The Lion Diet is a diet that anecdotal sources claim can help transform your life and improve your health.

Followers of the Lion Diet have reported a long list of benefits associated with the diet, including decreased inflammation, improvements in mood, and relief from issues like headaches, insomnia, and allergies.

However, others have dismissed the plan as unsustainable, unhealthy, and ineffective, noting that its overly restrictive and extreme.

This article explores the Lion Diet, including what it is, how it works, and whether its safe.

BOTTOM LINE: The Lion Diet eliminates all foods except salt, water, and meat from ruminant animals. In addition to being high in saturated fat, its unsustainable and likely to lead to nutritional deficiencies.

The Lion Diet is a meat-based eating pattern that focuses on eliminating most ingredients from the diet to identify potential food sensitivities.

It was originally created by Mikhaila Peterson, a lifestyle blogger and podcast host who claims she was able to improve her health by making these changes to her diet.

According to her website, those who follow the Lion Diet have reported improvements in energy levels, mental health, and symptoms of digestive and autoimmune conditions.

Its similar to the Carnivore Diet, which is a diet plan that permits you to consume only animal products like meat, fish, and poultry.

However, the Lion Diet is even more restrictive, allowing only foods from certain types of animals along with water and salt.

The Lion Diet is a meat-based eating pattern that proponents claim improves health by eliminating ingredients from your diet to identify possible food sensitivities.

On the Lion Diet, you can consume only salt, water, and meat from ruminant animals, including cows, sheep, and deer.

Limiting your diet to these specific foods is believed to help sustain your body while removing other variables in your diet that may be contributing to health issues.

Although there are no official guidelines on how long you should follow the diet, anecdotal sources recommended waiting until your symptoms subside and then reintroducing foods slowly.

According to Peterson, you may need to follow the diet for several weeks before starting to add foods back into your diet.

This is intended to help you identify which foods trigger your symptoms so you can eliminate them from your diet.

Some variations of the diet also involve intermittent fasting practices such as abstaining from food for 1620 hours at a time or eating just one large meal per day. However, this is optional.

The Lion Diet involves eating only salt, water, and meat from ruminant animals. According to proponents, you should follow the diet until symptoms of potential food sensitivities improve and then slowly reintroduce foods into your diet.

The Lion Diet sets very strict guidelines about which foods it permits.

The Lion Diet allows only a few specific foods primarily meat from ruminant animals. The plan requires followers to eliminate all other foods.

Here are the foods that are allowed:

All other food groups apart from the ingredients listed above are banned on the Lion Diet.

This includes not only foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds but also meat from nonruminant animals, poultry, and seafood.

Here are some examples of foods to avoid on the Lion Diet:

Note that the diet allows you to reintroduce these foods into your diet slowly over time.

However, you should completely eliminate these foods for several weeks after starting the diet, or until your symptoms completely subside.

The Lion Diet allows you to eat only salt, water, and meat from ruminant animals. It requires followers to eliminate all other foods and beverages.

Although the Lion Diet is not specifically intended to promote weight loss, it will likely cause weight loss if you follow it for an extended period of time.

This is because it eliminates most food groups, including many items that are often high in calories, such as snacks, added sugar, and processed foods.

Most types of meat that the diet encourages are also relatively low in calories.

For example, a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of cooked bison ribeye contains 150 calories, while 3 ounces (85 grams) of cooked beef flank provides 224 calories (1, 2).

However, keep in mind that the diet may not supply enough calories to meet your daily needs, which could actually make it harder to sustain weight loss in the long term.

In fact, decreasing your calorie intake too much can slow your metabolism and change levels of specific hormones that control your hunger and appetite, which could increase the risk of weight regain (3).

Although the Lion Diet is very low in calories and may lead to weight loss, it could actually make it more difficult to maintain weight loss long-term.

The Lion Diet is focused on eliminating foods from your diet and slowly reintroducing them. The intention is to determine which foods contribute to issues like inflammation, fatigue, and digestive problems.

Studies show that elimination diets could be effective for several conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, and inflammatory bowel diseases (4, 5, 6).

Studies have found that your diet may also affect other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, acne, and depression (7, 8, 9, 10).

Therefore, identifying specific foods that cause symptoms associated with these conditions could be beneficial.

However, keep in mind that the elimination diets typically recommended for these conditions are not as restrictive as the Lion Diet. Instead, they usually focus on eliminating specific foods or food groups that are known to cause symptoms.

