Most of us could benefit from a more balanced diet rich in plant foods, and according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans theres also room in our diets to choose lean beef more often.

Lean steaks, roasts and ground beef provide high-quality protein, iron, zinc, B vitamins and other essential nutrients that help offset nutrient shortages at every life stage. Although, I didnt always know the nutrition science of beef.

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See more here:
Leave room on the plate for beef in your diet - Herald Zeitung

Arthritis is an incredibly common condition in the UK, affecting more than 10 million people. If you've been diagnosed with arthritis, you could benefit from making just a few changes to your everyday diet plan - including drinking more ginger water.

Ginger water is essentially just water that's been infused with ginger.

It's been claimed to have numerous different health benefits, including protecting against joint pain.

The drink has anti-inflammatory properties which is particularly beneficial for osteoarthritis patients, according to medical website Dr Axe.

It works by helping to relieve joint pain and muscle strain, it added.

READ MORE:Arthritis: The environmental change which might make it worse

You can make your own ginger water at home, which saves you the hassle of popping out to the supermarket.

All you need is a two-inch fresh ginger root that's been peeled and rinsed.

Chop the ginger into small chunks and put half into a mug.

Top up the mug with boiling water, and then either drink the water warm or pop it into the fridge to cool down.

Read more here:
Arthritis diet: The simple drink to reduce joint pain symptoms - how to make ginger water - Daily Express

Having adequate vitamin D levels is critical for overall health, but it's not the easiest nutrient to incorporate into your diet. That's why we called on the experts to share tricks on how you can add more of the vitamin in your meals.

As Sydney Greene, MS, RDN, and member of our medical review board points out, vitamin D is important for bone, nerve, and muscle health, as it plays a key role in controlling calcium and phosphorus levels in the body.

RELATED:One Major Effect Vitamin D May Have in Preventing Breast Cancer, New Study Suggests

"In addition to skeletal health, Vitamin D is critical for immunity, protecting us from bacterial and viral infections," she adds. "More research is needed but preliminary studies suggest it may be helpful in mitigating depression symptoms as well."

So, which foods contain the most vitamin D?

"Vitamin D is only found naturally in some foods, such as some fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, sardines), fish liver oils, eggs from hens that have been fed vitamin D, and mushrooms exposed to sunlight or UV light," says Greene.

However, she points out that most vitamin D found in food is added via artificial fortification. These foods include cereals, dairy products, and orange juice.

Another trick? "Don't skip the yolk in your eggs, they have 37 international units (IU) of vitamin D per yolk," says Tamar Samuels MS, RDN, NBC-HWC, and co-founder of Culina Health.

For context, the recommended amount of vitamin D for people ages 19 to 70 years old is about 15 mcg (600 IU) daily, per the National Institutes of Health.

"Vegans and vegetarians, as well as those who do not like fish, may be at risk for not getting enough Vitamin D," says Greene.

"The best way to ensure you are meeting your vitamin D levels is to take a supplement," says Greene. "A starting dose should be discussed with your doctor and will depend on lab values, however, chances are if you do not have a varied diet and do not get a lot of time outdoors, you will need to supplement."

For more, be sure to check outThe Worst Vitamin D Supplement To Take, Say Dietitians. Then, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter.

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Get More Vitamin D In Your Diet With These Secret Tricks, Say Dietitians | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

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New England Patriots lineman Lawrence Guy is a 6'4", 315-pound vegan.

Guy switched to a vegan diet "a couple of years ago" and said it made his body feel better.

A typical day for him involves eating pancakes for breakfast, a lot of cauliflower, and sweet potatoes.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

New England Patriots offensive lineman Lawrence Guy is one of the biggest vegans in sports.

Guy, who is six-foot-four, 315 pounds, told GQ his new vegan diet has helped him maintain his weight, feel energized, and stay fit despite the physical toll of football.

Guy said he and his wife decided to gradually remove meat products from their diet a few years ago, and they've reaped the physical benefits of the switch ever since.

Now, he says, they no longer feel groggy when they wake up in the morning, they don't get bloated. Guy says he also no longer feels pain in his knees and joints.

"Every offseason I wanted to truly help my body fully recover," Guy told GQ reporter Danielle Cohen. "My wife and I started taking out heavy red meat products and my body felt better, my joints felt better. I never really drank milk. Then we started taking out chicken. Then you go to the fish."

