THE cookie diet has taken Instagram by storm - and is being touted as a quick and easy way to lose weight.

Stars including Married At First Sight star Jessika Power have claimed they eat the "appetite suppressing cookies instead of breakfast and lunch to blitz body fat.

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However, the diet has now been slammed by a nutritionist.

Controversial reality star Jess Power has thrown her support behind the Cookie Diet, an unusual weight loss method health professionals have labelled unsustainable that was first popularised in the US a decade ago.

Power promoted the diet in an Instagram post last week, writing that the cookies contain a special blend of proteins (which) turn it into an appetite suppressant.

She said: "All I really wanted was something to curb my cravings, suppress my hunger and maintain my weight Ive been working out harder and having the energy during the day to be active but Ive lost the craving to constantly want to snack!

But it didnt take long for the Australian telly star to be slammed for promoting the diet.

This is all bulls**t, one person commented on her post, while another added: You should not be promoting fad diets like this!!

According to its website, the Cookie Diets cookies naturally suppress hunger and it claims there are no failures if you follow the regimen properly.

It works in two phases; the Weight Losing Phase and Weight Maintenance Phase. A one week supply of the cookies starts at 40 while a one month pack costs 117.

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During the first phase participants are told to eat 1-2 cookies every 2 hours plus a dinner of lean meat plus salad/veggies.

Then, participants can eat eat healthy meals and enjoy the cookies as a healthy, low calorie snack between meals.

The Cookie Diet was invented by US doctor Sanford Siegal in 1975, who used to prescribe it to patients in his weight loss clinics, before it became available online.

In 2007, Dr Siegal and his son Matthew Siegal launched CookieDiet.com, making the diet available widely.

It became famous during this period for its endorsements with US celebrities, including Jersey Shores Nicole Snooki Polizzi, who said she used the diet to lose weight after too much partying.

But its perhaps most famous for its public fallout with Kim Kardashian, who in 2009 blasted the Cookie Diet, claiming it was using her name to promote its product, Fox Newsreported at the time.

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Kim, who was then a spokesperson for a weight loss shake company, tweeted: Dr. Siegals cookie diet is falsely promoting that Im on this diet. NOT TRUE! I would never do this unhealthy diet! I do QuickTrim!

If this Dr. Siegal is lying about me being on this diet, what else are they lying about?

In response the Cookie Diet took legal action against her, suing her for making a derogatory statement about their diet.

The Cookie Diet was brought to Australia in 2018 by Australian company, OzHealth Pharma, where its been growing its profile.

The cookies themselves have sugar listed as the number one ingredient

Nutritionist Rick Haydidnt mince his words, telling news.com.au following the Cookie Diet was not exactly the healthiest way to lose weight.

Although there is a healthy eating plan that goes alongside the cookies, the cookies themselveshave sugar listed as the number one ingredient, which in my opinion doesnt make these cookies an obvious choice when looking to lose weight sustainably and healthily, he said.

This is very 1985 to me.

Labelling it a fad diet, Mr Hay said the cookies could lead to people not getting enough nutrients and warned any weight loss could be just short term.

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You may not get a good nutrient profile, and some people may think that they can just eat cookies all day which is way too restrictive, he said.

Instead of turning to the diet cookies Mr Hay recommended people looking to lose weight turn to plant-based options, which are high in fibre and help to reduce cravings naturally.

Eat lots of plant-based meals both vegan and vegie, as they deliver good amounts of fibre and help with nutrient density, Mr Hay said.

You should make your plate colourful, if its mostly beige or cookie coloured then we have a problem.

You also need to move more no ifs ands or buts if you want sustainable weight loss you have to exercise.

Power declined to answer news.com.aus questions about her support of the diet, except to say she had been eating the cookies for the past month.

In a statement OzHealth Pharmas COO George Iskander defended the diet, saying he was very confident in the product since it had been around for 40 years.

A lot of nutritionists will be against our diet, they believe it to be a fad, he said. If it is, its the longest running fad in history.

Mr Iskander, who is also a pharmacist, said there had been a spike in interest since Powers post advertising the diet.

We have had a lot of influencers reach out to us and we provide them with the product and allow them to make their minds up about it, he said.

Mr Iskander said he was very confident in the product and refuted claims they contained high amounts of sugar.

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We are very confident in our product as it has been around for over 40 years in the US.

Mr Iskander stressed there was nothing harmful in the cookies and they are normal low calorie cookies.

Show the ingredients to your doctor and always follow his or her instructions, he said.

This article was originally published on news.com.au.

More:
Weight loss: New cookie diet is taking Instagram by storm but does it really work? - The Sun

A global transition to a vegetarian diet would have significant impacts in the battle against global warming and other environmental concerns, according to research conducted at Loma Linda University Health.

Food production has been identified as a major contributor to increased greenhouse gas emissions, consumes 70% of fresh water, and is responsible for 80% of the worlds deforestation. Improving agricultural technology and reducing food waste have been put forward as potential solutions to these environmental concerns. But Joan Sabat MD, DrPH, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, found that changes in food choices and diet patterns would have a far greater positive effect on environmental sustainability.