There have not been any studies on the Lion Diet specifically, and its not recommended as a treatment for any health condition. In fact, consuming large amounts of red meat may lead to flare-ups in people with certain conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (11).

Its best to talk with a healthcare professional before trying an elimination diet to ensure youre getting enough nutrients and avoid negative health effects.

Like other elimination diets, the Lion Diet is intended to help you identify which foods in your diet may be causing symptoms. However, the recommended elimination diets for most health issues are not usually as restrictive.

There are several drawbacks associated with the Lion Diet.

One of the main issues of the Lion Diet is that its extremely restrictive, lacking many key vitamins and minerals.

In fact, it completely eliminates many healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. This makes it difficult for you to get the nutrients your body needs.

Untreated nutritional deficiencies can cause a wide variety of issues, including weakness, impaired immune function, bone loss, pain, bruising, anemia, and neurological problems (12).

The Lion Diet is also lacking in fiber, an important compound found in plant foods that can support regularity, blood sugar control, and heart health (13).

Whats more, the diet is also very low in calories. Decreasing your calorie intake too much can cause serious side effects, including fatigue, headaches, nausea, and dizziness (14).

Animal products, including meat, are very high in saturated fat.

Although saturated fat can be part of a healthy diet, you should consume it in moderation.

In some people, saturated fat can increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease (15, 16).

While most research shows that saturated fat is not directly linked to a higher risk of heart disease, experts recommend limiting your intake to less than 10% of total daily calories (17, 18).

Because the Lion Diet consists entirely of meat, being on this diet will likely cause you to consume much more saturated fat than recommended.

In addition to being potentially very unhealthy, the Lion Diet is difficult to follow and unsustainable in the long term.

Since the diet offers little to no flexibility, it can be nearly impossible to eat out at restaurants or enjoy food in other social settings while following the diet.

Eliminating certain foods from your diet can also increase food cravings, making this diet even more challenging to stick to (19).

It also promotes unhealthy eating habits and may not be suitable for those with a history of disordered eating.

The Lion Diet is high in saturated fat and lacks other key nutrients. Its also very difficult to follow and unsustainable long-term.

Although elimination diets can be effective for certain health conditions, the Lion Diet is difficult to follow and unsustainable, and it lacks important nutrients.

It can also be dangerous and may increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies and other health problems over time.

If youre experiencing inflammatory or digestive symptoms and want to test out an elimination diet, consider experimenting with one food group at a time to determine whether that type of food has any effect on your symptoms.

Alternatively, elimination diets like the low-FODMAP diet can be effective for identifying triggers if you have digestive issues or irritable bowel syndrome.

If you suspect you may have a food allergy or sensitivity, you may also want to consult a healthcare professional to determine the best course of treatment for you and whether you may benefit from making changes to your diet.

If you suspect you may have a food allergy or sensitivity, there are many steps you can take to find your food triggers that are healthier and less extreme than the Lion Diet.

The Lion Diet is a meat-based elimination diet that supposedly helps you identify which foods are negatively affecting your health.

Although elimination diets can be effective for certain conditions, the Lion Diet is unsustainable and high in saturated fat, and it lacks key nutrients.

If you believe certain foods in your diet may be causing symptoms or negatively affecting your health, its best to speak to a healthcare professional to determine the best course of treatment for you.

More here:
The Lion Diet: What Is It, and Is It Safe? - Healthline

Planning a vacation this year has been a different sort of experience. Its filled with a lot of anxiety, uncertainty, and unprecedented provisions around the world because of COVID-19.

Though it promises a much-needed respite, we didnt play it safe and stay in the country. No, we had to go big and travel outside of the United States. There were some extenuating circumstances that persuaded our decision like a voucher that would expire, and our love for the very southern Caribbean waters, and great friends who agreed to make the trip right along with us. I dont buy into the over-Facebooked quote, Its not about the destination, its about the journey, because, hello, its Antigua its totally about the destination.

I do agree, however, the journey holds its own excitement. I love making goals and preparing for the big day and this one holds a little more thrill because, well, we need to get away after a year-long lockdown. Besides the anticipation of taking in glorious, sun-drenched scenes and pale blue/green waters, the preparation of losing a few pounds, date nights that include pounding the treadmills and throwing up weights, buying every travel sized toiletry made, random texts from our friends showing her new beach sandals, are part of the excitement or journey to get where paradise is the end result.

