Teddi Mellencamp is clapping back after being accused of promoting a starvation diet and unhealthy workouts through her All In brand.

Following a slew of posts online that alleged that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast members company uses bully coaches to encourage unsafe practices from their clients, Teddi took to her Instagram page to share a message with her fans and followers.

I love All In. Im so incredibly proud of the over 15,000 lives weve helped change. Im so proud of all of our clients. I love all of our coaches. I love that I can wake up every single day and feel good about what I do. I live and breathe it, Teddi began in her September 15 video.

According to Teddi, she and her team are completely transparent about their program and let potential clients know exactly what is involved before they sign up.

And if it something that you want to do and you want us to hold you accountable to your goals, we are there to do that for you. If its not something you want to sign up for, you dont. Thats why I love that we are very transparent from the beginning, she shared.

Teddis post was shared just hours after Bravo Snarkside on Instagram shared a series of screenshots from a woman who claimed to have had a horrible experience with All In.

[Dietitians] and nutritionists are calling her out for her unsafe diet plan that is practically an eating disorder! the fan site alleged, adding that All In was under fire for starvation diet and unsafe workouts with insufficient daily calories.

In one of the screenshots shared with the post, a woman claimed to have been harassed and bullied by her All In coaches after adding an egg to her quinoa. Then, after experiencing a spike in her endometriosis due to the amount of oatmeal and quinoa she was consuming, she was dropped by the company.

After sharing her video on Instagram, Teddi was met with a fan who wanted to know if she was truly certified in nutrition.

I personally am an AFPA certified Nutrition and Wellness consultant along with AFPA certified personal trainer, Teddi confirmed.

Teddi then explained that her coaches are not trainers and nutritionists.

It is all explained on the FAQs page on our website. What has worked for us is truly living the lifestyle and going through a big change being coached by someone else who truly knows the ups and downs of personally changing their life. We are very transparent about all of this. I think before anyone signs up for a program they should do their research and decide if its the right one for them, Teddi stated.

After another person said they were so upset about the claims against Teddi and noted that the All In program changed her life, other commenters suspected the woman was working for Teddi.

[The program] worked for me as I know it did for thousands of other women and not a day goes by that I dont feel so proud I did it, the woman had written.

Then, after a second person said she was working for the program, Teddi set the record straight.

She doesnt work for me. [Shelby], we [love] you and appreciate you for sharing your story, she wrote.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 10 reunion concludes tonight, September 16, at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

Photo Credit: Startraksphoto

Read the original post:
RHOBHs Teddi Mellencamp Responds to Backlash About Diet Program After Being Accused of Promoting a Starvation Diet and Unsafe Workouts, Says Shes...

There are certain practices that we know can help end the Covid-19 pandemic, like wearing a mask, washing your hands and avoiding people. And when it comes to your individual health, there are habits that can help your immune system function at its best, according to leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Fauci previously said that for those who have vitamin D deficiency, taking supplements can reduce susceptibility to infection (and Fauci himself takes vitamin D) and that vitamin C is good antioxidant.But Fauci has stressed that supplements are not a silver bullet or a replacement for things like social distancing or wearing a mask.

"If you really want to keep your immune system working optimally, there are things that you do that are normal things,"Fauci told Business Insider Thursday. These science-backed strategies are"much more healthy living than giving yourself supplements of anything."

Here's are the simple habits that Fauci recommends:

"Get a reasonable amount of sleep," Fauci told Business Insider.

Studies have shown thatpeople who sleep six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold than those who sleep seven hours a night.The reason? When you sleep, your body produces proteins thatare responsible for fighting infection and reducing inflammation, according to the Mayo Clinic.But if you skimp on sleep, your body has a harder time fending off infection.

Other research suggests that sleep deprivation can impact how well your body responds to a vaccine.

"Get a good diet," Fauci told BI.

There's evidence that eating a balanced diet that includes a range of vitamins and minerals can help your immune cells function properly. On the flip side, eating a diet of highly-processed foods (think: sugary drinks, cookies, chips and lunch meats) can negatively affect a healthy immune system.

While one specific food can't boost your immune system, research has shown that nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, iron and protein can help immune cells function.

Read the original:
Dr. Fauci: 3 everyday things you can do to help boost your immune system - CNBC

Veronica Madell, Staff ReporterSeptember 18, 2020

Third-year English major Jessica Bumgarner, like many other Case Western Reserve University students, gets lunch from Leutner Commons every day. With dining options limited this semester, there arent many other options available for students on the school meal plan. So Monday through Friday, Bumgarner goes into Leutner to get the to-go lunch. When she selects her sandwich or wrapwhich, she notes, can be the same type for three days in a rowshe is always given plastic utensils, chips, a dessert and an apple or orange on the side. The desserts rotate daily; the fruit, unfortunately, does not. Theres little to no variety in the food, which makes Bumgarner worry about the nutritious value of her meal: The problem with the meals being really low-calorie is that either I have to give in and eat the chips and cookies, which is a lot of processed sugar, or I have to eat food from my own refrigerator when the cost of a meal swipe is $24.

