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Some people follow specific diets to help ease the symptoms of diverticulitis, while others use home remedies.

Diverticulitis is an inflammatory condition of the digestive tract.

Small pouches called diverticula can form in the large intestine. This condition is called diverticulosis. If these pouches become inflamed or infected, the condition becomes known as diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis can be painful and may lead to complications. A person who has the condition will often find that certain foods aggravate their symptoms.

This article looks at eight potential home remedies for diverticulitis, as well as some complications of the condition and when to see a doctor.

A doctor may recommend a temporary liquid diet to someone experiencing a flare-up of symptoms. Some foods and drinks that people can prepare at home for a liquid diet include:

People should only follow a liquid diet for as long as their doctor recommends. This is to ensure that they do not miss out on essential nutrients.

As the symptoms ease, a doctor will recommend gradually reintroducing solid foods to the diet.

Adopting a low fiber diet can also help ease diverticulitis symptoms.

Some low fiber foods include:

Symptoms will usually improve within around 24 days, after which point a person can try gradually adding small amounts of fiber again.

Unless someone is experiencing a symptom flare-up, doctors recommend that people with diverticulitis include fiber in their diets.

Fiber can help prevent constipation. If a person is straining to pass a stool, this may cause bulging in the large intestine, increasing the likelihood that a pouch will form.

It is also important to drink enough water to keep the stool soft and easy to pass.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 20152020 recommend a fiber intake of 14 grams per 1,000 calories. Some high fiber foods include:

Some research suggests that people with lower vitamin D levels may be more at risk of diverticulitis and its complications. However, researchers have not verified this in further studies.

The recommended allowance of vitamin D for adults is 15 micrograms per day. The following sections will discuss some ways a person can obtain vitamin D.

Some food sources of vitamin D include:

Most people get some of their daily vitamin D allowance through sun exposure. UV light converts compounds in the skin into vitamin D.

The liver and fat cells also store vitamin D to use later on, when light levels are lower.

Although sunlight helps the body create vitamin D, people should still protect themselves from sun damage by using sunscreen and avoiding UV radiation from tanning beds.

A person can also take vitamin D as a supplement to top up their levels. This may help when light levels are low during the winter months. It may also help people who do not eat many vitamin D-rich foods.

Vitamin D supplements come in two forms: D-2 (ergocalciferol) and D-3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D-2 may be less potent than D-3 at higher doses, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Some people get relief from painful stomach cramps by applying heat. Different types of heat pad that people can try include:

To prevent burns, people should set electric devices to a low setting and cover hot water bottles with a towel.

Probiotics contain beneficial species of gut bacteria. In some cases, they can also help with digestive conditions.

One 2016 review suggests that probiotics may reduce symptoms and recurrence in diverticular disease. However, there is not yet enough evidence to prove that probiotics are an effective treatment for diverticulitis.

People can try a probiotic supplement or fermented foods that contain probiotics. Some fermented foods include:

When trying probiotics or probiotic foods for the first time, it is a good idea to test them out in small amounts. People tolerate different foods and probiotic strains differently.

Sometimes, probiotics can also cause side effects, such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

Exercise releases endorphins, which are the bodys natural pain relievers. This might help alleviate pain due to diverticulitis.

Low-to-medium impact exercise has anti-inflammatory effects, according to one 2019 review. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week.

The American Heart Association (AHA) suggest these forms of moderate intensity exercise:

Exercise can also help prevent constipation.

Herbs and spices that have anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial properties may benefit people with diverticulitis.

However, because there is a lack of research on how these work for people with diverticulitis, it is unclear how effective they are for this condition.

Herbal remedies can interact with medications, so it is important that people check with a medical professional before trying a new product.

People can consume herbs and spices as a food or as a supplement. For example:

Garlic can be helpful as an ingredient in meals, but it is high in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs). FODMAPs are carbohydrates that can cause digestive symptoms in some people. For these people, a pure allicin supplement may be easier to tolerate.

Diverticulitis symptoms can come on suddenly and cause pain. Sometimes, the condition can cause serious complications, which include:

If a persons symptoms get worse, they should see their doctor. Sometimes, the condition requires emergency treatment at a hospital.

Symptoms that may require medical attention include:

Home remedies for diverticulitis can help people manage their condition. The treatments they use will depend on what works best for them and whether or not they are taking medications that could cause interactions.

Diet, exercise, and exposure to sunlight all play a part in relieving the symptoms and flare-ups associated with diverticulitis.

