ketosis, its easy to follow. Usually, it takes between one to four days to enter the state, doctors say, but it depends on many factors like activity level: a runner, for example, may sprint there faster than a couch potato.

The keto diet appears to deliver fast results: The first pounds seem to slip off. That can be seductive but its likely water weight. Then, dietitians say, its back to energy in minus energy out. You can gain weight on any diet if youre consuming 5,000 calories a day, according to Whitney Linsenmeyer, director of Saint Louis Universitys Didactic Program in Dietetics.

Its not like it is going to magically alter your metabolism to where calories dont matter, she said. And when resuming the carbs, that water weight returns.

Does it help with diabetes?

Yes. Carbohydrate is the biggest driver of blood sugar, said Dr William Yancy, director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, who sees a lot of promise in the diet helping those with diabetes.

A new randomised clinical trial enrolled 263 adults with type 2 diabetes into group medical visits, with half receiving medication adjustment for better blood sugar control, and the others undergoing weight management counselling using a low carb diet. (All participants of the study had a BMI that fell within the range of overweight or obese.)

Both groups experienced lowered average blood sugar levels at the end of 48 weeks, according to findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine. However, the weight management group on the low carb diet slimmed down more, required less medication and had fewer problematic low blood sugar episodes.

For those with type 2 diabetes, a low carb diet seems to improve average blood sugar levels better in the first year than the high carbohydrate, low fat diet. After that time, the review by the US National Lipid Association found that difference almost disappears but with a very important benefit: the low carb participants were able to use less medication. People like that because they dont like to be on diabetes medicines, Dr Yancy said.

Are there side effects?

At first some can experience some stomach issues and GI distress. Ninety percent of calories from fat is probably going to be a shock to the system, said Linsenmeyer.

Its crucial, doctors say, to consult with a dietitian or physician, have cholesterol levels checked, and replenish the fluids and sodium lost by increased urination and the severe restriction of carbohydrates. If not, within two to four days of beginning the diet, that depletion may bring on keto flu dizziness, poor sleep and fatigue.

Carbohydrates have a lot of nutrients that can help us maintain our body function, said Carla Prado, director of the University of Albertas Human Nutrition Research Unit, US. Some people experience keto breath, a halitosis likely caused by the production of acetone, one of the ketone bodies.

Possible side effects for patients with epilepsy starting the diet include constipation, vomiting, fatigue, hypoglycemia, worsening reflux and increased frequency of seizures. The US National Lipid Association review urges patients with lipid disorders (high cholesterol or triglycerides), a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (such as a heart attack or stroke), heart failure and kidney and liver disease to take caution if considering the diet. People on blood thinners should take extra care.

Whichever eating plan one chooses for 2020, certain recommendations are nearly universal: cut down on refined carbs and ultra-processed foods, and consume more whole foods, particularly non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, and spinach.

The optimal diet lies somewhere between what has been proposed historically the high carbohydrate, low fat diet and the ketogenic diet, said Dr Cervenka.

Here is the original post:
Does the keto diet work? - Telegraph India

Impossible Food's "bleeding" fake burger is joined by a plant-based pork product this year.

Impossible Burgermade waves at CES last year, andImpossible PorkandSausage were the buzz ofCES 2020last week. ButImpossible Foodsis just one in a wave of plant-based "meat" producers, includingBeyond Meat andIncogmeatofrom Kellogg's Morningstar Farms, that feed a consumer frenzy for animal-free alternatives. Some eaters are scarfing down these new fake meats for the possible health benefits of a plant-based diet. For others, it's a desire to cut back their personal contribution to ourenvironmental doom.

But the demand for these fake meats is almost entirely driven by people who chow down on animals too.NPDGroup found 90% of plant-based-meat eaters also eat real meat on the regular, according to its study late last year.

Fake meat has long been associated with vegetarians, who don't eat animals, and vegans, who also nix other animal-derived items like dairy, eggs and honey. And fake meats likeImpossible BurgerandPorkpitch themselves as kosher and halal too -- religious diets that forbid eating pig and, in kosher's case, combinations of dairy and meat, which make real cheeseburgers out of the question.

But rather than tapping into a pent-up demand for these foods among vegetarian, halal and kosher eaters, those groups' aversions to eating these animals means they're pretty weirded out by the hyper-realistic fake stuff too.

