When was the last time you took a look at what you left behind in the toilet bowl?

While there are certainly more appealing (and better-smelling) things to look at, checking out whats coming out the other end can actually tell you a lot about your diet, activity level, and health in general.

It can be especially important to know whether your poop sinks or floats. But since youre probably (hopefully?) not looking at anyone elses poop on the regular, it can be hard to know whether yours is normal.

Lets cover the basics of what normal, healthy poop looks like, what to do when it doesnt look normal, and when to see a doctor.

Poop typically consists of:

Hearing a hearty plop! when youre sitting on the toilet is actually a sign that your poop is dense and, therefore, healthy.

If youre eating a fiber-full diet and your digestive system is firing on all cylinders, your poop should be heavy enough to land at the bottom of the toilet bowl.

Even though healthy poop sinks, occasionally your poop will float like a life preserver.

If youre leaving the occasional floater behind, its probably not a cause for concern. Eating a new food or food that gives you a lot of gas can make your poop less dense, resulting in floating stools. After a day or so, this typically goes away on its own.

Floating poop can sometimes be a symptom of a gastrointestinal infection or a stomach bug. These, too, tend to be temporary and will go away on their own.

But if your poop frequently floats and feels greasy, it could mean that youre experiencing malabsorption.

Another symptom of malabsorption is weight loss. See your doctor if this is a regular symptom for you, especially if its accompanied by floating poops.

Floating poop can also be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS has other symptoms, too, such as:

If you frequently have floating poop in addition to these other symptoms, talk with your doctor.

Healthy stool is brown. This is because bile from your digestive organs tints the color of your poop.

Your poop can vary in color according to what youve eaten recently. If your poop looks super dark or even black, its probably because youve been eating a lot of blueberries or a food that uses dark food dyes, like black licorice.

If your poop isnt on the range of colors between yellow and dark brown, it can indicate an underlying health concern.

Poop thats a lighter shade of brown or gray, or clay-colored, can indicate that your bile ducts arent functioning at their full capacity. This can be a sign of:

If your poop becomes lighter in color than usual and doesnt return to its dark brown color, pay attention to other symptoms you be having. Contact your doctor if you arent feeling well.

Poop thats red, or stools that come out bloody, can be a sign that you have a blockage at your rectum. It can also indicate hemorrhoids or gastrointestinal bleeding.

In some cases, red poop can be a warning sign of colorectal polyps or intestinal cancer.

If youre seeing blood in your stool or frequently have red poop, contact your doctor and let them know, regardless of other symptoms. Theyll be able to tell if you need to have your stool tested to determine whats causing your red poop.

Poop can take many shapes and still be healthy.

Your feces will typically appear in formed logs with a clay-like consistency. Narrow, snake-shaped poop is also considered normal. Your poop can be large, small, short, or long: All these shapes fall on the spectrum of normal.

There are some things about your poops consistency and shape that can point to an underlying health condition. Most things about your poops shape and size are related to your diet.

Poop that looks lumpy or comes out in small softball- or caterpillar-like shapes can mean that youre constipated. Increase your water intake if you notice your poop coming out pebbly or dry, even if youre not straining when you go.

Poop that looks jagged or fuzzy might mean its time to load up your plate with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

A low amount of fiber in your diet can result in poop thats extremely soft. If your poop lacks (for lack of a better word) definition, change up the amount of fiber youre getting at each meal.

Even healthy poop doesnt smell the best. Theres a reason, after all, why the word excrement is synonymous with gross.

Unpleasant-smelling poop is the result of bacteria and food decay. Poop has a very distinct smell that youre probably familiar with, and everyones poop smells unique to them. Poop that smells earthy or musty is typical and normal.

Poop that smells greasy, foul, or especially putrid can be a sign from your body that theres something else going on.

Taking antibiotics changes the microbiota in your gut. This can result in foul-smelling stool. Its often temporary and will resolve on its own, but a course of probiotic supplements cant hurt to help things along.

If you menstruate, your poop may have a distinct and powerful odor during your period (which is totally normal).

You may also experience foul-smelling stool in addition to diarrhea if you take more than the recommended dose of a multivitamin or supplement. This, too, will resolve on its own in a day or two.

If your poop is especially smelly and accompanied by other symptoms, you may need to contact your doctor.

Bacterial infections like E. coli, food and dairy allergies, and gastrointestinal parasites can cause your stool to smell abnormally offensive. Malabsorption can also cause a strong stench.

If your poop smells worse than usual, pay attention to other symptoms that you may be having. See your doctor if you have especially smelly stools and:

Some people poop a couple times a day. Others only poop every other day. Regularity is important, but theres a wide range of whats normal when it comes to poop frequency.

You may poop more often or less frequently depending on how much fiber is in your diet, how much meat you eat, how much physical activity you tend to get, and other factors.

If you feel constipated, first try to increase your water intake. Being dehydrated means that you might not have enough water traveling through your intestine to form solid, healthy poop.

If that doesnt work, increase your fiber intake. Keep in mind that eating a lot of fiber can actually slow your digestion, at least at first.

Constipation home remedies are another option if youre not pooping regularly. Consider taking a magnesium supplement or a natural laxative to get things moving. Getting some exercise, like going for a run or practicing yoga, can also help.

If you experience constipation on a regular basis, or if your stools are hard and dry, let your doctor know.

Healthy poop will typically sink to the bottom of the toilet, look dark brown, and smell a bit musty but not especially foul.

Poop gives you important clues into whats going on inside your body. Any stool thats not within the realm of whats normal for you is a reason to pay close attention.

Stool that floats, is a different color than usual, and smells especially foul could indicate that you need to have a conversation with your doctor.

Original post:
Sinking Poop: What It Can Tell You About Your Health - Healthline

ALBI SKENDERI IS sitting on a leather love seat in his studio apartment in Manhattans Meatpacking District. A road bike leans on a wall and a punching bag hangs in a corner.

Beneath it are a yoga mat, a medicine ball, and a few dumbbells. Hes wearing a Henley shirt that accentuates his build: six feet and 180 hard, veiny pounds.

The Meatpacking District is an aptly named neighborhood for Skenderi to live in. I switched to a carnivore diet a couple months ago, says Skenderi, who is 33 and works in finance. One of my coworkers was heating up steak in the microwave at eight in the morning, smelling up the entire office. And I was like, Dude, what are you doing?

His colleague had discovered the diet from listening to an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and replied, Meat is all Ive been eating for the last couple weeks. I have so much energy and my body is fantastic right now.

