Posted by Carson McGrath on March 29, 2017 Leave a Comment

(Graphic by Caroline OConnor/ Daily Collegian)

Can you save the planet with your diet? The Plant-Based Nutrition Club at the University of Massachusetts thinks so. The group educates the UMass community on the benefits of plant-based, vegan or vegetarian diets, and they feel good doing it.

Normally what I tell people is I went vegan for the animals, found out I was saving the environment and felt a hell of a lot better, said Nicole Henderson, a sophomore English major and current secretary of the club.

Still relatively new to campus, the Plant-Based Nutrition Club, or P-NUT, brings speakers to campus, screens documentaries and leaflets in the community to share information about the advantages of opting out of meat and dairy products for more vegetables and legumes.

Plant-based foods provides you with a lot of good things like fiber, protein and healthy fats that animal based products dont provide, said Haley Harzynski, a nutrition major from the class of 2016 and founder of P-NUT.

Harzynski started the club her junior year at UMass in the hopes of joining like-minded students together to discuss the benefits and realities of being vegan, vegetarian or having a mostly plant-based diet. Harzynski has been vegan for six years and a vegetarian for 15 years.

Planted-based nutrition and veganism is all about creativity, abundance and taking something that people dont see and creating something from it, Harzynski said.

Jordan Lake, a sophomore sustainable food and farming major and vice president of P-NUT this past fall semester, said plant-based nutrition is one of the easiest ways to be an activist.

We make a decision of what we eat at least three times a day, and simply being mindful of our choices can have immense impact beyond oneself. What we eat impacts so much more than our bodies, and our society is so disconnected from this, said Lake.

P-NUT works to inform the campus community on alternative, healthier and more sustainable diets in order to fight the stigma of living a vegan or plant-based lifestyle.

I think there is a big stigma behind the word vegan, which is why a lot of times we prefer plant-based because we are kind of a new generation of vegans, where some of the older people are go vegan or get out kind of thing, whereas I feel this generation is a lot more inclusive, said Henderson.

Reed Mangels, a nutrition professor at UMass and a registered dietitian, stopped eating meat in the 1970s and became vegan over 25 years ago. Mangels is the current faculty advisor of P-NUT.

As someone who has been involved with vegetarian groups in her own community, she said P-NUT is a great way for students to discuss their plant-based diets and to learn about various options available for the vegan lifestyle.

I saw this as a really great forum where people could educate each other and be a support group, she said.

Being vegan or vegetarian is not a requirement to join the group. The club welcomes students who are interested in the lifestyle or want to learn more about how to implement the diet into their everyday lives.

We are not going to make an impact or reach different communities if we are only having people in the lifestyle, we need people who dont know about it, who have friends who dont know about it and that is how it spreads, said Olivia Laughlin, a psychology and communication major and president of P-NUT.

By demonstrating to students what types of alternatives to dairy or meat products they can eat, all while educating them on not only the personal health benefits but environmental benefits as well, Laughlin said the club serves as role models for other students on campus.

Just by making [veganism] look easy and normal and accessible, it makes it a lot more appealing, she said.

The group holds the philosophy that being vegan is not a huge sacrifice.

One of the biggest conceptions is that it is a sacrifice; you have to sacrifice everything you love, you have to give up all this great food but it is really not. The hardest parts have nothing to do with the eating, sometimes it is hard to confront the information, Laughlin said.

Jessica Holley, sophomore nutrition and public health major and member of P-NUT, has been a vegetarian since she was in middle school and went vegan four years ago. At times she finds people unwilling to understand her choices.

People get very defensive. Its like I am doing something wrong about the way I choose to eat, said Holley.

P-NUT aims to create a discussion on campus centered around dismantling the misconceptions of what vegetarianism and veganism is in order to push people to think about where their food comes from and the effects it may have not only on their bodies but also on the environment around them and the animals that inhabit it.

[Veganism] made me look into other social justice issues and look past the surface of how the systems want you to see things, and so it really just sparked my passion for finding my own truth in things, said Laughlin.

There are already vegan options for students on campus at places like Earth Foods, Peoples Market, Roots and the dining halls.

Last year the group brought Mary Lawrence, owner of Well on Wheels, to Franklin Dining Hall as a vegan guest chef for students to try vegan and vegetarian dishes.

The group wants to continue to push for more plant-based and vegan options in the dining halls through strengthening their connection with UMass Dining Services.

Henderson also said P-NUT hopes to continue building relationships with the community from hosting events at Earth Foods or Peoples Market, to partnering with the UMass Nutrition Association.

I see P-NUT becoming more collaborative in the future working with student-run businesses, off-campus groups and hopefully having contact at least with some national organizations. Theres so many different scales to work on, but collaborating and working with others is always the most fun and interactive to get working with people, said Lake.

P-NUT meets every other Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Chenoweth Laboratory.

Carson McGrath can be reached at cmcgrath@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @McgrathCarson.

Filed under Archives, Campus News, News, Scrolling Headlines Tagged with Chenoweth Laboratory, Earth Foods, English major, Franklin Dining Hall, haley harzynski, Jessica Holley, Jordan Lake, Mary Lawrence, Nicole Henderson, P-NUT, peoples market, plant-based nutrition club, Roots, vegan, Well on Wheels

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Plant-Based Nutrition club promotes healthier, sustainable diets on campus - The Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Predator Nutrition

Miro Judt, 33, saw his weight climb after he gave up on exercise and became addicted to full sugar fizzy drinks, takeaways, crisps and chocolate.

But after his girlfriend dumped him he vowed to turn his life around and embarked on a gruelling exercise and diet routine.

Less then one year later he was in the shape of his life after losing 6.5 stones and gaining a serious amount of muscle.

Now hes also happily loved up with new model partner Victoria and has also clinched his dream job in the fitness industry with PredatorNutrition.com.

Miro, from Wakefield, started to put on weight after living off a toxic diet of fatty fast foods and snacks.

But when his girlfriend of six years called a halt to their relationship telling Miro hed let himself go, it was the wake up call he needed.

After seeking advice from a competitive body builder he was able to create a diet plan that put him on track towards getting the physique he craved. The Body Coach Joe Wicks recently revealed the one food he would never eat.

Miro, 33, stuck to a clean living diet that included fish, chicken, egg whites and protein shakes, supplemented by products from Predator Nutrition.

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A girl shows the difference in just a year

Predator Nutrition

He also started putting in twice daily cardio shifts as well as lifting heavy weights and was able to lose over 6.5 stones in just nine months.

He met glamour model Victoria Wilson on a dating website after she was impressed by his muscular physique, and after hitting it off they have now lived together for over a year.

They even work out together, with Miro regularly acting as her trainer when the pair hit the gym for a couples workout.

Miro said: When I was younger I didnt care what I was eating and drinking, and was regularly knocking back full fat bottles of coke and ordering unhealthy takeaways.

Predator Nutrition

The problem was I had no real concept of what a nutritional diet was, so I put on a lot of excess weight

Miro Judt

The problem was I had no real concept of what a nutritional diet was, so I put on a lot of excess weight.

My long-term girlfriend leaving me was the real turning point. She was so dismissive of me and had no belief that I could lose the weight.

I felt so hurt, but I decided there and then that I was going to change and to show her that I could do better and improve my physique.

I cut out all junk food and fizzy drinks from my diet whilst adjusting my calorie intake, and thanks to help from a bodybuilder I was able to start on a strict diet that helped me slim down.

Meeting Victoria was the best thing that ever happened to me, and she has really given me my confidence back.

Weve even started hitting the gym together, and always help each other to make sure we are both sticking to our diets.

I know that the reason Victoria got with me is because of my physique, but we have been together for a long time now and I know that is because she loves me for who I am.

For me she is the one, and my hope is that one day we will get married. When Im with her, I know that all this hard work to lose the weight really was worth it. If my ex girlfriend can see me now, I hope shell realise what she is missing out on.

Excerpt from:
Junk food addict dumped by his girlfriend for gaining weight sheds six stone by doing THIS - Express.co.uk

Photo: Thinkstock/Magone

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Now that golden milk is enjoying its moment in the sun, many wellness influencers have moved on to another good-for-you beverage:blue algae lattes. Heralded by many as a superfood, spirulinahas taken over cafe menus (hello,unicorn latte) as the smoothie booster du jour. Other forms of algae, like chlorella or E3sproprietary strain Blue Majik, are riding the wave of spirulinas popularity.

But just as doctors were singingits praises, the buzzy ingredient was makingheadlines for another reason: Algae was called out as the reason why people became violently ill after eating Soylent bars. Um, yikes.

So whats the dealis it safe to sip your oh-so-Instagrammableblue latte with impunity? Tofind out, I tappedGlobal Healing Center founder Edward Group, MD, who spent five years researching and studying various types of algae.

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According to Dr. Group, there are literally thousands of different types of algae, but three are by far the most popular: spirulina (the main ingredient in those strikinglyblue lattes), AFA, and cruella. First, the good news on The Big Three: They all have very high concentrations of nutrients and vitamins, includingprotein, iron, potassium, zinc, calcium, and B vitamins.

Also, according to Dr. Group, 60 percent of algae is made up of protein. Soy hasa comparable amount, but a major reason a growing number of food manufacturers are favoring algae is thatall those added nutrients comewith the protein. Its like buying a pair of leggings, and findingout at checkout that you get a sports bra and tank for free.

Spirulina, AFA, and cruella also serveas a magnet for toxinsin the bodyandtheydo an excellent job offlushingthem out. Clearly algae is full of health benefits. But keep in mind: Dr. Groups advice to add more to your diet comes with a major warning.

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[My team and I] tested spirulina, AFA, and cruella from all over the world and found that the majority of them were contaminated with different types of metals such as arsenic, aluminum, mercury, or lead, Dr. Group reveals.

Why the scary levels of contamination? Blame the manufacturers. A lot of companies use fillers, whether theyre sellingthe algae in capsules or using it as a food ingredientlike a flour; its not the algae itself thats toxic, but what its being mixed with, Dr. Group explains. When you start mixing itwith genetically modifiedmaltodextrin, soy protein isolates, or other compounds, a lot of times that can cause contamination.

Considering one of the core ingredients in those Soylent barsbesides algae flouris soy isolate, it sounds like he may be onto something.

Despite the contamination risks, Dr. Group notes thatalgae is one of the worlds most nutrient-dense foodsI would never want to deter someone from taking it. The key is paying close attention to thesource.

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To make sure the smoothie booster is clean and pure, our expert advises sticking withcompanies that are organic, non-GMO, and gluten-freewhich will limit cross-contaminationa lot.

He also says to check out brandswebsites to see if they call out where their algae is sourced from and whether any testing hasbeen done to verify thatits clean. If theyre not toutingthat information, be wary.

And if youre eating out? Yourserver should be knowledgable about whats being served. If he or she cant speak intelligently about it, buying premium goods might not be a priority for the cafe. This may be one instance where fully becoming a Portlandia character and knowing as much as you can aboutthe path from ocean to table is worth the effort (and the awkwardness).

While youre adding more superfoods to your diet, you definitely dont want to leave out the seven on this list. And while it wont make you sick, chia seeds (that other buzzy ingredient) might be the cause of your bloating.

Excerpt from:
Is algae a superfoodor will it make you sick? - Well+Good

Spring is an exciting time for high school teens, as it means several events are taking place, including graduation and prom night. It's also a time to carry out some tried and true tips for safety.

As prom night approaches, here are five tips for parents and five tips for teens that will make for an enjoyable and safe evening for everyone.

For teens:

The best way to have a good time is for everyone to stay safe and healthy, before and during prom night. Enjoy this time by planning and making smart decisions.

For parents:

As you talk with your teens, listen to how they feel. Talk about any potential worries or fears, along with what theyre most looking forward to. This will help them understand youre just trying to help them have a good time while keeping them safe.

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5 prom season safety tips for teens and parents - WCPO

Just eight per cent of recipes mentioned cooking food to a certain temperature, but not all the temperatures were accurate

COOKBOOKS are apopular go-to on how to cook a tasty meal because, lets face it, we cant all be master chefs.

But they offer little advice on how to prepare food safely and the advice they do provide is often inaccurate, experts have warned.

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In fact, just eight per cent of recipes reviewed in a recent study mentioned cooking food to a certain temperate to minimise the risk of food poisoning.

But not all the temperatures listed were actually high enough to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses, like salmonella.

Senior author Ben Chapman, fromNorth Carolina State University, said: Cookbooks arent widely viewed as a primary source of food-safety information, but cookbook sales are strong and theyre intended to be instructional.

Cookbooks tell people how to cook, so we wanted to see if cookbooks were providing any food-safety information related to cooking meat, poultry, seafood or eggs, and whether they were telling people to cook in a way that could affect the risk of contracting foodborne illness.

In other words, very few recipes provided relevant food-safety information, and 34 of those 123 recipes gave readers information that wasnt safe.

Put another way, only 89 out of 1,497 recipes gave readers reliable information that they could use to reduce their risk of foodborne illness.

Chapman and his team analysed 1,497 recipes from 29 cookbooks that appeared on the New York Times best sellers list for food and diet books.

They looked at three things; does the recipe tell readers to cook the dish to a certain temperature, is that temperature a safe temperature, and does the recipe promote food-safety myths.

One of those myths is tocook poultry until the juices run clear, which has been proven unreliable as a way of determining if the dish has reached a safe temperature.

Almost 100 per cent of recipes gave readers subjective indicators to determine when a dish had finished cooking and none were found to be reliable.

