As 2020 begins, athletes around the world are preparing for the years largest sporting event the Tokyo Olympics in August. Indonesian athletes will be represented, particularly badminton players and weightlifters, who stand a better chance of winning medals than their compatriots.

The road to the Olympics, however, is winding and rough. Not everyone can compete in the worlds most prestigious multisport event. Athletes must go through qualifying rounds or meet qualifying times to be eligible to compete in Tokyo. Preparations begin long before the real medal race kicks off in the summer.

Indonesia is aiming higher this year than in previous Olympics. But the challenge for our athletes is not limited to hours of disciplined training to improve their technical skills or physical endurance.

For the athletes, it will be difficult to maintain a strict and healthy diet. In a country wheregorengan(fried snacks) are king and instant noodles are a staple food, the athletes will have to struggle to resist such temptations.

It is public knowledge that Indonesian athletes lag behind their foreign counterparts when it comes to nutritional management. This deficit is perhaps one of the reasons behind our relative lack of achievements in the Olympics and other world-level competitions.

As sports nutritionist Emilia Elfiranty Ahmadi said, our athletes eat three times a day only to fill their stomach. For athletes, eating is part of the job. It takes commitment to supply their bodies with proper food, which requires [nutritionist] supervision, she said.

Only a few sports organizations in Indonesia such as the Indonesian Track and Field Association (PASI) and the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) hire doctors and nutritionists to help manage their athletes diets.

Top athletes are supported by a physician, a nutritionist, a masseur and a psychologist in addition to coaches to stay in their best shape, according to the Youth and Sports Ministrys Eminence Sport Medicine and Human Performance Center director Andi Kurniawan. In Indonesia, the aforementioned roles are mostly played by coaches, he said.

Maintaining a strict diet is not impossible. Indonesian swimmer I Gede Siman Sudartawa received a sponsorship from Japanese food seasoning brand Ajinomoto in 2017, allowing access to healthy and nutritious food through the companys Kachimeshi (Winning Meals) program, a global program that promotes eating well.

In 2016, Indonesias Olympic weightlifting team received a sponsorship from major Australian beef producer Elders.

Indonesias newly hired national soccer team head coach Shin Tae-yong, from South Korea, likely understands the correlation between a good diet and sports achievements. His soaring career as soccer player and coach are evidence of this. While he has set his sights on improving his players poor physical fitness, he may need a good nutritionist in addition to a physical trainer with World Cup experience.

Athletes have to be responsible for their own bodies and, therefore, have to follow a healthy diet to support their performance and sustain their careers.

Learning from the best practice in certain sports organizations, the National Olympic Committee could work with the private sector to improve athletes nutrition to help our Olympic dreams come true.

Continue reading here:
New Years resolution: Diet - The Jakarta Post - Jakarta Post

Making a change to our diet is never an easy thing, especially if our favourite foods and drinks are not exactly healthy ones.

While there will certainly be challenges and temptations along the way, these two individuals show us that it is not an impossible task.

Achieving balance

Freelance personal trainer Adly Almanzo Adnan, 37, has also had his share of bad dietary habits, despite being active.

Once an obese teen, he shares that when he first started working out, the goal was just to bulk up and build muscles.

As he was then at boarding school in Britain studying for his A-levels, his meals consisted of typical English fare like roasted or grilled meats and boiled vegetables, which were healthy (although bland).

But when he came back to Malaysia, Adly ate just about anything.Adly (left) and his wife Lee Weina always ensure that they have at least two types of fruits available at every meal. NORAFIFI EHSAN/The Star

After gym, I would go to the mamak and eat everything under the sun because of bulking we guys just wanted to get bigger and bigger (musclewise), he says.

But that changed when he started getting injured more often during his weekly futsal game. It turned out that his upper body was too muscular and heavy for his lower body to support.

Needing to drop his weight, he started to look into healthy eating to help him do that.

That time I started to go really healthy, it was steamed chicken breast and salads and that helped me drop about 15kg.

But I realised that I wasnt happy, because Id reject social outings and get very annoyed when I went out with my family and there wasnt any protein or vegetables (that fit my diet).

So it came to a point when I wouldnt even go out with my family sometimes. To me, that was even more unhealthy, regardless of how my physique had changed or how much lighter I felt.