People with diverticulitis should seek advice from their doctor before trying any new home remedies. If a person has symptoms of any complications, they should seek medical attention.

People can buy many of the home remedies listed above online:

Originally posted here:
Diverticulitis: 8 home remedies and natural treatments - Medical News Today

Researchers at the University of Sydney have discovered the basic science of how sweet taste perception is fine-tuned in response to different diets. While it has long been known that food can taste different based on previous experience, until now we didn't know the molecular pathways that controlled this effect.

Professor Greg Neely at the Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences with Professor Qiaoping Wang (formerly at the Charles Perkins Centre and now based at Sun Yat-Sen University, China) used fruit flies to study sweet taste. They learned that taste is highly subjective based on previous experience.

Professor Neely said they learned four important things:

1. The food animals eat can change how they perceive future food.

2. This response uses the same machinery that the brain uses to learn.

3.Pathways that can extend lifespan were also involved in enhancing taste perception, and diets in fruit flies that promote long life were also found to enhance taste perception.

4. Lifespan, learning and sensory perception are linked in ways we are just starting to understand.

"We found that the fruit fly 'tongue' - taste sensors on its proboscis and front feet - can learn things using the same molecular pathways that the fly brain uses to learn things. Central to this is the neurotransmitter dopamine.

"It turns out these are also the same chemical pathways that humans use to learn and remember all sorts of things," Professor Neely said. "This really highlights how learning is a whole-body phenomenon; and was a complete surprise to us."

Professor Wang, who led the study, said: "We were surprised to find that a protein-restricted diet that makes an animal live much longer also turns up the intensity of sucrose perception for that animal, and that is dependent on the same learning and longevity pathways.

"The response was also really specific. For example, when we fed flies food that had no sweetness, the animals' sweet taste perception was enhanced, but only for glucose, not for fructose. We have no idea why they specifically focus just on one kind of sugar when they perceive them both as sweet."

"We also found that eating high amounts of sugar suppressed sweet taste perception, making sugar seem less sweet," Professor Neely said. "This finding, which occurs through a different mechanism, matched nicely with recent results from our colleague Monica Dus at the University of Michigan, who is the world expert in this area."

Taste study

The researchers found if they changed the diet of the fruit fly (increasing sugar, removing taste of sugar, increasing protein, changing sugar for complex carbohydrate), this drastically altered how well the fruit fly could taste subsequent sugar after a few days. Flies normally live about 80 days in optimal circumstances.

"We found that when flies ate unsweetened food, this made sugary food taste much more intense," Professor Wang said.

"Then we looked at all the proteins that changed in the fruit fly 'tongue' in response to diet, and we investigated what was happening," Professor Neely said.

They found the sensation of taste is controlled by dopamine (the "reward" neuromodulator). The researchers then mapped the pathway and found the same pathways that are well established as controlling learning and memory or promoting long life also enhance taste sensation.

"While this work was conducted in fruit flies, the molecules involved are conserved through to humans. We know humans also experience changes in taste perception in response to diet, so it's possible the whole process is conserved; we will have to see," Professor Wang said.

The research published inCell Reports, is a follow up study to Professor's Neely's work testing the effects of artificial sweeteners in humans. That research found artificial sweeteners activate a neuronal starvation pathway, and end up promoting increased food intake, especially when combined with a low-carb diet.

"Our first studies were focused on how different food additives impact the brain, and from this we found taste changed in response to diet, so here we followed up that observation and describe how that works," Professor Neely said. "Turns out the fly 'tongue' itself is remembering what has come before, which is kind of neat."

Read the rest here:
The science of how diet can change the way sugar tastes - Jill Lopez

THE nation is boozing its way through lockdown, with sales of alcohol up by a third.

It is no surprise that after a long day of work, home-schooling children and housework, many of us want to relax with a glass of wine and easy-to-cook dinner.

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The good news is that even beans on toast can have its flavours enhanced when paired with the right wine.

Here, online wine expert Helena Nicklin picks the perfect plonk to sip with your simple suppers with all bottles under a tenner.

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THIS refreshing white wine has bags of ripe, juicy flavour.

Pinot Gris is the best grape for this and will offer the most fruit on the palate.

My choice to quaff is this stunner from New Zealand.

It will balance the mild spice nicely, but is punchy enough to avoid being completely overpowered by the taste of curry sauce.

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CHICKEN just loves the Chardonnay grape, even more so when the meat has been fried.

You need bold, tropical notes and a splash of crisp citrus to pep up your fried foul and make the batter sing.

