Holy month no time for crash diets, doctors say The National "I have had cases where parents were complaining about their teenage children, around the age of 14, saying they do not eat any-thing, skip their breakfast and work out on an empty stomach hoping to shed weight," said Dr Juliot Vinolia, a clinical ...

Continued here:
Holy month no time for crash diets, doctors say - The National

Theres a pretty full house at Heiwa Shokudo by the time the server starts pouring the sake for our small two-top on a busy Friday night. The smallsushi house is buzzing, but even so, the server manages to silently slip a bottle of tamari a soy sauce substitute onto the table as he passes by. Theres a big white sticker on the bottle that reads in black capital letters, Gluten Free.

Another reason I love coming here is that they just know I didnt even have to ask for this, says Annelise Kopp, gesturing toward the bottle. Diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 3, the lifelong Asheville resident is unable to consume gluten in any form. Celiacis an autoimmune disorder that the Celiac Disease Foundationestimates affects one in 100 people worldwide.

Basically what it does is allows gluten to attack your nutrient receptors, she explains. Because I am really good about what I eat, it isnt often that I have a reaction. But when I do, Ill have a headache and feel hungover the next day with nausea and extreme fatigue. But in more severe cases, I can get violently ill, but it really is different for everyone.

She orders a green salad with avocado and a salmon-lemon roll with thinly sliced lemons gently draped across the top of each piece. Kopp has adapted to living with the disease without having to limit mostof her social habits. She still eats out with friends pretty regularly, frequents bars and restaurants and even DJs, under the moniker Lil Meow-Meow.

The disability, however, tends to make her a regular at places she trusts places that offer a menu that isless reliant on gluten-heavy foods. Pan-Asian cuisine, including Japanese, Thai and Korean, or even Indian and Mexican restaurants, oftenhave more accessible menus. And while Asheville is fairly stress-free to navigatefor someone with a diet-restricting disease or food allergies, that doesnt mean it comes without a hitch.

I was booked to DJ at One World Brewing, and I did go online to make sure that they served wine. Because, while I would be fine playing sober when free drinks are a part of your pay its not a huge consideration, but it is one, she says. That free-drink compensation can be tricky for a celiac DJ playing gigs at breweries in Beer City. Sometimes that is where I feel the most isolation because I can go to a pizza place and get a salad, but I cant go to the Wedge when they are out of cider and get anything to drink, even though thats where all my friends are going.

How do you maintain friends when you cant go to their potluck? You just dont, says Jennifer Ramsey, a former Montreat College student who often finds herself in a similar situation. Her case is considerably more complicated than Kopps, as she is not only diagnosed with celiac but also suffers from a condition known as mast cell activation disorder. In her condition, the mast cells in her body randomly overreact to things that she is not, in fact, allergic to, giving her anaphylactic reactions one day to something that she may easily be able to smell or eat the very next week.

There are definitely things that cause it to happen more, she says, such as strawberries or pineapple. But anything with a high histamine value is a major culprit, and the list is long, including most fermented and aged foods, alcohol, canned and ready-made products and more. Even leftover fresh foods develop histamines as they agein the fridge.

Im on a prescription that is three to fourtimes stronger than Benadryl, and I take it fourtimes a day, which is the only way I am able to eat or walk or be around people, Ramsey explains. People would be afraid to be around me because the shampoo in their hair would trigger me, or I couldnt eat anything, and so after a while, you just stop being invited.

Ramsey didnt always suffer fromMCAD in fact, her symptoms appeared out of nowhere. Here I was, this foodie, having loved gourmet foods for years, and I love cooking, and then I eat a strawberry one day at my kids birthday party, and suddenly I cant eat and I cant breathe and no one believed me, she says.

A reaction of disbelieffrom fellow diners is aproblem she has encountered in many venues,whether at a friends potluck party or a restaurant. There are some situations that are superscary, Ramseysays. You are really putting your entire life in someone elses hands every time you have an allergy and you order in a restaurant. And waitstaff rarely take that seriously. It took me a really long time to eat food comfortably.

According to the Food Allergy Research & Education organization, there are over 15 million Americans who suffer fromfood allergies. And apparently the problem is becoming more widespread the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention claims that the prevalence of food allergies in children increased by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. People diagnosed with allergies are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the primary function of that legislationis to protect them in the workplace or at school. The law does little to provide for those endangered or sickened by a lackadaisical server or a chef who simply doesnt care, and there is little legal recourse for such consumers.

