Let's face it when life hits a few bumps in the road, so, too, do our diets and food habits. As more people transition to a work from home lifestyle, the new normal of spending an inordinate amount of time confined to their homes and home offices takes some getting used to. There are shifts in work production, alterations of one's sleep and exercise habits, and drastic changes to what, when, and how food is consumed.

For many people, this change leads to eating habits and schedules that are less healthy than they're typically accustomed to, making it challenging to stay focused on their health and fitness goals.Thankfully, there are plenty of excellent resources a mere smartphone app away designed to help us stay on track no matter how difficult it might seem.

Both Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store are filled with apps offering the promise of losing weight and eating healthier. But wading through the choices can be both difficult and time-consuming, as even the best apps may not be right for everyone.

To help sort through the choices, we turned to Samantha Cassetty, an MS, RD, and national nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York City, for a bit of advice and her thoughts were especially insightful.

"There are many free and paid apps to help you learn how to eat more healthfully," Cassetty told Business Insider. "The most important thing is to find one that supports a variety of healthful foods in balanced amounts that are right for your needs."

Using a smartphone to track your diet isn't a new idea. In fact, some of the earliest apps on the App Store were aimed at helping iPhone users eat healthier. After all, we carry our mobile devices with us everywhere, making them ideal for providing insights and advice on what we should be buying at the grocery store or ordering at a restaurant.

Some of the apps that are available even create extensive meal plans, provide diet and exercise routines, or offer consultations from dietitians and nutritionists. Others simply track what we're eating in order to raise awareness of the calories we're taking in. Cassetty says there are benefits to both and that even basic food trackers are valuable.

"Free tools allow you to track your food intake, which is a form of self-monitoring that's been found helpful for reaching or maintaining a comfortable weight," she said. "They can also expose when you might be grazing or over-snacking, which happens when you're spending more time working at home with a stocked kitchen."

While Cassetty does find plenty of value in the use of smartphone apps to track dietary intake, she also urges caution, saying that "unless you're getting the tools and information you need to make lasting changes, it's unlikely that you'll be able to maintain any weight you've lost."

She recommends working on developing an understanding of how to balance meals so they fill you up while tasting great at the same time. She also stresses the importance of developing healthier coping strategies rather than turning to food when we're bored, stressed, anxious, depressed, or even happy.

"Rather than focus on a goal weight, I think a better way to go is to focus on small steps you can take to create healthier habits," Cassetty said. "Examples include, limiting soda, upping your veggie intake at lunch and dinner, cooking an extra meal or two, drinking more water, and aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep each night."

Those are words of wisdom, no doubt, but Cassetty also expressed the importance of cutting ourselves some slack when things get especially stressful and difficult.

"I think it's important to be flexible and compassionate with yourself during these challenging times," she added. "You may not be able to eat as well as you'd like or maintain your healthy routines, and that's alright. As long as you're putting in some effort versus none at all it's a step in the right direction."

Original post:
How to choose a diet and weight loss app that's right for you, according to a nutritionist - Business Insider - Business Insider

After years of taking a cholesterol-lowering drug with side effects that are worse than death itself, I made the decision to stop the drug to see if I would either be free of painful side effects, or have my arteries plug up like a bus station toilet.

Oh no, youre not, the wife said when she heard of my plan. You need to stay on your meds so I can keep you around for at least five more years, or until I lose a little weight. I am not ready to date at my current, um, density.

But I cant tolerate these side effects, constant muscle aches and pains to the point that cartwheels are totally out of the question.

Whats a few muscle aches? Hey, at least your side effects dont include dizziness, vomiting and anal leakage.

Excellent point, I said. But Im still quitting those meds.

Well, the wife said, Let me do a little research and see what I can find out about how to lower cholesterol without medication. And with that, she went to the computer to do some research.

Thank you, dear. And I better not see you working on your Tinder profile.

Fine. Youre no fun.

After an hour or so the wife came to me with a new plan. Sitting next to me on the sofa with the laptop on her, well, lap (so thats why they call it that), she said, It looks like a Mediterranean diet would be perfect for lowering your cholesterol.

