Despite COVID-19 impacting consumer behaviour there is still significant appetite for healthy, sustainable diets.

Before the pandemic, two thirds (66%) of consumers were open to changing their diets to be healthier and more sustainable. But since the national lockdown in March, many aspects of consumer behaviour have transformed.

In May, we hypothesised that healthy and sustainable diets would become more relevant for consumers, and for industry.

To gain insight into evolving habits around health and sustainability, we surveyed over 1,000 nationally representative UK consumers during lockdown in July 2020, replicating our November 2019 survey that fed into Appetite for Change. This article explores whether the desire to change diets for health or environmental reasons has evolved in the wake of COVID-19.

Perhaps contrary to our hypothesis, during this time of disruption, consumer desire to change diets to be healthier and more sustainable has reduced.

This doesnt come as a surprise - at the time of writing our hypotheses, few of us could have appreciated the scale or duration of change that we are now experiencing. Consumers are struggling with the amount of change in the wake of COVID-19 and human nature tells us to seek control and keep things as they are. Behaviour scientists call this Status Quo Bias. Theres safety in what we know or what we have done before, so we revert to this behaviour for many aspects of life, including our diets.

Although there has been a decline in the appetite for change, 57% of people surveyed in July 2020 are still making changes or thinking about making changes to their diets. This is over half of consumers and continues to present a huge opportunity for industry to support better choices and a positive transition.

And we see this positive intent translating into action as people cook more from scratch, are sourcing local produce and actively reducing their food waste supporting our May predictions.

For the nation to shift towards healthier and more sustainable diets, evidence shows we must:

COVID-19 has impacted all three of these areas. Notably, it seems to have driven polarising behaviour around meat eating and an increase of snacking.

Prior to the pandemic there was a rise of plant-based, flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets. The proportion of people eating meat in the UK has fallen significantly in the last nine months, with a significant rise in vegetarian and vegan diets from 9% of consumers in November 2019 to 15% in July 2020. Growth in vegetarian and vegan diets is seen across all demographics, but most strongly in younger people, aged 18-34.

There has also been a significant increase in those aged 55-64 choosing not to consume meat. Some 11% of this age group now follow a meat free diet up from 6% in November 2019 and the change is predominantly driven by women.

But thats only half of the story. In contrast to those choosing not to eat meat, there has been an increase in consumption frequency for those that do. There are now significantly more people eating meat a few times a week or every day.

The increase in meat eating frequency is driven primarily by men and higher socio-economic groups remain heavier meat eaters, despite also having a higher proportion of non-meat eaters.

While most people continue to overestimate how good their own diets are we see a significant downturn in how healthy and sustainable they assess their diets to be (see Appetite for Change). This suggests many people acknowledge that eating habits have got worse during lockdown.

This is reinforced by self-reported data from the COVID Symptom Study app, which suggests many are snacking more, and those who do have logged an average weight gain of 3kg during lockdown.

Personal health remains the biggest motivator for change and this has increased in relevance. Significantly fewer people are motivated to change their diets for environmental reasons than in 2019. However, environmental sustainability remains a supporting reason for change, especially for those aged 18-24.

Its unsurprising that COVID-19 has amplified the value we place on our own wellness, as the government, media and our behaviour has now been focused on preventing ill health for several months. The pandemic has demonstrated that our diets are inextricably linked with our health. Before the pandemic, poor diet was responsible for one in seven deaths in the UK. Now, people living with obesity are more than 50% more likely to die from COVID-19.

The most significant shift in prioritization of health is seen in parents.

Parents now place much more weight on their own health than they did in 2019. Although the wellbeing of family is a still a big driver among parents, its declined significantly and is now on par with personal health. This could be driven by early media that children were less impacted by COVID-19 than adults, or it could be a result of parents re-evaluating the impact of them becoming ill while playing the role of breadwinner, teacher and entertainer.

The data shows healthier and more sustainable diets are still a priority for over half of consumers, but they would welcome support from industry to get there. Cost is still the primary barrier for adopting these diets, and we can see the nations health inequalities.

The pandemic has highlighted our reliance on an efficient and sustainable food system, and many businesses have already taken great steps to promote healthy diets and are looking to build back better.

It is critical that our industry continues to play its part in offering healthier, more sustainable and affordable diets. Thats why IGD has established a new project group including manufacturers, retailers, food service and nutrition experts to identify and test the most effective behaviour change initiatives to support change and we will share this best practice as it emerges. We look forward to you joining us on this journey.

Get in touch to get involved: [emailprotected]

Background: In 2019 IGD undertook comprehensive quantitative and qualitative research with behaviour change experts into healthy and sustainable diets. These findings were published in March 2020, to support industry in empowering better eating habits in Appetite for Change.

