There has to be something right with mangoes for they have been a part of the diet in India for more than 4,000 years. Like most people I know, I too love my mango and eat them with abandon. I actually eat them straight off the peel, no dainty, pretty-looking cubes for me. Thats how I have eaten mangoes as a child and continue to do so as an adult. And now I know that eating mangoes like this pays rich dividends as the concentration of the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory antioxidants that mango is rich in is maximum just below the skin. So, eating it the old-fashioned way (my way!) is actually the best way to score maximum health benefits.

Mango is a perfect comfort food: Just tasting one makes you feel good. It does effectively chase away the blues. It has many advantages over other fruits. For starters, it has minimal fat and sodium, and zero cholesterol. It is not very steep in calories (about 120 calories for a medium-sized fruit), so it makes a perfect in-between snack or/and a delicious dessert.

256pp, Rs 295; Rupa

Gut-happy Food

Ever noticed how your constipation simply clears up during the mango season? Thats because mango delivers lots of fibre (3 gm), and works like a natural laxative. Its in fact a brilliant gut food.

Also, it is an alkaline food that helps keep the pH of the body alkaline. An acidic body is a seat for disease, and eating mangoes can help check that effectively.

Antioxidants Loaded Mangoes are loaded with more beta-carotene than most other fruits about 2164 IU in 200 gm. Beta-carotene gets converted into vitamin A in the body, which is needed for good eyesight, healthy lungs, bones and skin. Also, these powerful antioxidants are good for a healthy immune system and help repair cell damage.

Mango is also a great source of vitamin C, which again helps boost our immune system. It is rich in glutamine acid, a protein that improves our concentration and memory.

Ripe mangoes possess loads of phenolics (antioxidants), which have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

You score loads of potassium too and our body needs potassium to help regulate blood pressure (thus keeping hypertension away).

Did You Know?Even though mangoes are a rich source of fructose (a type of fruit sugar), they neednt be forbidden from a diabetics diet. Just incorporate them safely and responsibly. Its safe as its glycemic load (a useful measure of the ability of a food to spike blood sugar and insulin levels) is low-medium. So, diabetics need not be scared of this fruit.

Fattening Finally, it is time to really bury the myth that mangoes can be fattening. Eating a mango has been shown to reduce the level of leptin hormone in the body, which affects our appetite. So, in effect, mangoes may help control blood sugar and cholesterol and also reduce body fat. Mango peel extracts are also known to inhibit fat cell formation, very similar to the action of resveratrol (the antioxidant found in red wine, grapes and peanuts).

All this from that tasty, juicy fruit? Not a bad deal at all!

So, whether or not you are on a weight-loss diet, Id say one mango a day while it is in season is mandatory for everyone. There are enough reasons to enjoy this fruit, and the joy they give is just one of those!

Author Kavita Devgan(Courtesy Rupa )

Easy Tips to Eat Mangoes You can just bite in, of course. And I suggest you eat it the traditional way with the peel so that when you suck on the flesh, you can absorb some antioxidants from the skin as well.

Make mango lassi in a blender by combining 1 mango, 1 cup yoghurt, 1 tbsp honey, 2 dates and ice. Blend until smooth. Then pour into glasses and serve.

To make mango salsa, mix together mangoes, cucumber, finely chopped white onion, lime juice, orange juice, roughly chopped mint leaves, salt and pepper. It goes perfectly with nachos.

Also try this for breakfast some day: Put milk, chia seeds and honey in a jar and refrigerate it overnight. Add fresh mango puree or chopped mangoes to it the next morning and enjoy a healthy breakfast.

At a Glance The benefits of eating mangoes include,

Providing energy

Delivering potassium to keep your blood sugar under control

Providing fibre to keep your constipation away

Sharpening concentration and memory

Boosting immunity

Read more:Excerpt: Ultimate Grandmother Hacks by Kavita Devgan

Fun Fact Mangoes were first grown in India over 5,000 years ago. It is believed that Lord Buddha meditated under the cool shade of a mango tree.

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Excerpt: Fix it With Food; Superfoods to become Superhealthy by Kavita Devgan - Hindustan Times

Introduction:

Fastingduring the holy month of Ramadhan is ordained for all healthy Muslim adults.People who are exempted includes children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, theelderly and anyone who might get themselves ill by fasting. Often people askwhether a diabetic patient can observe fasting. In fact, most of them canobserve fasting safely during Ramadhan, No wonder about 80 percent of 120million Muslims with diabetes all over the world undertake fasting duringRamadhan.

