When healthy eating becomes an unhealthy obsession

from: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/when-healthy-eating-becomes-an-unhealthy-obsession-20140716-ztjz9.html

Date

July 16, 2014 - 4:01PM

Rose Powell

Journalist

The Blonde Vegan, aka Jordan Younger, found her blogging masked an eating disorder. Photo: The Blonde Vegan Facebook Page

Jordan Younger wasn't just any old vegan.
She was 'The Blonde Vegan', whose blog and Instagram account detailed her meals and recipes to tens of thousands of followers.
As someone obsessed with healthy eating, it came as a surprise to Younger when, just over a year into her public journey with veganism, the 23-year-old began to feel tired all the time, suffered skin breakouts and stopped getting her period.

Jordan Younger has turned away from veganism and is recovering from orthorexia nervosa. Photo: The Blonde Vegan Facebook Page

She recently told People magazine she had been diagnosed with orthorexia nervosa, a condition characterised by an overwhelming focus on a limited diet with elaborate rules that can evolve from an obsessive approach to diet, health and well being.

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"I was spending the entire day obsessing about eating only vegetables, green juices, fruits and occasionally nuts and grains," said Ms Younger, adding food was no longer enjoyable. "I was following thousands of rules in my head that were making me sick."
The term orthorexia nervosa was coined in 1997 by Californian doctor Steve Bratman in a book titled Health Food Junkies. He defined the condition as a fixation on healthy eating or pure food such as vegetables. The rigid approach to healthy eating usually includes extensive and even punitive exercise regimes.
While the condition isn’t officially recognised by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Australia’s peak body for body image illnesses said it conforms to the behaviours that define eating disorders, which affect more than 900,000 Australians.
There are four broad types of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating. According to the Butterfly Foundation, Orthorexia fits into the fourth category: identifiable sets of behaviours that make up a condition not otherwise specified.
Chief executive Christine Morgan told Fairfax Media eating disorders have a genetic predeterminant that is triggered by a nutritional deprivation.
“Nutritional deprivation is one of the key behavioural elements of an eating disorder. This can manifest in many forms, either by excluding whole foods groups or food types and then obsessively managing the consumption of these foods. Other behaviours include excessive exercise, withdrawal from social settings where food is involved, secrecy and covert behaviours.”
Jordan Younger launched The Blonde Vegan in early 2013, accumulating more than 70,000 Instagram followers, sharing photos, tips and recipes.
In a recent blog post explaining why she was transitioning away from veganism - she has since renamed herself The Balanced Blonde - Ms Younger said her online persona had obscured her understanding of what she was going through.
"My blog made it hard for me to see that I had an eating disorder. If I wasn't so closely tied to the vegan identity I'd given myself, I would have realised it a lot sooner," Ms Younger said.
Amanda Benham, a practising nutritionist with a masters in health science, said
veganism was an ethical position rather than a fad diet.
“It would be a bit of a stretch to blame veganism for an eating disorder,” Ms Benham said. “My guess is she had a predisposition for this, so whether she went on a vegan or a paleo or a low-carb diet, the outcome might have been the same.”
She said that provided vegans followed a few basic principles, they could maintain a healthy diet and life.
If you are concerned that you or someone close to you is grappling with an eating disorder, seek help. The Butterfly Foundation: 1800 334 673; Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14; Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/when-healthy-eating-becomes-an-unhealthy-obsession-20140716-ztjz9.html#ixzz37cJpAvDn

from: http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/Dont-Eat-To-Feel-Feel-Better.html


News From the Field
Monday, July 14, 2014

The Diet That Fights Stress

Why carbs are not always (ever?) your friend

By: Lauren Steele

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No, really, you are what you eat. Photo: Crafty Cook Nook/Google CC

In a national survey administered by the Harvard School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and NPR found that more than one-third of participants change their diets during times of stress. More often than not, those changes are not good.
Stress causes many to turn to comfort foods, such as sugary foods or refined carbohydrates, which actually led to discomfort and more stress in the form of a tighter waistband.
In a separate study by researchers at Harvard University published in the journal Pediatrics, breakfasts high in protein, high in fiber, and high on the glycemic index were pitted against one another to see which type caused participants to become hungry again quickly. Researchers found that foods high on the glycemic index cause a spike in blood sugar and a hunger-inducing crash, plus a surge in the stress hormone adrenaline.
Although a cookie or plate of pasta may seem like a quick fix to a stressful situation, the connection between what you eat and your mood should make you reach for foods that can make your body more resilient to its stress responses. Joe Hibbeln, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, points at sources of omega-3 fatty acids and nutrient-rich foods as best to beat stress.
"One of the most basic ways that omega-3s help to regulate mood is by quieting down the [body's] response to inflammation," Hibbeln told NPR.
Fish (even canned), Swiss chard, eggs, chia seeds, leafy greens, and dark chocolate are all chock-full of nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins that can help strengthen immune response, boost your mood, and, most important, satisfy hunger.

So next time you are feeling like you are going to crack from the pressure, crack a few eggs and whip yourself up a stress-busting breakfast.

http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/nutrition/The-High-Performance-Benedict.html

Next time you feel like you're going to crack from the pressure, crack a few eggs and whip up a stress-busting breakfast.

from: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2014/7/11/report-patientgenerated-data-will-help-shape-future-of-medicine

Report: Patient-Generated Data Will Help Shape Future of Medicine

Friday, July 11, 2014

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Patient-generated data will play a critical role in the future of medicine and will help shape the evidence base that physicians, patients and policymakers use to improve the quality of care, according to an analysis published in Health Affairs, Modern Healthcare's "Vital Signs" reports (Conn, "Vital Signs," Modern Healthcare, 7/9).

