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Sometimes it's tough to get motivated to work out, you had every intention to work out today but something kept you from accomplishing that task. Work issues, car trouble, relationship troubles, and kid drama are just some of the reasons people use to skip a workout for days, months, or even years. After the avoidance come the excuses, the most popular justification being that they just can't find the motivation. Here's the bad news - being struck with the motivation to exercise is rare. If you're waiting for "a feeling" to get your ass up and into the gym, there's a strong chance you'll be waiting a long time.

With the new year just around the corner, people will head back into gyms, jump face-first into dieting, and hop back on the fitness wagon. This motivation to work out and eat healthier will last about a week for most people. A few months after the calendar turns to a new year, those same individuals will go back to doing the bare minimum with exercise and eating healthy.

Finding the motivation to work out isn't hard. There are countless ways to get motivated, but here are a few ideas that will help give you a kick in the ass when procrastination starts rearing its ugly head.

Procrastination is the killer of all motivation. Thinking ourselves out of a task is the most common reason people avoid tasks because we focus on the entire undertaking and not just one part at a time. Let's use running as an example. If you had to run five miles, your brain would think, "ugh, those 5 miles will suck," and the mind will focus on all of the steps ahead. Instead, focus on one mile at a time. Conquer the first mile and move onto the second, and so on, until the five miles are complete.

An excellent way to combat procrastination is to try the 5-minute rule. If you're unfamiliar with the 5-Minute Rule, it's an amazing motivational trick that works for just about any task. Set the timer on your phone for five minutes and do some form of exercise for those five minutes. It can be anything - push-ups, jumping jacks, jumping rope, running, or even walking. You can stop when the five minutes are up if you still don't feel like working out. At least you accomplished those five minutes. Chances are you're going to keep working out.

The last time you skipped a workout, you probably had what seemed like a perfectly reasonable excuse. All of your workout clothes were dirty, you forgot your sneakers at home, or a Rick & Morty marathon pulled your attention away. In truth, all your excuses are crap and could have been avoided with a bit of preparation.

Take out gym clothes the night before and pack yourgym bag to be ready. Block off a specific time of the day when you're going to work out. Shut off your phone right before so nothing can distract you. Think back to all the reasons you skipped the last workout and put the steps in place to avoid those issues from popping up again. As Benjamin Franklin once quipped, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."

Everyone has different reasons for working out and wanting to get into better shape. Better overall health doesn't typically top of the list. People focus on wanting to look better in the warmer months, and the need to wear less clothing rolls around or after a bad breakup or when you catch your reflection in the mirror or out in public and really don't like the body looking back at you.

To motivate yourself to exercise more and work out harder, think about all the times you looked and felt out of shape and then think about the next time you'll be in the situation again. Do you want to feel that way again? Do you want to have to wear a shirt the next time you go to the beach? Do you want to buy new clothes because your old clothes are too snug?

If the visualization trick isn't working, scroll through the photos on your phone or your social media account to find images when you weren't looking and feeling your best. There's no better way to motivate yourself to work out than to put yourself back in the moment when you were feeling less than.

Here's the real truth about why people can't stick with an exercise program, diet, or any self-improvement habit is our inability to create concrete and precise goals. If you're working out just to lose weight, get into better shape, or so that your clothes fit better, your goals are way too vague. If you exercise for a few days and drop two pounds, congrats, you reached your goal. If you work out for two weeks in a row, good job, you're in better shape than when you started. If your clothes fit a little better, well done, but all you really had to do was buy better-fitting clothes.

To get motivated and stay motivated, a person needs a specific goal and date of completion to reach that goal. Sign up for a race. Enter yourself in a fitness competition. Put down the money to do a Tough Mudder or Spartan race. Choose a goal, commit to the plan, and start taking action to reach the goal. To really up the stakes, tell people about the goal. Friends, family, and co-workers will work as motivators towards the goal because you won't want to look like a failure when they ask about your progress.

How many times have you heard people say, "that's it, the diet starts tomorrow" or "next week, I'm going to start going to the gym every day"? How many times did those exact words come out of your mouth? Probably far too many since you're reading this article.

Here's the problem with setting goals in the future - it gives you plenty of time to forget or change your mind. Instead of tomorrow, next week, or when you've got more time, why not start right now? Put on your sneakers and go for a run. Pack a bag and go to the gym. Hell, just drop on the floor and do as many push-ups as possible. Just do something because something is better than nothing.

As with anything, getting and staying motivated to work out takes time and effort. Working out is the first part of a lifestyle change. The second part is evaluating your diet; as they say, abs start in the kitchen. The trick is in maintaining both efforts to get maximum results.

Visit link:
How To Get Motivated To Work Out When You Dont Want to - The Manual

What is already known on this topic?

Adequate nutrition and opportunities for early learning are key components of nurturing care for child development in early life.

Considerable literature has examined the associations between child nutrition and development in the first 2 years of life.

Little is known about the role of nutrition in child development in children 3659 months of age.

Dietary diversity was associated with literacy-numeracy development in children aged 3659 months in low-income and middle-income countries, but not with cognitive, socioemotional or physical development.

We found evidence of beneficial associations between child diet and development among subgroups of children: those who received 4 stimulation activities or attended preschool programmes.

In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), 25% of children 3659 months of age have suboptimal development,1 2 which is associated with lower intelligence later in life.3 Adequate nutrition and opportunities for early learning are key components of nurturing care for early childhood development.46 Child nutrition may affect cognitive development directly through brain development and indirectly by affecting child health, physical activity and caregiver behaviour.79 Directly, deficiencies in protein and energy can affect global and motor function, whereas deficiencies in individual micronutrients (eg, iron, zinc) can affect specific cognitive processes and affective development.9 Indirectly, child diet can influence development by reducing activity, limiting exploration of the environment and reducing initiation of caregiver interactions.8 10 Caregivers who supply less diverse diets may supply less diverse stimulation.11 Conversely, caregivers who supply less diverse stimulation may supply less diverse diets. However, many factors influence child diet, stimulation and development. Therefore, these inter-relationships are important to consider.