Bumgarner is not the only student unsatisfied with the meal plan. According to a recent Undergraduate Student Government (USG) survey taken by 552 students, on a 1-5 scale, students on average rated the dining halls this year a 3.32 in terms of freshness, but this figure dropped to a 2.68 when discussing health/nutritional value. Additionally, 45 percent of students thought that grab-and-go sizes were too small.

Catherine McManus, assistant professor at CWRU with a Ph.D. in nutrition and a registered dietitian, stresses the importance of variety in a nutritious diet. According to McManus, A well-balanced diet pattern is important for short term and long term health. Not only does a nutritious diet support the immune system, but it helps with mental and emotional well-being.

Students immune systems and mental health are both crucially important during this pandemic. In order to achieve the well-balanced diet that McManus describes, students need variety. McManus says, Ideally a meal should have a variety of food from across and within food groups. This means that getting an orange every day with lunch is not enough. That orange provides the same vitamins and nutrients every day which are different from apples, bananas, melon, grapes and all other fruits. There needs to be a variety within and across food groups for a diet to be truly balanced. The same can be said for salads. McManus stresses that, Salad is not just green lettuce; it can be a fruit, quinoa, or bean salad. Just as there needs to be variety in fruit, there needs to be a variety and expansion of what salad is and the nutrients it provides.

While McManus has not worked with Bon Apptit Management Company, the CWRU meal provider, she would love to. McManus sees Bon Apptit as a great opportunity to influence student eating habits. She explains that, Bon Apptit is a great way to influence college students to help establish dietary patterns that will help them for the rest of their lives.

However, in its current state, Bon Apptit isnt providing the nutritious model that they declare on their website. Under the Wellness tab on their website, Bon Apptit states that, When it comes to wellness, Bon Apptits focus is on simple, delicious foodthat happens to be good for you. To support long-term health, we are bringing more plants to menus every day in a craveable way, while emphasizing healthy cooking techniques.

The current limited side options, especially the deserts and chips, do not reflect this wellness mission. While Bon Apptit has more dine-in options, this isnt a viable option for every student during the pandemic. Bumgarner herself feels this way, saying, Im not comfortable eating in, I would much rather take the food back to my dorm, and eating in results in a lot of plastic waste because of the utensils they make you use.

More students are making their voices heard and taking action. Bumgarner herself went to Provost Ben Vinson IIIs office hours to explain the current situation. She experienced great success, saying that the Provost was really wonderful; he really seemed to care. Immediately after their conversation, the provost followed up with Bon Apptit.

Additionally, USG is taking action. In the past, USG has had great success working with Bon Apptit. Vice President of Public Relations Alex Gould explains this success saying, Last year we ran our first annual food survey and it led to adjustments including regular swipes to Tomlinson, extended Bag-It hours and increased sizes of Subway sandwiches from six inches to a foot long.

In addition to this, USGs Student Life Committee has created a food subcommittee. This committee is constantly working to improve food by collecting student opinions in surveys like the one sent out last week. These surveys collect both quantitative and qualitative data from students that USG can present to administrators and Bon Apptit.

Individual students like Bumgarner and organizations like USG are not satisfied with the current nutritious value of the meal plan. CWRU students are not just complaining, but are taking action. Already, Bon Apptit has stopped automatically giving students plastic utensils and the chips and cookie side and, instead, asking if they are wanted. However, no new, more nutritious options have been provided yet. Bumgarner says it herself, I am not asking for much. All I want is a nice cup of soup, low-fat Greek yogurt or a salad option. And I think I deserve that.

Go here to read the rest:
Students unhappy with the nutritious value of the meal plan take action - The Observer

(Tryon, NC) So many people around the world have been re-evaluating their eating habits in the midst of all the concerns over the pandemic, and how to keep themselves, and their loved ones, safe during this time. With more people cooking at home, there is a new surge in wanting to understand functional food benefits and the key role nutrition plays in overall health.

One of the naturally occurring compounds that have been getting a lot of interest for its many health benefits is sulforaphane. This chemical is present in several different vegetables, but its found in higher amounts in broccoli. In a study reported in theJournal of Allergy andClinical Immunology, researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) found that sulforaphane is capable of stimulating a wide range of antioxidant defense pathways that may be able to interfere with the age-related decline in immune function. While broccoli is a good source for sulforaphane, it is present in trace amounts in the adult plants. However, in the young broccoli sprouts, sulforaphane concentrations are 50 to 100 times higher, making it much easier to consume enough to have a positive impact in a daily balanced diet. Researchers at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hilland theUniversity Childrens Hospital Basel in Switzerlandalso found that consuming broccoli sprouts can greatly enhance the bodys immune response.

Ive been a longtime advocate for the many health benefits of including broccoli sprouts in a persons daily diet, says Ed Mills, CEO of Sunny Creek Farma leading producer of many organic sprouts and vegetables in Tyron, NC. I have been consuming around one and a half ounces of broccoli sprouts for decades to help me manage my underlying genetic health concerns very successfully. Ive also worked with many medical research professionals to help spread the science behind their findings regarding sulforaphane.

Sunny Creek Farm has been producing safe and healthy sprouts for over 25 years. Their line of sprouts, leafy greens, and other organic produce has always been grown under strict controls to insure they are as nutritious and safe as they can be. The company has never had a recall or incident of contamination for any of their products.

At any age, having a healthy and well-functioning immune system has never been more important. Broccoli sprouts are an excellent way to help your body work efficiently to defend against the many diseases and infections that are present this time of yearfrom the yearly flu to the potential exposure to COVID-19. The good news is, they are also delicious and very easy to add to nearly any meal! With a mild, nutty flavor, broccoli sprouts can be added as a topping on sandwiches, salads, soups, or any other dishadding a satisfying crunch while not impacting the other flavors. It also makes an excellent ingredient in fresh juices and smoothies as well.

For more information about Sunny Creek Farm and their products, visitwww.sunnycreekfarm.comor follow them onFacebookandInstagram.

About Sunny Creek Farm

The mission of Sunny Creek Farm, Inc. is to ensure smooth operation of its activities, and to work toward a common goal, namely, supplying the people of our area of the country with high quality foods that will benefit their health. We are advocates of the belief of Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine; Let food be your medicine. The Companys vision is to improve its systems and service to our employees & customers on a continual basis. Sunny Creek Farm, Inc. is committed to producing quality food products that contribute to the health of our customers. As a team member, you must take ownership in the results of your productivity. Go with Sunny Creek Farm, Inc. and You go with a winner that has the best interests of its customers at heart.

See original here:
Boosting Immunity with Broccoli Sprouts: How Sulforaphanes in Organic Foods Can Help Keep You Healthy During this Viral Season - PerishableNews

Lentils not in your diet? They should be, especially if you care about your health and climate change. Heres why. Lentils might be one of the most underrated foods. Although theyre tiny in nature, they carry huge benefits for your health as well as the planet.

Yet if youre like most Americans, youre probably not eating many, if any lentils on the regular. Less than five percent of individuals ate legumes (which lentils are) daily, in a study of consumers, while one third didnt even eat asingle bean during the previous month, according to the studypublished in the journal Nutrientsthat evaluated how many beans, lentils and peas families in Oregon were eating. Sound familiar? Time to make a change and embrace these little nutritional powerhouses.

Lentils belong to the legume family, as do soybeans, peanuts, fresh peas, and fresh beans. But unlike these other forms of legumes, lentils have an even more special designation in that theyre considered pulses. Dry beans, dry peas, and chickpeas are also classified as pulses, which refers to the dry edible seed that grows within the pod. Among the legume family, pulses are rockstars, namely because they have unique health benefits.

For starters, pulses are high in protein and fiber and low in fat, says Becky Garrison, R.D.N., director of domestic marketing for the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council.

In just a half cup of cooked lentils, youll get 9 grams of protein and8 grams of fiber, which is a quarter of your daily recommended amount of 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, according to the USDA. As a result, lentils can help you feel fuller longer, which means youll have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight. Lentils also contain the most amount of folate in any plant protein, and just a half-cup of cooked lentils can give you 15 percent of your daily iron needs, according to Lentils.org.

In terms of health, because lentils are a source of prebiotic fiber, which is the type your gut bacteria prefers, they can help improve gut health, Garrison says. They can also help manage blood sugar levels and have been shown to make your heart healthier, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

But the benefits dont just stop with people, as theyre also healthy for the planet. Lentils and all pulses are considered environmentally friendly crops, Garrison says. Theyre actually one of the most climate-friendly foods, according to the Environmental Working Group. As a comparison, they produce almost 40 timesless greenhouse gas emissions than lamb, the food with the most impact on the planet.

Thats because pulses can take nitrogen from the air and convert it into nutrients they need. They can also be grown and harvested in a wide array of climates and terrains and require less water and nitrogen fertilizer than other traditional crops. This results in a healthier soil that can be reaped multiple times over without overworking the land, Garrison says. Lentils put more carbon into the soil than is emitted, which makes them a carbon negative crop and one of the most sustainable protein sources on the planet.

Fortunately, lentils are easy to incorporate into any meal. Just toss them into salads or pastas, mix them into mashed potatoes or soups, or add them to burger patties, sloppy joes or spaghetti sauce for an added plant protein boost and a slightly chewy texture, Garrison says.

Of course, deciding what type of lentil to use might be your toughest task, as there are numerous varieties. In general, they fall into four types: Green, brown, red/yellow and specialty. Let cook time and texture determine which youll use, Garrison says.

