Columnist Noah Galloway explains why eating a balance of healthy foods and counting calories is better than any fad diet.

There are so many different diets out there; it can really make your head spin. Doctors and nutritionists are always trying to convince you of their new diet that has "amazing" results.

The nutrition industry has so much misinformation and poor research studies. Ive heard a critique on just about every food. Its overwhelming for people to try and learn so much when they are just trying to become healthy. Kale and broccoli are considered toxic, and this is one of the most bizarre examples Ive heard. At this point, all we have left is gluten-free water.

I think its too much to ask for people to be so familiar with nutrition. Why cant we focus on a balanced diet rather than all these fad diets that people are rotating through? Where is the Netflix documentary on a balanced diet? We constantly question the legitimacy of these doctors who seem too biased when it comes to their research and identity. I think the best way to lose weight and have overall good health is a balanced diet of all food groups.

I think the most important guideline to follow is counting calories. This may seem like a lot of work at first, but the certainty and removal of anxiety over the scale is worth the time it takes to measure food intake. MyFitnessPal makes it easy to add meals youve already eaten you don't have to spend too much time inputting meals. Its the perfect encapsulation of the old adage "discipline equals freedom." Its relaxing knowing exactly how much food you can have the rest of the day and not constantly feeling guilty. Health is about being good most of the time, and its fine to have junk food once a week as a reminder of why you are making these daily sacrifices.

Losing weight is all about calories in and calories out.

Another rule of thumb is to find foods you like and avoid foods you love. Try and reset your mentality and remember that food is strictly fuel, and concentrate on eating to give you energy rather than the inevitable food coma. Look for foods that are high in volume and low in calories if you enjoy the process of eating and want to gorge on food.

Drinking plenty of water is another great option to give yourself a false sense of feeling full. Sparkling water works even better than regular water because the carbonation has a filling effect. Losing weight too fast can be another issue because the metabolism slows down, and losing weight too quickly can result in muscle loss.

Slow and steady is the best option, and its the most sustainable.

One of the best ways to lose weight is to get plenty of sleepbecause we tend to reach for food when lethargic or tired, which plays into excessive eating. Getting enough protein is important because its quite filling, and digesting protein burns more calories than digesting fat and carbohydrates. One thing I avoid is drinking calories because it typically isnt as filling as eating those same calories. Instead of drinking a protein shake, one could throw the powder in a blender and have a simple smoothie bowl. Dont be afraid to try zero-calorie sweeteners at the beginning to start the process of shedding and maintaining weight.

Getting back to finding a balance between all the various diets doctors and nutritionists are trying to sell us, I recommend doing a basic Google search of healthiest foods in the world and look at multiple websites, which will touch on the same foods. The more overlap a food has, the more you can be sure its good for you.

Include as many of these foods as possible, and you will be amazed at how good you feel. If you slip up and crush a cheeseburger, dont be too hard on yourself. One bad meal a week is not going to destroy your overall health.

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Galloway: Be wary of fad diets | Opinion | iowastatedaily.com - Iowa State Daily

Ree Drummond, AKA The Pioneer Woman, has undergone a massive weight loss transformation in the past six months, shedding a staggering 43 pounds since January. However, the star says it's not a trendy diet or expensive exercise routine that helped her lose the weight. Read on to discover Drummond's 10 essential habits for dropping the pounds and keeping them off.

For more insight into how stars really slim down, Raven-Symon Says This Exact Diet Helped Her Lose 30 Pounds.

In a new post on her website, Drummond says that she didn't do keto, intermittent fasting, or any type of weight loss program to shed the pounds, nor did she buy diet foods. Instead, she relied on the tried-and-true "calories in, calories out" method.

"I tried to achieve a calorie deficit most days, which means I expended more calories (through exercise and just basic daily activity) than my body required to maintain my then-weight," she said, explaining that she used online tools to help her find out the calories in her food.

"Counting my calories was nothing short of eye opening, and for me it was essential."

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In addition to tracking her daily caloric intake and shooting to eat fewer calories than she was burning, Drummond used a digital food scale to make sure she was consuming the right portion sizes.

"It really woke me up to the portions I had grown accustomed to eating! As with calories, I had completely lost sight of the volume I was eatingso it was an education in those first few weeks," says Drummond, who says that she no longer weighs her portions for every meal now that she has a better idea of how to eyeball things.

Drummond says that she didn't use a trainer to help her slim down, relying on what she had on hand instead to help her get more exercise.

"I walked 2 to 3 miles, or did the rowing machine, or did Pilates," using a floor-based Pilates routine, she explained. "I exercised 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day (morning walk, evening rowing machine), sometimes just once."

After finding her weight loss plateauing after just over a month on her journey, Drummond began incorporating weight-bearing exercises into her routine.

When she started, Drummond says, "I had zero strength in my lower body and my legs trembled and gave out. But I still did it, about four days a week to start, and laughed at my uncoordinated clumsiness every time." She now does a routine of squats, lunges, and other muscle-toning exercises on a regular basis.