Im not going to lie, I caved on a few holidays. I gave up the fight to lose the pounds for a few cheat days. OK, maybe more than a few cheat days. But yeah, if you taste these sour cream brownies, youll understand the why behind the defeat. One bite and I found myself saying, The beach gonna get whatever body I give it! There are no rules that exist when theres brownies to be had. I said what I said.

Though the days until we take our flights are crammed with ordinary wonder and just part of the journey, taking a break to devour the simple things in life i.e. brownies must not be missed, not when theyre this fabulous.

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour in a greased 8 x 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the sides start to pull away.Cool and cut.

Janet McCormick is the author of 10-Minute Meals and was a longtime resident of Lawrence County, Ohio. She can be reached at 304-654-2003.

Read the original:
Janet McCormick: You won't regret blowing your diet on these treats - Huntington Herald Dispatch

A weight loss marvel, a facial in a bottle and an antidote to high cholesterol are just some of the incredible powers that TikTokers have ascribed to black seed oil. The herbal medicine, which is also commonly referred to as black caraway, black cumin, black onion seed and kalonji, has also been touted for its ability to remove mucus from your body, help with hair growth, relieve physical body pains, add elasticity to the skin, balance hormones, improve sleep and decrease inflammation throughout the body.

With all of these purported benefits, its easy to understand why black seed oil, which is available in capsule form or straight oil reached viral fame late last year. Many people are continuing to use it in the name of their health, but perhaps unnecessarily.

So what exactly is this alleged miracle potion? Black seed oil comes from a small flowering shrub known as Nigella sativa. It primarily grows in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. It has been used as a medicinal treatment for centuries. Researchers have traced usage back to ancient Egypt, where black seed oil was designated for everything from food preservation to the treatment of certain ailments, such as asthma, cough, abdominal pain and even clogged arteries.

Even the Prophet Muhammad is cited as a proponent of black seed oil as a panacea. Across TikTok and in scientific journals, Muhammad is credited for believing black seed oil was a remedy for everything but death.

Does black seed oil work?

Lets start with arguably the most popular claim, which is that it can help with weight loss. Theres no evidence that black seed oil can help you lose 10 pounds in five days, as at least one TikTok user has claimed (which would be unhealthy no matter what method was used to get there, but more on that in a minute).

A 2018 systematic review in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology did find that using black seed oil had a moderate effect on the waist circumference and body mass index of people trying to lose weight. But there isnt too much we can take away from that: The researchers warned that because bodies are so different, the findings should be declared by caution.

The fact is that no one should rely on a supplement to help them lose weight. Weight management is complex, and focusing on one specific food, drink or diet doesnt tell the full story, Marisa Moore, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Atlanta, told HuffPost. Instead of focusing on a trendy food of the moment, look for ways to add nutritious and satisfying foods wherever you can on a daily basis.

Focusing on nutrition and feeling good should be the goal. Moore said keeping healthy snacks on hand, including protein-rich almonds as well as fruits and vegetables, is a wise way to fuel the body and satisfy cravings. Plus, she added, taking weight loss advice from strangers isnt necessarily safe.

Be wary of diet advice from social media, she said. Stop and ask yourself whos behind this video. Is the person qualified to share health information? Most of the diets touted on social media are not science- or evidence-based. Plus, she added, everyone is different: What works for one person (if it actually does work) may not be the best thing for your body.

There have been some other preliminary studies on black seed oils effects on our health. For example, one 2017 study found that people who took a 500 milligram capsule of black seed oil twice a day for one month had improved asthma control. Other research suggests that the topical application of black seed oil may help treat or improve skin conditions, including acne.

A few studies that have been performed only on animals suggest that black seed oil could help to improve blood sugar levels, reduce psoriasis symptoms and undercut symptoms associated with liver and kidney diseases. However, experts do not know if these particular benefits would also be seen in humans, and more research is needed before recommending its use for these issues.

What to know before trying black seed oil.

So, is it worth it to stock your medicine cabinet with bottles of the supplement? Probably not.

While using black seed oil as a health and beauty remedy is generally seen as low-risk, theres always a chance you could experience side effects. That could include gastrointestinal discomfort from ingesting the stuff, or a rash if you apply it to your skin. There is at least one documented case of hospitalization related to black seed oil, in which a person with Type 2 diabetes experienced kidney failure after taking the supplement for close to a week.