A detailed update on how the pandemic has changed behaviour including statistics and charts from this article can be downloaded free here.

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Have healthy, sustainable diets become more relevant in the wake of COVID-19? - IGD

Olive oil and avocado are smart choices when you're following a keto diet.

Image Credit: Claudia Totir/Moment/GettyImages

Many keto diet followers swear by the trendy eating plan for weight loss, and hey, getting to a healthy weight is important. But what if, while slimming your waistline, the diet was also increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure?

Unfortunately, that could be the case if you're choosing the wrong fats on this high-fat, low-carb plan.

Going heavy on the bacon and cheese may work for fat loss, but the true key to keto is eating fat from anti-inflammatory sources. Here's how to get it right.

The idea behind the keto diet is to severely restrict carbs so your body enters a state called ketosis, in which it shuns sugar and instead burns fatty acids for fuel (which are created when your digestive system breaks down the fat in your food into tiny particles for energy).

But those fatty acids do more than simply provide energy to hungry cells. They also play a role in cell signaling and gut health, which affect inflammation. Inflammation is a complex buzzword, but think of it like fire in the body: Less fire makes for a healthier human. That's why it's so important to choose the right fats to fuel your body.

Prioritize Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs)

Monounsaturated fat intake has been linked with improving cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and reducing overall body fat mass. In particular, consuming MUFAs from plant-derived sources provides the benefits of additional compounds, which also help to reduce inflammation.

Good monounsaturated fat sources include:

Animal lard and beef tallow also contain a significant amount of monounsaturated fat in addition to saturated fat.

To incorporate more MUFAs into your keto diet, try making salad dressing at home with olive oil, cook with high-heat-stable avocado oil instead of corn or soybean oil, and add macadamia nuts and almonds to salads or snacks.

Be Strategic About Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs)

These fats fall into two categories: omega-6 and omega-3. Both types play important roles in cell signaling and are essential for health, but the ratio is important. As a November 2018 paper in Open Heart points out, reducing intake from omega-6 fats while boosting omega-3s creates a more favorable level of stress in the body. A little stress is OK, but a lot of stress is not!

Limit Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fats promote inflammation that has beneficial effects for the body, such as blood clotting, but it can quickly become too much of a good thing. Omega-6s break down into arachidonic acid, a fatty acid that is thought to increase inflammatory markers in the body and contribute to plaque on the arteries, which can lead to heart disease.

Examples of foods rich in omega-6 rich include:

Corn, soybean and vegetable oils are common ingredients in processed foods and commonly used in restaurants, so it's easy to accidentally meet (or exceed) your body's omega-6 requirement without even trying. That's why it's important to read labels and avoid products containing omega-6-rich oils; never cook with corn, soybean or vegetable oils (opt for olive or avocado oil instead); and choose meat and dairy sourced from grass-fed animals (more on that in a minute).

Get More Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fats promote anti-inflammatory markers in the body and have been associated with protecting against heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, according to a January 2014 position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Basically, the more omega-3 you can get from your diet, the better.

Omega-3s exist in vegan food sources such as nuts and chia, flax and hemp seeds, but this form of omega-3 is less beneficial for the body. The really powerful omega-3s are found in:

Keto dieters especially should make sourcing grass-fed meat and dairy a priority. An April 2017 study of conventional versus organic and grass-fed dairy in Foods showed that organic and grass-fed milk provided a healthier fatty acid profile higher in omega-3 fatty acids.

It may be more expensive, but there are a few tricks to drive down the cost: Consider investing in a deep freezer and purchasing a quarter of a whole cow from your local farmer, or check out wholesale chains like Costco to buy grass-fed meat or dairy in bulk.

Saturated fat, found in fatty cuts of meat, coconut oil, palm oil, eggs and milk fat, was once thought to be harmful due to its supposed effects on cholesterol. But an April 2016 review in the British Medical Journal concluded that while saturated fat may increase total cholesterol, it does not affect the risk of developing coronary heart disease. In fact, a small randomized trial of 54 participants published in an October 2017 issue of Elsevier showed that replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates actually harmed participants' good cholesterol markers.

While saturated fat does not have harmful effects, its potential health benefits pale in comparison to those of omega-3 and monounsaturated fats. Saturated fat should not be avoided on a ketogenic diet, but it should not replace omega-3 or monounsaturated fats.

Trans fats are manmade fats that have no redeeming nutritional qualities. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned them for the most part, but they still exist in some foods, including:

Wait, There's One More Thing You Should Know

You know all the bacteria in your colon so fondly named the "microbiome?" Well, it turns out your microbiome may not like high-fat meals as much as you do.

According to a 2019 article in Nature Communications, eating a high-fat diet may hinder your microbiome's ability to protect the body from absorbing toxins. Those toxins, in turn, may contribute to inflammation in the body.

