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Nutritionist Sheryl Salis offers five simple steps to help you get back on track after the overeating of the festive season

The festive season is one of the most cherished times of the year, especially with the delicious food that completes every tradition. From the Diwali mithai to the Christmas desserts, weve waved our calorie counts goodbye and enjoyed the season to the fullest. While its not bad to indulge in festive treats, it is also important to gather ourselves back and continue our fitness journey, especially during such a time when health and hygiene are our top priority. After a year that has made us truly reflect on our healthy lifestyles and dietary charts, it is of utmost importance that we bounce back after the festive break.

Lets look at a few simple steps we can follow to get back on track after the overeating in the festive season:

While all our festivities boast of sweets and desserts we just cant get enough of, it is now equally important to consider your sugar intake and look for a healthier alternative in your meals. Honey is one of the go-to healthier alternatives that also helps in boosting immunity. It is also a rich source of antioxidants that aids in controlling our blood pressure levels.

While some of us are finding it difficult to find 100% pure honey, we should always check for the NMR tested label; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance technology is a global top-in-class standard testing process in German labs to certify natural honey which is 100% pure.

Make kadhas with a drizzle of honey to cleanse your stomach post all the festive binge eating.

Image: Shutterstock

2. Go Green With Coffee

Yes! As much as we loved those hot chocolate shakes in the winter season, we need to focus on healthier alternatives when it comes to getting our fitness journey back on track. While coffee has always been our saving hot cuppa in the mornings, the winter season is also synonymous with viral infections, which means we need to consider boosting our immunity system. Green coffee is one of the best and healthier alternatives and should definitely be an important part of our daily routines. Unlike regular coffee, green coffee is not roasted, and hence has three times more antioxidants, which are otherwise lost in the roasting process. Green coffee acts as a strong factor in regulating our metabolism levels to help us get the best results with our healthy diets. It also contains 50% chlorogenic acid - the powerful antioxidant that levels up our fitness game.

Image: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

3. Get Back In The Game

While we concentrate on food habits, there is also no better way to speed up the health journey than by getting some physical exercise. From walking on your terrace to jogging in safe public parks, walks can all prove to be of good value. Spending more time in the gym, taking up online zumba sessions, or just some old-school surya-namaskars will also be of utmost importance to support our diet and get the best results. While we have all learnt the power of going digital, we can surely get hooked onto online exercise routines using home equipment to safely pursue our fitness goals and stay true to our new year resolutions.

While weve all gobbled up fried food and enjoyed it during the festive season, it is now essential to pay attention to the kind of oil we use to keep those immunity levels high. Virgin coconut oil contains 60% MCTs, which help in easy digestion and boost the immune system, hence must be included in moderation in the diet.

Image: StockSnap/ Pixabay

5. Adopt a Healthy Hobby

As we all continue to work from home in the initial stages of this new year, our routines have become lethargic. Invest your me-time in a healthy hobby that can help you stay centred and focused on your fitness journey. Many of us have already become acquainted with online yoga sessions to boost our mental balance and let go of work-from-home stress. We can also explore fluid painting workshops, online dance classes, knitting tutorials or even music therapy. Meditation and concentration exercises in the early morning also prove to be a really good routine and help us start the day on a really positive note. These hobbies can help us reroute our stress and keep us both calm and mentally healthy as we abide by the new normal.

As we turn ourselves into the new year with good vibes and hopes of a better year ahead, take some baby steps with these simple tips to get back into the health game and up your fitness regimen to enjoy a healthier new year.

Also see: A super simple Manipuri thukpa with walnuts

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5 Nutritionist-Backed Ways To Bounce Back After The Festive Season - Femina

Used by health care professionals and policy makers, the guidelines dictate much of what Americans of all ages will eat over the next five years and provide a foundation for federal nutrition programs.

"The science tells us that good nutrition leads to better health outcomes, and the new dietary guidelines use the best available evidence to give Americans the information they need to make healthy decisions for themselves and their families," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar, in a statement.

"USDA and HHS have expanded this edition of the dietary guidelines to provide new guidance for infants, toddlers, and pregnant and breastfeeding women, helping all Americans to improve their health, no matter their age or life stage."

Alcohol and sugar intake

Despite this expanded guidance including early life stages, the guidance doesn't follow quantitative recommendations in two key areas -- alcohol and sugar intake -- addressed by an advisory committee's scientific report.