Vegetarian Diets: Planetary Health and Its Alignment with Human Health is a meta-analysis of 49 published research studies that focused on the impact that vegetarian and vegan diets have on greenhouse gas emissions, and water and land use. When the data from the 49 studies was combined, Sabat found that shifting from current dietary norms to ovolactovegetarian and vegan diets would reduce greenhouse gas levels an average of 35%, reduce land usage for food production by an average of 42%, and agricultural water usage by an average of 28%.

Many other studies have clearly demonstrated the health advantages of vegetarian and vegan diets. This analysis confirms that switching to these types of diets are also significantly eco-friendly as well, Sabat said.

Sabat directs the environmental nutrition research program at Loma Linda University School of Public Health. This program explores the interrelationships between the environmental and health impacts of food choices, and ultimately seeks to improve the sustainability, health and equity of food systems. He is the editor of the book Environmental Nutrition: Connecting Health and Nutrition with Environmentally Sustainable Diets, published in 2019.

One early sign that people are increasing in their commitment to make dietary changes due to concerns about climate took place in earlier this year. By choosing to serve all vegan meals to hundreds of celebrities and guests, two major entertainment industry award shows the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards increased public awareness and conversation about the link between sustainable agriculture and climate change.

While Sabat says the field of sustainable diet and environmental impacts is still in its infancy, he has participated in a number of research studies that show clear connection between diet and climate factors. In 2017, he was part of a group that published a well-known study on the climate benefits of replacing meat in diets with beans. Sabat and other researchers working in Loma Linda University Healths environmental nutrition program have published more than 30 papers that examined the relationship between food choices, environmental sustainability and population health.

Sabat says additional research is needed into how changes in agricultural approaches impact the environment in low- and middle-income countries. He also points to needed research comparing large-scale agricultural operations with small-operation family farms practices.

In societies where daily meat consumption is the social norm, drastically reducing meat consumption is a major challenge," Sabat said. In low- and middle-income countries, eliminating meat could adversely affect those populations already marginal nutritional status.

The paper was presented at the 7thInternational Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition in 2018, the premiere scientific conference on plant-based diets, which occurs every five years. The proceedings from the conference were recently published in a special edition of the journal Advances in Nutrition.

Originally posted here:
Lower meat consumption a key to fighting global warming, study says - Loma Linda University Health

The low-carb keto diet might be popular among weight-loss warriors and celebrities today, but did you know it was first given to kids with a particular form of epilepsy?

The ketogenic or keto diet was developed in the 1920s by Dr Russell Wilder at the Mayo Clinic. He prescribed it to children with severe epilepsy who weren't responding to drugs, and found the diet minimised the frequency and severity of their seizures. Although, a recent study has shown not all children benefit from the diet.

It wasn't until the 1960s when Dr Robert Atkins created his eponymous diet that low-carb eating plans became popular among the masses.

Dr Atkins theorised that when we consume minimal carbohydrate, the body burns fat for energy. This process is known as 'ketosis' more on that in a minute.

So, how does it work? What can you eat on the keto diet? And what does the research say about its connection to weigh loss? Are there any side effects? Let's dig in.

While Dr Atkins recommended dieters limit their carbohydrate intake to 65-100 grams per day, keto requires even greater self-control.

"To become ketotic you need to take your carbohydrate down to 10 grams, 20 grams a day," says Monash University's head of dietetics, Professor Helen Truby.

"That's like half a slice of bread."

Becoming ketotic or entering ketosis is the physiological process when your body stops using carbohydrates for energy and starts using fats.

And the energy can come from fats you've eaten, as well as fats stored in the body, says New York University physician Shivam Joshi, who spoke with Dr Norman Swan about keto on RN's Health Report.

"But when you look at low-carb diets in general, the sentinel feature of their ability to cause weight loss is that they restrict calories," he says.

It can take up to five days to become ketotic, and when you do your body will start producing ketones, which are another energy source.

In addition to using fat as an energy source, Professor Truby says after a few weeks in ketosis, you become less hungry.

We've examined seven popular diets to find out what you can eat and whether they work.

In a review of the keto diet, Harvard University's School of Public Health points out that "there is not one 'standard' ketogenic diet with a specific ratio of macronutrients [carbohydrates, protein, fat]".

"Generally, popular ketogenic resources suggest an average of 70-80 per cent fat from total daily calories, 5-10 per cent carbohydrate, and 10-20 per cent protein."

Breakfast: Green smoothie made with spinach, cucumber, avocado, coconut cream and peanut butter

Snack: Low-carb chocolate with peanut butter

Lunch: Baby spinach, egg and parmesan salad

Snack: 100g cheese with cucumber

Dinner: 50g piece of salmon with baby spinach and garlic oil

Dessert: Hot chocolate made with coconut cream and sugar-free drinking chocolate

Beyond pasta and rice, carbohydrates are found in plenty of healthy foods, including fruits and many vegetables, legumes, wholegrains and the natural sugars found in milk and yoghurt.