While the above theory holds true in mouse studies, it is unclear if the same would hold true in humans. In the meantime, a good way to improve your microbiome's health and diversity is to include low-carbohydrate, fiber-rich, non-starchy vegetables in your keto diet. By doing so, you feed the healthy bacteria in your gut while keeping your carbohydrate intake low. Some perfect low-carb vegetables include:

Sosauteed kale in avocado oil, anyone?

Anti-Inflammatory Keto Meal Plan

Start your day with a dose of healthy MUFAs.

Image Credit: bhofack2/iStock/GettyImages

2 free-range eggs1 avocado

Handful of macadamia nuts

1/2 can tuna in olive oil1 slice humanely raised bacon, cooked and chopped roughly1/2 tomato, diced1/4 cup olivesLemon juice to taste2 cups kale, chopped1 teaspoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Grilled Portobello Cheeseburger

2 large portobello mushroom caps6 oz grass-fed ground beef1 slice grass-fed cheese of choice1 tablespoon avocado oilSalt and pepper

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Your Guide to Healthy Fats for the Keto Diet - LIVESTRONG.COM

When it comes to gut health, prebiotics play an important rolebut what exactly is prebiotic fiber, and how do you get it into your diet?

Many of us have heard ofprobiotics, the beneficial bacteria that live in our gastrointestinal tract.Probiotics have countless health benefits; they help our bodies with nutrient absorption, maintain digestive health, and even play a part inregulating our mood. Its no wonder so many health experts recommend consuming probiotic-rich foods likeyogurt and kefir, and other fermented foods.

Related Reading:A Diet Rich in Kimchi and Sauerkraut Could Help Fight Coronavirus

Probiotics are important for overall health, but theres another component to a healthy gut that is equally important. Its called prebiotic fiber (also known as just prebiotics), and it might just be the most important type of dietary fiber you can eat.

Prebiotic fiber is a type of indigestible fiber that cant be completely broken down in your stomach. Instead, these fibers are fermented by probiotic gut bacteria in your small intestine and colon where they provide food for those same bacteria. If youve never heard of prebiotic dietary fiber, youre not alone. Probiotics tend to get all the fame and glory but this process of probiotics eating prebiotics is incredibly important. Without prebiotic food for probiotics to eat, you dont receive their benefits.

Prebiotics and probiotics work together to support your health in almost countless ways. For one, when the bacteria ferment prebiotic fibers, it produces important byproducts, including the production of essential nutrients and short-chain fatty acids, which are incredibly important for colon health. Studies have even shown that low levels of short-chain fatty acids are linked to digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome andulcerative colitis, and supplementation with foods that produce short-chain fatty acids (aka, prebiotics) can lead to a decrease indiabetesandheart disease. Consuming prebiotic fiber has also been associated with fewergut infections, healthiercholesterol levels, andweight loss.

Clearly, probiotics arent the only important factor in the gut microbiome, and its about time we learned about prebiotic fiber-rich foods and how to make sure were eating enough of them.

Photo Credit: Anfisa Kameneva / EyeEm / Getty Images

We can eat all thekefirandkimchiwe want, but without prebiotic fiber for these probiotics to ferment, they wont be able to thrive and do their job of supporting our health and digestion. And unfortunately, according to the Cleveland Clinic, most Americans arent getting the25 to 25 grams of fiberthats required for our gut bacteria to really thrive.

Luckily, prebiotic fiber is found in a bunch of healthy, delicious foodsand all we have to do is eat them. According to the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, thehighest amounts of prebioticsare found in raw versions of the following foods:

As a general rule, most fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains are decent sources of prebiotic fiber. By consuming a diverse mix of these foods every day, theres a good chance youll be providing your gut bacteria with everything they need.

Photo Credit: Chowhound

Like with probiotics, many people assume they need to take a prebiotic supplement to make sure theyre getting enough. But as gut microbiome expert Gail Cresci, Ph.D., R.D.,told Cleveland Clinic, You can buy prebiotic supplements, but you dont need them if you eat the foods that fortify the army of friendly bacteria in your intestines. Therefore, most of your prebiotic needs can be satisfied with a healthy diet offresh fruits and veggies, especially if you throw in a few of the high-prebiotic foods mentioned above each week.

If you do decide to supplement, rest assured that prebiotics and probiotics are very safe. As Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.wrote for the Mayo Clinic, side effects are rare, and most healthy adults can safely add foods that contain prebiotics and probiotics to their diets.

Related Reading:Do You Need a Probiotic Supplement?

To make sure youre supporting the environment in your digestive tract the best way possible, its also recommended you consume probiotics and prebiotics at the same time, either in food- or a combined supplement-form; that way, youre providing the good bacteria and the fiber they require to thrive, all at the same time.