Brown and green lentils, what some consider regular lentils, hold their shape well, which makes them perfect for brothy soups, casseroles or alongside plant meats in tacos or pasta dishes, Garrison says. Meanwhile, red and yellow lentils tend to cook quickly and break down faster, lending themselves to pureeing. Add them to thick soups, curries or stews. And specialty lentils like French Greens or Pardinas earn extra credit for holding their shape well, one reason theyre best showcased in salads or featured on their own as a side dish.

Just dont think your only option is buying plain old lentils. Numerous products now incorporate lentils, including pasta noodles, crackers or chips, and frozen convenience meals.

Lentils, anybody? Whether you eat them for your health or the planets health or both, making lentils a staple in your plant-based diet is one of the best moves you can make.

Prep Time: 30 minutesCook Time: 20 minutesTotal Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 25 meatballs

Eggplant and Lentil Meatballs

Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti

For the Meatballs

Here is the original post:
The Number One Food You Should Be Eating But Probably Aren't - The Beet

For many American children of the 80s and 90s, rice cakes stacked in a column and kept in long plastic bags were an omnipresent feature of home kitchens, preschools, and afterschool programs. I cant remember the first time I held one, but I also cant remember a time before I did. Palm-sized disks, theyre the same weight as styrofoam with a scant sprinkle of flavor crystals, salt or maybe cinnamon, dusting the top and coating the crevices between each grain of puffy rice. No matter the flavor, they lack marshmallow stickiness and cloying sweetness of Rice Krispies treats, as well as the bake-sale appeal. There was no right way to bite into a rice cake and definitely no good way to contain the stream of crumbs that rained down from the corners of my mouth.

There was, however, that pleasant, satisfying crunch, like taking a chunk out of a perfectly crisp apple, and that miniscule bit of toasted, sometimes sweet, sometimes salty, flavor mixed in with a slurry of desiccated rice matter. It was interesting enough to take down the whole cake, and maybe even dip into the tube bag for another, and another. After all, I was a hungry kid, and one of those suckers wasnt going to satisfy my bottomless pit of an adolescent stomach.

Its that feeling of being just on the border of satisfaction that made rice cakes such a staple in American households like mine during the late 80s and 90s. During that period of time, many kids like me became well acquainted with diet fads and foods, to the extent that we sometimes didnt even realize we were snacking on them. All the adults around me seemed to be perpetually trying to lose a few pounds by going on the Atkins Diet or re-enrolling in Weight Watchers. George Foreman Grills whisked away fat and flavor from meat and chocolate cake-flavored Snackwells cookies and Slim Fast shake filled pantries. Rice cakes, for a while, were common in my household and something I turned to on the regular for an easy afterschool snack while waiting for my parents to get off work. I could polish off half a package in one sitting, completely defying any alleged dietary benefit.

Plenty of cultures have their own version of rice cakes, but we can partially thank a botanist named Alexander Pierce Anderson for laying the groundwork for the American rice cake as we know it. Anderson was working at the New York Botanical Garden in 1901 studying the water content of nuclei in starch crystals when, as the story goes, he discovered steam-puffed rice. Anderson marketed the product to Midwestern investors who bought into the idea, but eventually sold their shares to Quaker, a Midwestern company better known for its oats. Hed caught the companys eye by demonstrating his rice cannon during the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair. Anderson filled a cylinder with uncooked rice grains and sealed it off, heating the container while rotating it and increasing the interior pressure. When the time was right, he used a sledgehammer to remove the end of the cylinder, sending puffed rice shooting out like a cannon. Anderson and his team offered bags of the puffed rice to the crowd for a nickel a bag; they sold 20,000 pounds of puffed rice, according to the Minnesota Historical Society archive. Quaker used Andersons methods to make a variety of cereals and advertised it as Food Shot From Guns.

The rice cakes in my childhood pantry came from Quaker, but at the time there were several different companies competing in what the Chicago Tribune referred to as a rice cake revolution in 1986. They included brands like Lundberg Family Farms, Hain, and Chico-San. The latter was a macrobiotics company established in 1961 that got its start importing products like soy sauce from Japan and that eventually developed brown rice cakes in the 1970s the prototype for the larger snack trend. Chico-Sans ads proposed trading bread for rice cakes and using the low-calorie rice saucers as a surface to support jelly, cottage cheese, fruit, and other toppings. By 1984, Heinz swooped in to scoop up Chico-Sans market share. One rice cake lover suggested to the Chicago Tribune that rice cakes topped with beans were better than tacos, a statement that suggests that person had never had a decent taco.

Similarly, representatives from Quaker tell Eater that rice cakes were first launched as a low-carb alternative to bread in the mid-80s. The advertisements also seemed to target women and working mothers with fat-free snacks to be eaten at work, on the go, and while kickin back. Print advertisements for Quaker Rice Cakes from that period show thin, grinning models lying on their flat leotard-covered stomachs to emphasize the lightness of rice cakes. The message was clear: Eat this and look like these women. In 1992, the rice cake and popcorn cake market was valued at $174 million and growing. The following year, Quaker had bought out Chico-San from Heinz, solidifying the brands dominance as major purveyor of rice cakes with 63 percent of the U.S. rice and popcorn market, according to the Associated Press.