Due to this, Professor Truby says it's important for people on the keto diet to be mindful of their micronutrient intake.

Micronutrients include minerals like calcium, which is important for bone health, B vitamins in legumes and wholegrain foods, and vitamin C, which is found in fruit.

Professor Truby says keto dieters might need to take micronutrient supplements to ensure their needs are being met.

"It's not impossible, but it's certainly not the easiest diet to do," she says.

Those coming off a keto diet may also experience some weight gain.

"Your body will try and put some of that weight on again, unless you're really careful about how much energy and how many carbs you have," says Professor Truby.

She recommends easing back into carbohydrates slowly, and choosing healthier carbs, like fruits and wholegrains, over sugary items.

"In my opinion, if you're going to try a diet that induces ketosis, you should have a chat with your GP first, particularly if you've got any medical conditions," Professor Truby says.

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The keto diet is no silver bullet.

"Questions remain concerning the long-term health effects of this diet on the gut microbiome and general health given the lack of fruit, vegetables and grains," says this post from Monash University's Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food.

In a paper co-written for the JAMA Internal Medicine, Dr Joshi analysed a series of randomised controlled trials over a year or more.

"This study showed the difference in weight loss between those on a ketogenic diet and those not on a ketogenic diet or a control diet was only 0.9 kilograms, which is of statistical significance but may not be of clinical significance," he says.

And Harvard's School of Public Health ends their assessment of the keto diet with this summary:

"Available research on the ketogenic diet for weight loss is still limited. Most of the studies so far have had a small number of participants, were short-term (12 weeks or less), and did not include control groups.

"A ketogenic diet has been shown to provide short-term benefits in some people, including weight loss and improvements in total cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. However, these effects after one year when compared with the effects of conventional weight loss diets are not significantly different."

Thinking about trying a new diet? Before you do, read this advice from Dr Sandro Demaio.

Experts say the keto diet may cause a range of side-effects. These include:

Professor Truby says the keto diet may have positive effects for people who are very overweight.

"[Through shedding fat] your blood pressure should come down, your lipid levels will change, and you get better glucose control," she says.

But it's probably not worth it for most people.

"For people who just want to lose a little bit of weight, then I don't think a ketotic type of diet is really necessary because you will actually regain the weight anyway, when you stop being ketotic," says Professor Truby.

But maybe we can all take a slice of advice from this popular eating plan, she adds.

"There's no need for everyone to go on a completely keto diet, but reducing those carb sources that are not nutrient-rich things like cakes, biscuits, chips is a good idea for everyone."

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.

This article has been reviewed by Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM, nutritionist and visiting fellow, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW. This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.

View post:
Everything you need to know about the keto diet - ABC Local

HARLINGEN Thump-thump-thump-thump

Is that ticker ticking? Want to keep it that way?

February is American Heart Health Month. Its the perfect time to think about diet and exercise to ensure robust cardiovascular health, said Dr. Charles Mild, cardiologist at Valley Baptist Medical Center.

Heart health is basically important not only every minute but every day, Mild said. But its nice to have one month a year to remind people of that. And what an appropriate month, its passion of the heart.

Heart disease is by and large preventable, and that includes those who have a genetic predisposition to heart disease, Mild said.

Thats because diet and exercise influence the good genes and the bad genes, Mild said. It can turn on the good genes and turn off the bad genes.

Valley Baptist wasted no time celebrating American Heart Health Month. The hospital celebrated National Wear Red Day on Friday and offered employees a basic healthy heart foods presentation, a heart healthy meal preparation demonstration, and complimentary blood pressure screenings.

The hospital will host Dinner with a Doctor on Heart Health with Mild on Feb. 19. Mild emphasizes a healthy diet low on red meat and sugars.

Go low on the food chain, vegetables first and then fruits, he said. Keep the other stuff, meats and oils, for a once in awhile type of food.

Good cardiovascular health requires a holistic approach. Randy Townley, director of cardiovascular services at Valley Baptist, says achieving and maintaining heart health requires a plan with specific goals.

We want to try to think about controlling our weight, Townley said. We want to try to set up an exercise plan, we want to reduce the sugar and sweets and set up a better diet. Start small and you can get good results very fast.

Any specific diet and exercise regimen should be cleared by a physician, Townley added.

Mild has been an outspoken advocate of the Mediterranean Diet, which has been shown to reduce deaths from cardio-vascular disease, and thats not all.

A medical journal recently ran a piece which showed that those who do even one marathon in an entire lifetime have a 4 percent reduction in death from vascular disease.

That trial was done in older runners in the 50s range, he said. It shows that basically it can turn back the clock of vascular aging.

However, you dont have to be a marathon runner to achieve good cardiovascular health.

Any exercise has been shown to have some beneficial effect, Mild said. The data will show that if you run one day a week it will have a beneficial effect. If you walk 30 minutes every day or at least every other day you have a marked decrease in vascular disease.

An exercise regimen can be fairly simple. Townley pointed out gym memberships are pretty inexpensive, but you dont necessarily even need that.