To get started on adding prebiotics to your routine, try ourTangy Banana Smoothie recipe, which incorporates bananas and Greekyogurt; ourJerusalem Artichoke recipe with Crispy Prosciutto; or ourAsparagus with Sweet Onions recipe.

Gretchen Lidickeris a writer, researcher, and author of the bookCBD Oil Everyday Secrets: A Lifestyle Guide To Hemp-Derived Health & Wellness. She has a masters degree in physiology and complementary and alternative medicine from Georgetown University and is the former health editor at mindbodygreen. Shes been featured in the New York Times, Marie Claire, Forbes, SELF, The Times, Huffington Post, and Travel + Leisure.

Article provided by ViacomCBS propertyChowhound.com. All featured products are curated independently by Chowhound editors. When you buy something through their retail links, Chowhound may receive a commission.

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Prebiotics 101: Discover Why Prebiotic Fiber Is The Most Important Thing Missing From Your Diet - CBS Las Vegas

High blood pressure - which is also known as hypertension - puts extra stress on blood vessels and vital organs.

The condition could lead to some deadly complications, including strokes and heart attacks.

It could be caused by eating an unhealthy diet, or by not doing enough exercise.

Avoiding some common foods may be the key to reducing your blood pressure.

READ MORE: High blood pressure - be aware of 'salty six' to lower reading

"Certain foods are particularly good to eat if you have hypertension and can significantly lower your risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke," said Dr Brewer.

She told Express Health: "Eating four or more servings of potatoes a week is associated with a significantly increased risk of hypertension, according to three studies, which followed over 187,000 doctors and nurses for more than 20 years.

"Eating baked, boiled or mashed potatoes appeared to increase the risk by 11 percent and French fries by 17 percent compared to those who ate less than one serving of these per month.

"These statistical associations remained, even after adjusting for total dietary intakes of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, fibre and dietary fats, and after taking peoples weight and age into account."

See more here:
The vegetable you should AVOID or risk deadly high blood pressure - are you at risk? - Express

Kate Middleton is renowned for her amazing physique and healthy lifestyle.

Many have wondered the secret behind the Duchess of Cambridges slim build, and it seems it's mostly down to a combination of sports and healthy eating.

Despite having three children the fit royal is known for her dedication to fitness.

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Carole White of Model Management told Mail Online that Kate is a dress size six, much smaller than the UK average, which is a size 16.

The Daily Star also revealed that exercise plays a large role in her routine.

They said: Kate is an exercise junkie. Pippa and Kate take their toned physiques extremely seriously. And mother Carole, in her 60s, is in extremely good shape.

Kate uses abs exercise the plank for a toned stomach.

The source added: It tightens her muscles. There are three elements, the basic plank, the side plank and the prone sky dive, all of which are positions Kate can hold for 45 seconds or longer and repeat at least ten times each.

As a busy mum-of-three the Duchess has claimed she is often on her feet, which could also explain her slim figure.

In terms of what she eats, it is saidKate follows the Dukan Diet, especially before her wedding to William.

According to ABC news the Duchess used the low-carb plan to prepare for her wedding to Prince William back in 2011.

The Dukan diet is a French plan, which focuses on eating high levels of protein in the first stage of the programme.

The diet claims to produce rapid, permanent weight loss without hunger. However, although it may have worked out well for Kate, this method might not work for everyone.

Later, followers of the plan add vegetables to their meals.

Dr. Dukan created the diet in the 1970s, inspired by an obese patient who said he could give up eating any food in order to lose weight, with the exception of meat.

After seeing many of his patients experience impressive weight loss results on his diet, Dr. Dukan published The Dukan Diet in 2000.

The book was eventually released in 32 countries and became a major bestseller.

Excerpt from:
What is the Dukan diet: the extreme diet Kate Middleton followed to lose weight before her wedding - RSVP Live

Registered holistic nutritionist Brittany Nicholson believes balance is the key to healthy diet and nutrition

In 2017, Brittany Nicholson was going through a time that many of us can relate to feeling like she was working out and eating healthy, but still not seeing the results she was hoping for. After studying holistic nutrition at The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, she was able to find the root cause of her issues, and now wants to help others on their own health and wellness journeys.

Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Nicholson is now a registered holistic nutritionist, and has recently started her own nutritional coaching business: Holistic Britt Nutrition.

I started my business about three months ago. Its definitely very new and Im really excited. Being a lifelong Saultite, its something that Im really excited to be able to offer to the community in terms of the unique contribution that natural nutrition offers, said the 30-year-old.