So it was at that point that my thinking about nutrition really changed, but for the better, he says.

Now, Adly has a more balanced outlook on eating healthily, becoming more relaxed about food choices when eating out, but still emphasising proteins, vegetables and fruits in his overall diet.

He notes that when it comes to changing ones diet, it is crucial to make changes that you can stick to for life short-term diets wont help make permanent changes to either weight or looks.

Motivation, he says, is critical as this is what will keep you going through the temptations and hard times.

Also read:

For her health

Motivation has never been a problem for marketing manager Cheryl Wong.

Her initial motivation was to bring her cholesterol levels back to normal.

The 45-year-old shares: Ive been on something like the paleo diet for about 19 years.

Wong cooks or makes most of her own foods nowadays, like her walnut and macadamia butter. Photo: The Star/Azlina AbdullahThats when my first ever blood test came back with an off-the-chart reading for cholesterol, even though I was thin. That was the year I decided to do something about my eating I cut off all the obvious carbs, like rice and noodles, and I stop taking all fast foods.

Then, in 2004, she was diagnosed with endometriosis. This condition occurs when endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus.

This out-of-place tissue causes inflammation, leading to serious and often, debilitating pain during menstruation.

There is no cure for this condition, although there are treatments to help control it.

While Wong has undergone surgery to remove the tissue (which has grown back) and taken contraceptive pills to help control the condition in the past, she is now off all medications, except the occasional painkiller, by choice.

She has also further narrowed down her diet in an attempt to avoid potentially pro-inflammatory foods that might exacerbate her endometriosis.

Two years ago, she decided to completely cut off all carbohydrates, targeting foods with hidden carbs, such as sauces that contain a lot of sugar or starch, and fruits that contain natural sugars.

Also, I consciously started to reduce the amount of food that I ate I only ate what I needed, she shares.

Due this strict diet, Wong has stopped eating out and cooks her own food.

While it wasnt an easy journey, especially as she has a sweet tooth, her desire to be pain-free and healthy spurs her on.

She is also an avid gym goer who works out daily, saying that she would go crazy if she missed a day of gym.

She says: When I started cutting off foods, I realised it was really all about me its what you want out of life and what you want to do with your health, its all within your control.

So thats why I always tell people, dont blame the food, its you. The desire for food is strong, but why dont you just eat half just to satisfy yourself? You dont have to eat the whole thing.

We're sorry, this article is unavailable at the moment. If you wish to read this article, kindly contact our Customer Service team at 1-300-88-7827. Thank you for your patience - we're bringing you a new and improved experience soon!

Article type: metered

User Type: anonymous web

User Status:

Campaign ID: 7

Cxense type: free

User access status: 3

View original post here:
Thinking of changing your diet? What you need is the right motivation - The Star Online

The Mediterranean diet is a top pick among dietitians and health organizations and even won the "Best Diet Overall" title from U.S News and World Report for 2019.

In addition to being a flexible and sustainable eating plan, the Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality.

Here's what you need to know about the diet that might just make you live longer.

The Mediterranean diet draws inspiration from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy, and Spain. Since the plan centers around traditional cuisine from various regions, it doesn't have a single definition. Instead, it outlines eating principles that are common in each country, such as a diet low in red meat, sugar, and saturated fats.

According to Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, and advisor to Performance Kitchen, the eating plan focuses on consuming lots of plant foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, and whole grains such as bulgur, barley, and farro.

It also encourages the consumption of nuts and seeds and their butters, as well as olives and avocados and their oils. "Since this eating pattern focuses on the quality of wholesome foods, which are mostly plants, it supplies essential nutrients, including fiber, antioxidants, and polyphenols," Cassetty says.

Preferred protein sources include fish (at least twice a week), eggs, yogurt, and to a lesser extent, poultry. The diet also allows for moderate wine consumption, which is a glass a day for women and two for men. And of course, it emphasizes whole foods over processed ones, which Cassetty says is excellent advice, even if you're not following the plan.

The Mediterranean diet is both safe and sustainable, according to Cassetty. Many people even enjoy the diet, because it doesn't involve rigid rules like some other eating plans.