While Drummond says she didn't stick to any particular diet plan to lose weight, she does admit that ramping up her protein intake was essential in terms of her weight loss.

"On a typical day, I had been landing at around 15% to 20% of my calories from proteinso I pivoted and steered my eating so that I was around 30% to 40% protein. It worked!" In doing so, Drummond says she got past her weight loss plateau and experienced greater satiety on a daily basis.

For more insight into how your favorite celebs work out, Country Star Jana Kramer Reveals the Exact Exercise Routine That Keeps Her Fit.

As a means of cutting calories while staying satisfied, Drummond cut down her sugar intake dramatically, opting instead for more filling foods. However, she says that the occasional treat is still on the menu.

"Were there days I gave in and had a piece of cake? Yes! I'm The Pioneer Woman and I love food! Ha. But the piece of cake was the size of Rhode Island instead of Texas, and it wasn't an everyday thing," she says.

As a means of both cutting calories and adopting healthier habits in terms of her exercise and eating, Drummond drank no alcohol during the first four months of her weight loss journey.

While Drummond says she's "back to having an occasional grown-up beverage again," she now opts for tequila with Topo Chico sparkling mineral water and fresh lime juice instead of more caloric drinks.

To stay on track with her weight loss, Drummond relied on the Happy Scale app, which helps illustrate how many pounds you've lost and the rate at which you're losing.

"Let me tell you that it was a GAME CHANGER in terms of motivating me to keep going,' she says.

"It was the magic bullet for me because it takes away the occasional frustration of natural ebbs and flows of weight loss by giving you your moving average weight along with your literal weight."

Since Drummond was writing a cookbook while trying to lose weight, she opted for a standing desk to ensure she didn't spend the whole day sitting.

"I found more than anything was that when you are working in a standing position, you are a lot more mobile and prone to step away and take breaksIf I'd been standing and working awhile and I felt like moving around, I'd just leave my desk and go outside, go get water, go take a short walk."

Instead of declaring her weight loss journey over after shedding significant weight, Drummond says she's looking at her transformation as an ongoing lifestyle change that keeps her feeling healthier.

"I'll keep weighing in every day to have all the information I need going forward, but the number isn't what I'm paying attention to nowMy experiences over the past few months have equipped me with real, doable tools that I feel like I'll be able to whip out whenever things get off track in the coming months and years." And for more on how celebs have stayed healthy during the pandemic, Brooke Burke Is Thrilled She Doesn't Have to Track Calories With This Diet and Exercise Routine.

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The Pioneer Woman Just Explained the Exact 10 Things She Did to Lose 43 Pounds | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

BOSTON (CBS) Intermittent fasting has grown in popularity as a quick way to shed pounds, but a new study finds this dieting approach may not be as effective as simply cutting calories.

Many people believe intermittent fasting is especially effective for weight loss and for improving metabolic health, but this new study suggests intermittent fasting is no magic bullet. In a randomized controlled trial involving 36 adults, researchers at the University of Bath found that after three weeks, volunteers who fasted on alternate days did not lose any more weight than those who reduced calories by 25% across all meals.

In fact, those who fasted lost less weight and lost more muscle mass than those on the simple calorie-restricted diet. So as always, before you embark on a weight loss plan, talk to your doctor to help you determine which approach might work best for you.

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Intermittent Fasting May Not Be As Effective As Calorie-Restricted Dieting - CBS Boston

Summer has finally arrived in the UK, which means only one thing: the return of the barbecue. A June afternoon isnt complete without a soundtrack of sizzling sausages and the smell of burgers grilling wafting through the air.

But before throwing another pack of sausages on the barbie, how many of us stop and think about how much meat we eat, and why? Thats the aim of a new project funded by science charity Wellcome, which is designed to get people debating their diets.

Visitors to the Meat Your Persona pop-up exhibition, which is touring shopping centres this month, will be challenged to complete an interactive quiz to discover which one of six meat personas they are, before learning how they canadjust their diets to be greener and healthier.

i's guide to helping the planet in your everyday life

Meat and dairy production is a major driver of climate change. Meat Your Persona draws on research by scientists at the University of Oxford, who warn global climate targets are unreachable without people cutting back on consumption of meat and dairy products.

Meat tends to require a lot of water, and also it produces a lot of greenhouse gases, explains Professor Charles Godfray, a member of the Oxford research team supporting the project. There could also be worrying health effects: There is evidence that if you eat a very large amount of red meat there are risks for your health. The risks are not enormous, but they are definitely there, Professor Godfray warns.

Professor Godfray and his colleagues hope the project will give them a better sense of how much the public understands the connection between meat and climate change, and how easy it will be to shift the masses towards greener eating habits. The whole point of the quiz is to get a conversation going, he says.

One of the things we are interested in is just how people react to and assimilate new information for example around the consequences of eating meat, and how it incentivises them to change their diets or not to change their diets.

How often do you eat meat?a) It isnt a meal without meatb) Most daysc) A couple of times a weekd) Now and thene) Only when Im outf) Never

Did you know As a global average per capita, meat consumption has increased by 20kg since 1961 thats equal to about 89 extra steaks a yeareach.