The guidelines, which build on previous editions of the dietary recommendations, draw from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's scientific report, which was released in July. However, the suggestions in the science-based report can be vetoed when the actual final recommendations take shape and are published.

The committee report suggested reducing current guidance from two drinks for men and one drink a day for women to one drink a day for both women and men.

Adults can choose not to drink or drink in moderation by limiting consumption of two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women, according to the new guidelines. Pregnant women should not drink, the guidelines say.

"The decision made by the federal government to maintain current dietary guidelines around alcohol intake reflects the current science and should be applauded," according to a statement released by the American Beverage Institute.

"The USDA and HHS rightly rejected suggestions from the advisory committee to limit alcohol intake for men, which was not supported by the evidence," according to the industry trade group's statement. "New developments regarding human health should never be dismissed, but the debate should be driven by sound science, not an agenda."

The American Institute for Cancer Research was pleased to see "recommendations for a dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in sugar-sweetened foods and drinks," said Dr. Nigel Brockton, AICR's vice president of research, in a statement.

But "retaining this flawed advice implies that two drinks per day are safe for men; that advice is contrary to the convincing evidence that intake of even less than one drink per day elevates the risk for several cancer types, including head and neck, esophageal and breast cancers," he said.

Prevalence of added sugars

The committee had also recommended that no amount of added sugar is OK for a baby's development.

Parents and guardians should avoid added sugar in a child's diet, the committee recommended, because of the strong link to childhood obesity and future chronic health conditions.

Instead the recommended amount of added sugar remained at 10% of daily calories in the guidelines, although the guidelines did add a recommendation for children under 2 years of age to consume no added sugars whatsoever.

The new guidelines suggest that starting at the age of 2, a child should consume less than 10% of calories per day of added sugars while those younger than 2 years old should avoid foods or beverages with added sugars.

Added sugars are used in processed foods and beverages to sweeten, and differ from the natural sugars that are part of a piece of fruit or glass of milk. However, while 100% fruit juice may appear to offer the same nutritional benefit as whole fruit, in reality it does not, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Nearly 70 percent of added sugars intake comes from five food categories: sweetened beverages, desserts and sweet snacks, coffee and tea (with their additions), candy and sugars, and breakfast cereals and bars," according to the committee.

Recommendations for infants

The broadest guideline is to "follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage."

"For about the first 6 months of life, exclusively feed infants human milk. Continue to feed infants human milk through at least the first year of life, and longer if desired," the new guidelines stated, adding that if human milk is unavailable parents and guardians should feed infants "iron-fortified" formula during the first year of life.

Breast milk contains healthy micronutrients important to a baby's development that can, for the most part, be influenced by a woman's diet and supplement use.

This first guideline also suggests introducing "nutrient-dense" foods to infants at 6 months of life, along with "potentially allergenic foods."

"As focused on the Birth-24 months, generally we're pleased with the recommendations and the key messaging of making 'every bite count,'" said pediatrician Dr. Steven Abrams, who chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on nutrition, via email.

"Recommendations align well with AAP policy supporting exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months with introduction of peanut-containing foods at 4 to 6 months in infants at high risk of peanut allergy."

Possible areas of nutritional concern in baby's development revolve around iron, zinc and vitamin D. Because breast milk doesn't contain adequate amounts of vitamin D unless the mother is supplementing at high levels, the guidelines recommend providing infants with supplemental vitamin D beginning soon after birth.

Introducing peanuts, eggs, cow's milk products, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and shellfish and fish with other complementary foods could reduce a child's risk of developing a food allergy.

"FARE is thrilled to see the inclusion of more comprehensive dietary guidance around the early introduction of egg and peanut for infants and toddlers," said Lisa Gable, CEO of nonprofit organization Food Allergy Research & Education, in a statement.

And for those 12 months through older adulthood, follow a healthy dietary pattern across the life span to meet nutrient needs.

Broad recommendations

The guidance states that a "healthy dietary pattern" consists of nutrient-dense forms of foods and beverages across all food groups, in recommended amounts, and within calorie limits. These foods consist of protein, oils, dairy, vegetables, grains and fruits.

This pattern includes dark green, red and orange vegetables, beans, peas, lentils and other starches, whole fruits and whole grains, as well as vegetable oils, lean meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.

And lastly, the final guideline is to "limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages, at every life stage."