"You can dine out, enjoy a happy hour and an occasional dessert, and socialize around food in ways that are considerably more difficult with other plans," Cassetty says.

In fact, Cassetty says gathering around food is very much a part of the framework. And since the Mediterranean diet allows for occasional treats, it's a flexible and sustainable way to eat.

Cassetty says the main drawbacks may involve cooking more than you're used to, and if you're accustomed to eating heavily processed convenience items, it may mean adapting to new foods.

She also says that people with certain gastrointestinal conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, may find many of the plant-based foods are rich in FODMAPS, which are types of carbohydrates that can be difficult to digest.

And while the diet is flexible, which many find beneficial, that feature may not be a plus for everyone. "There are people who like a more structured plan with rigid rules that help eliminate some of the decision-making that goes into figuring out what to eat," says Cassetty.

According to a 2017 overview, published in Nutrition Today, adopting the Mediterranean diet as a lifestyle may help lower the incidence of chronic disease and improve longevity. More specifically, the journal cites a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.

Additionally, a 2016 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that following the Mediterranean diet resulted in weight loss, lower rates of diabetes, less arthritis-related pain, disability, and depression.

Turns out you don't have to live in Greece or Italy to experience the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. This eating plan is flexible, easy to follow, and backed by research it's no surprise that it's become so popular.

Continued here:
Why the Mediterranean diet is touted as one of the best by dietitians - INSIDER

The last of the mince pies have been scoffed and there's no more fizz in the fridge.

It's that dreaded time of year again, when all we've done for the last weeks (OK, month) is eat everything in sight and drink ourselves silly.

But rather than embarking on the latest fad diet, Instagram sensation Graeme Tomlinson, AKA the Fitness Chef, insists there's another way.

That's right, you can shed the pounds without going on a diet.

Not only that but you can still eat your favourite foods, including pizza, chocolate and ice-cream.

Graeme, from Aberdeen, has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and has even launched his own book in a bid to get his message out as widely as possible.

He wants to make losing weight as easy to understand as possible and demystify the diet industry.

Graeme explained: "I wanted to break it down so people can understand it.

"There is so much rubbish out there and I wanted to tell them that there's only one way you can lose weight and that's with a calorie deficit.

"People feel deprived and that's when they give up and start to binge - but you don't need to feel deprived."

So, what's the secret to losing weight without going on a diet?

It's super simple - just eat fewer calories than you use.

And, insists Graeme, it doesn't matter where you get these calories from.

So gone are the grim January's, eating nothing but lettuc, you can still tuck into your favourite pizza.

Worried about going out for a curry? Don't be, just make sure you eat fewer calories in the days leading up to your treat.

But the absolutely vital thing you have to be able to do to make this work for you is to know exactly how many calories there are in the foods you eat.

The former professional cricketer admits this can be tricky at first as some so-called 'health foods' can actually be laden with calories.

And the calories in every day treats, like your morning coffee or that office biscuits or even sauces, can soon add up.

But Graeme says as soon as people start to make themselves aware of how many calories are in most of their food, it becomes easy very quickly.

He explained: "The best diet for people to follow is the one they can stick to.

"People need to be more aware of the nutritional aspect of the food they are eating.

"It does time initially to work out how many calories are in what you are eating but eventually it will come naturally and you'll be able to tell just by looking."

Before launching his hugely successful social media carer, Graeme worked as a personal trainer.

It was the sheer volume of companies selling diet products and plans that inspired him to offer his own advice on his own page.

His inspirational posts cover everything from how many calories are in your favourite fast foods, to coffees to so-called super foods.

Graeme makes it clear that nothing is off limits - from chocolate and ice-cream to bread and burgers - as long as you know how many calories they contain and adjust your diet to make sure you're in a deficit.

He explained: "People start looking at eating chocolate as bad but if they know it's 250 calories and they know what their calorie allowance is for that day and they know it's not great nutrition, they can eat something more nutritious later in the day."

Graeme won't classify any food as bad for your but he does sadmit the protein rich foods will fill you up for longer and make you less likely to eat too much.

These include lean meat, chicken or fish, eggs, beans and legumes and seeds and nuts.

Exercise can also help burn extra calories and burn off what you've put into your body.

Greame said: "Exercise and any movement is key but that doesn't mean you have to join a gym or get a personal trainer.

