Tag: Dietary Issues

Do You Drink Diet Sodas?

I know we all are concerned about our health and the first place many start is the cutting out of sugar from their diets….but is that a wise decision?

First question to ask is….are these sodas healthier?

Diet sodas are popular beverages all over the world, especially among people who want to reduce their sugar or calorie intake.

Instead of sugar, artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame-k, or sucralose, are used to sweeten them.

Almost every popular sugar-sweetened beverage on the market has a “light” or a “diet” version — Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, Sprite Zero, etc.

Diet sodas were first introduced in the 1950s for people with diabetes, though they were later marketed to people trying to control their weight or reduce their sugar intake.

Despite being free of sugar and calories, the health effects of diet drinks and artificial sweeteners are controversial.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/diet-soda-good-or-bad

This is what happens to your body with the consumption of diet drinks…..

Every food or drink you include in your diet can affect your health. From orange juice consumption being linked to immune support to a cup of tea being linked to reduced inflammation, your dietary choices can profoundly impact your overall health.

And while you might lean on diet soda for that distinct sweet effervescence without worrying about loading up with sugar, doing so may have other effects on your health that you may not realize. Here are six other effects (positive and negative) that can happen when you sip diet sodas on the regular.

https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7964257/this-is-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-drink-diet-soda/

You can break your Diet drink addiction…..

There are plenty of simple steps you can take to decrease your intake of diet soda.

Start by slowly swapping it for other drinks in your diet. Here are a few alternative drinks to consider:

Look for versions of these drinks that either are unsweetened or have a lower sugar content. Try adding a splash of juice to water or seltzer.

You can make flavored water by adding cucumber slices, fresh or frozen fruit, herbs like basil and mint, or citrus fruits like lime or lemon to plain or sparkling water for a hint of flavor without added sugar.

Tye best way to handle this is talk with your medical professional….for I am in no way qualified to give medical advice…..

This post is just FYI and a place to start if you have an addiction to these drinks….

Always put your health first.

Have a great weekend…..Be well and Be Safe…..

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Dietary Fads

I use to blog about food, Food Nazi was the title of that site….I covered all foods and trends.

From time to time I write about the subjects here on IST…the fads, the trends and the news about food.

In these days of people putting emphasis on the body image there has come out many new diets and fast….the newest one I read about is called the Daniel Fast……(for your “good” Christians this is biblical based fast)….

The Daniel Fast has grown in popularity following an endorsement from Chris Pratt in early 2019. This short-term fasting approach is actually based on a passage in the Bible. Unlike other fasting methods, the Daniel Fast restricts what you can eat rather than when you eat. It’s essentially a vegan diet without any sugars, refined carbs, caffeine, or alcohol. So what can you eat on the Daniel Fast then? Here’s what you need to know. 

The Daniel Fast is a method of spiritual fasting based on the prophet Daniel’s experience fasting according to the book of Daniel in the Bible. There are two passages in specific that the Daniel Fast is based on: 

All that is well and good….but the Hell can you eat?

Ask and thou shalt receive…..

  • Whole grains: Barley, brown rice, buckwheat, farro,  grits, millet, oats, popcorn, quinoa, rice cakes, rye, sorghum, spelt, whole wheat, whole-wheat pasta, and wild rice. 
  • Beans and legumes: Black beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, pinto beans, and split peas.
  • Nuts and seeds: Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, natural nut butters (no additives), peanuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachios, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, soy nuts sunflower seeds, and walnuts. 
  • Vegetables: All vegetables whether fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned. 
  • Fruits: All fruit whether fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned (so long as it doesn’t contain added sugar). 
  • Oils: Oils can be used minimally, but not for deep-frying. 
  • Herbs, spices, and seasonings: Includes salt and pepper. 
  • Soy products: All soy products including tofu. 
  • Unleavened bread: Whole grain breads made without yeast, sugars, or preservatives. 
  • Water: Distilled, filtered, sparkling, spring, and mineral waters allowed. 
  • 100-percent fruit juice: Natural, 100-percent fruit juice is allowed but should be had sparingly

All that and it sounds like vegan to me…..but everybody thinks their silly plan is the best.

Another fad that will good away…..

Me?

I eat my usual stuff in moderation and I am doing well and healthy.

If this “fast” is not to your liking maybe the EU has something for you……

Mealworms got approval for EU plates Wednesday from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), based in Italy’s city of Parma — better known for its tasty pasta, tomatoes, ham and cheese. 

Actually larvae of the darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor) and typically fed to pet reptiles and fish, the yellow grubs could soon be the first “novel food” cleared for sale across the EU, assuming the European Commission adds its endorsement.  

Rich in protein, fat and fiber, they could be eaten whole or as a powdered ingredient in snacks and noodles, assuming their original fodder was free of contaminants, concluded the Italy-based EU agency.  

https://www.dw.com/en/eu-food-agency-approves-mealworms-as-human-food/a-56216471

Now does that not sound just yummy as Hell?

