Eating a nutrient-rich and balanced diet is important throughout every stage of life. As we age, our bodies naturally change, and with that comes different nutritional needs. Some changes may include absorbing less calcium, which can lead to loss of bone mass. Luckily, staying up to date with doctor visits will help you understand how to cater your diet to your unique needs. Here are some suggestions for how to navigate through your bodys changes and feel your best.

Eat smaller portions every few hours. In aging adults, a growing concern is a decreased appetite, which can be caused by a variety of factors. While older adults require fewer calories, this can lead to unexpected weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. Lower levels of hunger hormones can lead seniors to feel hungry less often and fuller faster. If large meals seem too daunting to finish, try eating several smaller portions a day. These smaller sized plates should contain nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, lean protein, fruit, yogurt, and nuts.

Incorporate more nutrients. Older adults require more protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and calcium to maintain strength and prevent injuries. Incorporating more protein, such as eggs, in your diet can help combat weakness from muscle loss. Vitamin B12, found in enriched cereals and lean meats, aids in healthy blood production and DNA synthesis. Calcium helps build and maintain healthy bones, and vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Foods such as dairy products and leafy green vegetables contain calcium, while vitamin D can be found in salmon and egg yolks. These are just some of the nutrients that your body may need more of. Your doctor can tell you about your individual nutritional requirements.

Good fatty foods. Foods such as avocados, olives, walnuts, seeds, and fish have the unsaturated fats that your body needs for brain and heart health.

Hydrate. Staying hydrated becomes more of a challenge later in life when our thirst signals are not as strong. Lack of thirst is not a reliable indication that you do not need water. Older adults should build a habit of hydrating regularly by keeping a water bottle with them throughout the day or drinking a glass of water before every meal. Drinking other liquids such as milk/milk alternatives or eating high-water-content fruits and vegetables can count toward daily hydration goals, as well.

Your nutrition needs vary depending on factors such as age, weight and medical history. This advice is not a one-size-fits-all approach. For a curated care plan, speak with your physician and a clinical dietitian.

Marion Viglietta is a clinical dietitian at Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line.

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Dietary changes to help deal with aging | Expert Opinion - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Editor: COVID has been around for years and zoonotic diseases will continue to spread because they are caused by germs that spread between animals and people. Mad cow disease came from cows, swine flu from pigs, SARS (COV) and MERS from bats and civet cats, bird flu from poultry.

Live animal markets and factory farms warehouse thousands of animals that wallow in their own waste with limited or no airspace, routinely creating conditions for the proliferation of superbugs and zoonotic pathogens. Nearly the entire supply of animal products consumed in the United States originate from industrial factory farms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) report factory farms are breeding grounds for more than 50% of human diseases. Factory farms routinely inject animals with antibiotics in order to prevent them from falling sick. These antibiotics enter the human food chain and systematically foster in humans a lethal resistance to the medicines that once subdued everyday infections.

Consider trying plant-based meats for your health and the environment. There is no way around it that raising animals for food causes death, and in the case of COVID-19, significant economic harm.

For more information go to pcrm.org of Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine or pcrm.org.

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Meatless diet will prevent pandemics | Letters to the Editor | citizensvoice.com - Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice

A giant ground sloth that lived during the last ice age was not largely vegetarian like its modern-day tree-dwelling relatives, but enjoyed munching on meat, according to a new study that has found telltale signs of its diet in fossilized hair samples.

Mylodon darwinii went extinct some 10,000 to 12,000 years ago along with most other megafauna, and scientists had presumed it ate only plants. But a comparison of chemical signatures in M. darwinii's hair to the diets of other extinct and living species of sloths and anteaters now suggests otherwise.

These results are the "first direct evidence of omnivory in an ancient sloth species,"sayspaleontologist Julia Tejada of the University of Montpellier in France. Along with other xenarthrans, such as anteaters and armadillos, these sloths were a major part of South American ecosystems over the past 34 million years.