Until then, Skenderi had been eating all vegetables all the time. Id become plant-based after watching The Game Changers, he says, referring to the movie that catalogs the alleged perils of animal foods. And I felt good on plants. But this guy made me wonder . . . Am I doing this all wrong? I went down a rabbit hole. I listened to a podcast and read The Carnivore Code. So I went to Whole Foods and bought a bunch of steak.

Men's Health

Even crazier and more confusing than Skenderis dietary 180 is the fact that scientists cant yet tell us for sure which approach to eating is healthier. At the heart of the debate is a nutrient most commonly associated with animal proteinssaturated fatand whether or not eating too much of it will kill you.

The fact that podcasts, books, and movies can draw on research about meat and saturated fatand if you should consume itand come to opposite conclusions shouldnt be surprising.

Nutritional science is less certain than you might imagine, and warring, possibly compromised camps are exploiting that squishiness to promote polar-opposite agendas. And not just in pop culture.

This war is taking place in our nations capital and in the halls of our most venerated academic institutions. It involves allegations of biased research funding from Big Beef and Nut Boards, a contrarian investigative journalist, and an esteemed Ivy League researcher railing against the disinformation triangle.

It has professors and deans at Harvard and Yale slinging mud. It includes accusations of data misrepresentation, fear mongering, political hardball, and all-around general bullshitting.

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The war has grown more intense with the anticipated release of the federal governments 2020-25 dietary guidelines, sending both sides into a blitzkrieg assault to either keep or kill the long-standing saturated-fat recommendations.

And the fallout from this war is hitting average Americans, driving more of us to search for dietary salvation at the poles. Veganism rose nearly 1,000 percent in the U.S. between 2010 and 2019. According to Nielsen, nearly 40 percent of Americans say theyre making an effort to eat more plant-based products.

Yet meat and dairy consumption has also ticked upward; theres now a bevy of mail-order meat-subscription companies, and carnivore diet books are best sellers.

When those new guidelines do drop, most of us might be left to wonder: Who can we trust in this billion-dollar food fight? And what does all this mean for our health?

TO UNDERSTAND the history of governmental nutrition guidelines in the U.S., you have to know nutrition research at Harvard University. To do that, you have to know Walter Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H.

Dr. Willett, 75, is slim but sturdy, with a head of silver hair and a wispy white mustache. He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School when Nixon was in office.

When I was practicing medicine, I became frustrated because my patients had conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease that I couldnt cure, says Dr. Willett. I wanted to understand what was causing the conditions to prevent them in the first place.

Until the 1940s, most Americans didnt really worry about whether food would blow up their waistlines or clog their arteries, says Adrienne Bitar, Ph.D., a food historian at Cornell University and the author of Diet and the Disease of Civilization. Food was considered medicine in the sense that eating a healthy diet moved you further away from malnutrition and disease.

Then, in the 1950s, Ancel Keys, Ph.D., a physiologist at the University of Minnesota, noticed a paradox. Rich guys in America were well-fed, but they suffered from a high rate of heart disease. Middle-aged men in the U.S. had a four- to ten-times-greater risk of the disease compared with men in postwar Europe, Japan, and other countries.

Keys believed diet, specifically a diet that included lots of saturated fat, was to blame. Fat made up 40 percent of the calories in the average American diet but just 20 percent in the Italian one.

Keys figured that if people ate less fat, theyd reduce their blood cholesterol and, therefore, their risk of heart disease. And, hed find, foods higher in saturated fats seemed to raise blood cholesterol.

Then in 1955, President Eisenhower had a heart attack, says Bitar. Thats when public attention cohered around the idea that heart disease was an epidemic. Eisenhower went on a low-fat diet. Not long after, the federal government started raising concerns about fat in the diet.

In 1980, Dr. Willett earned his doctorate from the Harvard School of Public Health and joined the epidemiology department as a professor. He developed rigorous diet questionnaires, which researchers distributed to nearly 122,000 nurses, looking for links between eating habits and health.

We set the study up to look at the type of fat because of the concern at that time, he says of the landmark Nurses Health Study.

Dr. Willetts work has consistently shown that, for heart disease, saturated fats arent necessarily bad. But they also arent good. Its really about comparison, he says. If you compare saturated fat to trans fats, then saturated fat looks good.

For every 2 percent of your calories that come from trans fats (the FDA banned artificial trans fats in 2015, in part due to Dr. Willetts work), for example, your coronary-heart-disease risk rises by 23 percent, according to a review in The New England Journal of Medicine. But if you compare it to unsaturated fats, then saturated fat looks bad, says Dr. Willett.

But Dr. Willett, despite his academic stature and decades of expertise, has his critics.

NINA TEICHOLZ, 55, was something of a vegetarian for 25 years, she says. She says she was constantly trying to lose 15 to 20 pounds and always felt tired and depressed.

Then around 2005 she began researching and writing The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat, and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet, and while she started incorporating more animal products into her diet, she says her health started to improve.

Saturated fat has been the rate-limiting factor in the consumption of animal foods, says Teicholz. Meat and dairy, principally, are foods that we depend on for essential nutrients and vitamins for human health. Theyre the most calorically efficient way to get the vitamins and nutrients you need for life.

Teicholz says there is evidence these foods are healthy even at nearly twice the current guideline recommendation. Suggesting that people limit saturated fats, she argues, steers people away from whole foods such as red meat and dairy.

Teicholz wrote a piece for this magazine in 2007 called What If Bad Fat Is Actually Good for You? and has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience to talk about the topic.

In 2014 her career shifted after John Arnold tweeted an op-ed she wrote for The Wall Street Journal about saturated fat.

Arnold is a billionaire hedge-fund manager with a history of bankrolling counterintuitive nutritional ideas. For example, Arnold spent $40 million in 2012 and 2013 to launch the Nutrition Science Initiative, a project that supports research that tests fundamental assumptions about the metabolic and hormonal causes of obesity and related disorders, as stated on its website.

According to Teicholz, she reached out to Arnold after the tweet and he invited her to meet his team at the Arnold Foundation. That meeting eventually led to the Arnold Foundation funding Teicholz to conduct an analysis of the 2015 dietary-guidelines advisory-committee report, which was an independent project, she says.

Following that, I was funded to start the Nutrition Coalition, whose main goal at that point was simply to educate policy makers about the need for an outside review of the dietary-guidelines process, since there had never been one, she says.

Teicholz is the Nutrition Coalitions executive director, a role that, at least as of 2018, was paying her $144,000 a year. The coalition, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reports that its funding comes from donations and grants. In 2018, it brought in roughly half a million dollars.