Please see your doctor before you try any drastic diet or fast to make sure it will not be disastrous for you.

Be Well….Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Whatcha Gonna Eat?

New year and new dietary standards.

The weekend and I thought I would pass on the new dietary guidelines issued by the USDA…..

My day it was a balanced diet of meat veggies and carbs…..then ever since those simpler days it has been getting more complicated to eat properly…..and yet again there is an update (go figure)……..

The official new dietary guidelines for Americans have been updated for the first time in five years, and they might be more notable for what they don’t include. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the federal guidelines don’t call for cuts in alcohol and sugar intake. Over the summer, a panel of experts recommended that the limit for alcohol consumed by men be reduced from two drinks a day to one, to match the current recommendation for women. The experts also suggested that the limit of added sugars be reduced from 10% of daily calories to 6%. However, the US departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services rejected both ideas, with a USDA official declaring that “new evidence is not substantial enough to support changes to quantitative recommendations for either added sugars or alcohol.”

Generally, the guidelines call for a diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruits, legumes, low-fat dairy, nuts, seafood, and whole grains, and de-emphasizes red and processed meats and saturated fats, per the Center for Science in the Public Interest. You can read the full guidelines here. The guidelines aren’t merely suggestions for individuals. Given the impact on school lunches and decisions by food manufacturers, big money is at stake, notes the Journal. As a result, food industry groups lobbied hard against the alcohol and sugar recommendations that surfaced over the summer. Of note:

  • Sugar, children: For the first time, the guidelines suggest that children under 2 have no added sugars at all added to their diets.
  • Breastfeeding: The guidelines recommend feeding babies only breastmilk for their first 6 months, reports the AP. If that’s impossible, iron-fortified infant formula is the next best option. Babies also should get supplemental vitamin D starting soon after birth.

It seems it keeps getting more difficult to dine properly…..my idea is to eat less…..smaller portions of meat, plenty of veggies and limit carb intake and of course some exercise of some sort.

Kinda simple but it works for me…..but please consult your doctor before doing anything radical.

Then there is debate about eating red meat…..

Healthline explained, there’s no question red meat offers essential nutrients, but a great deal of scientific evidence suggests our current red meat consumption may harm us, even shortening our lives.

On the other side of the coin, a 2019 study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine concluded red meat poses “no harm,” and even went so far as to recommend that adults continue consuming it at their current level. That being said, this study has caused considerable controversy, with respected members of the scientific community going on record to point out its inherent bias and other serious flaws (via Scientific American). Ultimately, the study was amended with the caveat that its results were “low certainty” and its recommendations “weak.”

Nevertheless, scientists continue debating the subject. Still, you might notice you feel better — or worse — after giving up red meat. Let’s take a look at just what happens when you give up the red stuff.

Read More: https://www.healthdigest.com/304906/when-you-stop-eating-red-meat-this-is-what-happens-to-your-body/

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”

Eating For Stupid?

Weekend yet again and I am waiting for the vote tally out of Nevada……so while I wait how about a little dietary news?

The Western Diet, as opposed to the Med Diet, could be making us Westerners more stupid.

A “Western diet” (or the “Western pattern diet”) is exactly what you think: Fatty, sugary, salty, and lousy with red meat and processed products — in stark contrast to diets comprised mostly of whole grains, or plants, or legumes, or natural fats.

As you also might guess, the Western diet is regularly linked to historical upticks in obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and so on. But now, thanks to new research coming out of Sydney, Australia’s Macquarie University, we can finally add “making us stupider” to the mix of risks run by abiding a contemporary eating philosophy best summed up by the value system colloquially understood to be NOM NOM NOM.

The research was titled “Hippocampal-dependent appetitive control is impaired by experimental exposure to a Western-style diet” and published in the richly-titled, possibly gout-diseased Royal Society Open Science.

https://futurism.com/neoscope/western-diet-brain-function-dumber

So that fatty, processed foods, salty, etc diet is making us Westerners more dumb…then could be extend those findings to explain the mental process of Repubes?

And yet the other side of that coin is……older people should eat more fatty foods to help save their memory…..

Diet’s implications for our memory and brain health are well documented. Leafy greens, beans and legumes, and even fatty foods have been shown to support our brains and prevent cognitive decline.

While following guidelines for healthy eating and being mindful of nutrients for our brain may seem like lifelong practices, new research is investigating whether we actually need to be adjusting our diet as we age.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/study-links-high-risk-of-memory-loss-to-low-levels-of-this-food

I guess that shoots my theory about Repubes in the ass, huh?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–27Dec19

It has been a busy week but now it is at an end…..I hope everyone had a good Christmas….lots of fun, family and food……

Speaking of food….the New Year brings about all sorts of  “resolutions”….one of the the more popular are those that deal with our diet…..so this ism a good story to end one year and wait for the new….