If you could only eat one of these for the rest of your life, which would it be?a) Beef me upb) Chicken lickinc) All things porkd) Lamb, I love ewee) Seafood and I eat itf) Cheese please

Did you know Different types of meat red, white and processed affect our health in different ways.

How much do you think about what you eat?a) Ive got food on the brainb) Food is my fuelc) Im not fussyd) Im easily temptede) Ill try anything oncef) Ill have what shes having

Did you know What you choose to eat can depend a lot on your surroundings: who you eat with, where you shop and even how your foods labelled.

What is most likely to tickle your taste buds in the future?a) Plant-based eatingb) Lab-grown meatsc) Insect proteind) Beef-free menuse) Fake it till you make it (meatsubstitutes)d) East less meat but better quality

Did you know Around a third of adults in the UK have reduced the amount of meat in their diet in the past five years.

What is most important to you?a) Air qualityb) Water purityc) Natured) Animalse) Climate changef) Your local surroundings

Did you know More than a third of all the calories from the worlds harvested crops are used to feed animals instead of humans.

But while the science around the health and climate change effect of meat consumption is clear, the question of how to broach the topic of dietary change is less clear cut. Tackle the topic in the wrong way, and people become defensive orangry.

The quiz has been designed to try to engage people without enraging them, says Amanda Gore, director of the Liminal Space, the consultancy that designed the quiz.

The aim was to encourage people to learn more about their behaviour in a light-hearted way, and through this become aware of the impacts of meat eating, she says.

We wanted to give everyone the ability to make informed choices the experience is purposefully non-judgemental and supportive, offering information and suggestions for people whether they eat meat with every meal or not.

Ready for a grilling? Take the quiz and see if the pack of sausages you fancy chucking on the barbecue turn out to be plant-based.

Mostly AsThe BLT: breakfast, lunch and tea its not a meal without meatLike the majority of Britons, youre a meat-eater. But did you know that our appetite for red meat like beef is causing huge problems for the environment and our health? Research conducted by the University of Oxfords Leap research project, which looks into the effect of meat and dairy on human health and the environment, shows that swapping just 100 calories a day of red or processed meat thats less than half a beef burger for a healthier option such as fish, cheese or eggs could cut your chance of heart disease by 20 per cent and help the planet in the process.

Mostly BsThe chicken supreme: your body is a temple to proteinEveryone needs protein its one of the key building blocks that allows our bodies to stay healthy, and chicken can be a good source. But were eating way too much of it. Try to eat less protein, especially meat, and fill up on fruit and veg or staple foods like bread or pasta instead.

We actually eat 50-80 per cent more protein than we need to and if we all ate a more plant-based diet, wed not only be healthier, but we could reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 per cent by 2050.

Mostly CsThe happy eater: you are what you eat and you eat only the bestOrganic, local, grass-fed, bio-dynamic, rare breed? Like many meat-eaters you know your onions and prefer them in a slow-cooked bolognese. Buying good quality grass-fed beef from local sources is certainly better than mass-produced meat raised on feed from abroad, but it is still contributing to climatechange.Researchers from the Leap team are currently studying how meat production affects our planet. For instance, did you know that producing a single steak takes the same amount of water as having a five-minute shower every day for two whole months? Could you eat less as well as bettermeat?

Mostly DsThe part-time carnivore: you love meat as an occasional treatAlmost a quarter of adults in the UK feel the same way they regularly give meat a miss. And the number is growing: over the past five years almost a third of us have reduced the amount of meat we eat. We dont have to go totally vegetarian to make a difference. You could still have a piece of meat, a couple of bits of chicken and a splash of milk in your tea or coffee each week and keep global warming under control.

Mostly EsThe adventurous eater: you will try anything once Biltong, brains, sweetbreads and offal. Your appetite knows no limits. But livestock farming around the world is having a huge impact on endangered birds and animals. The UK food supply alone is directly linked to the extinction of an estimated 33 species at home and abroad.

Mostly FsThe salad spinner: you are a meat-free magicianWho needs meat? You can conjure all the flavour you need from grains, vegetables and fish and let your lentils do the talking. Leap researchers have found that vegetarians and those who eat fish or little meat are far less likely to develop colorectal cancer or heart disease compared with regular meat eaters.

meatyourpersona.com

Originally posted here:
How to work out your meat persona and make your diet greener and healthier as a result - iNews

By now, it's no news that eating a predominantly plant-based diet may be key to staving off chronic disease in the long run. Now, two new studies suggest that switching to a plant-based diet may also benefit pregnant mothers in the immediate term by keeping their blood pressure levels in check.

Investigators at the Medical College of Georgia and the Medical College of Wisconsin recently reported in the journals Acta PhysiologicaandPregnancy Hypertension: An International Journal of Women's Cardiovascular Healththat gut microbiota help regulate our immune system response.