What happens to sugars during Fasting: During a fast, at about eight hours after your last meal, your body starts to use energy stores to keep your blood glucose (sugar) levels normal. For most people this is not harmful, but if you have diabetes, your body cannot use the glucose as well as it should. With diabetes especially if you take certain tablets or insulin you are at risk of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels). Ramadhan fasting not only alters the timings of meals but it may also disturb sleeping patterns and hormonal rhythms, all of which can affect a persons metabolic state.

What are the benefits of fasting: Fasting during Ramadhan can also be beneficial. It may provide an opportunity to reduce caloric intake, facilitate weight loss, and smoking cessation. It may help to strengthen the therapeutic alliance between patient and physician, and provide an opportunity to improve diabetes management, with a focus on self-care and the regulation of medication and meal timing.

What are the challenges of Fasting: In people with complicated diabetes it may cause hypoglycemia (decrease in blood glucose level), hyperglycemia (increase in blood glucose levels), dehydration and diabetes ketoacidosis. During fasting time, patients may suffer from hypoglycemia due to lack of glucose while after evening people might encounter increased glucose levels due to excessive intake of food.

What is Pre-Ramadhan counselling: Many people with diabetes can safely keep fast during Ramadhan after discussion with their doctor. However this decision may vary from person to person based upon his/her physical condition, HbA1c, concurrent complications, age, and type of antidiabetic medications etc. It is always advisable to consult your physician well in advance (at least 2-3 months before Ramadhan) to discuss a plan about lifestyle modification, diet and medication accordingly. This is called Pre-Ramadhan counselling which unfortunately is unheard of in our setting.

Which diabetic patients should avoid fasting: People with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). There is some evidence to suggest that, as long as they are otherwise stable and healthy, they can do so safely. However, strict medical supervision and focused education is essential. Pregnant women with diabetes (especially those on insulin) are stratified as very high risk and are advised not to fast. Fasting is also not advisable to patients with following issues e.g. Frequent low and high sugars (so called brittle diabetes); hypoglycemia unawareness (patient does not perceive symptoms of low sugars; history of diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycemic episode during the past three months; Hospital admission for very high blood or low blood glucose during the past three months; Very poor control of diabetes (high HbA1c) or presence of complications of diabetes such as problems with kidneys, heart and eyes; Chronic kidney disease patients especially those on dialysis .Lastly any acute illness during this period prevents a person to fast.

Which diabetic patients can undertake fasting: Well controlled type 2 diabetic patients on diet therapy or on any of these drug classes viz; metformin, second generation sulphonylureas, Incretin mimetics, glitazones, SGLT2 inhibitors and on single dose insulin can undergo fasting safely.

What dietary alterations can I make: Keep sensible portions in mind and follow the same guidelines for healthy eating that you do the rest of the year with an emphasis on whole grains, lean sources of meat, fish and poultry, small amounts of heart healthy fats and limit added sugars. The meals should be varied and should not consist of only dates, sweet drinks and fried rice.Meals should include extra fiber, which is found in whole grains, legumes, vegetables, salads, and fruits. Fiber helps to avoid constipation. There should be low intake of salt especially with pickles and salted sauces. Suhoor meal should contain a balance of whole grains, apple, nuts, legumes (complex carbohydrates) as well as some protein (lean meat) to help slow the digestion and help the feeling of fullness last as long as possible into the day. Try to take Suhoor meal a little late. (of course within stipulated time) to spread out you energy intake more evenly.

Traditionallythe fast is ended (Iftaar) with the eating of dates and drinking water. Limitintake of dates to 1-2 each evening. Simple carbohydrates like bread cereals,rice or pasta can be taken. Chose water as your main drink. and take plenty ofwater and sugar free beverages throughout the evening, While I agree that theIftaar meal is a celebration time, but aim is not to overeat.

Avoidcaffeine beverages as they can be dehydrating. Limit the amount of ladoos,jalebi and barfi. Avoid energy dense foods like samosas, pakodas, parantas,purees, ghee, margarines and butter. Limit the amount of oil in cooking to 2tablespoons for a four-person dish. Here is an example of a healthy Ramadhanplate eg 1 cup of vegetables, 2 cups of whole grain rice, a cup ofbeans/lentils/peas, a small portion (4 oz) of lean protein. Add one small sliceof watermelon, 2 dates and one glass of low fat milk.

Can I go for exercise during fasting: Avoid moderate to highly vigorous exercise However, patients can continue with their routine morning walks and time spent during Taraweeh prayers should be counted as part of exercise activity.