The idea of intermittent fasting is gaining popularity, and newly published research will please advocates. A review of existing studies in the New England Journal of Medicine finds evidence that fasting can lead to a range of health benefits, from decreased stress to lower blood pressure to improved cognition and blood sugar regulation, reports CNN and USA Today. Lead author Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins, explains that intermittent fasting generally applies to two different methods: eating only during a six- or eight-hour window each day, or the 5:2 approach, referring to five days of regular eating interspersed with two days of limited calories, usually 500 max. One of the studies cited in the review notes that three men with type 2 diabetes were able to stop taking insulin after dropping weight thanks to fasting.

“We are at a transition point where we could soon consider adding information about intermittent fasting to medical school curricula alongside standard advice about healthy diets and exercise,” says Mattson in a news release. The big caveat: Successfully following such a diet is much easier said than done in a society with a strong three-meals-a-day culture. And USA Today talks to a doctor not involved in the study who cautions that it’s not for everyone. For example, older patients who fast might wind up with hypoglycemia, which can cause falls. Mattson’s study maintains that our forebears fasted out of necessity in times of food scarcity. He suggests our modern bodies can benefit from reverting to the practice thanks to “metabolic switching,” in which our cells begin converting fat into energy in a slower process

Just something to think about as we approach that time when we make idle gestures that make yourselves feel better about our lives…..

Enjoy your weekend……

Be well, be safe

“lego ergo scribo”

That Keto Diet

Sunday and I try to be an FYI blog at least on the weekends…..and this is about another one of those trendy diets that pop up every now and then….the Keto Diet….the word “keto” is being used so much that it is getting tiresome.

Let’s be honest…there is a new more trendy diet every year…the Atkins….Jenny Craig…..NutriSystems…..the “Watchers”……South Beach…..and now it is the Ketogenic Diet…..

Have you asked just what is this diet all about? Well I have!

The diet gets billed as a miraculously enjoyable diet—eat all the fat you want, just cut out the carbs. But the ketogenic diet (also called keto) was never supposed to be fun. It was supposed to treat severe epilepsy. And as a medical treatment, it was only intended to be administered under the supervision of trained nutritionists and physicians. The professionals would be able to monitor patients for potential problems and ensure that their diet was actually keeping them in ketosis—a metabolic state where your body switches from using glucose as energy to using ketone bodies, which come from body fat. They needed those checkpoints because staying in true ketosis is exceptionally challenging for adults.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/sorry-keto-fans-you-re-probably-not-in-ketosis

When I was diagnosed with diabetes the Registered Dietician that I had to consult did not mention this diet….not once……

I know there will be those health nuts that swear by this diet…and they would be the same as the ones that swore about the trendy diet last year.

I do not suffer from epilepsy so I shall pass this diet by…..I will use logic and commonsense and I will lose the weight and be healthy without a trend.

A warm day in the garden…..cheese, nuts, fruit and wine…..and watch MoMo stalk that damn pesky squirrel.

Have a good day and hug someone today.

But Wait! There Is Yet Another Diet

Today is Sunday and Fathers Day….I wish all my visiting fathers a good day with your loved ones……..

If your Fathers Day plans calls for a BBQ with all the fixings…… if so I have a post for you…….There is always another diet for your consideration……

If you are watching your weight (after all it is Summer and bathing suit season) then you have seen or read or heard about the numerous diets that will return you to health and make you slim and svelte (now there is a word that is under used these days)……the Mediterranean diet, South Beach, Paleo, and on and on…..since it is the weekend I thought I would help the confusion by throwing yet another diet out there for your consumption ( pun intended)

The new diet is …..wait for it…..the Nordic Diet……

You already know the basics of healthy eating are pretty darn simple: Fill your plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein; skip the crap.

You also know that the best diets aren’t really diets, but lifestyle choices that, over time, allow you to become a walking, talking picture of health.

The most famous one out there is the Mediterranean diet, which is mainly composed of plant-based foods as well as some lean proteins like fish and chicken. But another contender is starting to make headlines recently: the Nordic Diet.

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a21050605/nordic-diet-benefits/

Now that I have given you something to think about…I will go to the garden and feast on fruit, nuts, cheese and wine…..enjoy your day…..chuq

Eat Healthy–Live Longer

The weekend and we take a time for ourselves or our family or both….here at IST we attempt to be informative on the weekends for we throw enough war news and foreign policy stuff at my readers that I feel they need a break.

I try to be a good source of FYI….post about life and living….something we must do daily.

So today let’s talk about diet and diets.

For about ten years the go to diet for many people is The Mediterranean diet…that diet that is leans hard on with fish and veggies….all in all it has been called the healthiest of diets.