Now playing: Watch this: Impossible unveils new plant-based pork

10:47

That's all good with Impossible Foods. The Silicon Valley-based startup wants to eliminate the need for animals in the food supply by 2035. That may seem like a long time, but a baby born when Impossible Burger 2.0 launched would barely qualify for a driver's license at the point the world could give up eating animals for good, if Impossible Foods meets its goal.

People are flocking to these faux "bleeding" burgers or sham hams. Burger King just had its best quarter of sales growth in four years thanks to the Impossible Whopper, its parent company said in October. (Burger King will test an Impossible Croissan'wich with pig-free sausage next.) Financial services firmUBS projects the plant-based meat market will grow to $85 billion in 2030. That's trifling compared with Barclays' projection of a $140 billion market within the next decade.

But so far, fake meat doesn't appear to be displacing animals from Americans' diets.

"The country is not becoming more vegetarian or vegan," Darren Siefer, food and beverage industry analyst with NPD, said in an interview last week. "We see meat eaters saying, 'Hey, how else can I get protein in my diet without necessarily adding more meat?'"

As much as these fake meats are associated with vegetarians and vegans, and as often as plant-based alternatives are touted as kosher and halal, people who follow those dietary traditions don't have a gravitational pull to the fake versions of foods they're purposely rejecting.

My colleague Abrar Al-Heeti, a practicing Muslim who has never eaten pig (at least, not intentionally), was one of the first people to taste Impossible Pork before it debuted at CES. "This feels so wrong," she said of the experience, which made her feel queasy for hours.

I had a similar sensation eating Impossible Burger when it was unveiled last year at CES. I ate fake beef tartare in front of the chef who prepared it, who was innocently curious about my reaction while I tried to hide my rising revulsion. Standing face-to-face with him was the main thing that stopped me from spitting out the gooey, pink mass.

Since then, I've found I really enjoy the Impossible Burger served as an actual burger, but now that I can buy it in grocery stores, the raw "meat" still freaks me the hell out. I can't touch it or smell it without triggering an internal siren screaming at me to run away from this pile of dead animal tissue, even though it's mostly a heap of soy.

Impossible Burger sparked intense interest among kosher consumers when it launched last year, according to Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher, the world's largest kosher certification agency.

Apart from interest based on health, environmental or animal welfare reasons, kosher Jews seemed attracted to Impossible Burger for two reasons particular to their community, he said. First, the cost is attractive compared to kosher cow meat, which is often expensive because of the complexity of butchering and preparing it. Second, its plant-based nature meant Impossible Burger is exempt from rules against eating meat and dairy together, which extends to having to wait six hours after eating meat before eating dairy.

Impossible Pork is the latest plant-based meat from the company, unveiled at CES 2020.

But pork is likely to be different, Genack said in an interview last week. In the past when OU certified fake versions of a forbidden meat -- like fake shellfish made from fish or fake bacon -- the products tended to spark initial interest from kosher consumers that gave way to resistance. "It's not just a religious thing, it's a cultural thing," he said.

"We've been inculcated for millennia" against eating pigs, Genack added. "This is something that's been verboten and that we don't eat. It takes time for the person to absorb that this is synthetic, (that) it's not real pig."

It makes sense that 90% of people eating plant-based meats also eat animals, since it basically mirrors the dietary demographics of the US at large. It might seem startling to think the overwhelming majority of people eating plant-based alternatives are carnivorous, but unabashed meat eaters make up about 90% of the US population, according to Siefer's research. Only about 3% of the US is vegetarian or vegan, and another 7% to 8% say they're flexible or "flexitarian," eating meat sometimes and abstaining other times, he said.

Other studies indicate those numbers aren't changing much even as fake meat gains in popularity. Gallup stats show the percentage ofUS vegetariansand vegans has hardly moved over the last seven years. The number of Americans who say they'revegetarian has held unchanged at 5% from 2012 through the end of last year, according to Gallup, while 3% report being vegans, a barely-there increase from 2% in 2012.

Impossible Foodsitself says 95% of people who ate Impossible Burger last year had also eaten meat from an animal in the previous month. But NDP's and Gallup's research suggests fake meats aren't making progress yet to Impossible Foods' goals of reducing animal-meat consumption.

"It doesn't help the world for us to create pork product for someone who isn't going to eat pork from a pig anyway," Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown said at the unveiling of Impossible Pork at CES in Las Vegas last week. "It's important to realize what our mission is: A sale for us only counts if it comes at the expense of the animal-based food production industry."