You should never use supplements in place of medications prescribed by your doctor. Plus, its always a good idea to check in with a health care professional before you decide to add something new to your routine even if, and maybe especially if, everyones doing it on TikTok.

Read the rest here:
Does Black Seed Oil Improve Your Health, And Is It Safe? - HuffPost

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with data from two public databases combined by child ID. One of the databases included information from the national survey, The Food and Nutrition Surveillance Survey for Stages of Life (FNSS), 2015 (In Spanish: Encuesta de Vigilancia Alimentaria y Nutricional por Etapas de Vida, VIANEV) [18]. The other database included administrative data from public health centers, called theHealth Benefits Report from the Integrated Health Services Systems of Comprehensive Health Insurance (ISHS), Ministry of Health 2015 (In Spanish: Reporte de Prestaciones de Salud del Sistema Integrado de Aseguramiento en Salud del Seguro Integral de Salud del Ministerio de Salud, SIASIS) [19]. The data extracted from the ISHS corresponded with the timeframe of the FNSS (2015) to ensure the indicators from both datasets were recorded during the same timeframe.

The FNSS is a nationally representative survey conducted by the National Center for Food and Nutrition, of the National Institute of Health (in Spanish: Centro Nacional de Alimentacin y Nutricin). The survey utilized a cluster sampling survey design with randomized selection to represent the national population. The survey examined nutritional outcomes and dietary intake in children under 3years.

Dietary intake was measured with a 24-h dietary recall on two non-consecutive days. The weight of each food consumed was estimated by weighting an approximately equivalent portion of the food with the survey participant. The dietary information was converted into the amount of nutrients consumed by the child during each day. To estimate the distribution of intake of nutrients, the survey used the software, PC-SIDE, developed by Iowa State University [20]. The intake of nutrients was compared to the dietary recommendations to meet estimated energy requirements (EER) by age and sex, defined by the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development of the World Health Organization [21,22,23,24]. The calculation determined if each participant met the nutrient requirements for their age of each nutrient category. The complete methodology is described in the surveys final report [18].

The FNSS survey used a portable spectrophotometer to estimate hemoglobin concentration of the participants. The hemoglobin concentrations were used to diagnosis anemia using cut-off points defined by the World Health Organization. For children aged 659months, the survey used the cut-off point defined by the World Health Organization of less than 11g per liter [25]. Due to the method of measurement, it is not possible to distinguish between the type or cause of anemia. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common in the population [26].

The FNSS provided information regarding the water source of households surveyed. The water source was defined as safe drinking water if it same from public water source such as public water piped into the household, shared water pipe outside of the home, or a community well [18]. The information is represented in the current study by the categorical variable, access to safe drinking water, in which 0=no access to a safe drinking water source and 1=the household has access to a safe drinking water source.

The FNSS provided information that is used by the current study to control for the effect of poverty of the household. The variable is not a key predictor of interest, but it is included in the logistic regression analysis to control for its influence. The variable, basic needs met, indicators if the home meets the basic needs of the family. The home does not meet the basic needs if it is constructed with non-structurally sound material (plastic, carboard, etc.), dirt floor, overcrowded, no toilet (indoor or outdoor), a child aged 612 does not attend school, or if the head of the household did not complete primary school.

The FNSS survey database provided the following variables; child met iron recommendations, child met micronutrient recommendations (iron, zinc, vitamin A), child met micronutrient and energy requirements (iron, zinc, vitamin A, and calories), anemia diagnosis, access to safe drinking water, basic needs met, sex, age, and area of residence (metropolitan Lima, urban or rural).

The ISHS is a public database that contains administrative data reported by all public medical centers that accepts the public health insurance [19]. It provides information on the medical care provided to the population The database is available by request from the Ministry of Health of Peru. The illnesses reported in the databased, that were diagnosed and treated in the health centers, were categorized according to the International Classification of Diseases: Preparation of Short Lists for Data Tabulation [27]. The information of interest for this study from the ISHS database is the cases of intestinal infection or parasitic disease in child in 2016. The information is represented as a binary variable that indicates if the child was diagnosed with an intestinal infectious disease (1=at least 1 reported infection) or if the child has had no diagnosis of an intestinal infectious disease at a public health center during the year 20152016 (0=no reported infection). The category of intestinal infectious disease for this study includes bacterial intestinal infections, viral intestinal infections, and parasitic intestinal infections.