As for the actual health benefits of rice cakes, like so many other foods marketed as better for you, theyre really just that marketing. Rice cakes, while low in fat, are also low in most other nutrients and may have less fiber than similar snacking options like crackers. The refined sugars in rice cakes are also digested quickly in your body, potentially leaving you hungry sooner. But none of that really matters if enough people buy into the fad.

But its popularity did wane. As the low-carb trends declined in the mid-aughts, so too did consumer appetites for blandly seasoned grain cakes. Even so, brands trafficking in rice cakes didnt entirely die out. Quaker reports that it still produces 500 million rice cakes annually, and a representative from Lundberg tells Eater that the company produced 15 million bags of rice cakes (13 cakes per bag) last year. Speaking generally, the most popular flavors from both brands are lightly salted, followed by options like caramel at Quaker and Lundbergs cinnamon toast.

Rice cakes have even seen a resurgence in their fortunes in recent years due partly to a surging interest in gluten-free foods. Whole Foods, for example, has a section of its cracker aisle devoted to organic puffed rice and popcorn snacks for the gluten-averse or -intolerant. While slightly spiffier, the advertising angle doesnt seem to have changed much either. Companies like Rice Up still promote rice cakes as a whole-grain option for weight control. Lundberg reports that in the past year the companys rice cake sales have increased by 14 percent. And, true to its diet snack roots, Lundberg rice cakes tend to sell best in January right around the time people are working on their New Years resolutions by renewing their gym memberships and cutting back on the sauce.

Rice cakes arent going away. Theyre merely changing with the times. Following the Everything but the Bagel seasoning trend sparked by Trader Joes, Quaker introduced everything-flavored rice cakes in 2020. Lundberg also touted recent innovations like the chocolate-covered Chocolate Thin Snackers and Organic Rice Cake Minis, a bite-sized version of the original product geared toward adults and kids crunching on the go.

Recently, I located some rice cakes in the aisles of my own grocery store to indulge the strange nostalgia that I had for a food thats sometimes compared to dry cardboard. It was exactly as I remembered: a circle of airy rice grains smashed together into a remarkably firm plate. It felt like building material, but the kind that would disintegrate after a heavy rain. With each bite, my ears rang with that satisfying crunch and my mouth grew drier. All the downsides of popcorn but none of the good butter grease. And yet I keep eating them and thats the beauty of a successful snack, right? Eating it doesnt necessarily bring contentment. Its about the experience of the texture and the chase after just a little more of that wisp of flavor.

View original post here:
What Happened to Quaker Rice Cakes, Americas Favorite Health Snack? - Eater

Arthritis is the most common joint disorder in the United States, and knees are often the first joints affected by the condition.

One study found that in people above age 60, more than 10 percent of men and 13 percent of women had symptoms of arthritis in their knees.

OTC and prescription pain medication can offer relief, but are frequently associated with side effects. These side effects include kidney damage and heart problems.

Almost 20 percent of Americans report some degree of knee pain, according to figures published in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pain can range from mild stiffness to levels that are nearly disabling.

Recent studies have found that turmeric, a flavorful spice popular in India, may help relieve joint pain. The spice is popular in Ayurvedic medicine, but is mainly used in food in the United States and not as a medication.

Experts say that there is increasingly clear evidence that the active ingredient in turmeric may have health benefits.

It is widely believed that curcumin, which is the active ingredient in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. And for this reason, its frequently used as a supplement by many people to help with joint symptoms, Dr. Nagendra Gupta, FACP, CPE, an internist at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, told Healthline.

A study published in the medical journal Trials compared the effectiveness of turmeric to that of an anti-inflammatory drug called diclofenac.

The randomized trial gave 139 patients with knee pain either a 500-milligram (mg) capsule of curcumin three times a day or a 50-mg diclofenac pill twice daily. Scientists found that both groups experienced significant pain relief.

Curcumin has similar efficacy to diclofenac but demonstrated better tolerance among patients with knee OA. Curcumin can be an alternative treatment option in the patients with knee OA who are intolerant to the side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the study authors wrote.

In another study, published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at the University of Australia in Tasmania assigned 70 participants, over age 40, with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and swelling diagnosed by ultrasound, to receive either 1000 mg per day of turmeric or a placebo.

After 12 weeks, the randomly controlled placebo trial found that an extract of turmeric was more effective than a placebo in reducing knee pain in people with knee osteoarthritis.

Those taking turmeric reported significantly less knee pain at the end of the study, according to the standardized questionnaire.

Researchers emphasized that more research is needed, and the only limiting factor of their study was the small number of participants.

This research also received funding from Natural Remedies PVT Ltd, a company that offers Ayurvedic medicines and herbs.

While this may indicate a conflict of interest, previous research also supports this spices effectiveness for pain relief.

Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is a frequently used spice in South Asian foods like curries, and it can add a warm orange or yellow color to meats and rice dishes. It also has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine.