You can join a gym or maybe have a treadmill at home to walk on, he said. If you dont have time to go to the doctor right now you can always go for a walk and enjoy the outside.

Townley put the cost-benefit ratio of heart health this way.

Avoid a catastrophic disability, he said. With a heart attack or stroke you can imagine what pain that would be for yourself and your family members. If you were to be hospitalized for a long length of time and become totally debilitated, its not a good deal. You dont ever want to have that happen. You want to spend time with your children, your grandchildren, your loved ones.

How to avoid all that?

Well, diet and exercise, of course

Mediterranean Diet

Vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, grains. No beef or packaged foods. Avoid bread. Use olive oil.

Mediterranean Diet Pyramid

1. Vegetables Eat all the vegetables you want.

2. Fruits Fruits are good, but they have more sugar than people need so they should be kept within limits.

3. Fish and poultry

4. Oatmeal Oatmeal eats up cholesterol which is a primary cause of coronary heart disease.

Read the original post:
Affairs of the heart - Valley morning Star

It was definitely a gradual process, said Ryan Holgate of changing his body. Holgate his just .240 as a freshman last year but had a .378 on-base percentage and drew 35 walks.

Postgame pizza is hard to resist.

But Ryan Holgate was determined to improve his body and, correspondingly, his game so he spurned those slices of sausage and pieces of pepperoni. His host family with the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League graciously provided him with healthier alternatives, such as chicken and rice.

Combined with a workout regimen that included lifting in the morning and extra running before and after games, Holgate transformed his physique last summer. The 6-foot-2 Arizona Wildcats right fielder weighed 232 pounds as a freshman last season. He recently checked in at 203.

I was kind of blown away, honestly, when he walked in the office after summer baseball, said UA coach Jay Johnson, whose team opens the 2020 season against Albany on Friday night at Hi Corbett Field. That Northwoods League is a tough grind. Theyre playing every day, and theyre on buses. Sometimes the nutritional component can be hard there. But he obviously has done a great job with that.

Holgate said he feels fitter, fresher, stronger and more mobile than a year ago and thats a scary thought for Arizona opponents.

Holgate, a prized recruit from Davis, California, had a good freshman season, at least by normal standards. He hit seven home runs, drew 35 walks and had a .378 on-base percentage.

See more here:
Arizona Wildcats slugger Ryan Holgate discovers the power of a healthier diet - Arizona Daily Star

Managing your cravings while on a diet can be difficult as it is. But what happens when youre trying your best to eat well, and someone at work waltzes by with a large box of hot and crispy French fries?

Yes, you might feel like giving up on your fitness goals for the sake of a few fries, but is that really something you want to do? We all know how hard it is to start a diet again after going off-track for a few days. If only there was a way to indulge in fries without also consuming all the extra carbs from potatoes and unhealthy fats from the oil they were fried in...

Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.

Well, theres a very easy way to accomplish this. You can totally make crispy, spicy and healthy fries - that too at home! All you need to know is how to navigate through three basics: the veggie base for the fries, the medium to cook it in, and a dip to go with them. Heres everything you need to know about making the healthiest fries in the world to indulge in.

Okay, so potatoes are simply delicious. But so are many other veggies that are less starchy and more nutritious. According to a study published inAdvances in Nutritionin 2012, vegetables are some of the richest sources of fibre, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals despite being very low in calories. And when it comes to fries, you have enough healthier options to choose from: carrots, beetroot, sweet potato, parsnips, zucchini, lotus stem, eggplant We can go on with the list, but you get the idea, right?

French fries are crispy because they are deep-fried in hot oil: this idea has taken such a hold of popular imagination that people forget that this method of cooking isnt the only way to get veggies to crisp up. In fact, more than potatoes, its this method that makes fries the enemy of the health-conscious. A study published in theIndian Heart Journalin 2016 revealed how exposure to high temperatures during deep frying or even stir-frying destroys antioxidants and also releases toxins.

So instead of deep-frying veggies, how about you drizzle some olive oil on them, sprinkle chilli, pepper and salt and bake them? With air fryers easily available in the market now, you could give them a try as well. Just dont overcrowd the oven tray or air-fryer basket and were sure the fries will come out as crispy and delicious as the French fries at that fast food joint you love.

Theres no way you can enjoy fries without a sauce to dip in, right? You need some ketchup, cheese dip or mayonnaise on the side. Or do you? The fact is that most of these commercially made sauces and dips have excess salt and sugar, which is not good for your health. According to a study published inPreventive Medicine Reportsin 2015, most of these sauces have a very high sodium content, which can lead to high blood pressure as well as cardiovascular diseases.

So, give the sauce a skip and try making a quick-and-easy healthy dip at home. Try simple ones like hummus, tahini, yoghurt dips or just make a nice and spicy salsa if you want that hit of tomato with your healthy fries.

Now that you know how to nail easy and healthy homemade fries, why dont you give them a try? Practice makes perfect after all. Try enough of these and youll never crave those store-bought fries again.