"Walking 10,000 steps a day is a great way to burn calories and you also burn calories just by breathing a talking and sleeping - everything you do requires energy."

To follow Graeme on Instagram, click here, and to buy his book, or visit his website, click here.

Read the original:
How to lose weight without going on a diet - and you can still eat pizza - Mirror Online

Long life expectancy can be attributed to healthy eating, research suggests. As a general rule, a healthy, balanced diet should consist of at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. It is also highly recommended to get enough exercise and the recommended amount is at least 150 minutes per week. When it comes to the particular food one should eat, what are five of the best?

The high life expectancy enjoyed in Japan is largely down to the nations healthy diet.

A 2016 study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that Japanese adults who followed the recommended amount regarding food intake had lower rates of mortality than those who didnt.

The population of the island nation has the lowest mortality rates in the world.

In fact, Japanese people are more likely to reach 100 years old than anyone else in the world.

DONT MISS

What to eat on the Japanese diet?

The diet itself is high in certain carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits as well as fish and meat.

Such foods make for a diet low in saturated fats, processed foods and high in carbohydrates gained form both rice and vegetables.

Foods one should adopt include steamed rice, noodles, tofu, fish, natto, seaweed and fresh cooked fruits and vegetables low in added sugars and fats.

The diet may also contain a modest amount of eggs, dairy or meat. Many Japanese also follow a healthy exercise regime which boosts life expectancy too.

What have experts said?

Dr Craig Wilcox said: The Japanese have a low risk of arteriosclerosis and stomach cancer, a very low risk of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer.

"They eat three servings of fish a week, on average, with plenty of whole grains, vegetables and soy products too, more tofu and more kombu seaweed than anyone else in the world, as well as squid and octopus, which are rich in taurine that could lower cholesterol and blood pressure."

Original post:
How to live longer: Following this diet has been proven to increase life expectancy - Express

Agel Baltazar was walking to his car. Hed just gorged himself on roasted suckling pig at a buffet, and simply walking to his car left him winded. Taking stock of things, the 24-year-old graphic artist from the Pampanga province in the Philippines, then 284 pounds, decided he needed to change.

It wasnt the first time Baltazar had tried to get fit. Years before, hed cut rice, a staple of Phillipine cuisine, out of his diet. Eating mostly oatmeal, bananas, and bread, he hit his lowest weight. But it was unsustainable; after starting a new job and relying on grab-and-go convenience store food, he started gaining weight again. He started getting nighttime acid reflux and heartburn; his back began to hurt, and hed start sweating while walking through an air-conditioned mall.

This time, he wanted a diet-and-exercise routine he could maintain. He bought a kitchen scale and downloaded a calorie-counting app, MyFitnessPal. He went grocery shopping, looking at nutrition labels for the first time. I budgeted my calories like I would my budget, he says. If I craved for something thats high-calorie, Id adjust my spend on other meals, or other days.

For four months he ran a daily calorie deficit, while working his way up to an hour of walking a day. That dropped his weight to 220, and he started on his DIY gym routine. Despite being a newbie, he had the confidence of having already lost 64 pounds. He started with cardio while he acclimated to the gym, then moved on to weights. For the first few months he did a six-day push-pull-legs split, then switched to a full body program three days a week.

In 12 months he lost a total of 120 pounds; the first 60 came off mainly through diet, while the next 60 were a combination of diet, cardio and weightlifting. At first he didnt tell most people he was dieting, but once he lost 30 or 40 pounds, they couldnt help but notice. And the changes motivated him, too: his acid reflux, heartburn, and back pain disappeared; his sleep improved; even his hair got healthier. Without his usual diet of junk food, he started to taste what he ate. He could wear clothes that hadnt fit him for years, and he saw definition slowly develop in his muscles.

He also felt happier and more confident. Most importantly, he says, through the process Ive learned how to like and appreciate myself as I am at the present moment. He still watches his calories, though hes not at a deficit, and he still goes to the gym. Hes ready to really start building muscle.

Follow this link:
A Simple Diet and Workout Routine Helped This Guy Lose 120 Pounds in One Year - menshealth.com

Achieving an appropriate calcium balance in dairy cows is critical near calving, but not only to ensure a healthy transition to lactation.