But wait just a moment!

The Mediterranean diet is seen as one of the world’s healthiest. Now, however, a new report suggests a surprising irony: Kids who live in the Mediterranean region are among the most overweight children in the world. For example, 43% of 9-year-old boys and girls in Cyprus are overweight or obese, reports the Guardian, while the figure in Greece, Spain, and Italy is just slightly lower. The problem isn’t the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruit, vegetables, fish, and olive oil, and has been heralded for its health benefits, says study author Dr. João Breda of the World Health Organization. Instead, the issue is that Mediterranean kids no longer eat the diet themselves and consume too much sugar, salt, and fat. Plus, they don’t get enough exercise.

“The Mediterranean diet for the children in these countries is gone,” said Breda. “Those who are close to the Mediterranean diet are the Swedish kids. The Mediterranean diet is gone and we need to recover it.” Specifically on obesity, rates for the nations of Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, San Marino and Spain—18% to 21% for boys, and a bit lower for girls—were higher than in the US, where 17% of kids are considered obese, reports CNN. The study looked at 250,000 children from 34 countries between 2015 and 2017. Breda says the results weren’t all bad. Researchers have seen a slight decline in childhood obesity rates in Greece, Italy, and Spain since the study period. This “conveys a strong sign of hope that if we do the right things and implement powerful solutions, the problem can be solved,” he says.

Sorry to put you in a panic…this is still a good diet according to  most research…..these kids have the same problem as most kids….too much sugar and junk…..

The real problem with this diet is the price…..most of the world cannot afford to eat this diet regularly…..

Despite its many purported advantages, the Mediterranean diet might not be all it’s cracked up to be. According to a new study in the International Journal of Epidemiology, its effects depend largely on socioeconomic status. Researchers surveyed 19,000 people ages 35 and over in Italy, giving each a score based on how closely they followed the Mediterranean diet, ranging from 1 on the low end up to 6 or more. After just over four years, they found a two-point increase in score meant a 15% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease overall—but not for participants with low incomes and minimal education. While a two-point increase meant a reduced risk of 61% for those with a household income of at least $47,000, and 57% for those with post-secondary education, “no actual benefits were observed for the less advantaged groups,” per a release.

Despite similar adherence to the diet, that remained the case after researchers accounted for healthy habits common among the rich, like getting plenty of exercise, avoiding smoking, and making regular visits to the doctor, per HealthDay News. Researchers suspect that’s because people with higher education or income tended to eat a greater variety of foods, as well as more whole grains, organic produce, and fish, which can be expensive, per CTV News. They also prepared vegetables in healthier ways. Together, this means they benefited from a “more adequate intake of essential nutrients,” says study author Giovanni de Gaetano. He suggests experts should stop promoting the diet “if we are not able to guarantee an equal access to it.” (Read about its brain benefits here.

Just a little FYI for those devoted to this diet.

I agree….if this is not open to all then stop promoting it as some sort of “miracle”.

For me it is eat moderately and exercise regularly…..I think you will find it works well……but do not believe me….head to your doctor and get his advice……but take this article with you in case he tries to push this diet over others…..

Eat well…..Have a good day, my friends…….chuq

Sunday And You Are What You Eat

It is another Sunday post and I try to help my readers that may be struggling with a few extra pounds…..there are more diets, miracle diets, than hairs on your butt……some make it all so extremely complicated…..and it need not be…..

Caloric intake could be the key to living longer, something we all wish to do, right?

Research has shown that sharp reductions in the amount of food consumed can help fish, rats and monkeys live longer. But there have been very few studies in humans.

Now, some researchers have found that when people severely cut calories, they can slow their metabolism and possibly the aging process.

Clinical physiologist Leanne Redman, who headed the study at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, says the first challenge was finding people willing to take part. After all, they would have to cut their typical plate for breakfast, lunch and dinner by up to 25 percent.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/04/02/598295025/scientists-say-you-may-live-longer-by-severely-restricting-calories

How about all those sports drinks?  Hell, they even have hard sparkling water….flavored….anyway instead of wasting money on those ever faddy sports drinks….try a banana…..

A banana might reasonably replace sports drinks for those of us who rely on carbohydrates to fuel exercise and speed recovery, according to a new study comparing the cellular effects of carbohydrates consumed during sports.

It found that a banana, with its all-natural package, provides comparable or greater anti-inflammatory and other benefits for athletes than sports drinks. But there may be a downside, and it involves bloating.

For decades, athletes and their advisers have believed, and studies have confirmed, that eating or drinking carbohydrates during prolonged exertion can enable someone to continue for longer or at higher intensities and recover more quickly afterward than if he or she does not eat during the workout.

There you are….the old Professor’s nutritional info for the week….go now and enjoy the rest of your Sunday…..spoil yourself eat some cheese cake….chuq