Gut microbiota contain trillions of microorganisms that help us digest food and may play a role in impacting mental processes like mood. This is because gut bacteria manufacture about 95% of the body's supply of serotonin, which affects your gastrointestinal activity and possibly your mood. These microorganisms thrive on both prebiotics and probiotics, both of which are primarily found in plant-based foods.

So if gut microbiota may be able to impact our mood, then it makes sense that it might also impact other things, like protecting us from high blood pressure (hypertension), right?

Essentially, researchers discovered that diet intervention can help improve gut microbiota and protect against hypertension, even when dietary salt consumption is high. Here's how they came to this unexpected observation.

Rodents that were in the Dahl salt-sensitive group were essentially bred to develop hypertension and progressive kidney disease on a high-salt diet. The rats were all fed a milk-based protein diet, but some were then switched to a grain-based diet. Keep in mind that both diets are relatively low in sodium.

However, when both groups were fed a high-salt diet, the rodents that had switched to a grain-based diet developed significantly less high blood pressure and related kidney damage than those on the milk-based protein diet. This led researchers to believe that developing hypertension is not only about sodium consumption but also about everyday dietary choices.

"The animal protein amplified the effects of the salt," Dr. David L. Mattson, senior author of the study and a longtime hypertension researcher, said in a statement.

"Since the gut microbiota has been implicated in chronic diseases like hypertension, we hypothesized that dietary alterations shift the microbiota to mediate the development of salt-sensitive hypertension and renal disease," the authors wrote in the journal Acta Physiologica.

In fact, the gut microbiome was entirely different between the two groups of rats, yet their genetic material was virtually identical. Interestingly enough, when the rats that were fed the grain-based diet received a transplant of the gut microbiota from the rats eating the milk-based protein diet, they experienced increases in blood pressure.

When the reverse was performed, the rats that were eating the milk-based protein diet didn't experience any benefits from the other group's microbiota. This is because the new microorganisms couldn't flourish in the face of the animal-based protein diet, researchers speculate.

When both groups of rodents gave birth, those that were on the whole-grain diet were protected from preeclampsia, a condition in which a pregnant mother develops high blood pressure that can lead to serious or even fatal complications for both her and the baby. On the other hand, more than half of the rodents that continued on the milk-based protein diet developed the condition.

"This means that if mom is careful with what she eats during pregnancy, it will help during the pregnancy but also with her long-term health and could provide protective effects for her children," Dr. John Henry Dasinger, postdoc and one of the authors of the study said in a statement.

The researchers noted that this finding reinforces the message that both physicians and scientists have been sending mothers-to-be for decades: Diet matters during pregnancy.

Bottom line: These animal studies suggest that eating a primarily plant-based diet before and during pregnancy may help reduce a mother's chances of developing preeclampsia. However, keep in mind that these studies were conducted on rats, so human trials would be needed in order to confirm the validity of their findings.

Of course, anyone may benefit from incorporating more plant-based foods into their diet, while also cutting back on foods that are salt-laden and processed. For more, be sure to check out the 14 Best Low-Sodium Canned Soups for Heart Health, Approved by Dietitians.

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This One Diet May Prevent High Blood Pressure, New Study Says | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

There's a new trend taking over TikTok and it's got everyone brewing up a new concoction called Proffee, which is a combination of protein powder and coffee (usually cold brew). Coffee has been known to speed up metabolism and help you burn fat when your body is at a calorie deficit, and help you crush a workout. Meanwhile, protein has been shown to help your body feel full, and also build lean musclethat will burn more calories at rest. So it makes perfect sense that someone got the smart idea to add protein powder to their coffee and call it Proffee. Now the Proffee trend is exploding on TikTok and media outlets are covering it like this is the solution finally to boosting your metabolism, burning fat faster, and losing weight.

While the idea that Proffee can help you burn fat and lose weight may be rooted in truth, or at least backed up by solid scientific findingsbased on reliable peer-reviewed research, it doesn't come without a catch. When you add two positives, you don't necessarily end up with a double positive. In math, a double positive is a negative. Here, we looked closer at the research and found that it comes with a double shot of caveats that are worth considering before you add protein powder to your next cup of joe. Heres the long-playing story and the one that may not fit on TikTok but will inform you before you try this silver bullet for magical shrinkage.

Keep in mind that coffee is already asuper drink that has been extensively studied and shown to help promote weight loss, fat burning, and raise metabolism, even before you add a scoop of protein powder. Coffee is full of healthy antioxidants and it has even been shown tomobilize fat cells, which if this takes place in the bloodstream when you are at a calorie deficit, will prompt your body to burn fat for fuel, according toa scientific study.

Scientific Fact 1: Coffee speeds up resting metabolic rate. Coffee does speed up metabolic rate and increase fat burning in the body, studies have shown. However, you have to drink your coffee black, with no sugar, calorie-filled creamer, or with any other calories that can counteract the effect of caffeine as it works on a cellular level. Coffee is full of antioxidants that are great for you, but adding syrupy sweetness or even dairy to your latte is not going to help if your goal is the shed pounds.

