Category Archives: Diet And Food

CANTON Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County will receive a $680,000 federal grant to promote healthy diets and active lifestyles for low income residents.

The grant was part of $12.9 million in federal funding for 16 non-profit organizations around the state. The money will be used to promote healthy diets and active lifestyles among individuals and households eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or those that are receiving the benefits already.

Administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the five-year SNAP-Ed grants are aimed at helping low-income and working-class New Yorkers avoid obesity and chronic nutrition-related diseases, while improving their overall health outcomes, said a press release from the governors office.

Many low-income individuals and families in New York face social and economic barriers to nutrition and health and live in communities that are disproportionately affected by poverty, said the press release. As a result, poverty, child poverty, food insecurity and obesity-related chronic disease in some communities can exceed state and even national averages.

The programs funded through the grants are aimed at helping low income families and individuals increase the amount of nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products in their diet, while avoiding unhealthy foods containing large amounts of added sugars, salt and saturated fat.

Participants will also be encouraged to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors, the press release said.

Each program will provide either a nutrition education using evidence-based curriculum, outreach through mass communications or at public events, or a nutritionist with training experience to communicate healthy eating and obesity prevention.

The goal is to improve food resource management and preparation skills among participants, while also increasing access to affordable and nutritious foods.

OTDA's Eat Smart New York initiative also provides free online tools that can assist individuals and families in choosing a healthier diet. These include Eating Healthy on a Budget, an interactive module that provides planning tips for preparing healthy meals, tips for smart shopping, and links to nutritionist programs throughout the state.

Nearly 1.5 million households and more than 2.6 million people throughout New York -- roughly one out of every five adults -- rely on SNAP to avoid food insecurity, which is defined as lacking reliable access to an adequate amount of nutritious sustenance, the press release said.

About 43 percent of SNAP recipients are in families with elderly or disabled members, 59 percent are in families with children; and 39 percent are in working families.

Research has shown that communities with the highest rates of food insecurity also have a higher prevalence of diabetes, obesity and individuals with some form of disability, the press release said.

Food insecure adults in New York are also likely to pay significantly more in healthcare costs than those who are not, a recent study found.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County to receive federal grant for healthy diet promotion - North Country Now

In comparison to the past decade, we see more and more obese people around us. Almost every other person is trying to lose weight or at least complaining of being overweight. What can be the reason behind this major increase in the body fat of the general population around the globe?A recent report by the United Nations Organization puts the blame on our sedentary lifestyles and dietary habits.United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in a report issued on the World Food Day, has mentioned that consuming a diet loaded with starch, sugar, fats and salt; combined with a sedentary lifestyle, is the main reason behind the increasing global obesity rates, despite the fact that there are so many countries where people still suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

According to the UN report, people living in cities or urban towns in recent decades have slowly moved away away from having seasonal diets and local food, mainly plant-based and fibre-rich food. Globalisation, urbanisation and growth in income were cited as major reasons behind the diet shift as people find less time to cook at home, and rely mostly on fast-food outlets, street food vendors and takeaway meals due to their busy schedules.

Now the situation is such that more than 800 million people are considered to be suffering from obesity, and over 40 million children under five are overweight!

Such unhealthy eating habits have further led to an increase in obesity-related health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancers.

As a consequence the health cost of such a sedentary lifestyle are estimated at around USD two trillion per year, the report said.

With inputs from ANI

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Dramatic increase in obesity, diet is responsible: UN - Times of India

What does keto mean, and whats the diet like?

Keto is short for ketogenesis, which is the production and build-up of ketones. Ketones are a byproduct of fat metabolism, and they increase when carbohydrates are restricted, and the body is forced to rely more heavily on fat as a substrate for energy.

In considering whether to follow a diet that intentionally alters normal metabolism, it is helpful to have some understanding of how the body and the keto diet is designed to work.

At rest, our bodies typically burn a fairly even mix of fat and carbohydrates. Protein plays other important roles but is not typically included in the regular energy mix. Despite all the low-carb hype we hear these days, working muscles use carbohydrates for energy, and during exercise, the percentage of carbohydrates burned increases with intensity.

Our brains rely entirely on glucose (a simple carbohydrate) for energy. If you have ever experienced the sensation of being hangry (when you are so hungry that you get grumpy or have trouble concentrating), then you have felt your brain calling for glucose. As a survival mechanism, in the absence of adequate carbs/glucose, the human brain can also metabolize ketones to keep from starving.