According to a new study from the University of Illinois, calcium added to acidified prepartum diets can improve a whole suite of postpartum outcomes, including lower rates of uterine infection and quicker return to ovulation.

We know that calcium metabolism in dairy cows is very important. Theres research saying that 50% of multiparous cows [those on their second or third pregnancy] suffer some sort of deficiency of calcium, says Phil Cardoso, associate professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Illinois.

Cardoso explains that the common practice of feeding an acidified diet prior to calving forces the cow to manufacture and redistribute calcium from her bones. This activation of internal calcium production carries the cow through to lactation, when she resumes consuming calcium in her diet.

Photo: Robin Britstra

Producers commonly feed negative DCAD diets in the weeks before calving, usually supplemented with a small amount of calcium (1% of dry matter). The practice is typically enough to avoid full-blown milk fever, or clinical symptoms of calcium deficiency. But Cardoso says there has been little guidance on how much to acidify the diet to remobilise the optimal amount of calcium and avoid excretion in the urine. He also says no one has tested the effects of adding different concentrations of dietary calcium to the fully-acidified DCAD diet.

Webinar on demand: Calcium, the double-edged sword - view now

Calcium is important for many cellular processes. Without adequate calcium concentrations, tissues dont work optimally and are subject to inflammation and susceptible to disease. We wanted to test whether an increased amount of calcium -- 2% of DM -- added to an acidified diet during the last month of pregnancy could prevent those issues and lead to more favourable reproductive outcomes, Cardoso says.

His team fed 76 multiparous Holstein cows one of three diets in the month before calving: a control, non-acidified DCAD diet with no added calcium; an acidified DCAD diet (-24 milliequivalents per 100g of dry matter) with no added calcium; and an acidified DCAD diet (-24 milliequivalents) with added calcium at 2% of dietary dry matter. The DCAD formulation was mixed with typical forages and corn silage in prepartum diets. After calving, all cows were switched to a typical postpartum diet with 1% of dietary dry-matter calcium.

The researchers then monitored changes in the blood, uterus, ovaries, and pregnancy status at two and four weeks post-calving. There was a tendency for cows fed the negative DCAD + calcium diet to get pregnant at a higher rate than cows fed the control diet, but we need to test that in a larger population to be sure of that result, Cardoso says.

That could be why we saw better pregnancy rates, - Phil Cardoso, associate professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Illinois.

What he is sure of is that cows fed the diet with added calcium took less time to ovulate and had lower levels of uterine infection than cows on the other diets. This was likely due to the fact that cows on the calcium-added diet had more tight junction proteins in the uterine lining; these proteins bind adjacent cells, preventing a leaky tissue that could allow pathogens to enter the bloodstream during calving. Ours is the first study showing tight junction proteins even exist in the uterus of the dairy cow, and also clearly indicates that added calcium improves their number and function, Cardoso says.

Cows fed the calcium-added diet also had more favourable disease-fighting antioxidants in the blood and more glands in the uterine lining, which keep the organ clean and produce hormones that can kick-start ovulation. That could be why we saw better pregnancy rates, Cardoso says.

He points out that many producers have been using a negative DCAD strategy for decades, but arent acidifying the diet enough, taking it to only -5 milliequivalents and not adding calcium, or adding it at only 1% of dietary dry matter. We are saying that you need to go to -20 milliequivalents and up to 2% of dietary dry matter for calcium, he says.The message to the dairy industry is clear: A negative DCAD diet with added calcium is helpful not only to get through the transition to lactation. It can help improve future pregnancy outcomes in the herd. Cardoso wants to get the message to both nutritionists and veterinarians, who hed like to see talking to each other more often to create strategies for improved reproduction.

Source: Sciencedaily.com

Visit link:
Benefits of calcium in prepartum diets for dairy cows - All about feed

ROCK legend Meat Loaf is going vegan for Veganuary in a bid to help the planet.

The 72-year-old refused to rebrand himself as Veg Loaf for the month as part of a Frankie & Benny's campaign but has pledged to ditch animals products.

3

He told the Daily Star: "When Frankie & Bennys first approached me to rebrand to Veg Loaf I said no way in hell.