Vince TalottaGetty Images

The Nutrition Coalition has argued that the governments dietary guidelines are based on weak scientific evidence. In order to continue the limits on saturated fat, health officials must show ample and consistent evidence that these fats damage health, the coalition has stated. It points to some 20 review studies that have shown an inconsistent link between saturated fat and heart disease.

Whats more, the Nutrition Coalition charges that the members of the USDAs 2020-25 guidelines committee have damning potential conflicts of interest. Three of the 20 members of the most recent committee, the coalition highlights in a post on its website, have previously received funding from nut commissions or the potato industry, or were affiliated with Nestl or Dannon.

But the accusations fire both ways.

David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., founding director of Yale Universitys Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, and other scientists believe the Nutrition Coalition is lobbying for the meat industry, which has been influencing U.S. dietary guidelines for decades.

Why would the beef industry care about the arguments for or against saturated fats?

Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., a food and nutrition researcher at New York University, explains it this way: The guidelines currently tell us to eat more in the context of foods but use nutrients when referring to what you should eat less of. Nutrients are euphemisms for foods. Saturated fat means meat. They dont have to say, Eat less of those foods directly, thereby saving a lot of political hell, Nestle says.

There is no evidence that the Nutrition Coalition receives funding from the beef or dairy industry, or any industry at all, but its scientific board does include a member with ties to Virta Health, a company that recommends high-fat, ketogenic diets to help treat insulin resistance in people with diabetes.

And the coalition has supported the work of scientists who conduct research funded by the beef industry. And theres another grenade critics of the Nutrition Coalition lob: a lack of necessary experience.

The people who have positions of prominence [at the Nutrition Coalition] include many people with no formal training in nutrition or in science, Dr. Katz says.

In fact, half of the coalitions board had no previous experience in the health sectorTeicholz included. She has a B.A. in American studies and an M.A. in Latin American studies.

Despite the accusations made against it, the Nutrition Coalition has moved the dial.

According to Teicholz, her most successful effort as an advocate was to plant the idea, in 2015, that Congress might consider an independent outside review of the dietary guidelines. The hope for this review was to improve the transparency and scientific rigor of the guidelines.

And she has chosen to respond to her critics.

Teicholz is at odds with Harvards research, and in particular Dr. Willett, because he has significant intellectual and financial conflicts of interest which he almost never declares in any of his papers, she says, and the studies he oversees are a significant part of the foundation of the dietary guidelines.

Not to mention Dr. Willett is an ideological vegan whose work supports the idea of moving towards a vegetarian-slash-vegan diet, she says. Teicholz has published a ten-page dossier laying out the terms of how Dr. Willetts vegan agenda can be explained by his ideological and financial conflicts.

Maybe scientists could write Teicholz off (and some within the field have). Except that more minds in nutrition are becoming sympathetic to the idea that perhaps animal foods arent as bad as science has previously made them seem.

I kind of appreciate [what shes doing], says Tamar Haspel, a columnist for The Washington Post who has been covering nutrition and the food industry for two decades. Shes poking the bear, and the bear needed to be poked.

IN THE fall of 2019, a group of scientists dropped a series of six papers in the Annals of Internal Medicine, one of the most influential journals in the field, that reviewed the research on red and processed meats.

The papers included studies assessing the health risks of consuming those foods, ultimately questioning the validity of the health guidelines as they pertained to saturated fat.

The 49-person research team found that among study participants, those who ate about four to seven servings of red and processed meats a week had approximately the same risk of cancer, heart attack, or death from any cause as those who ate one to four servings a week.

The difference between the two groups meant that for every 1,000 people who eat less meat, only two would avoid the increased risk of death from any cause that comes with eating more meat.

Based on these findings, this group published its own dietary guideline recommendations for Americans: You enjoy beef and bacon, so continue eating it.

This research sent the other side, scientists who have shaped American food policy for the past four decades, scrambling into Defcon 1.

Reenter Dr. Katz, who also leads True Health Initiative (THI), a group of 500-plus health experts that derives its funding from 46 different non- and for-profit groups, most of which are in the fields of health care or nutrition and many of which promote plant-heavy diets or products.

When prerelease copies of the Annals papers landed on the desks of Dr. Katz and others at THI, we started calling one another and saying in effect . . . Holy shit, this is not for print, says Dr. Katz. We thought [it was] going to hurt a lot of people.

Dr. Katz, who is a Mens Health advisor, believes the scientists who authored the Annals studies were leveraging the authority of the respected journal to issue their own set of alternative guidelines, as he put it, without any actual legitimate authority: If theyd just published the [data] and not the guidelines, it would have been a yawn from us. But to devise guidelines directly at odds with your own findings and pretend like thats business as usual . . . this is a provocation, he says.

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THI responded to the research by pulling together 14 leading scientists and collectively requesting that all six papers be preemptively retracted and given due and appropriate review. . . . We do so on the basis of grave concerns about the potential for damage to public understanding and public health, wrote Dr. Katz and his cosigners.

But as THI cooked up its academic retort, the work of the independent committee tasked with reviewing nutrition and health topics that would inform the 2020-25 dietary guidelines, including possible adjustments to saturated-fat caps, was already under way.

"AT THE core of this conflict is the value of nutritional epidemiology, says Stephan J. Guyenet, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and obesity researcher.

So lets say that people who eat lots of red meat have more heart attacks than people who eat less red meat, says Guyenet. You could see that and conclude that red meat causes heart disease. But maybe people who are eating a lot of red meat are also smoking more cigarettes.

Teicholz says that when it comes to beef and dairy, the evidence on saturated fat is flawed. These studies find extremely weak data associations, not causation, she says.

Richard Feinman, Ph.D., a professor at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, puts it like this: Willetts textbook on nutritional epidemiology is quite good in that its thorough, but it doesnt let you draw the right conclusions. In a toxic tort case in a court of law, for example, these studies wouldnt hold up as evidence, he says.

Dr. Willett believes his detractors and those who laud the supposed benefits of beef, in particular, are part of what he calls the disinformation triangle. Its a triangle of interests that are people not working together to guide consumers, he says.

Its three points are food-industry groups, such as Big Beef; academics who make a career bashing others epidemiological research and/or supporting industry research that misleads the public; and the sensationalist media, which reports on that industry-funded research.

His critics, he says, are missing the larger point: His food-frequency questionnaires were never designed to be perfect.

A perfect nutrition study would be unfeasible, and downright unethicalscientists would have to hold many thousands of people in a lab and feed them specific diets over the entirety of their lives. Dr. Willett says his type of studies are good enough to make rational decisions.

But he isnt off the hook.