Carbohydrates are stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. When dietary carbohydrates are restricted, these stores are depleted. The basis of the ketogenic diet is to intentionally deplete these stores by severely limiting carbohydrate intake.

When there are no carbs available, the body is forced to rely more heavily on fat for energy. As fat is metabolized, ketones are produced. Ketones can be recycled for energy, but not very quickly. When they are produced faster than they are utilized, ketone levels in the blood rise and also are excreted in urine. This is ketosis.

There are several variations of the ketogenic diet, but traditionally it includes around 15 percent of calories from protein, and limits carbohydrate intake to 5-15 percent of total calories (about 20-75 grams per day), with the remaining 70-80 percent coming from fat.

The keto flu refers to a series of unpleasant side effects that many people experience as their carbohydrate stores are depleted and their bodies adapt to burning more fat. Symptoms include headache, nausea, bad breath, mental fogginess, muscle cramps, increased heart rate, fatigue, insomnia, feeling light-headed, and lethargy/fatigue.

It can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks for individuals to become fat adapted to the ketogenic diet, after which symptoms typically subside.

Obvious benefits of the keto diet include weight loss, often rapid, especially in the beginning. Fat makes foods taste good and is very satiating, so keto followers enjoy eating and not feeling as hungry as they may have on other diets.

There are a few short studies showing benefits such as improved glucose control, reduced insulin levels, and positive changes in cholesterol markers, even on a high-fat diet.

Having the keto flu doesnt sound like fun! The potential for dehydration and electrolyte imbalances can pose a challenge to the kidneys, and it is nutritionally inadequate (more on that below). We have decades of research supporting the fact that high-fat diets pose a risk to our cardiovascular health. Also, long-term compliance on such a restrictive diet is difficult to maintain, both practically and socially.

It does. By eliminating or drastically reducing the consumption of many foods or food groups, long-term adherence to a ketogenic diet is likely to result in inadequate intake of many vitamins, minerals, and perhaps fiber.

As a registered dietitian, I cannot use the word healthy to describe this diet. It can be made healthier by including as many vegetables as possible and focusing on unsaturated fats (from nuts, oils, avocados, and fatty fish) while limiting saturated fats (from meats, butter, and other full-fat dairy foods). One good thing about this diet is that it cuts out simple sugars, which keeps people away from sodas, sweets, and fast food.

If an individuals need for immediate weight loss is significant and this diet is appealing, then it may be an effective short term fix. But realizing that the ketogenic diet is not a healthy long-term solution, anyone planning to follow it would do well to have a follow-up plan for lifelong healthy eating. Consult your doctor before starting a new plan.

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Dietitian Weighs in on the 'Keto' Diet - southsoundmag.com

Last fall, Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert was playing the best basketball of his careeruntil November 12, when he dislocated his foot in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was an injury far too gruesome to show on replay, the kind involving a mangled extremity that causes teammates and opponents to collectively shake their heads in disbelief while the crowd sits in absolute silence. (Seriously, dont Google it.) Except, LeVert remembers, it didnt actually hurt that much. At first.

I was more mad than anything, he says. I wasnt even thinking of the pain, which was probably partially adrenaline and disbelief. It didnt hit me until we got in the ambulance 15 minutes after they carted me off the court, and my trainer was talking to metrying to distract me. Next thing I know, theyre jerking my foot, and thats when I realized, Oh, this is real. That moment was the worst pain Ive ever felt.

Remarkably, after doctors popped LeVerts foot back into place, no surgery was required. He missed three months, but returned to action in February. He had an (understandably) up-and-down remainder of the season, but capped it off with an impressive performance in the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.

This offseason, LeVert prioritized strengthening his foot and ankle by employing a variety of balancing drills, while also squeezing in a healthy amount of hooping. LeVert logged four-a-days: two on-the-court workouts and two off-the-court workouts. Thats an encouraging development for Nets fans hoping hell emerge as the teams second star this season, behind Kyrie Irving (and third star next season when Kevin Durant presumably returns after suffering a ruptured Achilles.)