What about alterations in anti-diabetic medications: Individualization of anti diabetic treatment options is the proper approach .Consult your doctor for changes in medications schedule and alteration in insulin regimes. In fact your previous years successful Ramadhan experience is a useful guide for changes in drug regimens. Oral drugs that are safe include Metformin, Glipizide, Gliclazide, Glitazones, DPP4 inhibitors, Incretin mimetics, SGLT2 inhibitors, Rapid acting insulin analogues are preferred due to less chances of low sugar and minimal post meal sugar spikes. Premixed insulin [50/50} is a good option in patients who are on two doses of insulin.

Can I do fingerprick sugar tests during fasting: Self monitoring of sugars can be done at home. It does not amount to breaking a fast, Ideally it should be done multiple times a day, However you can do it Pre-Suhoor and Pre-Iftaar and whenever symptoms of low sugar are felt.

At what level of sugars I may have to break my fast: A fast will have to be ended if glucose levels fall too low (usually less than70mg/dl ) or if it shoots up to more than 300mg/dl . For low sugars about 15 grams of carbohydrate can be taken to raise glucose levels to normal. Carbohydrates can be taken in the form of 4 glucose tablets, or fruit juice or candy. Wait for 15 minutes and recheck sugar level again and adjust the medications accordingly. For high sugars apart from increasing the doses of medications, a doctors consultation is a must before one continues with fasting. Remember high sugars can lead to dehydration and changes in mental status.

Do I need to go for a Post Ramadhan follow up: A follow up meeting with your doctor is advisable to assess how you handled fasting and to discuss medication readjustments. Lastly remember Eid- ul Fitr is not the time of overindulgence. May the blessings of Ramadhan be on all of us and may Allah grant our prayers and fasts, Ramadhan Kareem!

Dr Mohammad Hayat Bhat is Consultant Endocrinologist at Govt Superspeciality Hospital, GMC, Srinagar

Read this article:
Diabetes and Ramadan: Frequently asked questions - Greater Kashmir

Zimbabwe remains in the grip of severe food insecurity, with millions of people already requiring humanitarian assistance due to prolonged drought, climate-related shocks, economic deterioration and the situation set to worsen as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, according to the new Global Food Crisis Report Forecast (GFCRF).

Thejoint report, released by the European Union, FAO, OCHA, UNICEF, USAID and WFP anticipates a worsening food insecurity situation in 2020 with an estimated 4.3 million rural Zimbabweans, including children, are in need of urgent action. On top of environmental factors, this is mainly due to the current economic crisis including hyperinflation, shortage of currency, fuel and prolonged power shortages; widespread poverty; high levels of HIV/AIDS; and low agricultural output as drivers of the crisis.

Millions of Zimbabweans are already struggling to put food on the table, having faced prolonged drought and economic hardship for some time. It is imperative that we unite, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe and provide urgent food assistance safely to prevent an already vulnerable population from slipping deeper into this hunger crisis, said WFP Country Director and Representative Eddie Rowe.

More than half of the children experiencing malnutrition are living in countries affected by the food crisis. The GFCRF estimates that 75 million children worldwide are stunted and 17 million are wasted.

Zimbabwe is also one of 10 countries where fewer than 20% of children between 6-23 months received a minimally adequate diet further compromising their lifelong quality of life, according to the new report. In addition,Zimbabwes Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, revealed about 1 in 4 children, under 5 were stunted and at risk of impaired physical and cognitive growth.

Food crises have a major impact on the quality, frequency and diversity of childrens diets and this is compounded by the inability for families across the country to provide adequate childcare during these increasingly challenging times, said UNICEF Representative, Laylee Moshiri. During this COVID-19 pandemic we must act decisively to continue essential nutrition and health services for all children.

FAO Representative Jocelyn Brown Hall said, Measures to curb the further spread of COVID-19 have the potential to impact negatively on the food system in Zimbabwe, such as through restricted access to markets by both farmers and consumers, and a glut of perishable nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. Deliberate measures are needed to prevent and mitigate against these.

Globally the report states that in 2019, 135 million people across 55 countries and territories experienced acute food insecurity. These same countries food systems are highly vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which will result in compromised health due to hunger which can increase the risks of exposure to the virus. The World Food Programmes Executive Director, David Beasley, who interacted with communities throughout Zimbabwe during an August 2019 visit, told the UN Security Council last week that the world was on the verge of a hunger pandemic caused by the Coronavirus. If we don't act now, we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a few short months, Beasley said.