Report Details

For the analysis, Duke University researchers examined the effect of collecting real-world data directly from 

from: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2014/7/11/report-patientgenerated-data-will-help-shape-future-of-medicine

patients as opposed to gathering such data through randomized controlled trials (Dvorak, FierceHealthIT, 7/10).

The authors defined patient-generated data as patient-reported outcomes.

Report Findings

The report found that patient-generated data will be "critical to developing the evidence base that informs decisions made by patients, providers and policymakers in pursuit of high-value medical care."

Specifically, the researchers wrote that the "key to high-quality, patient-generated data is to have immediate and actionable data" that allows patients to realize the importance of the data for research, as well as their personal care.

They added, "The easier it is for patients and clinicians to navigate [personal data], the more relevant that information will be to patient care, the more invested patients and clinics will be in contributing high-quality data, and the better the data in the big-data ecosystem will be" ("Vital Signs," Modern Healthcare, 7/9).

The researchers noted that physicians are increasingly using data captured directly from patients to help understand patients' health outcomes. They added that the ability to capture such data is growing in part because of the widespread adoption and use of electronic health records and monitoring devices.

However, they noted that full EHR implementation and interoperability have yet to be achieved (FierceHealthIT, 7/10).

In the meantime, the researchers recommended that physicians take simple steps to better familiarize patients the data collection efforts, such as by physicians telling a patient that they have seen their "symptom report" ("Vital Signs," Modern Healthcare, 7/9).

Binge - emotional eating recognized as disorder

from: http://voiceofrussia.com/radio_broadcast/no_program/274505829/

The American Psychiatric Association only recently recognized binge eating disorder as a diagnosable condition. It defines binge eating as "recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances, with episodes marked by feelings of lack of control."

Binge eating is different from occasionally overeating: it is a systematic, recurrent pattern that is associated with significant physical and psychological problems. Its onset usually occurs later than that of other eating disorders, according to Leanne Thorndyke, head of communications at BEAT - UK’s leading charity organization supporting people affected by eating disorders:

“Binge eating disorder has over the years been a growing problem. Until the changes to the diagnostic criteria it was in sort of a residual group of a whole range of different things that didn’t really fit anywhere else. So now it is a recognized eating disorder in its own right. It affects people who are slightly older, maybe in their 30’s or 40’s. There is also an even split between the affected men and women, whereas sometimes some of the other eating disorders tend to affect more women.”

People with binge eating disorder often have a mental obsession with food, weight, diet or body image. The illness has a profound effect on a person's self-esteem, relationships, finances, daily activities, and quality of life. Sufferers often become depressed or anxious because of their eating patterns and then get stuck in a never-ending cycle, trying to “eat their grief away,” Leanne Thorndyke said.

For people with binge eating disorder, it’s important to pinpoint the exact feelings or thoughts that are getting suppressed by food, Theresa Kinsella, a New York-based registered dietitian specializing in eating disorders, noted:

“Most of the time emotional eating, or binge eating, is a red flag that someone is not getting their emotional needs met. But often someone is not aware of what those emotional needs are. So we try to use the symptomatic eating as a sign, a positive sign, that there is some potential learning about what emotional needs aren’t getting met,” Theresa Kinsella said.

Binge eating is a lot like drug addiction. For the successful treatment of the disorder it is critical to identify why a person is turning to food or to the obsessive thoughts of disordered eating. Many times there are unresolved traumas or a lifetime of abandoning their self, feelings or emotions. According to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, treatment programs with cognitive behavioral therapy are significantly more effective in treating binge eating disorder than weight loss programs. To fully recover from binge eating a person must always deal with the underlying, internal causes of the disorder firs
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/radio_broadcast/no_program/274505829/

Are rotten eggs the key to curing diabetes, strokes, heart attacks and dementia?

from: http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/are-rotten-eggs-the-key-to-curing-diabetes-strokes-heart-attacks-and-dementia/