Teicholz points out that Dr. Willett and Harvards nutrition department have conducted studies funded by nut boards or other trade groups.

Nestle, the NYU nutrition researcher, is also aware of this funding and says, I really wish they wouldnt do that.

THERE'S YET another complicating factor to all this: Although the saturated-fat debate centers primarily on red meat, the nutrient is found in many other foods.

Its not possible to eat saturated fat in isolation. Therefore you have to question the significance of studies that study saturated fat as opposed to the foods that contain it, says Nestle.

Perhaps the strongest statement suggesting a rethink on saturated-fat caps came out in The BMJ in 2019.

Nineteen leading scientists (many of whom declared ties to the dairy, nut, and other industries) concluded that the established guidelines fail to take into account considerable evidence that the health effects vary for different saturated fatty acids and that the composition of the food in which they are found is crucially important.

The saturated fats found in a square of dark chocolate or in nuts are different from those in a rib-eye steak. And they have different effects in the body, says Ronald Krauss, M.D., Ph.D., director of atherosclerosis research at Childrens Hospital Oakland Research Institute, who helped develop the American Heart Associations dietary guidelines in 2000.

Theres not just one LDL cholesterol particle. They vary in size from large to small, says Dr. Krauss. The smaller LDL particles have properties that make them more likely to have adverse effects in the artery and promote [heart disease]. This is why zoning in on saturated fat as a single macronutrient category as the basis for the nutritional recommendation, to me, is a flawed approach.

Lumping together all saturated fats, some scientists now believe, may steer the food-marketing industry toward advertising foods that are low in saturated fat, yes, but also high in refined starch and sugar.

This effect happens often with many broad recommendations based upon single nutrients, says Trevor Kashey, Ph.D., a former cancer researcher who now owns Trevor Kashey Nutrition.

In fact, its happened in the recent past: The recommendation to eat more fiber is meant to encourage people to eat that nutrient from whole-food sources, says Kashey. Whole foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables. But then, Kashey says, bakeries start making bran muffins.

FORMER U.S. secretary of health and human services Sylvia Burwell and former secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack oversaw the development of the current nutritional guidelines.

And in 2015 Congress pulled the two into a hearing to ask about them. The key here is taking a look at the preponderance, the greater weight of the evidence, and trying to make a judgment . . . this is really about well-informed opinion. I wish there were scientific facts, said Vilsack.

And so was born a new directive for the scientific committee: to look at the totality of the nutrition and health research for those facts.

Five years later, the 20 scientists on the advisory committee whose report forms the basis of the 2020-25 nutritional guidelines looked at the evidence about saturated fat and are recommending changing . . . nothing.

And, in all likelihood, the eventual government dietary guidelines will reflect that exact recommendation: Americans should consider swapping saturated fats with unsaturated fats and limit their saturated-fat intake to 10 percent or less of their total calories per day.

But the report also stated that its more important to account for a persons overall diet than individual nutrients. People do not consume nutrients or foods in isolation but in various combinations over time, the scientists wrote.

Instead, people should aim for higher intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or nonfat dairy, lean meat and poultry, seafood, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils and low consumption of red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and drinks, and refined grains.

That part of the report is a good one, nutrition experts argue.

We dont eat saturated fat, says Kashey. We eat bacon cheeseburgers and ice cream.

Just 28 percent of the saturated fat the average American eats comes from proteins and dairy, such as a piece of meat or glass of milk. Sixty percent of it comes from multi-ingredient foods.

If people actually followed the guidelines and stopped eating all the bacon cheeseburgers and ice cream, theyd be healthier, says Kashey.

See the original post:
Is Saturated Fat Good or Bad for You? It Depends on the Science. - menshealth.com

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By Gina Cousineau

My entire adult life, I have talked diets, either because I was on one or someone I knew was on one.

As a fitness professional, trained chef, and as a nutrition expert, I regularly want to pull my hair out over the conversations I overhear, paired with all the noise I see across the internet regarding diets.

The best one yet was a diet program in which you can win money. It was the perfect storm for those with disordered eatingthe majority of uspaired with gambling. Oh, my!

So lets unpack the latest and greatest, as we once again hear fromU.S. News & World ReportsBest Diets 2021.

Leading the way, as in years past, are omnivore-type diets, including the Mediterranean, DASH, and Flexitarian diets, which are plant-focused. In other words, a plant-based diet that includes dairy, as well as animal and plant proteins mixed in. They all promote a whole food nutrition approach that islowin sugar, saturated fat, sodium, along with limiting highly processed foods. Not brain surgery, folks.

Macronutrients, or macros, remain high on the list of buzzwords when it comes to diet-speak. In reality, macronutrients are foods that provide calories, which include carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

There are all kinds of spewing of if it fits my macros, macro percentages, and I count macros going on. But what does this really mean?

Fact is, counting macros tells us nothing of food quality, nor the number of calories that are being consumed, so I use this opportunity to educate my readers as to why you should know what macros are and how they can help you reach your goals for the New Year.

Bottom line, if you are on a diet, you either want to lose, gain or maintain your weight; are concerned about improving or holding onto your current health scenario; and/or you want to improve your performance (speed, body composition, strength, etc.).

If you have no concern for these things, you likely eat foods that are convenient, regardless of their repercussions.

Macros provide the calories needed to exist in life. If you over-consume them, you store body fat and potentially increase your risk of lifestyle diseases linked to obesity, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, colorectal cancers and the like.

Under-consume calories, and you risk sarcopenia, the loss of lean tissue mass, including muscle and bone, leading to a host of health concerns. Malnutrition and lack of proper nutrition can happen no matter how many calories you consume.

Homeostasis is the bodys happy place and the home in which I want my clients to reside.

The type of macros you consume is dictated by the foods you choose. Carbohydrates are the bodys preferred and primary fuel source. Wholesome foods rich in carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables, whole grains/starches, and dairy products.

Fats are imperative for most every metabolic process in the body. Healthier options include fats from foods such as avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and oils from these foods. Protein helps to build and repair, along with it being the matrix of our skin, muscle and bones. Nutritious picks are lean animal and dairy sources, eggs, and plants rich in soy and legumes.

Those macros in combination are called meals and snacks, and not only can bring joy to our lives, but wonderful nutrition to our bodies. They can also be our demise.

Recommendation from Mama G: Choose wholesome macronutrients most of the time as close to nature as possible. Stay tuned for more on macros next month.