This great-value and delightfully balanced Australian Chardonnay is full bodied and crisp.

It matches perfectly with a bucket of wings.

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JUICY, soft and red, a classic bottle of Merlot originating from a country with lots of sun is the perfect match for baked beans.

This one has aromas of blackberries, strawberries and raspberries.

Its luscious, velvety tones are exactly what you need to offset the texture of crunchy toast and the slightly sweet flavour of your classic tinned topping.

Beanz meanz Merlot.

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CAN'T be bothered to cook and ended up grabbing a bowl of cereal on the sofa instead? Weve all done it.

With mild-flavoured, non-sugary cereals such as cornflakes or Rice Krispies, its best to glug something white, dry and weighty, preferably with earthy flavours.

This powerful French white with Grenache blanc and Marsanne grapes is ideal.

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ARGENTINIAN Malbec is a perfect partner for robust, beefy dishes.

It is smooth, silky and sophisticated, but it is also bold and ballsy with ripe blueberry fruit and milk- chocolate notes thanks to its high-altitude vineyard plots.

This bargain bottle of red will give real boom to your bolognese.

It is exactly what you want when you have made the effort to cook.

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SWEET desserts ideally need to be paired with sweet wines, or whatever is in your glass will end up tasting unpleasantly metallic.

This Australian dessert wine is great value and could be a pud in itself with its golden colour and gloriously honeyed apricot notes.

Its intense, syrupy flavours go perfectly with any classic fruit and custard combos. Cheers.

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HOT spice can be tricky to match with wine but the Italians have come up with the answer here.

This Sicilian red is made in a special style called appassimento, which uses partly dried grapes.

This gives it more body and tang with some oaky notes to prevent it tasting too dry, but also provides ripe cherry sweetness.

A perfect foil for chewy dough, creamy cheese and sizzling pepperoni toppings.

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RAISE a glass of fizz as you dip a chip into your yolk. Bubbles are a great match for fried foods but avoid prosecco, itll be too sweet.

This cava is an affordable Spanish option made just like champagne but with different, local grapes.

Its cool, crisp, slightly sharper bubbles will cut through any grease to freshen everything up on your palate, and its savoury, toasty notes will stand up well to salty, eggy flavours.

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A COMFORTING dish like this needs an equally comforting white wine.

The southern Italian Fiano white grape is easy-drinking, inexpensive and full of character. The orange, passionfruit and lemon notes in this bottle match well with salty cheese like cheddar, and will bring some refreshing zing to help counteract starchy carbs.

Exactly what you need with your jacket spud.

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk

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Whether youre tucking into pizza or egg & chips we reveal perfect wine pairings for your isolation diet - The Sun

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common medical condition affecting women. In this,women start to produce more than normal amounts of male hormones. This causes a hormonalimbalance in the body leading to irregular periods anddifficulty inconceiving. It also increasesthe growth of hair on the body and face and contributes to health problems like heart disease anddiabetes.

Heres how it affects the body

Too much testosterone in the body can affect your menstrual cycle by preventing ovulation.It also disrupts sugar levels in the body. The body starts producing a higher-than-normal amount of insulin. When there is excess insulin in the body, it also increases the testosterone levels in the body causing absent or irregular periods, reduced fertility, alopecia or less hair on the head, hirsutism or excess hair on face and body, changes in the skin like dark skin patches or acne.

When a woman is suffering from PCOS, her body image takes a hit and her self-esteem goesdown. It is very common for women to experience anxiety and depression from the physicalchanges their body is going through. And now that you have to stay at home because ofthe lockdown, this feeling can get extreme. So, it is more important than ever to control thesesymptoms. A few tweaks in your lifestyle can help in improving the signs and symptoms.There are two major fields to work on exercise and nutrition. Here are some exercises you can try during quarantine:

Cardio:These are moderate exercises and can help women with PCOS. Doing cardio for about 30 minutes a day can help with symptoms of anxiety, depression, weight management, and improve the frequency of ovulation and menstrual cycles.

Strength training:Bodyweight exercises that you can do from the comfort of your home like push-ups andsquats can help in improving the function of insulin.

Interval training:This involves swapping between small durations of high-intensity workout and low-intensity recovery. Not only will you be able to get relief from the symptoms of PCOS, but you will also be boosting cardiovascular fitness. It improves insulin resistance and reduces excess testosterone.

Core strength:Core training is important when your weight is resulting in poor posture and lower back pain. Make sure that you switch the muscles supporting the spine so you dont hurt yourself while exercising.The most important thing is to choose something that you enjoy and consult a doctor tomake sure that it is the right one for you.