Scientists have found that hydrogen sulfide, a chemical which stinks like rotten eggs, can offer health benefits to people suffering from diabetes, stroke, heart attacks and even dementia. Scientists at the University of Exeter have come up with a new compound (AP39) that protects mitochondria, the ‘powerhouse’ of cells, which drives energy production in blood vessel cells. Preventing or reversing mitochondrial damage is a key strategy for treatments of a variety of conditions such as stroke, heart failure, diabetes and arthritis, dementia and ageing. Mitochondria determine whether cells live or die and they regulate inflammation. In the clinic, dysfunctional mitochondria are strongly linked to disease severity. Professor Matt Whiteman from the University explained that when cells become stressed by disease, they draw in enzymes to generate minute quantities of hydrogen sulfide. This keeps the mitochondria ticking over and allows cells to live. If this doesn’t happen, the cells die and lose the ability to regulate survival and control inflammation. Their results indicate that if stressed cells are treated with AP39, which slowly delivers very small amounts of this gas specifically to the mitochondria, the cells stay alive. Dr. Mark Wood of Biosciences added that although hydrogen sulfide is well known as a pungent, foul-smelling gas in rotten eggs and flatulence, it is naturally produced in the body and could in fact be a healthcare hero with have significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases. The scientists are now working towards advancing the research to a stage where it can be tested in humans. The study was published in the journal Medicinal Chemistry Communications. What is stroke? Also known as a cerebrovascular accident, stroke is a medical emergency that arises when arteries that supply blood to the brain get affected. As a result a part of the brain doesn’t receive sufficient blood supply. Without blood and nutrient supply, the brain cells get affected and can die within a few minutes. Stroke often results in long-term dysfunction of the body part controlled by the affected brain area. There are two main types of strokes: ischemic stroke and haemorrhagic stroke. An ischemic stroke is caused due to a block (blood clot) in the blood vessel whereas a haemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding through a tear in the blood vessel. Damage occurred by has a huge impact on various aspects of life and well-being. A single stroke can makes a person age by 36 years. People who survive a stroke need rigorous treatment and rehabilitation methods to achieve full recovery. Strokes can be prevented with healthy diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. Stroke can be more damaging in women and hence women can refer to these guidelines for stroke prevention in women. In this section, you’ll find useful articles like identifying symptoms of stroke, improper hypertension medication and risk of strokes, role of oranges in preventing strokes and latest drugs reversing the effect of stroke. Read more about Stroke – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention What is dementia? Dementia refers to a group of degenerative mental diseases in which there is a serious loss of cognitive function which goes beyond normal ageing. Symptoms include confusion, mood swings, long-term memory loss and a gradual loss of bodily functions. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It is caused due to plaque deposition in the brain’s neurons which affects its functioning and causes it to die. Why this happens is still not clear though research suggests it’s linked to genetic susceptibility and mental age. Read more about Dementia — causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention What is heart attack? A heart attack also referred to as a myocardial infarction (MI), coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion. It usually occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked suddenly due to complete blockage of the artery supplying blood to the heart. This causes the heart muscle cells to die. The blockage of artery is often caused by plaque formation (deposition and hardening of fatty substances and cholesterol on the walls of arteries) resulting in coronary heart disease (CHD). If left untreated it can be fatal. Some of the symptoms of heart attack include feeling a tight band around the chest, shooting pain up and down the left side of your body,anxiety, cough, fainting, heavy pressure, palpitations, shortness of breath and sweating. Most people tend to ignore the initial symptoms of heart attack which causes greater damage to the heart. If you have thesewarning signs of heart attack, you should call your local emergency number right away. Read more about Heart attack — causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention What is diabetes? Diabetes is a life long disease that is characterised by increased levels of sugar in the blood. It is either caused due to lack of insulin (a protein that regulates blood glucose levels) or due to lack of response to insulinproduced by the body. Diabetes caused by lack of insulin is called type 1 diabetes. It develops due to fault in the genes that make insulin and is seen in young adults and teenagers. Diabetes caused by failure of response to insulin is called type 2 diabetes. It is more common type of diabetes and is found in adults. It is caused mainly due to lifestyle factors. Some of the common symptoms of diabetes are hunger, frequent urination and increased thirst. Factors like unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle and obesity are main contributing factors of type 2 diabetes. In fact, type 2 diabetes is one of the most common ‘lifestyle diseases’ which is plaguing people in the developed countries. Diabetes is also known to cause complications like heart diseasesand hypertension. Read more about Diabetes – Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment and complications

Teenage girls who ask parents for a 'healthy diet' could be showing early signs of eating disorder, leading headteacher warns

from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2685668/Schoolgirls-ask-parents-healthy-meals-hiding-eating-disorder-leading-headmistress-claims.html

Teenage girls who ask parents for a 'healthy diet' could be showing early signs of eating disorder, leading headteacher warns

• Jayne Triffitt said pupils asking for a healthy diet may have eating disorders
• Head of £10,000-a-term boarding school said teens feel pressured to be thin
• Added exam pressure and heavy work loads can lead to mental illnesses
• Those with history of depression more likely to develop eating disorder
• Study found teen girls are prone to mental health issues due to hormones

ByLizzie Edmonds

Published: 09:20 GMT, 9 July 2014 | Updated: 11:45 GMT, 9 July 2014

Schoolgirls who ask their parents for healthy meals may be showing early signs of an eating disorder, a leading headmistress has warned.

Jayne Triffitt, who is head of the Catholic girls boarding school Woldingham in Surrey, was speaking at an end of term assembly about mental health and eating disorders among teens.

She said, due to social pressure, young girls feel they must look a certain way - and so may reduce their food intake in a bid to be thin.

+3

Warning: Jayne Triffitt, head of Woldingham School in Surrey, has warned that schoolgirls who ask their parents for healthy meals may be showing early signs of an eating disorder

The head of the £10,000-a-term institution warned parents to be wary of their daughters asking to follow a 'healthy diet' - as the request could be a 'euphemism' for eating very little.

Mrs Triffit said: 'The biggest pressure is to be thin. 

'But, of course, the catch is that if they reduce their food intake they will not have the energy to cope with a packed life here at school.

'All too quickly they could head for some type of eating disorder.'

Pressure: Mrs Triffit said exam stress and heavy workloads - particularly in female pupils aged between 14 and 18 - can trigger mental illness, which in turn may lead to an eating disorder (library image)

According to The Times, she added: 'Just a hint to parents, do not be caught out by your daughter's wish to eat a 'healthy' diet. This is often a euphemism for eating very little indeed.'

Later in her speech, Mrs Triffit said exam stress and heavy workloads - particularly in female pupils aged between 14 and 18 - can trigger mental illness, which in turn may lead to an eating disorder.

Mrs Triffit said pupils in this age range are under particular pressure as Universities demand 'ridiculously high grades' from applicants.