A child should consume less than 10% of calories per day of saturated fat at the age of 2. Sodium consumption should be less than 2,300 milligrams per day, and even less for kids under 14 years old.

"Strategies to lower sodium intake include cooking at home more often; using the Nutrition Facts label to choose products with less sodium, reduced sodium, or no-salt-added, etc.; and flavoring foods with herbs and spices instead of salt based on personal and cultural foodways," according to the new guidelines.

The limits on sodium, however, have not shifted from the 2015 report.

The American Institute for Cancer Research also suggested that the recommendations don't fully represent research about the health benefits of reducing the intake of processed meats and added sugars beyond the 10% of calories recommended by the new guidelines.

What's missing

Instead, the guidelines suggest replacing processed or high-fat meats, like hot dogs, sausages and bacon, with seafood or beans, peas and lentils to meet protein recommendations. They also suggest that the majority of meat and poultry a person consumes should be fresh, frozen or canned, and in lean forms, like chicken breast or ground turkey, rather than processed meats like ham or other deli meat.

Overall, the guidelines feel old-fashioned and very similar to those released in 2015, said nutrition researcher Marion Nestle, who has authored numerous books on food politics and marketing, including 2015's "Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning)."

"They've also hidden or diminished the importance of the main food sources of sugar, saturated fat and salt," said Nestle, who is the Paulette Goddard professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University.

And apparently the main food to avoid if you want to limit your salt and saturated fat intake? Sandwiches.

"'Ultraprocessed' is the new way of talking about foods that should not be consumed regularly or in large amounts tons of evidence has come in within the last five years," Nestle said.

But the word doesn't appear in the guidelines.

Those issues aren't addressed, critics say, because the independence of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee was removed by the federal government.

"For the first time in the 40-year history of the Dietary Guidelines, the agencies USDA and HHS set the scientific agenda, not the committee," Nestle said.

Nestle was on the advisory committee in 1995, a time when the committee decided on the agenda, did the research and wrote the guidelines. That changed in 2005, when it was decided that the committee would write the scientific report while agencies would author the guidelines.

This time, the agencies also set the scientific agenda, making it a "completely political process," Nestle said.

The agencies appointed the committee, but largely ignored their stricter recommendations, she said.

Going forward, Nestle believes that we don't need another repetitive and conservative set of guidelines like the ones released Tuesday. "We need to look at what the world looks like in 2021 and make changes based on that."

Correction: A prior version of this story misattributed a statement by the American Beverage Institute.

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New US dietary guidelines include recs for babies and toddlers for first time - CNN

The investigative journalist Gary Taubes is known for his painstakingly researched and withering demolitions of the eat less, move more diet orthodoxy, but his latest book is personal. The Case for Keto is aimed at those of us who fatten easily. Taubes locates himself in this beleaguered group, despite an addiction to exercise for the better part of a decade and a diet of low-fat, mostly plant healthy eating. I avoided avocados and peanut butter because they were high in fat and I thought of red meat, particularly steak and bacon, as an agent of premature death. I ate only the whites of egg. Yet still he remained overweight.

Taubes started to shed those pounds when he realised that one-size-fits-all diet advice fails, among other reasons, because people are metabolically different. Some of us can eat fattening carbohydrates and sugar and get away with it; others cant.

Those who claim to have a sluggish metabolism are too often seen as making lame excuses for their weakness and indulgence. This punitive view that fat people could easily be thin people if only they would eat less and exercise more diligently is wrong, says Taubes. It amounts to what the philosopher Francis Bacon called wishful science, based on fancies, opinions and the exclusion of contrary evidence.

More likely, people who are perpetually fighting to lose weight have a metabolic disorder of excess fat accumulation. They store fat when they ought to burn it for energy. They become insulin-resistant, meaning that their insulin levels stay higher for longer in a day than is ideal. These people are predisposed to hold on to fat, notably above the waist, rather than to mobilise it. The only solution for them, Taubes says, is keto. Lean folks arent like us. They dont get fat when they eat carbohydrates; they may not hunger for them just thinking about them. They have a choice to live with carbs or not. We dont.