Perfect, Ill book a 60-day Mediterranean cruise, I said.

Not going to happen. We are both going to consume healthy foods like legumes, avocados, nuts, fish, whole grains and fruits.

Hey, Im a hunter, not a gatherer. Wheres the beef?

There is no beef, she said. No red meat, only fish and poultry.

I pondered. I pondered long and hard. And then I thought about the days of care-free cartwheeling and I said, Alright, lets do this.

Oh honey, the wife said all a-titter. I cant believe youre agreeing to do this. I promise Ill delete my Tinder profile. We are going to lower your cholesterol for sure and maybe even decrease our densities too. Who knows? Maybe youll last another 10 years.

Since the first of the year the wife has made amazing Mediterranean meals that are absolutely delicious. We have cut out all red meat and sugar. Its not an easy diet in terms of preparation. But fortunately the wife loves to research new recipes, and enlists my help in the kitchen to prepare meals. Im an excellent chopper, if I do say so myself.

The jury is still out on whether my cholesterol has gone down, but at least I know Im eating a much healthier diet. But the biggest plus is no more muscle aches, dizziness, vomiting or anal leakage.

Raul Ascunce is a freelance columnist for the Sentinel-Tribune. He may be contacted at RaulAscunce@gmail.com.

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Pirates of the Mediterranean diet | Community | sent-trib.com - Sentinel-Tribune

Many of our routines are changed because of the restrictions caused by the Coronavirus and those changes can threaten our health. Yesterday we told you about replacing yoga and other fitness classes virtually to help with anxiety. Today, We hear the concerns of a dietitian who says what you eat can have serious health impacts.

I feel like it too a pandemic for people to start thinking about their health.

Kelly Springer is a registered dietitian and shes worried that the way many people eat is actually an additional threat at this time when were all concerned about the spread of COVID 19.

We have a high number of people on ventilators (statewide) and are not recovering well because of obesity and comorbidities that are directly realted to their food intake.

CNY Dietitian Kelly Springer shares thoughts about how a thoughtful diet can help reduce anxiety during Coronavirus isolation, and avoid bad habits amid disrupted meal routines.

There are several issues here that she unpacks. All of the restrictions were living under might lead to bad eating habits. And there are also real medical consequences of what we eat. To start off, the disruption in our schedules and being at home primarily, can blur the lines of regular mealtimes.

The problem is, I think its the lack of routine that is the hardest thing. We have access to food 24/7 now where before we were (busy) with a job or getting kids to school or something ese. And now that refrigerator is calling our name all day long.

So if youre home a lot more, plus add in extra stress, you have cravings for foods that are usually carb-heavy. Springer says she falls victim too. And not everything that comes out of the microwave is healthy. At work, theres probably a vending machine, with chips? Candy? Well you know. And its not just lack of will power. Springer notes hormones and other receptors actually change under stress.

and that actually controls our hunger. So its interesting, its not that youre just having low will power. Its truly hormones are messed up during this time. So, by having those set meal times it can actually help to not think about your own hunger and fullness cues.

With meals, Make sure youre including a protein, vegetables and good grains in those meals not just carbohydrates. You can also control what goes into your mouth to work on anxiety, starting with drinking a lot more water than most of us do.

I know that sounds like the simplest thing in the world but your body is made up of 70% water. And if you become dehydrated, it actually puts a stress on your body in general. So by making sure youre getting hydration throughout the day, it actually helps to lower your stress levels.

She adds fiber-rich foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables help the good bacteria in our digestive tracks, and both reduce anxiety and boost serotonin levels, which help with good moods. Springer says up to 90% of serotonin is developed in the digestive system.

Healthy eating can also relate directly to keeping you from getting sick.

80% of your immunity cells are actually in your digestive tract, so making sure were getting foods that are feeding that good bacteria.

She explains pre- and pro-biotic foods can help your gut-health, especially foods that have active bacterial cultures.