Supplementation with individual (eg, iron, zinc) or multiple micronutrients has shown mixed or no effects on child development,12 13 1316 while observational studies generally indicate that better-quality diets are associated with improved child development.7 1622 These differential findings may be because supplementation trials usually consider single micronutrients and observational studies consider both macronutrients and micronutrients. However, most evidence comes from children aged <2 years. Little is known about the association between diet and development among children 3659 months of age in LMICs. Similarly, a few studies have assessed the association between diet and stimulation in children aged <2 years,16 23 but evidence on children aged 3659 months is lacking. Given this limited evidence, our objective was to understand diet as a risk factor for suboptimal development in children 3659 months of age in LMICs, a critical period due to limited resources and interventional support (usually focused on the first 1000 days).

We pooled cross-sectional data from the latest Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for the 15 countries with data on child development, diet and stimulation among children 3659 months of age that were publicly available as of December 2020 (online supplemental table 1). Child development, diet and stimulation for this age group are optional modules and available for a limited number of countries. Child development and stimulation are applied to the youngest child aged 3659 months, and child diet to one randomly selected child in this age group. We excluded Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), which do not collect diet data for children aged 3659 months.

Child diet was assessed using the WHO-UNICEF indicators for dietary diversity score (DDS) and minimum dietary diversity (MDD). DDS was created by summing the number of food groups consumed by the child in the past 24 hours (based on maternal recall). MDD was defined as DDS 4.24 We also created a binary indicator for whether the child consumed animal source foods (ASF, eggs/meat/flesh foods/fish/dairy).

Child development was assessed using the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) (additional details in online supplemental methods). The childs mother reported on whether the child can perform 10 developmental milestones (table 1). Online supplemental table 2 shows mean age of children who can and cannot perform each milestone. We constructed indicators for whether children were developmentally on track in each domain and all four domains (overall development).25 Since we were interested in diet as a risk factor, our outcome was off-track development. We also calculated ECDI score as the number of milestones the child passed (range 010).

Developmental milestones included in the Early Childhood Development Index by domain and coding of on-track and off-track development by domain

Stimulation was assessed using the DHS home stimulation module. Mothers reported on whether any adult provided any of six stimulation activities in the past 3 days: reading books, telling stories, naming/counting/drawing, singing, taking the child outside and playing. We summed the total number of stimulation activities (range 06), and defined adequate stimulation as 4 activities, based on prior work from the MICS26 (additional details in online supplemental methods).

We restricted the analytic sample to children 3659 months of age with data on child diet, development and stimulation. DHS calculate child age as the difference between the interview data and date of birth (imputed if incomplete).27 We first examined the association between child diet and stimulation, treating stimulation as the outcome. Then, we examined the association between child diet and development, treating stimulation as a covariate. For binary outcomes, we fit log-Poisson models and calculated unadjusted and adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% CIs. For count outcomes, we fit a linear model and calculated unadjusted and adjusted mean differences (MD) and 95% CIs. We calculated per cent increase by dividing the MD by the sample mean. Adjusted estimates controlled for household wealth, rurality, size, access to improved sanitation and access to improved water source27; maternal age, education and marital status; child age, sex and early childhood care and education programme (ECCE) attendance, and country and survey year. The models for child development also controlled for the number of stimulation activities. Missing data on any of the confounders (<0.10% of observations) was imputed using mean imputation. All models accounted for clustering and representativeness using the country-specific cluster variables and sampling weights. As a sensitivity analysis, we examined heterogeneity in the associations between child diet, stimulation and development between countries by fitting the multivariable adjusted model separately for each country. In the pooled sample, we also explored whether the multivariable adjusted associations between child MDD, ASF consumption and development differed across household wealth, rurality, household size, access to improved sanitation and access to improved water source; maternal age, education and marital status; adequate stimulation and child age, sex and ECCE attendance. The significance of the interaction was assessed using a Wald test. All analyses were performed in Stata V.16 and a p<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.28

The analytic sample included 12 126 children 3659 months of age (table 2). Child diet was poor with 18% meeting MDD. Half of children received adequate stimulation and 17% attended ECCE programmes. Child development was suboptimal: 24% of children were off-track in cognitive development, 32% in socioemotional and 87% in literacy-numeracy. Child development did not differ by age group: 3547 vs 4859 months (data not shown).

Household, maternal and child characteristics of the 12 126 children in the analytic sample

Child diet was positively associated with stimulation in unadjusted and multivariable models (table 3). In multivariable analyses, meeting MDD was associated with MD 0.42 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.53) or 13% additional stimulation activities, and ASF consumption with MD 0.25 (95% CI 0.16 to 0.33) or 8% additional stimulation activities. Results were generally consistent by country, although not significant in all countries (online supplemental tables 35).

Associations between child diet and stimulation among children 3659 months of age in 15 low-income and middle-income countries*

Child DDS, meeting MDD and ASF consumption were not associated with overall, cognitive, socioemotional or physical development in multivariable models (table 4). However, higher DDS and meeting MDD were associated with lower likelihood of suboptimal literacy-numeracy development, but the magnitude of these associations was very small. These associations appeared to be largely driven by three countries: Congo, Timor-Leste and Uganda (online supplemental tables 68). In sensitivity analysis in the pooled sample, meeting MDD was associated with MD 0.12 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.23) higher ECDI score, whereas DDS and ASF consumption were not (online supplemental table 9).

Associations between child diet and child development among children 3659 months of age in 15 low-income and middle-income countries*

In addition, we found that the magnitude of the associations between MDD and suboptimal cognitive and literacy-numeracy development was larger among children who received adequate stimulation compared with those who received inadequate stimulation (p values for interaction <0.05) (figure 1, online supplemental table 10). There was evidence of more beneficial associations among children with access to improved sanitation, older mothers, mothers with secondary or higher education and living in richer households (all p values for interaction <0.05). Lastly, ECCE attendance modified the association between MDD and cognitive development (p value for interaction 0.02) with a larger association among children not attending ECCE programmes, and the association between MDD and literacy-numeracy development (p value for interaction 0.02) with larger association among children attending ECCE programmes.

Heterogeneity of the association between child minimum dietary diversity and suboptimal child development by child, maternal and household factors, comparing children who met minimum dietary diversity and children who did not. Displayed are only factors that modified the associations with at least one child development domain, that is, p value for interaction was <0.05. All values are relative risk and 95% CIs. All models applied country-specific cluster variables and sampling weights. Estimates controlled for household wealth, rurality, household size, access to improved sanitation and access to improved water source; maternal age, education and marital status; stimulation; child age, sex and attendance of an early childhood education programme (preschool) and country and survey year.