Worry: The head said young girls feel pressured to look a certain way - so drop their food intake in a bid to be thin

The headmistress said: 'Some will become over-anxious and display particular mental health issues connected with this.'

Mrs Triffit's warning comes as research indicates teenage girls could be more prone to depression and anxiety as they experience greater blood flow to the brain. 

Hormone oestrogen drives more blood to the heads of young women compared to men - and that could explain disparities in psychiatric disorders, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania claim.

Blood flow is known to be higher in adult women than men, but the study now shows it is markedly different during adolescence when teenagers are going through puberty.

According to the NHS Choices website, eating disorders are most commonly blamed on social pressures to be thin.

However, those with a family history of depression are also more likely to develop the three main types of eating disorder - anorexia nervosa, bulimia or a binge eating.

Eating disorders can affect people of any age - but often develop in teenagers.

According to the NHS, around one in 250 women will experience anorexia at some point - with the condition usually developing around the age of 16 or 17.

One in 2,000 men will also experience such disorder.

Bulimia is around five times more common than anorexia, research shows, and 90 per cent of people with bulimia are female. 

The condition usually develops around the age of 18 or 19.

Binge eating usually affects males and females equally and often appears later in life - between the ages of 30 and 40.

Research conducted last year by Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) suggested that one in ten individuals admitted to hospital with an eating disorder were female and aged 15.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2685668/Schoolgirls-ask-parents-healthy-meals-hiding-eating-disorder-leading-headmistress-claims.html#ixzz37PIj9VZS
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Junk food gets encoded in DNA of future children, scientists discover

from: http://rt.com/news/171228-diet-heredity-study-dna/

Published time: July 08, 2014 14:29

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The next time you wolf down that Big Mac with large fries consider you may be affecting more than your own waistline. Scientists now say an unhealthy diet can be encoded into DNA, which is passed down to future generations.
By now, most people have heard various negative things about a Western diet: it is too fatty, too salty and too sugary. It can cause problems to the immune system, disturb the chemical makeup of the stomach, and, perhaps the most obvious of all symptoms, lead to obesity.

Now, a study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Maryland has provided yet another reason to drive past your favorite drive thru window: the deleterious effects of a poor diet can leave a mark on the DNA, passing along the genes to your offspring.

The harmful effects of an unhealthy diet can “actually stretch across generations,” wrote Ian Myles, author of the study, which appeared in Nutrition Journal.

Image from nutritionj.com

Myles demonstrated that a mother’s eating habits “may potentially shape her child’s flavor preferences even before birth, potentially skewing their palette towards anything from vegetables to sugary sweets.” Passing along the proverbial sweet tooth could contribute to a child’s propensity to become obese at some point in his or her life.
“When the mother’s diet causes a harmful imbalance of her bacteria, she passes this imbalance on to her child and thus fails to present the ideal commensals for a proper immune education during her child’s most critical developmental window,” according to the study.

This developmental imbalance leaves the baby’s immune system “poorly trained to fight off infections and encourages autoimmune and allergic diseases.”

Myles cautioned that the father’s dietary choices in life also play an important role in the health of offspring.

The paternal DNA “can also be inherited by the offspring and could alter early development of the immune system [52],”according to the study. “Epigenetic changes in DNA are, in effect, cellular memory; these changes prevent dividing pancreas cells from becoming cells of the kidney or any other organ.”

Reuters / Simon Newman

Myles concludes that only a radical change of lifestyle will stop the transfer of stained DNA to future generations of babies. He also warned on the apparent uselessness of commercial extracts as a means of countering a poor diet.

“The benefits of dietary modification over supplementation is furthered by evidence showing that dietary supplementation does not increase longevity, indicating that…commercial interventions such as tea or berry extracts are unlikely to counteract poor dietary habits,” he advised.

Myles advised that people should eliminate sugar and fat in processed form from their diets and move to fresh sources of protein – and fat – such as fish and meat.

Image from nutritionj.com

Healthful tips to avoid cancer

from: http://www.ketknbc.com/news/healthful-tips-to-avoid-cancer

POSTED: Wednesday, July 9, 2014 - 6:27pm
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 9, 2014 - 6:29pm

TYLER, TEXAS (KETK) — Texas Oncology in Tyler has some healthful ways to avoid cancer.
An oncologist tells East Texans about tips they should keep in mind.
"We have to focus on not just to cure cancer but also try to prevent some of the devastating diagnosis," said Svetislava vukelja, M.D.,
"Anything you can do to avoid it such as eating healthier and not drinking,' said Trudy Case, cancer runs in her family.
That's the key: Dr. V of Texas Oncology wants East Texans to keep five tips in mind to avoid cancer.
1.) Nutrition
2.) Exercise
3.) Tobacco/Alcohol
4:) Screening Test
5.) Weight
A diet high in fruits and vegetables, but a low -fat diet is recommended. Plus, don't avoid carbohydrates, you need carbs for energy and brain function.
"Some people go on diets and loose a lot of weight and they gain it all back" said Dr. V. It's also important to increase your intake of fluids.
"People are chronically dehydrated, we live in Texas it's very hot, people work outside, and so people don't drink enough fluids so they're sluglish."
Dr. V says try to quit smoking and decrease your alcohol intake.
"Certain things like red wine 2 or 3 times a week is probably good but if you have a lot of heart disease and for certain things it may not be good," said Dr.V.
It doesn't hurt to get a screening test especially if cancer runs in the family.
"We have a chart with body mass index, you can look how talk you are and you need to be between 22-25 body mass index," said Dr. V and that's where weight comes in.
Exercise and gooding eating habits can keep your weight in line. "Eating smaller meals, multiple times per day, not early eating before going to bed."
Dr. V says anyone can master this for better health all in moderation.
If you would like more information provided by Texas Oncology please click the link below:
http://www.texasoncology.com/tyler.aspx