For more information, read our article onHealthy recipes.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

Updated Date: Feb 11, 2020 19:06:55 IST

Tags : Diet Recipes, French Fries, Healthy Diet, Healthy Fries, NewsTracker, Unhealthy Food

Read the rest here:
Here's how you can indulge in fries while on a diet - Firstpost

After a month of plant-based eating, it's finally time to order pizza.

This celebration requires cheese. Lots of cheese.

"It's been a hard month," Sean Jensen said between gigantic bites of pizza. "But this is delicious."

This is the first non-vegan meal for Jensen and his co-workers who switched to a plant-based diet for the month of January to see if it would improve their overall health.

At the start of the challenge, each person tested their blood, body mass index, visceral fat and peripheral fat levels.

After 30 days of veganism, the group of seven one person dropped out of the challenge ran the same tests to see if they were any healthier.

Dr. Raj Attariwala, who runs the clinic, says he lost eight pounds but it was mostly muscle.

"I have to tighten my belt but I gained fat," he said. "I'm a skinnier, fatter guy than I was before."

The employees at AIM Medical Imaging have access to the company's Prenuvo full body MRI scans, which allow them to measure the benefits of their diets in great detail.

The team also had tests and analysis work done at the nearby medical clinic Preventum.

Everyone lost weight.Most people saw improvements in their blood tests and visceral fat levels went down modestly.

Attariwala says, however, everyone lost muscle except for one person who started an exercise program partway through the challenge.

"We see that we're thinner and think that we should be healthier, but the truth is we're not," he said.

"My body was basically sucking energy from my muscles instead of from my fat."

Most people found that meal planning was challenging and expensive.It was hard to find healthy sources of protein and it was difficult to stay away fromfoods that were high in carbohydrates.

AIM employee Erica Ferreira says the positive is she learned a great deal about planning meals.

"I'll definitely think about what's going in my body a little bit more from now on," she said. "It was a good experiment."

For Attariwala, who didn't make any changes to his fitness routine, the biggest takeaway from the experiment is the importance of working out.

"It's not just diet, it's exercise, too," he said.

"I'm going to try to eat less and move more."

Around the lunchroom table at the pizza party, the discussion centres around how many foods appear to be vegan such as breads or sauces but actually contain eggs, honey or some other kind of product that comes from animals.

Jensen says he absent mindedly ordered a cappuccino during the challenge and didn't realize he was drinking dairy until he had finished his cup.

"You just have to be so careful," he said.

"When you're out and you think of a place where you can just pick something up quickly, what can you get that's not yam fries?"

Throughout the challenge, everyone also came to appreciate Vancouver's vegan restaurants and realized there are many delicious options.

Jensen isn't giving up meat, and he's certainly not quitting cheese, but he plans to scale back on both.

"I guess you can call me a vegetarian," he said.

"A vegetarian who eats meat."

CBC Vancouver'sImpact Team investigates and reports on stories that impact people in their local community and strives to hold individuals, institutions and organizations to account.If you have a story for us, email impact@cbc.ca.

The rest is here:
Is veganism healthy? This Vancouver office tried it for a month to find out - CBC.ca

Dairy milk got a bad reception at Sundays Academy Awards.

Joaquin Phoenix took aim at dairy farming in his Oscars speech for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Joker. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable, he said. Then we take her milk thats intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.

We fear the idea of personal change, because we think we need to sacrifice something, to give something up, Phoenix added. But human beings at our best are so creative and inventive, and we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and the environment.

Alan Bjerga, a spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation, told MarketWatch in an email: Dairy farmers are committed to animal welfare and proud of their work in helping to provide a nutritious diet for Americans and the world. Its unfortunate that their hard work is attacked from a platform at the Oscars.

The Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a dairy marketing cooperative, said net sales had declined by $1.1 billion in 2018, from $14.7 billion in 2017 to $13.6 billion in 2018. Dairy industry executives say the milk beverage category remains competitive, while the dairy market as a whole has seen growth.

Kim OBrien, a spokesperson for the cooperative, told MarketWatch in an email, The decrease in sales was primarily due to low milk prices, which are derived from global dairy commodity prices. In fact, DFA marketed similar volumes of milk in 2018 (64.5 billion pounds) versus 2017 (64.4 billion pounds).

Dairy milk sales fell to approximately $12 billion last year from $15 billion in 2015, while alternative sources of milk have risen over the same period, according to the market researcher Nielsen.

Almond milk sales have increased by nearly 6% to $1.35 billion over the same period, while oat milk soared 662% to nearly $60 million in 2019, Nielsen added. OBrien added, Alternative beverages have a relatively modest impact on total dairy consumption since Class 1 (beverage) milk makes up only about 21% of the total dairy industry.

Market research group Sentient Media crunched more than two dozen studies involving 80,000 Americans and concluded that there are approximately 6.5 million self-identifying vegans in the U.S., and that does not include those who want a lighter meat- and dairy-free diet. That likely why Nielsen data commissioned by the Plant Based Food Association estimates that plant-based food sales surpassed $3.3 billion in 2018, more than doubling from the previous year.