That could be foods like kefir, kimchee, sauerkraut, fermented pickles; anything that has been fermented is going to have live bacteria. Those live bacteria help to spur more good bacteria production in your digestive tract, which can actually boost and support your immunity.

So, there are a number of issues here related to what youre eating at this time of worry, of disruption at home and at work, and perhaps of stress because of income or health problems. Whether its avoiding bad snacking habits, eating in a way that can reduce your anxiety, or a diet that can actually keep you from getting sick or sicker, Springer wants you to know, food is pretty important.

Weve been really good at having people stop smoking or get moving, but I feel like weve missed, the central core of wellness is what we eat. So youve heard the term, youve heard it forever, we are what we eat but it really is true. So if youre eating tons of sugar, rich foods and fried foods, that will kill the gut bacteria and you can actually decrease your serotonin levels, decrease your immunity. So if you put in good fruits and vegetables, whole grains, youre going to be a healthier, happier person.

Springers practice, under the name Kellys Choice has been able to do a lot of work virtually. Her staff have met with individuals and business clients through video, where they can see materials and interact. She and other experts are offering a free series starting April 6th to help people with food choices, exercise and their health as a way to give back at this time.

Read this article:
How Nutrition Can Reduce Corona Anxiety and Severity of a COVID 19 Case: CNY Dietitian - WAER

Samantha Irbys new essay collection, Wow, No Thank You (Vintage Books), is an irreverent, hilarious, and vulnerable dive into the authors brain. Irby skewers herself and her daily life, whether it is her work-from-home malaise, the dangling of luxuries she cant afford, the difficulties of making friends as an adult, or her comfortable but often unsexy marriage.

The book is filled with the follies of turning 40, hauntings by dead pet cats, lunch meetings with Abbi Jacobson, going clubbing with bowel issues, and the trials and tribulations of being married to another woman in the rural Midwest. For all of Irbys wit, depression over debts, and social awkwardness, there is a deep resounding warmth in her essays, too. A hard-won empathy, a stubborn acceptance of self that invites us to join her and revel in the chaos.

We spoke with Irby about various topics, random and not-so-random, from smelling good in tax jail to Love Is Blind.

I got a D.S. & Durga candle, and you wanna talk about smelling rich? It was like $65, but it smells incredible. I think its called Big Sur After the Rain. Its the kind of thing I get and think, Im a stupid fucking person. Theyre sending actual rich people this shit for free. But it makes me feel very luxurious. This year, Im pivoting to sweatshirts. The one Im currently wearing is from Rachel Antonoff, but even my raggedy sweatshirts, I will spray some Jo Malone on them and think, this is luxury. It makes me feel like Im actually a person worthy of things. Im like, put me in Coming to America, because I am a queen. Dont tell the IRS Im on a payment plan. When they finally take me to tax jail, theyre gonna be like, You know what bitch? You smell amazing.

I came of age in the super sweet spot where you could still be homely at the club. You could not wear heels but also get in. Now, if you try to get in the club with New Balance, which is what I like to do, they are like, no bitch, get out. I spent so much of my twenties in nightclubsI wouldnt take it back. But now, Im just like, where are the chairs? Take me to the cordoned off senior section where I can just watch other people. After like five drinks, I can feel my body dying. Its a race to get home, like Cinderella. At midnight, my body goes from keeping me alive to shutting down all my organs unless I get somewhere with a bed and air conditioning. I wanna go out, but I also want to not die in a club. One of my worst nightmares is an ambulance coming to get me at the club. The lights come on and everyone looks like shit. I dont want that to be the last thing I see.

Truly the greatest invention of all time. People who are anti-phone, I dont get it. I refuse to believe there is a person who is so fulfilled by their life that they dont need any of the distractions or joys of phones.

I crossed the threshold. Facebook creates a false intimacy between yourself and people you only know on the internet, which is extremely seductive. But its not real and Facebook was the place where I felt I had to be careful. Then I created a book group and every day there was a new issue monitoring the group. I would rather walk into a lake and never stop walking or die from whatever Chlamydia is in the lake over and over like Groundhog Day, than to keep moderating a group where everyone is fighting about Young Adult fiction.