Scientific Fact 2. Coffee promotes weight loss. Respected researchers at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that if you drink four or more cups of black coffee a day it appears to help you shed a modest amount of extra pounds, but it doesnt work for obese patients and the effects may be detrimental to anyone who finds that much caffeine an anxiety stoker. Plus drinking that much can disrupt sleep which can cause appetite to soar, thereby undermining your best efforts.

Avoid drinking caffeinated coffee after 3 p.m., suggests registered dietitian, Lauren Armstrong. Studies have shown that the caffeine from coffee can impact your sleep up to six hours after drinking it which results in you missing out on an hour or more of sleep.

Scientific Fact 3. Caffeine works best when taken after a meal, not before. Heres a crazy study: The University of Bath researchers looked at what happened when you drink coffee before or after breakfast, and especially when you've had a terrible night's sleep. Coffee after breakfast appears to speed up metabolism, but drinking coffee before you eat, especially after a bad night's sleep, appears to raise blood sugar, up to 50 percent more than if you had just eaten the calories without the java, a study found. So this makes sense since you can think of coffee as an amplifier: It stokes what's happening in the body, boosts cell function, even if that means boosting your blood sugar surges.

Scientific Fact 4: Caffeine boosts sports performance. Heading to the gym, or doing any aerobic-style workout, gets boosted by drinking coffee first.These studies have been on male and female athletes given caffeinein advance of aerobic tests and it turns out that caffeine is a powerful performance enhancer. It works to increase your aerobic capacity and help bring more oxygen to your muscles, which makes you feel like a rock star in spin class. But do this in moderation since caffeine also drives up adrenaline levels and youre already getting your heartbeat up just by pedaling to the music.

Scientific Fact 5. High-protein diets boost weight loss.First,studiesshow that protein helps make you feel fuller longer. But high-protein diets are known to help dieters lose weight if they also cut way back on carbs. If a normal carb ratio in the diet is about 60 percent and protein is 30 percent and fat is 10 percent, when dieters switch this around to be more protein, only 10 percent carbs, and the rest fat, they will burn the fat as fuel, which is why keto diets work. You release ketones and the protein allows those to get burned first.

Scientific Fact 6: Most Americans get way more protein than they need in a day. According to studies, Americans eat more food than they need, protein included, like 70 percent more protein than is recommended. So if women need about 46 grams of protein a day (more if they are active) and men need 56 grams (also bump that up to about 70 if youre a gym-goer or training for an event) then adding protein to your coffee may be redundant.

According to a study called "A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats, published in the scholarly journalNutrition and Metabolism,on the role of protein in weight loss: "General dietary guidelines for adults suggest an acceptable macronutrient distribution range of 45 to 65 percent of total energy from carbohydrates, 20 to 35 percent from fat, and 10 to 35 percent from protein, with a recommended dietary allowance of 46 and 56 grams per day, or 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, of protein for females and males, respectively. A diet is therefore considered high in protein if it exceeds 0.8 g/kilograms of body weight or the habitual 15 to 16 percent of total energy." This study adds: To promote satiety and not lower metabolic rate, protein is the most satiating of macronutrients. "An ideal weight loss strategy would promote satiety and maintain basal metabolic rates despite a negative energy balance and reduction in fat-free mass."

The facts are in, but the jury is out. One thing to consider:As with any dietary choice, it often depends on what you would have eaten instead. If youre adding a single scoop of protein powder to your coffee, then that extra jolt of protein and caffeine may help you lessen your intake of carbs or other morning foods, which you would have had instead. If you skip the bagel or croissant or stay away from Captain Crunch, then this could be a good strategy to get the home fires burning nice and strong, full of protein that can keep you feeling satisfied, and help you recover from a workout.

Bottom line: Dont believe everything you see on TikTok. Take your protein in small doses, or better yet from the food you eat, in the form of legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains like quinoa, and vegetables. For a full list of the top vegetables with the most protein per serving, check out this list. Coffee is a stimulant, not a weight loss aid. If you feel jittery or anxious, dial it back. And of course, before you do anything new or to the extreme, check in with your trusted health care provider. As for weight loss? Simple whole foods that are plentiful in season right now are a great place to start.

Still want to try Proffee? Our take: Just don't overdo it. If you are powering up the protein you could end up with well more protein than you need in a day, since most powders contain anywhere from 20 to 25 grams of protein in a serving, which can lead to excess calories (which of course is detrimental to your wellbeing and can undermine your efforts if weight loss is the goal). More proteinis not better, and too much can be more than your kidneys can handle. Eat your protein in the form of whole foods. Exercise gently. You'll see results.

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What Is Proffee? Can It Help You Lose Weight? The Scoop - The Beet

By Heather Eicher-Miller, Associate Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University

Originally printed in the May 2021 issue of Produce Business.

The nation has thousands of food pantries, places that give cash-strapped people free food with few questions asked. These organizations can occupy everything from an entire building to a literal pantry as in a few shelves in a church basement.