"But, Id do anything for our planet and dropping meat for veg, even for just one day a week, can make a huge difference.

The Bat Out Of Hell singer is no stranger to vegetarianism, having stopped eating meat for 11 years in the past.

It was a stomach churning restaurant order while out with friends in 1981 that changed his attitude to food.

3

Exclusive

MUM-IN-WAR Sheridan Smith has dig at fianc's family just months before having baby

jac of trades Jac Jossa reveals bedroom makeover with bargain furniture & Hollywood mirror

Spoiler

TRUEMAN & LIES EastEnders Sheree's mystery man revealed as son Isaac - & he has a dark past

silent night Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash celebrate NYE with a takeaway and Diet Coke

JOS NOT ON Jacqueline Jossa was branded 'fat Lauren' when she was cast in EastEnders

THEY WEAR IT WELL! Penny Lancaster celebrates 20 years with Rod Stewart in touching post

He told the Mirror: "I ordered rabbit and they served it with its head on, no ears and its eyes closed.

I said, Take this away and I want vegetables and a salad, and from that moment I became vegetarian for maybe 11 years.

He returned to a meat diet after health reasons forced him to lose weight.

I stopped because I wanted to lose weight," said the star. "The carbohydrate diet worked to a point, I lost 30lb but it went right back on. I lost 70lb on the low-fat no-sugar diet.

3

You dont need calories, you need a lifestyle change and less fat.

Veganuary encourages people to try a vegan diet for a month at the start of the year.

It's typically tied to New Year resolutions as people look to change their ways and become more healthy.

The month-long event is dedicated to trying to change people's attitudes, help the planet and the animals as well as improve your own personal well-being.

A vegan's diet consists solely of beans, grains, fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables.

However, there are many substitutes which can be used in place of animal-based ingredients.

For example, cow's milk can be replaced with soy milk, and vegan margarine is a great alternative to butter.

Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220.

We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.

See the rest here:
Meat Loaf reveals hes ditching animals from his diet and going vegan for Veganuary - The Sun

Meal time at Alynn Casgrain's home requires some co-ordination.

While her 11-month-old twin boys, Sam and Jake, wait patiently in their high chairs, four-year-old big sister Noelle cuts the vegetables for a pizza the whole family will soon be eating.

Casgrain and her husband, David Upper, believe their children should eat the same things they eat. That's because the Toronto mom was surprised by the added sugars she found in products designed for infants and toddlers.

"Those yogurt drinks were shocking. Low fat, all sugar,"said Casgrain.

A recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics backs that up. It found that nearly 61 per cent of infants (6-11 months) and 98 per cent of toddlers (12-23 months) consumed added sugars as part of an average daily diet.

The added sugars were mainly found in flavoured yogurts and fruit drinks.

"We wanted to understand what the consumption of added sugars were among infants and toddlers. It's a group that's not very well studied, so we wanted to add to the research base," said lead investigator Kirsten Herrick, with the U.S. National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md.

Herrick's team analyzed data from 1,211 young children. They found that infants consumed about one teaspoon of added sugarsdaily;toddlers consumed about six teaspoons.

Experts, including the World Health Organization, say children should consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar daily an amount equal to about 25 grams.

"What was surprising was how early added sugar consumption started and how quickly it increased,'' she said.

Herrick describes added sugars as an extra amount of sweetener that's added to any food product. It could be table sugar, honey, maple syrupor fruit concentrate. And it's "everywhere in the food system," she said, from fruit drinks and baked goods, to yogurts.

Jess Haines, an associate professor of applied nutrition at the University of Guelph, isn't surprised by the findings.

"Kids eat like we do. And adults, both in the U.S and Canada, we eat a fair bit of sugar,"she said.

Haines said the university came to similar conclusions in itslong-term Guelph Family Health Study, where researchers looked at various routines of children between 18 months and fiveyears of age. When it came to diet, it found that 54 per cent of them exceeded the six teaspoons of sugar per day.

Haines says that all this added sugar can have long-term health effects, starting with cavities.

"We also see that when kids have higher intakes of sugar that's sustained over their lifetime, we can see an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabeteslater in life."

As a parent herself, Haines understands that many babies and toddlers can be picky eaters. She also knows the time constraints many mothers and fathers face during the day, so she tries to recommend solutions that involve re-imagining what a snack can look like.