Nicholson provides one-on-one coaching for her clients, along with custom meal plans. The plans include supplementation recommendations, stress management, sleep support, and overall dietary changes. Before working with her clients, she likes to prioritize getting to know them on an individual level as well as a personal level. As a holistic nutritionist, youre looking at more than just what someone is eating. Its important to look at when theyre eating, who theyre eating with, as well as different environmental factors like where theyre working, how much theyre sleeping, and if they are stressed. All of these factors will come in to play when working on their wellness goals, she said.

When working with clients, Nicholson recognizes that every individual is unique, and what might work for someone else might not work for everyone. My unique biochemical needs are going to be different from my neighbours or the girl I saw at the gym last week, she said.

Nicholson says that her foundation when it comes to a good diet is based on three major components: food that is natural, meaning as close to its natural state as possible; food that is alive, live fruits and vegetables full of fibre and enzymes; and food that is good quality.

I dont believe in restriction. I feel like it creates a negative relationship with food, she said. Its all about creating a healthy relationship with food and trying to find that balance. When it comes to diet and nutrition, restriction doesnt work long-term. It might work short-term, but its not a long-term solution.

What Nicholson wants to stress the most with her coaching is that we oftentimes dont realize how our symptoms are connected. When I went to school for natural nutrition, I was trying to understand fad diets and understand how a diet that is being coined the next best thing going to work for me and everyone else. The answer is that it doesnt, because were all so different. When I was feeling like I was working out and not seeing results, feeling anxious, feeling bloated all the time, I asked myself what the root of all of these issues was. Sometimes it takes pulling things apart and trying to find the issue. Sometimes its in your gut, and sometimes its in your digestive or immune system. Thats ultimately what I try to do with my clients look at their symptoms and what theyre experiencing and try and approach it with a natural nutrition approach.

Her website can be found at here.

Excerpt from:
Restriction creates a 'negative relationship with food,' says Sault holistic nutritionist - SooToday

Matty Matheson and his summer vegetables. Illustration: Eliana Rodgers

Ive kept my circle pretty small, and I dont really hang out with anybody, says Matty Matheson, the outrageous and exuberant food personality who came out of Torontos restaurant scene. Since leaving Vice last year, Matheson has gone solo, launching a YouTube channel of his own, in part to promote and poke fun at his forthcoming cookbook, Matty Matheson: Home Style Cookery, out September 29. True to the books title, Matheson films his videos on his farm in his hometown of Fort Erie, Ontario, where he moved back a couple years ago. Along with his cookbook, Matheson also started Matty Mathesons Meat + Three, serving barbecue and southern food; been working on Blue Goose Farm; and he and his wife, Trish, are expecting their third child. Matheson says that with the book, the restaurant, and a new, as-yet-unannounced secret project in the works, hes got a contingency plan if the ongoing pandemic means another shutdown: Im just going to be back at the farm doing my thing, he says.

Monday, September 14Made coffee. Theres no cafs to get a good espresso around here. Its pretty wild and unfortunate. But Ive really become a fan of just drinking drip coffee. I didnt grow up in a house of coffee drinkers. I got into drinking coffee through working in restaurants and traveling, and I have grown to enjoy coffee. But Im definitely not a coffee snob. At home, I have one of those big jugs of Folgers, you know? I love, literally, just a cup of Folgers.

Lunch was Robo Marts beef tacos and half of a chicken-finger sub. Ive been going there as long as I can remember. My younger brother had a house kind of around the corner, cause its right by the river. At the edge of the parking lot, you can see Buffalo. Its right by the Peace Bridge. Its always been the spot. It was like, You wanna go get some subs? There was no Subway. I think Canadian border towns are very influenced by America, obviously, and so the food is very similar. The tacos, theyre just like Old El Paso tacos where can you buy those? Theyre just ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, sour cream, and cheese. I love them very much. Its not even Tex-Mex. Its complete bastardized Mexican food its the kings crown of appropriation. Its horrible.

The chicken-finger sub is something thats massive in Buffalo through Jims Steak Out and other kind of iconic spots. In Fort Erie, every pizzeria in town serves them. The only thing you can eat here is subs and pizza, or Chinese food. A lot of Chinese restaurants, a lot of bingo halls, and, back in the day, there were a lot of strip clubs because in Canada you can have full nudity.

Its just chicken fingers tossed in Franks and butter, blue-cheese dressing, lettuce, onions, pickles. You can even add a slice of processed cheese. Its so fucking good. Either you get it, or you dont. Theres a 50-50 chance: Its either the best thing youve had, or youre the 50 percent where youre like, What the fuck are you even talking about? The people who dont like it never grew up going to the States. Like, Okay, youre too Canadian. You cant handle it.