Gina Cousineau sees clients virtually and in person out of her San Clemente office. Her extensive educationa BS in dietetics and MS in integrative and functional nutritionchef training, and 30-plus years as a fitness professional allow her to help clients lose weight and improve their health.You can reach her at mamag@mamagslifestyle.com, 949.842.9975, and on Instagram and Facebook @mamagslifestyle.

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Excerpt from:
Health and Nutrition 101: Macros, Calories and Exercise ... Oh, My! (Part 1) - Capistrano Dispatch

Ally Love isa Peloton instructor, host of the Brooklyn Nets, and founder of online empowerment community Love Squad.

Needless to say, she works hard but doesn't let her health and fitness fall by the wayside.

While promoting Kite Hill's almond milk yogurts, Love spoke to Insider about what she eats and how she trains to empower herself and others.

A post shared by A l l y L o v e (@allymisslove)

First things first: 12oz celery juice and 16oz water "I have a Bodyrmor Sportwater, so I'll try to chug one of those to get my system going," she said.

Love often then teaches a Peloton class or does a workout of her own.

"I don't necessarily eat right before I work out," Love said, adding that often this is out of laziness and isn't necessarily something she'd recommend. "If I'm doing, say, a Tabata class, I'll have a banana or half an apple with some almond butter just to give me some fuel."

Breakfast: Yogurt smoothie Love often makes a smoothie with natural almond milk yogurt, almond milk, banana, blueberries, cinnamon, protein powder, and dates. "I am not the hugest breakfast fan except on Saturdays, which are for pancakes," she said.

Lunch: Salmon salad "I like salads with something warm on like salmon, tofu, or mushrooms. And I love a good Greek salad with chickpeas."

Snacks: Green smoothie Love keeps herself going between meals by whizzing up green smoothies, often made from kale, spinach, pineapple, celery, and cucumber.

Dinner: Curry "I love Indian food so I crave curry, chana, and rice all the time," Love said, crediting her own Miami upbringing combined with the heritage of her Trinidadian fianc.

Dessert: Vanilla yogurt "I try to only have one, so this is where discipline comes in," Love said, adding that she deliberately doesn't buy the plain yogurt because it comes in larger tubs and she'd eat it all in one go. "So I get the small vanilla yogurt and cherish the moment."

"I try to eat everything in moderation and be more mindful around my eating," she said. "I knew it wasn't bad for me it's creamy and it's healthy but I try to be mindful about my consumption."

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Love is a cycling instructor for Peloton, but her own workout regime is impressively diverse, including running, barre, and strength classes. When it's not too cold though, she loves to run outside.

"I try to run at least three miles five times a week, if not longer one of those days will be a six mile run," Love said.

She's a big proponent of fitting in exercise as and when she can, even if that means just a 10-minute burst when she finds a pocket of time in the day.

"I was in the gym just before a call, I realized I had nine minutes and thought, 'OK I can run a mile and come back,'" she said.

Love preaches the message that "every body is great," but says "if you ever want to change the shape of your body, strength training is so important," which she doesat least three times a week.

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Not only does Love mix up cardio and strength work, but she diversifies her strength training too, using both heavy and light weights.

"You want to diversify your fitness portfolio," she said. "Whatever you are consuming, whether it's media, fitness, or food, you want to make sure that there is variety because then your body is able to respond better and you can get to a place where you are feeling your healthiest and best. If you only do one workout, you're going to plateau."

In total, Love works out 5-6 times a week, but she makes time to recover too: One of those days will be a recovery day, where she might go for a walk or do yoga, and one day a week is devoted purely to rest.

"It's usually Saturday, it's a day just for me, I don't do anything except spend time with my family and talk to friends," Love said.

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With many people vowing to get fit and healthy at the start of a new year, Love recommends keeping things simple and focusing on what she calls "the power of one."

"When we add on too fast, we don't succeed," she said. "We don't follow through, we get overwhelmed. And so the power of one is about establishing what that one goal is, and then each day doing one thing towards that goal."

Instead of trying to add more and more changes into your life, Love advises thinking about sustainability and consistency.

"Focus on one thing and eliminate the noise," she said. "Every day, do one thing towards that goal. That's it. Don't try to add in everything. The power of one makes you feel fulfilled."

Read more:

As a dancer, Christine D'Ercole was told her thighs were 'too big.' Now, they're the Peloton instructor's superpower.

An Instagram fitness trainer with 2.2 million followers says you're approaching exercise the wrong way

Personal trainers swear by a simple workout technique that's key to getting results

Link:
Peloton's Ally Love shares daily diet and training regime - Insider - INSIDER

With COVID-19 restrictions keeping many gyms closed or at limited capacity, the bitter cold temperatures that come in the dead of winter may affect many peoples workout routines.

While taking a jog or bike ride may have been a pleasant way to burn calories in the spring and fall, the idea of gearing up to work up a sweat in the chilly winter air might not be as appealing.

But experts said that for most people, its perfectly safe to exercise outside in the colder temperatures.

Still, depending on your fitness level and if youre not used to working out in the cold, there are some things to keep in mind.

People with certain underlying health conditions might also need to be cautious before working up a sweat in the cold.

Dr. Michael Fredericson, sports medicine physician at Stanford Health Care, said that when it comes to health benefits, working out in colder temperatures isnt much different than exercising when its warm.

Its just good to stay active and exercise no matter what the weather is, he told Healthline.

Still, there may be some advantages. Some studies suggest exposure to cold temperatures while exercising causes our metabolism to pick up and activates our brown fat or, the good fat that breaks down fat to maintain body temperature, said Heather Milton, MS, an exercise physiologist at NYU Langone Healths Sports Performance Center.

This may help the body burn through calories in a more efficient way.

Another benefit to exercising in cooler temperatures is that our body doesnt have to work so hard to cool itself down.

This means less blood flow is directed towards the skin, Milton said. When less blood flow is circulating to the skin, more is directed towards working muscles. We also tend to lose less water in sweat, so our blood volume does not dip during longer workouts as it would in hot environments.

For most people, going for a run around their neighborhood or at a local park is usually the easiest way to get in physical activity outside.

But any type of exercise thats done in warmer temperatures is also safe in the cold.

When asked what forms of exercise she would recommend people do in the cold weather, Milton said: Anything, (except maybe swimming).

She recommends: HIIT workouts, cycling, calisthenics, boot camp, dance workouts, you name it. Just be sure to do a full warmup to ensure your muscles are warm, and your core temperature is elevated before getting into higher intensity exercises.

If youre in a climate with snow, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, and even sledding can be fun ways to work up a sweat.

Outdoor group exercises are safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, experts said, as long as proper physical distancing measures are taken.

Make sure youre keeping at least a 6-feet distance from other people, ideally more, Fredericson said.