"We didn't cut it down immediately. I needed to make sure I slowly worked myself into this. When people jump straight into it, you get the headaches and you start losing too much. We did it over the years, constantly going towards a more plant-based diet," he added."

Vegan diets are associated with a number of health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

A 2019 review of 32 studies found that vegan diets can help improve markers of diabetes and reduce inflammation. According to a 2009 study, vegan diets can also help with weight loss due to increased fiber intake, in addition to blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Story continues

Guy's typical daily meal plan involves plant-based variations of popular foods like pancakes or pizza.

On workout days, Guy said he has pancakes or some cauliflower hash browns. (In 2020, he said, he had pancakes every single morning.)

Then, after workouts, he'll have a green smoothie or an acai bowl. His smoothies and acai bowls are made up of flax seeds, carrots, kale, spinach, mango.

Throughout the day, he'll snack on potatoes, sweet potatoes, and apples to keep up his energy. While potatoes are a big part of his diet, he says these days he prefers sweet potatoes as he believes they are "cleaner for his body," according to GQ.

Cauliflower is also a key ingredient in the meals Guy and his wife eat. They include cauliflower rice in a lot of their meals, and use it to make pizza crust with hummus.

"Last year everything was about cauliflower. She'd make cauliflower rice, she had cauliflower pizza, lasagna, those cauliflower hash browns," Guy told GQ. "Last night, it's gonna sound weird, we had a cauliflower hummus grilled pizza. The cauliflower crust, hummus on top, and grilled veggies on top of that."

Guy avoids regular white rice, saying it makes him feel bloated, so these days he mainly goes to cauliflower rice or brown rice.

Read the original article on Insider

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NFL lineman Lawrence Guy says he switched to a vegan diet, and he's fitter and healthier than ever - Yahoo News

Prince Charles shared details about his weekly diet during an interview with the BBC regarding climate change. He also revealed that he understand's climate activists' anger and is "sympathetic".The heir to the throne has been labelled a "veteran environmental campaigner" for his work over the years.

Prince Charles spoke to the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt in the garden's of Balmoral.

Justin asked the Prince: "What would you say to viewers of BBC breakfast, what would you be saying to people watching about diet?

"Should they be eating less meat, should they be flying less?"

Charles stated: "Well, flying is being done much less recently, most people, most of these people are doing things online. I've been trying to get used to that.

JUST IN:M25 traffic chaos: Huge delays as two lanes closed after serious crash - updates

Aside from his diet, The Prince of Wales has also launched a television channel onAmazon Primethat is dedicated to promoting programmes about the environment.

The channel, RE:TV, will highlight projects globally with the aim of promoting a more environmentally friendly planet.

The Prince said:"Ive spent a lot of my lifetime trying to engage people and businesses with the issues and solutions of the climate crisis."

Continued here:
Prince Charles reveals he has adopted a special diet 'Have done for years' - Express

NS: Our gym yoga teacher was talking about what is called a circadian diet. He says its good for your gut flora. Ive heard about circadian rhythms, but I dont know how they relate to the gut. What is a circadian diet anyway?

NS: At the beginning of the 18th century, astronomer Jean-Jacques Dortus de Mairans experiments on mimosa plants opened the door to the idea of biological clocks. Since then, researchers have been fascinated by this concept. Studies hundreds of years later have given them a better understanding of what eventually became known as the circadian clock, an internal cycle of approximately 24 hours that coincides with the flow from day to night.

This cycle is tailored to daily light and dark patterns, but is actually controlled by the body itself. Today, it is widely understood that in addition to the presence of a master biological clock in the light-sensitive part of the brain called the hypothalamus, individual cells in the body also operate in their own circadian cycle.

These timing mechanisms, which function as a whole, form a complex matrix. They play a role in virtually every physical process, including the sleep and wake cycle. Metabolism; Hormonal activity; Body temperature; Cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nervous system; Organ function; and intestinal flora. When our internal clock and the external clues of light and darkness are out of sync, we suffer from physical consequences. Jet lag and the negative health effects of night shifts are good examples.

Recent studies have revealed a new and interesting relationship between the gut microbiota and the circadian cycle. Studies in mice have shown that microbes in the gut produce significantly more natural antibacterial compounds during the day than at night. It made it better to dodge food poisoning that could occur during the time they were most likely to eat. This may shed light on why people experiencing chronic sleep disorders are known to be susceptible to bowel infections. The results of another study that limited the amount of time food was given to rodents suggested that the way the body metabolizes fat depends on the time of day that food is consumed.