People with celiac disease have to advocate for themselves to eat safely unless they are eating at a restaurant like Posana that is 100 percent gluten-free, says Sheila Horine, leader of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Asheville. This feels awkward for many folks who dont want to be pushy about where to eat or who dont want to make a scene asking the necessary questions to make sure their food is safe.

It can be especially challenging in Asheville where numerous restaurants feature menus for those who are gluten-sensitive. These restaurants are not safe for folks with celiac disease because they do not have the protocols in place to prevent cross-contact in the kitchen, says Horine. It takes less than a crumb to cause damage to someone with celiac disease, whether they have outward symptoms or not.

Some of these food allergies can be superannoying for a chef, says longtime Asheville chef and restaurateur Anthony Cerrato, owner of Strada Italiano.And some chefs just say, Screw that. Theyre not allergic to it, because a few people just say they are allergic to something because they dont like it.

But Cerrato thinks thats a poor attitude to take. No matter what you are trying to get across, its still an opportunity to showcase what you do and cook for them, he says. Youve always got to give them what they want when youre a chef.He often even makes the additional effort to send a chef to deliver the food personally to the allergy-specific customer, just to show that we are taking an extra step to make sure they are taken care of, he says.

Cerratos understanding of special dietary needs comes from personal experience. Im gluten-sensitive, so when I eat a lot of wheat, I start getting respiratory infections, he explains, noting that he started cutting wheat out of his diet in 2004. As a result, both he and his staff take food allergies quite seriously. These days, everything at Strada is gluten-free or has a gluten-free substitute, except for the lasagna. Even the fried calamari is made witha potato panko breading.

I went through a period of feeling really apologetic about it, says Kopp. Because I think there is a line as to how much I can be entitled when I go out to eat. If an establishment is going to say that something is for sure gluten-free, then it is their responsibility to uphold that. But knowing that I have celiac, it is no longer the restaurants responsibility to accommodate me. To a degree, yes, but it is my responsibility to keep up with it, to ask reasonable questions and to not assume that it is their responsibility to make something work for me.

Just because I have celiac doesnt mean that I shouldnt follow the same rules as anyone else going to a restaurant, she continues, acknowledging that for those with more severe allergies, the consequences of a mistake can be fatal. Its a fine line, but then again, I am not going to die if there is a little bit of soy sauce in my food.

Ultimately, while living with food allergies orsensitivities is never easy, Asheville does offer a variety ofsafe dining options. I will say, it is a treat and a pleasure to be able to go into a restaurant like Posana and just be able to order whatever you want off the menu, says Kopp, noting another well-known downtown gluten-free eatery.And that enthusiasm extendsto considerate friendsas well.

When I go to a potluck now, I assume that Im going to be able to eat what I bring, but when someone else makes something that is gluten-free and says, Oh, Annelise, you can eat that, I just get so happy, because someone remembered and cared enough to accommodate me. You stop feeling isolated, and it always feels kind of special.

Read more:
The cautious life: Living and dining with allergy-specific diets in WNC - Mountain Xpress

Its early summer, irnd Western North Carolinais enjoying an abundance of fresh produce.Now the question becomes, what do we do with all these fresh fruits and vegetables?

The answer is to do what our grandparents did here in Southern Appalachia: Preserve them.

From peach jam to dilly beans to pickled beets, options abound, say local farmers and food educators.Already, local strawberries are harvested, andblueberries, raspberries and blackberries, both cultivated and wild, will be ready soon.

At Ten Mile Farmin Old Fort, beets, rainbow carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, turnips and yellow squash are plentiful, as are garlic and radishes, says co-owner Christina Carter.Part of maintaining a diet of food that is produced locally is to preserve it for when the harvest is done, Carter says. Food that is canned or fermented can last for months, even years, without spoiling, allowing us to continue to enjoythe bounty even in the dead of winter

At Rayburn Farm in Barnardsville, early garlic and beets are in, and farmer Michael Rayburn is preparing to preserve some of the harvest.One advantage to preserving your own food is the fresh taste in the middle of winter, he says.

From Sarah Archer

Six medium fresh beets 2 cups water 1 tablespoonsalt

Slice the beets or cut into bite-sized strips and fill a 1 quart Mason jar about full.Pour the water and salt over the beets and seal the jar with the airlock in place.Ferment at room temperature for two weeks, then refrigerate.

According to the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, nearly 20 crops will be ripening and hitting the market in the coming weeks (see sidebar for a complete list).Chelsea Wakstein offers classes in both water-bath canning and fermentation at Villagers in West Asheville, helping people to preserve these harvests safely.

Wakstein started canning five years ago because she wanted to rely less on industrially produced and processed food, which often contains added salt, sugars, dyes and preservatives.I want to know whats in the food I eat, and if I preserve it, I know, Wakstein says. I know where it came from, and I know whats in it.

At a recent class, Wakstein went through the process for a dozen students, emphasizing that the most important thing to remember is sanitation. The purpose of canning is to prevent bacteria, molds and other harmful organismsfrom spoiling the food.

Jars should be clean, she says, but need not be sterilized before filling the heat of the canning process will take care of that. Jars and the rings that hold the lids on the jars can be reused, but lids cant be reused. They are available in packages of a dozen at most grocery and discount stores. Ball, the manufacturer of Mason jars and lids, recommends keeping them in simmering, but not boiling, water just before use.

As for the food itself, Its a good idea to look for seconds, she says. Food thats perfectly fine, but not pretty enough to be sold at the market. You dont need it to be pretty.

From Chelsea Wakstein

NOTE: This is a water bath-processed treat, so it is cooked and does not contain bacteria of any kind.

Fill pint-size Mason jars with fresh green beans. (Or use quart-size jars and double the amounts of the ingredients.)

To each jar add:

Sprig of fresh dill teaspoonmustard seeds 1 teaspoon peppercorns 1 clove of fresh garlic

Pour a mixture of equal amounts of water and white vinegar, heated to boiling, over the beans and to about a half-inch from the top of the jar.Seal the jars with new lids and process in a water-bath canner for 20 minutes for pints, 35 minutes for quarts. Remove the jars from the pot and allow to cool several hours before checking to make sure all the lids have sealed tightly. Any jars that have not sealed need to be refrigerated.

Water-bath canning is for foods high in acid, mostly fruits. Vegetables processed in a brine of onepart vinegar to onepart water are also safe. For low-acid foods, the best canning method is pressure canning with a pressure-canning pot. (Wakstein says regular pressure cookers are not meant for canning and recommends buying a pressure canner.)Jams, jellies, fruit butters, tomatoes and pickles all can be processed safely in a water-bath canner.

Wakstein advisescanning food that is hot when it is put into clean jars and processing it five minutes longer than recommended by recipes because the WNC area ismore than 1,000 feet above sea level. Aside from that, simple recipes can be found online and in many books, including her favorite,Putting Food By ($17, Penguin Books), which also contains instructions for fermenting, smoking and salting to preserve fresh foods.

Fermentation is a preservation process that harnesses the power of beneficial microorganisms to fight off harmful bacteria and control the deterioration offoods. Sarah Archer began fermenting 12 years ago as a hobby, but she got more serious when she began reading about the benefits of fermented foods and started her own business, Serotonin Ferments.

We know serotonin affects a lot of things, including depression, she says. But did you know more serotonin is produced in the gut than in the brain? And fermented foods aid in the production of serotonin.

Research in recent years has shown the importance of healthy bacteria in the gut to human health, from helping strengthen the immune system to restoring the biome after using antibiotics and even helping to alleviate depression and anxiety.

Common, easy-to-make fermented foods include sauerkraut and kimchi, both made from cabbage, but other vegetables also are easy to ferment, including beans, carrots, onions and beets.

Commercially fermented foods usually are cooked, killing the bacteria that benefit the gut. So if probioticsarewhat youre looking for, make sure youre buying uncooked ferments (like Serotonin Ferments and some other locally made products) or doing it yourself.Keeping food raw preserves and even enhances the nutrients, Archer says.

The equipment for fermenting is pretty simple and inexpensive. Jars complete with airlocks ready-made for this purpose are available at Villagers and Fifth Seasonor through fermentation suppliers online. Or you can easily make your own.Airlocks, which allow gas to escape without letting wild bacteria and yeast into the mix, are available separately at brewing-supply stores for less than $5, and you can drill a hole the size of the rubber cork in a Mason jar lid. Just be certain the seal is tight, Archer says.

According to the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, the following crops will beripe and readily available in WNC in the coming weeks:

Beets Blueberries Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Cucumbers Garlic Greens Mushrooms Onions Peas Potatoes Radishes Summer squash Turnips

Continued here:
Preservation society: Pickling and canning WNC's summer harvests - Mountain Xpress

China is one of the worlds biggest tea exporters, but their rapid industrialization has raised concerns about contamination with lead, a toxin that can affect almost every organ in the body. The more lead there is in the soil, the more lead there is that ends up in the tea leaves. And, the closer to the highway the tea is grown, the higher the lead levels. This suggests that leaded gas, which wasnt banned in China until the year 2000, may be playing a role in the contamination of tea grown there.

Just like larger and longer-living fish accumulate more mercury, longer-living tea leaves accumulate more lead. Young tea leaves appear to have two to six times less lead than mature leaves, so the young leaves that are used to make green and white tea have significantly less lead than the older leaves used to make black and oolong tea. As well, the lead in black and oolong tea appears to be released much more readily into the tea water when brewed. This means the health risk from lead may be 100 times lower for green tea compared to oolong and black.

Because certain fungicides may have heavy metal impurities, one might assume organic teas would be less contaminated. However, a study of 30 common teas taken from North American store shelves showed no less toxic element contamination in organic teas than regular teas, though, organic teas would presumably have much less pesticide contamination. In terms of lead, the source of the teathat is, the country of originappears to be the most important factor.

So, how much tea is safe to drink? Based on the most stringent safety limits in the world, such as Californias Prop 65 parameters, and the largest studies of tea lead contamination from around the world, I was able to come up with guidelines I outline in my video, Lead Contamination of Tea.

If youre not pregnant and drinking only green tea, it doesnt matter where you get your tea. You can drink as much as you want, as long as youre drinking the green tea and throwing away the leaves or bags. Given the average levels of lead in Chinese black tea samples, however, more than three cups a day would exceed the daily safety limit for lead. What if youre eating tea leavesfor example, drinking matcha tea, which is powdered green teaor throwing tea leaves into your smoothie like I do? In that case, two or three heaping teaspoons is the limit. The exception is Japanese green tea, which is so low in lead that you can safely eat 15 spoonfuls per day, but I caution consuming more than 8 teaspoons given the risk of exceeding the daily recommended limit for caffeine intake for adults.

What about children? For a 70-pound 10-year-old, lead isnt a problem if theyre drinking green tea. But the safe caffeine intake for children is probably around three milligrams per kilogram, which would limit a child to about four cups of green tea per day. For caffeine reasons, I recommend adding no more than two spoonfuls of Japanese green tea to a childs smoothie. And for lead reasons, children should have no more than one teaspoon of Chinese green tea leaves. When it comes to black tea, children shouldnt drink more than one cup per day and should not eat the tea leaves at all.

Pregnant women should be able to drink one cup of green tea per day throughout pregnancy, regardless of source. The limit for Japanese green tea is really just the caffeine limit of about four cups per day. I do not recommend drinking black tea during pregnancy or eating any kind of tea leaves, unless you know youre getting tea from a low lead source.

Ive long been an advocate of teas, but the information Ive shared with you here has led me to change my daily diet. If you look at my smoothie recipe in A Better Breakfast, for example, youll see Ive recommended throwing in tea leaves, and Is Matcha Good for You? doesnt hide the fact that Ive been a big fan of matcha. I still enjoy both, but am now more careful about where my tea is sourced.

Ive got a whole slew of tea videos, including:

In health, Michael Greger, M.D.

PS: If you havent yet, you can subscribe to my free videoshereand watch my live, year-in-review presentations2013:Uprooting the Leading Causes of DeathandMore Than an Apple a Day, 2014:From Table to Able: Combating Disabling Diseases with Food, 2015:Food as Medicine: Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet, and my latest, 2016:How Not to Die: The Role of Diet in Preventing, Arresting, and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers.

Related: There Too Much Aluminum in Tea? Protecting Teeth From Hibiscus Tea Hibiscus Tea: The Best Beverage?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Read more:
Lead Contamination of Tea: Which Types to Avoid - Care2.com

Dr. Goke Akinrogunde

Body odour is the unpleasant smell that can occur when one is sweating. Although, human sweat is mostly odourless, however, the bacteria that live on the skin can break down the sweat into acids, which produces an unpleasant odour. Medically speaking this condition is equally known as bromhidrosis, apocrine bromhidrosis, bromidrosis, osmidrosis, ozochrotia, fetid sweat or malodorous sweating.

Most people who have passed puberty can produce body odour. Somehow, it can be assumed as one of the secondary sexual characteristics in the grownups. Puberty usually occurs between 12-16 years of age in girls, and 13-17 years of age in boys.

Body odour can be made worse by the following conditions/situations: Obesity, Eating a diet that is high in spicy foods and having certain medical conditions, such as diabetes. Also of relevance here is the fact that body odour is commoner in men, since men tend to sweat more than women.

Body odor is known to be largely influenced by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules present in the blood and body fluids. These are genetically determined and play an important role in immunity of the organism. The vomeronasal organ (in the nose) contains cells sensitive to MHC molecules in a genotype-specific way. Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)

A minority of individuals in the population have a condition called hyperhidrosis, which causes them to sweat excessively. Ironically, however, those with hyperhidrosis tend not to develop body odour because the sweat that they produce is too salty for the bacteria to break down.

Sweating and sweat glands Our body contains between 3-4 million sweat glands. There are two types of glands: (1) the Eccrine glands; are distributed across your skin, and are responsible for regulating bodys temperature by cooling the skin with sweat when one gets hot. (2) the Aprocrine glands, which are concentrated in the armpits, genital area, and breasts. Aprocrine glands are scent glands because they release scented chemicals known as pheromones.

Pheromones are thought to be able to subconsciously influence how people react towards the others. For example, one might find a person sexually attractive because one is drawn to the smell of their pheromones.

It is the aprocrine glands that are mostly responsible for body odour because the sweat that they produce contains a high level of protein, which bacteria find easy to break down. As the sweat that is produced by eccrine glands is saltier, the bacteria are unable to fully break it down.

Smelly feet: Feet became smelly because most people wear socks and shoes. This means that sweat cannot evaporate properly, which gives the bacteria the opportunity to break the sweat down. The moisture that accumulates around the feet can also encourage the growth of fungi, which can also produce an unpleasant smell.

Related conditions: Body odor may be reduced or prevented or even aggravated by using deodorants, antiperspirants, disinfectants, special soaps or foams with antiseptic plant extracts such as chlorophyllin ointments and sprays. Although body odor is commonly associated with hygiene practices, its presentation can be affected by changes in diet as well as the other factors discussed earlier.

There are a number of medical conditions that can cause a change in how much we sweat, or how sweat smells. For example, the menopause or an over-active thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) can increase the amount we sweat. In the same vein, diabetes or liver or kidney disease can produce a change in ones body odour.

These conditions can occasionally be serious so it is important to see the doctor if one experiences any of the symptoms listed as; Inappropriate sweating at night; Sweating much more than one used to, and for no apparent reason; Experiencing cold sweats, Notice a change in the smell of the body odour; a fruity smell could indicate diabetes, while a bleach-like smell could be caused by liver or kidney disease.

Personal hygiene Our armpits contain a large concentration of apocrine glands. Therefore, it is necessary to keep them clean and free of bacteria in order to help control the symptoms of body odour by ensuring that: Take at least a bath, or shower, once a day. On hot days, consider bathing, or showering, twice a day. Wash the armpits thoroughly using an anti-bacterial soap.

Use a deodorant, or an antiperspirant after bathing or showering. Deodorants make the skin more acidic, which helps to repel bacteria; whereas, antiperspirants block the sweat glands so that one sweats less. Shave your armpits regularly so that the sweat evaporates quicker, and gives the bacteria less time to break it down. Wear natural-made fibres such as wool, silk, or cotton. These will make sweat to evaporate quicker. Limit your consumption of spicy foods such as curry or garlic because they can make your sweat smellier. There is also some evidence that people who eat a lot of red meat tend to have worse body odour.

Relevant medications Aluminium chloride is the active ingredient that is contained in a number of antiperspirants If the above advice does not help to improve body odour, one may require an antiperspirant that contains a larger amount of aluminium chloride. Most strong antiperspirants can damage or discolour clothing, so they are usually designed to be used once a day, best before going to bed.

Botulinum toxin is a relatively new treatment for people who experience excessive underarm sweating. Botulinum toxin is a powerful poison, which can be used safely in minute doses.

The treatment involves receiving around 12 injections of botulinum toxin in the armpits. The procedure should take about 30-45 minutes. The toxin works by blocking the signals from the brain to the sweat glands, reducing the amount of sweat that is produced. The effects of the toxin usually last between 2-8 months, after which time further treatment will be required.

Smelly feet Smelly feet are not usually as big a problem as armpits because the smell is usually masked by wearing shoes and socks. However, they can be a source of embarrassment when at home with a partner, family member etc. The following may help control the symptoms of smelly feet. Socks made of man-made fibres and wool allow sweat to evaporate. They are better than the ones made of silk and nylon materials. Wear a clean pair of socks every day. Avoid wearing trainers, or shoes, that have plastic linings for long periods of time because they trap the sweat around feet. Shoes with a leather lining are better. Bathe feet in warm water every day.

Read more:
Body Odour is Preventable - THISDAY Newspapers

Think pink (and red). Prostate cancer isnt all that common in men in their 40s. After age 50, however, the risk rises, according to the American Cancer Society. Guava, watermelon, tomatoes, and pink grapefruit are all good sources of the antioxidant lycopene, which researchers say may contribute to a decreased risk of the disease. But the top providers of the nutrient may surprise you. The best sources of lycopene are processed tomato products such as spaghetti sauce and tomato juice, says Maxine Siegel, R.D., who heads Consumer Reports food-testing lab. The reason is twofold: Water lost through the cooking process concentrates the nutrient and may also cause the lycopene to become more bioavailable. Eating plenty of these foods in the context of a varied, colorful dietthe American Cancer Society recommends 2 cups of produce per dayis a smart strategy for cancer prevention and overall health.

Keep your drinking moderate. Nearly three-quarters of men in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are many approaches you can take to keeping the pounds off, but one factor that can be easily overlooked is alcohol intake. Calories from alcohol count, Siegel says. People generally dont compensate by eating less when theyre drinking; alcohol may actually stimulate food intake, according to an article published in the journal Current Obesity Reports.

Got gout? DASH your diet. Gout, a type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood, is more likely to occur in men than women, particularly between the ages of 40 and 50. Men age 40 and older who ate a heart-healthy DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which includes lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and low sodium) had a 22 percent lower risk of developing gout over a span of 26 years compared with those eating a Western-style diet (more red meat, refined grains, salt, and sugar). Thats according to 2017 research analyzing data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study published in the BMJ.

Shake off some salt. Chances are, youre taking in too much sodium, particularly if you eat out a lot or rely on packaged foods. More than 70 percent of the sodium in our diets comes from these foods, according to a 2017 study published in the journal Circulation. Sodium has a greater effect on blood pressure in people ages 50 and older, African-Americans, and those with diabetes, kidney disease, or pre-existing high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. To blunt any possible impact, keep your sodium intake to no more than 2,300 mg per dayideally 1,500 mgand look out for the top six sources of sodium in the U.S. dietbread, cold cuts, pizza, soup, sandwiches, and poultry.

Move toward plant protein. Does a plate of barbecued ribs or a big steak seem like a particularly guy-friendly meal to you? Youre not alone: Men tend to view meat eating as a masculine habit, according to a 2012 study in the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinity. Men are also are more likely than women to be meat eaters. They report consuming more beef, chicken, and pork and fewer vegetarian meals. This tendency may be setting you up for health problems down the road. When researchers from Bellarmine University in Kentucky tracked more than 6,000 adults over age 50, they found that those who ate a diet rich in animal proteinincluding meat and dairywere four times more likely to die of cancer than those who ate a lower-protein diet, or a diet in which the protein came from plant sources like beans. Other research has linked a more plant-based diet with a decreased risk of high blood pressure and obesity, among other benefits. Try plant foods like black beans, lentils, and tofu in familiar settings, like tacos or soup, to mix it up without making too drastic a change.

Originally posted here:
Smart Diet Plans for Men - ConsumerReports.org

Judge Mieke Butstraen, center, reads out the ruling on the case of baby Lucas at the Court of First Instance in Dendermonde, Belgium on Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

AP

DENDERMONDE, Belgium -- A Belgian court has convicted two parents for their part in the death of their infant, who succumbed to malnutrition and dehydration because they were firm believers in alternative diets.

The court gave both a suspended six-month sentence Wednesday because they failed to take adequate action to take care of baby Lucas, who died with organs shrunk to half their size and without any fat around them.

Britain's Independent newspaper reported, the seven-month-old baby died weighing just 9lbs after his parents fed him an alternative gluten-free, lactose-free diet.

According to local media, the parents of baby Lucas ran a natural food store in the town of Beveren in Belgium. They were attempting to raise their son on an alternative diet that included quinoa milk. Doctors had warned that such a diet is generally unsuitable for such young children.

