Basic Homemade Bread Recipe

Click to expand

UP NEXT

You wouldn't know it from all the recent sourdough bread-baking, but bread is considered the enemy in certain low-carb quarters. Its "unhealthy" reputation stems from the low-carb diet myth that all carbohydrates are inherently bad. Although it's true that heavily processed, refined carbohydrates and sugary foods lack nutrients, not all types of carbs or bread fall into this category, says Malina Malkani, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Westchester, New York. It's possible for bread to be part of a healthy diet.

In fact, depending on the loaf, bread can be packed with nutrients. Whole grain bread, for instance, is a good source of B vitamins, including folic acid, iron, magnesium, selenium, and dietary fiber, according to the American Heart Association.

Another common belief about bread is that it causes weight gain. Research in the Journal of Nutrition, however, found that weight gainand increases in abdominal fat over timeis lower in people who consume more whole grain foods such as whole grain bread.

One thing that Lisa DeFazio, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Los Angeles, looks for is whole wheat or whole oats as the first ingredient on the list. "Be careful," she says. "Wheat bread or multi-grain is not always a whole grain product." That's why it's important to look at the ingredients list instead of whatever the brand packaging says. (Here's the real difference between whole grain and whole wheat.)

Look for a short list of recognizable or pronounceable ingredients, Malkani recommends. Again, check that whole grains or sprouted flours are the first ingredients because the list is in descending order of predominance by weight.

Next, check out the nutrition label. The healthiest breads are higher in protein (about 3 to 6 grams per slice) and fiber (roughly 3 to 5 grams per slice) and lower in added sugar (less than 4 grams per slice), Malkani says.

When buying healthy bread, keep in mind:The color of the bread is almost meaningless.Sure, whole grain bread is darker than white bread. But manufacturers may add food coloring to give their processed bread a darker appearance and trick nutrition-savvy shoppers who want healthy wheat bread, according to DeFazio. Again, make sure to check the ingredients label.

DeFazio and Malkani have a few favorite healthy bread brands. Those include: Food for Life Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain Breads, Daves Killer Breads, Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Sourdough, Alvarado Street Bakery, Angelic Bakehouse, Vermont Bread Company, and Franz Bakery.

Whole wheat is the first type of healthy bread that typically comes to mind. The flour used to make 100 percent whole wheat bread is less processed and retains both the bran and germ of the wheat grain, according to Malkani. Whole grains, including whole wheat, have been linked to a range of health benefits, including decreased risk fortype 2 diabetes, heart disease, and weight gain, according to the review of studies in the Journal of Nutrition.

Sprouted bread is made from whole grains that have sprouted from exposure to heat and moisture, says DeFazio. This process increases the grains' antioxidants. Malkani adds that the sprouted grains in sprouted grain bread have a higher enzyme content, too. (Read about foods high in antioxidants.)

According to Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, these grainscontain more protein and more bioavailable, high-quality nutrients than other grains, andmay be easier to digest. Most sprouted breads are high in fiber and protein, per research in the journal Nutrients. So swapping out your white bread for sprouted whole grain is a simple way to get more fiber in your diet.

The benefits of sprouted whole grain bread may also extend to weight loss due to its lower carb count. According to a study in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, sprouted grain bread has fewer carbs, with 34 grams in a four-ounce serving, compared to 44 grams in 12-grain bread.

The sprouting process allows the grains to absorb more water, lowering the carb content. "Sprouting breaks down the starch in grains and reduces the carb content," DeFazio says. As a result, "sprouted grains do not spike blood sugar like white bread."

This bread is easier to digest than others, thanks to theprebiotics and probiotics created during the fermentation process, according to DeFazio.The fermentation process that's used to make whole wheat sourdough bread helps reduce the number of phytates that bind to certain minerals and impair their absorption in the body, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. As a result, Malkani says that whole wheat sourdough bread is digested more slowly in the body,helping stabilize post-meal blood sugar levels.

Flax bread uses whole grain flours and flaxseeds, according to DeFazio. "Flax bread contains omega-3 fatty acids that are good for heart health," she says. Bread made with flaxseeds is an especially great bread option for vegans who need more healthy fatty acids in their diet. (Read more about the health benefits of flaxseeds.)

These superseeds are also a good source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. One study in the Journal of Food Science and Technology found that eating flaxseed bread and other flax foods may benefit digestion-related health issues.

Rye looks like wheat bread, but is darker and denser. Research in Nutrition Journal found that rye may be healthier in terms of making you feel fuller while not affecting blood sugar.Much like sprouted whole grain bread, sprouted rye is a good source of fiber, especially in comparison to regular rye bread. "Sprouted rye bread is high in soluble fiber, which slows your digestion of carbs and decreases the insulin response," DeFazio says.

One of the newest types of healthy bread on the grocery store scene is oat bread, which includes both oats and whole wheat flour as the primary ingredients. If cauliflower can turn into a pizza, then your favorite breakfast food can absolutely turn into bread.

The best part is that there are already plenty of benefits of eating oatmeal.Oats are high in nutrients like magnesium, zinc, and iron. Plus, the high fiber content may help lower cholesterol levels and decrease high blood pressure, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Vascular Health and Risk Management.

Gluten-free bread doesn't have grains like wheat, rye, or barley, according to DeFazio. Instead, gluten-free bread is a mix of gluten-free flours such as brown rice, almond, coconut, tapioca, potato, or corn flours. Gluten-free bread is good for people who need to avoid gluten, like those with signs of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

When manufacturers remove gluten, they add other ingredients to compensate because they need the bread to be chewy and have texture, DeFazio explains. So gluten-free bread often has refined flours, added sugars, gums, and tapioca starch that can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal issues.

DeFazio urges those without celiac and or gluten allergies to opt for regular bread. Some people without these health issues mistakenly think if they avoid gluten, they will lose weight, she says. Keep in mind that avoiding gluten will not automatically result in weight loss, nor is it necessarily healthier than other types of bread.

Bread is not the enemy."Find a bread you enjoy that is also healthy," suggests DeFazio. If you hate the taste and texture of one type of bread, move on and find another.

The healthiest bread option for you really depends on a few factors. Bread made with 100 percent whole grains is less processed and offers more health-promoting nutrients per calorie than bread made with refined flours. That alone makes it the best healthy bread option for most people, according to Malkani. Sprouted grain bread and whole grain sourdough are good choices for those with digestive concerns, she adds.

Look for bread that features whole grains and is high in fiber, but low in sugar. If you use the tips from Malkani and Defazio and choose a loaf from one of the healthiest bread brands, you'll make a foolproof, tasty choice every time.

The post What Is the Healthiest Bread? appeared first on The Healthy.

The rest is here:
What Is the Healthiest Bread? - msnNOW

Intermittent fasting is one of the more popular forms of fasting and is currently a health and fitness trend. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Fasting is the new trend in town. Or is it just a fad?Since when didUAE residents startturning their faces away from food?

UAE is a second home to more than 200 nationalities who work and live here. All of these nationalities have brought to the UAE their own cuisine, making it the culinary capital of the world, in terms of sheer size, variety and per square metre availability. There is no denying the fact that the average UAE resident spares no second thought when it comes to eating out or testing out a new dish. However, more and more people you meet are talking about fasting as a new pursuit as much as eating. It is as though they have found a new balance in life. We enquired and this is what we found.

Fasting and health: Let's start with the basics

Shyam Krishna, Senior Associate Editor

Whats fasting?

Fasting is abstaining from eating food for a specific length of time. The human body is well equipped to handle extended periods without food. Humans must have been fasting since they were around. Most of the time, it was done out of necessity when food wasnt available. When there was adequate food, fasting has been used for therapy and as spiritual practices in several religions. Now, fasting has been used for maintaining fitness and weight loss.

Hows fasting linked to medicine?

Fasting is one of the oldest medical therapies. It is used in many ancient healing systems since fasting allows the body to rid itself of toxins that are responsible for several ailments. Greek physician Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said that fasting helped the body to heal itself.

How does fasting work?

When the intake of food is stopped for a certain period, many organs and systems of the body will not have to work on digestion. So the energy saved from the digestive process is used to repair the body, thereby healing it. The liver and immune system are freed to detoxify and heal the body. It also allows the body to burn the stored calories.

What are the benefits of fasting?

Many studies have shown that fasting can help reduce weight, improve metabolic health, protect against ailments, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, some forms of cancer, and Alzheimers. Besides, theres the promise of a longer, healthier life. During fasting, theres also a significant reduction in blood sugar and insulin levels, besides a sharp spike in human growth hormone.

Although fasting is recommended, medical advice has to be sought before starting any form of fasts. The various kinds of fasting may not work for everyone, and some people may require a tailor-made plan. So its best to consult a healthcare professional before starting a fast.

Intermittent fasting

It is one of the more popular forms of fasting and is currently a health and fitness trend. Simply put, its alternating cycles of fasting and eating. But the duration of fasting differs in each version. So these are time-restricted eating plans.