102 year old woman talk about her diet and life.

from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F4L2jIyyxc

Olive said "We believe a healthy diet should include plenty of raw fruits and vegetables.
In some cases a raw food diet can be used to fight cancer or other diseases, but we believe it's good to have a mixture of raw foods and cooked foods for a normal diet.
Beans, garbanzos, brown rice, soy milk, and whole wheat bread are all nourishing.
Green vegetables, steamed or lightly cooked are also nourishing and are found to contain protein. She says the first diet that God gave to us was grain, fruit, and nuts. After the sin of Adam, vegetables were added to the diet. And after the flood
man was given clean meats.
Many believe that in order to gain protein, we need to add meat to the diet but this is not true. Beans and whole wheat bread, taken together, constitute a complete protein. People who eat a vegetarian diet lead healthy lives and live longer"..
(My own comment here) Olive never eats a large meal late at night, and most of the fat in her diet comes from a product called Vegenaise. She also informed me she doesn't take medication of any kind, and believes some of them are doing more harm than good. Especially antidepressants which she believes caused some of her elderly friends to commit suicide. As of today Olive is over 105 years old, and while she does have some physical challenges, she is still happy and socially active in her church. She has a sharp mind, loves talking to people, and loves talking about the bible. Warning. If you dare to talk about religion with Olive, you had better plan on staying a while. She has no shortage of words when it comes to her religious beliefs and faith in God..

from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN_rFMvavMY

Here's the Digital Food Scale I use to make Calorie Counting Easy
http://amzn.to/1hGND2C
And my favourite Spiral Slicer to turn 'plain' vegetables into healthy noodle pasta:
http://amzn.to/SZlduV

This is a sample of a Full Meal Plan to help you Lose Weight and achieve your goals.

The foundation of this meal plan has:
• 3 ounces of lean protein
• 1 complex carb
• Unlimited vegetables
• 1 healthy fat
Each meal should be about 350 calories (or fewer)

They are made of simple ingredients, quick and very easily put together.

Example of Protein you can use: Chicken, Turkey, Fish (any kind), tuna, tofu, eggs, beef or pork tenderloin.

Example of Complex Carbs: Brown Rice, Whole Grain Pasta, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Wholemeal Bread, Wraps, Pita Bread.

Example of Healthy Fat: Nuts, Olive Oil, Seeds, Avocado, Omega-3 (from fish)

In order for this plan to be Effective, you are recommended to:
1) Prepare Your Food in Bulk lasting 2 -- 3 days to make it stress free.

2) These meals are interchangeable. So you can have your snack for breakfast, breakfast for lunch etc.

3) Only use and Prepare high quality food like chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes, vegetables or fish. So no white bread, white rice, processed food and ready meals at all.

4) Adjust the portion size and calories according to the product you use. Mine might be slightly difference from yours. So read the food label carefully.

5) You must drink 3-4L of water every day.

6) You must eat every 3 -- 4 hours throughout the day in small portion.

7) Make it a habit to plan and pack your meals the night before and store them in the fridge for the next day; this will make your mornings easier, which will help to keep you on track.

8) Print your meal plan and stick in on your fridge as a daily reminder to stay on track.

9) Keep a food dairy of what you eat and how you feel, which contributes towards your weight lost progress.

10) Exercise 5--6 times a week between 45 -- 60 mins for maximum result.


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Lost your mojo? Here are 5 foods that will boost your libido in no time

from: http://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/health/lost-your-mojo-here-are-5-foods-that-will-boost-your-libido-in-no-time/story-fnivsuer-1226972369086?nk=d81d5f068e3ebcaac45c4046f9ef3fd5


Lost your mojo? Here are 5 foods that will boost your libido in no time

• From: bodyandsoul
• June 30, 201410:00PM

 

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What you eat can impact on your sex drive, says nutritionist Lisa Guy.

Your sex drive can be affected by many factors - including age, hormones, stress, tiredness, depression and even certain medications. The good news is that you can give your libido a boost simply by eating certain foods.
Try eating a diet rich in zinc, B vitamins and essential fatty acids - these are the nutrients required for sex hormone production and reproductive function.
Here are five foods to try:

Almonds

An excellent source of omega-3 fats, which are essential for the production of testosterone, fertility and a healthy sex drive.

Bananas

High in B vitamins and potassium, which are needed for the production of the sex hormones necessary for a healthy libido in men and women.

Oysters

A rich source of zinc, which is one of the key nutrients involved in testosterone, sperm production and reproductive health.

Avocados

Contain folic acid, B6 and potassium, all necessary to increase male hormone production and enhance libido.

Pumpkin seeds

Rich in zinc and omega-3 fats, two vital nutrients necessary for testosterone production and reproductive health.

Originally published on bodyandsoul.com.au

Originally published as Five foods that boost your libido

5 Tips for Healthy Eating as We Age

from: http://www.seasidecourier.com/online_features/health_and_wellness/tips-for-healthy-eating-as-we-age/article_e9d910fd-4ba7-5bf8-9fb3-e41a6096cd92.html

5 Tips for Healthy Eating as We Age

Posted: Thursday, July 3, 2014 10:23 am | Updated: 12:33 am, Fri Jul 4, 2014.