Lawyer for the defense, Karine Van Meirvenne, center, speaks with her clients on the telephone after a ruling on the case of baby Lucas at the Court of First Instance in Dendermonde, Belgium on Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Virginia Mayo / AP

According to The Independent in Britain, the court heard that his mother and father failed to seek medical attention despite the baby gasping for air in the days before his death. An autopsy showed he was dehydrated and his stomach was completely empty.

Judge Mieke Butstraen said the demise of seven-month-old Lucas was "the result of the systematic offer of food which was not suitable."

Because of that "his health was seriously impeded and he eventually died."

Public prosecutors in Belgium blamed the parents for their son's death, according to The Independent, saying: "The parents determined their own diagnosis that their child was gluten intolerant and had a lactose allergy.

"Not a single doctor had a dossier about Lucas and child protection services did not know about them."

They also said the parents drove to a homoeopathic doctor on the other side of the country when the baby was starving instead of going to the nearest hospital.

"We never went with Lucas to a doctor because we never noticed anything unusual." Lucas's father, identified only as Peter S, said in court.

The mother, identified as Sandrina V, said: "Sometimes he gained a little weight, sometimes he lost a little. We never wished for the death of our son."

According to their lawyer Karine Van Meirvenne, the parents thought Lucas had an eating problem, according to the independent article.

The case has caused a major uproar about the use of alternative medicine and the responsibility of parents in raising their kids.

The parents could still appeal the sentence.

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue reading here:
Parents convicted in son's death linked to alternative diet - CBS News

Khristopher Squint Sandifer

The light heavyweight champion discusses the routine of his training camp diet, from his oatmeal every morning to his liver (yes, liver) smoothie each night.

The preparation for any high-stakes fight should be just as demanding as the 12-round bout itself. This is the thinking of Andre Ward, the unified light heavyweight titleholder. After defeating then-undefeated Sergey Kovalev in their first meeting last Nov. 19, Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) was stunned by those questioning the legitimacy of his unanimous-decision victory. Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) blamed the loss on the fact that all three judges were American. There were some even using the term robbery to describe the outcome. Ward entered training camp for Ward-Kovalev 2: The Rematch set for June 17 (HBO Pay-Per-View) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas reminding himself to have fun but also train with the mindset to leave no questions this time when the final bell rings. We caught up with the champ before the bout to discuss his training camp routine, recovery after a fight and his hurl-inducing secret nutritional weapon.

Whats your daily routine during training camp?

If its a day where Im doing some type of cardio and a gym workout in the same day, I have to get up at 5 a.m. and Im out the door by 5:30 to whatever location I need to be at. If Im running the hill, a track workout with my intervals, and sprints, or a pool workout, I like to be there right around 6 and Im finishing up right around 7. I come back to my condo and Im eating breakfast by 7:30 to 8. Breakfast consists of some good, complex carbohydrates. I love different kinds of oatmeal with dry or regular fruit and some lean protein.

It can be anything from scrambled eggs to an egg omelet. Im really big on my beet and green juices. I lay around from about 9 to 1 and then Ill start getting ready for the gym; I need to be there at 3. Ill get up and eat my lunch and that would be some type of fortified good salad with some nutrient-dense, high-quality food that is going to give me fuel for that workout. I eat that, pack my bag, head to the gym and well be in that gym from 3 to 6. I try to stay no longer than three hours and thats warming up and cooling down. I drink a recovery drink on my way home to start repairing my body with some type of protein and carbohydrate mix.

When I get home, I settle down for 30 minutes or so. Its kind of hard for me to eat right after a really intense workout. Dinner is a high-quality protein. It can be anything from a bison burger with sweet potatoes and a big salad. I eat a lot of fish during training camp, so dinner can also be sea bass, salmon with rice, potatoes and pasta. My secret weapon started off being liver salad. You know liver is not tasty at all but its extremely nutrient-dense with protein. I got to a point where I couldnt stomach the liver salad, so we started doing liver shakes. So every night after dinner about an hour before bed, Ill drink a liver shake.

Its raw liver blended with bananas, cherries and Ill hold my breath and drink it down. Thats like my nightcap and I go to bed and wake up and do it all over again the next day.

The thought of that concoction makes me queasy.

[Laughs] Literally, were making sacrifices.

How does your diet differ from training to when you can just relax and be Andre Ward, thehusband and father?

[Laughs] Listen, I try to be a healthy individual year-round. Right after a fight, Ive probably gone 10 weeks of literally eating everything that Im supposed to and not slipping one time. But when that fight is over, my body is craving saturated fats, sugars and Ill treat myself for several weeks after the fight to whatever I want. When I start seeing those abs turn into a little bit of flab and that starts sticking out, then its time to start getting back in the groove of eating right. I actually enjoy eating right and feeling good. Its amazing because when I do that, it really shows me how bad some of the stuff we eat is. If Im feeling one way for 10 weeks and I switch and my body is like boom; Im literally putting poison in my body with the sugars and all the things Im not supposed to have. Then when I switch back to a more consistent diet, things level back out. I like to be kind of leveled out as a whole with an occasional cheat day here and there, but I definitely give myself some time right after the fight just as a celebration. I dont party or anything like that but me and my wife will go out, eat, spend time with the kids, and get frozen yogurt and thats how we party.

You moved up from super middleweight to light heavyweight in 2015. Can you explain the nutritional demand to hit that weight and maintain it?

Its funny because I was at 168 pounds in the super middleweight division for many years and at a certain point because I wanted to be a multi-divisional champion it was hard to get a lot of the other 168-pounders in the ring to fight for whatever reason. Also, I was getting older so it was getting harder to make that weight. When I made the decision to go up, I realized that I wasnt really going up. Im going up as far as the weight class from 168 pounds to 175 but Im walking around at 185 to190 pounds. When I had that revelation, and I was sitting with my doctor, my team and were looking at my body fat, we all came to the conclusion that I wasnt moving up. Im just losing weight to get to 175.

I know Im not going to be the biggest guy and Im not going to look the most imposing but Im going to be in tip-top shape and Im going to be strong. If you look at my last fight, my opponent looked bigger, but he wasnt stronger and Im ok with that. Boxing is the only sport where you have to strip your body down during an eight-week training camp, and youre losing weight, but you cant put back the fuel like you need to and then you tell your body to go perform at your highest for fight night. When I moved up, it was actually a benefit for me because Im healthier. I remember the first training camp I had at 175 and the people at the gym were asking me why I was so happy and it was because I could eat! Life was just happier. I was able to put out in the gym and put it all right back in. Im happy I moved up and there wasnt really any major tweaks. It was just being able to eat more, which my body needed because Im putting out on a day-to-day basis.

What are you eating the day of the fight?

Im a big oatmeal and eggs guys. So breakfast will be oatmeal, eggs and turkey sausage or turkey bacon. That will hold me. I love to take walks the day of the fight. So Ill walk the food off, come lay down, nap, read and just relax. Lunchtime, Ill have a lean piece of chicken with a good complex carbohydrate. Maybe, rice or pasta at that point and a good vegetable that wont be hard to break down like steamed spinach, which I love. My last meal has been the same for the last four to five years. I always get a big piece of fish thats not hard to break down but will give me the fuel I need with the same type of carbohydrates and some more steamed spinach. Anything after that and its probably a [protein] bar right before we leave for the arena. Im fueled because I have three good meals sitting on me and Im fully hydrated after sipping water all day. Im ready to go at that point.

Another thing the public doesnt get to see is the recovery aspectaftera fight. What are some of the things you're doing outside of rest to heal and get your body back to feeling right?

I had to learn this the hard way. I used to come home and just lay in the bed. That was not the right thing to do because I would try and get out the bed and everything would lock up. All the lactic acid is trapped and Im not doing anything to get that out and get my body moving. I got an idea from my pastor [former NFL running back] Napoleon Kaufman. What theyll do in football is theyll play on Sunday, come in on Monday and have a light lift, run a little bit and theyll take the following day off. I kind of took that model, and I did it after the last fight and posted a picture to my Instagram. As sore as I was after the first fight, the next morning, I got on the treadmill and did a light jog. I got a massage and I keep those going for about a week straight to flush all the lactic acid and toxins out.

What can we expect to see from you on June 17?

Honestly, Im going to have a lot more fun; its that simple. Sometimes, you can try to be too perfect and you hinder your gifts. You try to be too technical, too perfect and you look back and see that you were not flowing, and doing what you needed to be doing and thats what I got back to. I dont know what Im going to do on June 17. I couldnt even tell you but I feel like its going to be a tremendous performance, a great show and its going to be a totally different individual Kovalev saw the first time around. That, I can guarantee.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE

View original post here:
The Real-Life Diet of Andre Ward - GQ Magazine