A few weeks ago, I spoke to LeVert about the full extent of his offseason routine, recent changes to his diet, and his affection for float tanks. At the time of our conversation, LeVert was gearing up for his first-ever trip to China as part of a preseason double-header against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey had yet to fire off his fateful tweet about Hong Kong. LeVert said he was looking forward to the overseas experience, which presumably became a bit more complicated than originally anticipated.

GQ: Can you walk me through a normal day for you this offseason?

Caris LeVert: I took about two weeks off after we lost to the 76ers in the playoffs. After that, I started my workouts here in Brooklyn. First, Id get some breakfast inusually two or three eggs, some veggies like broccoli, and I love oatmeal in the morning, too. Id head to the gym around 9 a.m. to do a 30-minute lift. We call those correctives, where youre more working on balance drills, hamstrings, and core work. The Nets are big on that. The corrective workout isnt your typical lift, but it helps strengthen your little muscles.

Then, Id have an hour-and-a-half workout on the court, and after that is a bigger upper- or lower-body lift. Id get some treatment, do some more balance drills to strengthen my ankle back up. Then Id usually go home and take a nap, chill for a couple hours, and head back to the gym later that night and get a bunch of shots up.

Have you always stuck to a healthy-sounding diet?

No, thats been the biggest adjustment the past couple of years: I wasnt really very educated on what makes up a healthy diet. In college, I would eat a lot of Five Guys and burgers. Everybody eats differently, but thats not the best for your digestive system, and Ive learned that over the years. Now I stay away from pork, beef, and things like that. I stick to chicken a couple times a week, and I eat a lot of fish and veggies. I dont really like fruit, so I drink a lot of smoothies to get my fruit intake up.

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Caris LeVert: The Real-Life Diet of the NBA Player Who Swears by Fruit Smoothies - GQ

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are both fans of intermittent fasting, where you increase the daily overnight window in which you don't eat food.

The actors and costars of "The Morning Show," which launches on Apple TV+ on November 1, told Radio Times that they shun solid food for 16 hours every day, leaving them a window of 8 hours for eating.

"I do intermittent fasting, so there's no food in the morning," Aniston, 50, told the magazine.

"I noticed a big difference in going without solid food for 16 hours."

While some advocates of intermittent fasting say all you should consume during your fasting hours is water and tea or coffee without milk or sweetener, both Aniston and Witherspoon prefer to stick to a liquid diet in the mornings, drinking juice and coffee.

Read more: How calorie-counting actually helped me develop a healthier relationship with food

Aniston said that she's a night owl and usually wakes up at around 8.30 a.m. or 9 a.m.

"Today, I woke up and had a celery juice," Aniston said. "Then I started to brew some coffee, but I don't drink coffee that early."

The actor then fed her dogs, meditated, and worked out before drinking her coffee.

Witherspoon added: "I just have a green juice and a coffee in the morning."

Her morning routine, however, starts somewhat earlier than Aniston's, as she says her 7-year-old son wakes her up at 5.30 a.m. to 6 a.m. every day.

Witherspoon, 43, admits that she is in fact a morning person, but says she doesn't love exercising early.

"I find it really hard to work out before 7.30 a.m. But that's the time I start one: 7.30 a.m," she said. "I probably do that six days a week."

Although Aniston said she works out one fewer day a week than her costar, Witherspoon said she often asks Aniston for "wellbeing" advice because she "knows so much" about health and fitness.

"Well, we want to thrive, right?" Aniston said. "We're just beginning."

Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular in recent years and studies have found a slew of health benefits, from lowering your blood pressure to increasing longevity.

While some people decide to take on the practice as a means to lose weight, most experts agree that the main reason it may lead to weight loss is because having a smaller window of eating means you consume fewer calories.

"This type of fasting often results in the consumption of fewer calories overall, which contributes to weight loss," University of Michigan Medicine dietitian Sue Ryskamp said earlier this year.

Registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert agrees, writing: "The overall picture is that this is most likely due to overall calorie reduction, rather than the results of the fasting diet itself."

However, research from January 2019 by Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, published in the British Medical Journal, found that skipping breakfast could help people lose weight.

Read more: There's even more evidence that skipping breakfast might help you lose weight

Hollywood personal trainer and physical therapist David Higgins, who has worked with the likes of Margot Robbie, previously told Insiderhe believes breakfast is overrated.

Read more:Margot Robbie's personal trainer thinks breakfast is overrated, and he says there are 2 clear benefits to fasting in the morning

But intermittent fasting doesn't have to mean skipping breakfast: If you prefer to eat in the morning, you can have your final meal earlier in the day to begin your fast then.