"Think of snacks, really, as mini-meals. Why not take some of the foods that you've had for either breakfast or lunch, make it smaller and they can have a snack like that during the day," she said.

Alynn Casgrain agrees. She and her husband try to control the added sugar intake of their children, particularly at home, bymakingmuch of their food from scratch.

Casgrain hopes this will lay the groundwork for healthy eating decisions later in lifebut she knows it won't be easy.

"You have to be realistic about the fact that wherever they go, whether they're going to see friends or grandparents or when they get older and make their own decisions, there's going to be sweet stuff in front of them."

View original post here:
Added sugar found in the diets of many babies and toddlers - CBC.ca

Coconut oil has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to many touted health benefits, ranging from reducing belly fat to strengthening the immune system, preventing heart disease and staving off dementia. These claims are often backed by celebrity endorsements and bolstered by proponents of popular diets such as ketogenic and Paleo, with little support from scientific evidence.

On the flip side, and further adding to the confusion, you also may have seen headlines calling out coconut oil as pure poison, implying that it shouldnt be consumed at all. Given these contradictory claims, a question of much public and scientific interest is whether there is room for coconut oil in a healthy diet.

Coconut oil largely consists of saturated fat (80% to 90% of fat in coconut oil is saturated), making it solid at room temperature. Other sources of saturated fat include animal products such as meat and dairy, and other plant-based tropical oils such as palm oil. Consumption of saturated fat has long been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to its ability to raise harmful LDL cholesterol levels.

Unlike saturated fats, unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. They can improve blood cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation, among other cardiovascular benefits. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish.

The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming no more than 10% of total calories from saturated fat. And last year the American Heart Association (AHA) released a scientific advisory statement recommending the replacement of saturated fats in the diet, including coconut oil, with unsaturated fats. In their statement, the AHA cited and discussed a review of seven randomized controlled trials, in which coconut oil was found to raise LDL cholesterol levels.

The rationale behind the AHA recommendation is that consuming unsaturated fats in place of saturated fat will lower bad LDL cholesterol, and improve the ratio of total cholesterol to good HDL cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease. For those at risk of or who already have heart disease, the AHA advises no more than 6% of total calories from saturated fat, or about 13 grams based on a 2,000-calorie diet. One tablespoon of coconut oil comes close to that limit, with about 12 grams of saturated fat.

With such salient evidence supporting the replacement of saturated fat, including coconut oil, with unsaturated fat for optimal cardiovascular health, where do the myriad health claims for coconut oil come from?

Many of the health claims for coconut oil are based on studies that used a special formulation of coconut oil made of 100% medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). This is not the coconut oil available on supermarket shelves. MCTs have a shorter chemical structure than other fats, and are quickly absorbed and metabolized by the body, which is thought to promote a feeling of fullness and prevent fat storage.

However, the coconut oil found on most supermarket shelves contains mostly lauric acid, which is absorbed and metabolized more slowly than MCT. As a result, the health benefits reported from specially constructed MCT coconut oil cannot be applied to regular coconut oil.

Interestingly, lauric acid itself has also been purported to have health benefits. While lauric acid has been shown to increase LDL cholesterol levels, it also raises HDL cholesterol levels, suggesting a potential heart-protective role of coconut oil. However, large epidemiological studies have failed to report protective associations between lauric acid and cardiovascular disease.

Findings from epidemiological studies that report low rates of cardiovascular disease among populations who consume coconut oil as part of their traditional diets (in India, the Philippines, and Polynesia, for example) have also been cited as support for the health benefits of coconut oil. However, in these studies many other characteristics of the participants, including background, dietary habits and lifestyle, could explain the findings.

Based on the current evidence, coconut oil is neither a superfood nor a poison. Rather, its role in the diet falls somewhere in between. Coconut oil has a unique flavor and is best consumed in small amounts, as a periodic alternative to other vegetable oils like olive or canola that are rich in unsaturated fat. This dietary choice should be made in the context of an overall healthy dietary pattern, and within the recommended limits for saturated fat intake.

The rest is here:
Is There a Place for Coconut Oil in a Healthy Diet? - Chicago Health