Diet

Some dietary restrictions can help in relieving symptoms of PCOS:

Do not eat red meat as it increases the risk of infertility. This means no steaks, hamburgers or pork, too.

Avoid eating hydrogenated and saturated fats like in dairy-based products. Also, baked goods contain a lot of these fats.

Eat a lot of green vegetables like broccoli and lettuce. You can also have red fruits that are rich in antioxidants and nutrients like berries. Make sure to include plant proteins like lentils, legumes, and dried beans in your daily diet.

You need to follow a diabetic diet as you are insulin resistant. This means that your diet should have foods that are low in carbs and rich in fibre. This includes wheat, whole grains, poha, wheat pasta, and brownrice.

Avoid any refined carbohydrate products like white bread, biscuits, and pastries. Also, stay away from sugary beverages like energy drinks and sodas.

Women with PCOS experience water retention. So, it is important that you eat frequent, small meals and have enough water.

Here is what you should eat

Cereals: Bran flakes, barley, brown bread, multi-grain bread, whole wheat porridge, muesli, oatmeal, oats, quinoa, whole wheat.

Dairy products: Skimmed milk, tofu, yogurt, paneer, and soy milk.

Fruits: Apples, berries, pears, peaches, plums, oranges, papaya, and watermelons.

Nuts: Almonds, flaxseeds, and walnuts.

Pulses: Beans, chana dal, green moong, whole pulses, and yellow moong.

Dealing with PCOS can be difficult. However, if you follow your doctors advice, eat healthy food and work out regularly, it becomes slightly manageable.

(The author is consultant OB-GYN,Apollo Cradle, Brookefield, Bengaluru)

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Do the balancing act - Deccan Herald

For the first time in 70 years, 100-year-old professor Thomas Freeman cannot go to work at Texas Southern University.

A global pandemic has done what nothing else could: Forced him to stay at home.

Freeman was the ever-present elder of the TSU debate team until COVID-19 closed the university in Houstons Third Ward as well as most college campuses across the country.

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Over the years, some of Freemans students have earned great renown for their oratorical skills. Early in his career, while teaching a religion class at Morehouse College in Atlanta in the late 1940s, one of his students was a young man named Martin Luther King, Jr. Upon arriving at TSU, Freeman helped a bright, young woman harness the power of her voice. That student was Barbara Jordan, who would become the first Black woman from the South elected to Congress. When preparing for his role as a forensics professor in The Great Debaters film, two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington traveled to Houston to consult with Freeman.

Now, the coach emeritus of the debate team he founded in 1949 waits at home bored and wanting to be with the students, according to Gloria Batiste-Roberts, DPH, Freemans former student and successor as director and debate coach at what is now called the T.F. Freeman Center for Forensic Excellence.

At a prolonged time of COVID-19 uncertainty, illness and death, Freeman shares his life experience on overcoming adversity, achieving longevity and devoting time to meaningful endeavors.

Thomas Franklin Freeman, Ph.D., who was born in 1919, turns 101 in June.

Q | Has involvement with students for many decades contributed to your longevity?

A | Im not so sure that it has contributed to the longevity. I am reasonably sure that it has contributed to my continuous activity. Because I have this to do, I have a reason for existence. Whether that has contributed to longevity, I dont know, but it definitely is a factor. Senility would have set in had I not continued my activity. Continuous activity means muscles are in use and continue development.

Q | How have the students benefited from your longevity?

A | The older you grow, the greater your chances of making valuable contributions to those who are coming along who could not even imagine what you have experienced. Sharing with them helps them lift themselves out of some situations through which you have already gone.

Q | Most people will succumb, ultimately, to heart disease, accidents or cancer. How have you avoided those to become a centenarian?

A | I dont think I have avoided those three things. I think I have avoided the consequences of those three things. The human body is subject to attacks and somehow is not destroyed. I have prevailed by the grace and mercy of God.

Q | You dont drink alcohol or smoke, do you?

A | I am not a smoking man. Im not a drinking man. I am not a carousing man.

Q | Do you think that accounts, even in part, for your long life?

A | I dont know. Im from a family of longevity. My dad lived to be 95. My mother, 87. I have one sister left and she is 82. There were 15 of us and only two left.

Q | What advice do you have for people who want to live a long time?

A | A lot of things that are happening are not under our control. What we need to do as a society is to return to moral values as a basis for good lives. As families, we have to rebuild the moral structure so one has a guide to determine behavior. That starts in the home. Train up a child in the way that they should go.