But the company commissioned its own research last year indicating plant-based alternatives are taking root more among younger consumers. While only two out of 10 US baby boomers (age 55 and older) eat plant-based meat at least once a month, more than half of Gen Z consumers (age 18 to 24) do, according to the Impossible study in the second quarter of 2019.

And it suggested millennial parents (age 25 to 39) are introducing more plant-based foods to their families, according to the company: 72% of millennials with kids are eating plant-based meat more often than the previous year, versus 60% of millennials without kids.

That's still a long way from completely liberating animals from our dinner plates. But, hey, maybe the tides turn when decent fake bacon arrives.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Read more:
Impossible Burger's biggest eaters aren't the people you think - CNET

Comments about being bad and taking leftover dessert or eating another portion, or claims about having to make it up later with exercise just grate on me," she says.

"I usually just respond with a shrug and a food has no moral value, but it depends on the day. Sometimes Im just so tired of it that it seems pointless to even try.

While many dread returning to work after the holiday season, other peoples New Year's resolutions can add another layer of anxiety. Common resolutions are weight or health-based join a gym, diet and, although not harmful in and of themselves, the way they are brought into the workplace can be.

Dieting and body image talk are triggering for people who have had or who have an eating disorder they may trigger a relapse into eating and/or weight and shape preoccupations and behaviours such as binge eating, fasting or purging," says Professor Phillipa Hay, foundation chair of mental health at Western Sydney University.

Michelle Sperling, the Butterfly Foundations national manager of treatment and support, notes the issues that can arise from diet and negative body image talk in the workplace.

Negative comparison between colleagues regarding weight, shape, appearance or even the meals they are eating is something that can occur as a result of such conversations in an office environment," Sperling says.

Loading

"We know that when people make negative comparisons as such, they are more likely to engage in dangerous eating and exercise behaviours.

Allison, who works in the legal industry, has been questioned about why she is eating something weird at lunch so many times that she usually opts to eat at her desk instead, a move Sperling says isn't uncommon.

People isolate themselves at mealtimes from colleagues or they avoid work events so they arent left feeling uncomfortable.

Jasmine, who works in the financial services industry, has a colleague who opts to not eat lunch at all, but still joins her coworkers in the break room to talk to them about how bad their food is and why she cant eat it. So many people complained that HR eventually intervened, but the negative diet talk has continued.

I feel fine," she says of the comments. "But some people felt uncomfortable, so now they just dont go into the break room as much.

Given the ubiquity of New Years resolutions, what can be done to avoid the negative impact of diet talk in the workplace?

Professor Hay suggests information on eating disorders and potential negative impacts of diet and body image talk in the workplace should be included in workplace safety training for all staff, given at least one in 20 Australians will deal with an eating disorder in their lifetime.

Professor Hay also suggested workplaces where there may be a higher risk of disordered eating, such as dance companies, undergo eating disorder and mental health first aid training.

Loading

For Sperling, it is managers who should be creating a culture where employees aren't talking about weight, shape or appearance, and instead focus more on how a person is feeling.

Sperling also stressed the importance of fostering a body neutral environment, which could include putting up signs in the office that promote body acceptance, hosting events that celebrate body positivity, and holding workshops for staff regarding the impact of negative diet and body image talk in the workplace.

*surnames withheld

Butterfly Foundation National Helpline 1800 33 4673.

Read more here:
The problem with talking about your 'naughty' afternoon snack at work - The Age

Fitness guru Joe Wicks talks to Liz Connor about why so many New Year diets fail - and how we can create a healthy new mindset in 2020 instead.

January usually happens like clockwork: a slew of new self-help books, articles and slimming blogs encourage you to 'be your best self', often by adopting a radical new diet that promises to blitz those spare inches around your waist for good.

The problem is, many crash diets encourage periods of miserable fasting and cutting out sometimes entire good groups overnight, and demonise food to the point where you're whole relationship with eating can be under threat.

According to fitness guru Joe Wicks - who has successfully helped thousands of people to lose weight - staying on these restrictive diets for a long period of time is often unrealistic and unhealthy. Even if you do lose weight initially, it's not unusual to gain it again (plus even more, in some cases) before the spring comes around.

Thankfully, attitudes around diet culture are changing. A new survey commissioned by recipe box company Gousto (gousto.co.uk) has found two-thirds (68%) of UK adults believe the one-size-fits-all model just doesn't work.

So, how can you shed those excess pounds in a safe and effective way? We asked Wicks to give us some quick tips...

Why should people avoid restrictive diets in January?