Likewise, adequate stimulation modified the association between ASF consumption and socioemotional and literacy-numeracy development with the magnitude of the association larger among children who received adequate stimulation (p values for interaction <0.05) (figure 2, online supplemental table 11). Additionally, household wealth modified the association between ASF consumption and literacy-numeracy development with more beneficial associations among children in wealthier compared with poorer households (p value for interaction 0.01).

Heterogeneity of the association between child consumption of animal source foods and suboptimal child development by child, maternal and household factors, comparing children who consumed animal source foods and children who did not. Displayed are only factors that modified the associations with at least one child development domain, that is, p value for interaction was <0.05. All values are relative risk and 95% CIs. All models applied country-specific cluster variables and sampling weights. Estimates controlled for household wealth, rurality, household size, access to improved sanitation and access to improved water source; maternal age, education and marital status; stimulation; child age, sex and attendance of an early childhood education programme and country and survey year.

We found that dietary diversity was positively associated with stimulation, literacy-numeracy development and ECDI score among children 3659 months of age in LMICs, but not with cognitive, socioemotional or physical development. Child and household factors may modify the associations between child diet and development with beneficial associations for children receiving adequate stimulation, attending ECCE programmes and with access to improved sanitation.

Our findings that more diverse child diets were associated with more stimulation build on a limited literature suggesting similar associations in children aged <2 years.16 29 However, evidence suggests that patterns of association differ by setting, age group and season. Specifically, Wachs et al showed that, among children aged 1830 months, Egyptian children who received more diverse diets received more diverse stimulation, whereas Kenyan children who received more diverse diets received less diverse stimulation.29 In rural India, stimulation mediated the relation between dietary diversity and mental development in children aged 1218 months, but not in children aged 611 months.16 However, in a different sample of children aged 1218 months living in the same area, assessed ~1.5 years later in winter, dietary diversity was not associated with development either directly or indirectly through stimulation.23 More research, including longitudinal studies, are needed to understand the relationships between child diet and stimulation, their heterogeneity and the mechanisms behind them.

Prior studies have shown that children with more diverse diets from 6 to 24 months of age have better development outcomes.7 16 1922 Among (pre-)school-aged children, meta-analyses have assessed the association between diet quality and development,17 18 30 but only one included studies among children aged 3659 months.18 A study in Scotland showed that more slow meals (ie, sit down meals; meals with fresh ingredients) were associated with better cognitive performance at ages 3 and 5.31 Additionally, a trial among Indian preschoolers 2949 months of age showed that, compared with placebo, fortification of school meals with multiple micronutrient powders for 8 months improved expressive language, inhibitory control and socioemotional development in low-quality but not high-quality preschools. However, there were no effects on receptive language, fine motor development or visual reception.32 Our findings of limited associations between child diet and development build on this limited literature by providing evidence specific to children aged 3659 months in LMICs. In this age range, childrens brains are no longer developing as rapidly as during pregnancy or earlier in life and nutrient requirements for ongoing brain development processes, such as higher cognitive function (eg, working memory, inhibition), are much smaller.8 33 Thus, in children aged 3659 months, diet may no longer be as important of a predictor of the child development domains we assessed compared with earlier in life. Or it may be too homogenous to capture differences in child development.

The lack of associations between ASF consumption and child development in our study contrasts prior evidence showing ASFs benefit child development among primary school-aged children.8 3437 However, we lacked data on ASF quantity or frequency of consumption. It is possible that neither was sufficient to show an association with child development or that ASF nutrients were prioritised towards other developmental or physiological needs.38

Our analysis of potential modifiers highlighted the role of adequate stimulation, ECCE programmes and improved sanitation. With respect to stimulation, we observed beneficial associations for cognitive and literacy-numeracy development among children with better diets, but poorer socioemotional development among children who consumed ASFs. The latter may be a chance finding given the number of potential modifiers explored. Additional research is needed to confirm this finding and clarify potential mechanisms. With respect to ECCE attendance, in a previous study, the effect of micronutrient fortification on child development in India was modified by preschool quality.32 We lacked data on ECCE quality; however, it was likely highly variable given that we included both urban and rural programmes in 15 countries. Nevertheless, ECCE programmes may influence child development by enhancing learning, identifying and treating learning and behavioural problems39 or serving as platforms for nutrition interventions. Lastly, improved sanitation likely reduces exposure to pathogens and environmental risks contributing to poor child development through persistent immune stimulation and poor gut health.40 Although promising, these findings on potential modifiers should be interpreted with caution, given the wide CIs for many of the subgroups we examined.

There are several important limitations of our study. First, we lacked data on macronutrient and micronutrient intake and only had data on food groups from a single 24-hour period. Prior studies among children aged <2 years suggest that the association between child diet and development may be prospective with better diet in early life predicting improved development in later infancy.41 42 Furthermore, the child diet indicators we used were developed to assess feeding in children aged <2 years and have only been validated for older children in Burkina Faso.43 Lastly, child diet depends on multiple socioecological factors (eg, food security, nutrition knowledge) not collected by DHS that may be important confounders or modifiers. Future research should consider these broader contextual factors in the associations between child diet, stimulation and development. Another limitation is the crude nature of the ECDI, which relies on 10 caregiver-reported items and is therefore limited in its ability to comprehensively assess each domain. Moreover, the ECDI does not assess higher cognitive functions (eg, attention, processing speed), which develop rapidly between 36 and 59 months of age.33 Child diet may be more important for these more rapidly developing domains as demonstrated by the positive effects of micronutrient fortification on inhibitory control in India.32 Furthermore, the literacy-numeracy domain has been criticised for containing more advanced items than comparable development assessment tools for children aged 3659 months; the physical domain contains items that are less advanced than comparable tools.44 These limitations are evidenced in our sample where 87% of children had suboptimal literacy-numeracy development and only 11% had suboptimal physical development. Given these limitations, our results are hypothesis generating and should be interpreted with caution before being replicated using more comprehensive child development assessments. Last, our findings may not be generalisable to all LMICs given the small number of counties with child development, diet and stimulation data for children aged 3659 months.

In conclusion, we showed that child diet was positively associated with stimulation and literacy-numeracy development among children aged 3659 months in LMICs. Child diet was not associated with cognitive, socioemotional or physical development overall, but we found beneficial associations among children receiving adequate stimulation, attending ECCE programmes and with access to improved sanitation. Interventions that address child diet alone may provide limited benefits for child development from 36 to 59 months of age. Future interventions should consider holistic approaches to support child development in the second 1000 days that broadly address child diet, stimulation, ECCE access and other environmental factors.

Data are available in a public, open access repository. The data underlying the results presented in the study are publicly available from the DHS Program (http://www.dhsprogram.com). Registration is required to access the data.

Not applicable.

This study involved human participants. Access and permission to analyse the data was granted by the DHS programme (http://www.dhsprogram.com). DHS data are de-identified secondary data, and the analysis was exempted from full review by the Institutional Review Board of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (protocol number IRB21-0158). Participants gave informed consent to participate in the study before taking part.

We would like to thank all the participants in the studies and the DHS Programme teams that implement, conduct and complete the DHS surveys and make the data available.

Read the rest here:
Diet and development among children aged 3659 months in low-income countries - Archives of Disease in Childhood

MERIDEN One of the most popular New Years resolutions is weight loss, but people tend to quickly fall off track.

We spoke with experts in the nutrition and fitness industry to help you set realistic lifestyle goals for 2022.

Carrie Marquardt, health & wellness director for the Meriden-New Britain-Berlin YMCA, said the best way to be successful is to set small goals.

She explained that people start the year wanting to do it all at once, cutting calories, exercising and giving up cigarettes and soda, something that often ends up not being successful.

She suggested starting out with one thing at a time, such as making better choices when its time to eat.

After being successful with the first objective, more goals can be added.

Esmeralda Annie O Farrill is a fitness trainer and CrossFit coach at the Meriden YMCA.

She is also a student at Southern Connecticut State University, with a major in sports science and a minor in nutrition.

O Farrill, who was born in Puerto Rico, said food is a very cultural thing.

You cannot tell a person who grew up eating bread and rice to not eat bread and rice because thats their culture, thats how they relate, she said.

She explained that it is better not to give up on foods but to have a limited amount, depending on each individuals goal.

She said some people try to give up an entire food group, such as carbohydrates, and that doesnt always work out because the body needs those nutrients and people end up having cravings.

For O Farrill, consulting with a professional before making drastic diet changes is important.

O Farrill noted that choosing brown rice instead of white rice, sweet potatoes rather than regular potatoes and whole grain bread instead of white bread, are all small but positive changes people can start to incorporate intotheir diet.

O Farrill said she used to be almost 100 pounds overweight, something she got under control after hiring a personal trainer.

She said those small changes are what started her on the path to becoming a healthier person.

When it comes to supplements, she said people should be careful, do research and consult a professional. In addition, supplements should be consumed along with a healthy diet and exercise.

Dr. William Lunn, a professor at SCSU, is one of the individuals she has been learning from when it comes to supplements and nutrition.

Social media plays a big role in body image. O Farrill said people should be careful not to believe everything they see on social media as influencers are normally just trying to sell a product.

Marquardt said exercising is important but it is better for people to do an exercise they enjoy.

If you like to walk, by all means you should walk, you shouldnt run if you dont want to run, she said. You have to find something that you enjoy doing, that you will stick with.

Exerciseappsand videos can help guide people in a good direction, she said.

Nancy Payne, of Meriden, joined the YMCA in 2014. She said she was one of those people who chose new year's resolutions but didnt manage them properly.

When it comes to fitness and nutrition, she said she has been able to gain healthier habits.

It's a learning curve, she said.

When she joined the YMCA, she was new to Meriden and she wanted to be involved in the community.

She said she joined O Farrills classes, where she told clients about her experience being overweight.

That caught Paynes attention and she continued to work with O Farrill, who gave her exercise and nutrition tips. Payne ended up hiring O Farrill as her personal trainer.

Doing that and following what she was telling me, I was able to lose some of my weight, she said and praised O Farrill for helping so many others.

Payne has Puerto Rican parents and she enjoys when her family cooks.

She has learned to ask her family to make healthier choices, such as baking rather than frying.

Michael McDowell, general manager at Club 24 fitness center in Meriden,said one of the most important aspects of health is nutrition, which is why his gym offers nutrition help.

Part of their goal with clients is to have them meet with a trainer to help them set up a personalized plan.

You want to find something that fits you personally, he said.

One of the things that help people who want to start a healthier lifestyle is finding a workout partner or taking a group class where they could meet people with similar goals, he said.

ksantos@record-journal.com203-317-2364Twitter: @KarlaSantosNews

More:
Meriden fitness and nutrition experts give tips to start a healthy new year - Meriden Record-Journal

Leni Kinzli

How poultry-farming training from the World Food Programme is changing lives

Conflict breeds hunger, it destroys livelihoods, disrupts basic services such as healthcare and education and forces people from their homes.

Mohammed should know he was forced to flee his village in eastern Sudan after conflict broke out in 1994 between the East Sudan Front and the Sudanese Government. Besides our family becoming separated, the most difficult thing was leaving our homes and village and not knowing when we would return, says Mohammed.

The signing of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement in 2006 brought an end to conflict but not to hunger. Today, Mohammeds village of Tahadai Osis is one of the most food-insecure places in eastern Sudan where over 65 percent of children are affected by stunting (impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition).

By 2014, Mohammed felt safe enough to return to his village. Seven years on, however, he still struggles to make ends meet. I am a simple and man with no [formal] education, and it has been very hard for me to provide for my familys day-to-day needs, he says.

In 2019, the World Food Programme (WFP), with funding from the European Union, launched a project to address the causes of food insecurity and malnutrition in eastern Sudan.

Cash assistance was provided to 350 Tahadai Osis residents in exchange for work on local infrastructure projects such as rehabilitating a school and the schools farm, repairing a solar-powered water tank, building pipelines to connect the village to clean water, and building flood prevention measures such as gabion walls and soil dams.

The community were introduced to poultry farming and educated on the nutritional benefits of eggs which are not traditionally consumed in this region. Some of the eggs are used to make breakfast for children at a nearby WFP-supported school and any surplus is sold, with profits ploughed back into the farm.

Mohammed and his wife Madina have started their own poultry farm which enables them to improve the diets of their three daughters one of whom suffered from malnutrition before the family sought help at a WFP-supported clinic. I cook the eggs for my daughters who really like them, says Madina, We sell any extra eggs which enables us to buy other basic necessities.

Children aged under-5 and pregnant and breastfeeding women are also screened for malnutrition at a WFP-supported clinic in Tahadai Osis. Those affected are provided with nutritional supplements that are packed with vitamins and minerals and rich in protein.

Community volunteers also go door-to-door educating families on the importance of a healthy diet and hygiene measures which help to prevent malnutrition. Volunteers came to my house and taught me about the importance of screening my children for malnutrition and how to prevent it, says Madina. I am now more aware of my familys health and nutrition needs.

Improving the food security of families like Mohammeds has contributed to peace and stability in the region and is encouraging others who fled conflict to return to their villages.

WFP has helped us to establish a foundation for our community to thrive, says Karrar, a poultry-keeper from the village. Access to clean water supports our livelihood activities and we have learnt how to rear chickens and to grow a variety of vegetables which has improved our diets.

WFPs activities in Tahadai Osis village are part of a project entitled Improving nutrition and reducing stunting in eastern Sudan through an integrated nutrition and food security approach. This work has been possible thanks to generous contributions from the European Union and the work of WFPs implementing partner Sudan Vision.

See more here:
Sudan: Nutrition lays the groundwork for peace - Sudan - ReliefWeb

CANTONThroughout the holidays, some tend to overindulge in the decadence of all the various treats, telling themselves theyll take off the few extra pounds once the new year begins.

What many dont understand is there are other consequences to not having a healthy diet aside from carrying extra weight.

More: Graham Health Systems Sours honored. Heres why.

Lacey McMahill is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and Board Certified Advanced Diabetes Management Education with Graham Health Systems.

She explained the different types of diabetes, If you have diabetes, your blood glucose, or blood sugar levels, are too high. Glucose comes from foods you eat. The cells of your body need glucose for energy. A hormone called insulin helps the glucose get into your cells.

With type 1 diabetes, your body doesnt make insulin. With type 2 diabetes, your body doesnt make as much insulin or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in your blood and causes high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels cause a horde of health-related complications.

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There is also prediabetes. McMahill said those diagnosed as prediabetic have higher than normal blood sugar levels than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. Those with prediabetes, are more than likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

McMahill said 10.5 percent or 34.2 million of the US population have diabetes, Type 1 diabetes occurs mainly in children and young adults, although it can occur at any age. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all diabetes in the United States.

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Genetics do appear to play a role intype 1 diabetes, but the cause has yet to be identified, In type 1, the pancreas does not produce any insulin at all, These patients cannot survive without supplementation from an external source of insulin. Type 2 diabetes is much more common and accounts for 90 to 95 percent. Type 2 diabetes primarily affects adults, however recently type 2 has begun developing in children. There is a strong correlation between type 2 diabetes, diet and physical inactivity.

Diabetes has a very of symptoms.

To name a few:

Increased urination, often at night

Increased thirst

Increased hunger and appetite

Unintentional weight loss

Blurry vision

Numbness or tingling of the hands or feet

Fatigue

Dry skin

Skin sores that heal slowly

More infections than usual, especially urinary tract infections and/or yeast infections

According to McMahill a person should contact their doctor if any of the symptoms are present and persistent and/or you have a family history of diabetes, Checking for diabetes is as simple as taking a blood sample to check a random blood sugar level. Further tests can be ordered from there if your provider feels it is necessary, she said.

How important is a patients diet when it comes to managing their diabetes?

So important. The sugar in your blood comes from certain foods called carbohydrates or carbs. Foods that are high in carbs include candy and sweets, sodas, breads, tortillas, beans, potatoes, corn, peas and white rice just to name a few. The more carbs you eat, the higher your blood sugar level will be, said McMahill.

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Further, she explained whether a person has type 1 or 2 diabetes or even prediabetes, making the right food choices is an important way to keep your blood sugar as a healthy level. When you control your blood sugar you lower your chance of having serious health problems from diabetes such as loss of vision and heart problems.

If a person is prediabetic, or are at risk for diabetes, eating foods that keep your blood sugar levels healthy may help prevent type 2 diabetes later on in life.

However, there isnt a specific diet or meal plan that works for everybody, All eating plans for diabetes have a few things in common, including eating the right foods in the right amounts at the right times. I work with my patients to help them develop a way of eating that works with their lifestyle, she said.

More: Graham Health System increasing minimum wage

McMahill said shes been working in healthcare for years, My first bedside nursing position was to recover patients who had just had open heart surgery. I saw so many people who may have been able to prevent or delay the need for intervention all together if they were given the right guidance and encouragement. I have always been fond of the preventative medicine approach to helping patients avoid developing conditions and complications before they start. Patients with more education have better outcomes. I also love teaching. I love that warm, fuzzy feeling I get when I see the light bulb turn on. What I most enjoy is celebrating my patients accomplishments with them. This is not an easy condition to manage, but it can be done and I am here to help them every step of the way. My position is one that is also not easily accomplished, and I love a challenge. The prevalence of diabetes is on the rise and more educators continue to be needed.

More: Graham Hospital School of Nursing site of upcoming accreditation review

McMahill received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from OSF Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in Peoria. She received her Master of Science in Nursing degree with an emphasis in care of the whole family, from birth to death, from Chamberlain University in Downers Grove. She is a certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Since that time she has obtained additional specialty certifications as a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist and as a Board Certified Advanced Diabetes Management Provider to better serve her patients.

Originally from Elmwood, she moved to Canton after meeting her husband and has lived here for the last 11 years, I have really grown to love this community and I wholeheartedly consider it mine now. We have two beautiful children and love spending all of our free time watching them grow, she shared.

See the rest here:
Understanding diabetes. Here's what you need to know! - Canton Daily Ledger

If youre trying to lose weight or just live healthier, starting a new diet can help. The ketogenic (keto) diet has been trending for several years now, due to its success with weight loss and muscle-building. Some have even come to believe that following this diet can aid in preventing or reversing heart failure.

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As we get into the health benefits of the keto diet, heart failure cardiologist and researcher W.H. Wilson Tang, MD, wants you to understand the basics before hopping on this enduring trend.

The keto diet is based on eating little carbs, so the idea is for you to get those extra calories in from protein and fat instead, says Dr. Tang. The key is to eliminate carbs that come from unhealthy options like soda, sweets, white bread, as well as healthy options like fruit, milk, and whole grains, adds registered dietitian Katherine Patton, RD.