Q | Do you do any particular exercises?

A | My wife tries to get me to walk and I say, Ill walk when Im going somewhere. Somebody gave me a stationary bike, but I dont use it.

Q | Do you have a special diet?

A | Whatever my wife serves, I eat. She happens to be a good cook and wants to do it. I have a well-balanced meal every time I sit at the table.

Q | Your wife, Mrs. Clarice Freeman, is in her 90s?

A | Yes, 99. [She turns 100 in August.]

Q | How long have you been married?

A | It will be 67 years in 2020. [They wed in 1953.] Three children; four grandchildren.

Q | How has working as a professor and as a minister enhanced your contribution to both education and faith?

A | Its like the left hand and the right hand. Without one, you couldnt do as much. One balances the other. Ive been pastoring for 69 years and Ive been at TSU for 70 years.

Q | From the perspective of what we now call brain health, how do you keep your mind sharp?

A | The activity that is transpiring now is a part of that. I interact with people. Without interaction, there would be stagnation. If I sat here all day long and looked at the chair, we would get nowhere. With a person sitting in the chair, there is an interaction.

Q | How does it feel to be a centenarian?

A | I can hardly believe that I am 100 years old. [Laughs heartily.]

This conversation is a compilation of two interviews, one from 2019 and another from earlier this year, between Freeman and TMC Pulse Assistant Editor Cindy George. The responses have been edited for clarity and length.

Original post:
Soul Survivor: Wisdom from a TSU professor who went to work for 70 yearsuntil COVID-19 - TMC News - Texas Medical Center News

People living in the Miami Valley have mixed opinions on Gov. Mike DeWines plan to reopen the state.

In his press conference on Monday afternoon, DeWine announced that starting on May 1 health care and dentists would begin opening up, manufacturing and construction will open on May 4 and retail and services will open on May 12.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said no business will be required to reopen. Employees and customers will all be required to wear masks.

Bellbrook resident Harold Phelps is scheduled to go back to work on May 1, but he is nervous about catching the coronavirus. Phelps works for a dental lab delivering supplies to various dentist offices in the area. He doesnt think the state should reopen now.

I think it is still too soon, Phelps said.

Phelps said he would love to eat at a restaurant, but wont go right after they reopen because he doesnt want to be around a crowd of people.

Everyone is anxious to get back to normal, but it wont be normal yet, Phelps said.

Complete coronavirus coverage

Chasady Combs, who lives in Jefferson Twp., is ready for Ohio to reopen.

I think he should be cautious about reopening, because we dont want another outbreak, Combs said. But some peoples livelihoods depend on it. If you dont start reopening some things, a lot of people are going to be in a really bad situation.

Combs is one of those people.

She was laid off from her job at Panera Bread because of the coronavirus and has had to get another job as a car hop at another restaurant.

With no unemployment and no stimulus, were struggling, Combs said.

Combs and her 15-year-old son waited in line for the mass food distribution in Greene County at Wright States Nutter Center for three hours last week to be turned away.

I cried all the way home, Combs said. Its hard enough to ask for a hand out and then for that to happen.

RELATED:Heres what DeWines plan to reopen Ohio says, what businesses must do

Combs husband is considered essential and has continued to work his construction job.

If stuff dont start opening up, people wont be out and we wont be able to make money, Combs said, and tips is how I make most of my money.

Combs said that her family struggles every day to try to figure out how to put food on the table.

Bills are still coming in, she said. When this is all over, were still going to get our bills.

Her teenage son has had three open heart surgeries and is now on a restricted diet. Combs said she worries about the virus because of her son.

Its hard to get him what he needs and stay in his diet restrictions, Combs said. Im ready to bang my head against the wall.

MORE:Are kids learning right now? And what will school look like in August?

Leslie Scott of Kettering doesnt think the state should open back up.

I dont think were ready, Scott said. Until we start to see a steady decline in deaths, I dont think we should reopen. I just dont think its smart.

Scott said she feels that Gov. Dewine is catering to pressure from the president and from protesters.

I understand the frustration of the people who are out there protesting. It is frustrating to see how many people have lost their jobs and it is frustrating to just sit at home, she said. I dont think they fully understand or believe that its real. They just arent being informed, Im not saying that the people out there are uneducated, just that theyre not fully informed on the issue.

Scott is a manager at the Dayton Mall and said she is afraid to go back to work her business is one that would be allowed to open on May 12. She has fibromyalga and because of that has chronic exhaustion.