"It's the time of year now where everyone wants to make changes to their life, whether that's with exercise or food, but the last thing you want to do - especially if you're someone who really loves food - is to go on a low-calorie diet," says Wicks, 33.

"Sure, it will work in the short-term and you'll probably lose weight on the scales, but emotionally it's going to absolutely ruin you. You're going to be so exhausted, you won't enjoy it and it's not going to be a sustainable approach.

"Try to think about a long-term vision, as opposed to a quick crash diet. Incorporate it with exercise and cooking with fresh ingredients at home; you're much more likely to succeed throughout the year."

Why do people fail at New Year's diets?

"Because they're awful, aren't they? Dieting is normally all about how little you can eat and how much exercise you can do. When you combine those two things, it effects your sleep, your mood and your energy levels.

"If I could give you one tip, it's to focus on getting yourself moving instead. I always tell people to start with 15-20 minutes a day of exercise at home; this will get your energy levels up and your self-esteem boosted. Exercising is going to have a massive effect on your food choices and your ability to go into the kitchen and cook yourself something healthy.

"Trying to do everything all at once is a bit much," he adds. "Focus on fitness first, and the rest will hopefully follow."

What other tips do you have for those looking to lose weight this year?

"Have a look at your portion control. I'm not saying to count calories, but to keep your plate to a healthy size. The good thing about exercise is that it elevates your mental health and your mood so much that you don't want to go and put junk food in your body afterwards.

"Meal prepping is one of the best things you can do too. If you leave the house without food, you're going to grab options on-the-go, which will likely be unhealthy convenience food.

"That's fine to do once or twice a week, but if you're doing it a lot, you're never going to truly know exactly how much you're consuming. The simple act of making some overnight oats for breakfast, or a salad for lunch can make a huge difference over time when it comes to staying lean."

What are you favourite ingredients for healthy eating?

"I really think it's great to have chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, curry powder, spices and tins of lentils, pulses, grains and beans in your cupboard. With these key ingredients, you can make really amazing veggie curries, or you could throw some chicken in there for some extra protein. Rice is also a great staple for making quick stir-fries after work.

"There's no magic fat-loss food; it's all about getting a good balance of everything and getting lots of fruits and veg in your diet.

"It's good to be a bit intuitive with it - ask yourself what foods make you feel energised and healthy? Don't think you have to jump onto a certain diet because everyone else is doing it."

Do you follow a flexitarian diet yourself?

"Yes. I eat a lot of veggie meals and with Gousto, I get four recipe boxes delivered per week that I can make at home. Three of those will be vegetarian and one will be meat-based.

"That's a massive step for me. During the process of researching and writing my veggie cookbook, Veggie Lean in 15 (16.99, Pan Macmillan), I realised that you can get really amazing food as a vegetarian. I'm still not fully committed to going hardcore vegan though."

Many people feel like they don't have time to cook healthily, do you think that's untrue?

"I really think you have to remove that time barrier from your mind. We know full well that we can smash a Netflix series in a couple of days or watch our soaps, so we can all find half an hour to exercise or cook well - if we prioritise it.

"It doesn't need to be hours in the kitchen either. My whole philosophy with my Lean in 15 series is that you can make a really healthy and nutritious meal in just 15 minutes, and have some leftover for lunch the next day.

"It's that kind of mentality of prepping in advanced and being organised that works in the long-run."

See the original post:
Food: Joe Wicks on why you shouldn't try restrictive dieting this January - The National

WHAT did you have for breakfast this morning? Did you opt for a slice of sourdough with some mashed avocado and a sprinkling of seeds? Or did you plump for two slices of bacon and a fried egg? Given its mid-January, when most of us are still nobly vowing to eat more healthily or lose weight, Id imagine a fair few of you went for the avocado option, even if youd rather have had the bacon one.

A new book suggests you made the wrong choice. Yes, its January, and yes, its another diet book, but author Graeme Tomlinson also known as @thefitnesschef insists his is different.

Pretty much all the other books out there impose their own methods and their own ways of dieting on people, and thats unnecessary, he says. It can be extreme and lead people down a path of extreme eating. My aim is to empower people by showing them that they already have a diet that can work for them, which can include the foods they enjoy.

The book is called Eat What You Like & Lose Weight For Life. Thats an appealing proposition and, according to Graeme, its not a complicated one. He believes you can forget intermittent fasting, slimming clubs, paleo, alkaline, Atkins, low carb, juicing, 5:2 and any number of weight-loss plans that promise the pounds will fall off. According to him, all you have to do is eat less and/or move more. Yup, thats it no carefully timed meals, no excluding entire food groups, just eating fewer calories than your body needs to do what it does on a daily basis, aka a calorie deficit.