Keto is not a short-term diet fix, but a way of eating for life. It keeps you in a metabolic state ketosis whereby your body stops using sugar for energy and starts to break down stored fats instead. The liver converts these fats to molecules known as ketones, which the body uses for energy. Taubes argues persuasively that people who are prone to the metabolic disorder of excess fat accumulation must embrace this approach even though it means the entire carbohydrate food group is off-limits. It is that simple. Just like smokers who quit cigarettes and drinkers who abstain from alcohol, fixing the condition requires a lifetime of restriction because they have to remove the cause of the excess body fat from their diet.

The idea that carbohydrate is fattening, dangerously so for some people, is not new. In 1825, the French gastronomy writer Brillat-Savarin, who spent 30 years struggling with his weight and called his paunch his redoubtable enemy, noted that in more than 500 conversations he had held with dinner companions who were threatened or afflicted by obesity, the foods they craved were breads, starches and puddings. He gave short shrift to those desperate to lose weight, but appalled by the idea of forsaking carbs for life: Then eat these foods and get fat and stay fat! Taubes is more diplomatic, but his underlying message is essentially the same.

The very notion that carbohydrate restriction is vital for some people is currently contentious. The UK governments healthy eating script still tells us all to base our meals on starchy food and in some conventional public health circles, a diet that eliminates carbohydrates is considered potentially dangerous, a contention that Taubes does a good job of dispelling by referring to up-to-date nutritional science.

Adherents to the conventional low-fat gospel will splutter into their skimmed milk when Taubes points out that those who cut out carbs need to eat more fat and, in particular, vintage fats, including cold-pressed olive and coconut oil, and all animal fats, and to eschew modern fats, such as industrially refined vegetable oil and margarine. Eating foods that humans have been eating for thousands, or hundreds of thousands of years, and in the form in which these foods were originally eaten, is likely to have fewer risks and so be more benign than eating foods that are relatively new to human diets or processed in a way that is relatively new.

Taubess advice is directly at odds with the stale paradigm entrenched in public health circles for the last 60 years. But he is one of a growing band of medics and nutritional experts whose results show that dietary thinking should move on. Those who feel doomed to be fat would be well advised to digest every word of Taubess cogently argued, agenda-shifting book. It could be a life-changer for some.

Joanna Blythman is an investigative journalist and author. Her most recent book is Swallow This: Serving Up the Food Industrys Darkest Secrets (Harper Collins)

The Case for Keto: The Truth About Low-Carb, High-Fat Eating by Gary Taubes is published by Granta Books (14.99). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply

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The Case for Keto review why a full-fat diet should be on the menu - The Guardian

The benefit of vitamin A is not only limited to skin and hair health. A new study revealed that it can help you shed kilos particularly when the weather gets colder.

The study published in the scientific journal, Molecular Metabolism revealed that vitamin A stimulates a fat-burning process known as browning. Browning is referred to as the conversion of white fat tissue into brown fat tissue. This brown fat makes 10 per cent of the total fat of the body and helps to burn calories and generate energy.

According to another study published in the journal Nature, this kind of fat can also help in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. The findings revealed that brown fat could help the body filter and remove branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) from the blood. These amino acids when present in excess amounts can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity.

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Add more of this vitamin in your diet to lose weight in winter - Times of India

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

Most of the estimated 300 million Americans who relied on food pantries in 2017 experienced food insecurity, meaning that they didn't have access to enough food. Even before the pandemic hit, up to half of the people who use food pantries live in food insecurity that is so severe that they sometimes skip meals or don't eat for whole days at a time.

Food insecurity is, by many accounts, an even bigger problem now.

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

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

1. A substantial amount of food

Food pantries are an important source of food.

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

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

2. A good source of nutrients

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

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

Even so, Americans who use food pantries don't get enough of these nutrients. Another concern is that provisions from food pantries tend to contain too much sodium, something most Americans need to curb.

3. More visits = better nutrition

Making more trips to food pantries often means better nutrition.

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

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

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

4. A wider variety of food, including whole fruits

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

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

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

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

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4 signs that food pantries improve the diets of low-income people - Salon

If you keep up with Jessica Alba on social media, then you know that the Killers Anonymous star is basically the queen of TikTok. And while all that dancing is a great workout, youre probably wondering what else she does to stay so fit at 39.

Amid her busy lifestyle as an actress, entrepreneur, and mom of three, Alba prioritizes a consistent fitness routine and nutrient-packed diet to keep her energy going. Working out takes away that little edge so that I feel happier and more productive, and my brain can get kick-started, she once told Shape.