5 Tips for Healthy Eating as We AgeNewsUSA@NewsUSA.com (NewsUSA)SeasideCourier.com

(NewsUSA) - Good nutrition plays an important role in how well you age. Eating a healthful diet helps keep your body strong and can help reduce your risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis. Studies even show a link between healthful eating and longevity."As we age, the body becomes less efficient at absorbing some key nutrients. Appetite and taste can suffer from loss of sense of smell and taste or from side effects of medications. Bad teeth can make some foods difficult to chew or digest," said Arthur Hayward, MD, a geriatrician and the clinical lead physician for elder care with Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute. "So choosing foods carefully is smart."Here are five tips to help you get the nutrition your body needs:
1. Avoid empty calories.
Foods with empty calories may contain very few vitamins and minerals. "Convenience foods," such as packaged snacks, chips and sodas, are common sources of empty calories. Avoid the "bad" carbs -- foods that have white flour, refined sugar and white rice.
2. Choose nutrient-rich foods.
Eat a variety of foods. The more you vary the foods you eat, the more vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you get. For example:
* Eat lots of fruits and vegetables -- Choose fresh, frozen or no-salt canned vegetables and fruits in their own juice or light syrup.
* Eat foods with protein -- Protein is found in lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs and cheese, cooked beans, peanut butter and nuts and seeds.
* Get enough calcium and vitamin D -- Calcium and vitamin D are found in milk and milk products, including yogurt and cheese. They are also in green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, collard greens) and tofu.
* Include foods high in vitamin B12 -- After 50, the body produces less gastric acid and absorbs less B12, which helps keep blood and nerves vital. B12 is found in milk, meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
* Eat high-fiber foods -- This includes fruits, vegetables, cooked dried beans and whole grains.
3. Drink plenty of fluids.
Drink plenty of fluids -- enough so that your urine is light yellow or clear like water. Fiber and fluids help with constipation.
4. If your appetite is poor.
Try eating smaller meals, several times a day, instead of one or two large meals. Eating while socializing with others may help your appetite. You might also ask about changing medicines. Medication can cause appetite or taste problems.
5. Eat soft foods.
As we approach our senior years, chewing food is sometimes difficult. Choose low-sodium canned vegetables or cooked fruits and vegetables. These are often softer. Chop or shred meat, poultry or fish. Add sauce or gravy to the meat to help keep it moist.
For healthy recipe ideas, check out Kaiser Permanente's Food for Health blog at https://foodforhealth.kaiserpermanente.org.
In addition to eating a balanced diet, aim for 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Ten-minute sessions several times a day on most days are fine. For more information, visit kp.org and everybodywalk.org. For questions or advice about a specific condition, talk with your physician.

Moving Beyond Dietary Labels

from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vss1u_0Awvw

Mediterranean diet has many health benefits, and may help control

from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/mediterranean-diet-has-many-health-benefits-and-may-help-control-kids-weight/2014/06/30/9edda4b6-fd40-11e3-8176-f2c941cf35f1_story.html

The high fiber content of the foods typically found in the Mediterranean diet may play a role in helping kids control weight, a researcher says. (Bigstock)

By Agata Blaszczak-Boxe and Live ScienceJune 30

Children who eat a Mediterranean-style diet may be less likely to be overweight or obese than kids who do not, a new study suggests.
In the study, researchers looked at children ages 2 to 9 in eight European countries and found that those who were on a Mediterranean diet were 15 percent less likely to be overweight or obese than those who didn’t. The link held regardless of where the kids lived, the researchers said.
Interestingly, the children who were most likely to follow the diet closely — with a high intake of vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish and cereal grains — were those in Sweden, and the least likely came from Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean.
“The fact that the Swedish children scored the highest while the children from Cyprus turned out to have the lowest adherence to a Mediterranean diet was actually a bit surprising,” said study author Gianluca Tognon at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. [10 Ways to Promote Kids’ Healthy Eating Habits]
The researchers used data from a large study of the health effects of children’s diets that was conducted between 2006 and 2012. The goal of the study was to assess the problem of obesity in European children.

The Mediterranean diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fish and low in animal fat. (Bigstock)

The investigators focused on the measurements of weight, height, waist circumference and body fat in about 9,000 children in Sweden, Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Belgium, Estonia and Hungary.
Previous research among adults has found an association between those who follow the Mediterranean diet and a decreased risk of heart attack, stroke and death from heart disease.
“We wanted to know more about if children adhere to a Mediterranean-like diet, and if this pattern could protect [them] from obesity,” Tognon said.

The mechanism that may link the Mediterranean diet with a lower risk of being overweight or obese is not completely clear, he said. However, the high fiber content of the foods typically found in the Mediterranean diet may play a role, he said.

Tognon recommended that, besides getting their kids to eat fruits and vegetables, parents in those areas “encourage a higher consumption of nuts, legumes, fish and whole-grain cereals, which are also not so popular among children.”
The results also showed that among the children in the study, those in Italy had the lowest intake of vegetables. But Tognon, who is Italian, said this finding did not surprise him because when he was working in Italy, he had seen data that pointed to similar tendencies.
“We have constantly been told that our food and diet [in Italy] are both tasty and healthy, but I think that it is time for a wake-up call for both the population and the health authorities in south Europe, before this kind of dietary pattern will stop being called ‘Mediterranean,’ ” he said.