Since Scott manages a store, if stores were to reopen she would have to report back to work.

If I got sick it would devastate my body, Scott said.

Scott has been able to work from home since stores have been closed. She plans to wear a mask and be diligent about social distancing in her store when possible.

Just from me going out to the grocery store, it seems like a lot of people dont care. I see kids in shopping carts, with both parents, and no one is wearing protective gear, Scott said. I know it is rough right now, but if we stay strong now well be able to get out of this soon. If there is a second wave, this is going to affect our older family members and our children.

MORE:More women than men losing jobs in Ohio. Heres why.

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Heres what area people are saying about Ohio reopening - Dayton Daily News

WHILE most of us are concerned about keeping ourselves and family members protected from COVID-19 (and rightfully so), there are other dangers lurking around that can have serious health consequences. The break in routine, combined with regular snacking and a lack of physical activity can actually exacerbate an already existing problem in T&T childhood obesity and chronic lifestyle diseases among our nations youth.

Prior to the pandemic, statistics revealed that In Trinidad alone obesity rates rose from three to 11 per cent in the past ten years and that children were becoming more prone to diabetes, elevated blood pressure and elevated cholesterol at a younger age, said diabetes educator and dietician James Harper.

In addition to that, studies done in the past have shown that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among children was mostly as a result of their habits or lifestyle choices which include a lack of exercise, unhealthy diets and a sedentary lifestyle, said family practitioner Dr Visham Bhimull.

The temporary closure of fast food restaurants doesnt necessarily mean that everyone is suddenly eating healthier, rather, the natural tendency for any human being whether adult or child is to eat more than they should when they are at home, said Bhimull.

Eating food is not just a matter of taking in nutrition, its also considered a social activity. So if kids are eating unhealthy foods especially now that they are home it will obviously affect them in the long run and put them at risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, said Bhimull.

Protect your immune system

During these times, it is especially important that our immune system is functioning at its best said Bhimull who suggested that households include in their daily diet fruits, vegetables and legumes which support the immune system. As part of our Trinidadian culture, we consume meat daily but its recommended that meat should actually be included in our diet two to three times a week.

These unprecedented times give parents the opportunity to involve their children while preparing meals, so that they could teach them what is healthy as opposed to what is not, said Bhimull.

Good eats

Instilling healthy eating habits in children must begin with the parents, emphasised Harper who has spent years helping diabetics make wise decisions regarding their diet.

Kids follow by example. Its the responsibility of the parents to provide healthy options for their children. Children are visual eaters, if they see the parent eating something they will want to try it too,said Harper. Parents need to make healthy food fun - for instance children like pizza, so you can make a whole wheat pizza and grate the cheese over vegetables.

Or you can make ice popsicles using fresh fruit juice and incorporate vegetable purees in macaroni pie or with mac and cheese. There are many websites that help parents to be innovative when it comes to picky eaters.

So instead of making chocolate chip cookies, make oatmeal cookies and instead of ice cream, freeze some bananas and mix them with yoghurt as an ice cream substitute. This is also a time to instill in children that unhealthy snacks are to be enjoyed once in a while and not every day.

Exercise routine

In addition to helping a child adopt a healthier diet, exercise is crucial. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain and chronic disease.

You have to look at the logistics of ones home, a person who lives in a house with an open space may have more resources to allow their kids to move around and get in some physical activity as opposed to someone living in an apartment in Maloney.

But even if you dont have the facility or yard, something that is recommended is listening to music and dancing, there are also games children can play that can keep them physically active like hopscotch and other games that their parents may be more familiar with,said Bhimull.

Having lots of unstructured time can lead to unhealthy habits like overeating and sedentary behaviour, so its especially important that parents work with their children to install a routine, said the physician.

If your daily schedule is disorganised, you can feel a loss of control and spiral into anxiety and depression. The same applies to children, said Bhimull. Its recommended that a childs routine include a set time for getting up and going to sleep, as well as time for school work, chores and recreational activities.

By preparing meals with the help of their children, taking responsibility at home and having a routine which involves exercise, parents can use this opportunity to exchange poor lifestyle choices with good ones. This in turn can help reduce the incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases among our youths.

One wonders when this is over if homemade meals may become more en vogue than buying fast food. I think that would be one of the positives to come out of this pandemic. But one would hope that it would spark a change regarding our habits and that we would choose healthy habits as opposed to unhealthy ones, said Bhimull.

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The impact of unhealthy eating - Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspapers