Pixabay Paleo diet focuses on meat, vegetables and nuts but low intake of fruit.

One of the main reasons many people have been on a modern-day diet is easier access to food. You can fulfill your cravings quick and even get the taste that suits your taste buds.

However, health experts have been encouraging people to look back to the past and try the food that human ancestors ate. That is because of the growing link between modern style of eating and diseases.

Experts believe the effects of ancestral diet could help reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Such conditions have been affecting millions of people in the U.S. and other countries across the world.

To date, estimates show that six in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease, while four in 10 Americans are living with two or more chronic conditions, according to ChrisKresser.com. However, our ancestors didnt suffer from such diseases.

That could be due to their diets that focused on nutrient-dense, whole foods. Another potential evidence that food played a role in their health is that todays huntergatherers also have low rates of chronic diseases.

For example, there are no Hadza adults diagnosed with diabetes in Tanzania, while the Tsiman people in Bolivia have an 80 percent lower rate of atherosclerosis compared to people in the U.S. The Maasai community in Kenya that relies on red meat, blood and milk is also known for little to none cardiovascular diseases.

Our ancestors and modern-day hunter-gatherers eat more animal-based foods, which contain good amounts of high-quality protein, calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B12 and K2. Such nutrients are commonly found in seafood, red meat, pastured eggs and liver.

Surprisingly, some hunters also loved vegetables. Some benefits of the ancestral diet come from plant-based foods.

Vegetables are not as calorie-dense as animal-based products. But they contain high amounts of vitamin C, carotenoids, flavonoids and prebiotic fibers, among other essential nutrients.

Vegetables are known for helping maintain healthy microbiome and digestion. The ancestral diet also include grains and legumes, fruit, nuts and seeds.

Lack Of Refined Sugar, Flour And Seed Oils

Another reason to try ancestral diet is the absence of refined sugar, flour and seed oils. Such food products have been linked to overeating and inflammation that contribute to modern diseases.

To date, 36 percent of the standard American diet include vegetable oils and sugar.

Ancestral Diet Health Benefits

Longer Life

Studies suggested that Paleolithic ancestors lived only until age 30. But researchers focused on rates of infant mortality.

However, anthropologists said that if modern huntergatherers survive childhood, they could live for an average of 68 to 78 years. And because of their lower risk of chronic disease, their elderly people might have better quality of life compared to people of the same age in urban areas.

Following an ancestral diet and combining it with modern medicine may lead to lower health risks and longer lifespan.

Gut Health

Studies showed that the ancestral populations that eat animal and plant foods have better microbial diversity than people on industrialized diet. One research found that people in urban areas who had diverse microbiome because of Paleo diets had health as good as traditional populations, the Inuit, Hadza and Matses.

Decreased Inflammation

Ancestral diet removes refined sugar, grains and seed oils from ones daily meals. Avoiding these modern products helps reduce markers of inflammation, leading to improvements in blood pressure, waist circumference and lipid profiles.

Weight Loss

One study showed that people who consumed less added sugar, refined grains and processed foods could significantly reduce weight in 12 months. The ancestral diets provide foods that are more satiating, which help people consume fewer calories.

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Is Ancestral Diet Still Healthy Today? - msnNOW

Eating healthy is hard. Choosing a diet to follow can feel like starring on The Bachelorette. Keto or intermittent fasting? Atkins or the blood type diet? Which one is your perfect match?

And for those that take on the challenge of eating not only a healthy diet, but also a sustainable one, the choice becomes even more difficult. Just one YouTube video or two showing the way livestock animals are treated can be enough to make you feel like food is inescapably cruel and we should all become breathatarians, surviving on the air we breathe alone (please dont try that).

But do not fear: Science may have found the answer to your prayers. Turns out just a single change to your diet addresses all of your environmental, ethical, and health concerns, according to a new study. Its a win-win-win situation.

To bag this triple win, diets have to change in one key way: strongly reducing consumption of meat and other animal products, the study found. But before you go all in and renounce cow products for good, for example, its not so simple as just ditching beef. The benefits of cutting meat, eggs, fish and dairy out vary depending on what kinds of foods you reduce, and how much.

The findings were published this week in One Earth.

Laura Scherer, assistant professor at University of Colorado, Denver and lead author on the study tells Inverse that eating less meat doesnt necessarily mean youre helping animals lead better lives. For example, eating less beef but more eggs may benefit the environment especially when it comes to climate change but it isnt so great for animal welfare.

Only by cutting down on animal products as a whole can people meet all three goals at once, the study suggests. But how, exactly, one does this isnt always clear. Not all national dietary guidelines include suggestions on how to do this, and best practices can vary depending on where you live. The new results could offer a roadmap, Scherer says.

The study gives a broad picture of the impacts of diets and can guide decision-makers in revising dietary guidelines, she says.

Among the countries getting it right is Brazil, which already has dietary guidelines that benefit human health, animal welfare, and the environment, the study found.

But other countries miss the mark. And at least one misses all of them: Oddly, South Koreans would negatively affect their health, the environment, and animal welfare if they would follow their national dietary guidelines, Scherer says.

One of the most difficult things to pin down when trying to eat sustainably is how food choices affect animal welfare but increasing numbers of people want to know, Scherer says.

Since there can be trade-offs between animal welfare and other aspects of sustainability, such as the nutritional value and the environment, we analyzed them together, she says.

Two other considerations when it comes to animal welfare and the climate are land and water use. Take almonds. A 2019 study conducted in Australia found the delicious nuts were among the most water-intensive foods in peoples diets.

Thats not exactly news (remember Chidis almond milk guilt in The Good Place?). But more surprising is the high water footprint of wine, potato chips, cake, and cookies you know, health foods.

Cutting back on these discretionary foods, which many countries national dietary guidelines recommend eating sparingly for health reasons, is also a good way to eat more sustainably, those researchers suggest.

This new study jibes with that suggestion: It offers ways to improve diets all-around not only for us, but also for the animals and environment we rely on for food, healthy and not.

The next step is to get people to make changes countries also need to update their guidelines. But that could be tough. Hesitation to change what they already do can often hold people back from making the right choices, Scherer says.

People are generally resistant to change their diets because it requires breaking long-standing habits, and that is not always easy, she says.

Convenience is a factor, too limited access to plant-based options can make changing long-held habits even harder.

A third factor is education and thats where the study comes in. Sometimes, people also mistakenly believe that we need animal products in our diets to stay healthy and get sufficient proteins, Scherer says. But a vegan diet can be healthier and better for the environment and animals, she says. In this, force of habit can play a more positive role.

To overcome such barriers, it may help to educate people about nutrition and to offer much more plant-based meals in canteens to familiarize people with new food, she says.

Abstract:

Sustainable food systems are essential for meeting nutritional requirements, limiting environmental impacts, and reducing animal welfare loss. Although current dietary trends in many regions rather go in the opposite direction, the adequacy of dietary guidelines is unknown, and the three sustainability dimensions are generally not assessed simultaneously. Here, we assessed nation-specific recommended diets for these impacts compared with the average diet. We assessed the trade-offs between nutritional quality, environmental sustainability (carbon, land, and water footprints), and animal welfare. Most countries reduce their animal product consumption in terms of food calories when switching to the nationally recommended diet. Recommended diets have the potential for win-win-wins in all three categories when compared with the current average diet, such as that shown in Brazil. However, South Korea loses in all three regards, and many other countries face trade-offs. This highlights the scope for the optimization of dietary guidelines to minimize such trade-offs.

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Making just one change to your diet benefits you, animals, and the planet - Inverse

Thanksgiving dinner doesnt have to be something to dread for those on a diet. (WYDaily file photo/Courtesy of Pexels)

Thanksgiving means time with family and friends.

Well, its also perhaps a time to break a diet and theres plenty of opportunities for that.

Its a day of celebration, something you do once a year with loved ones, said Allie Mitchell, clinical director and certified health coach with The Nutrition and Wellness Center in Williamsburg. Never let food hold you back from being completely present with friends and family.

Each year, tables are set with turkeys, stuffing and pies but that doesnt have to terrify those trying to stick to a healthy meal plan.

Sentara Healthcare suggests heading into the holiday with a mind toward respecting the body while still including plenty of seasonal produce. The autumn season is one that provides various opportunities for nourishing meals with winter squashes, vegetables and apples that contain different disease-fighting ingredients:

With winter squashes, a number of Thanksgiving items can be made. While the classic pumpkin pie is always a good choice, Sentara recommends adding a variety of winter squash, such as butternut squash and acorn squash, to homemade soup with broth and aromatic spices such as garlic and ginger.

Vegetables are also a good way to fit in a healthy meal. In the winter, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards, and Brussels sprouts can be enhanced with a drizzle of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.

Apples of all varieties can also enhance any bowl of oatmeal by adding the fruit and a little cinnamon. Chopped apples can also add a different texture to favorite fall salads. In addition, there are a variety of pies that shine when baked with apples.

Sentara recommends shopping at local farmers markets for holiday produce, because it provides shoppers with the opportunity to learn more about fresh foods and preparing their produce.

But not everyone can control what food is being served at the Thanksgiving table and temptations are tricky.

If you eat something more than you should, forgive yourself and move on, Mitchell said. You have a brand new day on Friday and you wont lose any of your progress.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends coming to the table ready with a plan.

First, those wanting to stick to a diet should avoid skipping meals or varying from typical eating times because then it will be easier to overeat come Thanksgiving dinner.

In addition, if the dinner is hosted by someone else, a good idea might be to bring a healthy dish for the table. For those who have a sweet tooth, the CDC recommends eating less carbs with other food, like potatoes and bread, so the dessert can be fully enjoyed without guilt.

The Thanksgiving dinner table can be spread as an all-you-can-eat buffet in some homes. When thats the case, diners will want to have a small plate of foods they like best to practice portion control. Starting with vegetables and eating slowly can help to take the edge off an appetite.

Mitchell recommends always having the healthy snacks in an easily reachable location and putting the less-healthy options a bit farther away.

Keep the finger foods light and healthy for those to reach and then youll have to make more of an effort to get to the foods you like, she said. Its easier to pick up a healthy snack when its right in front of you.

When planning your plate of small foods, the CDC said to pick the selections that bring the most joy. Its okay to enjoy a treat, especially when its special to the holiday.

The CDC also suggests people find ways to stay active during the holiday. Being active is a good way to make up for any extra eating as well as reduce stress. This can be done in simple ways, such as taking a family walk after dinner.

While the Thanksgiving Day spread might seem like treacherous territory for anyone on a diet, there are easy ways to eat healthy through the holiday.

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Here's how you can stick to a diet when faced with Thanksgiving dinner - Williamsburg Yorktown Daily

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Cosby Stone, Vanderbilt University

(THE CONVERSATION) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced a preliminary finding that implicates a vitamin E additive as the potential cause of lung injury from THC vaping.

The agency examined fluid samples from the lungs of 29 patients with vaping-related illness and found vitamin E acetate in all 29 samples. This is a major development in the search for answers, and it was of great interest to me generally as a public health researcher.

Even more, it was of special interest to me because I previously researched vitamin Es role in lung health and development. For three years, as a post-doctoral research fellow, I studied the role of vitamin Es typical role in lung health, lung development and the epidemiology of childhood lung diseases when it is absorbed from our diet.

Free radical fighter

Vitamin E comes from oily foods in our diet. It has also long been known to be important for child development, especially in the womb, where it contributes to healthy lung and nervous system growth, among other things. Vitamin E has eight different isoforms, or types, and each may do slightly different things in our bodies. The kind of vitamin E you get from your diet can therefore vary widely based upon the types of oily foods that you eat.

When we eat vitamin E, it is absorbed by our gastrointestinal tract along with fats. It then travels throughout our bloodstream in the fatty molecules called cholesterol. Finally, it is taken up into our bodys fatty tissues and cellular membranes.

Once incorporated into the body, vitamin E serves as an antioxidant, protecting us from some of the harmful effects of our metabolism and respiration. Antioxidants stabilize what are called free radicals, unstable and highly chemically reactive compounds with extra electrons generated by our metabolism. Free radicals, when left unchecked, can destabilize other molecules around them and cause cellular damage.

When vitamin E comes into contact with certain kinds of free radicals, it transfers that instability onto itself and neutralizes those free radicals.

So, in the aftermath of the vaping illnesses and deaths, an important question emerges: What happens if, instead of eating vitamin E in your diet, you inhale vitamin E, along with a vaporized solution of THC?

I have no idea.

There are only a tiny handful of studies in which someone tried to nebulize, or vaporize, vitamin E in experiments related to lung health. All were animal studies with a small sample size, and none were combined with a THC vaping fluid.

Its also not clear in this case why vitamin E acetate was added to the vaping fluid, but reports suggest it is used as a cutting agent to make the THC oils less thick. Perhaps someone thought it was safe to do this in an inhaled product because vitamin E was a natural vitamin. Importantly, however, many substances that are helpful when taken orally can be harmful when inhaled.

No place for oily molecules

The fact that vitamin E typically has to travel in fat-soluble lipids may perhaps provide a clue as to the harms vitamin E acetate can cause when vaped. Physicians have long known that inhaling oils and other lipids can lead to the deposition of oily droplets in the lungs. They also know that this deposition can in turn can lead to inflammation and the potential for permanent lung scarring, respiratory failure or death. Its not a good idea to consistently inhale particles like small solids or oily liquid drops into your very delicate lungs.

We all know what it feels like to choke on something large enough to block our windpipe. But a small, inhaled particle can go past the large airways and lodge in the tiniest airways and the alveoli that transfer oxygen into our bloodstream, causing damage to these fragile structures.

We may not notice right away that we are being harmed. Only tiny segments of the lung are affected, and our lungs are designed to have some reserve capacity.

But over time, as these small injuries add up, more and more lung tissue becomes involved, and symptoms develop. Such injuries can become fatal. For example, think of the diseases caused by asbestos, silica from sand blasting, coal dust and tobacco smoke.

So, perhaps a vitamin E additive could cause damage in a similar way in this context.

A bigger issue

In addition, I believe this is actually a symptom of a broader problem, brought about in part by the 1994 law that allows dietary supplements and some devices to go to market without meeting stringent safety and efficacy standards. Supplement makers dont have to provide evidence that their products work, and the FDA allows them to monitor the safety features themselves.

Its a good business for the manufacturers; dietary supplements sales are estimated to be worth about US$120 billion by 2020. But it may not be good for the American public. By taking untested products, or by using products that are safe in one context but not studied in another, consumers end up participating in millions of uncontrolled experiments in which safety data are frequently absent. There is minimal quality control, minimal oversight and minimal knowledge of what might happen.

Any type of minimally regulated product that we inhale into our lungs on a regular basis clearly deserves a special level of scrutiny before use. I would argue that any inhaled product should have to demonstrate significant safety data prior to being allowed on the consumer market. Do these products even work? How do they work? If they do work, whats the right dose so that its safe, but still effective? How long can you safely use it? Without that knowledge, we are sailing in dangerous waters with no map.

So, until the day that our poorly regulated, uncontrolled market of self experimentation in lung health comes to an end, I will share a motto that experiments and experience have equally proven to be true. If you want your lungs to outlast your hair, please dont inhale anything but air.

[ Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter. ]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/vitamin-e-and-vaping-injuries-whats-safe-in-your-diet-is-rarely-safe-in-your-lungs-126909.

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Vitamin E and vaping injuries: What's safe in your diet is rarely safe in your lungs - Thehour.com

By ERIC FREEDMANCapital News Service

LANSING Households that eat family-style meals together at the table with the TV off may have healthier diets than families who dont.

And that has implications for benefits such as lower risk of obesity, greater diet quality and healthier eating habits, according to researchers from the University of Michigan and their collaborators.

Identifying which components of family meals to promote may improve child nutrition, they said in a recent study.

The researchers measured mealtime characteristics associated with the healthfulness of young childrens meals.

The study involved 272 preschoolers from about 300 low-income families in Southeast and South-Central Michigan. The children were enrolled in Head Start programs when the study began, and their parents or other caregivers video-recorded 757 mealtimes during the study period.

The study used the U.S. Department of Agricultures Healthy Meal Index to explore whether family meals improve overall dietary quality and weight status because parents serve food items that are healthier and more consistent with dietary guidelines.

It used U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans to categorize foods such as desserts, dairy products, produce, grains, types of protein and products with high levels of saturated and trans fats.

The authors found a correlation between health benefits and three factors: family-style meals where adults and children choose their own servings rather than everyone getting the same standard portion, dining at a table and shutting off the TV at mealtime. However, there was no statistically significant connection between health benefits and whether a parent ate at the same time as the rest of the family.

The study cautioned that those characteristics alone arent enough to ensure that young children eat healthy meals: Sitting at a table, eating without television viewing, serving meals family-style or the presence of a parent cannot directly change the healthiness of foods served at the meal.

Dawn Earnesty, a community nutrition evaluation specialist for Michigan State University Extension, said 15% of state residents are food insecure, while 6% have only limited access to healthy foods.

Among children 5 and younger, 23.9% statewide are in the Food Assistance Program, according to the 2019 Kids Count report. Lake County has the second-highest rate at 40.2%, slightly better than Wayne County with the highest rate. Clare and Gogebic counties are also among the 10 counties with the largest proportion of young children in the program, while Livingston and Leelanau counties have the lowest proportion.

In addition to food insecurity, Earnesty said that lack of convenient access to affordable fruits and vegetables, and/or safe places to be physically active are common barriers to people who need healthy diets in rural and urban areas.

Other factors matter too, including a familys socioeconomic status, according to Kelsey Perdue, the director of the Kids Count Project at the Michigan League for Public Policy. Healthy meals at home are only part of childhood nutrition challenges.

We also know that food insecurity is connected to housing insecurity, Perdue said. When families are struggling to make ends meet and we know 43% of them do throughout the state parents will wisely prioritize paying rent and then may be forced to choose cheaper, less nutritional food.

The league, a nonprofit research and advocacy group, has called for state funding of healthy food programs in schools and for families that get food assistance.

The league conducted focus groups on the issue last year and heard directly that families need help putting healthy food on the table, so we recommend strengthening these programs and connecting them with our strong agricultural system as much as we can, she said.

Our government should expand programs that facilitate healthy school lunches and help families stretch their dollars to buy more food and vegetables, Perdue said. Having nutritional meals at home and school is essential to the development and success of children of all ages.

Earnesty said nutrition educators can use the results of the new study and similar research to emphasize the importance of family meals, along with information about food preparation, budgeting and planning and budgeting.

The U-M study appeared in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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What makes a healthy diet? A table, no TV and fresh food - Spartan Newsroom

Theres a new Netflix documentary called The Game Changers and its so persuasive, viewers are saying theyre going vegan after watching it.

The documentary makes a lot of claims about the benefits of following a plant-based diet. It features interviews with experts and athletes about their diets.

Since its release Twitter has gone into meltdown. Viewers have been saying theyre changing their diets and never looking back. Heres everything you need to know about the Netflix vegan documentary, and what people are saying about it.

The Game Changers is a documentary that explores the benefits of a vegan diet. The Netflix synopsis for the show reads: Meeting visionary scientists and top athletes, a UFC fighter embarks on a quest to find the optimal diet for human performance and health.

The one hour 52 minute documentary follows British UFC fighter James Wilks as he travels around the world, particularly looking at the benefits of a plant based diet.

The documentary is produced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, and James Cameron. It features Schwarzenegger, UFC fighter James Wilks, tennis player Novak Djokovic and racing driver Lewis Hamilton, who are vegan. It also features expert interviews.

Netflix

The Game Changers makes some pretty big claims, suggesting that a plant-based diet is actually better for improving performance and strength than eating meat.

It also claims a vegan diet can boost erections, the protein you gets from eating a steak or a burger are actually from the plants the animal ate and people who get their protein strictly from plants reduce their risk of heart disease by 55 per cent.

Those are just a taster of some of the things the documentary says about vegan diets.

Yes, people are actually changing their diet because The Game Changers documentary has persuaded them to. One tweet says: Ive been cutting down eating meat a lot recently, and often go days full vegan, but after watching The Game Changers on Netflix I am completely sold. Another added: Watched The Game Changers on Netflix yesterday it was a game changer. Todays viewing is What The Health. Bye bye meat!

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Netflix doc 'The Game Changers' is so persuasive viewers are turning vegan - The Tab

According to a survey of 2,000 UK adults, over a third of vegans are worried they dont consume enough vitamin B12 and a whopping 67 percent of vegetarians and pescatarians are concerned that they dont consume sufficient vitamin B12 from their diets. The Hospital group has offered their expertise on B12 deficiencies and how to increase the consumption of the vitamin.

Breathlessness and dizziness

Anaemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency can cause some people to feel breathless and dizzy This also occurs when the body is unable to transport enough oxygen to all its cells, said Anjana.

Tingling, numbness and reduced sensitivity to pain and pressure

Anjana advised: More severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to nerve damage, this can result in tingling and numbness in the ands and feet, muscle weakness and loss of reflexes.

Inflamed tongue and mouth ulcers

An early symptom of B12deficiency out be a red or swollen tongue.

"Those with a B12 deficiency may experience other oral symptoms to include mouth ulcers, feelings of pins and needles in the tongue or a burning and itching sensation in the mouth, added Anjana

DONT MISS

How to increase B12 consumption

The Vegan Society state that in over 60 years of vegan experimentation only vitamin B12 fortified foods and vitamin B12 supplements have proven themselves as reliable sources of B12 capable of supporting optimal health.

Vitamin B12 injections could be considered a convenient weekly supplement option for those wanting to achieve adequate intake.

Sophie Matthews, Specialist Dietitian from The Hospital Group states: "Only animal derived foods contain vitamin B12 therefore, if you follow a vegan diet you are more likely to become deficient in vitamin B12.

The only reliable vegan sources of vitamin B12 come from those foods fortified with this nutrient including some cereals and non dairy milks.

Vegans can meet the recommended intake of 1.5 micrograms per day through meal planning and choosing foods fortified with vitamin B12 for example, a fortified cornflake cereal can contain 25 percent of the recommended nutrient intake for vitamin B12."

What foods are rich in B12

Meat is the most naturallyrich vitamin B12 food, beef liver is jampacked full of vitamin B12, with an 81g portion containing a whopping 67.3 micrograms of vitamin B12.

Second comes Sirloin steak, closely followed by a 0.5 fillet of salmon. Whilst this is great news for meateaters, how can vegetarians and vegans consume these allimportant vitamins?

It's essential that all vegan diets contain a reliable source of vitamin B12, this is also true for vegetarians that do not consume fish and eggs.

Fortified foods and supplements are the only proven reliable sources for vegans and some vegetarians, fortified foods include nutritional yeast, nondairy milk products, vegan spreads and cereals.

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Vitamin B12 deficiency: Top tips from experts on how to spot symptoms and what to eat - Express