Humans generally eat during the day and eat fast at night while we sleep. This is basically a form of intermittent fasting, and studies have shown that it has a variety of health benefits, including improved glycemic control, lower levels of inflammation, improved blood pressure, and healthier blood lipid levels. I have.

A solar eclipse involves eating during the 12-hour period (usually from 7 am to 7 pm) and fast for the remaining 12 hours. Meal size is reversed, breakfast is the largest meal of the day and dinner is the smallest. Its 12-hour nightly speed eliminates post-supper snacks and midnight raids in the fridge.

At this point, while proponents of the circadian diet are very surely discussing its benefits, it is important to note that there is a lack of credible research to support their various claims.

Dr. Eve Glazier of the MBA is a physician and associate professor at UCLA Health. Dr. Elizabeth Ko is a physician and associate professor at UCLA Health.

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Circadian Diet Another Form of Intermittent Fasting | Blogs and Columns

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Circadian Diet Another Form of Intermittent Fasting | Blogs and Columns - Illinoisnewstoday.com

A mechanical soft diet is meant for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties such as dysphagia.

People on this diet eat foods that have been broken down into smaller pieces or are softer, because these foods are easier and safer to eat.

If youve been prescribed a mechanical soft diet or know someone who has, you may be curious about what it entails and whether its healthy and safe.

This article tells you all you need to know about a mechanical soft diet, who its for, its benefits, and some safety considerations.

A mechanical soft diet is a texture-modified diet that restricts foods that are difficult to chew or swallow. Its considered Level 2 of the National Dysphagia Diet in the United States (1, 2).

Foods can be pureed, finely chopped, blended, or ground to make them smaller, softer, and easier to chew. It differs from a pureed diet, which includes foods that require no chewing (3).

The goal of the diet is to make foods safer and help a person meet their nutritional needs. It is not intended as a weight loss diet. Most foods are allowed on the diet as long as they can be safely consumed (3).

You can prepare foods at home or buy premade meals that are suitable for a mechanical soft diet.

As of 2015, the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) offers guidelines that provide in-depth recommendations and levels based on various medical conditions and risk of choking. These levels are (4):

A mechanical soft diet would be considered level 5 (minced and moist), according to the IDDSI guidelines. However, some variations of the diet exist. You can discuss the specifics with a healthcare professional if they have prescribed this type of diet for you (2, 4).

A mechanical soft diet is a type of texture-modified diet for people who have difficulty chewing and swallowing. Foods may be pureed, ground, finely chopped, or blended to make eating safer.

A medical professional, such as a registered dietitian, may prescribe a mechanical soft diet for you if you (5, 6):

Depending on your situation, a healthcare professional may prescribe a mechanical soft diet temporarily, for a few days or weeks. In other cases, such as for those with dysphagia, they may prescribe it long-term.

Unless a healthcare professional recommends it, most people do not need to follow a mechanical soft diet.

A healthcare professional may prescribe a mechanical soft diet if you have difficulty chewing or swallowing food safely due to dysphagia, recovering from surgery, general weakness, or an oral health issue (e.g., poorly fitting dentures, missing teeth).

As long as a food makes chewing and swallowing safer and easier, it can be included in the diet. Examples of permitted foods include:

Foods should not be difficult to chew or easily get stuck in the teeth, such as caramel. For meat products, use moist-heat cooking methods like stewing, slow-cooking, or boiling to increase tenderness.

Further, foods that require cutting or chopping should be cut into pieces no larger than 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) (7).

While most people can tolerate the foods mentioned above, some people may need to avoid certain foods according to the advice of a healthcare professional.

Foods included in the mechanical soft diet must be soft and small and require minimal chewing.

Some foods are considered unsafe and unsuitable for a mechanical soft diet. These may include:

If youre unsure whether a food is safe to eat, speak with a healthcare professional who specializes in mechanical soft diets, such as a registered dietitian.

If youre on a mechanical soft diet, you should avoid any foods that are hard, large, or difficult to chew or cannot be mechanically altered to become softer or smaller.

Most of the benefits of a mechanical soft diet come from the ability to safely consume food.