Caffeine and a healthy diet may boost memory, thinking skills; alcohol’s effect uncertain

From : http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/caffeine-healthy-diet-may-boost-memory-thinking-skills-alcohols-effect-uncertain-201406187219

 

Posted June 18, 2014, 2:54 pm

Stephanie Watson, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

I’m not much use behind the keyboard until I’ve had my morning cup of coffee. And I’m far from the only American who needs a little java jolt to get their day going.

If a study published in this month’s Journal of Nutrition is any indication, the caffeine in coffee might offer not just a momentary mental boost but also longer-term effects on thinking skills. Having an alcoholic drink a day might also benefit our mental performance, but the line between just right and too much is uncertain. An even better strategy for maintaining memory and thinking skills with age may be to eat a healthy diet.

In the study, researchers from the National Institute on Aging compared scores on various tests of thinking skills and memory with caffeine, alcohol, and nutrient intake in 727 men and women taking part in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Over all, participants who ranked high on the healthy diet scale did better on 10 tests of memory than those with lower diet scores. The same held true for those who took in more caffeine. The effects for moderate alcohol drinking were mixed.

The caffeine-brain connection

The reason you get a quick wakeup call after chugging a mug of coffee has to do with the way caffeine tricks your brain. Not only is caffeine a brain stimulant, but it also blocks receptors for a chemical called adenosine, which normally prevents the release of excitatory brain chemicals. With adenosine out of the way, these brain-sparking chemicals can flow more freely—giving you a surge of energy and potentially improving mental performance and slowing age-related mental decline.

The Journal of Nutrition study isn’t the last word on the subject of caffeine and memory. It showed that people—particularly those who were ages 70 and over—who took in more caffeine scored better on tests of mental function, but not on memory tests or other measures of mental ability.

Some previous studies have shown improved long-term memory performance and thinking ability in regular caffeine consumers; others haven’t shown any connection.

Drink to your cognitive health?

When it comes to alcohol, its effects on memory and thinking skills may depend on how they are measured and how much you’re drinking. In this study, moderate alcohol use appeared to improve working memory and attention—especially in women and in those ages 70 and over. But those benefits could come at the expense of declines in skills like executive function and global thinking.

Excessive drinking, defined as more than two drinks a day for men or more than one a day for women, is known to harm the brain. Over time, excessive drinking can cause everything from short-term memory lapses to more permanent problems. Any benefits from alcohol seen in the Journal of Nutrition study came from moderate drinking.

Better memory through diet

The study also looked at the connection between diet and mental performance. People who ate foods with plenty of healthful nutrients had better attention and memory than participant with poorer diets. A healthy diet was also linked to good thinking skills in women and participants under age 70. In particular, foods that are part of the Mediterranean diet—fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, olive oil, and whole grains—show promise for preserving memory and preventing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

A recipe for maintaining memory

This study is just one of many linking healthy eating habits with maintaining memory and thinking skills into old age. Continuing a healthy diet, or switching to one, makes sense on many levels. It probably is good for your brain, and it’s definitely good for your heart, bones, muscles, and overall health.

As for caffeine? There’s no evidence yet that you need to start drinking coffee or tea to protect your brain. If you like drinking caffeinated beverages, enjoy them. But keep in mind that adding lots of sugar or cream, or getting caffeine via sugar-sweetened soda, may counter any benefits.

What about alcohol? If you enjoy drinking alcohol, keep it moderate—or less. As the researchers write, “alcohol has potentially deleterious effects over time with lower intake being a better choice than moderate intake.”

Better nutrition – better lives

Better nutrition – better lives

 

 

Notwithstanding significant efforts and achievements made by many countries and the positive steps forward made by new initiatives, such as the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, the last 20 years have seen modest and uneven progress in reducing malnutrition as measured by the targets set by the 1992 International Conference on Nutrition, the World Food Summits of 1996, 2002 and 2009 and the Millennium Development Goals.

FAO’s most recent estimate indicates 842 million people – 12 percent of the world’s population, or one in eight people – are undernourished, unable to meet their dietary energy requirements. An estimated 162 million children under five-years-old are stunted or chronically malnourished, 51 million wasted or acutely malnourished, and 2 billion people suffer one or more micronutrient deficiencies. At the same time, 500 million people are obese.

As a global community, we must collectively strive for nothing less than the end of hunger and the eradication of malnutrition and food and nutrition insecurity.

The various forms of malnutrition often overlap and can coexist within the same country and within the same household. For example, the Commonwealth countries of the Solomon Islands, South Africa, Swaziland and Vanuatu all have the three forms of malnutrition as a problem of public health significance. Significant levels of undernutrition together with multiple micronutrient deficiencies may be found in Bangladesh, Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. For a number of countries, obesity levels are rising while undernutrition remains a problem (Dominica, Jamaica, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tuvalu), and in the more developed countries of Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Malta, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, rising obesity levels are a major concern.

Exposure to food and nutritional risk factors occurs in all countries and in all socioeconomic groups. However, for those suffering undernutrition, largely due to poverty, year round availability of, and physical and economic access to food, in terms of both calories and adequate variety, nutritional content and safety, remain key determinants. In addition, for such groups, undernutrition is often aggravated, in a vicious cycle, by health related factors such as non-potable water, poor sanitation, and food borne and parasitic infections, and by social and economic factors that result in social exclusion and economic marginalization, poor education, and a lack of appropriate social welfare mechanisms, all of which need to be addressed thoroughly if malnutrition is to be eradicated.