Dinner was leftover lasagna bianco that I made for the first time for Sunday supper. I dont really use recipes. When Im making food for myself, Ill Google something, and I always read two or three recipes and what are the three or four things in the recipes is it fresh nutmeg? How are different people making their bchamel? I did a sausage and pork mix. I bought ground pork and Italian sausage, took them out of the casing, made a white rag with onions, carrots, and garlic. Some peperoncini. I cooked off the pork and sausage together, cooked that out in chicken stock, then my bchamel I just did some milk with mascarpone, no flour, no eggs, no nothing. I added a bunch of white pepper and just a dash of nutmeg. I had the fresh basil and some really amazing spinach from my garden and layered it up.

Tuesday, September 15Brewed some Puff Coffee this morning. Duane Sorenson sent me a couple bags, and its so fire. The one bag of beans is from Mexico I cant tell you right now exactly where theyre from, but its so nice. Thats why Duane is Duane. He can find the beans, man.

Lunch was eggplant parm that Trish made. She cooks all the time. She was due on this upcoming Monday, her birthday is on that Monday, so shes been meal prepping for a couple weeks. We got this big freezer in the basement. Shes been making herself a ton of food just for the next couple weeks. The eggplant parm, I had a little bit of that; she was making them for the freezer. But she cooks and bakes all the time.

We have at least something from the garden around every day. Ill snack on tomatoes, or when the cucumbers were pumping I ate a lot of those. Doing Blue Goose, our little garden, saved my sanity through this whole thing. It helped a lot spiritually, Ill tell you that much. It truly grounded me. It made me happy when I was stressed. I would go out there and just sit in the garden and watch the sun go down, and, you know, it definitely was a very big North Star through this whole thing.

Im very lucky in my sobriety and have done a lot of hard work. Its never like, I need a drink. Its more like, How do I deal with these feelings right now? You build up your little castle of fortitude with your little baby blocks, and every once in a while you have a fit and knock them all over the place and youve got to put them back in place.

Got Ma Chinese Cuisine in St. Catharines: spicy cucumbers, squid, Sichuan chile fish, fried chicken with Sichuan peppercorn, spicy dumplings, tripe, snow-pea leaves, and Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce.

Ma is amazing. Its a gem. Its so weird. Theres very little Sichuan in Canada, Ill say that, and I cannot believe this restaurant is so good. Their chile fish, theyve got sliced beef tongue and tripe. Theyve got some really good dishes that blow my mind that exist in this area. Its just nice we have a place we can go and get real food, real xiao long bao. Their shumai are crazy; their char siu is crazy.

Its just a place I couldnt believe when I went there. Now, Ive probably been 15 or 20 times in the last year and a half. Its just as good as any spot in Toronto downtown. Every time I go, Im like, Please dont go away. Im always so happy people go there. Every time I go, its very busy.

Wednesday, September 16Morning coffee.

Made my one-hour Bolognese. I ate it for lunch because of some fucking PR thing. I had to do a step-by-step of a quick and easy recipe. So, because I make that, its just tomato paste and beef stock. I cook everything and then I reduce it with egg yolks and milk. Its one of those really quick, really nice beef sauces.

I love making it. Ive been making it for a long time, but itd been a while and I was like, Fuck, I forgot how good this is. I kind of like rag thats more beefy rather than tomatoey. But I do have a place for a tomato-sauce rag as well.

Trish made a roast-chicken dinner with stuffing. Her stuffing is my favorite stuffing ever. She puts chestnuts in it, and she cooked these double-baked mashed potatoes with cream cheese that I love. She made a kind of Thanksgiving dinner on the fly.

Thursday, September 17Usually on Thursday and Friday, Im in the office in Parkdale, back in Toronto. I stay overnight at my friends house. She lives in the neighborhood, so I go stay at her place. For the last year, Ive just been sleeping on the couch. Then her roommate, one of our close friends, moved out. So now Ive got a bedroom.

If were doing an office day, were doing either Lao Thai or momos for lunch every day. We got Lao Thai this time: nam kao, fried-chicken lettuce cups, wonton soup, and beef laap.

Weve been going to Lao Thai for a little over a year. I dont even think theres seating inside. Its just pretty much Thai takeout, run by a mother and daughter. Its in the bottom of some brand-new fucking condo building, and it is the best Thai in Toronto. It feels like something that legitimately Jonathan Gold would write about, and Im like, Man, this reminds me of L.A. That kind of stuff doesnt happen in Toronto somehow. Its random. Its on a weird intersection in Parkdale in the bottom of some brand-new massive condo monster. Its this family serving the best Thai food in the city.

I didnt have dinner. I slammed too much Thai food.

Friday, September 18Went to a little coffee shop right by the office called Rustic Cosmo Caf. Its so fucking good. I got a coffee and breakfast bagel sandwich on an everything bagel with bacon, avocado, cheese, tomato, egg, and aoli.

I didnt eat too much else this day. I ate my breakfast sandwich and then I rode home on my motorcycle. I finally got my license and insurance. I just got home a little later and picked some stuff out of the fridge some salami and cheese and crackers.