I had no other way to tell people I had crushes on them. I couldnt use my words and be rejected. It only takes one time of watching someones face crumple in horror as you reveal your crush on them. Ever since the seventh grade, I was like, okay Im never doing that again. I will only prove my slavish devotion to them by spending hours recording CDs to tapes for them. The feeling when someone made you a tape? Launch a thousand love boats right into my heart. And when youre young, it was also so cool to see what your friends were into. I would always pull out my most obscure, cool sounding songs even if I didnt like them that much. Id really be crying to Ani DiFranco, but Id be like, let me put this punk song on here.

I wanted to write an actual twenty-two-minute porn teleplay called Two Old Nuns Having Amazing Sex. But I just didnt have time, so I made fun of the trope that old broads dont have sex, but then wrote about the stuff we do. Like, I dont have to have an orgasm if I get to cancel on a lot of parties. It truly is the same rush. I want to get over this cultural myth. Everyone thinks everyone else is having more and better sex than they are. I just want to be like, no, none of us are, and its fine. Like, maybe there are people somewhere fucking all day and thats great, but over here, we read books and dont talk to each other.

You cant have gone to as much church as I had to go to as a kid and not have some residual belief. I did aura readings twice and I had an orb that the photographer said was a spirit. I am not smart enough to deny the existence of anything. I want there to be a little mystery, a little inexplicable crop circle. I feel like that makes life better and more fun.

I havent watched it because I cannot watch attractive people falling in love. I dont believe in it. Wake me up when love is ugly, or fat, or fucked up. Its very easy to be in a pod, get out of it and fall in love with someone who is conventionally beautiful. I want someone to talk to me for seven months, be ready to give me a kidney, then come out the pod and be like, oh look how swollen her ankles are, Im done, get me off this show.

I love to see a regular looking lady. I love Bernard. Regular people 2020.

Im drinking a little sip can right now. Diet Coke is the best when its crackling cold and those tiny cans stay cold for the whole can. My wife started getting them because she is for real an everyday doomsday prepper. I was like honey, you can keep getting these.

I dont ever have any on hand. Its tragic its now sold out. I am truly a hand washer. Nobody wants my sensitive doughy, writers hands to get cracked and bloody from sanitizer. It smells like a hospital that I dont mind in the hospital, but in my real life I want everything to smell like butter and Jo Malone. Put that on my tombstone when I die from Corona: I dont use hand sanitizer, Im a washer.

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Samantha Irby on 'Love Is Blind' and Doomsday Prepping with Diet Coke - Interview

URBANA, Ill. Pigs have better feed conversion rates with copper in their diets, but until now, scientists didnt fully understand why.

Existing research from the University of Illinois shows copper doesnt change fat and energy absorption from the diet.

Instead, according to new research, the element seems to enhance pigs ability to utilize fat after absorption, resulting in increased energy utilization of the entire diet.

Our results indicate copper hydroxychloride is enhancing metabolism of fat, and thats how the pigs get more energy. And that, we believe, can explain why pigs have better feed conversion rates when we feed this copper source in the diets, said Hans Stein, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the U of I and co-author of a new study in the Journal of Animal Science.

In the study, Stein and his collaborators fed pigs one of two diets. Both primarily contained corn, soybean meal and distillers dried grains with solubles, but one diet, a control, contained only 20 milligrams of copper chloride per kilogram.

The experimental diet was identical, except it also contained 150 milligrams of copper hydroxychloride per kilogram.

Pigs consuming the experimental diet experienced greater average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio, representing better feed conversion and economic savings for producers.

Steins previous work showed fat and energy digestibility didnt change with inclusion of similar rates of copper hydroxychloride. So, to really understand coppers effects on post-absorptive fat metabolism, the researchers evaluated gene expression in tissue samples from the pigs.

We saw greater expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and lipid utilization in the liver, adipose tissue and to a lesser degree in the muscle, Stein said.