The FNSS and ISHS survey databases were combined by the Department of Information Technology of the Integrated Health Insurance Program, upon request by the authors. The public institution combined the FNSS and ISHS survey databases with the participants national ID number. The institution maintains confidentiality of the information and does not share any identifiable information of the participants.

Descriptive statistics were analyzed to better understand the experience of children with anemia in comparison to child without anemia. The differences between the two groups were compared with a Chi-square test to identify if the differences were statistically significant. Two logistic analyses were conducted to assess the strength of association between the key predictors and anemia in children in Peru. The first model assessed the association between anemia and intestinal infections, intake of iron, a poverty measure, and sex. The second model assessed the association between anemia and access to safe drinking water, intake of iron, a poverty measure, and sex. The model with intestinal intake and model with access to safe drinking water are analyzed separately because intestinal infection is a mediator between safe drinking water and anemia, and thus blocks the flow of association through the causal path [28].

Any cases that had omitted variables were not included in the analysis. The analysis adjusted for sampling design and clustering. The analysis was conducted with STATA/SE 16.1 [29].

Link:
Dietary intake, intestinal infection, and safe drinking water among children with anemia in Peru: a cross-sectional analysis - BMC Blogs Network

In the summer of 1987, food scientist Vickie Kloeris was busy cleaning out the NASA Space Food System Laboratory offices at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, when she and her co-workers made a curious discovery. They were preparing for the divisions relocation to a new space, sorting through decades of materials and paperwork. Buried underneath, they found a stash of antique astronaut food.

There were cans and cans of cubed food left from the early space flight era, Kloeris, the former manager of the International Space Station Food System, tells Mental Floss. We had to get rid of them. We had no space for them.

But then Kloeris and her colleagues had an idea. They had been done in the mid- to late-1960s, she says. But they were still safe from a microbiological perspective. The scientists decided to sample the now decades-old food before discarding it.

They opened the tins and found foods diced up for easy ingestion: cubed cheese sandwiches, cubed bacon, cubed cookies, and peanut butter stuff. All of it was shelf-stable, just like commercially available canned goods. A little stale, maybe, but otherwise edible.

The trove of space food was a reminder of how far NASA and space programs had come from the early days of astronaut menus, and how much further it had to go. The practice of consuming food in space has always been a challenge, and cubed cheese sandwiches are only part of the story.

While todays space meals are planned with taste, nutritional value (usually under 3000 calories, with the proper ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), and visual appeal in mind, NASAs earliest attempts at providing sustenance for astronauts was focused mostly on one thing: Could a human even swallow or digest food in space?

Astronaut John Glenn answered that question in 1962, when he became the first American to consume food on board the Friendship 7 spacecraft as part of the Mercury mission. The original space food was tube foods, Kloeris says. These were pured foods youd squeeze into your mouth. Glenn dined on applesauce, and his side dish of sugar tablets and water went down without issue (unless you consider the experience of eating from a toothpaste tube an issue). Applesauce wasnt the only option, either; if Glenn wanted a fancier dinner, pured beef with vegetables was available.

Each subsequent mission improved on the last, both in terms of technology and onboard food. The Gemini program introduced the first freeze-dried foods made in association with Whirlpool and the United States Army Laboratory. Freeze-dried meals are pre-cooked, frozen, and then heated to evaporate the water. After being vacuum-packed, the food is able to be stored safely at room temperatures. When an astronaut wanted to grab a bite, theyd pop a few cubes of freeze-dried grub or simply introduce water into the food's pouch via a valve to reconstitute it. (The Apollo missions added the option of using hot water.)

Astronauts enjoyed chicken and vegetables, butterscotch pudding, and other treats in this manner, most in cube shapes as opposed to squeezing mush; the first food ever consumed on the moon was a bacon cube. A coat of gelatin over the food kept crumbs, which could muck up the sensitive machinery onboard a spacecraft, to a minimum. (Famously, astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard Gemini 3 in 1965 and offered to share it with Virgil Grissom, but floating crumbs forced early abandonment of the sandwich.)

These early missions also carried thermostabilized foods, which are air-sealed to avert spoilage and included the canned goods Kloeris later found in the food lab offices. (NASA eventually turned toward a pouch, which was easier and lighter to store.) This approach was championed by Rita Rapp, a pioneering food scientist with NASA who, in the 1960s, also worked to introduce real food alternativeslike grits you could eat with a spoonto the more questionable cubed portions.