The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, and research finds that it has a surprisingly wide range of beneficial properties.

Curcumin, unlike some NSAIDs, has also been determined to be nontoxic. NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, taken in excess can cause symptoms that include convulsions, coma, and acute renal (kidney) failure.

Experts say that given turmerics known health benefits, including it in meals is best.

Eating turmeric with fats or oils can improve absorption.

Turmeric however, specifically the phytonutrient curcumin, has so many health benefits, so definitely incorporating turmeric into meals would be ideal as part of an overall healthy lifestyle plan, said Reema Kanda, RD, a clinical dietitian at Hoag Orthopedic Institute.

Incorporating turmeric into meals that contain fats and oils or black pepper will enhance absorption.

Kanda emphasized that the quality of the turmeric powder can also affect bioavailability. She also said, You want to be sure the turmeric powder is free of contaminants that are often found when making powders.

She added that many studies have utilized turmeric extracts over turmeric powder, which has higher amounts of curcumin. Because of that, the studies recommended extracts for therapeutic use for health benefits such as improving in joint pain.

Theres strong evidence that eating the Mediterranean diet may provide significant knee pain relief in people with OA.

Researchers reviewing three different studies found that people with symptoms of arthritis had an improved quality of life after starting the Mediterranean diet.

According to the study, the Mediterranean diet may benefit OA because of its anti-inflammatory properties, tendency to reverse metabolic syndrome (a risk factor of diabetes), and reduce obesity.

Researchers say the diet is also rich in polyphenols (plant compounds), which can prevent inflammation and cartilage destruction, and this could also be why it shows benefit.

While there is no specific diet that works as a cure for arthritis, various studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can help fight the inflammation associated with arthritis and slow the disease progression, said Gupta.

As always, getting the right dosage is key to staying healthy. While turmeric may help joint pain, more is not always better.

Consuming large amounts of turmeric can have side effects.

Subjects in a 2006 small dose-response study reported a range of adverse reactions from using 500 mg to 12,000 mg of curcumin daily, although the researchers found overall participants tolerated the high levels of the spice.

Of 24 participants, seven reported side effects that included headache, diarrhea, and skin rash. All but one of the people with side effects were taking over 4,000 mg of turmeric.

Turmeric is also high in oxalate, a chemical that in large doses can combine with calcium to create kidney stones.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is generally recognized as safe. However, the FDA has previously warned that turmeric from Bangladesh contained excessive levels of lead, which can adversely affect health.

Studies have shown that turmeric can have strong anticoagulant effects, which could affect how blood-thinning drugs work in the body.

If you want to try using turmeric to treat joint pain, its always a good idea to speak with your doctor first to make sure it wont interact with medications youre already taking.

Joint pain, especially in the knee, due to arthritis affects about 1 in 10 older Americans.

Research finds that an ingredient in the spice turmeric can significantly reduce knee pain in people with osteoarthritis but it wont improve swelling or change cartilage.

Although considered safe by the FDA, there is strong evidence that turmeric can interact with blood-thinning drugs, and the agency has warned that turmeric imported from Bangladesh has shown high levels of lead.

Read the original here:
Want to Take Turmeric for Arthritis Pain? Here's What to Know - Healthline

Mark Hughes Cobb|The Tuscaloosa News

If you shut it, they will go.

The same theory that suggests folks will drink less if you close bars at a certain hour, or day, seems to believe that if an entity discourages students from gathering at one place, they will all then willfully, quietly disperse and plod on back to dorm, apartment or house -- alone --to study, work on long-term projects, and ponderthe nature of life, probe the meaning of consciousness, and reflect on their blessings.

Then there's another theory that says those theorizers have never even walked on the street past anyone 18 to 22, even when they werethemselves 18 to 22, having been born prematurely 64,and cannot at allremember being young, dumb, and full of come-ons to play beer pong.

Then on the third hand there are those who feel like canaries flip-flopping dead one after one in this labyrinthine coal mine of a pandemic, tweeting feverishly: "Of course this won't work. You're counting on young people to use sound judgment."

Kids come to college to

A) Practice bad judgment

and

B) Learn the consequences, ultimately, of such folly, burn that craziness out of their systems and prepare to launch, chastised and chastened,into the free-floating momentumof boring, whimsy-proof adult lives.

Ha. No.

They keep on doing pretty much what they learned in college, only with co-workers and a little more money, right up until that first knee-crack in the a.m., the overdraft from a long weekend, or a hangover that won't fade, after which they kinda-sorta start to think about how this body's the only one they'll ever have, so maybe tidy it up once in a while?

Though we must lay down rules andconsequences, because yes, there are reckless idiots among us who seem not only insensitive to but blithely unaware of the humanity of others,blaming and shaming just don't work.

Blaming and shaming not only shoves the blamed and shamed toward another spot, possibly less well-ventilated, less clean, but dims the likelihood they'll report eventual whereabouts, or be honest about what precautions they've taken.

Setting up kids like thisturns into a"Nyah, nyah, you can't catch me" game. Although in this case "Nyer nyer nyer, I won't catch it" applies, too.

Yes, the University of Alabama, the city of Tuscaloosa and others must try to make sane and sensible guidelines stick, recognizing the reality of this airborne nightmare, and seeing that some will indeed act responsibly. And mitigating liability is a thing, too; can't really fault that protective instinct.

But, as the canaries have been squeaking while fluttering pathetically to the dust, everyone knew kids -- a significant number-- would ignore advice, because duh. Human nature times youth times peer pressure = Kegger.

Does "everyone" include administrators, public officials and healthcare folks? Certainly there were optimistic projections predicated on everyone acting smart, which was the first flaw. Even folks who pass standardizedtests don't necessarily qualify as capable.

For months now, we've seen Walmart shriekers absolutely livid about the dadgum gubmint coming for their precious, utterly free and pure-amurrican nasal cavities. The gubmint will stormdown your shed door next, Jethro,right after they've finished melting down all those guns confiscated in the Clinton and Obama years.

Even grown Americans can't be trusted to follow sound advice, because while silly scientists and epidemiologists at the WHO and CDC spendtheir entire educated lives studying, thatcan't stand a nanosecond against the witheringassault ofsomeone's cousin-wife who "did research," inhaling YouTube videos constructed by debate-team rejects, smelling their breath inside a mask and finding it old-fish ghastly, and furiously forwarding on misspelled memes from a schoolmate who boasts he can still squeeze into his Members Only jacketand thinks Applebee's means For Date Night Only.

And that's grown folks. College-aged kids -- traditional aged, not counting those returning to school, or in master's or doctoral degree programs -- are still livingfluid,formative years, socially and physiologically. To understand consequences requires abstract thought, a capacity that's still developing in young adults -- and judging by anti-maskers, a capacity that may never actually arrive, for some.

Kids know actions can and will ripple forward for the rest of their lives, for good, ill or somewhere in the vast in-between. They know it, logically.They just don't feel it.

In a National Public Radio story, Anna Song, assistant professor of psychological sciences at the University of California, Merced, spoke from studies of young adults and their decision-making when it comes to risk behaviors: smoking, sex, gambling or unhealthy eating. Blame-and-shame sets updominoesto topple.

"It breaks my heart to see this," Song said. "It's like asking people to go on a diet, putting them in a candy store and saying 'Good luck.' And then if they break that diet, we say, 'Why'd you break the diet? And, you know, we're going to punish you for it.' "

During the phase of life when feeling indestructible, young folks don't fear the reaper, or even truly believe in the grim. Daring to socialize, to learn how to interact with others, absent the daily supervision of parents, outside more regimented school years, is as inextricable from the college experience as your nerves from your skin.

"Peer networks and having connections with other people is absolutely critical in terms of development for young people, There is a lot going on in the brain to reward those kinds of interactions," Song said.

Reward. That's the key word. We balance Rs every day: Is the reward worth the risk? Snap judgments, second by second: Is possibly getting to work a few minutes sooner worth the risk of jetting out in front of this rapidly oncoming traffic (the answer, if I'm amidst that onrushing stream of cars, is always yes)?

Is the chance of getting to know that person worth the potential rejection, a dash of public humiliation? Can I make a new bridge to somewhere out of this solo spot, if I try an entirely new twist, or should I stick with the lick that I know works?

Aside from the car thing, these chances don't tend toward the deadly. We are not wired to stay constantly on alert, to be always avoiding, never approaching.

So we need options. We need relief. Masked up, sure, but going to the grocery store, and NOT only during early morning hours. Picking up food curbside and waiting in the car, maybe with mask off, for a moment. Sending kids to school with the knowledge we've prepared them well as possible, taught them not only how to behave, but how to reason, how to understand consequences, how to react to danger, how to judge risk vs. reward, how to prepare for the future, and not get dazzled by the shiny, elusive now.

We need shows. We needlive music. We need movies, even though the Hollywood 16 and others have re-opened, nobody much is going: Christopher Nolan's "Tenet," in early weeks, drew U.S. numbers that would in ordinary times tear open a sinkhole under the Warner Bros. studio.

As yet, in large part because many won't accept a smidgen of discomfort for the good of all, won't accept the mantle ofordinary, everyday heroes, all of us must weigh every once-ordinary enjoyment as a risk.

When I was a kidreading about adrenaline rushes, ordinary humans caught inextreme situations heaving cars off kids, I wondered: "Why can't we be adrenalizedall the time? Why can't I be Superman?"

Short answer: We'd burn up on rocket fuel.Same reason the speedometer on your car might show 160, but we mostly driveat 25 or 45 or70.

The COVID-19 threat waves tall grasses, anddire and tiring as these seven months have proven to be, we dare not entirely let down our guard, yet. We're burning up, and burning out, on constant adrenaline.There's too much tiger in the wind.

Reach Tusk Editor Mark Hughes Cobb atmark.cobb@tuscaloosanews.comor 205-722-0201.

Original post:
MARK HUGHES COBB: Risk and reward, blame and shame, tigers and the wind - Tuscaloosa Magazine

Cholesterol can be confusing. But understanding it could help you live a longer, healthier life.

So in honor of Cholesterol Education Month, we asked a pair of experts to clear up five common questions.

Do my blood cholesterol numbers matter?The answer is yes, said Dr. Neil J. Stone, Bonow Professor in Medicine-Cardiology at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Studies show healthy people with LDL levels of 100 mg/dL or below tend to have lower rates of heart disease and stroke, supporting a lower is better philosophy, according to cholesterol guidelines issued by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association in 2018.

Older recommendations emphasized targeting specific cholesterol numbers. But today, doctors use cholesterol tests as part of a personalized assessment of overall cardiovascular risk. Those with the highest risk have the most to gain from cholesterol-lowering, said Stone, who was vice chair of the task force for the guidelines.

But cholesterol doesnt exist in isolation, he said. One has to think about diet and lifestyle and medication to treat the whole risk continuum of blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight.

The guidelines recommend getting cholesterol and other traditional risk factors checked every four to six years starting at age 20. If the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated those plans, get up to date when you can do so safely, said Kristina Petersen, an assistant professor in the department of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Im confused about good cholesterol versus bad. What should I focus on?When you get your blood tested, youll probably see numbers for total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

LDL is the so-called bad cholesterol because it increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and other health problems. HDL is dubbed the good cholesterol because having a higher level is associated with lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

Lowering LDL should be the priority, said Petersen, co-author of an AHA science advisory on dietary cholesterol and heart disease published in December in the journal Circulation.

The most important thing is to lower LDL cholesterol, because that is what ultimately increases your risk of heart disease, she said.

Should I worry about cholesterol in food?Many sources of cholesterol in the diet also are sources of saturated fat, Petersen said. We do want to limit dietary saturated fat intake. And if you do that, your intake of dietary cholesterol will be low. Cutting back on saturated fat can improve your LDL number in four to six weeks, she said.

The advisory on dietary cholesterol emphasizes that a healthy diet is more important than focusing on a specific cholesterol target, and such a diet highlights fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean animal protein or plant protein sources, nuts, seeds and liquid vegetable oils.

Selecting the right food may be particularly important for people who are sensitive to dietary cholesterol, which some studies suggest could be the case for roughly 1 in 4 people. A 2019 review published in JAMA of long-term studies suggested that each additional 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol consumed per day was significantly associated with higher risk of heart disease.

The patient should talk to the doctor about individualizing limits on dietary cholesterol, Stone said.

Is it OK to eat eggs?Egg yolks are known for their cholesterol, with one large scrambled egg containing 169 milligrams of cholesterol.

You can eat eggs, Petersen said. We suggest eating no more than one full egg per day in order to keep your cholesterol intake low, but you can definitely have eggs as part of a healthy dietary pattern.

The research is inconsistent, she said, because eggs often are consumed with foods high in saturated fat, making it hard to parse out potential harm.

And people vary, Stone said. Some patients have two eggs a day, and their cholesterol doesnt budge. Other patients have two eggs a day and their cholesterol goes up 50 points.

Is possible to inherit high cholesterol?High LDL cholesterol is sometimes caused by a genetic abnormality called familial hypercholesterolemia that affects an estimated 1 in 212 U.S. adults. If its picked up early, medication combined with a healthy diet and exercise can be very effective.

The ACC/AHA guidelines say its reasonable to check cholesterol in children as young as 2 who have a family history of early heart disease or high cholesterol.

Everyone needs to stay aware of their cholesterol levels and be mindful of the connection to overall health, even amid the pandemic, Stone said.

This is exactly not the right time to let diet and regular exercise go to develop habits that are not heart-healthy, he said. This is exactly the right time to learn how to eat less, eat smarter, move more daily, and keep from gaining weight.

Read the rest here:
The good, the bad and the dietary: Making sense of cholesterol - Jackson County Newspapers

The year 2020 has changed our home cooking. As we dealt with phases of lockdowns and unlocks while working from home and schooling online, the search for healthy food options led us to experiment with cooking and baking.

In the last few months, there has been a deluge of sourdough baking posts on Facebook and Instagram. Run a #sourdough hashtag search on Instagram and you will find 3.7 million posts. Interestingly, many of them are from India, where bread is not even the staple food.

What is sourdough? Is it a new food? Not really. Sourdough is one the oldest forms of fermented food believed to have originated in ancient Egypt around 1500 BC. It was the only way to make bread until the 19th century when baker's yeast came into the market.

In India, bread making was considered to be a complicated and time-consuming process. However, during the lockdown, hesitancy to buy readymade bread, non-availability of yeast - an essential ingredient for bread making, and time to experiment led to sourdough baking and is the reason for the immense popularity of this technique.

Read the original post:
Love Your Sourdough? Here's Why you Should Include it in Your Diet - Quint Fit