The key to dressing for exercise in the cold is layers.

The base layer should wick away sweat, said Katie Lawton, an exercise physiologist in Sports Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. Cotton absorbs sweat and is not a good option for a base layer. If performing an activity or sport like running where you may sweat more, a synthetic fabric base layer is a good option.

For a second layer, Fredericson recommends fleece or wool to help keep in the warmth.

If its raining or snowing, some type of light waterproof jacket can be helpful, he said. But layering is important because as you warm up, you may want to shed some of those, so have something you can tie around your waist.

If its particularly cold, you may also want to wear a hat, gloves, and scarf.

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises everyone to wear a mask and maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance while working out either indoors or outdoors.

In addition to preventing the spread of COVID-19, Milton said wearing masks comes with other benefits, especially during the winter months.

Masks come in handy nowadays, as it can cover your nose and cheeks, keeping your face warm and safe from the cold, she said. They can also aid in warming the air you breathe in, which is helpful to your airways.

People with certain underlying health conditions need to take certain precautions when exercising outside during the winter.

For people with asthma, cold weather can be harder to adjust to, Milton said. The cold air causes a reaction of the airways to constrict.

This can make it difficult to breathe and even trigger an asthma attack.

A slow and gradual warmup is recommended to avoid this, Milton added.

And again, a scarf or mask over the face not only helps prevent the spread of COVID-19, but can also be beneficial in warming the air you breathe in.

People with asthma should also remember to carry their inhaler when exercising in case of an asthma attack.

Some cold weather activities, particularly shoveling snow, may be risky for certain people.

Shoveling snow is actually a really vigorous exercise, Fredericson said. If youre used to exercising, then its probably fine, but if youre someone who doesnt exercise a lot and you start shoveling snow, it can actually trigger a heart attack.

Older adults and people with heart disease are at an increased risk of heart attack from shoveling snow. They should get clearance from their doctor before engaging in such strenuous activity or leave the shoveling to someone else, Fredericson said.

For most healthy people, the biggest concern that comes with exercising in the cold is the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.

Were talking extremely cold temperatures here, Fredericson said. Generally, if the wind chill factor gets below 17 or 18 degrees Fahrenheit, you should probably hold off.

At this temperature, frostbite can occur on exposed skin in less than 30 minutes.

Hypothermia, which is when the bodys temperature is abnormally low, is more likely to occur at very cold temperatures but can happen even at cool temperatures above 40F if a person becomes chilled by sweat, rain, or water, according to the CDC.

Use common sense, Fredericson said. Make sure you can feel your fingers and toes. If you really start to shiver, try to get out of the cold. You want to be able to carry on a conversation. If youre so cold you cant even talk or you start to feel confused, thats not a good sign.

Staying hydrated is also important in the cold weather.

Though we may need slightly less fluids in the winter, we do still lose fluids during exercise due to breathing, sweating under your base layer, and the drying effects of the air, and thus must maintain our fluid intake, Milton said.

And dont forget the sunscreen. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends wearing sunscreen when youre outside. This is especially important in the winter if theres a lot of snow on the ground due to the intensity of the reflection of the sun, Milton said.

Finally, watch out for ice.

If you go run or bike early in the morning, be sure to pay attention to this factor, as a slide or fall would not only hurt more on frozen ground, but also could lead to injury, Milton said.

All things considered, experts said its important that people know they shouldnt be afraid to work out in the cold.

Particularly as it relates to COVID-19, light to moderate exercise is very healthy for your immune system and may actually give you protection against COVID-19 or any type of flu or cold during the winter season, Fredericson said.

Additionally, your risk for disease transmission outside is so much lower, he said. So if you cant exercise indoors or you just like exercising outdoors, I would encourage people to do that using proper precautions.

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How to Work Out Safer During the COVID-19 Winter - Healthline

Find out what a raw diet is and how a balanced raw diet could beneficial for your pet.

ST. LOUIS Why not make 2021 the year that you and your pet eat healthier, together! The experts at Treats Unleashed can help with that and they will brainstorm with you for free in store, on the phone, or even online. They can help you find the best food for your pet, no matter the budget you are working with. Teresa Miller is here to tell us more.

Teresa says they have seen a big push into raw foods for people as well as pets. She mentions that a raw carrot will always be good for your pet, but when it comes to raw meats you have to be a little more careful. Raw food can have many benefits for your pet like providing a shiny coat, better digestion, and more.

Teresa explains that when she talks about a raw diet, she means a balanced raw diet. You want to make sure you are using products that are formulated specifically for pets so that it has all of the vitamins and minerals that they need. Changing your pets diet can be a good idea to help promote gut health. Treats Unleashed has several tips to help make that transition. You can even supplement the food they are already using if you dont want to change everything.

Treats Unleashed has 13 St. Louis area locations. This month you can get up to $5 off on Stella & Chewys and Primal Freeze-Dried food. You can also subscribe for autoship and save 5% on each order. Learn more and order on treats-unleashed.com.

Treats Unleashed wants to make sure that your pet is getting all the nutrients they need in their food. ST. LOUIS - A lot of us are striving to do better, and eat better, especially at the start of a new year. Why shouldn't that trickle down to our pets?

THIS ARTICLE INVOLVES COMMERCIAL CONTENT. THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FEATURED APPEAR AS PAID ADVERTISING. FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL US AT SMSL@KSDK.COM.

SHOW ME ST. LOUIS IS A PART OF 5 ON YOUR SIDE AND FEATURES ST. LOUIS EVENTS, COMPANIES, BUSINESS PEOPLE AND OTHER GUESTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

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Treats Unleashed can help find the best diet for your pet - KSDK.com

At the end of December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) quietly released a highly anticipated set of recommendations (at least in the nutrition world): the 2020-2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Every five years, the groups update these guidelines, which can inform how doctors, dietitians, and other health professionals make nutritional recommendations to their patients. They can also shape how food companies approach what they put in their products.

Many dietitians applauded the updated guidelines for highlighting metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes as a significanthealth concern for all Americans, as well as for focusing on eating patterns instead of singling out nutrients, says Maya Feller, RD, a Brooklyn-based registered dietitian-nutritionist whospecializes in medicalnutrition therapy for non-communicable diseases like diabetes.

But Feller and many other health experts also point out that the new guidelineswhich overall are very similar to what has been in place since 2015ignored important recommendations in a report published this past July by the USDAs own advisory council of 20 independent doctors and nutritionists. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent consumer advocacy organization that aims to improve the food system and support healthy eating, called the decision disappointing.