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all countries across the globe, including the OECD countries and other high-income countries. This is making it increasingly difficult to prioritise the needs of populations typically affected by food crises. This has put an increased challenge on the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, towards the eradication of hunger and malnutrition.

The Global Report on Food Crises is the flagship publication of the The Global Network Against Food Crises, an alliance of humanitarian and development actors united by the commitment to tackle the root causes of food crises and promote sustainable solutions through shared analysis and knowledge, strengthened coordination in evidence-based responses and collective efforts across the Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) nexus.

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Africanews provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes.

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Coronavirus: Zimbabwe rated as one of the world's top global food crises in new United Nations report - Africanews English

Deciding whether to head outdoors or to stay at home has never before felt so fraught, as many of us continue the weigh the benefits of getting some fresh air versus the risks of getting sick. For many, however, the enticements of a spring day are too powerful to resist.

Yesterday it was raining and we felt kind of sorry for ourselves, but its hard to feel sorry for yourself on a sunny day like today, said Nancy Penman, a resident of Manhattans Upper West Side.

Ms. Penman was one of many who were maintaining a safe distance between themselves and others while they walked in Riverside Park on a recent afternoon. I hope they dont close the parks, she said. We need our sun. Ive heard it boosts the immune system.

Ms. Penman may have a point. There is now limited but convincing evidence that moderate sunlight exposure is capable of modulating the immune system and improving health, said Daniel Gonzlez Maglio, a professor at the University of Buenos Aires and researcher in the growing field of photo-immunology.

A daily dose of sunlight wont fend off or cure coronavirus, though researchers continue to explore the effects that warmer weather and ultraviolet rays might have on the virus. But scientists are finding that exposure to the sun has numerous other benefits that may be especially important now including helping to elevate mood, to improve the quality of our sleep and to strengthen the bodys innate defenses against a variety of pathogens.

The impact of sunlight on human health would not have been news for our ancestors, said the British researcher Richard Hobday, author of The Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said that if you have a city that is properly oriented toward the sun you dont have so many diseases in it, Dr. Hobday noted. Throughout history and all over the world, sunlight has been worshiped for its health-giving properties and used as a medicine.

These ancient beliefs received scientific validation in the early 20th century, when sunlight was employed to kill tuberculosis bacteria and to treat the deficiency disease, rickets. Inspired by sun advocates like the pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale, hospitals and sanitariums were designed with large east-facing windows and skylights to maximize sun exposure for their patients.

During the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19, patients who were treated in overflow tent hospitals and regularly taken out in the sun when they were in recovery had lower death rates than those who were left indoors in dark and poorly ventilated wards, Dr. Hobday reported in a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Enthusiasm for sunlight as medicine waned after antibiotics began to be widely used during the 1930s, but it has recently revived, as evidence mounts for the complex role that vitamin D sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, because the skin creates it when exposed to sunlight plays in human biology.

Over half of Americans do not produce enough vitamin D, a result of spending some 90 percent of our time indoors, according to Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine at Boston University. And thats a problem, he says, because too little vitamin D can weaken our bodys ability to fight off infections.

Dr. Holick recommends to many of his patients that they take supplements of vitamin D. Overweight people, he says, may need extra high doses. But consult your doctor before doing so, since high doses can cause kidney problems and other complications.

Dr. JoAnn Manson, the chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston and a Harvard professor, says that the jury is still out on optimal levels of vitamin D, though some people might benefit from supplements to hedge their bets.

The best approach is to have a heart-healthy diet and get the nutrients from foods, Dr. Manson said, and to spend time outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight. Being physically active outdoors helps people to maintain proper weight, reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease, benefits bone health, lowers stress and improves emotional well-being. The list of benefits from physical activity is extensive. Moreover, sun exposure enables the skin to create nitric oxide, which lowers blood pressure and improves cardiovascular health, Dr. Manson said.

But the fact that a little sunlight is good for health does not mean that a lot is better. Too much exposure suppresses the ability of the human immune system to efficiently detect and attack malignant cells, which can increase the risk of skin cancer, Dr. Maglio cautioned.

To gauge how long one can safely remain in the sun at different latitudes, seasons and times of day, Dr. Holick helped develop a free app called D Minder Pro that tracks the amount of vitamin D that your body is getting from exposure to the sun and warns you when you are staying outdoors too long.