I know, I know! Ive thought for years that all calories are not created equal, that if you starve yourself, your body holds on to the calories you consume and that calorie counting was an outdated way of eating. Not so, says Graeme (pictured below), who insists its actually the only thing that works.

Pretty much every diet people get weight-loss results from is a calorie deficit dressed up as something else, he says. Thats not to say other things arent important or dont have a role to play but the single most important thing you need to know is that to lose weight, you need to have a calorie deficit.

He points out that to be healthy, you probably shouldnt take in all your calories in the form of chocolate bars (although that would work as long as you were still using more calories than you consumed) and that decent amounts of protein and whole foods, which help us feel full, should form the backbone of what we eat.

But the bulk of the book is dedicated to busting myths (for example, you only burn more fat than normal on a keto diet because youre eating more fat; your body doesnt go into starvation mode when you cut your calorie intake) and to brilliant infographics that show just how easy it is to tweak your existing diet so you lose weight. There are also ideas for meals and snacks, as well as suggestions for some easy swaps you can make.

So what makes this man such an expert? After years spent training to be a professional cricketer, Graeme became a personal trainer and nutrition coach, then started to get sick of the misinformation he saw on Instagram. He says he gets his answers the old-fashioned way.

I look at systematic reviews and meta-analysis of data, he says. Anyone can access that information, you just need to be able to interpret it.

He believes strongly that lasting change doesnt happen overnight. Its about working out what your calorie intake currently is (his website fitnesschef.uk has a tool that can help) and then cutting about 15 per cent of those calories out. A few months later, when your weight plateaus, you cut another 15 per cent and so on until you reach your target weight.

The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to do it gradually while not depriving yourself of the foods you enjoy, he says. Yes, it requires some effort and it wont happen magically, but I think theres a way to enjoy food while doing it.

Dont weigh yourself daily. Take progress photos once a week instead and weigh yourself monthly that will give you a better idea of whether or not youre on track

Forget good and bad snacks a crumpet with 5g of butter has fewer calories than a rice cake and 25g of peanut butter; avocado on toast can have more calories than jam on toast

Count calories over a week rather than daily that allows space for real life. If you have a blowout one night, you can cut back on the subsequent days and still be on track

The Fitness Chef: Eat What You Like & Lose Weight For Life (Ebury) is out now

The rest is here:
Trends: How to lose weight AND eat what you want - Metro Newspaper UK

Horse dung may pose a potential risk of phosphorus run-off into the environment if not properly managed, according to researchers.

Horses excrete most of their surplus phosphorus through their dung, with only 1% or so being passed through urine.

Phosphorus from animal manure runs the risk of getting into waterways, harming the environment. Indeed, several studies have indicated that leaching of phosphorus from horse paddocks and pastures are hotspots for high leaching losses.

Yet horses can suffer problems if deficient in the macro-mineral, given its important role in bone formation, and in energy and fat metabolism.

Three researchers in Finland, Markku Saastamoinen, Susanna Srkijrvi and Elisa Valtonen, set out to learn more about phosphorus use in horses and its excretion in manure when typical feeds and forage-based diets are fed.

They hypothesised that feeding regimes might influence phosphorus digestibility and excretion in feces, and therefore the environmental impact of horse husbandry.

They also studied the nutrient digestibilities of the diets, as well as the proportion of the soluble fraction of the total phosphorus.

Their experiment involved six horses fed six forage-based diets. The study involved a total collection of all horse dung produced.

The diets were 100% hay; 100% haylage; 80% hay with the rest in whole oats; 65% hay with the rest in whole oats; 80% hay with the rest in a commercial pelleted feed; and 65% hay with the rest in a commercial pelleted feed.

All diets, except those including the complete pelleted feed, were balanced with a mineral mixture inwhich the phosphorus component was monocalcium phosphate.

All studied diets resulted in a positive phosphorus balance.

They found that digestibility of phosphorus varied from 2.7% to 11.1%. Supplementing forage-diets with concentrates slightly improved phosphorus digestibility. It also improved the digestibilities of crude protein and organic matter.

The horses excreted an average of 20.9 grams of phosphorus per day in their feces, 1.4 grams.

Excretion was smallest, 20 grams, in horses on a hay-only diet.

The average daily phosphorus excretion amounted to 7.6 kg in a year.