Dr. Tang wants you to know that just because youre lessening your carb intake, it doesnt mean youre automatically preventing heart disease with the keto diet.

In fact, you could be facing increased risks of heart disease if not monitored closely by a medical professional.

Our skeletal muscles are fueled primarily by glucose, which is a form of sugar derived from the carbohydrates we eat. On the flip side, our hearts derive up to 70% of fuel from fat, says Dr. Tang.

Ketone bodies are an alternative source of fuel that your liver makes from fat. So, if you want to train your body to switch from using glucose to ketones, you must decrease your carb intake and replace with lean protein and unsaturated fat. This is the essence of the keto diet.

For people at risk of developing heart disease, the success of ketos short-term weight loss can be helpful. When following the keto diet, you tend to feel less hungry therefore, aiding in weight loss.

Other benefits of the keto diet include:

While these short-term benefits can make you feel better, the long-term effects of the keto diet remain unclear.

If youre thinking of starting the keto diet, beware of certain side effects, like:

Because there is no consensus on exactly what the diet includes, this leaves the door open to thinking its safe to live on saturated fats and processed foods, says Dr. Tang.

As for heart-health, the jury is still out on whether or not this diet is actually beneficial.

I do not know of any high-quality dietary studies that consistently show ketosis is helpful in human hearts, says Dr. Tang. However, there have been some exciting new data that may point to potential benefits in subsets of heart failure patients. So, our group and others are actively studying this to see if there is any new dietary intervention opportunity for some patients.

Can the keto diet cause heart issues? Dr. Tang fears some people who have heart failure doing a ketogenic diet might have increased risks of:

In general, if you have heart failure, youre more likely to develop a blood sugar abnormality. And with keto dieters consuming high levels of fat and protein, its hard to determine when it turns from healthy to harmful.

Its possible some patients might benefit from the keto diet, but some might get worse, says Dr. Tang.

Because of the potentially harmful effects of the keto diet on heart patients, Dr. Tang and other heart failure specialists advise taking a less-strict approach.

For heart patients, Dr. Tang (and aligning to the latest clinical guidelines on dietary recommendations from the American Heart Association) recommend:

If youre really determined to follow a strict keto diet, Dr. Tang suggests two natural, safe options for generating ketone bodies. The first is to sleep more, as sleep generates ketosis naturally. The second is to consider reducing caloric intake through intermittent fasting although this still warrants close monitoring by your doctor. It is certainly wise to discuss with your doctor before proceeding, should you choose to pursue a specific diet.

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Is the Keto Diet Heart-Healthy? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

As we celebrate the beginning of a new year, many people often look at making resolutions to improve their health. The best place to start is your diet or way of eating. Its not the easiest place, but the food we take in is information to our cells, our blood, and our organs and if we take in crappy information, we get crappy results.

Humans around the world have had varied diets for millennia. Focusing on dietary ideology is less important than focusing on principles. And the key focus of any dietary strategy should be ensuring what you are eating has the necessary components to support optimal cellular biology.

The good thing is that several different dietary approacheswhen thoughtfully craftedcan give you these components. The study of food and nutrition are complex. First, nutrition research sometimes gets bogged down in too many details. While the molecular biology of food is critical to understand, the epidemiology of food can also help guide us. We also know that people who eat ultra-processed foods, too many Omega-6 fats, and excess sugar tend to have higher rates of chronic disease and early death. We know that including Omega-3 fats, adequate micronutrients and phytonutrients, and antioxidant-rich foods supports longevity.

What could whole-food, plant-based eaters and carnivore devotees possibly have in common? One group eats only plants, and the other only eats meat. But in fact, these dietary ideologies share traits:

Both focus on the nutrient density of food, striving to get as many nutrients as possible from what they eat.

Both eschew processed foods, and in particular, abstain from processed grains, sugar, food additives, and seed or vegetable oils.

Both take a thoughtful approach to food sources and sustainability, with an appreciation of the importance of soil health.

Heres an example of the complexity that makes research and dietary recommendations challenging. Omega-3s can come from various sources: fish, meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, algae. But there are different forms of Omega-3s, and typically, plant sources contain the upstream Omega-3s (like alpha-linoleic acid, ALA) that need to be converted through multiple chemical reactions (enzymes) to the downstream form that is most active (EPA and DHA) for making up cell membranes, and promoting anti-inflammatory reactions. Eating fish or other omega-3-containing animal products will give you straight EPA and DHA, but if youre eating plant-based sources, you are mostly getting upstream ALA and have to convert it.

Heres the catch: converting ALA to EPA requires the function of three sequential enzymes, and these enzymes require regulating nutrient cofactors, including vitamins B3, B6, and C, zinc, and magnesium. So you need to eat targeted, diverse foods to get the vitamin and micronutrient levels to make this conversion possible. Eating plant sources of Omega-3s but being deficient in nutrient cofactors could mean youre missing most of the Omega-3 benefits.

Nutrition research is one of those areas that will never, ever be settled. Were learning more and more about nutrition science every day. But you have to be careful where that science is coming from and who is paying for the studies. Many doctors use bias to make their points meaning they will cherry-pick statistical data to prove their point. Youll find hundreds of studies saying that veganism is best or Paleo is the way to go, or everyone should be eating a raw food diet. Research your diet thoroughly from numerous sources to get a well-rounded point of view.

To choose the best diet or way of eating for your body, consider your preferences and sensitivities first. Do you like meat, fish, grains, and loads of vegetables? Then consider your lifestyle and time needed to grocery shop, prep and cook meals. Luckily, there are lots of healthy meal delivery services for those who are time-crunched these days. I love and use Territory Foods myself when extra busy. You may have to shift your priorities to align with your new lifestyle. Next, consider your health concerns. Do you have an autoimmune disease or family history of an illness youd like to prevent? This will drive your decision.

Whatever dietary protocol you decide, you need to make sure you are getting all of the vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, protein, fiber and micronutrients necessary for optimal health. I recommend my clients get blood work when changing their diet too.

Dont be afraid to make mistakes along the way. I once tried to eat raw foods for a week and had such tummy troubles that I was miserable. Be open to trying new foods and diets, but remember to be in tune with your body and how you feel. Remember, your plan can change too its an evolving process.