People change their diets for a lot of reasons: to bring an end to animal farming, to fight for a livable climate, to promote health and personal growth, to be kind," according to the Sentient Media report. There is no right answer here. The way we choose to eat will likely change a number of times over the course of our lives, and thats okay. Ethical eating works like a spectrum, one that is trending towards compassion.

Sales of plant-based varieties have grown 6% over the past year, now making up 13% of the entire milk category, according to separate data released last year from the Good Food Institute and Plant Based Foods Association. Sales of cows milk, meanwhile, have declined 3%. In fact, 11% of consumers say theyre trying to consume less dairy, according to the NPD Group.

Why artificially inseminate heifers? This University of Kentucky paper aims to answer that question: Its quite simple: to increase the number of genetically superior heifers available for herd replacement and sale, it said. However, the bottom line is heifer AI puts the dairy farmer in a position where he or she has plenty of genetically superior heifers available for replacement and sale.

It makes the process safer for consumers and controls the spread of disease, the paper from the universitys College of Agriculture added. Certainly, there are many other valid reasons for using heifer artificial insemination: higher conception rate, increased semen value, calving ease, controlling transfer of reproductive diseases, safety, controlled breeding, better records, and accurate due dates.

Phoenix and other critics of dairy farming argue that it treats the animals like theyre machines.

Dairy farmers should not be satisfied with average sires, and should be encouraged to breed heifers to above average sires, the University of Kentucky paper added. With a little selection, dairy farmers should expect daughters of AI sires to out milk their non-AI counterparts by much more than 1,200 pounds per lactation.

Still, many people feel so strongly about alternative milk varieties whether for reasons relating to health, the environment or animal rights that theyre willing to pay big money for non-dairy varieties, particularly oat milk. When the Swedish oat milk brand Oatly sold out of its Barista Edition Oatmilk variety in December, one Amazon AMZN, +0.79% seller posted a 12-pack of the milk cartons for $226 (a 32-ounce carton retails for $4.99).

The plant-based markets best-selling alternatives almond milk and soy milk cost almost double at $4.29 a half-gallon (64-ounces), respectively, compared to $2.17 for regular dairy milk, according to a price check by FreshDirect, the online grocery delivery service that delivers in the New York metropolitan area, and areas in Connecticut, Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Oat milk is almost 2.5 times the cost of dairy milk ($5.29 a half-gallon).

Last year, the dairy company Dean Foods Co. voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying it was working toward an orderly sale of the company. Consumers want to reduce, not eliminate, the amount of animal proteins we consume, Darren Seifer, a food consumption business analyst at NPD Group, told MarketWatch at the time. Theyre pro-protein, they just dont want to have more meat or more milk to achieve these goals.

People are certainly becoming more interested in meat and dairy alternatives. Beyond Meat BYND, -2.16%, the plant-based meat company, is up 85% since its initial public offering in May 2019, after soaring nearly 238% in the months after its IPO. More large food companies want a slice out of the vegetarian and vegan market: Meat producer Tyson Foods Inc. TSN, -0.72% also entered the alternative protein market last year, unveiling new products under the Raised & Rooted brand.

In his speech, Phoenix called on people to find alternative sources to dairy farming. We fear the idea of personal change, because we think we need to sacrifice something; to give something up, he said. But human beings at our best are so creative and inventive, and we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and the environment.

Bjerga, meanwhile, appeared to pour cold milk on Phoenixs speech. Oscars acceptance speeches have long been an outlet for celebrity opinions. The hard, worthwhile work of dairy farmers will continue long after everyone has forgotten who won best actor in 2020, he said.

(This story was updated with additional comment from the National Milk Producers Federation.)

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(CNN) The number of deaths from the Wuhan coronavirushad risen to over 1,000 by Tuesday morning, as experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived in China to assist with controlling the epidemic.

Chinese health authorities said 108 people died from the virus in mainland China on Monday, with the majority of those deaths occurring in Hubei province, the capital of which is Wuhan the city where the virus was first found. The total number of deaths stands at 1,018, all but two of those in mainland China.

Globally, 43,090 have now been diagnosed with the virus, again with the majority in China. Around 4,000 patients have been treated and released from hospital in China since late December.

A team of World Health Organization (WHO) experts landed in China on Monday. The organizations director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said they will lay the groundwork for a larger international team, which will join them as soon as possible.

The WHO group in China is led by Bruce Aylward, who helmed the bodys response to Ebola, as well as initiatives for immunization, communicable diseases control and polio eradication.

Their arrival comes as the WHO is facing increasing criticism for its initial decision not to declare a global health emergency, and for officials effusive praise of Chinas handling of the crisis, even as Beijing faces outrage domestically for, among other things, the death of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, and the subsequent censorship of that news.

Outside of China, the single largest outbreak is on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, currently docked in Yokohama, a port city south of Tokyo.

At least 135 people have tested positive for the virus so far, as Japanese health authorities continue to examine hundreds of passengers and crew, who have been under quarantine for almost a week. The recommended quarantine time is 14 days.