That said, her schedule has some wiggle room. As Ive gotten older and after I became a mom, it became more of a priority to be healthy for the right reasons, Alba told People. Its more important to have a balanced approach instead of trying to be perfect.

To stay healthy and strong, she swears by Pilates, HIIT workouts, plant-based meals, and some downtime. Heres everything Alba has shared about her active lifestyle.

Albas mentality around exercise has shifted over the years. I always thought, I need to sweat out my weight in water, I need to have muscle failure, I need to feel like I just ran a marathonthats how hard I needed to work out, she recently told Womens Health.

When the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the closure of gyms across the U.S., Alba realized she didnt have to go so hard. Ive learned to mix it up and not feel like a failure if Im not, you know, killing myself, she said, adding that sometimes a workout is just a walk while listening to a podcast. She also aims to sweat it out two to four times a week.

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Alba is a longtime fan of hot yoga, but recently gave Reformer Pilates a try, which she credits to sculpting her abs. I feel every muscle in my core, she told Womens Health. I never even knew I had those things.

Outside of a pandemic, Alba also loves going to spin classes for a dose of cardio. I prefer it mixed in with light weights, so like a sculpting hot yoga class, she told Byrdie. Ill always work out with a friend because its more fun.

Alba incorporates high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into her fitness routine, too. I like moving around a lot. I dont like a lot of repetition, she told Byrdie. Two exercises she doesnt enjoy? Squats and plyometrics (like jump training). It makes me feel nauseous, she admitted. As for running, I feel like I have to work myself up to itI have to train to get to a point where I can run, she said. I have to get fit enough to run!

But she pushes herself when she feels the motivation to. I love my shape because it does what I want it to. If I want to go on a hike or a bike ride or go for a swim, I know my body will do everything I tell it to, she told Shape. I also appreciate that I can push myself through when Im feeling tired. Theres always a little extra something to get me past the tired moments.

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Every week, Alba cuts down on animal products and booze. Four days a week, I try to eat plant-based, and I dont drink alcohol, the actress told Womens Health. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all bets are off. That feels like moderation to me.

She also told Byrdie that her usual menu includes protein shakes with almond butter, banana, and coconut water. For breakfast, her go-to is avocado toast and poached eggs, and snacks always include fresh veggies and hummus or popcorn with Himalayan sea salt and coconut oil. I try to stick to a diet thats low in sugar and carbs and high in lean protein and vegetables, she told Shape.

For Alba, stocking her home with healthy foods is key to maintaining a balanced diet. Always try to have as many fresh and natural things in your diet as possible and the least amount of processed things and things that have unnatural sugars, she told Byrdie.

Along with not drinking alcohol, Alba stays hydrated with coconut water. I really love the health benefits that come with coconut water, she told Byrdie, as its a source of nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and calcium. I dont drink a ton of other types of drinks. I drink coffee, tea, and coconut waterthats it.

I think staying hydrated is really important, she added. Just making sure you do stay hydrated for glowing skin and high energy. Its important for overall health.

For Alba, meditation is key to coping with stress. When Im feeling anxious, I hold on to a crystal and do breathing exercises and try to focus on the energy of love, kindness, and calming, she told Womens Health, adding that this routine results in a healthy mind-body connection for her.

For Alba, its important to understand the full scope of what I need to be my best self for my kids, my friends, my family, my work, and most importantly, probably, for me, so I can feel moreI hate the word balanced, but maybemore connected, she said.

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Jessica Alba Swears by Pilates, HIIT, and Hot Yoga for Strong, Sculpted Abs at 39 - Prevention.com

Posted: Dec 31, 2020 / 12:00 PM CST / Updated: Dec 18, 2020 / 05:14 PM CST

Puja Mistry, an H-E-B Registered Dietitian, talked with Rosie about starting to incorporate more fruits into our diets, starting with apples. She loves Kanzi apples, which are crisp (not mealy) and have a bit of natural tang to their sweetness.

Puja loves apples because of their nutrition: apples can be a great source of fiber and theyre usually less than 100 calories a piece! She also likes their convenience: they travel well, so theyre a great on-the-go snack, and theyll also stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 weeks, so you can buy in bulk and eat slowly.

If you like them sweet, Puja recommends eating them plain, turning them into homemade applesauce, or dipping them into something delicious, like H-E-B chocolate hummus.

If you like them savory, Puja mentions that theyre a great salad topper, and of course, they go great with cheese! Pair them with cheese slices for a cold snack or add them into a grilled cheese for a grown-up twist on a childhood favorite.