Creating your personal diet plan can be fun. Remember to consider your overall health goals, what you want to achieve, take into account your dietary preferences, sensitivities, and one that suits your lifestyle. If your diet isnt sustainable meaning something you can do for the rest of your life then it wont work for you. Try to create a plan or way of eating that works for your body and your lifestyle.

It all comes down to common sense, so we must respect the physiology of the human body to determine what our nutritional needs really are and then tweak for bio-individuality. If you need support, I am here for you at wwwUnlockBetterHealth.com.

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What's the best diet for you? | Health & Food | fairfaxtimes.com - Fairfaxtimes.com

The food we eat every day keeps us alive, but it can also incur big health and environmental costsheart disease, carbon emissions, soil degradation, and more. Arecent study published in Nature Food finds that small shifts in the food choices Americans make could have outsized benefits to both health and planet.

Because many foods with a high health burden, including processed meats or red meats, also have high environmental costs, switching out just a few of themabout 10 percent of a persons daily caloric intakecan cut a persons food-based environmental footprint by over 30 percent, the study says.

The really good thing is that, not for every food item but many, foods that are healthier and more nutritious tend to be more environmentally sustainable, so it ends up being a win-win, saysMichael Clark, a food systems researcher at the University of Oxford not involved in the study.

Between growing it, packaging it, moving it around, cooking it, and often wasting it, food production makes up about one-fifth to one-third of all annual greenhouse gas emissions globally. For an average American household,food makes up about as much of the greenhouse gas footprint as the electricity. Food production is responsible for major water quantity and quality problems, often requires herbicides and pesticides that endanger biodiversity, and engenders forest and wildland losses when lands are converted to agriculture.

Its impact is substantial, saysOlivier Jolliet, an environmental scientist at the University of Michigan and one of the authors of the study. Its like, Houston, we have a problem, and we really need to be serious about it. So far the U.S. has not been serious about it.

Its not up to, or the responsibility of, any single person to solve nationwide or global health and environmental crises, he stresses. But insights like those he and his team developed can help people, institutions, and even governments figure out where to direct their energies to make the biggest influence quickly.

To learn how to reduce negative impacts of food production and consumption on the planet and the body, researchers first assessed damages related to food. But figuring out where an apple came from, let alone what its impact on the planet is, has become an increasingly complex question as the global food system evolves. For example, it has taken researchers at the Stockholm Environmental Institute years to unravel the supply chains of crops likecocoa and coffee, even if they come from a single country.

So over the past few decades, scientists including Jolliet developed ways of doing life cycle analyses for specific itemssay, a head of broccoli or a box of corn flakesthat take all the steps from farm to store into account and assign the items a hard number signifying its environmental impact, such as an estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions or water volume their production requires.

Concurrently, epidemiologists and public health scientists were doing similar analyses for human bodies. They carefully examined the links between food and health, teasing out how different diets and even specific foods might influence things like disease risk, general health, or life expectancy; they assigned hard numbers to those risks.

For years, researchers and governments considered the issues to be separate: Health researchers focused on their priorities and environmental scientists on theirs (though as early as the 1970s, scientists were linking diet choices with planetary health). But it became increasingly obvious that what we eat is intimately connected with planetary health, saysSarah Reinhardt, an expert on food systems and health with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The global demand for beef, for example, has increased the demand for soy protein to feed to cattle, and in response to that demand,vast swaths of the Amazon are deforested every year to make space for new soy farms and cattle, hastening the loss ofcarbon-absorbing and biodiverse forest.

Agriculture is a huge piece of the climate puzzle, and agriculture, food, and diet are all intricately linked, Reinhardt says.

So Jolliet and his colleagues built a system that merged both concerns, looking at health and environmental impacts of specific foods.

They had previously worked with other researchers on a vast database that quantified the health burdens of dietary choices, like eating too much processed meat or too few whole grains; the University of Michigan team turned those dietary risks into an estimate of disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs, a measure of how much life expectancy someone might lose or gain by changing their actions. The team drilled down into how choosing to eat or forgo specific foodsnot just categories, like vegetablescould impact DALYs, detailing the advantages of some foods and the detrimentalimpacts of others if someones baseline diet changed. Eating a lot of red meat, for example, is linked with diabetes and heart disease, while substituting plenty of vegetables helps decrease heart disease risk. They caution, though, that their analyses are relevant for the whole population, not necessarily an individualeach person has their own unique set of health risks that may change their susceptibility to diet changes.

To determine that, the Michigan team looked at the nutritional makeup of nearly 6,000 foods, from hot dogs to chicken wings to peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches to beets. A hot dog would probably cost someone about 35 minutes of living; eating most fruits might help someone gain a few extra minutes; and sardines cooked in a tomato sauce might add 82 minutes. In the calculations, apple pie is just about neutralsome boost from the apples, some losses from butter, flour, and sugar.

Nothing particularly surprising emerged in this analysis. Epidemiologists have long known that processed meats, red meats, and heavily processed, high-sugar foods are linked to higher risks of many diseases. But by breaking down the potential effects of so many products, researchers could rank them, order them, and create a detailed understanding of how specific habits might affect consumers.

In parallel, the team evaluated the environmental effects of those thousands of food items. They looked beyond just the carbon costs, incorporating 15 different ways the environment absorbed food productions impact, from the effects on surrounding water systems to the rare minerals needed to grow products or package them to thelocal air pollution caused by production.

When researchers looked at both issues at once, a heartening pattern emerged. Many foods good for peoples health were also relatively gentle on the environment. Not particularly surprisingly, beans, vegetablesnot those grown in greenhouses, thoughand some sustainably farmed seafood like catfish fell in what they termed the green zone. Amber zone foods, like milk and yogurt, egg-based foods, and greenhouse-grown vegetables balanced health and environmental costs. Red zone foods, which included beef, processed meats, pork, and lamb, had high health and environmental costs. A serving of beef stew, they calculated, has the carbon cost of driving about 14 miles.

The pattern held for most environmental indicators except for water use. Foods like nuts and fruits have substantial health benefits, but are often grown in water-scarce places like California. When youre talking about the foods were eating now to the foods we should be eating like nuts and fruits, there are big implications for water use, Reinhardt says. That doesnt mean we shouldnt be eating more of them, it just means its a problem we have to solve.

For some climate challenges, there are relatively straightforward fixes. For example, renewable energy sources can already replace much of the energy needed to power buildings, cars, and more.