Passengers have been vocal about their displeasure with ship operator Princess Cruises and the Japanese governments handling of the outbreak. On Monday, several crew members appealed for help from the Indian government, alleging they were at risk of infection by not being segregated.

We are extremely scared at this point in time, Binay Kumar Sarkar said in a video obtained by CNN. Our request is to segregate the crew members from the infected.

He said that none of his colleagues had been checked for the coronavirus.

Only people who are recording temperatures higher than 37.5 degree Celsius are being checked, he said. Please help save those who have not been infected yet. There are 160 Indian crew members and 8 Indian passengers on board. Please rescue us. Help evacuate us before we contract the virus. 90% of us are healthy as of now. I appeal to Indias Prime Minister Modi, please bring us home safe and sound.

Princess Cruises did not respond to a request for comment about the video.

Three other cruise ships have faced delays and quarantines in the past week over virus fears, in Hong Kong, Thailand and the US, though none have confirmed an outbreak.

While most countries and territories are reporting low numbers of cases, there were renewed fears of a separate outbreak in Hong Kong Monday.

Memories of the 2003 SARS crisis run deep in Hong Kong, which has been on high alert for weeks now, with many people working from home and runs on face masks and hand sanitizer amid concerns about shortages. The citys leader Carrie Lam closed most of the border crossings with mainland China last week, following intense pressure from health care workers, many of whom walked out in protest at the decision not to seal the city earlier.

In the early hours of Tuesday, health officialsbegan a partial evacuation of residentsfrom an apartment block in Tsing Yi, in northwestern Hong Kong, over fears the virus may have been transmitted via the buildings pipes.

Two residents living on different floors of a high-rise tower called Hong Mei House had been infected with coronavirus, health officials said. Parts of the building have now been evacuated as health officials and engineers carried out emergency checks.

Microbiologist KY Yuen said that an improperly sealed pipe could have resulted in the virus, by carrying feces into the buildings ventilation system and blowing it into peoples apartments.

As the pipeline that transfers feces is connected to the air pipe, it is very likely for the virus in the feces to be transmitted through the air fan into the toilet, Yuen said. He added that the transmission route is not clear yet, so the evacuation was a precaution.

At least 12 cases have been confirmed at Hong Mei House. During the SARS outbreak, pipelines were amajor source of transmission. At theAmoy Gardens housing estate, there were more than 300 infections and 42 deaths, after a flaw in the plumbing design allowed SARS to spread throughout the building.

Much of China was due to go back to work on Monday, after the Lunar New Year holiday became an extended voluntary quarantine for hundreds of millions of people across the country. With many remaining in isolation or working from home,fears of a larger economic shockare growing.

The epidemic has alreadydriven up the price of food nationwide, with vegetables 17% more expensive. The worst price rise was in pork, a major staple of the Chinese diet that was already under pressure because of a devastating swine disease. Pork prices have risen 116% compared to a year ago.

Other items saw modest price rises by comparison: Health care was 2.3% more expensive, for example, while clothing prices rose 0.6%, according to the countrys statistics bureau.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that the country needs to stabilize the economy and prevent large-scale layoffs during the coronavirus outbreak.

During a meeting at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi said the economy had been doing well, and he predicted that the economic impact of the coronavirus would be short lived.

He added the country is ready to help companies resume production and would assist those that have been heavily affected.

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CDC gives update on response to the coronavirus outbreak - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland

In the United States and many other countries, a dietitian is a board-certified food and nutrition expert. They are highly educated in the field of nutrition and dietetics the science of food, nutrition, and their impact on human health.

Through extensive training, dietitians acquire the expertise to provide evidence-based medical nutrition therapy and nutritional counseling tailored to meet an individuals needs.

They are qualified to practice across a span of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, research institutions, or local communities, to name a few.

To earn the credentials of Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), a person needs to complete the criteria set forth by governing bodies like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) in the United States or the Dietitians Association of Australia (1, 2).

Additionally, in some countries, people may earn the title of registered nutritionist, which is synonymous with registered dietitian and requires certification from a governing body.

These are professional organizations that oversee the field of dietetics in their respective countries.

To clarify, the credentials of RD and RDN are interchangeable. However, RDN is a more recent designation. Dietitians can choose which credential they would rather use.

To earn these credentials, dietitians-to-be must first earn a bachelors degree or equivalent credits from an accredited program at a university or college.

Typically, this requires an undergraduate science degree, including courses in biology, microbiology, organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology, as well as more specialized nutrition coursework.

As of January 1, 2024, all dietetics students must also hold a masters degree to qualify for their RD board examination in the United States (3).

In addition to formal education, all dietetics students in the United States must apply for and be matched with a competitive internship program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

Similar internships may be required in other countries.

Internships typically expose the student to 9001,200 unpaid supervised practice hours across the 4 domains of practice, with careful adherence to competencies, or specific areas of study, complemented by in-depth projects and case studies outside of those hours.

Furthermore, the student must usually pass an exit exam mirroring the content of the board exam before completing the internship. The successful completion of these requirements qualifies them to take a board examination.