The soluble part of the total phosphorus in feces accounted for about 88%. This portion, they say, is vulnerable to runoff losses and may leach into waters.

Thus, horse dung may pose a potential risk of phosphorus leaching into the environment if not properly managed, and is not less harmful to the environment than that from other farm animals, the trio reported in the open-access journal Animals.

They say that supplementation with inorganic phosphorus should be controlled in the diets of mature horses in light work to decrease the excretion of the mineral in feces.

More research, especially into cost-effective feeding strategies and their applications for horses, is essential, they say, focusing on diet composition and ingredients, to reduce the horse industrys potential impact on water quality.

Discussing their findings, the researchers say phosphorus excretion in horses is linearly related to its intake, and the intake increases with the increasing concentrate in the diet.

It is impossible to conclude how polluting the horse industry is compared with other forms of animal production, they said.

However, in another study, the high proportion of inorganic phosphorus in horse feces indicated that overfeeding the mineral to horses might be more harmful to the environment than overfeeding it in dairy cows.

Saastamoinen and Srkijrvi are with the Natural Resources Institute Finland; and Valtonen is with the University of Helsinki.

Saastamoinen, M.; Srkijrvi, S.; Valtonen, E. The Effect of Diet Composition on the Digestibility and Fecal Excretion of Phosphorus in Horses: A Potential Risk of P Leaching? Animals 2020, 10, 140.

The study, published under a Creative Commons License, can be read here.

See original here:
Another reason to properly manage horse dung: Phosphorus runoff - Horsetalk

Dr Michael Mosley shares his four top tips on the no sugar diet

Its a familiar scene: the empty chocolate box, the litter of sweet-wrappers, the feelings of never-again, tinged with an underlying desire for more. We dont need the scientists to tell us how addictive sugar is.

But there are ways to crack the sugar habit and stick to a no sugar diet, says Dr Michael Mosley, creator of the Fast800 programme.

Here are four easy to remember tips from him and his medical team to help beat the sugar cravings and stick to a no sugar diet

It doesnt have to be difficult, just follow these quick and easy rules to help avoid the sweet stuff and keep sugar cravings at bay.

Always chose the full-fat option low fat generally means all the good stuff has been removed and has been replaced with sugar and additives. Full-fat products will keep you feeling fuller for longer and are great for a no sugar diet.

Soft drinks and fruit juices contain a large amount of sugar. If you feel like mixing it up, try sparkling water with a wedge of lemon and some cucumber.

There are many sources of hidden sugars and its important to check the label to see just how much sugar youre consuming. You may be surprised about what you cant eat on a no sugar diet, even staples like bread often have sugar in them.

If you cook it yourself you can be 100% certain you arent consuming sugar. We recommend batch cooking and freezing so that its not tempting to cheat when your tired at the end of a day.

Visit http://www.thefast800.com and find more no sugar diet tips and sugar-free recipes to help you counter sugar addiction, lose weight, improve mood, reduce blood pressure, inflammation and improve blood sugar levels.

The key to stoping cravings and being successful on a no sugar diet is to understand how sugar addiction works. From the first bite, consuming sugary food triggers a cascade of neural events that leads to a powerful urge to keep eating.

After eating sugar, dopamine, one of the neurotransmiters responsible for feelings of happiness, is released in the midbrain. We feel good and our desire to consume more sugar kicks in.

Studies have proven that the neural chains transmitting pleasure from eating sugar are very similar to those activated by cocaine and heroin. Neuroimaging has shown structural similarities between the brains of obese people and those with established hard-drug addictions. And studies on rats have found that when rodents are denied sugar after a long period of dependency, they exhibit symptoms similar to opiate withdrawal, such as teeth-chattering, head tremor and forepaw shakes. Yikes!

Conventional diets often drive us to crave sugar. They lock you into a state of hunger, switching your attention towards, rather than away from, high-calorie, sugar loaded foods. For many breaking the diet becomes inevitable, and their sugar addiction worsens.

A growing dependency on sugary food presents an insulin overload effect.

If we consume sugar constantly, the body has to release insulin constantly, in order to transport glucose into cell walls. But our insulin receptors are not designed to work continuously. In order to remain sufficiently primed for an insulin signal, they need downtime.

Without it, they gradually become desensitized, and so cells struggle to take up glucose. This is why when youre overweight, even a normal-sized portion of sugary food fails to satisfy, driving you to eat more and more.

View original post here:
4 simple ways to suceed on the no sugar diet - woman&home