Apollo astronauts and those who came later got to try out some of the newer options, including the addition of Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) portions, the exact same food supplied to the United States military. It wasnt space food so much as Earth food blasted into space. The inclusion of MRE entrees in the Shuttle food system was part of the improvements that were made to get NASA away from the tubes and cubes of the Gemini and Mercury era, Kloeris says.

But not everything was a hit. Among the returned and unopened items from the Apollo missions were beef-barbeque cubes, fruitcake, and powdered coffee with cream, all of which Neil Armstrong passed up during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission.

Because of their long shelf life, thermostabilized and freeze-dried foods were and remain the two staples of astronaut food. But the introduction of Skylab, the first space station, in 1973 provided a new addition to galactic food preparation: refrigeration.

It was the most sophisticated food system NASA had ever flown, Kloeris says. Skylab used the exterior environment to create a cooling chamber inside. Frozen foods could be stored, heated, and consumed, all thanks to the formidable solar cells used by the station. Astronauts on Skylab sat at an actual table while dining, with their feet in stirrups to keep them in place; usually, theyand Space Shuttle astronauts in the 1980sused a serving tray affixed to the wall or their lap, opening one food package at a time [PDF].

Power wasn't the only challenge. When Kloeris came on board in 1985, there was already debate over the nutritional profile of the MREs. High in salt and fat, they were fine for soldiers on the move, but not so much for astronauts in a weightless environment who wouldn't be able to work off the calories. Around 1994, we started doing product development with our scientists in the lab, Kloeris says. We were making our own versions of thermostabilized products.

With a decline in Space Shuttle missions and a shift to long-duration trips on the International Space Station (ISS) beginning in 1998, Kloeris and her team began to focus more on a menu variety that could sustain astronauts both nutritionally and psychologically. Omega 3-rich foods low in sodium help offset bone density loss common during space exploration. Food also had to be appropriate for the environment.

Most dishes were a success; some were not. With something like soup, you had to check the viscosity to make sure it was thick enough, Kloeris says. It needs to stick to a utensil. If its too thin, it will just float.

Kloeris and her team created freeze-dried scrambled eggs, thermostabilized seafood gumbo, and fajitas. Food was either flash-frozen or superheated to kill off any bacteria, then air-sealed in a process similar to canning. Once a recipe was proven stable after processingand making it palatable could take numerous attemptsNASA's kitchen would invite astronauts in for a taste test.

Kloeris also noticed that astronauts were requesting comfort foods like Lorna Doone cookies and M&Ms, both shelf-stable. These are commercial, off-the-shelf items. The moisture content is low enough that they will last a long time at room temperature, Kloeris says. We put them in the proper packaging to protect them from moisture and oxygen.

Eventually, NASA decided that the food lab should attempt more elaborate thermostabilized desserts. At the top of the list was a favorite indulgence for many.

We attempted cheesecake in a pouch, Kloeris says. We were never able to get that. It just did not look good from a visual perspective. It was overly brown.

Cobblers and chocolate pudding cake were far more successful. Heated up in four-sided conduction ovens, they became so popular with ISS occupants that regular Space Shuttle astronauts began demanding them.

Heating food in the conduction oven or adding hot water is about as far as cooking can go aboard spacecraft because of weight and power restrictions. There was once discussion of a microwave, but Kloeris says that the modifications needed to insulate it from interfering with the onboard electronics added too much weight.

And when you first turn it on, theres a big power spike, she says. Thats going to be a problem on a space station.

Baking hasnt been completely absent from missions. In an experiment sponsored by the Hilton DoubleTree hotel chain in 2019, ISS astronauts baked cookies in a standard-sized oven to see how microgravity and heat affected the treats. But when it comes to appliances, theres relatively little that needs to be cooked thoroughly that can also be safely stored. Cooking something in a standard oven, typically thats something raw or frozen, Kloeris says. We dont have a way to get stuff safely to orbit like that.

As far back as the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, when astronauts were served thermostabilized turkey and gravy on Christmas Eve, the psychological component to space menus has been important. Food helps keep an astronaut tethered to Earth, even if its only emotionally. Astronauts usually get to select a pantry of special requeststypically commercially-packaged snacksto bring with them. Fresh food lockers allow for perishables like bread and bananas to be enjoyed while theyre still good. (Absent of crumbs, tortilla shells tend to be more popular than bread.)