My motorcycle is a 91 Fat Boy. Im way more into the romantic side I just kind of want to cruise some backstreets. I dont know, Im searching. Im just trying to cruise solo, man.

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Matty Matheson Reveres the Chicken-Finger Sub - Grub Street

Ever wondered what Kate Hudsoneats in a day to maintain her sculpted physique? Well, you're in luck.

In a new video withHarper's Bazaar, theHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star detailed what she eats and drinks starting with her first waking moments.And surprisingly, the actress' daily routine is relatively simpleand even includes a few indulgences.

As a Weight Watchers ambassador, Kate has credited the program with helping her get back in shape after giving birth to three kids.

And most recently, the actress relied onWW to stay grounded during the pandemic. In August, she exclusively told E! News, "I've always said that community is essential to wellness that's why Fabletics is a community, that's why I've partnered with WW, which has an amazing community of members who support each other. Your communityno matter who it iscan help you find balance! Don't expect yourself to be a super-human! It's just not possible."

As for hereating habits, Kate'sgo-to meal plan is below!

More here:
Kate Hudson's Diet Plan Will Inspire Your Next Health Kick, and Yes Ice Cream Is Included - E! NEWS

An interview with Rose Bear Dont Walk

The COVID-19 pandemic, for better or worse, has shifted some important facets of our lives. For some, it has encouraged starting a garden or cooking more at home. This might be just enough, but I wanted to speak to someone who could impart local knowledge about food relationships in the Flathead, and perhaps inspire an even deeper connection. I was curious--is it possible and practical to obtain and enjoy ancestral foods as part of the modern diet? Would this adoption or increase in locally foraged, fished, or hunted food improve health? I turned to Salish ethnobotanist, Rose Bear Dont Walk, for a thought-provoking interview bringing out her traditional and ancestral foods knowledge and hopes for the future of our local food system. Rose reminds us that the very earth around us provides plants, berries, roots, herbs and animals that can satisfy a healthy portion of our diets, and even save our lives.

Here is a small taste of our conversation:

Salish ethnobotanist, Rose Bear Dont Walk holds up a camas bulb. This and many other traditional foods are still harvested to this day.

Introduce yourself. Tell us where you are from and anything you would like us to know about you.

I am from St. Ignatius and grew up on the Flathead Reservation. I come from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes as well as the Crow Tribes in eastern Montana. I went to St. Ignatius High School and from there I went and got my Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in political science with a focus in environmental science and I recently graduated from the University of Montana with a Masters of Science in environmental studies.

Did anything along the way influence you to go down this path?

When I went and got my bachelors, I really dug deep into the food system of America but also what food systems look like in Native America, historically and currently. When I went to Connecticut, I didnt realize that I lived in a food desert! We didnt have as much access to local, healthy, nutritious foods in my hometown, or even my school. It took going away to have that realization. My senior thesis was about food systems and how policy, as well as economic and social issues go into how we access food, where our food comes from, and how our food choices affect our health. When I did my masters program, I randomly took a class called Plants and Culture and I was blown away by how amazing plants are. Learning about how plants were utilized around the world, not just for food but for religious purposesfor ceremonies, it inspired me to learn more about the plants of my people. My background studying food systems and food sovereignty in Native America could mesh with studying the plants and incorporate traditional uses of food plants into these frameworks. For Salish people, meat and fish are primary foods in the diet, but the rest of the vitamins and nutrients you need to live healthy were historically supplemented with plants.

Can you give me an example of a couple plants that are or were primarily part of the Salish diet?

A lot of people know the staple plants, which are bitterroot and camas. Those were harvested in large quantities because of their ability to be eaten on the spot or feed the community, but also for their ability to be dried and reconstituted at a later time. Those two are the big ones. But in my study, Ive come across some lesser known food plants that the Salish use. They had glacier lily and yellowbell corm, which is delicious; some lesser known berries like thimbleberries or even chokecherries, which I dont know that a lot of western Montana people know about. They kind of have an acquired taste. Chokecherries were amazing because they could be pounded out, dried, and made into cakes.

Many native plants were the food source for tribal people before farming and commerce was introduced to this continent.

Interesting, these plants were eaten all year-round.

Right. At the very start of Spring, harvesting begins because youre hungry coming out of the cold of winter. These little plants called spring beauties, sometimes called Indian potatoes, were probably the first to be harvested. They are very tiny and grow underground. Their latin name is Claytonia lanceolata, and they just taste like potatoes!

How do you prepare them?

They are kind of the same as regular potatoes, which only keep for a certain amount of time. They do have higher water content and get moldy easy, so I imagine because of their size and because they dont keep for very long, I think Salish people just ate them on the go. You can just peel off the skin and pop them in your mouth. But you could also cook them in a skillet with oil, salt and pepper. Its delicious!