Theres no substitute for food, but shifting what we eat is possible. If everyone on the planet ate vegan, greenhouse gas emissions from the food system could be cutby more than half; a planet of vegetarians would trim food emissions by 44 percent. If we stopped eating food as we know it, existing entirely off anutritional slurry grown in a lab instead of in soil or water, we could prevent about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) of future warming, according to a recent paper that considered the unique thought experiment.

What this work says is: Hey, look, we can still get pretty big wins even if were not making these really big changes in dietary composition, says Clark. I think thats really powerful, because a lot of people just dont want to make those really big dietary changes, for many reasons.

While vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming more common in the U.S. and Europe, its an absolutely absurd to assume that everyone will be eating a vegetarian diet 30 years from now, he says.

Food choices are personal, deeply connected to culture, religion, emotion, economic concerns, and so much more. Rather than dictate, its much better to try to give choice, saysNaglaa El-Abbadi, a food, nutrition, and environment researcher at Tufts University. This approach aims to inform people so that they can make choices that align with their needs and values. In aggregate, those choices can benefit both human health and the planet.

For that to happen would require working in tandem with large-scale efforts to reshape industrial food production, she stresses.

But what people choose to eat daily is far from insignificant, says Clark, We dont all have to become vegan overnight, he says. Small changes can make big impacts.

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How small changes to our diet can benefit the planet - National Geographic

Fruitarian diet has become the latest trend attracting weight- watchers and those who are interested in following healthy eating habits. The diet that mostly includes fruits, nuts, seeds and veggies is similar to the vegan diet. Even though it sounds healthy and great, experts say that the diet also has downsides.

Advantages As the fruits consist mostly of water, this diet keeps your body hydrated. It is an environmental friendly diet. Close to nature, this diet relaxes and rejuvenates your body. Fruitarian diet provides the nutrients that are required for the body.

Even though fruit lovers would enjoy this diet, nutritionists warn that it isnt a healthy method to follow. Lots of micronutrients are required for the human body to function properly. A diet that includes 70 - 80% fruits would lead to nutrient deficiency and lack of protein.

Disadvantages Fruits contain a sugar called fructose. Even though it is healthier than processed sugar, too much fructose can be harmful too. Fruits are loaded with fibers. But overeating could lead to digestive problems. Fructose could cause acidity and would affect the gut health. Moreover, it could lead to the imbalance of the micro bacteria in the intestines. Eating too many fruits can cause tooth cavities. Fruitarian diet is a fad diet that could be followed for a short period of time. However, make sure to consult a doctor before making it your permanent food habit.

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Fruitarian diet :Know the advantages and disadvantages | Onmanorama - Onmanorama

The new year is a time for transformation, and some choose to transform to a more plant-based lifestyle.

Veganuary is a 31-day challenge to try the vegan diet for January; it started as a charity in Europe according to the nonprofit's website.The vegan diet is void of dairy, egg, meat and any animal byproducts.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic,the second annual vegan festivalwasheld in Fayettevilleby the owners of Prima Elements downtown. The event offered a way for Fayetteville residents to try various vegan foods without having to drive to the Raleigh-Durham area over an hour away.

More: The vegan transition: Fayetteville residents recount journey to a meatless diet

There is currently only one fully vegan food truck in Fayetteville, The Vegan Spot.

With a lot of vegan eateries being further away, people looking totransition to a plant-based lifestyle may think it's more difficult. Here are some products, however,that can make the transition a little easier, and most of them can be found in grocery stores in the Fayetteville area, including Sprouts, Harris-Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart and Publix.

There are multiple plant-based milk alternatives, with some of the most commonly known ones being almond milk and soy milk. There is also coconut milk, a version of which is made by Silk, flaxseed milk by Good Karma, hemp milk by Pacific Foodsandcashew milk by Silk. Depending on size and sales these milks can startas low as $3.

One of the biggest hesitations people have with transitioning to a plant-based dietis letting go of the flavor of meat they've grown to love.

There are plenty of meat alternatives for each meal of the day.

There's vegan bacon sold by companies includingSweet Earth, Lightlife and Morningstar farms. There are also vegan sausages offered by brands including Beyond Meat, Gardien, Morningstar Farms, Lightlife and Impossible meat. Depending on size, these products can start at about $3.

Brands like Boca, Gardein, Sweet Earth, Beyond Meat, Morningstar Farms and Impossible Meat offer multiple options for lunch and dinner from burgers and "chicken" patties to "fish" fillets and meatballs.Depending on size, these products can start between $4 and $5.

Tofurkey brand also offers vegan deli slices for sandwiches, which can start as low as $3,and holiday roasts flavored like turkey and ham, which can vary between $7 and $10.

Yogurt is a quick and easy breakfast snack that many opt for in a hurry. There are multiple yogurt options for those who transition to a plant-based lifestyle.

So Delicious brand offers flavors from key lime to strawberry made from coconut milk. Silk brand offers yogurt flavors from vanilla to blueberry made from either soy or almond milk. Oatly also offers plant-based yogurt made from oatmilk.The personal-sized cups can start lower than $2.

From topping pasta to making pizza, cheese can be a snack or a meal maker and makes people hesitant to give it up for a vegan lifestyle.

Brands includingMiyoko's, Violife, Daiya, Field Roast Chao, So Delicious, Follow Your Heart and Go Veggie offer a variety of cheeses in multiple forms. Depending on the form of the cheese, some of these cheeses can start at about $4.

Brands includingMiyoko's, Violife, Kite Hilland Daiya also offer cream cheese.

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After a nice meal, some people like to enjoy something sweet, a popular choice would be ice cream.

In a plant-based diet, ice cream is still just a sweet. Popular ice-cream brand Ben &Jerry's launched its nondairy pints made from almond milk. Some of the classic flavors includingPhish Food, Americone Dream, Cookie Dough and Cherry Garcia are available in nondairy pints.

Favorite Day, sold at Target, also offers plant-based ice-cream flavors. Oatly has ice cream made from oat milk. So Delicious and Daiya offer frozen vegan dessert options, too.

All of these options can start at about $4 to $6.

Options for the plant-based community are continuing to grow as time goes on. You can now find even microwave meals.

Staff writer Akira Kyles can be reached at akyles@gannett.com.

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Veganuary: Here's how people in the Fayetteville area can start 2022 with a plant-based diet - The Fayetteville Observer