As many of us want more transparency in government recommendations, omitting this feels as though the recommendations are political and not science-backed, says Alex Caspero, RD, founder of Delish Knowledge.

One of the main critiques of the guidelines: They keep added sugars at 10 percent of daily calories, instead of lowering the recommendation to 6 percent as suggested by the advisory council. Added sugars are a key contributor to chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers, says Brigitte Zeitlin, RD, owner of BZ Nutrition. Less sugar, [fewer] health problems.

In addition to complicating the management of chronic health conditions, added sugars reduce the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria, which can contribute to poor health outcomes, says Feller, noting that the GI tract plays a critical role in immune health.

Heres the lowdown on added sugar and how it can affect your health:

However, other experts understand why the guidance on sugar stayed the same. Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CEO of New York Nutrition Group,argues that despite the well-known risks of excess added sugar, its better not to overwhelm Americans with goals theyre already struggling to follow. Many consumers do not adhere to the federal guidelines as is, she says.

Caspero says shes mostly concerned about how this decision will impact packaged foods. The guidelines have huge power in our food system, and making clear recommendations to reduce added sugar could encourage manufactures to reduce the sugar they use in their foods, she says.

Some nutrition experts were also surprised that the 2020-2025 guidelines ignored the independent committees recommendation to reduce daily alcohol intake for men from two drinks to one. (Recommendations for women remain at one drink per day maximum.) Zeitlin notes that the guidelines did suggest Americans should consume less alcohol but didnt offer specifics. There is so much credible research looking at the relationship between alcohol and an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, adds Feller.

Other RDs we spoke to are fine with the guidelines as they stand. Moskovitz says that alcohol is safe in moderation, and the guidelines account for the fact that men are better able to process and metabolize alcohol than women. Caspero points out that the evidence against alcohol is mixed: some studies show that alcohol actually lowers heart disease risk, but that it also increases oral, breast and colorectal cancer risk.

Overall, the experts we spoke with generally agree that if you dont already drink, theres no good reason to start. But if you do, enjoy one drink per day, up to a few drinks per week max. And preferably choose red wine, especially over sugary cocktails.

In good news, dietitians applaud the guidelines inclusion of specific recommendations per life stage, including for toddlers and pregnant and lactating people. The policy will help shape government programs like the National School Lunch Program and WIC, says Caspero, and hopefully influence food manufacturers. This is the first time guidelines have done it, and its an important step towards a holistic health approach, she says.

How you eat during pregnancy affects not only your health but your babys health, and each phase of life contributes to the health of the subsequent phase, notes Zeitlin. She believes the guidelines will encourage parents to read the labels of baby food.

Want to learn more? Heres some guidance from a top RD on what to eat during every phase of pregnancy:

As part of this, the guidelines suggest parents introduce allergenic foods (like peanuts) early in life to help prevent future food allergiesdifferent from older guidance that urged parents to delay introducing those foods. The guidelines also specifically note that kids under 2 shouldnt eat added sugars. Sweetened foods tend to be lower in nutrients, says Moskovitz; relying on them when kids are little may make balanced nutrition more challenging in the future. Offering more bitter and bland-foods in the earlier years of life can help with childrens acceptance to a variety of foods as they get older, she says.

The guidelines also continue to recommend that Americans eat more plants, which Moskoviz says is the wave of the future. Not only does research prove the benefits of eating more plant-derived foods, but it may also be better for our environment, she says.

Caspero, however, was disappointed that the guidelines only vaguely recommended cutting back on saturated fat to less than 10 percent of daily caloric intake. They didnt call out the specifics where [saturated fat] is usually found in the American diet: high-fat dairy foods, processed meats and red meat, she says. She also points out that the guidelines did not mention the impact of diet on the environment, which was present in the 2015 guidelines. Animal farming accounts for 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Ultimately, nutritionists across the board arent necessarily surprised that the latest round of nutrition guidelines didnt change significantly. Some speculate that the USDA and HHS may have feared that more strict guidelines would backfire. If they seem unattainable, people might use the new rules to create an unhealthy relationship with food, says Moskovitz. Others are more skeptical. The big food companies in America have lobbyists and sway in government, including the USDA, says Zeitlin.

Regardless, its important to remember that any set of broad guidelines simply cant account for every individualeveryones nutritional needs differ depending on their health, activity levels, and other factors. There is no one-size-fits-all. Figure out what works best for you and do the best you can to eat a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, says Moskovitz.

Nutritionists should also reframe how they work with the guidelines, which need to be tailored to the socio-economic realities of the people we serve, Feller says. That includes helping clients with low incomes find ways to afford fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Families who face and experience food insecurity have limited access to affordable, safe, and nutritious foods, she says. Inexpensive packaged goods tend to have an abundance of added sugars, and the recommendations do not take that reality into consideration.

If you take a glass half full look, the recommendations will continue to evolve. The guidelines are not perfect. Nothing is, says Feller. Like many things in life, theyre a work in progressdue to be reviewed again in 2025.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

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What Nutrition Pros Think of the New U.S. Dietary Guidelines - Well+Good

Phoenix, AZIn a 2,000 person study targeting 2021 eating goals, Sprouts Farmers Marketand One Poll found that 54% of Americans are likely to embrace flexitarian diets, reducing meat consumption. Results showed a number of reasons for such interest ranging from health, immunity, environment to simply feeling better.

The interest in plant-based foods and a flexitarian diet is evident, said Jack Sinclair, Sprouts Chief Executive Officer, in a press release on the topic. Shoppers are more engaged with their food than ever and are seeking innovative and alternative products to mix up the meals they prepare for themselves and their families.

The poll results showed clear interest, but is the trend towards plant-based and flexitarianism permanent? The poll found that 43% of people believe being a flexitarian is a permanent lifestyle change, with 58% feeling like all their nutritional needs can be met with plant-based foods. And even though the flexitarian movement is growing, theres still a good chunk of responders (36%) who werent certain of what the definition even is before participating in the survey. Availability and understanding of plant-based options key. 59% of people would try plant-based foods if they were easier to find at their local grocery store.

Plant-based product sales grew exponentially last year, indicating consumers are craving innovative items to try at home, said Sinclair. We believe consumers will remain focused on incorporating healthy foods into their lifestyles to support immunity and overall wellbeing in 2021. This includes introducing consumers to things they never considered before.

Related:Innova Releases Top 5 2021 Trends for Snacks and SweetsSprouts Partners with L.A. Libations on New Functional Beverage DisplaySugary Beverage Consumption on a Downward Trend

11 reasons why Americans are motivated to eat healthier this year, according to poll results:

For more information, readers can view an infographicandvideo of the survey findings.