Given that all six species of living sloths are plant-eaters, it was long thought that M. darwinii which was named after Charles Darwin who discovered its remains in Argentina in 1832 was also a plant-loving herbivore. Its teeth, jaw, large foregut and dung all suggest M. darwinii was no active predator.

But this new research upends that thinking and suggests M. darwinii could have been a meat-curious scavenger picking up scraps, or even an opportunistic omnivore, chowing down meat or other animal protein if it was available.

"Whether they were sporadic scavengers or opportunistic consumers of animal protein can't be determined from our research," says Tejada. "But we now have strong evidence contradicting the long-standing presumption that all sloths were obligate herbivores."

In the past, some researchers have speculated that the ancient ecosystems of South America had more herbivores than could be supported by the available plants. Although that idea remains untested, this new study provides some clues about what else hefty animals like Mylodon were eating to supplement their diets.

The findings also have scientists rethinking where M. darwinii sits in the food chain, and reevaluating the ecological structure of ancient mammalian communities that lived in South America millions of years ago, before most megafauna became extinct.

In the study, Tejada and colleagues analyzed hair strands plucked from two sloth fossils, five modern zoo-fed xenarthrans, and eight wild omnivore species, including the screaming hairy armadillo and the black-capped squirrel monkey.

Paleontologist Julia Tejada with a three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) in Peru. (Carmen Capuay)

Like other megafauna, Darwin's ground sloths were truly huge creatures. Among hundreds of other fossil sloths that once roamed the ice-capped Americas, M. darwinii measured nearly 3 meters (10 ft) head to toe, and weighed in at an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 kilograms (2,200 to 4,400 pounds).

But these gentle giants, which lived near coastal areas, also had blond fur and skin riddled with bony deposits called osteoderms, and it's these types of tissues that preserve chemical markers available for analysis today.

Stable nitrogen isotopes in the sloths' hair were the target for Tejada and colleagues, as these chemical variants are found at different levels in foods such as plant matter and protein. As animals eat these foods, nitrogen isotopes are slowly incorporated into the building blocks of proteins (aka amino acids) and preserved in an animal's body tissues, including hairs.

Tejada and colleagues first analyzed amino-acid nitrogen levels in samples from modern herbivores and omnivores to find a clear signal of eating a mix of plants and animal protein versus plants alone, then analyzed the two fossils.

M. darwinii skin and dung on display at the American Museum of Natural History. (AMNH/D. Finnin)

Whilethe other extinct ground sloth in the study, Nothrotheriops shastensis, was likely an obligate herbivore, the data suggestM. darwinii was not and probably consumed a diet similar to the modern-day American pine marten a type of weasel found in the northern parts of North America.

"[Mylodon's]feeding behavior better fits that of an omnivore, consuming plant material but sometimesalso incorporating items of animal origin in its diet,"the researchers writein their paper.

Based on these results, and considering the icy conditions of the Americas whenM. darwinii and other megafauna lived, the research team suspects the giant slothsupplemented its diet with energy-rich meat to meet its high energy demands, as a way to increase its metabolism to maintain a constant body temperature in cooler conditions.

Knowing how large plant-munching herbivores greatly impact the vegetation structure, soil moisture, and the carbon cycle of an ecosystem, finding out that at least one extinct sloth species ate more than just plants could change our understanding of the types of vegetation that dominated ancient landscapes at the time.

"This would be the case in particular if, in addition to Mylodon, other fossil sloth species also had more versatile feeding behaviors than traditionally thought," the research team concludes.

The study was published in Scientific Reports. You can also view a 3D model of the very first specimen of M. darwinii found by Charles Darwin here, courtesy of the UK's Natural History Museum.

Continued here:
This Ancient And Ginormous Sloth Had an Unexpected Supplement in Its Diet - ScienceAlert

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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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.

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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.

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Mechanical Soft Diet: Pros, Cons, and Who It's For - Healthline