Exposure to daylight is also critical for accurately setting our internal circadian clock, which in turn regulates sleep and waking, said Mariana Figueiro, the director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

Without adequate light, we can go into a kind of permanent jet lag, Dr. Figueiro explained, where we get more easily irritated and depressed, our immune function is suppressed and our overall health may deteriorate.

Not everyone will be able to get outside now, or feel safe doing so. Those who remain indoors may have to take some extra steps to be exposed to the light that they need to remain healthy.

If possible, work facing a window, especially in the morning hours, and avoid working in your basement, Dr. Figueiro advised. If you have one table lamp in the living room, you might want to increase that number to get the amount of light you need to stimulate the circadian system. You dont need special bulbs, she says, since ordinary incandescent lighting emits the wavelengths of light that we need to help set our biological clocks.

While exposure to morning light helps us to get a good nights sleep later on, in the evening it has the opposite effect. Turn off and dim your lights two hours prior to bedtime, because that is when your body starts producing melatonin, which is telling your body that it is night and time to go to sleep, Dr. Figueiro said.

She also recommends taking a daily 15 to 45 minute walk when possible, while being careful to maintain adequate social distance between yourself and others, since outdoor light, even on a cloudy day, is far brighter and more biologically potent than indoor light.

Scientists also continue to explore whether sunlight might fight the coronavirus directly, as it does for other viruses. Paul Dabisch, an aerobiology specialist with the Department of Homeland Security, together with several colleagues, published a paper in November that found that flu viruses are rapidly inactivated when exposed to the UV radiation in sunlight.

This is the first study to show that simulated sunlight will greatly decrease the infectivity of influenza virus contained in aerosol particles, he said.

These results might partly explain why flu transmission is lower during the summer, when people spend more time outdoors in the sun. It may be due to a combination of the fact that sunlight actually degrades the virus, and also that vitamin D has been shown to be effective in fending off infections, Dr. Dabisch said. His team and others are currently conducting research to determine whether sunlight also destroys the Covid-19 virus, or mitigates its effects.

While few scientists believe that the sun will prove to be a magic bullet against the pandemic, medical research already amply demonstrates that exposure to sunlight can help to make us happier and healthier at a time when we are in need of both.

Read the rest here:
Let the Sunshine In - The New York Times

If New Jersey businesses were given the green light to open their doors and operate under social distancing guidelines, most owners in the state believe they could follow the rules but making enough money to survive is another story.

In a New Jersey Business & Industry Association survey of its members, more than 50% of the 1,359 respondents said they would need at least 75% of their typical customer/client base in order to break even in a given month.

If a partial reopening 50%, the NJBIA survey assumes of a restaurant or shop were granted permission to open once again to the public, 21% of businesses believe they'd never be able to generate a profit. On the other hand, 50% of businesses believe their revenues can reach pre-COVID-19 profits within a year.

The survey didn't specifically ask businesses whether or not they would open the doors if granted permission by the state, but 70% of owners said they're able to operate safely under CDC social distancing guidelines customers remaining 6 feet away from others, for example.

"Reopening is one thing, sustainability is another," said NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka. "I think it's safe to say that there will be a numerous businesses, that if they can't open to a certain capacity, they're not going to be able to open."

Opening to the public in a way that accommodates rules meant to stem the spread of COVID-19, Siekerka noted, could mean capital improvements for certain businesses, such as added barriers or changes to the way customers enter and exit. A reopening will likely also include the need for employees to wear personal protective equipment, which is an added expense. Businesses will be "doubling down" on sanitizing efforts as well, she added.

"They want to present an environment that is going to be viewed and observed as being a safe place to be, so that they garner the credibility for people to come back," Siekerka said.

NJBIA's Business Recovery Survey was conducted between April 23 and 28. At that time, 74% of surveyed employers had applied for the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Of that group, 65% said they had not yet received their funding that helps pay for payroll costs, rent and other business-related expenses.

Meanwhile, 78% percent of businesses who applied for a Small Business Emergency grant or loan from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority had not received their funds.

"Meeting payroll costs" was sited among employers as the top struggle for their businesses, followed by "paying the rent," "ensuring worker safety," and "repaying existing loans on time."

Siekerka said the NJBIA continues to advocate for more flexibility within the PPP to assist businesses not only during their closure or slowdown, but in their recovery mode as well.

When asked what percentage of their typical in-person workforce is needed in order to operate productively, 27% of employers said they'd need 100% of their workers. Another 15% said they'd need at least 75% of their workforce to get the job done.

Originally posted here:
NJ business survey: Reopening and surviving aren't the same thing - wobm.com