People who have certain conditions or are unable to easily chew and swallow may not be able to meet their nutritional needs due to their troubles chewing and swallowing, a lack of energy, or other reasons (8).

Thus, a mechanical soft diet can help a person eat healthy foods without the risk of choking. Its also helpful for people who are very weak or lack energy, as chewing and swallowing may be exhausting to them (7, 8).

Further, it can create a sense of comfort, safety, and autonomy for those who are at risk of choking. These are important factors in preventing malnutrition, which is highly prevalent in people requiring texture-modified diets (7, 8, 9, 10).

Finally, a mechanical soft diet can help a person restore their health as they heal from illness or surgery and act as a segue between a liquid and solid food diet (7, 8).

Mechanical soft diets make eating safer and easier for those who have difficulty chewing and swallowing.

If you have been prescribed a mechanical soft diet, here are some helpful tips to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

Having the right kitchen tools can help speed up food preparation. Some tools you may want to use are:

Depending on your circumstances, you may wish to use smaller appliances (such as a mini blender or immersion blender) to prepare single-serving dishes.

Alternatively, you can prepare large batches to eat throughout the week.

When preparing foods, ensure that youre practicing food safety.

This includes washing your hands, avoiding cross contamination, cooking foods to their proper temperatures, and storing foods in the refrigerator or freezer.

Additionally, ensure all equipment is properly cleaned and sanitized before and after use.

If you know you will be eating out at a restaurant or at an event, its important to plan ahead.

When eating at a restaurant, you can ask the manager or chef to prepare foods for your needs. In many cases, they will happily puree or finely chop food items to ensure they are safe for you. You may also want to request additional sauce or gravy to help moisten food.

If youre going to an event, ask the host ahead of time which foods will be available and if you can use their blender, food processor, or other equipment as needed. If those tools wont be available to you, ask if you may bring your own.

Otherwise, you may want to bring your own meals and heat them in a microwave if you need to.

If youre going to be on a mechanical soft diet for longer than a few days, you may want to speak with a healthcare professional who specializes in this diet to ensure youre meeting your nutritional needs (6).

Most hospitals and healthcare centers will have a registered dietitian or speech language pathologist who can answer your questions and help guide you.

In some cases, they may also recommend supplements to ensure youre getting the right nutrients.

Here are some other helpful tips (6):

By planning ahead, you can ensure that youre eating the right foods that are safe for you.

If you have difficulty chewing or swallowing, you may be prescribed a mechanical soft diet. It includes foods that are soft and small and require minimal chewing.

This diet helps make eating safer for those who may otherwise struggle to chew or swallow foods, such as those who have dysphagia or oral health issues (e.g., poorly fitting dentures, missing teeth) or are recovering from surgery. Its not meant as a weight loss diet.

Most foods are allowed on the diet as long as they can be mechanically altered (pureed, blended, or finely chopped) or are already soft enough to consume with minimal chewing.

See the original post here:
Mechanical Soft Diet: Pros, Cons, and Who It's For - Healthline

Vegetarian and vegan options are standard on restaurant menus these days. But that wasnt the case decades ago.

One book sits at the center of generational change in food and eating: Frances Moore Lapp's "Diet for a Small Planet." First published in 1971, the book argues that a plant-centered approach promotes healthy people and a healthier planet.

Since then, Diet for a Small Planet has sold 3.5 million copies and gone through 10th and 20th-anniversary editions. For the new 50th anniversary version, Moore Lapps daughter, Anna Lapp, brought the original recipes into the 21st century.

For Moore Lapp, the recipes are central to the book.

The book is an invitation to enjoy, to experiment, to be healthier, to really excite people about this way of eating, Moore Lapp says, and not thinking of it as giving up, but as embracing.

The book includes tasty, filling recipes like Frankies Feijoada, which Lapp only slightly tweaked. Some updated recipes now include butter instead of margarine or omit 70s ingredients like soy grits.

A lot of the refresh of the recipes was really looking at all that we've learned about nutrition and plant-centered eating, and bringing in a lot more fresh ingredients, Lapp says.

The notion that people cant get enough protein from eating plant-based diets is a myth one Lapp says her mother has battled for 50 years. Now, Lapp feels like more people understand that plant foods can provide ample protein.

Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, calls "Diet for a Small Planet one of the most visionary books of the last 50 years. Many of these ideas went from counterculture in 1971 to mainstream in 2021.

In the original edition of the book, Moore Lapp argued that the food choices individuals and nations make from how public money is invested to what celebrated chefs cook have ramifications for individuals and the planet, her daughter says.

As time goes on, Lapp says more people understand Pollans famous quote: Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.

What we eat is a political act, she says, and these choices we make about our food as individuals and societies have such global implications."

The realization that shes not powerless woke Moore Lapp up, she says.

I believe that every human being needs to feel that we have power, that we're not powerless, and that our acts have meaning and that we're connected to others in that meaning, she says. What better way to experience that than through food?

Moore Lapp says she was shocked when she first learned about the incredible waste built into the grain-fed, meat-centric diet.

Livestock takes up 80% of the planets agricultural land but only accounts for 18% of the calories people consume. And in the Amazon rainforest, 80% of deforestation is due to livestock.

This grain-fed, meat-centric diet was driven by this very simple mechanism of what I call a one rule marketplace that only returns wealth to the wealthy, Moore Lapp says. And so it drove this system that made no sense in terms of our health or people being able to eat or maintaining the agricultural richness.

The decisions people make every day can help awaken others and start a conversation around these important issues, she says.

Americans can afford meat in a way many poor people around the world cant. But with consumers in the U.S. eating more meat per capita than any other country in the world, this unhealthy diet is killing us, Moore Lapp says.

Indigenous diets, however, have focused on plants for generations. Moore Lapp encourages all Americans to value these traditions. And the combination of legumes and grains can be found throughout the world, she says.

Moore Lapp hopes that as Americans continue to amass wealth, the idea of meat consumption as a status simply will end. Its a necessary shift to decrease the up to 37% of greenhouse gas emissions that come from the food system, she says.

I read this wonderful estimate in a peer-reviewed journal saying that as we turn to a plant-centered diet, it would be the equivalent of taking all the cars and trucks and even planes and boats out of the way in terms of saving greenhouse gas emissions, she says. That's the kind of impact it could have.

For people starting to shift to a plant-based diet, Lapp recommends trying Anthonys Leek, Shiitake, and Miso Butter "Casserole and Soy-Pickled Peppers. Her favorite recipe in the book, this pasta dish combines an unexpected array of flavors. And Moore Lapp says to try the Walnut Cheddar Loaf, which she fondly remembers cooking with her daughter for Thanksgiving when Lapp lived in Brooklyn.

Emiko Tamagawaproduced and edited this interview for broadcast withTodd Mundt.Allison Haganadapted it for the web.

Frankies Feijoada

6 servings

This recipe was one of the favorites from the first edition, with updates from a Brazilian friend for the 20th anniversary edition.

Heat the oil in a large pot and saut the onion, garlic, scallions, green pepper, and tomato until the onion is translucent. Add the beans, stock, bay leaf, vinegar, celery, sweet potato, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Mash some of the beans in the pot to thicken the mixture and continue cooking for 5 more minutes. Remove the bay leaf and top with chopped cilantro and orange slices. Enjoy with rice and greens.

Anthonys Leek, Shiitake, and Miso Butter "Casserole and Soy-Pickled Peppers

4 to 6 servings

This is a comfort food mash-up of Honk Kong noodles and leek chowder that plays to the strength of the angel hair-like pasta, fideo. The final result is a savory umami bomb. The Soy-Picked Serrano Peppers (recipe follows) provide a good counterpoint. If youre serving it with the peppers, start those pickling before you begin making the pasta dish. Anthony Myint

Clean the leek thoroughly and reserve the tough greens for stock or other use. Cut the tender interior lengthwise into quarters, then slice finely crosswise and place in a microwave-safe bowl. But the butter into small pieces, toss it with the leeks and a generous pinch of salt, microwave for 30 to 60 seconds until the butter is melted and the leeks are completely relaced. Add more time as needed. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Remove the shiitake stems. (You can reserve them for stock as well). Slice the shiitake caps into thin strips. Heat a large pan large enough to eventually toss all the pasta on medium-high heat, spoon 4 or more tablespoons of the butter from the melted leeks into the pan, and salt generously. Saut the shiitakes until golden brown, about 6 minutes, tossing occasionally.

In a small pan, melt a bit more butter, about a tablespoon, and add the shallots, frying them until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

Wash, drain, and cut the spinach into - inch-wide strips.