It needn't be a 16-hour fast, either some people start by splitting their day 12.12 a.m. and then gradually increasing the length of the fasting window.

Many nutritionists and dietitians have pointed out that intermittent fasting may not work for everyone, as some people simply function better when they eat throughout the day.

"Fasting can be a slippery slope to unhealthy habits and a screwy relationship with food," registered dietitian Jessica Cording wrote for Shape.

She also points out that for most people, it simply isn't a sustainable way to live and eat.

Lambert adds that fasting can lead to fatigue, low mood, low energy levels, and ultimately overeating.

"If you enjoy breakfast, then there is no need to fast until lunchtime because someone else lost weight from it," she said.

"There is no 'magic' behind intermittent fasting, and it is not superior as a weight loss tool, but it is an interesting area of research that may well expand."

Read more:

I travel a lot for work and love trying new food. How can I make sure I don't gain weight without depriving myself?

A stockbroker turned personal trainer tells us why breakfast actually isn't the most important meal of the day

I'm on a low-calorie diet, exercise a lot, but still have fat on my belly and bum. What am I doing wrong?

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Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon say they fast for 16 hours every day and never eat in the morning - INSIDER

You don't want to ever get too close to a piranha, but if you did, you'd notice something rather strange: these freshwater fish shed their old teeth in groups, one side of the mouth at a time, with new teeth growing in as replacements simultaneously.

A new study has found that an interlocked half mouth of new teeth wait in 'crypts' underneath the old teeth, allowing them to instantly take over once the previous teeth fall out.

The researchers who discovered this rather unusual odontological manoeuvering which happens several times in a piranha's life say it might have evolved from the piranha's main needs to guard against tooth loss, and always ready for feeding.

Previous research had already established that piranhas lost their teeth one side of the mouth at a time, but the exact mechanism for how they were being replaced had remained a mystery until now no museum specimens had ever appeared showing the creatures with half a mouth of teeth missing.

(University of Washington)

"I think in a sense we found a solution to a problem that's obvious, but no one had articulated before," says biologist Adam Summers, from the University of Washington.

"The teeth form a solid battery that is locked together, and they are all lost at once on one side of the face. The new teeth wear the old ones as 'hats' until they are ready to erupt. So, piranhas are never toothless even though they are constantly replacing dull teeth with brand new sharp ones."

Using detailed computed tomography or CT scans, the team looked at 93 deceased specimens of piranhas and their plant-eating cousins pacus, sampled across 40 species.

By adding in other types of imaging, tissue staining, hereditary analysis, and the study of fish specimens being held in museums, a detailed picture of what was happening began to appear: as the old teeth wear out, new ones wait in a sort of 'crypt' underneath.

Additionally, the rows of teeth form a strong interlocking block, according to the researchers, and this helps to explain why the fish still shed teeth in groups and haven't developed the habit of losing them individually.

(Frances Irish/Moravian College)

"When one tooth wears down, it becomes hard to replace just one," says biologist Matthew Kolmann, from George Washington University.

"Once you link teeth together, if one wears too much, it becomes like a missing link in an assembly line. They all have to work together in a coordinated way."

With a diet that can rely on being able to chomp through flesh, scales, bones, plants and more, these fish don't want to be left without a set of sharp teeth to call upon and this newly discovered replacement process makes sure that's the case.

Having teeth interlocked together likely gives piranhas extra stability when chewing, as the stress is more evenly spread out. There is some variety, though, in the locking mechanisms used by different piranhas and pacus.

There are still questions to be asked here for example, is it the new teeth pushing upwards, or the old teeth finally wearing out, that triggers the switch? Scientists will have to run further studies to find out, but part of the success of this current study has been in showing that museum collections still have scientific value.

"The motivation for this work came out of an effort to take those collections and come up with new ways of learning about the biology of fish," says Kolmann.

The research has been published in Evolution & Development.

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Piranhas Have a New Set of Pointy Sharp Teeth Waiting in 'Crypts' Ready to Emerge - ScienceAlert

Gov. Cuomo has been using state police to patrol deep into the boroughs (claiming theyre just patrolling MTA bridges and tunnels sure, right), which feels menacing and police state-y.