H-E-B has locations throughout Austin and Central Texas. To find a store near you, and for more information, go toHEB.com.

Sponsored by H-E-B. Opinions expressed by the guest(s) on this program are solely those of the guest(s) and are not endorsed by this television station.

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Add Kanzi Apples In To Your Diet For A Healthy Snack With H-E-B - KXAN.com

While some forms of arthritis are genetic and cannot be prevented, people who suffer from other forms of the disease are able to control their symptoms through diet. Not only can certain foods contribute to the inflammation associated with many types of arthritic conditions, but other foods can help reduce inflammation in the body.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 23 percent of all American adults have some type of arthritis, and many of these are associated with high levels of inflammation. Although inflammation is normally one way the body protects itself from bacteria and aids in joint healing, that process may not always work the way it should, and inflamed joints may lead to damage in the body.

Research has shown that when certain foods are avoided, they can decrease the levels of inflammation in some arthritis sufferers and lead to relief from symptoms of the disease. These include fats such as Omega 6 fatty acids, saturated fats and trans fats. The Omega 6 fatty acids found in corn oil, sunflower oil and vegetable oil are not inherently harmful in moderation, but the typical American diet contains too many of them.

The saturated fats found in meats and cheeses should only make up less than 10 percent of a persons daily calorie intake, and trans fats, such as those found in many prepackaged foods, promote inflammation by reducing levels of good cholesterol in the body while increasing harmful cholesterol levels.

Some studies have also shown that the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, a form of inflammatory arthritis, increases with the consumption of processed sugars, such as those found in sweetened drinks and breakfast cereals. In addition to reducing the risk for inflammatory diseases, a diet low in fats and sugars can also reduce the risk of weight gain, which could lead to added stress on the joints and contribute to damage to the cartilage between the joints.

Researchers have also found that arthritis sufferers who reduce their intake of nightshades, vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, find that they have less arthritis pain. These foods contain solanine, a compound that may make arthritis symptoms worse, although that research is still ongoing.

One form of arthritis, gout, is triggered by a build up of uric acid in the blood as a result of the body breaking down purines. Purines are substance found in cells, and they are also found in foods like red meat, cured meats and beer. By avoiding these foods, gout sufferers can moderate their symptoms and reduce the pain caused by the disease.

Inflammatory arthritis sufferers are advised to stick to diets such as the Mediterranean diet to reduce the symptoms of inflammation on their bodies. Thats because these diets are high in anti-inflammatories and can lead to reduced levels of inflammation. These diets are high in unsaturated fats, found in foods like olive oil and seed oils, and Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in salmon and other oily fishes.

Many fruits and vegetables can also contribute to less inflammation and better joint health. Onions, leeks and garlic contain some compounds that reduce inflammation and other compounds that prevent damage to the cartilage between joints. Colored vegetable and leafy greens contain antioxidants which may lower the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

The calcium found in greens is also needed for healthy bones, and the vitamin C found citrus fruit and strawberries helps prevent damage to joint cartilage and bones.

Information provided by Visiting Angels, Americas choice in homecare. Visiting Angels non-medical homecare services allow people to continue enjoying the independence of their daily routines in familiar surroundings. To set up an appointment for a no-obligation in-home consultation, call 330-332-1203.

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It's been a big year for change. With the COVID-19 lockdown, many of us have seen our lifestyles totally transform. Some people have been developing unhealthy habits, while others have been taking advantage of the time indoors to learn new cooking techniques and develop new at-home workout routines. Whatever 2020 has looked like for you, odds are, your life has faced a major shakeup since the start of March (and if it hasn't, you might want to consider taking this vitamin to keep your immune system healthy).

To learn more about how we've all responded to the dramatic changes we've seen in 2020, the International Food Information Council, a consumer research non-profit organization, has released its Year-End Survey that features "Consumer Insights from a Year Like No Other." IFIC's researchers interviewed 1,000 adults ages 18 and up between Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 about how their diets have evolved over the course of this wild year.

According to data gathered by the team, here are some of the ways your diet may have changed during the coronavirus lockdown. Plus, to learn how the virus itself can affect your eating, read this first-person account of how COVID-19 completely changed one woman's appetite.