Add the leeks, butter, and miso to the large pan with the shiitakes and break up any miso clumps. Add the half-and-half and chopped spinach and simmer until spinach has just softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta until just cooked, approximately 2 minutes. Drain, reserving about a half cup of the pasta water, add the pasta to the large pan, and toss and fold to incorporate. The result should be a slippery and savory pasta. Add salt to take and another generous splash of half-and-half or reserved pasta water right before serving to ensure slipperiness. Garnish with cilantro and the crispy shallots and serve with soy-pickled peppers.

Soy-Pickled Serrano Peppers

Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove the stem and seeds, and thinly slice them crosswise. In a small bowl, combine them with the soy sauce. These soy-picked peppers are a great complement to the mild leek pasta. Theyre also delicious atop tacos and sandwiches.

Walnut Cheddar Loaf

1 loaf, about 6 servings

This vegetarian version of meat loaf is especially nice served with whole walnuts sprinkled on top.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat the oil in a pan and saut the onion until translucent. Mix the onion with the remaining ingredients in a bowl and put the picture in an oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until edges are browned. Allow to cool and cut into slices.

Link:
Celebrating 50 years of 'Diet for a Small Planet' with Frances Moore Lapp and daughter Anna Lapp - Here And Now

You took care of yourself while pregnant eating healthy foods and taking your prenatal vitamins. But after giving birth, its just as important to maintain those good habits.

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Research shows that breastfeeding can help reduce your risk of developing certain medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes later in life. If you choose to breastfeed, there are certain foods you can eat that will benefit you and your baby helping with maintaining energy and increasing milk supply.

Certified nurse midwife Sue Hudson, CNM, shares the foods you should be eating while breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding provides essential nutrients to your baby. In fact, your breast milk changes over time to include the nutrients that your baby needs, says Hudson.

Its pretty remarkable, she says. An individuals breast milk is designed for the gestational age of whatever that infant is.

Making sure youre eating a well-balanced diet is key. Its important to note that if youre breastfeeding, you need to consume extra calories as well. Most diets include between 1,600 to 2,000 calories, but those who are breastfeeding should aim to eat an extra 350 to 500 calories a day.

Thats going to provide what the baby would need and also continue to provide for your nutritional needs, says Hudson.

Also, its vital to make sure you stay hydrated too.

Remember your baby is drinking you dry, says Hudson. Its easy to become constipated if youre breastfeeding especially if you have a newborn.

Youre probably already stressing out about having a newborn at home, so dont let what youre eating add to your stress, says Hudson.

As long as a person is eating a very diverse diet, theyre going to do just fine, she says. Here are some great options she recommends adding to your diet:

Ingredients like oatmeal, brown rice and whole-grain pasta are important to keep in rotation because they are naturally high in fiber, minerals and vitamins, as well as carbohydrates, protein and healthy unsaturated fats.

Eating whole grains can help keep you full longer, help your digestive system function well and help avoid those hangry sort of days.

Whole grains will keep your blood sugar levels in more of a steady state, says Hudson.

Fish like salmon and sardines are a great source of protein, as well as vitamins and omega-3s, which can decrease inflammation. Salmon also contains natural vitamin D.

Consuming those foods will help with the babys nervous system development, says Hudson.

For people who are not vegetarians, eating beef can provide you with essential B vitamins and most importantly, zinc. Zinc will help you maintain your energy.

Instead of grain-fed beef, look for grass-fed beef, which has less fat and calories, and has more omega-3s. And it doesnt contain any added hormones or antibiotics.

Another great option for non-vegan individuals who are breastfeeding, eggs offer protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D and folate.

The most important nutrient in eggs is choline, which is necessary for nervous system development and for building cell structure, says Hudson.

For vegans, options like lentils, dried fruits, leafy greens and enriched cereal can be a great substitution for the health benefits of eggs.

Load up on ingredients like kale, collard greens, spinach and cabbage. They are full of vitamins A, C, E and K, fiber and calcium. Consider these options when youre making a salad and sandwiches.

Dont overlook the power of black beans, garbanzo beans and lentils. They contain vitamin K, antioxidants and calcium, making them great additions to soups and stews.

A study has shown that legumes play an important role in preventing and managing a variety of health conditions.

Go Greek here, says Hudson. While there are many great yogurt options full of calcium, Greek yogurt, which isnt as processed as most kinds, also contains a higher amount of protein.