That does sound good. When growing up, did your family have any special food rituals or traditions?

My mom did a very good job bringing me to different community feasts and ceremonies. We participated in the bitterroot feast that the community puts on, weve done several camas bakes, and berry picking. Growing up I had a pretty good grasp on some of the food traditions that we had involving plants. I personally dont know how to fish and I dont know how to hunt, but I am wanting to learn.

Yeah! I have talked to several people in their 20s and younger and they have expressed the same. Surely people have these skills, especially older folks. Why do you think younger people are not partaking in hunting and fishing as much as their parents and elders?

You know, I dont know either. And I think there are a lot of kids in my generation that dont have these basic knowledge pockets. Things like chopping wood or how to build a fire, basic survival skills. Some of these skills I have come into later in my life and I fully appreciate the work that goes into these types of things.

Rose Bear Don't Walk gives a presentation on native plants.

Switching gearsIf you were to close your eyes and envision food sovereignty in action in this community, what would it look like?

In my vision, especially with the research and work I am doing with my fellowship, would be to have more Salish people engaged in our traditional food ways, whether it is just going out berry picking for a day or preparing a traditional meal or even just being out in the wilderness identifying native plants. Aside from finding and knowing traditional food, I would hope that we start moving towards participating more in our local food economy. We have some amazing farms within a 15-mile vicinity to access a locally grown, healthy, low environmental impact food system. You know, these foods are not that expensive. There is a lot of people that think local, organic food is pretty expensive and that its a hassle to go out and get it, but really a lot of that is accessible within our own community, we just have to know where to look.

And I wonder if we need to figure out how to connect more people to these agricultural local products in addition to increasing the knowledge base of traditional foods. The marriage of these two would make for a healthy diet.

I agree 100 percent, and I think if somebody were to take on a fully traditional diet, that would need to be their only commitment for whatever length of time that they decide. Technically, thats part of what the traditional existence was. Day in and day out, hunting, foraging, having connections with the tribe and the community, with the family. But because we have transitioned to a wage economy and a more sedentary lifestyle, thats just not in the cards. So, I agree that we should be looking at the local environmentnot just hunting, foraging, fishing, but what is being grown in the soil nearby and how can we access it as a community. It seems like during the pandemic, a lot of people are learning to grow their own food. Ive seen a lot of gardens popping up and its making me really happy because they are reconnecting with where their food comes from. And in turn, people are cooking with foods they may not have eaten before, which is just another vein of becoming food sovereign.

What challenges are we facing to make your vision a reality?

The challenges stem from a shift in our biological palate. We are in this space where we crave sugar and we crave flour and we crave fat and I think just finding little ways in our everyday life to tweak that a little bit would make a difference. Instead of just using regular sugar why dont we use some local honey? Or consider flour alternatives? We can still cook our favorite comfort foods, but make them in a healthier way. Maybe then we would not require so much salt, sugar, and fat. The shift to a westernized diet is what truly impacted the Native community. Our bodies were not designed to process white flour, white sugar, or lard. The Salish diet was primarily roots, shoots, berries, meat and fish so if there is any way we can incorporate those foods little by little, we start to build a healthier future for ourselves and can continue diversifying our diets.

Bear Don't Walk does walks in the woods of the Flathead Reservation.

What practical choices can an individual make to include more traditional foods in their diet?

Start learning how to grow your own food. It just takes starting some seeds in any type of vessel. Seeds are cheap! Utilize the soil, sow the seeds, and just keep up with the plants. Of course, this takes time and effort that some may not have time for, so in this case, look for local opportunities to buy food. Are there community supported agriculture (CSA) options available? How about farmers markets or local farms that have eggs, poultry, pork, or vegetables? Choose to participate in the local economy rather than just going to the grocery store.

In closing, do you have any direction or advice for people looking to learn more about their ancestral diet?

Get out! Get dirty and get your hands in the soil. Connect with your food in a whole different way than the typical plastic package. In a pandemic where we are in close spaces and having a lot of free time, there is no better time to engage with our food and get to know it a little better. Start an herb garden or plant vegetables in the backyard. Pick berries with the family and try a new recipelearn how to make your own pasta or bread! Now is the time to get engaged because we have the time to be home, learning about ourselves and our food, and connecting more deeply in these ways.

This column is a project of Kati Burton, CSKT Guided Care Dietitian. She hopes to bring local voices to the table to discuss food traditions and memories that reconnect us with our food history and help us to eat well.

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Now is the time to eat close to home: - Char-Koosta News

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Kidney Health and Ketoveyda: How Suraksha Naturals Is Addressing the Health Concerns of the Keto Community - PRNewswire