Intermittent fasting has been used as a weight-loss tool, but it doesnt work for everyone and is not recommended for people with eating disorders. Is very important to consume nutritious food during the eating periods, and avoid excessive calorie intake.

There are several approaches to intermittent fasting, but we have focused on nine of them.

1. Fast for 12 hours a day

Its fasting for 12 hours and the remaining 12 hours is a window for eating before resuming the fast. According to researchers, this diet could persuade the body to turn its fat stores into energy and release ketones into the bloodstream. And that should encourage weight loss.

Known as the Leangains protocol, it involves fasting for 16 hours, and the daily eating window is restricted to 8-10 hours. Its easier to follow if you dont eat anything after dinner and skip breakfast the next day. The method, structured by fitness expert Martin Berkhan, permits drinking water, black coffee, black tea (a splash of milk is allowed) and other zero-calorie beverages during the fast.

The weight loss in this diet is also triggered by ketosis. During the 16-hour fast, glycogen in the liver is depleted, and the body slips into ketosis. Leangains includes exercise into the fasting period to increase the rate of burning fat.

Called the Fast Diet after the book authored by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer, it allows regular food intake for five days of the week, but for the remaining two days the calorie intake is reduced to 500600. The 5:2 diet prescribes lean protein, vegetables, and fruit on fasting days as two small meals and snacks. On the other five days, you can eat almost anything.

Its simple: You fast every other day. Fasting for a full day may seem extreme and could be unsustainable. Some variations allow for an intake of 500 calories during the fasting days. Several studies have shown the benefits of this method, popularised by Krista Varady, a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

An Austrian study last year found that after four weeks of alternate-day fasting, people had more lean muscle and less body fat, lower cholesterol levels and improved heart health. All these things can happen with exercise and nutrition programmes, according to a Reuters report.

This Eat-Stop-Eat method involves a 24-hour fast once or twice per week. Water, black coffee, black tea and other zero-calorie beverages are allowed during the fasting, made popular by fitness expert Brad Pilon. The only problem is that some people may find it difficult to fast for a full 24 hours.

This is not a structured fasting plan. It merely involves skipping a meal or two from time to time. So it is a spontaneous intermittent fast.

Health experts say skipping meals is not good since it can lead to tiredness and loss of essential nutrients. It could also trigger snacking on high-sugar foods, resulting in weight gain.

The diet, popularised by fitness expert Ori Hofmekler, involves eating small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables during the day and a big meal at night. Which mean you fast during the day and eat during a four-hour window at night. Some recommend the food to be mostly whole grains and unprocessed, while others advise the consumption of plenty of vegetables, proteins, and healthful fats, besides some carbohydrates. Hofmekler believes the plan mimics the pattern of ancient warriors, hence the name.

Known by the abbreviation OMAD, this is a weight-loss plan in which a person eats only one meal per day and fasts the rest of the time. Its also called 23:1 diet since people fast for 23 hours and eat for one hour. This diet may help some people lose weight, but it may also carry some risks, according to Medical News Today. Low sugar levels could result in fatigue, increased irritability and trouble in concentrating. The risk of binge eating at a single meal time is also high.

The diet also presents a significant problem for people who take prescription medications with food more than once per day.

In a 48-hour fast, you take a full, two-day break from eating. During the two-day fast, you can drink water, black coffee, black tea and zero-calorie fluids. Its essential to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. At the end of the fast, food should only be consumed gradually, starting with a small snack. On non-fasting days, it is advised to avoid very high-calorie foods. The 48-hour fast is generally done only once or twice a month.

First person: From health condition to reinvented self

I was 29 years old when I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, an autoimmune disease which causes your thyroid to have a low function. Because of that I started to gain weight and suffered from other medical conditions. My doctor suggested that I should try doing intermittent fasting (IF).

Being a Muslim, I am used to fasting but making such a change to your body isnt easy. The first few days of IF were really hard I had terrible headache at the end of my fasting window. But eventually it got easier. I started my journey from 16:8 which is 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating.

Then I eventually moved onto 20:4 and now two years of being on this journey I do OMAD (One meal a day). I sometimes do more than 24hrs of fasting which is very beneficial as your body goes into autophagy mode. During this process the cells break down viruses, bacteria and damaged components.

After two years of fasting, I can say that IF has really helped me in various ways: my thyroid function is normal, I have more energy now and I feel healthy and I have lost 15kg in total. For me, fasting was not at all about losing weight but also to get my health and fitness under control.

Recently my brother was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and the doctor suggested that he try IF. Eventually his diabetes reversed and today he is diabetes free.

For everyone reading my story, I would say that please consult your doctor first before starting your IF journey, just as I did before trying it.

I love fasting, to me it isnt some fad diet but a lifestyle that has changed my body for the better.

First person: My journey with fasting

Sara Shurafa, Assistant Online Editor

In January this year, I had decided that 2020 will be the year to regain my healthy self. In the past years, with two pregnancies, and an unhealthy level of stress and juggling lifestyles, I had lost track of my healthy way of life. Therefore, I decided to start looking at options to get my health back on track. At that point, I did not have any serious health problems. However,my BMI was high, with a bad IBS that led me to be on painkillers most of the time, besides my lack of energy and my low morale.

For me, ahealthy personis someone who is full of energy.I was lacking in that no matter how much sleep I got orhow much I ate trying to get my energy levels back.

I'd hearda lot about intermittent fasting and how many people on it were losing weight. It intrigued me to take a serious look into it. Whenever Iasked anyone who is doing IF, the answers were positive: that it helped them lose weight. However, I was more concerned aboutthe long-term health benefits. Finally, I reached two fundamental conclusions that made mestart Intermittent Fasting

I have read in many papers that when your body is not working to digest food, it works on repairing cells. Which could also mean that, during this period,your body takes care of some of the cells thatcould later become cancerous. Fasting also meant that you will be eating less sugar and fewer calories. As a result, you will be losing weight, which also meant that your risk of obesity and diabetes became lower.

Ive been fasting now 12 to 16 hours a day, for more than 6 months now. Fasting didnt just make me lose weight, but today I have so much more energy to work, to look after my kids and to even exercise and socialise. I am more focused now. I do not feel sluggish any more, neither do I feel angry or depressed. My digestive system is much better, and my hunger prangs and sugar rush are gone.

Fasting has made me a better person at all levels; it hasmade me calmer and more patient.

Fasting should be followed under professional guidance:Juliott Vinolia

Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary, Senior Reporter

Juliott Vinolia, Clinical Dietician and Research Scholar, RD/ LD, Head of Dietary Services at Medeor Hospital

In the early 90s, the diet mantra to boost metabolism and burn fat was to consume small frequent meals of up to 5 small meals per day for sustained energy levels. Over the years, with our busy lifestyles, we have highly compromised on our diet and lifestyle, which has gotten worse during these pandemic times. We were unknowingly eating a diet excess in calories compared to our energy expenditure and also inadequate in vital nutrients putting us all at risk of chronic diseases, inflammation and poor immunity.

Most of our foods today come with hidden calories more than what we need- making our bodies vital disease preventing and energy sustaining functions sluggish. With the era of weight loss trends, fasting has taken more light in the area of research with the focus light on boosting our metabolism while managing work fatigue and preventing obesity.

Though research has clearly set out the benefits of autophagy and fasting in the evolution of the Super Human, we should understand that fasting directly impacts us at cellular level and should be followed under professional guidance to prevent any irreversible damage to health. Before following any type of fasting whether intermittent, time- restricted or alternate day fasting we have to first make sure we are medically fit to proceed in order to gain full benefits of autophagy in reviving good health.

It is clearly evident from studies that with the current lifestyle, eating practices and covid times, fasting when done the ideal way definitely helps in disease suppression, enhanced immunity and correct our genetic disposition to chronic diseases, prevent obesity and promise longevity. Our inactive life, poorly managed stress, inadequate sleep and high processed food intake has pushed humanity to a state of from eat to live to fasting to survive.

What Ayurveda says about fasting

Biju Mathew, Online Editor

Dr. V.L.Shyam, UAE-licenced Ayurveda practitioner

Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, advocates fasting as a means of healthy living and to cure many ailments.

Ayurveda suggests fasting for the treatment of several diseases. Fasting or upavasa is one of the most effective biological methods of treatment for several diseases. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick is to feed your sickness, said Dr. V. L. Shyam, a UAE-based licenced alternative medicine practitioner, who runs Dr Shyams Ayurvedic Centre in the country.

Ayurveda recommends eating between 10am and 6pm with sufficient intervals, which leaves 16 hours of fasting time. According to Ayurveda, one may take breakfast around 10am, lunch by mid-day and dinner before the sunset, said Dr Shyam.

But fasting should have its regulations too, Dr Shyam cautioned. As per Ayurveda, hunger is a natural urge, which shouldnt be suppressed, nor pre-initiated nor overfed. Eat light while hungry is what is proposed by Ayurveda for a healthy individual. Suppression of hunger can result in body pains and aches, anorexia, debility, emaciation, weight loss, abdominal colic pain and delusion.