Finally, a dietetics student who passes the board exam in their respective country can apply to become a registered dietitian.

Earning dietitian credentials requires national board certification. Whats more, many states, such as Texas, California, and Nebraska, require that dietitians be licensed in order to practice (4).

The process of licensing sometimes has additional requirements, like passing a jurisprudence exam. This is meant to ensure that dietitians practice under a code of conduct to protect public safety.

The dietitian must also continue their professional development by completing continuing education credits, which helps them keep up with the ever-evolving field.

There are four main domains of practice for dietitians clinical, food service management, community, and research.

Clinical dietitians are those who work in an inpatient hospital setting. Outpatient dietitians may also work in a hospital or clinic, but they work with people who arent admitted to inpatient care and are usually less ill.

Both inpatient and outpatient dietitians provide support to the medical team to treat many acute and chronic illnesses. Dietitians in long-term care facilities may also supervise the nutrition of people with serious conditions that require ongoing care.

They follow standards of practice and detail a persons medical history and current status, including lab work and weight history. This allows them to assess acute needs, prioritizing life-threatening conditions.

Inpatient and outpatient dietitians also provide nutrition education to people with specialized needs, such as those newly out of surgery, in cancer treatment, or diagnosed with chronic illnesses like diabetes or kidney disease.

In the outpatient setting, they give more in-depth nutritional counseling working towards a nutrition-oriented goal.

Dietitians may also work in other settings like research hospitals, universities, or food service management.

They can advocate for public policies and provide expertise in the community setting, such as school districts or public health organizations like Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Food service management dietitians oversee the production of nutritionally adequate food that meets food safety guidelines within a large organization, such as a school district or military base.

A community dietitian can help design and implement programs aimed at populations instead of individuals, such as community cooking initiatives or diabetes prevention interventions. They can also advocate for public policies with a focus on nutrition, food, and health issues.

Research dietitians typically work in research hospitals, organizations, or universities. They operate within a research team headed by a primary investigator and carry out nutrition-focused interventions.

Once dietitians have earned their credentials and are working in the field, they can go on to specialize in a particular subcategory, such as pediatrics or sports dietetics.

Finally, dietitians may also run private practices to provide services like nutritional counseling.

They may additionally teach in an academic or research institution or write about nutrition-related topics. Others may work as health and nutrition experts in media or as public speakers.

Dietitians are qualified to manage nutrition therapy across a span of acute and chronic conditions. The type of conditions they treat depends most on the setting of their practice.

This means that they can treat nutrition problems that may arise from cancer or its treatment, as well as work with a client to prevent the onset of diabetes.

In hospitals, they treat a range of people, such as those who are clinically malnourished, as well as those who require nutrients via feeding tubes.

Dietitians also treat people undergoing bariatric (weight loss) surgery or those with kidney issues, as these individuals can have many nutritional restrictions and benefit from individualized care to fully meet their bodies needs.

Eating disorder dietitians have usually acquired additional training or education to treat this population. They work with a team of psychotherapists and doctors to help individuals recover from these disorders (5).

Eating disorders include chronic starvation (anorexia nervosa) or binging and purging (bulimia) (5, 6).

Sports dietitians specialize in optimizing nutrition for enhanced performance in athletes. These dietitians may work in gyms or physical therapy clinics, as well as with a sports team or dance company (7).

Dietitians can apply their expertise across a broad range of settings, such as hospitals, research institutions, and sports teams. They may prescribe nutrition therapy to help treat or prevent acute and chronic illnesses.

In some countries, people may translate their title as nutritionist rather than dietitian, though their educational background closely resembles that of a dietitian.

However, in the United States and other countries, a nutritionist is a person with an interest in nutrition and diet. There is no legal precedent for this term, so anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.

As a nutritionist has no legal standing in the United States, there is no code of conduct or standards of practice established to describe what they do.

They may apply their interest in nutrition to anything from running a food blog to working with clients.

However, because uncredentialed nutritionists typically lack the expertise and training for medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling, following their advice could be considered harmful (8).

Further, nutritionists in the United States dont have to abide by a code of conduct, which are designed to protect the public and avoid conflicts of interests in promoting haphazard supplements or food products (8).

In the United States and many other countries, no degrees or credentials are required to be a nutritionist. You simply need an interest in the field.

However, alternative education and certifications may earn someone the title of Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS).

Those with CNS credentials are health professionals like nurses or doctors with advanced health degrees who have sought out additional coursework and completed supervised practice hours, as well as passed an exam overseen by the American Nutrition Association.

Unlike RDs, CNSs do not prescribe nutrition therapy, though they can oversee community nutrition education programs.

In the United States, nutritionists have no legal standing to treat health conditions. Giving nutrition advice without the proper knowledge and training can be harmful, especially when counseling those with health conditions.

Moreover, those without credentials may see clients who seek approaches to nutrition that are outside the scope of traditional medicine.

However, this is typically less evidence-based, which may pose a health risk.

In the United States, nutritionist is a term that carries no legal meaning. Therefore, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Yet, alternative education and certifications may grant titles like Certified Nutrition Specialist.

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