This indicates that dietary copper may affect signaling pathways associated with lipid metabolism by improving the uptake, transport and utilization of fatty acids.

Coppers ability to boost feed conversion rates is welcome news with agencies regulating antibiotics as growth promoters.

But copper isnt necessarily a perfect workaround.

In Europe, Stein said, environmental concerns prompt copper regulation in waste streams. Thats why understanding coppers role in pig nutrition is so important.

If less copper or a different form with a smaller environmental footprint could fulfill the same biological function, producers could continue to benefit while also protecting the environment.

The research was supported by Micronutrients and Agrispecialist Inc.

Original post:
Copper boosts pig growth, and now we know why - Agri News

Quarantine tips: Fix a spot for your office work and do not work on dining table or bed

Quarantine tips: India is currently in the second week of three-week lockdown. The lockdown is a measure to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Work from home initially seemed blissful. The idea of not travelling to work seemed like a blessing in disguise. But now, people are actually realising that work from home is not as good as it seems. Trying to balance out your work and personal life can be challenging. There are times when you don't realise what time to sign off from work.

Entire days are spent in trying to meet your targets amidst the multiple distractions that are at home. After that, you realise that there's still a bunch of household chores that you left because you were busy with official work. In short, it has kind of become chaotic to manage your work and house together.

Your physical and mental health may be going for a toss. Fret not, as we are here with a few tips that can help you manage your routine better.

Also read:Beat Lockdown Stress And Anxiety With Meditation: Know The Many Health Benefits It Offers

Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has been sharing quite a few quarantine diet and workout tips that can help you be physically and mentally fit during the lockdown. She recently shared "three golden rules" for work from which are as follows:

Doing this can help prevent the lethargy you feel every time you sit down to work. Make arrangements for a space that is dedicated only for your office work. Keep the dining table and the bed for the purposes that they are meant for.

Fix your work space and do not work on your dining table or bedPhoto Credit: iStock

This is an effective tip for you to stay physically active. Avoid sitting for too long. Put a reminder on your phone for it if required. For every 30 minutes of sitting, stand up straight on both your feet. Do not lean or take support.

Also read:Quarantine Tips: Yoga Asanas To Get Rid Of Knee, Back Pain And Some Effective Ways To Make The Most Of Your Time At Home

Your workout hour can either be in morning or in evening. Make sure you don't postpone it. Exercising is more important than ever at this point of time. It can help in preventing unnecessary weight gain and also gives the much-required boost to your immunity.

1. Plan your entire day's meal the night before. Meal prepping is any way a good way to take care your nutritive intake.

2. Wake up and sleep on the same time every day. Take a bath on time. Do not laze around day.

3. Try to not make your presence feel like a burden to everyone else in the house.

4. Take breaks from your work as you would do in your office.

5. Know when to stop. Do not overwork. Take care of your home as well. Take equal responsibility in completing chores.

Do make time for sharing responsibility of chores and also learn cookingPhoto Credit: iStock

Lastly, stay indoors and stay safe everyone.

Also read:Quarantine Meal Plan: Use These 3 Indian Foods For Preparing Multiple Meals

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Quarantine Tips: Finding It Difficult To Manage Your Routine? Here Are Some Tips That Can Help - NDTV News

SEATTLE, March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A dietary supplement is consumed to add extra supplements to the diet and is available in different forms such as capsule, pill, tablet, and liquid. Dietary supplements are produced from food sources or can be prepared synthetically. Basically, these products are beneficial in supporting better health while supplementing the diet and providing essential nutrients. Vitamin, mineral, herb or other botanical, amino acid, concentrate, metabolite, and constituent. All these ingredients or combinations of these ingredients can be categorized under dietary supplements. These supplements nourish the overall body and maintain a well-balanced diet in the body. A dietary supplement is also beneficial for pregnant women and for people do consume animal products such as vegetarian and vegans.

The global dietary supplements market is estimated to account for aroundUS$ 149.5 billionin terms of value in the year 2018 and it predicted to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period (2019-2027).

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Drivers:

Growth in the establishment of sports complexes and gymnasiums around the globe is primarily fueling the market growth of dietary supplements. Rising demand for medical nutrition due to growing cases of chronic disorder coupled with the growing number of weight management programs around the globe is also projected to foster market growth. All these factors are estimated to augment the market growth of dietary supplements over the forecast timeframe.

The increasing popularity of e-commerce and m-commerce platform for selling the nutraceutical products which enable easy access to the consumer in term of purchasing the products. This is expected to fuel the market growth of dietary supplements. The growing focus of manufacturers to develop the improved quality of the product in order to deliver the rising need around the globe is further anticipated to foster the market growth of dietary supplements.

Market Opportunities

Growing usage of nutraceutical for mental disorders around the globe will provide lucrative growth opportunities over the forecast period. According to the World Health Organization, 19.1% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2018 (47.6 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults. Therefore, rising cases of mental disorder are propelling the demand for nutraceutical which in turn augmenting the market growth of dietary supplements.

A high prevalence of digestive health issues is expected to foster the market growth of dietary supplements over the forecast period. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, annually around 14.8 million have been diagnosed with ulcers in the U.S. Thus, rising cases of digestive health issues are projected to provide enormous growth opportunity to the market of dietary supplement over the forecast period.

Key Takeaways:

On the basis of distribution channel, pharmacies & drug stores dominated the dietary supplements market in 2018 with around 40% of market share in terms of revenue, followed by health & beauty stores and direct selling, respectively.

Market Trends

Rising usage of dietary supplements among pregnant women is expected to foster market growth over the forecast period. Dietary supplements with ingredients such as a prenatal multivitamin, vitamin D3, folate, and magnesium are beneficial for pregnant women as this ingredient supports the overall health of pregnant women as well as the fetus. This is expected to augment the market growth of dietary supplements in the near future.

The growing trend of consuming organic products among the consumer due to growth in the number of health-conscious people around the globe is expected to accelerate the market growth over the forecast period. Rising demand for high nutritional value content products with a reduced level of calories among athletes is another major factor propelling market growth.

Competitive Section:

Company names

Key players operating in the global dietary supplements market are Abbott Laboratories, Amway (Nutrilite), DuPont, NBTY Inc., Royal DSM N.V., Glanbia Plc., Bayer AG, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Herbalife International, and BASF

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Market TaxonomyBy Form

By Application

By Ingredients

By End Use

By Distribution Channel

By Region

See the original post here:
Global Dietary Supplements Market to Surpass US$ 290.9 Billion by 2027, owing to rising awareness of its health benefits, Says CMI - GlobeNewswire

Aquafeeds

Monday, 30 March 2020 Dr. Soo-Ki Kim

The olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is the most economically important carnivorous marine fish cultured in the Republic of Korea, and accounts for more than 45 percent of all farmed fish production.

Fishmeal remains the goldstandard protein ingredient for carnivorous aquaculture fish. In olive flounder, a high proportion of fishmeal is generally used to support the growth and health in the juvenile stage, and then it is progressively reduced during the growout stage (~30 to 40 weeks). To reduce the reliance on fishmeal and support the sustainable future development of Korean aquaculture, researchers and producers have worked on costeffective alternatives to fishmeal.

Many plant proteins have been explored as fishmeal alternatives in aquafeeds, but the presence of some antinutritional factors or nutritional imbalances may negatively affect fish growth, gut microbiota composition, immune response and survival rates.

Gut microbiota are critical to the hosts nutrition, development, immunity, and resistance against stressful conditions. The advent of nextgeneration sequencing, NGS [several modern sequencing technologies that allow for sequencing of DNA and RNA much more quickly and cheaply than previously used technologies, and which have transformed the study of molecular biology] enabled more sophisticated analysis of complex gut microbiota by a cultureindependent approach with unprecedented resolution and throughput.

NGS has been used to explore the dietary effects on gut microbiota of different fish species. Most of these studies investigated the dietary effects on fish gut microbiota for a shortterm, but the longterm dietary effects at different growth stages have generally been overlooked. The dietary effect of plant protein ingredients on gut microbiota of the olive flounder has not been investigated.