Is there a particular diet recommended by Ayurveda?

Dr Shyam, highlighting the benefits of eating right, said: No food is good or bad. Everything needs to be eaten in moderation.

According to Ayurveda, certain food types should not be consumed habitually:

Ayurveda also recommends certain food types that should be included on a daily basis:

Ayurveda recommended discipline of eating food

Fasting studies

Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor

In both men and mice, numerous studies have found that curbing food intake helps. Fasting has been used and observed for thousands of years. It was seen as one of the oldest therapies in medicine. Great doctors of the ancient world and many of the oldest healing systems have recommended it as an integral method of healing and disease prevention.

There's an ancient wisdom behind it: Among the earliest records of fasting involved the ancient Romans, who apparently found the idea of "breakfast" repulsive. They were obsessed with digestion, historian Caroline Yeldham stated. The Romans seemed to believe eating more than one meal a day was gluttonous even unhealthy. Some researchers argue that's one of the early starts of what's now known as "intermittent fasting".

Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, believed fasting enabled the body to heal itself. About 500 years ago, Paracelsus, another great healer in the Western tradition, wrote that fasting is the greatest remedy", the "physician within". In ancient Greece, Pythagoras was among many who extolled its virtues.

Dr Herbert Shelton (1895-1985) was a revered pioneer of "therapeutic fasting" in which fasting is used to either treat or prevent ill health, with medical supervision. It became popular in the 19th century as part of the Natural Hygiene Movement in the US. Dr Shelton He claimed to have helped 40,000 patients recover their health with a water fast.

Many scientific studies had been done on fasting, starting from the early 1900s. A 1986 study published inMetabolism (Elsevier) led by G.L. Burke on 3,313 children ages 5-17 years showed that fasting insulin levels are positively related to measures of obesity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, -lipoprotein cholesterol and pre--lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

Fact file: what is lipoprotein

A lipoprotein is a biochemical assembly whose primary function is to transport hydrophobic lipid (also known as fat) molecules in water, as in blood plasma or other extracellular fluids.

2009 Carmela study

If you're 55 or older, fasting may bring benefits, according to a 2009 study led by Dr Jorge Escobedo and his team. The so-called CARMELA (Cardiovascular Risk Factor Multiple Evaluation in Latin America) study was done to estimate the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, "impaired fasting glucose" and related risk factors in seven urban Latin American populations. The study was one of the largest of its kind, and included 11,550 adults 2564 years of age, with 1,600 subjects were randomly selected in each city.

Fact file: What is "impaired fasting glucose"

Impaired fasting glucose is a type of "pre-diabetes", in which a person's blood sugar levels during fasting are consistently above the normal range, but below the diagnostic cut-off for a formal diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Together with impaired glucose tolerance, it is a sign of insulin resistance.

The CARMELA study found thatthe prevalence of individuals with diabetes or impaired fasting glucose increased with age. For example, they found that in the oldest age category (5564 years), prevalence of diabetes ranged from 9 to 22%, while prevalence of impaired fasting glucose ranged from 3 to 6%.

Among diabetics, 83.7% had impaired fasting glucose i.e. only 16.3% of people with prior diagnosis of diabetes and who were receiving diabetes medication, were in "good" glycemic control (fasting glucose <6.1mmol/l). Most important: the study found that the prevalence of diabetes in individuals with abdominal obesity was about two-fold higher. Participants with hypertension, elevated serum triglycerides and increased common carotid artery intimamedia thickness were also more likely to have diabetes.

Fact file: Diabetes killed more than COVID-19

Diabetes (1.6 million deaths in 2016), of course, is today, a bigger killer than COVID-19 (1.4 million deaths till November 24, 2020). Now, several COVID vaccines have proven at least 95% effective. Diabetes, too, a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. The WHO reported that 2.2 million deaths were attributable to high blood glucose in 2012. Sadly, there's no vaccine for diabetes. But study after study show that good exercise and healthy fasting can somehow do the trick.

2019 Feel-good trial

A 2019 study led by Rachel Washburn of Texas Tech University on intermittent fasting (IF) effects (24-hour water-only fasting), known as the "Feel-good trial", focussed on trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) levels measured due to their association with elevated risk of coronary artery disease.

During the fasting period of the study, researchers found that TMAO levels were substantially decreased during the fasting day compared to the fed day. "TMAO is a novel and exciting biomarker of cardiovascular disease in humans that arises from intestinal microbiota," the researchers wrote. "Due to its connection to dietary intake, TMAO is also a good candidate to be affected by intermittent fasting, and its change highlights the possibility that fasting may also beneficially alter the microbiome at least during caloric desistance, if not for a more extended period of time after the end of a fasting episode." The key: "caloric desistance", i.e. no food.

2019 Buchinger Fasting trial

In 2019, thePloS journal published a clinical on fasting, with 1,422 participants. It was one of the few studies that documented longer periods of fasting (one year) in a large number of participants, including non-obese people. The Franco-German research team led by Franoise Wilhelmi de Toledo documented the safety and changes in the participants' basic health and well-being indicators.

To measure blood lipids, glucoregulation and other health-related blood parameters, blood tests before and at the end of the fasting period were done. It also used pre-post analysis using mixed-effects linear models. The observational study ran for one year following the Buchinger periodic fasting (4 to 21 days of fasting periods, during which participants were limited to 200250 kcal of daily caloric intake). The study subjects included 404 people with pre-existing health complaints, including diabetes and obesity.

Startling results

De Toledo's study asked the participants to do a moderate-intensity lifestyle program, including regular exercises, with clinical parameters and adverse effects and well-being documented daily. The results were startling: Among the 404 subjects with pre-existing health-complaints, 341 (84.4%) reported an improvement significant reductions in weight, abdominal circumference and blood pressure in the entire group. At the same time, 93.2% of the subject reported an absence of hunger feeling. Statistically, this type of fasting proved safe: Among the 1,422 study participants, only 1% reported adverse effects.

Fasting, when done right, has clear health benefits. But there's the biggest hurdle of all: It's rather difficult to do and stick to. Moreso if one doesn't have the right motivation and strong resolve. But it's one of life's inevitable conundrums: no pain, no gain.

Read more:
UAE: Is fasting the best route to fitness? - Gulf News

When Chris Mabes mother, Gramma Blue, moved to Brazos County, her family got a bigger home for all the friends and grandkids they expected her to draw from across the country. The house had a music room, a large kitchen, extra beds and a 12-seat, hand-carved dining table.

But this Thanksgiving, the house will be nearly empty. Mabes 81-year-old mother, Jewel Bergan-Brumbaugh, died this March, one of the states earliest victims of the coronavirus pandemic.

It's all gone, Mabe said. Nobody comes. We don't see anyone. Mom is gone.

Adding to the isolation, no students and faculty from Texas A&M University, where Mabes husband Jim works, will be invited to share a meal this year. And all of the couples family, including their two adult children, live out of state. The only attendees for Thanksgiving dinner will be Jim, Chris and her mothers yowling, 16-year-old cat, Scooter.

I dread the things that will come up for me and the amount of effort it's going to take to rise above the grief and the fear and the anger about this happening to our country and the world, Chris Mabe said. It's not fair. It's not just. It's terrifying. And yet I know we're going to figure out how to be OK.

This years pandemic has brought untold suffering to families across Texas. The state has reported over 20,500 deaths from the pandemic alone. More than 8,000 were hospitalized in the days leading up to the holiday. Since March, more than 3.8 million Texans have applied for unemployment relief, with 70,000 applying through the first two weeks of November.

And now the holidays are arriving, a season that will be especially difficult for many of those who have lost loved ones, jobs and a sense of normalcy. Making things worse: At a time when they might take solace in the company of friends or family, public health authorities are urging them to stay apart.

Justin residents Ashley and Terry-Lee Washko were saving to buy a house before the pandemic hit. Then when Terry-Lee, 35, was laid off from his job at an oil field company in June, Ashley, 32, had to drive four hours to pick him up from the side of the road. After months of searching for a job and receiving unemployment checks that didnt amount to enough to pay the bills, Terry-Lee got a job at a nearby warehouse last week. Still, they lost the company car that came with his job and their dreams of buying a house anytime soon.

Ashley said the job shed always worked to stay busy became the only source of income to help feed their two teenage kids and Terry-Lees father. As their savings has started to run out, they wont be able to afford food they typically have for Thanksgiving.

"It's been so long since I've had to worry about groceries and now, I'm like, 'Hey, why dont you go to Dollar Tree, I think they have that there,'" she said. "It's just a struggle when the kids are about to be out for Thanksgiving break and they're gonna be home all week and I'm like oh my gosh we don't have enough food for them."

Normally, Ashleys family gathers and brings out a large tablecloth for people to write what theyre thankful for this year. She wrote last year that she felt blessed to have the life she did. Now, her family will stay home. She said if she had to write something on the tablecloth, it would be that the year is almost over.

Social service organizations and food banks across the state are working double to serve an influx of Texans needing assistance. The holiday season is always the busiest time of year for food banks, as they work to ensure every Texan gets to sit down to the Thanksgiving dinner table with enough to eat, said Celia Cole, CEO of the food bank network Feeding Texas, which serves 4.5 million Texans annually.

But this year, the need is much higher than in previous years, Cole said. She estimates food banks statewide are serving twice as many families as they were before the pandemic.

In El Paso, a major hot spot for cases, the organization is currently receiving many more requests for home delivery from people who cannot safely go out to get food, Cole said. The Rio Grande Valley and Houston have also seen a significant increase in need over the last month, she said.

There are, unfortunately, no instances of decreased need, Cole said. Its a lot more people needing help, a lot more food going out the door, and its a lot harder to get food to people in need.

Early in the pandemic, food banks struggled to keep their shelves stocked as volunteers were told to stay home and grocery stores had less surplus to donate.

More Texans than usual showed up Saturday to receive a Thanksgiving turkey from CitySquare, a Dallas nonprofit that provides affordable housing and operates a local food pantry, said John Siburt, the organizations president and chief operating officer. The annual event was turned into a drive-thru this year, with volunteers handing turkeys to people in cars.

Were definitely seeing increased need at our food pantry, with a new segment of people needing food pantries for the first time and a steady stream of people needing to access food to get through the month, Siburt said.

More Texans are also turning to social service organizations for help maintaining their housing.

The most alarming needs were seeing right now are around rental assistance and utility bill assistance, Siburt said. Were being overrun with people who need help paying their rent and paying their utility bills and trying to avoid eviction.

That strain is being felt even by people not directly affected by the pandemic. In Mt. Vernon, Tony Hall, 57, lost his job last year. Hall and his wife, Teresa Barinecutt, 59, have tried reaching out to organizations for housing, but havent been able to find any help.

Hall was working as a log roller last year when one of the 150-pound logs rolled into his chest. He told himself he could shake it off, but had to go to the hospital a month later and discovered that he had loose blood in his lungs that caused blood clots and pneumonia. Without health insurance and unable to work, he and Barinecutt were evicted from their home and are now living in their car.

What I need more than anything is a place to get out of my car and lay down and get some rest, Tony said.

Experts say that reports of depression and anxiety increase around the holidays during a typical year. They fear increased loss and lack of normal support systems will make this year even worse.

There's a lot of societal pressure on us to be happy and joyful during this time of year, said Julie Kaplow, executive director of the Trauma and Grief Center at the Hackett Center for Mental Health. We know that there are a lot of reasons why that may not be feasible or possible for many families, this year.

Joy Alonzo, clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center, said the constant stress of worrying about you or loved ones catching COVID-19 isnt making things any easier. Almost 80% of adults said the pandemic was a significant source of stress for them, according to the American Psychological Associations Stress in America 2020 report.

And people like Chris Mabe, who have already lost someone, are navigating their grief in a time where typical support systems like gathering together arent possible.

They're also grieving for a loss of tradition, loss of what they would normally do during this time period, Alonzo said. They're actually grieving for normalcy.

Mabe said shes feeling dread about the coming holiday, but I dont want to feel that.

She said sticking to the routine and finding ways to stay connected during the holidays are going to be the familys safety light. She said shes still planning to cook a big turkey, make video calls, exchange photos on Facebook and stick to her ritual of watching football and yelling at the TV.

I mean, it's not what I want to project, and it's not what I'm going to talk about on the Zoom call, but I'm really aware that that's what I'm feeling because it's a reckoning," she said. "It's a milestone, anniversary dates and little milestones, they bear so much weight, and it's going to be hard.

Mabes family could never gather for a funeral after the death of her mother because of the pandemic. She said it makes her angry that while her family canceled its celebration, her neighbors are still having parties.

Normally, family members would gather in the same room and process their loss together. They would talk about how angry or sad they were, laugh, cry, play music and crack jokes with a bottle of wine or sparkling cider in tow.

We never got to do that together. and that is a huge loss and were not alone in that, Mabe said.

She said she feels lucky to have the financial resources to support her family and access mental health support. Still, despite having experienced tragic losses in the past, she said grieving doesnt get any easier.

Our family has lived very hard lives for lots and lots of reasons. We've always found a way to get through it, Mabe said. And we'll get through this, too. But it is going to be exhausting.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

Facebook, Feeding Texas and Texas A&M University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The rest is here:
Thanksgiving carries extra weight for Texas families amid coronavirus - The Texas Tribune

Not in vain since we are children, our moms they did not tire of insisting on the importance of eat vegetables daily. Although it is one of the most fundamental recommendations in all balanced nutrition, according to information released by the World Health Organization (WHO), the daily intake should range between 400-500 grams of vegetables a day. Unfortunately few people manage to meet the established targets, which translates into low consumption of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

However, the question is not limited only to the nutritional aspect, choosing better what we eat by consciously increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables is key in Good health and one better life quality. They contain extremely valuable nutrients for the fulfillment of different processes and are considered one of the more faithful allies to lose weight.

In a particular way vegetables are too important for the body: They are key to feel well, have an optimal weight and prevent diseases. Its habitual consumption is related to great benefits for heart health, brain function, are essential for a good digestive and intestinal health, very moisturizing, contain numerous antioxidants that are very useful against free radicals, are a great ally against aging and fill us with quality energy, in such a way that they improve physical and mental performance. Its essential nutrients are very valuable for the fulfillment of different processes in the body and are considered one of the more faithful allies to lose weight, effectively and safely.

Regardless of the variant, the vegetables stand out for their unmatched dietary fiber content, which is related to great benefits related to the weightloss. In principle, the fiber gives them a great satiating power, at the same time the combination between your high water and fiber content makes them provide a feeling of satisfaction higher (especially compared to simple carbohydrates). In such a way that they are the perfect nutritional supplement for control appetite, the anxiety to eat and consume a lower daily caloric intake.

Integrate a abundant consumption of vegetables in the daily dietIt is not only necessary nutritionally speaking; is an aspect essential to lose weight. They represent one of the best food alternatives for lose weight without starving and without becoming a prisoner of count calories at all times. They are related to important aspects of losing weight:

They control the appetite and are the best snack between meals. They are rich in fiber and therefore satiating.They fight bloating and fluid retention, help to eliminate everything we do not need. They are a great ally of good digestion and very useful to prevent constipation.They are very low in calories and rich in essential nutrients. They fill any weight loss plan with colors and versatility.

Another of the great qualities of the high content in fiber of vegetables, is related to their big benefits for balance sugar levels (glucose) in the blood. Normally, depending on the variant, they are considered low glycemic index foods, in such a way that they are of great help to Avoid blood glucose spikes. These types of alterations are related to declines in energy Y sweet food cravings, vegetables are ideal to avoid these conditions that are related to weight gain.

Probably one of the greater benefits of the consumption of vegetables, is related to their benefits for enhance intestinal health. The high content of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and fiber they contain, makes them the best ally for regulate bowel function. In combination with a high water consumption, vegetables positively feed the intestinal flora, eliminate common digestive ailments and are of great help to ensure a good process of purification of the organism. Good gut health is key to a rapid and effective weight loss, and also to enjoy a strong immune system.

Several studies show that a diet rich in a variety of vegetables, can help decrease hardening of the arteries, help lower cholesterol levels, and help prevent inflammation, a component of many degenerative diseases as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimers. The researchers also believe that their antioxidant power (vitamins C and E), your wealth in minerals and trace elements, are the perfect formula to protect the body from chronic diseases.

The best of all is that today it is becoming easier to integrate vegetables in our diet, more taking into account the huge benefits to follow a plant-based diet. Vegetables are life, they fill us with vitality and energy, are colorful, generous and depending on the season of the year they provide exact nutrients for the organism. Always choose to select the fresh and seasonal variantsare a nutritional treasure and a great way to save and of course gain a lot of health.

Go here to read the rest:
US : 5 reasons why eating vegetables every day helps you lose weight and live longer - Explica

WICHITA Coronavirus cases are at record levels. Just in time to pretty much ruin Thanksgiving.

In Kansas, those cases have hospitals worried about having enough space or staff. Thats prompted local, state and federal officials to urge people to just stay home.

We spoke with three Kansans about their decisions to cancel trips to see family and the loss that represents.

We edited the interviews for clarity and length.

Sara Simpson

Sara Simpson is a veterinarian who lives in Basehor, Kansas. Shes originally from New Jersey, but has lived in Kansas since about 2013.

Kansas News Service: Do you go back and see family for Thanksgiving every year?

SS: It was always like a big thing.

You know, we would plan to see all of our friends and different family members.

So, every day we were doing something family-oriented or friend-oriented. We would always make sure we had a date night in New York City where we could go have a nice dinner with friends.

KNS: What does this year look like?

SS: This year was supposed to be my family in New Jersey. And, of course, we were looking forward to it. But with everything thats going on with COVID, weve been having this conversation for a couple months now, you know, is it safe to go, both for us and for everyone else?

KNS: What were the discussions with your family like?

SS: It was a lot of back and forth, both inside my head and those actual conversations.

And there were some tears and, you know, from me and from my parents and I think the biggest consideration was, can we do this safely?

Were just not able to quarantine for two weeks before we go anywhere. And even if we do now, we either have to fly, so, we're going to the airport, coming in contact with all those people, or we would be driving and having to stay at a hotel and stop for gas.

To me, the risk of, obviously, I worry about myself, but the risk of exposing my family and potentially, you know, you don't know how sick someone's going to get. So that was the biggest consideration for us was can we keep everybody safe and do this in a safe and responsible way?

KNS: How did it make you feel to have to make this kind of sacrifice?

SS: Im really sad. There are intermittent tears when I start thinking about it. You see those cheesy Hallmark Thanksgiving movies and all that on TV and I have to quickly turn it off because you start thinking about all the things youre going to miss, but I think it's a small sacrifice.

My parents haven't seen my son since last Thanksgiving, other than like Skyping and things like that.

So it's sad to think that they're missing out on this time. But I would rather have to miss this and make that sacrifice, that small sacrifice now, compared to what some other people (have) sacrificed during all of this, and then get to see everybody healthy and happy.

KNS: Do you have any negative feelings for people who choose to go ahead with large family Thanksgiving celebrations?

SS: It feels a little selfish. I dont want to judge people for making the decisions that they make. But, unfortunately with something like COVID, those decisions dont only affect them and the people theyre seeing in their homes.

If they pick up COVID and they dont know it and then theyre out and about or traveling and stopping at various places and what have you, it then becomes an issue for everyone they come in contact with.

All I want to do is give my family a hug. You know, and we cant do that right now. But I keep telling myself that if we keep doing what were supposed to be doing, follow public health guidelines, it wont be too long before we can hug them again.

Christopher Redmond

Christopher Chip Redmond lives in St. George, Kansas.

KNS: What do you typically do for Thanksgiving?

Christopher Redmond: We either travel to one side of the family or the other. We are never at home, we are never in Kansas for the holidays.

KNS: Whats the plan for this year?

CR: You know, it was a difficult choice and we've been kind of going back and forth with it. The plan was we were going to make the 12-hour trek this year, but it's not worth it.

Neither [of] our families have had recent exposures or anyone's sick, which is good. And we'd like to keep it that way.

KNS: So, what kind of deliberations went into your decision? It is tempting to think, well, it will only just be a few of us, it wont be that big of a deal.

CR: It was stressful. More than I ever thought it would be. It put a lot of weight on us.

(My parents) were open if we wanted to come and I think that made it more difficult for us, because it put more weight on our shoulders to make that decision.

But as cases have risen in the last few weeks, I think its started to become easier for everyone. Its obvious that this is spinning out of control.

KNS: Were there any hard feelings from your parents?

CR:They are more at ease, like, OK, let's find a way to make this fun. It's more of, we can have a good time and we can make this not necessarily a new tradition, but we could find, we could still carry on a lot of the old traditions.

KNS: Are there any positives that are coming out of this?

CR: Its easy to focus on negatives, but there are some big positives. Were helping out the local economy. We drove away every year. Manhattan and the area is a college town, a military town, and so now all those people that would typically be leaving town are now buying stuff and staying in town.

You also dont have to worry about traveling for 12 hours and all the other people on the road. And I think in the long run well end up having better discussions with family because youre not sick and tired of being with them for 24 hours, 48 hours. You get trapped with them.

KNS: Do you have any thoughts about people who are deciding to gather anyway?

CR: I understand it. Were all human. But, for the love of Pete, just be smart about it.

Maybe dont go anywhere for a couple of weeks after that. Take a safety protocol after that and lock yourself down. If its really that important to you, then dont do anything the next two weeks.

Sarah Bunn

Sarah Bunn is a Kansas transplant from northern Illinois. Shes lived in Kansas for about 11 years.

Kansas News Service: So if youre a transplant, does that mean you have family still in other states?

Sarah Bunn: My entire family, basically, is in northern Illinois and some of them are in southern Wisconsin.

KNS: Are you traveling to see them this year? And how did you decide?

SB: My mother works in health care. My aunt works in health care. There was just a general consensus among us that traveling is probably not the best idea.

Well do something, but all physically being in the same place is just not feasible this year.

KNS: How hard was it to just say, we cant get together this year?

SB: Its heartbreaking for me. I told my husband I think the hardest thing about this whole period for me is that I can talk to my mom, and we FaceTime a lot. But if Im not physically in the same room with my mother at least like once every three months, I suffer for that.

Its heartbreaking, too, because I have an almost 2-year-old, and my sister has one who just turned one and that age is so hard because they go so fast. So, by the time I see my niece again in person, or my mom sees her granddaughter again in person, its a completely different baby.

KNS: Have you come up with any alternatives to gathering in person?

SB: We talked about doing a Zoom. I think that would be fun, but we tried to do a Zoom happy hour in the beginning (of the pandemic) and in the end I think two of my cousins hung up so mad at people were talking over each other and my mom and my aunt in the same room joining the call from two different devices and its just like, Hang up and just go walk over there.

KNS: How much is this impacting you and your children? Do they notice how crazy it all is?

SB:So, my 8-year-old will say, When, can we go to Grandma's? When the virus is better, can we go to Grandma's? And thats heartbreaking, you know?

That's what I worry about the most when it comes to doing the holidays in this new normal is that I feel like I try to make it so much for them. And there's so much of the tradition that we're just not going to do this year because it's just not safe.

My daughter is doing full remote school and shes in third grade and she had to write a paper about traditions and she had to pick a family tradition and she was trying to kind of think of one. And it was like everything we came up with was like, Oh, we're not doing that this year.

That, for me, is the hardest part. How do I make this special for them without what we would normally consider to be a tradition. Im not sure yet how Im going to do that. I havent really had time to sit down and plan what were going to do instead.

KNS: Why do you think these sacrifices are worth it?

SB: For me, it's just a cost-benefit analysis. As much as I would really, really love to see my mom. And like I said, I need to be in the same room with her every once in a while. My husband even said, you know, if you want her to come and she takes a test before and she wears all of this stuff and wears an N95 (mask) on the plane and all of that. But for me, it's just not worth the risk. Right?

I just dont feel like I could ever forgive myself if we were to bend the rules a little bit and go travel or something and something bad happened. You know, maybe everything would be fine, but what if it wasnt, you know how do we live with that?

Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett or email him at grimmett (at) kmuw (dot) org. The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.

Continue reading here:
Three Kansans Share The 'Heartbreaking' Pain Of A Lost Thanksgiving - HPPR

Thanksgiving turkey just out of the oven. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service

By BRIAN GRIMMETTKansas News Service

WICHITA Coronavirus cases are at record levels. Just in time to pretty much ruin Thanksgiving.

In Kansas, those cases have hospitals worried about having enough space or staff. Thats prompted local, state and federal officials to urge people to just stay home.

We spoke with three Kansans about their decisions to cancel trips to see family and the loss that represents.

We edited the interviews for clarity and length.

Sara Simpson is a veterinarian who lives in Basehor, Kansas. Shes originally from New Jersey, but has lived in Kansas since about 2013.

Kansas News Service: Do you go back and see family for Thanksgiving every year?

SS: It was always like a big thing.

You know, we would plan to see all of our friends and different family members.

So, every day we were doing something family-oriented or friend-oriented. We would always make sure we had a date night in New York city where we could go have a nice dinner with friends.

KNS: What does this year look like?

SS: This year was supposed to be my family in New Jersey. And, of course, we were looking forward to it. But with everything thats going on with COVID, weve been having this conversation for a couple months now, you know, is it safe to go, both for us and for everyone else?

KNS: What were the discussions with your family like?

SS: It was a lot of back and forth, both inside my head and those actual conversations.

And there were some tears and, you know, from me and from my parents and I think the biggest consideration was, can we do this safely?

Were just not able to quarantine for two weeks before we go anywhere. And even if we do now, we either have to fly, so, we're going to the airport, coming in contact with all those people, or we would be driving and having to stay at a hotel and stop for gas.

To me, the risk of, obviously, I worry about myself, but the risk of exposing my family and potentially, you know, you don't know how sick someone's going to get. So that was the biggest consideration for us was can we keep everybody safe and do this in a safe and responsible way?

KNS: How did it make you feel to have to make this kind of sacrifice?

SS: Im really sad. There are intermittent tears when I start thinking about it. You see those cheesy Hallmark Thanksgiving movies and all that on TV and I have to quickly turn it off because you start thinking about all the things youre going to miss, but I think it's a small sacrifice.

My parents haven't seen my son since last Thanksgiving, other than like Skyping and things like that.

So it's sad to think that they're missing out on this time. But I would rather have to miss this and make that sacrifice, that small sacrifice now, compared to what some other people (have) sacrificed during all of this, and then get to see everybody healthy and happy.