Now it turns out that the governor has hired another 500 state cops at a cost of $663 million over 10 years to knock down the straw man of fare evasion in the subway (a barely worth mentioning minor crime that is disproportionately enforced against people of color). Oh, and if that isnt bad enough, Gothamist reported on Monday that these friendly neighborhood officers wont have body cameras like the NYPD.

So thats roughly $125,000 per cop per year to criminalize poverty and do so in a way thats unaccountable. Your tax dollars at work. (Counterpoint? The MTA says aggressive enforcement is working, as the Post reported, though the Wall Street Journal reported just the opposite.)

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Tuesday's Headlines: What Could Possibly Go Wrong Edition - Streetsblog New York

Did you know that the 16th of October is celebrated as World Food Day? Well, with so much going on in our lives Blackouts from Eishkom, the DAs federal chair election and the traffic to and from work, I wouldnt be surprised if this particular day didnt even register in your mind last week. According to the United Nations (UN), the theme for World Food Day 2019 was Our Actions Are Our Future. Healthy Diets for A #ZeroHunger World. It focuses on tackling global hunger. There are so many healthy diets competing for our attention that we have to...

Did you know that the 16th of October is celebrated as World Food Day? Well, with so much going on in our lives Blackouts from Eishkom, the DAs federal chair election and the traffic to and from work, I wouldnt be surprised if this particular day didnt even register in your mind last week.

According to the United Nations (UN), the theme for World Food Day 2019 was Our Actions Are Our Future. Healthy Diets for A #ZeroHunger World. It focuses on tackling global hunger.

There are so many healthy diets competing for our attention that we have to demystify the topic of a healthy diet. We also have to emphasise how exercising without eating correctly wont help us get our weight right.

However, for someone like me who grew up in abject poverty, a day like this will always be acknowledged. It is personal, and as a mentor to more than 60 young men, I thought it would be befitting to invite someone to speak to them and teach them about healthy diets.

So on Saturday, I organised a dietitian to be a guest speaker in one of the sessions I hold for my mentees. Over the years I have spent with them, I have overlooked the issues around their body image.

To be quite frank, I became a typical man, and thought that body image challenges were womens issues. We, as men, dont stress about such things.

However, 2019 proved my backward-thinking convictions wrong. I am more worried now about what I eat, how much I weigh and how well I fit into my clothes. And, certainly, I dont want to be obese.

The self-consciousness took me back to the days when I was a teenager. I remembered how I was mocked for being so tall and skinny. My fellow learners at school would tell me that I was so boney that if a strong wind blew they would have to set up a search party to find me.

My self-esteem took a serious knock. I started having confidence issues. I had to be conscious about what I said to ensure it wouldnt backfire and get me mocked.

I heard the boys make unpalatable remarks to each other about their weight and the big portions of food they ingested.

I have learnt that, as boys and men, we neglect our diets until its almost too late. We carry on as if the chesanyama we have every second day doesnt affect us. We neglect eating fruit and vegetables but are surprised when we are diagnosed with serial killers like hypertension.

It is our responsibility to nourish our bodies and to check what we eat. As young boys, our bodies can take in the junk we consume. However, the older we get, the body deteriorates.

The reality is that the development of boys requires that we have healthy diets. There is no beauty in poverty or not having money. Nevertheless, I have realised that I used to eat better with less. Money doesnt encourage one to eat healthier, but to eat a lot of food that kills us.

Furthermore, World Food Day provides an occasion to highlight the plight of 870 million undernourished people in the world.

I live in rural Pankop, and I hope that the boys will start recognising the importance of healthy diets. In doing so, we will also encourage each other as boys and men to consult a dietitian every now and then.

Kabelo Chabalala is the founder and chairperson of the Young Men Movement (YMM), an organisation that focuses on the reconstruction of the socialisation of boys to create a new cohort of men. Email: kabelo03chabalala@gmail.com; Twitter: @KabeloJay; Facebook: Kabelo Chabalala

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We carry on as if that chesanyama every other day isnt killing us - Citizen

Life expectancy is falling in America, and the obesity epidemic is one of the causes.

Weve all heard alarming stories and seen the evidence. An astonishing two-thirds of adults, and nearly 30% of children are overweight or obese. Obesity-related illness is costing America $190.2 billion or nearly 21% of annual medical spending in the United States.