This article adapted and summarized from the original publication [Niu, K-M. et al. 2020. Dietary effect of low fishmeal aquafeed on gut microbiota in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) at different growth stages. Microbiology Open 9(3), March 2020.] reported on an investigation of the gut microbiota of olive flounder at different growth stages with longterm dietary administration of plantbased low fishmeal and practical fishmeal diets by a cultureindependent metagenomic [permitting comparisons of genetic material from multiple samples] approach.

This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Fisheries Science (R2019012), Republic of Korea.

Editors note: This article has 10 co-authors (see article tags below), but only the affiliation and contact information for one of the corresponding authors Dr. Soo Ki Kim is listed.

We formulated and tested two isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets as a fishmeal (FM)-based control diet (Con) and a plant protein-based low-FM diet (FM30) with 30 percent fishmeal replacement using soybean meal, corn gluten meal and corn concentrate. The two diets were produced by thoroughly mixing the feed ingredients, followed by extrusion. The pellets were then air-dried at 60 degrees-C for three hours and stored at minus-20 degrees-C until use.

The feeding trial was conducted at Aquafeed Research Center (Pohang), National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), Republic of Korea. Juvenile olive flounder (average initial body weight, 30 grams) were obtained from the Korea NIFS and acclimated to environmental conditions for eight weeks while fed with the Con diet prior to the experiment.

The fish were reared in an indoor flow-through system with standard conditions, and the water temperature ranged from 16.8 to 26.1 degrees-C. After acclimation, 300 fish in each treatment fed with the Con or FM30 diet were randomly distributed into three polyvinyl circular tanks (100 fish/tank; volume, 400 liters) supplied with seawater at a flow rate of 20 liters per minute and aeration.

The feeding trial was conducted for eight months, and all the fish were fed twice a day ad libitum. Three fish, under 100 grams, were collected before the initiation of the experiment and designated the juvenile stage (<100 grams). Fish sampled during the study were designated as the grower (~400 grams), subadult (~800 grams) and adult (>1,000 grams) growth stages based on their body weight and length (Fig. 1).

For detailed information on experimental design and diets, fish and study conditions; sample collection, DNA extraction and sequencing; sequencing data analysis; and statistical analyses, refer to the original publication.

Fish were fed one of the two experimental diets for eight months, and we collected the midgut contents to analyze the gut bacterial community. We determined that there were nine dominant phyla, which in turn presented Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria as the three major phyla in the gut microbiota of the flounder. At genus level, the dominant genera were Delftia, Prevotella and Chthoniobacter at the juvenile stage (below 100 grams per fish); Chthoniobacter, Bacillus and Bradyrhizobium at the grower stage (400 grams per fish); Chthoniobacter, Bacillus and Delftia at the subadult stage (800 grams per fish); and Lactobacillus and Prevotella at the adult stage (over 1,000 grams per fish).

The microbial diversity in olive flounders increased from the juvenile and subadult stages and reached a plateau thereafter. The fish fed the FM30 diet had a significantly increased abundance of Lactobacillus and Photobacterium and had less abundance of Prevotella and Paraprevotella than the control. However, the effect of dietary plantbased protein sources (PPS) was not significant on total microbial richness, indicating no negative effect as feed sources on the intestinal microbiota in olive flounder.

Based on our findings, the gut bacterial composition was not significantly influenced by diet until the adult stage, whereas obvious shifts of the gut bacterial community were observed at different growth stage. The microbiota of the grower fish was characterized by the highest diversity measurements, such as number of observed species, in contrast to juvenile, subadult and adult fish. Generally, a high diversity is regarded beneficial for host health.

Our results indicate that the life stage of olive flounder is more important in modulating intestinal microbiota than is the diet. It could also be concluded that dietary PPS might be used as a potential fishmeal alternative without any compromising effects on microbial diversity of olive flounder for longterm feeding.

