A diet comprised of higher amounts of fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, and whole-fat dairy is associated with lower CVD and mortality in all world regions, especially in countries with lower income where consumption of these foods is low.
Our findings suggest that globally the key to a healthy diet is probably one that includes diverse natural foods in moderation, rather than restricting intake to a small number of food categories.
Nearly 40% of girls and young women in the U.S. may have iron deficiency, which can lead to fatigue and increase the risk of many health problems, according to a new study.The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association and included 12 years of data for a total of nearly 3,500 girls and women ages 12 to 21 years old.The Cleveland Clinic says the most common causes of iron-deficiency anemia are those that involve blood loss, including heavy menstrual periods. The body gets iron from food, and not getting enough iron from food, such as due to eating a vegan or vegetarian diet, can also lead to deficiency.
There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and nonheme. Heme iron is derived from hemoglobin. It is found in animal foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as red meats, fish, and poultry (meat, poultry, and seafood contain both heme and non-heme iron). Your body absorbs the most iron from heme sources. Most nonheme iron is from plant sources.
The Boss went for a walk while I stayed back with my caffeine. I let her walk by herself because I’m getting so darned slow. This way she gets her heart rate up a bit and I get my caffeine RDA. Win win.
We decided to invite the Old Guy across the street over for a burger tonight. This morning the grill got cleaned. Easily >90% of the cleaning was done by The Boss. I’ve been to three different grocery stores picking up stuff for what potentially could be a total of four eaters. I also get to do the cooking. Win win again.
Trouble in Paradise Update. I bought a six pack.
Burgers, baked beans (vegetarian), Rocky Top Coleslaw – 2020 Update, watermelon, and ice cream. Make sure you get some iron today.
Iron absorption from house crickets and fortified maize porridge with crickets is low, which may be explained by the presence of chitin and other inhibitors in the cricket biomass.
Absorption of iron from edible house crickets: a randomized crossover stable-isotope study in humans — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 116, Issue 4, October 2022, Pages 1146–1156, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac223
Always remember to eat a well balanced diet.
And find other dietary sources for iron besides crickets.
Studies point to the health benefits of beans, backing up what people in blue zones have long known, Buettner said. The soluble fiber in beans can cut cholesterol and help prevent type 2 diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar. A 2001 study found eating beans four times a week cut heart disease by 22%. A 2004 study found people lived approximately eight more years for every 20-gram intake of legumes — that’s about an ounce.
So far, it’s been a pleasant summer. We have had temps in the 80’s until recently.
What happens in the summer when it starts getting hot?
BEER happens. Willpower gone. There’s beer in the house.
I’ve been holding steady at 172 for a few months. But the arrival of beer weather does concern me.
The Boss has been working tirelessly in the yard and it looks the best it has in years. New shrubs, flowers, perennials and rose bushes were added this year. As for me, I try to find plants that I can’t kill. Meet Pepper Plant #4.
Readers with sharp eyes will note this tiny thing already has two peppers. Yeah, I cheated and bought a plant that already had fruit. I still remember the horrors of my last Pepper Plant 08.02.18. So I cheated. Pepper Plants #3 and #2 are in a pot and about twice the size of #4. No fruits yet, but I remain hopeful.
There’s basil on the patio too. I taught myself how to prune basil properly and hopefully I’ve learned something from watching hours of basil pruning videos on YouTube. Upon careful inspection today the plant needs to be pruned. So tonight’s meal will be Pasta with Vegetables, Olive oil, and Garlic. I don’t think I’ve ever written this recipe down but One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #6 Pasta with Chicken, Vegetables, Oiive Oil and Garlic is close enough. No chicken or squash tonight. I’m heading down the broccoli route with lots of fresh basil and garlic. Go 4 cloves. Or more.
The basil is healthy and my new pepper plant has peppers. Hopefully this summer will be better than The Tomato Plant – 2014 Final Update. My basil didn’t’ do well that year either.
Time for a beer and to give thanks for not living in Texas anymore.
Additional Adventist Health Study findings validated the relationship between eating nuts and whole wheat bread and experiencing a reduced risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). These findings were published in a research article by Dr. Fraser and his colleagues to the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1992. The findings attracted substantial media attention.
The research reported that eating nuts one to four times a week:
Lowered the risk of nonfatal heart attack by 74 percent.
Lowered the risk of fatal coronary heart disease by 73 percent.
I hope peanut butter has the same protective properties. Well, not exactly.
Our findings suggest potential benefits of higher nut and peanut butter consumption in lowering risk of type 2 diabetes in women. To avoid increasing caloric intake, regular nut consumption can be recommended as a replacement for consumption of refined grain products or red or processed meats.
The Boss eats nuts every day in her yogurt and fruit breakfast. She eats the same breakfast every single day. I used to poke fun at her for this dietary pattern but I no longer will.
Existing meat substitutes are not as affordable as real meat and not similar enough in taste. And they have not been proven to be healthier than real meat. So many consumers cannot justify spending money on plant-based products in order to help the planet.
I just had my annual wellness checkup. I’ve reached the point in life where all of my doctors are younger than me.
I’ve gained 4 pounds over the past 2 months. Trips to Colorado, Texas and Owasso might have had something to do with it. SugarSaltFat. I’m not panicking. Yet. Over time I’ve gotten much calmer about my sudden bursts of weight gain. Just need to eliminate the causes and get back to doing what worked in the past.
I am an omnivore, and my diet is not meat heavy. I feel better eating less meat and tend to gain weight whenever I overindulge in meat. A few weeks ago I kept a food diary. Between 66 and 75% of my meals are meat-free. Remember that what works for me may not work for you.
I stopped buying and eating fake meat products quite some time ago. The rise and fall of bleeding plant burgers doesn’t surprise me. What surprises me are vegetarians who return to meat eating ways.
It’s not as though the ethical concerns that first drive people to vegetarianism magically disappear when they decide, for whatever reason, to eat meat again. This kind of dissonance between our values and our actions can be super uncomfortable, and most of the people I spoke to often feel guilty about eating animals and polluting the environment, or struggle with the ick factor when they have to handle or cook meat. “When I stopped being vegetarian, I was very upset with myself and felt that I was betraying my values and the animals,” says Sent. “I spent at least a year eating meat, fish, and eggs in secret.”
I loved being plant-based. My running idol (besides my own father – hi, Dad) is the one and only Scott Jurek, and he’s vegan. And there are plenty of things I owe to my vegetarianism. First, my awareness of my personal environmental impact. Second, the acknowledgement of my privilege to choose healthier vegetarian options when for some it’s not as accessible. And lastly, the understanding that my choices don’t make me a better person, nor make anyone else a lesser person. The biggest barrier halting me from transitioning to an omnivore diet was shame. Practical concerns aside, I was afraid of what other people who had only known me as a vegetarian might think of my sudden change of plan. I was wracked with guilt for even considering breaking my vegetarianism.
The study, published online Wednesday in the journal Cell Metabolism, found eating a snack high in fat and sugar every day alters the reward circuits in human brains to create lasting preferences.
Fatty and sugary foods train your brain to hate healthier options: Yale study — New York Post, March 22, 2023
HT to Sally Feltner for the original post. Link to the original post is provided above. I’ve also credited the New York Post because I’m not sure who wrote the sentence I’ve quoted.
What I am sure about is my cerebral reward circuits still function very well if I have to choose between a piece of fruit or a cup of ice cream. Or a piece of pizza versus a salad. Or french fries rather than a plain baked potato.
garyskitchen.net 