KNS: Do you have any negative feelings for people who choose to go ahead with large family Thanksgiving celebrations?

SS: It feels a little selfish. I dont want to judge people for making the decisions that they make. But, unfortunately with something like COVID, those decisions dont only affect them and the people theyre seeing in their homes.

If they pick up COVID and they dont know it and then theyre out and about or traveling and stopping at various places and what have you, it then becomes an issue for everyone they come in contact with.

All I want to do is give my family a hug. You know, and we cant do that right now. But I keep telling myself that if we keep doing what were supposed to be doing, follow public health guidelines, it wont be too long before we can hug them again.

Christopher Chip Redmond lives in St. George, Kansas.

KNS: What do you typically do for Thanksgiving?

Christopher Redmond: We either travel to one side of the family or the other. We are never at home, we are never in Kansas for the holidays.

KNS: Whats the plan for this year?

CR: You know, it was a difficult choice and we've been kind of going back and forth with it. The plan was we were going to make the 12-hour trek this year, but it's not worth it.

Neither our families have had recent exposures or anyone's sick, which is good. And we'd like to keep it that way.

KNS: So, what kind of deliberations went into your decision? It is tempting to think, well, it will only just be a few of us, it wont be that big of a deal.

CR: It was stressful. More than I ever thought it would be. It put a lot of weight on us.

(My parents) were open if we wanted to come and I think that made it more difficult for us, because it put more weight on our shoulders to make that decision.

But as cases have risen in the last few weeks, I think its started to become easier for everyone. Its obvious that this is spinning out of control.

KNS: Were there any hard feelings from your parents?

CR:They are more at ease, like, OK, let's find a way to make this fun. It's more of, we can have a good time and we can make this not necessarily a new tradition, but we could find, we could still carry on a lot of the old traditions.

KNS: Are there any positives that are coming out of this?

CR: Its easy to focus on negatives, but there are some big positives. Were helping out the local economy. We drove away every year. Manhattan and the area is a college town, a military town, and so now all those people that would typically be leaving town are now buying stuff and staying in town.

You also dont have to worry about traveling for 12 hours and all the other people on the road. And I think in the long run well end up having better discussions with family because youre not sick and tired of being with them for 24 hours, 48 hours. You get trapped with them.

KNS: Do you have any thoughts about people who are deciding to gather anyway?

CR: I understand it. Were all human. But, for the love of Pete, just be smart about it.

Maybe dont go anywhere for a couple of weeks after that. Take a safety protocol after that and lock yourself down. If its really that important to you, then dont do anything the next two weeks.

Sarah Bunn is a Kansas transplant from northern Illinois. Shes lived in Kansas for about 11 years.

Kansas News Service: So if youre a transplant, does that mean you have family still in other states?

Sarah Bunn: My entire family, basically, is in Northern Illinois and some of them are in southern Wisconsin.

KNS: Are you traveling to see them this year? And how did you decide?

SB: My mother works in health care. My aunt works in health care. There was just a general consensus among us that traveling is probably not the best idea.

Well do something, but all physically being in the same place is just not feasible this year.

KNS: How hard was it to just say, we cant get together this year?

SB: Its heartbreaking for me. I told my husband I think the hardest thing about this whole period for me is that I can talk to my mom, and we FaceTime a lot. But if Im not physically in the same room with my mother at least like once every three months, I suffer for that.

Its heartbreaking, too, because I have an almost 2-year-old, and my sister has one who just turned one and that age is so hard because they go so fast. So, by the time I see my niece again in person, or my mom sees her granddaughter again in person, its a completely different baby.

KNS: Have you come up with any alternatives to gathering in person?

SB: We talked about doing a Zoom. I think that would be fun, but we tried to do a Zoom happy hour in the beginning (of the pandemic) and in the end I think two of my cousins hung up so mad at people were talking over each other and my mom and my aunt in the same room joining the call from two different devices and its just like, Hang up and just go walk over there.

KNS: How much is this impacting you and your children? Do they notice how crazy it all is?

SB:So, my 8-year-old will say, When, can we go to Grandma's? When the virus is better, can we go to Grandma's? And thats heartbreaking, you know?

That's what I worry about the most when it comes to doing the holidays in this new normal is that I feel like I try to make it so much for them. And there's so much of the tradition that we're just not going to do this year because it's just not safe.

My daughter is doing full remote school and shes in third grade and she had to write a paper about traditions and she had to pick a family tradition and she was trying to kind of think of one. And it was like everything we came up with was like, Oh, we're not doing that this year.

That, for me, is the hardest part. How do I make this special for them without what we would normally consider to be a tradition. Im not sure yet how Im going to do that. I havent really had time to sit down and plan what were going to do instead.

KNS: Why do you think these sacrifices are worth it?

SB: For me, it's just a cost-benefit analysis. As much as I would really, really love to see my mom. And like I said, I need to be in the same room with her every once in a while. My husband even said, you know, if you want her to come and she takes a test before and she wears all of this stuff and wears an N95 (mask) on the plane and all of that. But for me, it's just not worth the risk. Right?

I just dont feel like I could ever forgive myself if we were to bend the rules a little bit and go travel or something and something bad happened. You know, maybe everything would be fine, but what if it wasnt, you know how do we live with that?

Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett or email him at [emailprotected]

Original post:
Kansans share the 'heartbreaking' pain of a lost Thanksgiving - Salina Post

Want to lose belly fat for Black Friday? There are some things you need to know. Directly targeting belly fat is largely impossible, but losing belly fat can be useful for your health. Plus you will look better. Perhaps that's a shallow way of looking at it, but there we are. These are our best tips on how to to lose belly fat as rapidly as is healthy. With the figure apocalypse that is the holiday season approaching, keep these tips in mind.

Important note here, everyone: Belly fat these days is often referred to as visceral fat because that sounds scarier. If you really need to shed visceral fat because it's endangering your life, that is an area where you should probably be seeking medical advice, if that is at all possible. But while this guide is more about slimming down a bit, or avoiding ballooning during lockdown, belly fat loss also has an element of visceral fat loss.

Our lose belly fat tips aren't necessarily quick, and this is not about telling you how to get six pack abs although we have plenty of guides to that, too. No, this is just a 'six pack' do you see what we did, there? of tips to getting a healthier life and feeling comfortable with the girth of your mid-riff. We're not looking to fat shame anyone here or totally bro out, we're just offering advice.

We've got some great tips, a few cheeky shortcuts and key strategies to lose belly fat quickly, healthily and sustainably. As we just said, there are no quick fixes here; we want you to develop habits that ensure you'll stay trim for good.Weve also got the lowdown on the best exercises to lose belly fat, and all the gear youll need to get started although, of course, the most important 'gear' is the bit between your ears.

There's no hard-and-fast rule for slim-down success: the best way to lose belly fat is the way that works around your lifestyle. If you follow an unsustainable plan, you won't last: it's as simple as that. In this article we lay out six principles that are applicable to everyone, whether you're a total beginner starting your weight-loss journey or a seasoned pro who fell off the wagon over Christmas.

These guiding lights will keep you on the straight and narrow, even during a lockdown situation. Dont try to take on more than you can reasonably fit into one day. And, despite the name of this feature, don't fixate on 'belly fat'. It's important to reduce visceral fat, which does tend to lurk around the belly area, but that is best achieved by trying to slim down and tune up overall.

Here are six strategies to help you start losing weight.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The short answer to the question of how to lose belly fat is to burn more calories than you consume on a regular basis. In the fitness world, this is known as achieving a "calorie deficit".

If this sounds like a waking nightmare, there's a trick to it: what you need to do is ensure youre eating the correct kind of food to make sure you feel full and sated, even when consuming fewer calories than you're burning off.

Certain foods are "empty calories" while others release energy slowly, keeping you fuller for longer. This is a big danger, especially while you're at home, with all your food within easy reach.

But before that, you'll need to find a good way to track your calories burned and calories taken in. The free MyFitnessPal app is one of the best ways to record your calorie intake, but to track your calories burned, you'll need a dedicated fitness tracker. If you already own a smartwatch, most will offer calorie tracking as standard, but for those yet to make the plunge, the Fitbit Versa 2 is the best activity tracker you can buy right now. Check out the deal below.

Oh, and staying hydrated is crucial, as well

Fitbit Versa 2 | now 199 at AmazonThe Fitbit Versa 2 is getting regular price cuts in 2020. The Versa 2 features advanced cardio tracking as well as the usual steps and sleep stuff, and has Alexa built in. It's also unusually stylish for a Fitbit, and via its excellently presented app and sprawling ecosystem, you can use it as the basis of a complete fitness and diet programme. You can also enter your meals to log calories consumed, so you can have all your dietary data in one place.View Deal

Today's best Fitbit prices in your location

Fitbit Fitbit Versa Fitness...

Fitbit Versa 2 Smartwatch

Fitbit Versa Lite Edition...

Fitbit Versa Special Edition...

Fitbit Versa 2 Special...

Fitbit Charge 3 Fitness...

Fitbit - Inspire HR Activity...