Adult-onset diabetes is now so common in children that the name of the illness was changed to Type 2 diabetes. Each year, the National Institutes of Health reports, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is increasing by 4.8 percent among children and teens. Then there is the astonishing prediction by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that one in three children born in the United States in 2000 will likely develop type 2 diabetes sometime in their lifetime unless they get more exercise and improve their diets.

Ask most people, and they will have a theory about obesity. Some stigmatize the obese saying they lack willpower. Others believe particular nutrients such as fats, carbs or sugars are to blame for our alarming obesity pandemic, Ellen Ruppel Shell reports in her essay, A New Theory of Obesity, in the October 2019 Scientific American.

Those who believe that carbs are the culprit might gravitate towards a keto or paleo diet, while thinking they can safely binge on a pint of Halo Top. Others, believing that fats are the culprit, might try a low-fat vegan diet, but then innocently partake of junk food binges on fat-free SnackWells.

Shells essay relates findings from multiple studies revealing a new theory of obesity. As nutrition researcher Kevin Hall began his research, he too felt certain he would find that carbs were behind our obesity crisis. Instead Hall found obesity is caused by how much ultraprocessed food is in our diet, not the percentage of carbs or fats we eat. Shell explains Halls work:

[Halls] studies suggest that a dramatic shift in how we make the food we eatpulling ingredients apart and then reconstituting them into things like frosted snack cakes and ready-to-eat meals from the supermarket freezerbears the brunt of the blame. This ultraprocessed food, he and a growing number of other scientists think, disrupts gut-brain signals that normally tell us that we have had enough, and this failed signaling leads to overeating.

Halls studies found that people ate hundreds more calories of ultraprocessed than unprocessed foods when they were encouraged to eat as much or as little of each type as they desired. The result was significant weight gain.

Ultraprocessed foods are ubiquitous in our diets. Shell reports,

An estimated 58 percent of the calories we consume and nearly 90 percent of all added sugars come from industrial food formulations made up mostly or entirely of ingredientswhether nutrients, fiber or chemical additivesthat are not found in a similar form and combination in nature.

Some ultraprocessed foods, such as candy and soda, are obvious. Other foods might seem like benign or even healthful products such as commercial breads, processed meats, flavored yogurts and energy bars but are ultraprocessed.

Reading food labels, you can often identify ultraprocessed foods by long-lists of ingredients that you would never have at home, synthetic flavors and colors, emulsifiers, preservatives, and thickeners.

Recently my wife and I were hungry after a long hike. We stopped at the supermarket and grabbed what looked like a healthy optionorganic tortellini. After ravenously eating our dinner, we were dismayed to find that cellulose was on the list of ingredients of our ultraprocessed healthy meal. In home kitchens, who adds wood pulp to thicken their food?

Were we to make this ultraprocessed healthy product a regular part of our diet, the pounds would soon pile on.

Shell also reports on studies in neuroscience that explain the link between obesity and consumption of ultraprocessed food. Dana Small is a neuroscientist at Yale University. Smalls research supports the theory that ultraprocessed foods disrupt the gut-brain signals that influence food reinforcement and intake overall.

Eat an apple and its sweet taste signals the body to expect and prepare for that calorie load. But drink soda with artificial sweeteners and you get the anticipation and experience of sweet taste without the energy boost.

Small makes clear the consequences: Disrupt the gut-brain signal and we will keep eating. Small says, [When] the brain does not get the proper metabolic signal from the gut the brain doesnt really know that the food is even there.

If the food goes down easy, beware, you will probably overeat. The pint of Halo Top might be low in calories (compared to regular ice cream) but you will keep eating other food.

While hypervigilant about calories, weve lost track that all calories are not the same. Small says, Weve created all these hyperpalatable foods filled with fat, sugar, salt and additives, and we clearly prefer these foods. But these foods dont necessarily provoke satiety. What they seem to provoke is cravings.

If you prefer ultraprocessed foods, you live in a golden age. If you want to change your eating habits, you also live in a golden age. Supermarkets have large fresh produce sections, large meat, poultry, and fish counters, and aisles of whole grains and beans. And now there is the miraculous Instant Pot to help you cook your unprocessed ingredients in record time.

Making the change takes the willingness to increase your cooking skills and the willingness to wash pots each night. Enlist the family. The family that cooks together bonds together and learns life-long skills together. With the assistance of well-designed kitchen step stools, even young children can safely be in the kitchen. You might find the improvements in your health and well-being are more than worth the effort.