Most of the estimated 300 million Americans who relied on food pantries in 2017 experienced food insecurity, meaning that they didnt have access to enough food. Even before the pandemic hit, up to half of the people who use food pantries live in food insecurity that is so severe that they sometimes skip meals or dont eat for whole days at a time.

Food pantries get the food they give away from many sources, sometimes making it hard to control nutritional quality as they seek to obtain the right quantity of food. And getting enough healthy food to give away is challenging.

I am a nutrition science researcher who studies what food-insecure Americans eat. My team and I have recently completed several studies on rural food pantries in Midwestern counties. We found four signs that food pantries improve the diets of low-income people.

Food pantries are an important source of food.

People typically receive a bag or box containing enough food to serve their family three meals for about three or four days. Most people who use food pantries visit multiple pantries. About half make more than five trips a month to pick up food.

Whats in those boxes and bags accounts for an estimated 36% of what the people who pick them up eat, according to our recent article in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Having access to enough food is critical, but the variety, nutrients and quality are also important for long-term health. We asked 613 U.S. Midwestern food pantry clients about the amounts and kinds of food they ate and where that food came from. We found that compared to supermarkets, other stores and restaurants, food pantries provided the most fruit, something that most people in the U.S. at all income levels need to eat more of every day.

Likewise, Americans generally get too little fiber, calcium, vitamin D and potassium, making these nutritional deficits a public health concern even for people not facing economic hardship. We found that the amounts of these nutrients in the items from food pantries were also highest or tied for the highest compared with all other food sources in the diets of people who visit food pantries.

Even so, Americans who use food pantries dont get enough of these nutrients. Another concern is that provisions from food pantries tend to contain too much sodium, something most Americans need to curb.Its easier to eat right when your diet includes a lot of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Making more trips to food pantries often means better nutrition.

Going more than once a month, rather than once a month or less, is linked with a higher-quality diet, or doing a better job of meeting the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the science-based dietary guidance that the federal government maintains to promote health.

For example, the average American would get a failing grade, with a score of 59% for their consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein, along with sodium, added sugar and saturated fat. People who rely on food pantries fare even worse.

Those using food pantries once a month or less would score 39%, while those visiting more frequently would score 44%. Higher dietary quality, even just a 5 percentage point gain, may improve someones health and help stave off chronic diseases.

Eating a wide variety of food helps meet basic nutritional needs. The day after visiting a food pantry, people ate two more kinds of food compared with what they ate the day before.

Specifically, people who visited a food pantry ate more fruit, including whole fruits such as eating an apple as opposed to drinking a glass of apple juice. Eating more whole fruits is especially helpful because they have a lot of fiber and other nutrients that can help prevent cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases.

Dr. Eicher-Millers research is focused on food insecurity, which affects 12% of U.S. households and creates uncertainty regarding the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods. Her work has documented immediate and chronic adverse dietary and health outcomes associated with food insecurity among diverse populations. Her efforts to evaluate and create evidence-based interventions, programs, and policies has reduced food insecurity and improved access to resources which enhance health.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

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Four Signs that Food Pantries Improve the Diets of Low-income People - Produce Business

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- More and more Americans are seeking out healthier, greener and more ethical alternatives to meat, but are plant-based alternatives like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat truly nutritious substitutes?

The answer is yes, according to new research funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It found the imitation meats to be a good source of fiber, folate and iron while containing less saturated fat than ground beef. But the researchers said they also have less protein, zinc and vitamin B12 and lots of salt.

"Switching from ground beef to a plant-based ground beef alternative product can be a healthy choice in some ways," said lead researcher Lisa Harnack, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, in Minneapolis.

Her advice: Read the Nutrition Facts label and choose a product that best matches your health and nutrition goals.

For example, if you're limiting sodium to control high blood pressure, steer clear of products that are high in salt, Harnack said.

"If you're watching saturated fat intake for heart health, read the label to make sure you're choosing a product that is low in saturated fat," she said. "A few products contain as much or nearly as much saturated fat as ground beef."

For the study, Harnack's team used a University of Minnesota food and nutrient database that includes 37 plant-based ground beef alternative products made by nine food companies.

The products analyzed are from Amy's Kitchen, Inc.; Beyond Meat; Conagra, Inc.; Impossible Foods Inc.; Kellogg NA Co.; Kraft Foods, Inc.; Marlow Foods Ltd.; Tofurky; and Worthington.

Although these plant-based products can be healthy alternatives to beef, Harnack hopes their manufacturers will make them even healthier by keeping salt to a minimum.

"Food companies should work to optimize the nutritional quality of their products, especially with respect to the amount of salt and other sodium-containing ingredients used in formulating veggie burgers and other plant-based ground beef alternative products," Harnack said.

Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Health in New York City, reviewed the findings.

She noted that the World Health Organization has classified processed meats (deli meats, bacon and sausage) as potentially cancer-causing, and red meat (veal, lamb, beef and pork) as probable cancer-causing substances, due to the processing, compounds in the meat and cooking methods.

"Limiting consumption of red and processed meats significantly lowers one's intake of saturated fat," Heller said.