Fitbit Inspire Sangria Strap...

S'Well Marble Drinking Water Bottle | now 17.50 at John LewisIn this case beauty is more than skin deep. This bottle is vacuum sealed, which means it should be able to keep liquids warm for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. Its stainless steel, has a capacity of 500ml and requires handwashing, and its definitely one for one-upping your co-workers boring flasks and supermarket specials.View Deal

BEEFIT Biltong, 10 x 30g bags | now 16.99 on AmazonLooking for a calorie-dense but highly nutritional snack? Swap your bag of crisps or chocolate bar for jerky or biltong, a cured meat snack high in protein. BEEFIT comes in handy 30g bags, to keep yourself fuller for longer. It's packed full of protein to help build muscle after a workout (Over 20g per pack, to be precise), and is even gluten free too.View Deal

Intermittent fasting is becoming more and more popular. It involves significantly cutting calories or abstaining from food altogether for a portion of the day or week, and then cramming all your calories into a much shorter time window.

The best-known intermittent fasting plan is the 5:2 diet, where you eat as you normally would (although hopefully a bit healthier) for five days a week, then scoff no more than 600 calories two days a week.There are also variants of this diet where you consume almost no calories, two days per week. This is much more doable than it sounds, so long as you are in good general health, but it's not exactly fun.

However, for trainees who are serious but not that serious, there's the 16:8 diet. With this diet you have only 8 hours a day to fit all your meals in, but can only drink water (and maybe some black coffee, if you're feeling naughty) within a 16 hour fasting period outside of those 8 hours. Most choose to eat from 10am to 6pm, but as long as you stay within an eight hour window, you can start and finish at any time of the day. This isHugh Jackman's strategy, so if you have ever wanted to be in Wolverine shape

Why try fasting, though? Well, during the fasting period the body will run out of sugar to run on, and so will start eating up the bodys fat stores. The big negative is the adjustment period: if you're used to a big breakfast or an early dinner, a 16-hour fast feels tough at first, especially if you're exercising. You're going to get seriously cranky.

Soylent Nutrition Shake, Cacao (Chocolate), 12 Pack | now 35.00 on AmazonMarketed as a 'complete meal in a bottle' soylent is a perfect on-the-go quick feed for breakfast or lunch. With 20g of plant protein - to keep you going and slow-burning carbs to help you stay full, Soylent is vegan, gluten free, nut free, dairy free and low GI. At under 3 a shake, it's an ideal replacement to your usual hurried, bland supermarket meal deal.View Deal

Dead set on having chips? An air fryer can deliver a lot of the delicious taste with less of the not-quite-so-delicious oil

(Image credit: Future)

If you eat fried food all the time, switching to an air fryer will definitely cause you to lose weight unless buying one causes you to start eating loads of chocolate because you've reduced your fat intake. No, it doesn't taste as delicious as proper fried food of course not but it turns out meals with a good fried/roasted taste, but with up to 80% lower fat content.

If you don't eat fried food all the time but like to treat yourself now and then, switching to an air fryer could still help with you to lose weight. Even with a solid balanced diet and a good workout ethic, there will come a time when your willpower will falter and you'll want to fall back on your old favourites, like fried chicken, fish, chips and all the other foods you love normally dripping with grease. If you schedule in cheat days and do this in a controlled way, it's good to know you're cooking these foods in a way that still helps you hit your goals.

Enter the air fryer. The best air fryers are revolutionary pieces of kit that use hot air combined with a teaspoon of oil (as opposed to the gallons of oil found in the deep-fat variety) to cook your crispy favourites. If kitchen space and budget is no object, you can cook a whole chicken in the Philips Airfryer XXL, but if you're after something a little more economical, Pro Breeze Airfryer 1400W is lightweight, versatile and cheaper, perfect for portion control. It also seems to usually be sold out all the time at present, so perhaps everyone has already taken our advice, here.

This is just one way to have your (fried) cake and eat it too. Swapping high-calorie pints of ice cream to the low-calorie versions like Halo Top or Oppo, or switching out cholesterol-laden butter for a healthier olive spread, are other easy ways you can make relatively simple lifestyle choices and still keep weight off.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

No, this woman has not gone mad due to being cooped up indoors. Shes playing Ring Fit Adventure on the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo has a proud history of helping people lose weight via its consoles, with Wii Fit being possibly the biggest selling fitness gadget ever made.

Ring Fit Adventure is more sophisticated but the basic idea remains the same: turning the act of burning Calories into a fun activity that you look forward to, rather than a chore that you dread.

We tried a load of Nintendo Switch fitness games and, while they all had their merits, Ring Fit was clearly the best.

Read our Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure review and comparison to other Switch games designed for calorie burning.

Today's best Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure deals

Black Friday Sale ends in

Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo...

Nintendo Switch, Ring Fit...

Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure...

Check out more Black Friday Sale deals from these top retailers:

Today's best Nintendo Switch deals

Black Friday Sale ends in

Nintendo Switch - Animal...

Nintendo Switch Animal...

Nintendo Switch Neon Red...

Check out more Black Friday Sale deals from these top retailers:

Weight training is a great way to tip your muscle-fat ratio the right way

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There are two main types of exercise: cardio training and weights, otherwise known as resistance training.Although cardio burns a lot of calories while you do it, weight training builds muscle which burns more than fat as you go about your day. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you'll burn even when not working out.

Resistance training may seem scary if you're doing it for the first time, especially in the gym when the area's dominated by serious lifters, but you dont have to start adding big plates to the bar right now. There's plenty of ways to get started at home with smaller weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells and even medicine balls.

Were not going to list every single lifting exercise, so why not pick the body part you want to start toning up and check out some of our muscle-building how-tos. One you've done that, grab one of the best dumbbell sets on the market. They're not just for arms: you can use a dumbbell to work your core, shoulders, and even your legs with combination movements.

The only issue you will find right now is that most of them are sold out, but this store still has home gym equipment for online delivery. By the time this lockdown ends, you'll be ready for the gym.

If everything for the home gym has sold out which happens a lot lately consider doing bodyweight exercises. If that idea makes you think of muscular men working out in prison, try our guide to the best bodyweight exercises for beginners and ease into it gently. Before you know it you'll be ready for the Navy SEAL workout. None of these require any specialist equipment.

York 20kg Cast Iron Dumbbell Spinlock Set | Buy it for 59.99 at the Fitness SuperstoreIdeal for starters, the York 20kg Cast Iron Dumbbell Spinlock Set features knurled handles for a secure grip, plastic spinlock collars and solid, durable weight plates. considering you can't buy any reasonably priced home weight sets anywhere at the moment, this might be your best option to get an adjustable dumbbell set for under 500 for a while.View Deal

Powerplate Move vibration plate | 2,199 | Was 2,699 | Save 500 at John LewisIf you want to really power up your bodyweight exercises, and certain dumbbell moves, try doing them while being violently vibrated. This is particularly good for your core as your body has to work extra hard to complete moves.View Deal

All of this aside, dont neglect cardio, as regular cardio workouts are important for fitness and stamina.

Electric Muscle Stimulation can help your muscles recover faster

(Image credit: PowerDot)

It may seem gimmicky when you unwrap your new six-pack vibrating belt, complete with a picture of Ronaldo on the box, but don't roll your eyes just yet. While you can't just sit there eating crisps and expect to get ripped, Electric Muscle Stimulators can help as part of a controlled dietary and exercise plan.

EMS can cause the muscles to contract, essentially tensing and untensing rapidly. During downtime post-workout, you can continue to encourage muscle growth with EMS, while the right bit of kit can also encourage faster recovery, allowing you to get back in the gym all the quicker. According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, EMS stimulates the muscle in the same way as a massage, prepping it for the next go-round.

It's not a bona fide shortcut to a six-pack, but it can speed up the muscle-building process with regular use.

(Image credit: Sixpad)

Our top choice is always SIXPAD as used by Cristiano Ronaldo, a man who takes great pride in his body. Perhaps a little too much pride, the unkind or jealous might say. Amazon also sells all manner of abs belts by brands we have never heard of, for about 20. Needless to say we dont recommend these.

PowerDot 2.0 - Smart Electric Muscle Stimulator | now 185 at AmazonAlternatively, the PowerDot 2.0 is a smartphone-controlled muscle stimulating monster.This neat muscle stimulator works from your phone, allowing you to control intensity, stimulation and goal. Reduce your recovery time and increase muscular performance, as the PowerDot working to support your gym schedule. This model has two stimulators, but you can scale up to four for 325View Deal

Planks are a tough abs workout and a great end-of-workout finisher

(Image credit: Taco Fleur from Pixabay)

As well doing both muscle-building and cardio exercises, if you want to lose belly fat its also important to switch up the pace of your workout.

Every time you workout, you should exercise using both steady state (working hard but not at max capacity, such as during brisk jog) and high intensity (going flat out, like sprinting) to torch your abdominal fat.