Vitamin A, which helps with vision, can be found in sweet potatoes. It also helps organs like your heart, lungs and kidneys form and maintain themselves.

It helps our cells communicate better, says Hudson.

Eating just one medium sweet potato (with the skin on) a day meets the daily recommendation of vitamin A. Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of potassium.

Snack on almonds and walnuts or incorporate chia seeds and hemp seeds into your smoothies to up your calcium intake. Most nuts are high in protein, low in saturated fats and contain no cholesterol.

Sesame seeds, which are high in calcium and copper, supports immune function and red blood cell development. Dont consume them whole, as they will pass through the digestive tract without you receiving its benefits. Husked and crushed options are ideal. Look for tahini, a savory paste made from sesame seeds, which can be used in hummus and other dishes.

These small fruits have a big impact. Full of fiber, vitamins, flavonoids and potassium, eating apricots helps strengthen blood vessels, reduces inflammation and supports healthy blood pressure. Opt for fresh apricots over canned varieties. Dried apricots are also a great option.

Most foods are safe to eat, says Hudson, especially if theyre part of a well-rounded diet. But here are a few foods she says to limit your intake of or avoid altogether:

It is recommended that those who are breastfeeding continue taking their prenatal vitamins for a year after giving birth.

Is that completely necessary? says Hudson. If someone is doing exactly what they need to do with their diet, then probably not. But for some who choose to breastfeed, they cant always get what they need, so taking prenatal vitamins is a pretty good alternative.

Taking care of yourself only benefits your baby. Ask for help, whether thats your partner, family members or friends, when it comes to grocery shopping and making meals.

Women put themselves second, at best, says Hudson. Parenting is a team sport.

More here:
Foods to Eat While Breastfeeding - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

The ongoing problem with salt is thoroughly discussed in an excellent book published last year, Salt Wars, The Battle Over the Biggest Killer in the American Diet, by Michael F. Jacobson, the former executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.

Without waiting for a regulatory hammer, Dr. Jacobson told me, some companies have made a real effort to lower the amount of sodium in their products. There are lots of tricks companies can use.

For example, in its canned tomato soup, Campbells replaced a quarter of regular salt with potassium chloride, lowering sodium from 760 to 480 milligrams per cup, with no adverse effect on consumer acceptance. Nabisco cut the sodium in Wheat Thins, my favorite snack cracker, from 370 to 180 milligrams an ounce, and General Mills reduced the sodium in Wheaties, the cereal my sons grew up on, from 370 to 185 milligrams an ounce. For those fond of crunchy chips, check out the Kale & Spinach Tortilla Chips from the CVS store brand Abound, which have only 75 milligrams of sodium an ounce (about 11 chips).

Companies have found that gradually lowering the sodium content of their products and making no fanfare about it, like not claiming theyre low sodium, actually fosters consumer acceptance. Most people dont even notice the change. But you may not have to wait for companies to do the work. For example, you can reduce the salt in many canned foods, like beans, by rinsing them in a colander. Or try my trick of diluting the salt in canned soups by first filling the bowl or pot with fresh spinach and other quick-cooking or precooked veggies before adding the soup and heating it in the microwave or saucepan.

If you hope to enhance your health by cutting down on sodium, one trick is to avoid going cold turkey. I and many others have found that its relatively easy to reduce ones preference for high salt by gradually using and consuming less of it. As your taste buds adjust, high-salt foods you once enjoyed will probably taste unpleasantly salty and thus easy to resist.

In cooking, rather than adding salt when preparing a recipe, try salting the finished product, which is likely to please your palate with considerably less salt. Seasoning foods with citrus juices, hot-pepper flakes or other pungent herbs and spices can go a long way to make up for reduced salt. You might also eat less bread; as a category, bread and other bakery products contribute more to Americans sodium intake than any other foodstuffs.

But an even greater contribution most likely comes from restaurant-prepared foods, which Dr. Jacobson calls a salt-laden minefield. Ive noticed that the day after I dine in a restaurant, I weigh about two pounds more, not because I ate two extra pounds of food but because the excess salt in what I did eat retains that much water in my body.

In lieu of government regulations to limit sodium, consumers might consider writing to producers of their favorite commercial products and asking that they consider lowering the amount of salt used.

Link:
How Cutting Out a Little Salt Can Have Benefits for Health and Blood Pressure - The New York Times