The sodium in some plant-based imitation meats may be moderate to high, but if most of the foods people eat are less-processed ones, it should not be a problem, she added.

"All in all, eating more plants and fewer animals is good for your health and the health of the planet," Heller said.

But "meat alternative" is not an ideal term, she added, because it sets up expectations of taste.

"While some plant-based 'meats' come close to the taste and texture of real meat, the idea is that these foods offer a different choice for protein, not a one-on-one swap out for meat or other animal foods," Heller explained.

Many options exist for those seeking a more plant-based diet, she said.

"Whole foods are best, but there is plenty of wiggle room to include plant-based meat, dairy, poultry and egg alternatives," Heller advised. "On a daily basis if we eat a balanced, more plant-rich diet, we should be able to meet our nutrient needs."

The findings were published June 15 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

More information

For more on plant-based diets, head to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

SOURCES: Lisa Harnack, DrPH, RD, MPH, professor, division of epidemiology and community health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis; Samantha Heller MS, RD, CDN, senior clinical nutritionist, NYU Langone Health, New York City; Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, June 15, 2021

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Epilepsy is a common long-term brain condition. It causes seizures, which are bursts of electricity in the brain.

There are four main types of epilepsy: focal, generalized, combination focal and generalized, and unknown. A persons seizure type determines what kind of epilepsy they have.

Different types of seizures affect the brain in different ways. For example, focal seizures affect only one part of the brain, whereas generalized seizures affect the entire brain.

To be categorized as having epilepsy, a person must experience two or more unprovoked seizures. Some people can receive an epilepsy diagnosis if they have had one seizure and a doctor thinks they have a high likelihood of having another.

Read on to learn more about the different types of epilepsy and how to manage them.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder. Its primary identifying factor is recurrent, unprovoked seizures.

Abnormal electrical activity in the brain causes seizures. This brain activity affects how a person feels, acts, and behaves. Depending on the seizure type and severity, a person may or may not lose consciousness.

Before doctors can diagnose a person with epilepsy, they need to decide if a seizure is provoked or unprovoked.

Many things cause seizures. These include head injuries, toxins, tumors, and infections. Doctors must rule out these potential causes before diagnosing someone with epilepsy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 3.4 million adults and children with epilepsy in the United States. Although it is common, doctors are still finding out more about this chronic disorder.

There are several types of seizures. A person with epilepsy can experience one or multiple types of seizure.

The three primary seizure types are:

The four different types of epilepsy are defined by the type of seizure a person experiences. They are:

Each type of epilepsy affects the brain differently. This means they have different identifying factors and treatments.

People with this type of epilepsy have generalized seizures. These affect both the left and right sides of the brain. Additionally, these seizures may be either motor, which involve physical movement, or non-motor, which do not.

If someone has a motor seizure, they may experience:

Non-motor seizures are also called absence seizures. Symptoms may include:

Generalized epilepsy usually starts during childhood. However, it can also affect adults.

Learn more about epilepsy in children.

People with focal epilepsy have focal seizures. Unlike generalized seizures, focal seizures only affect one part of the brain. They can start in one area and move to others.

These seizures can begin with an aura, which are minor symptoms signifying the seizures onset. This can feel like an uneasy feeling in the stomach, similar to the feeling of riding a rollercoaster.

As the seizure progresses, a person can experience motor and non-motor symptoms. Some motor symptoms of focal seizures include:

Non-motor symptoms do not affect how someone moves. However, they may cause confusion or changes in emotions. Some non-motor symptoms of focal seizures include:

Learn more about focal seizures.

Someone with combination epilepsy has both generalized seizures and focal seizures. Therefore, they can experience a mixture of the symptoms discussed above.

Combined epilepsy is linked to Dravet syndrome, which is a rare, lifelong form of epilepsy. It is usually caused by a mutation in the SCN1A gene. Because it is often misdiagnosed, people who think they or a family member may have these seizures should contact a doctor.

If doctors do not know where seizures originate, they will diagnose a person with unknown epilepsy.

People with unknown epilepsy can have a combination of motor and non-motor symptoms. Motor seizures often present as tonic-clonic (previously referred to as grand-mal). These seizures can have the following symptoms:

These seizures usually last 13 minutes. If they last more than 5 minutes, call emergency services immediately.

Unknown epilepsy also presents with non-motor symptoms. These can include:

Learn more about tonic-clonic seizures.

Although epilepsy is a seizure disorder, this does not mean that every seizure is a sign of epilepsy.

A person can have provoked seizures, which are seizures due to a cause other than epilepsy. Some examples of things that could induce a seizure are:

If a seizure is solely due to one of these causes, the individual does not have epilepsy.

However, if none of these possibilities prompted the seizure, the person may have epilepsy. To make an epilepsy diagnosis, doctors must first find out if someone has had a seizure. Doctors then determine what type of seizure it was.

Doctors can determine whether a person meets the diagnostic criteria through medical history details, EEG tests, blood tests, and brain imaging tests such as a CT scan or MRI.

There are different types of treatments for epilepsy.