Gut microbiota plays important roles in nutritional, functional and physiological activities of the host. Several factors including intrinsic (i.e., age) and extrinsic (i.e., diet) may affect the fish gut microbial diversity, function and metabolic activities. To date, little information regarding the change in gut microbiota at different growth stages of olive flounder had been reported. Therefore, understanding its composition in response to diet change over its lifetime will be

ery valuable for establishing practical, low-fishmeal aquafeeds for olive flounder.

We observed that the bacterial communities were distinctly grouped according to their growth stages but were in close relationship among the individuals of different dietary groups. Overall, in comparison with the dietary effect, there was clear modulation of the growth stage on the gut microbiota in olive flounder. Other studies also reported no significant effects of the dietary treatments on the gut microbiota in rainbow trout and shrimp, respectively; however, they observed significant differences in the gut bacterial community at different growth stages.

In our study, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were identified as biomarkers in different developmental stages in relation to low-fishmeal diets, suggesting that these phyla were prevalent in the gut microbiota of olive flounder and different species of these phyla may perform different functions in the gut ecosystem. However, further studies are warranted on the functions of these gut microbes to understand their roles in the gut of olive flounder.

Our study described the gut microbial profile of farmed olive flounder with longterm use of a low-fishmeal diet and using an NGS method for the first time. We found a close relationship between the gut microbial composition and growth stage of olive flounder. The FM30 diet had subtle effects on altering the gut microbiota in the early growth stage of olive flounder. However, the abundance of Lactobacillus and Photobacterium was significantly increased after the FM30 administration for eight months.

These results could possibly provide valuable information to establish a successful low-fishmeal or fishmeal-free aquafeed for the host. Further studies need to delineate the specific changes in the overall health of the host, including growth performance, immune response, mortality, physiological parameters and functional genomics in response to the low-fishmeal diet across different growth stages.

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Dietary effect of low-fishmeal diets on gut microbiota in olive flounder - aquaculturealliance.org

High Blood Pressure: Try these healthy juices to control your blood pressure effectively

High blood pressure or hypertension can increase the risk of heart diseases if left uncontrolled. High blood pressure can be a result of poor diet, lifestyle, increased stress and much more. Healthy changes in diet and lifestyle can help you control your blood pressure numbers. Diet plays an important role in managing healthy blood pressure. Adding certain foods and nutrients result in controlled blood pressure. Vegetable juices are a powerhouse of nutrients. You can juice a few vegetables or create a combination of different vegetables for maximum benefits. Some juices are also beneficial for hypertension patients. Here are some vegetable juices you can add to your diet to fight high blood pressure effectively.

Leafy greens are loaded with health benefits. There is a variety of leafy greens to choose from. It is advised to add these nutrition-rich vegetables to your daily diet. If you are suffering from high blood pressure you can choose green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, lettuce or fennel to prepare a juice. Add some amla to the juice to enhance the taste.

High blood pressure: Spinach and other leafy greens can be used to prepare juicePhoto Credit: iStock

Celery is also loaded with several health benefits. It contains vitamin K, A, B2, B6, C, folate, potassium, manganese and dietary fibre. Studies have also highlighted the benefits of celery juice for high blood pressure. You can mix spinach with celery to prepare a healthy drink to fight high blood pressure.

Also read:These Teas Can Lower Your Blood Pressure Numbers Naturally

Tomatoes are used as an important ingredient in almost every Indian recipe. Tomato juice helps control blood pressure. It also boosts heart health. Drink tomato juice without salt for maximum benefits. Prepare fresh tomato juice at home. Packed ones are loaded with added salt, sugar and preservatives

Hypertension: Tomato juice can help you lower blood pressure numbersPhoto Credit: iStock

Beets contain nitric oxide which contributes to controlled blood pressure. You can prepare juice with fresh beetroot. It will also improve blood flow.

Also read:Can Yoga Reduce Blood Pressure? Know 5 Best Yoga Poses For High Blood Pressure

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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High Blood Pressure: Add These Vegetable Juices To Your Diet To Fight Hypertension Effectively - NDTV News