[Image Credit: Pixabay]

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Has Science Discovered a Cure for Obesity? - Barry Brownstein (10/21/2019) - WallStreetWindow.com

If you're obsessed with brewing pumpkin-flavored coffee and lighting pumpkin-scented candles in the fall, it's easy to forget that pumpkin is actually produceand it's in season from late August through December. But even ardent pumpkin fans who eat the gourd regularly may not be aware that the orange winter squashwhich is technically considered a fruit, given that pumpkins bear seedsis actually quite nutritious. Both in its whole form and in pures, pumpkin contains more essential nutrients than many other leafy greens and fruits in the produce aisle.

Westend61 / Getty Images

"Pumpkins are a great example of nutrient-dense foods; it's high in fiber and several vitamins and minerals while relatively low in calories," says Ali Webster, PhD, RD, the associate director of nutrition communications for the International Food Information Council Foundation. Here, we're highlighting all the ways that these great gourds can supercharge your diet and boost your health. To make adding this gourd to your diet even easier, Webster also shares her best tips for selecting healthy pumpkin products in the supermarket.

Related: 20 Pumpkin Recipes That Go Beyond Pie

Believe it or not, a cup's worth of raw pumpkin packs in more vitamin A than the same amount of kale, per data from the United States Department of Agriculture. "Pumpkin is incredibly high in vitamin Aone cup provides over twice the amount recommended for daily intake," Webster says. "It's also a great source of carotenoids, several of which can be converted into vitamin A in the body." In addition to vitamin A and a smaller amount of vitamin C, one cup of pumpkin pure holds more than seven grams of raw fiber, which is more than a cup of cooked quinoa. "[That's] about a quarter of what's recommended for women each day, and about a fifth of what's recommended for men. Pumpkin is also equally high in potassium," Webster says. Overall, a cup of cubed pumpkin contains only 30 calories, and virtually zero fat, cholesterol, and sodium, according to nutrition info from the USDA.

The same can't be said for pumpkin seeds, though. This delicious snack isn't as nutrient-dense as pumpkin in its original form, Webster says. "Pumpkin seeds are a totally different ball game. There's virtually no vitamin A or beta-carotene in them, but they still provide a little bit of fiber and nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, and zinc," she shares.

The three most appealing health benefits of incorporating more pumpkin into everyday dishes are the squash's elevated vitamin A, fiber, and potassium levels, according to Webster, who flagged its vitamin A content (believe it or not, more than 40 percent of American adults aren't eating enough for optimal health, according to the Environmental Working Group) as particularly noteworthy: "Vitamin A is essential for maintaining good vision and a strong immune system, and it's also important for healthy reproductive systems."

Cooking with more whole pumpkins (luckily, roasting or baking this squash wont totally diminish its nutritional value; Webster recommends serving it as a side dish, on its own, or in salads, and to incorporate pulp and pures into soups or stews like chili for an added nutritional punch) could also be a boon for our gut health. "Fiber is crucial for maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal tract. It helps move digestion along, [and] feeds our gut microbes," Webster says. The gourds soluble and insoluble fiber can help us feel satiated for longer, which can also play a hand in weight management. Fiber is also complemented by a rich amount of potassium, which plays a "critical role" in almost every bodily function and regulatory system, Webster says. "It's indispensable in processes like keeping our heart beating, sending nerve signals, and contracting muscles."

If you don't have access to a fresh pumpkin to cook with in your kitchen, don't fret; Webster says you can pick up a can of organic pumpkin pure to use at home without sacrificing its nutritional value. "Canned pumpkin pure is an excellent option for people hoping to cook or bake with pumpkin," she says. "It's nutritionally equal to making homemade pure, saves a lot of time, and is much more convenient than buying a whole gourd." Be sure to look for pumpkin products that aren't processed or loaded with artificial flavorings and additional added sugarthese options are nowhere as nutritionally valuable as pure pumpkin. "I wouldn't say anyone should look to foods like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, or pumpkin-spiced lattes for a nutrition boost, but they're tasty seasonal foods that can definitely still be included in an overall healthy eating pattern."

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The Health Benefits Associated with Eating Pumpkin Will Inspire You to Cook More Squash This Season - Yahoo Lifestyle