If astronauts didnt get their preferences, Kloeris heard about it. With the ISS, we relied on cargo flights to get food to orbit, she says. We werent always able to get containers there at the right time for each crew member to eat food they selected. The cargo flight may have gotten delayed. So for part of the time in orbit, theyre eating food out of containers with someone elses name on them that were left over from a previous crew member. It became a huge psychological issue. We had so many complaints. You promised me I was going to get what I asked for. I had to eat someone elses food!

One of Kloeriss most memorable requests was from an astronaut who was filling out their preferred menu for 14 days, the length of his Shuttle mission. One of the most popular items since the 1960s has been shrimp cocktail, which consists of freeze-dried shrimp and powdered cocktail sauce. No less an authority than Buzz Aldrin declared the item delicious.

This astronaut checked the shrimp cocktail box for each day. And not just once. He had shrimp cocktail for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Kloeris says. And he did that for more than one mission.

Save for cheesecake, almost anything terrestrial can be repurposed for space consumption. While some astronauts have complained of a loss of taste in space, thats never been scientifically proven to occur. It may instead have something to do with fluid shifts causing nasal congestion, Kloeris says. Given enough time to acclimate and enough ketchup or hot sauce to ramp up the flavor, the problem should go away.

Kloeris, who recently retired from NASA after 34 years in the food lab, says that current meal preparation isnt much different from those early missions, even if the food itself has gotten quite a bit more appetizing. Thanks to shelf-stable dough, pizza is possible. So is beef thats been irradiated to kill bacteria. In the future, Kloeriss successors will have to devise ways to design menu items that are safe as well as palatable for the five to seven years it would take to get to Mars and back.

Its certainly possible. Of those two-decade-old canned goods found in the food laboratory office in 1987, some went to the Smithsonian for posteritys sake. As for the ones Kloeris and her co-workers sampled? We tasted each and every one, she says. They tasted fine.

The rest is here:
Gastronauts: A History of Eating in Space - Mental Floss

By Christa Poggemiller| The Hawk Eye

With the new Centers for Disease Control and Preventionguidelines, we can get back to some of our favorite summer pastimes. After spending so much time indoors this past year, a picnic or barbeque can be a good way to reconnect with the spirit of summer.

When packing the picnic basket or the cooler, food safety may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but it should be. While staying hydrated, sunscreen and bug spray are important staples to summertime, proper food storage and preparation are just as important. The days are getting hotter and those foods that need to be kept cold can spoil quickly in the sun, and while youre flipping burgers or grilling kabobs, make sure you grab your meat thermometer to ensure proper cooking temps.

Cold foods need to be kept cold. Perishable foods like luncheon meats, cooked meats, chicken, and potato or pasta salads should be kept in an insulated cooler packed with several inches of ice, ice packs or containers of frozen water. Wrap raw meat, poultry and fish securely and separately to keep their juices away from other foods. Food cross-contamination is the primary cause of foodborne illnesses. Each year, approximately 48 million people get food poisoning, or about one in six Americans.

While driving, keep the cooler in the coolest part of the car. Once outside, place the cooler in the shade or out of the sun whenever possible. Make sure to replace the ice in the cooler as soon as it starts to melt.

Bringing food to the proper cooking temperature helps to prevent foodborne illness. The best way to ensure food has been heated for enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer. Meat and poultry cooked on the grill often brown fast on the outside and may look done but may not be thoroughly cooked. Recommended food cooking temperatures vary according to the meat; poultry needs to be cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit; ground meat 160 degrees; and beef, pork, lamb, and veal must be 145 degrees.

What is a barbeque without spending time visiting? Of course, we leave the food out to snack on later. But after sitting in the heat for a couple of hours is it really safe to eat? Generally, if food is left out of refrigeration for more than two hours it may no longer be safe to eat and when the temperature is above 90 degrees, food should not be left out for more than one hour. If you plan to keep those leftovers, place the perishables back on ice once you finished eating to ensure they do not spoil or become unsafe to eat.

Whether you are planning an outside meal or just cooking at home, clean food preparation is a must. Always wash hands for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water before and after handling food. If you are away from home, find out if there is a source of potable (safe drinking) water for cleaning hands and surfaces. Otherwise, consider bringing water, disposable washcloths, moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.

For more information regarding foodborne illness visit idph.iowa.gov/cade/foodborne illness. To report a foodborne illness, contact your local health department or the State of Iowa food poisoning report line at 844-IowaSic.

Christa Poggemiller is director of Des Moines County Public Health.

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In the Public Health: How to safely enjoy outdoor dining this summer - Burlington Hawk Eye