Doctors typically use medication to control and stop epileptic seizures. Some drugs work for only one type of seizure, while others can control various seizure types.

A doctor prescribes medications based on a persons seizure type, medical history, and age. If the medication does not help someones epilepsy, doctors may prescribe a different drug in place of, or combined with, the first medication.

Most people who have epilepsy have a good response to this form of treatment.

Some people have drug-resistant epilepsy. This means they cannot control their epilepsy using the first two medications prescribed. Around 33% of adults and 2025% of children with epilepsy do not respond to their first-line treatment and must consider other options.

A doctor will discuss various treatments a person can try. These may include:

Surgery: This option typically works best for people who have seizures originating from one part of the brain. It involves safely removing the focal point, or the part of the brain where the seizures start.

Dietary changes: Some diets may help control seizures. Recommended diets include the modified Atkins diet, ketogenic diet, and low glycemic diet. These diets should be carried out with support from a registered dietitian.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS): This therapy treats people with focal seizures. It works by sending mild electrical pulses through the vagus nerve, which leads to the brain. Over time, it changes how brain cells work.

Other options, like behavioral therapy and CBD oil, may help with treating drug-resistant epilepsy.

Learn more about natural remedies for epilepsy.

People with epilepsy must be consistent with their medication and/or treatment regimen. They should also try to avoid seizure triggers. Because triggers vary from person to person, a person can keep a diary of seizures to record possible triggers.

Children with an epilepsy diagnosis often outgrow it with age. For those whose epilepsy continues into adulthood, or people diagnosed later in life, it is very possible to live a normal life with epilepsy. Two-thirds of adults with epilepsy no longer experience seizures as a result of an effective treatment plan.

Learn more about epilepsy in children.

Anyone who suspects they have had a seizure should seek medical attention. A doctor can determine what caused the seizure, the type of seizure it was, and discuss appropriate next steps.

In many cases, epilepsy can be effectively treated and managed with seizure medication. Receiving an accurate and timely diagnosis is essential.

Epilepsy is a common seizure disorder. There are four main types of epilepsy: focal, generalized, combination focal and generalized, and unknown.

A doctor generally diagnoses someone with epilepsy if they have had two or more unprovoked seizures.

Medication is the most common treatment, and two-thirds of adults with epilepsy live seizure-free because of it. If medication does not work, other treatments are available. These include surgery, brain stimulation, and a modified diet.

People with epilepsy must be consistent with their medication and visit a doctor if their seizures appear to worsen.

Although it is uncommon for epilepsy to go away on its own, proper treatment can control the seizures. It is very possible to live a normal, full life with epilepsy.

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4 types of epilepsy, their symptoms, and treatments - Medical News Today

With summer and swimsuit season rolling in, you might be in search of some easy ways to make your everyday diet choices help you feel your best. Well, here's some sunny news: According to a dietitian at a weight loss clinic in one of Florida's hottest beach cities, your metabolism ramps up as soon as you take your first sip of coffee, which can set you up to eat healthier, burn more calories, and even lose weight.

Keep reading to find out how coffee helps you burn fat, even when you're not moving. And for more, make sure to check out Making This One Change to Your Diet Could "Reprogram" Your Metabolism, New Study Says.

Donald Mankie is a registered dietitian at the Sarasota Memorial Bariatric and Metabolism Center who just spoke to Sarasota Magazine to answer the burning question about whether coffee fuels metabolism. Mankie told the local outlet: "The stimulating effect is definitely there." (In fact, this has been demonstrated in a number of great studies.)

Related: Sign up for our newsletter for the latest healthy eating and weight loss news.

Mankie said that in the simplest sense, coffee helps your metabolism because its caffeine gives you more energy. He noted that "caffeine can reduce the perception of fatigue" during exercise, which might simply give you that extra "oomph" to power through your workout to maximize your output.

RELATED:Eva Longoria Reveals the Exact At-Home Workout She Uses to Stay Fit

According to Mankie, coffee can also keep your metabolism raised even when you're not hard at work, thanks to "thermogenesis," which is the body's process for producing heat.

As Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian at the Mayo Clinic,has said, caffeine amps up the amount of energy your body uses even when you're inactive and this translates to the burning of a greater number of calories than baseline rest levels. (Read more about thermogenesis, and another drink that drives it, here.)

Anyone who's ever hit pause on their exercise routine, whether for illness or any reason, might know how amazing it feels to complete that first workout after a break. Part of that is from the endorphinsmood-boosting chemicalsthat the body produces during exercise.

Mankie said that similarly, coffee increases endorphin production, which can "produce an increased feeling of wellness and excitability," as well as "improve concentration, energy levels, and mood."

RELATED: Are You Unhappy? Walk This Far Before Breakfast, Says Science

These days, there are a lot of cool ways people are maxing out their coffee routine to make it work for their nutrition and well-being goalslike this creative coffee/protein shake combo.

For more healthy eating and weight loss news, keep reading:

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One Major Effect Coffee Has on Your Metabolism, Expert Says | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That