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Poll: Plant-Based Diets Are on the Rise - WholeFoods Magazine

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In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health released its updated set of dietary guidelines that'll be in place through 2025. Many health experts lamented that current recommendations on added sugar didn't really change much, among other concerns. The federal health experts behind the report did, however, recommend new restrictions for added sugar in the first-ever set of advice for parents of babies and toddlers. Per the report, no amount of added sugar is acceptable for kids under the age of 2; the guidelines' authors cite the strong link between childhood obesity and health issues later in life as the reasoning behind their new stance.

But parents (and parents to be!) may raise eyebrows over a new data-driven suggestion on dietary exposure to peanuts and other allergens, which is the opposite of what they may have heard in the past.

New guidelines ask parents to introduce "nutrient-dense" foods to infants in addition to milk or formula starting at 6 months old, including known allergens that many parents may have historically avoided. "Peanuts, egg, cow milk products, tree nuts, wheat, crustacean shellfish, fish, and soy should be introduced when other complementary foods are introduced to an infant's diet," the guidelines instruct. "Introducing peanut-containing foods in the first year reduces the risk that an infant will develop a food allergy to peanuts."

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The shift in advice has to do with breakthrough research known as the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study, explains Sanjeev Jain, M.D., Ph.D., an immunologist and founder of Columbia Allergy clinics across the Pacific Northwest. In the 1980s, Dr. Jain explains, when food allergies began to become increasingly more common, allergists believed delaying oral introduction to potential allergens (namely peanuts) was necessary to stave off allergic reactions later on in life. The American Academy of Pediatrics had even asked parents to wait to introduce peanuts to kids until they turned 3 years old, and eggs at 2 years old, in guidelines published in 2000. But the LEAP study, published just after the last set of USDA dietary guidelines were made public in 2015, "clearly showed that early introduction of peanuts, starting as early as four months of life, reduced the risk of developing peanut allergies," he adds.

According to Dr. Jain, experts in the allergy field have a surplus of data that confirms a baby's immune system and digestive tract can adapt to foreign foods things they've never eaten before almost naturally. "The immune system in the first six months of life is especially malleable; it can adapt to whatever environmental exposure it's getting at that age much more so than later in life," he explains.

Actually getting a baby or toddler to ingest allergens is important if that food is in the home environment around them. For peanuts, in particular, a baby can easily become sensitized to peanuts if their skin is in frequent contact with its antigens (or proteins) especially if they already have eczema or another skin issue, says Michael Pistiner, M.D., a member of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's Medical Scientific Council. "That [sensitization] can drive a child in the direction of developing a food allergy," he explains, adding that other non-peanut allergies can also develop this way. "That's why it seems that when these kids start having their exposures to the food through their mouth and eating it, then it may help decrease the chance that they'll develop an allergy to that food."

But what about soy, eggs, or other nuts? Robert Coles, M.D., a pediatrician within the University of California San Diego Health System, says that while evidence isn't as clear cut for these allergens, experts are treating them similarly to peanuts based on logic. "Given the data for peanuts and eggs specifically, we now recommend that from an allergy perspective complementary foods and other highly allergenic foods may be introduced into the child's diet at any time after four to six months of age," he explains. A few exceptions may be thicker staples like peanut butter or honey, which can pose choking hazards if not properly prepared, with the latter holding some botulism risk for babies ("Even highly processed honey can carry spores of bacteria," Dr. Jain adds).

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For children out of the recommended age range of four-to-six months, allergy clinician Dr. Jain says that slowly adding traces of nuts or small amounts of soy for toddler-aged kids is largely still recommended. "It's never too late You have a window of opportunity to introduce [foods] before allergies develop," he adds. "Exposure through the skin route without getting equal exposure through the oral and dietary route isn't ideal, as it leads to possible sensitization of that food."

Maybe the most significant takeaway for parents either those who are welcoming their first child or those who are anxious around the kitchen due to another child's allergy development is that introducing food to babies and younger toddlers at home comes with a very low risk for a serious allergic reaction. Dr. Jain explains anaphylaxis is rare in this case: "The current guidelines are that the risk of introducing your food at home is so low, when it comes to a life-threatening allergic reaction, that it's considered safe to do so."

Regardless of your child's age or whether or not you've dipped into new foods at home, there's always an option of doing what's called an "oral challenge," available to families in an office setting. "We give common allergens in the office to confirm that child isn't allergic to that food, which may take a while to pinpoint each food, but at least we're attempting it," Dr. Jain says. Moving forward, it seems that most allergists can agree on one thing: Not feeding your little ones allergens out of fear could end up leading to that food allergy you're dreading.

Always consult your child's physician before introducing new food into their routine. If you're concerned about a child and potential food allergies, keep an eye out for known visual reactions to known allergens. The most common symptoms of an allergic reaction include rashes, itching, or hives, swelling or puffiness, shortness of breath, stomach pain and dizziness. For more information on common reaction signs, and instructions on getting emergency help, visit the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

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New Recommendations Suggest Feeding Babies Peanuts, Eggs, and Other Allergens Early On - GoodHousekeeping.com

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD The SPCA of Anne Arundel County is looking for homes for these cuties. If you are interested in adopting one of this week's adorable adoptables, head to the SPCA website.

Sassy is a lovely seven-year-old calico cat. She is a little on the large side, but working hard to get back into shape. True to her name, she can be a bit Sassy at times, but she does enjoy attention when she's in the mood, especially head and neck rubs. She likes to play and she will jump up onto the sink to get fresh water straight from the tap.

Rocky:Meet Rocky! This sweet senior is looking for a calm, loving home. He is a very affectionate cat and we're told he really enjoys laps. Rocky is a recent arrival to the shelter and he's hoping not to have to stay too long. He is currently on a weight-loss diet and will require regular brushing to keep his coat healthy.

Kween:Cute little Kween is only 3 years old, but she's already a grandma! Kween arrived at the shelter with her mom and her daughter, and her daughter just had a litter of kittens. Kween is a friendly girl and she gets along fine with other cats. She is currently hanging out at the new adoption center Paws at the Mall, so come by and see her today!

Angel:Angel is 11 years old. She is a nice lady but set in her ways and can have a little "cattitutde" towards other cats who get in her face. Angel is diabetic, but she is doing very well with twice daily insulin injections. These are easy to administer and we would be happy to teach you how! Angel is available for foster or adoption. Please contact us if interested!

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These Kitties Are On Diets, But SPCA Is Helping Them Get In Shape - Patch.com