Steady state or aerobic exercises include cycling, running or uphill hiking.Its a crucial part of losing belly fat because it burns through your fat stores. However, it also uses your sugar stores for energy first, so you need to do steady-state for long enough to use up all that sugar before it eats into your fat reserves.

High intensity workouts use mainly sugar for fuel, so they don't hit the fat right away, but it does help in building muscle, which will help you torch fat even on days you're not exercising. Explosive weight lifting, sprinting and HIIT-friendly exercises like mountain climbers are all great high-intensity exercises.

A good fitness tracker will help you to gauge the intensity of your workout by monitoring your heart rate. For overall fitness trackers, check out the Fitbit Versa Lite above, but for a dedicated running watch, you can't beat the Garmin Forerunner 645, the best on the market right now.

Find out more about heart rate zone training

Garmin Forerunner 645 | now 342.34 at AmazonGarmin dominates the running/fitness watch category so totally, it's almost embarrassing for the competition. The most recent addition to their premium line, the Garmin 645, incorporates GPS and wrist heart-rate tracking, which is good for monitoring your resting and all-day rates. The 645 crunches a lot of data to suggest recovery times, make a decent stab at estimating your VO2 Max, tell you how optimal your training load and lots, lots more.View Deal

FitBit Aria 2 smart bathroom scale | now 119.99 on AmazonThis clever scaletells you your weight, BMI and body fat percentage which is all a lot of people want. It then reports this to your Fitbit account, so you can monitor your weight trends and use it alongside your Fitbit wearable's daily calorie-burn estimates. Add MyFitnessPal or Fitbit's own dietary features and you can then sync your meal-plans, daily calories consumed and weight goals, if you want.View Deal

The most important thing to bear in mind is this: losing weight takes time. You'll have setbacks and slip-ups, but if you stay committed to your goal, you'll be fitter and healthier in 2020, building up great habits for many years ahead.

Need some help to get started? Check out all the latest deals on the kit you'll need to get fit in 2020.To start with, you'll need a killer playlist and a good set of workout headphones to listen to it on:

Continued here:
How to lose belly fat: get in shape before it all goes wrong again during the holidays - T3

Yoga is a great way of keeping fit and healthy. It helps you lose weight in the right manner and also prevents many ailments. It can also help you deal with a range of health conditions including back pain, sinus infections and mental disorders like stress and anxiety to name a few. But, to get all the benefits of yoga, you have to do it the right way. That is why there is so much stress on learning the correct techniques from a certified yoga teacher. But unfortunately, many people try to do this on their own and end up getting seriously injured. This often happens because the asanas look easy and doable. But dont get fooled by this. When it comes to the asanas, there are many rules that you have to follow including breathing techniques meant for each asana. Here, we will look at a few common mistakes that most people are guilty of making while doing yoga. Also Read - Yoga for diabetes: 3 asanas that will help keep your blood sugar levels under control

Yoga puts a lot of emphasis on the flow of breath to and from the lungs. While performing each asana, you have to consciously inhale and exhale effortlessly. But it is not safe to hold your breath for too long and this is a common mistake that many people make. Please know that the lo gest that you can safely hold your breath is for about 1-2 minutes. More than this will lead to a deficiency in the flow of oxygen to your brain. Fainting is a common outcome of holding your breath for too long. But it can also lead to seizures and, in rare cases, brain damage. Moreover, it can cause abnormalities in your heart. So, be mindful about your breathing while doing yoga. Also Read - Best yoga asanas to deal with thyroid disorders

There are many yoga asanas, like the downward facing dog, that requires you to go down on your hands and knees. Sometimes, while doing this asana, you may find that your palms lift off the floor. This is a serious mistake as it can cause wrist injury. Always keep your palms flat on the ground throughout the duration of the asana. You may find that spreading out your fingers help. Also Read - Yoga asanas that can keep you cool this summer

There are some standing poses in yoga. For example, in the tree pose, you have to stand on one foot and raise the other. Many people rest their raised foot on the back side of the standing foot. This can cause knee injury and you may also be in danger of losing your balance and falling down, in which case you will end up hurting yourself more. Be sure to always place your raised foot either above or below the knee to avoid the risk of injury.

Yoga has some planks too. There are some asanas where you have to assume the plank position. One example is the Chaturanga Dandasana. This is a relatively easy pose and this is why most people make the mistake of going too low while performing this asana. This can lead to shoulder injury, lower back pain and posture problems. Be sure to go only half down. Keep your elbows at a 90-degree angle to be safe.

Published : November 24, 2020 6:07 pm | Updated:November 25, 2020 9:11 am

Read this article:
Avoid these common yoga mistakes that ups the risk of injury - TheHealthSite

This workout can be completed in just 15 minutes

Working out at home comes with several challenges. From finding sufficient space to doing it at a time when no one is being disturbed, having the right kind of equipment for that particular workout and having the very motivation to do a workout, it covers them all! Also what interferes with one's motivation to workout or exercise at home is lack of time. But fret not as we are here with the perfect solution to all of these problems. In this article, we are going to talk about a workout that you can do at home, without facing much difficulty. Read here to know all about it.

To workout at home, what you really need is workouts that can be done easily at home, without any equipment in a short period of time. What's more is that this workout, which was shared by Sweat trainer Kelsey Wells on Instagram, requires a very small space. To do it, all you need is a mat and a space that is enough to fit you in.

Also read:Workout Tips: Muscle Soreness, Better Range Of Motion And Other Reasons To Own A Foam Roller Right Now

"This quick workout is great for anyone living in a small apartment or unit - or training on a balcony," reads the caption of the Insta post shared below. This workout includes four bodyweight exercises that can help in improving your strength and stamina, while also burning calories and helping you lose weight.

Following are the four exercises that you need to do as part of this bodyweight workout:

1. Lay down push-up

2. X-plank

3. Diamond push-up

4. Burpee

You need to perform each exercise for 45 seconds, with 10 seconds of rest in between. You need to complete 4 laps in total. Set a timer and the workout can be completed in just 15 minutes.

Also read:Get A Flat Tummy With This Advanced 30-Minute Abs Workout - You Need No Equipment!

If you have the time, you can make the workout more holistic by doing some cardio exercises like jumping rope, on-the-spot jogging or 15-20 minutes of dancing or aerobics. So, what are you waiting for? Let's do this!

Also read:Cycling Health Benefits: Weight Loss, Better Stamina, Toned Body And More

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

See the original post here:
Weight Loss: This 15-Minute Workout Overcomes All Hurdles Of Exercising At Home- Watch Video - NDTV

Most people put on a few extra pounds from time to time especially around the holidays.

When you want to lose 10, 20 or even 30 pounds, you may tackle it with diet and exercise. But what if you have 100 pounds or more to lose?

Diet and exercise are always a vital part of getting to and maintaining a healthy weight, but dealing with obesity may add an extra degree of difficulty. Some people may consider weight loss surgery to help lose excess weight. In fact, more than 250,000 people across the United States chose this avenue in 2018.

If this is an option you are considering, here are some things you should know before taking the plunge:

There are several weight loss procedures, and your doctor can help you decide which will work best for you. For example, gastric bypass involves creating a small stomach pouch that attaches to a section of the small intestine. Food skips over a portion of the small intestine, so your body doesnt absorb as many calories. The smaller stomach also doesnt hold as much food, so you should feel more full. Or you might go with a gastric band surgery, which puts an adjustable band around your stomach to make you feel full sooner. And in a gastric sleeve or duodenal switch surgery, the surgeon removes the majority of your stomach. While all these achieve similar results, your doctor may feel one is more appropriate for your condition than another.

Obesity is a serious health concern among all age groups, including elderly individuals, says Sarah Hilton, a registered nurse. Although all surgeries have some risks, weight loss surgery can be a safe option to help lose weight and improve quality of life.

Being overweight doesnt make you a good candidate for weight loss surgery automatically. A person with a body mass index of 25 is generally considered overweight, but this BMI would not be a good candidate for the surgeries mentioned thus far. However, someone with a BMI of 40 might be considered for surgery. A person with a BMI of 35 and certain health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and breathing injuries could also be a candidate. Along with these criteria, somebody who wants to have weight loss surgery needs to be prepared to make lifestyle changes and undergo follow-up care to ensure the surgery is successful in the long-term.

After you have weight loss surgery, you should not expect all your extra pounds to fall off right away. These surgeries can help you lose weight and improve health conditions associated with obesity, but surgery doesnt do all this on its own. Healthy eating and exercise are necessary to lose weight and keep it off, whether you undergo surgery or not. After having surgery, you will likely need to take vitamin supplements to make sure you are getting enough nutrients. You might have to eat small portion sizes. Some of the lifestyle changes you will have to make could be difficult, and joining a support group can help.

Dont expect weight loss surgery to be the only answer to your trouble with excess weight. It can be a big help, but you will need to put in the work to stay healthy long-term. Your doctor can give you the information and support you need to stick with a healthy lifestyle to ensure your weight loss surgery is as successful as possible.

Read more:
Health: 3 things you should know about weight loss surgery - Daily Herald