As nutrition is an outcome of multiple factors, comprehensive solutions are needed. Thus, appropriate policy packages across sectors are needed to adequately tackle the multiple burdens of malnutrition in different situations; and food and nutrition security objectives need to be considered across all relevant sectors, with attention to gender being a critical consideration. Improving diets and raising levels of nutrition should be an explicit goal of national development policies, including policies to combat poverty.

It is clear that to promote more balanced and diverse dietary patterns, food systems not only need to make more food available, but to make more nutritious and affordable food items, such as animal sourced foods, legumes, and certain vegetables and fruits, more accessible, while avoiding excessive intakes of sugar, fat and salt. Food systems need to provide year-round access to a variety of such nutrient-rich foods that are also safe and culturally acceptable, and can be sustainably made available as part of a healthy and balanced diet.

National nutrition strategies need to involve all relevant ministries and competent authorities in complementary measures and interventions, supported by the necessary financial, human and other resources as appropriate.

Governments have the ultimate responsibility for the nutritional welfare of their citizens, but leadership on nutrition is often partial and fragmented. Government responsibility for and leadership on nutrition issues and for identifying sustainable national solutions to improve food systems needs to be supported, and coordination and monitoring mechanisms strengthened at community, national and international levels.

Governments’ investment plans should target food systems with the aim of improving the adequacy, availability, accessibility, acceptability and consumption of foods that make up a healthy diet, with research focused on identifying the most efficient local interventions for malnutrition prevention. For this, institutional capacity needs to be built, and effective coordination and monitoring across sectors implemented.

The successful eradication of malnutrition also depends on the active engagement of citizens working with committed, responsible and proactive government, civil society and the private sector through interaction among stakeholders on a common agenda. Collaborative partnerships and engagement by all relevant stakeholders in developing solutions to malnutrition, including responsible investment and research, is important to deliver sustainable improvements.

Investing in nutrition is not only a moral imperative, but it improves productivity and economic growth and reduces healthcare costs, as well as promoting education, intellectual capacity and social development. While the cost of dealing with the effects of malnutrition – whether in fiscal, economic or human terms – is high, the cost of prevention is much less.

One of the main challenges identified for improving food and nutrition security is governance, characterized by a low political commitment, weak institutional arrangements and lack of appropriate coordination/involvement of multiple stakeholders. Volatile international food prices aggravated by increased dependence on world markets and on food imports, low agricultural productivity accentuated by climate change, and post-harvest losses and food waste have also been identified as key challenges.

High-level political commitment as well as improved governance and accountability for more effective and coordinated action by various key stakeholders across sectors and better international and inter-governmental cooperation are essential to sustainably improve nutrition.

The expected outcome of the high-level event will be a political declaration endorsed by countries and a technical Framework for Action that will guide the implementation of the Declaration.
content quoted from
*José Graziano da Silva Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

June/14/2014

PARENTING: How to make sure your child get maintains a healthy diet

from: http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/PARENTING-make-sure-child-maintains-healthy-diet/story-21212547-detail/story.html

 

PARENTING: How to make sure your child get maintains a healthy diet

By The Citizen  |  Posted: June 10, 2014

Fruit and veg

 Comments (4)

LESS than half of parents in the UK are happy with the amount of fruit and veg that their child consumes, according to new research.

The survey of more than 1,000 parents, carried out by drinks company Vegesentials, also found parents spend the equivalent of three days a year coaxing their kids to eat fruit and veg.

Popular techniques among parents to try and encourage little ones to eat their greens include hiding the fruit and vegetables within other dishes, offering rewards and making up stories about the benefits of eating healthily.

Patience Arinaitwe-Mugadu, co-founder and managing director of Vegesentials, said: “We totally understand the struggles parents go through to get fruit and vegetables into their children, it’s a daily battle which any Mum and Dad is familiar with.”

Tesco are also trying to help children and customers to make healthier choices by stopping sweets and chocolates from being sold at checkouts at it’s smaller UK stores.

Julie Rudd, mother of two from Gloucester, said: “I used to make food fun when the kids were younger and they love fresh fruit and veggie. Given a choice of take away fast food they would prefer my healthier home made version.”

NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has eight pieces of advice to start a healthy diet.

Firstly, meals should be based on starchy foods such as cereals, pasta, rice and bread to help children to feel full for longer, and they should be getting their five portions on fruit and veg every day.

Fish is a good source of protein and contains vitamins and minerals, and the CCG says we should aim to have at least two portions a week.

Children aged between 7 to 10 years should eat no more than 5g of salt per day, and younger kids should eat even less. A healthy diet should also cut down on saturated fat and sugar found in cakes and biscuits.

Pip Levett, director of Play Gloucestershire which aims to help children become more active and eat healthily, said: “With the current financial pressures meaning that both parents have to go to work, it is tough for parents to provide a healthier diet.

“But if children have a poor diet it gives them a poor start in life and increases the likelihood that they develop more serious health problems, even before they reach adulthood.

“Copying behaviour is important so if parents eat healthily around their children they would be more encouraged to do the same."

It is important to keep children active so they maintain a healthy weight, so playing outside as much as possible can ensure they remain healthy.

A healthy breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet and can stop children from getting hungry earlier in the day. As the summer approaches, children will be taking on more fluids to stop them from becoming dehydrated. Try to avoid sugary and fizzy drinks which are high in sugars.

Read more: http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/PARENTING-make-sure-child-maintains-healthy-diet/story-21212547-detail/story.html#ixzz36aoNk6e9
Read more at http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/PARENTING-make-sure-child-maintains-healthy-diet/story-21212547-detail/story.html#XE2q1ziK5kPH6yvh.99