Contrary to what you might expect, about a third of survey respondents reported that they've eaten healthier this year than last year, while only about a fifth of respondents said that their eating habits have become less healthy. Interestingly, women were more than twice as likely as men to say that their diets have become less healthy.

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According to the data, it's twice as likely that you tried new recipes this year rather than your cooking habits remained the same. In addition to trying new recipes, you may also be purchasing new cooking equipment and preparing more simple, straightforward meals than in previous years.

About 50% more people said they are drinking more caffeinated beverages in 2020 as opposed to those who said they're consuming less. Looks like many of us need a little extra coffee to get into the work from home mindset. But keep in mind, there are some potential side effects of drinking coffee every day, according to dietitians.

Many people in th survey reported paying more attention to whether their foods were natural, plant-based, and/or sustainably-sourced. On the other hand, less than a third of respondents said that they weren't paying any more attention to these labels than they were last year.

Of the respondents making New Year's resolutions, only 15% said that they were going to make a food or beverage resolution, while 85% said they weren't. Notably, men were 50% more likely than women to say that they are planning to make a food or beverage resolution. If this is you, here are the healthiest foods to kickstart your weight-loss journey, according to RDs.

Respondents were 77% more likely to report that they've been cooking more often with family members than to say that they've been cooking less often with family members. With so many of our routines thrown out of whack over the course of 2020, it's nice to know that at least the past 12 months brought some positive food changes to many of our lives.

For more, check out the worst weight loss tips of 2020, and protect yourself from COVID-19 by following these safe grocery shopping tips.

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Side Effects COVID Has Had on Your Diet, According to Data | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

WASHINGTON The International Dairy Foods Association, representing all segments in the U.S. dairy industry, applauded the release today of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans affirming that dairy products will maintain their historically important role in federal nutrition recommendations, including recommending most Americans consume three servings of dairy each day.

The report was published today by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services after nearly two years of review, evaluation, and discussion by a committee of scientific and nutritional experts. For the first time, the 2020-2025 DGAs include recommendations for children younger than two years of age. These new recommendations make dairy foods an important part of a healthy diet for young children from 6 months to 24 months of age. From 12-23 months of age, the DGAs recommend higher fat versions of dairy compared to patterns for ages 2 and older, including whole milk.

The guidelines go on to make a key recommendation to American adolescents and adults to consume more fat-free and low-fat dairy as part of a healthy diet. Dairy provides 11 essential nutrients; however, as the guidelines note, dairy is an under consumed food category. Increasing consumption of dairy will contribute to meeting recommended intakes of protein, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and vitamins A and D, according the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The report points out that about 90 percent of the U.S. population does not meet dairy recommendations and concludes that, Individuals should be encouraged to make shifts to increase the intake of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, and dairy to move intakes of these under-consumed dietary components closer to recommendations.

The Dietary Guidelines confirm what the overwhelming body of science has been telling us for yearsthat dairy is one of the most nutritious foods available to people of all ages, said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. So, pick up a glass of milk. Tear off the lid to your favorite yogurt. Cut off a piece of cheese. The scientists and experts agree that Americans need to consume more dairy to meet federal nutrition recommendations. We also applaud the federal government and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for making dairy central in new recommendations for children 6 through 24 months of age. Lets build on this report to make dairy central in the diets of all Americans once again.

Here are five important takeaways in the 2020-2025 DGAs for dairy:

The federal nutrition guidance affirms the unrivaled nutritional contributions made by dairy foods and reminds Americans that a healthy diet includes three daily servings of dairy. Cows milk is a source of eleven essential nutrients and is also a major source of three of the four under-consumed nutrients of public health concern. In fact, no other type of food or beverage provides the unique combination of nutrients that dairy contributes to the American diet, including protein, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, and health benefits including better bone health and lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans will have a significant impact on the health and wellness of all Americans. Not only do the guidelines provide advice on the foods and beverages that help individuals develop a healthy diet, they also set the standards for federal nutrition programs like the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. Every five years, the Dietary Guidelines rely on the best science to advise Americans on building a wholesome, nutritious diet containing a range of foods and beverages. Once again, dairy foods are considered central in the diets of all Americans.

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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nations dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3 million jobs that generate $159 billion in wages and $620 billion in overall economic impact. IDFAs diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent 90 percent of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.

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Dairy Industry Welcomes New Dietary Guidelines That Embrace Dairy's Central Role in a Healthy Diet and Recommend More Dairy Consumption Across Key...