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Lead author Katrina Levine, said: The most common indicator was cooking time, which appeared in 44 percent of the recipes.

And cooking time is particularly unreliable, because so many factors can affect how long it takes to cook something: the size of the dish being cooked, how cold it was before going into the oven, differences in cooking equipment, and so on.

Other common indicators used in the cookbooks included references to the colour or texture of the meat, as well as vague language such as cook until done.

Levine added: This is important because cooking meat, poultry, seafood and eggs to a safe internal temperature kills off pathogens that cause foodborne illness.

These temperatures were established based on extensive research, targeting the most likely pathogens found in each food.

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Chapman concluded: Ideally, cookbooks can help us make food tasty and reduce our risk of getting sick, so wed like to see recipes include good endpoint cooking temperatures.

A similar study was done 25 years ago and found similar results so nothing has changed in the past quarter century.

But by talking about these new results, were hoping to encourage that change.

If you want to know the safe cooking temperatures for your recipes you can foodsafety.gov.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368

Originally posted here:
Your COOKBOOKS could be making you sick, experts warn - The Sun

America is unhealthy, and were dying as a result.

McDonalds, one of our most popular eateries boasts meals that are nearly 1000 calories and full of preservatives and potentially harmful chemicals. Our favorite activities including watching Netflix and using social media are sedentary. The American lifestyle is ridiculed in the media and popular culture for being hedonistic and slovenly. Now, there is actual evidence to back up this claim.

In 2016 the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Survey reported that 97.3 percent of American adults are unhealthy based off of factors including whether or not participants had a good diet, exercised moderately, were smokers and if they kept their body fat under control.

The standards of health that were applied to each participant survey are attainable and adjustable relative to each individual. The average healthy person is not expected to be a fitness guru or marathon runner. We need to take this report as a wakeup call, especially considering the rising death toll.

A study released this month by Tufts University reported that over 318,000 deaths per year are hastened by unhealthy eating. Over half of the deaths are consequences of major cardiometabolic killers such as diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Heart Disease is the most prevalent disease in America, with over 610,000 people, thats 1-in-4 people, dying every year from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Risk factors for the disease include diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption, reported American Health Association President Steven Houser. He also noted that most of these factors, including high blood pressure are on the rise. The nature of our predicament is bittersweet because we know the proper solution we must change our habits: eat healthier and exercise more. Yet, our poor health seems to be the last thing on our minds. Or is it?

While it is the responsibility of the CDC, the Food and Nutrition Service, the Food Research and Action Center and several other federal agencies to educate the population on proper nutrition, Americans obviously suffer from a gap in their knowledge.

MyPlate is the latest government backed nutrition advice to date. It suggests that the average person should consume primarily vegetables and grains and then fruits and protein followed by dairy and oils. Food literacy is incredibly important to teach and advocate for, but that only holds true if the information being taught is correctly. Much of the nutrition advice from the USDA is problematic or flawed according to research.

The USDA suggests that variety, and quantity are key factors when attempting to eat nutritious foods, and also recommend to choose foods and beverages with less saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

They do not address the major health concerns that are fast food and packaged or processed food, which are often low in sugar, sodium, and saturated fats, but chalked full of chemicals as a result.

The chemicals the food industry uses to substitute sugar and other natural ingredients are often far worse for us than the real stuff. Artificial sweeteners have been approved for use in limited quantities by the FDA, but the true safety of such chemicals remains a controversially debated.

The studies that were conducted were done using far smaller amounts of diet soda than the 24 ounces a day consumed by many people who drink diet soda, according to Harvard Health Publications. So the effects of the actual average amount consumed by Americans could likely produce different probably negative results. It seems like an odd discrepancy when the people who conduct such studies have ready access to statistics on how much soda the average American consumes.

Healthy foods are also known for being unaffordable. In comparison to a large soda at McDonalds 99 cents, a bottle of water costs $1.69. Canned fruits and vegetables usually go for half that of fresh or frozen produce. Some people simply cannot afford to buy the fresh option, all well knowing that it is better for them.

We need to collectivize our efforts to create a plan to make fresh food more accessible to every class and to ensure the comprehensiveness of food literacy.

This is the opinion of Jennifer Lee, a freshman communication studies major from Los Angeles, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan, or email csontag@theloyolan.com.

http://www.health.com/mind-body/less-than-3-percent-of-americans-live-a-healthy-lifestyle

http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2017/03/07/deadly-diets-study-tufts

https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-is-heart-disease-on-the-rise#1

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936

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The reality of the American Diet - Los Angeles Loyolan (subscription)