Everyone should have at least 5 portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. An adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g. The guide below will give you an indication of typical portion sizes for adults. Children should also eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.
The Mediterranean Diet is a way of eating based on the traditional cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. These include Italy, Greece, Spain, and Israel. The diet typically consists of the region’s traditional fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seafood, olive oil, and dairy – with perhaps a glass or two of red wine. The Mediterranean Diet is about more than just eating delicious, wholesome food though. Regular physical activity and sharing meals with family and friends are vital elements of The Mediterranean Diet. Together, they can have a profound impact on your mood and mental health and help you foster a deep appreciation for the pleasures of healthy eating and delicious foods. The Mediterranean Diet is an inexpensive and satisfying way to eat that can help you live a healthier and longer life.
Cognitive decline, a gradual deterioration of mental abilities, is a growing concern worldwide. For Black Americans, this issue is particularly significant due to historical and ongoing health disparities. Factors such as systemic racism, limited access to healthcare, and higher rates of chronic diseases have disproportionately impacted the health and well-being of Black communities.
One area of particular concern is cognitive health. Studies have shown that Black Americans are at a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia compared to their White counterparts. This disparity can be attributed to a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors.
The MIND diet, a dietary pattern that combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, offers a promising approach to mitigating cognitive decline. This diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, and poultry while limiting red meat, sweets, and fried foods. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of the MIND diet for overall health, including reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
For Black Americans, the MIND diet may be particularly beneficial. A recent 10-year-long study published in Neurology found that greater adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment, especially among female participants. Additionally, the study revealed that the MIND diet had a stronger predictive effect on cognitive decline in Black trial participants compared to White participants. This trial is part of an ongoing study called REGARDS, or Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke, looking to examine why Black Americans and Southerners tend to have a higher incidence of stroke.
The reasons for this racial disparity are not fully understood, but several factors may contribute. One possibility is that the MIND diet aligns more closely with traditional Black American dietary patterns, which often emphasize plant-based foods and whole grains. Additionally, the MIND diet may address specific health disparities that disproportionately affect Black communities. For example, by reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, the MIND diet can help mitigate the underlying conditions that contribute to cognitive decline.
Furthermore, the MIND diet may offer cognitive benefits through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have shown that these properties can help to protect brain cells from damage and reduce the accumulation of amyloid-beta protein, a key factor in Alzheimer’s disease.
While the MIND diet shows promise for improving cognitive health in Black Americans, it is important to note that it is not a guaranteed solution. Individual factors, such as genetics and lifestyle, can also influence cognitive decline. However, adopting a healthy diet, such as the MIND diet, can be a valuable step toward promoting brain health and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.
In conclusion, the MIND diet offers a promising approach to addressing cognitive decline in Black Americans. By emphasizing healthy foods and limiting unhealthy ones, this diet can help relieve the underlying health disparities that contribute to cognitive impairment. While more research is needed to fully understand the benefits of the MIND diet, the available evidence suggests that it is a valuable tool for promoting brain health and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Nine out of 20 members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee have conflicts of interest with food, pharmaceutical or weight loss companies or industry groups with a stake in the outcome of the guidelines, according to a new report published today by the nonprofit public health research group U.S. Right to Know. An additional four members had possible conflicts of interest.
Mom said to drink eight glasses of water a day — but was she right? It’s complicated. “Traditional recommendations about water intake aren’t so cookie cutter anymore,” says Jaclyn London, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., a New York-based registered dietitian, author of Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked) and host of the podcast On the Side with Jackie London, RD.
Whether or not Mom’s wisdom holds up, one thing that’s for certain is the fact that staying properly hydrated is one of the most important things we can do for our bodies and health. “Hydration is important all year long, it demands extra attention when the summer heat soars. Without proper hydration, you will be more susceptible to fatigue and dehydration, especially if you’re engaging in outdoor activities, which raise your risk for
People of color, especially Black Americans, are significantly less likely to receive help for eating issues, despite suffering from them as much as white people.
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Common screening tools lack the cultural competence to effectively diagnose and help Black women who are living with eating disorders, particularly binge eating.
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Black people show cultural differences in disordered eating behaviors.
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Everyone should have at least 5 portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. An adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g. The guide below will give you an indication of typical portion sizes for adults. Children should also eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.
Doctors are learning that one of the best ways to reduce inflammation lies not in the medicine cabinet, but in the refrigerator. By following an anti-inflammatory diet you can fight off inflammation for good.
What does an anti-inflammatory diet do? Your immune system becomes activated when your body recognizes anything that is foreign—such as an invading microbe, plant pollen, or chemical. This often triggers a process called inflammation. Intermittent bouts of inflammation
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to use herbs and spices to heal some of today’s most complicated diseases instead of some costly, experimental drugs? Well, in some cases you can! Turmeric, or Haldi, as they call it in Hindi, has been historically used for its spiritual significance, but there’s so much more to this spice–and now doctors are starting to take serious notice, too.
Often referred to as The Golden Spice, Kitchen Gold or The Spice of Life, turmeric is a common accessory in wedding rituals and prayer ceremonies in the Eastern part of the world.
Originally the spice was used in rites and rituals intended to promote fertility, prosperity, and spiritual purification.
But soon, those who used turmeric saw its healing properties and started sharing it for various ailments. As a matter of fact, doctors have confirmed that this over-the-counter spice is more effective at treating seven different ailments than prescription medicine!
Now, as more are becoming familiar with the spice, it is being used as a powerful tool in conjunction with, or, in some cases, in replacement of certain medications to fight off a number of diseases. Here are just a few.
Turmeric is incredibly purifying.
As a sure source of anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial extracts, this spice can help you fight infections and boost immunity.
How to Use It: You can mix turmeric with warm water to create a paste and apply it to wounds. This can help reduce pain, swelling, and tissue necrosis. You can also sprinkle turmeric powder directly on cuts or burns.
Symptoms of leukemia are often caused by problems in the child’s bone marrow, which is where the leukemia begins.
As leukemia cells build up in the marrow, they can crowd out the normal blood cell production. As a result, a child may not have enough normal red blood cells, white blood cells, and blood platelets.
Turmeric helps to strengthen blood cell production.
Turmeric provides a natural and easy flow of the bile duct, a liver cleanser. Adding turmeric could improve your liver function. Though African Americans represent 13 percent of the U.S population, they make up about 22 percent of the cases of the chronic liver disease hepatitis C.
In addition, numbers published by the National Medical Association from the CDC show that four of every 100 infants born to African-American mothers with hepatitis C become infected with the virus.
Chronic liver disease, often hepatitis C-related is the leading cause of death among African Americans ages 45 to 64.
How to Use It: There are two main ways you can use turmeric to detox your liver
1. Turmeric mixed with warm water.
You only need to prepare 1 single ingredient – turmeric starch.
You should drink between 2 – 4 grams of turmeric mixed with warm water every day. The best time to drink turmeric juice is in the morning, this is the time that helps the body best absorb the nutrients in turmeric that help improve fatty liver.
2. Turmeric mixed with honey.
Honey contains many antioxidants that prevent cancer and have antibacterial properties that benefit your health.
Turmeric combined with pure honey is considered one of the most effective ways to protect your liver with an at-home treatment.
When combined with cauliflower, turmeric has been shown to prevent the signs of an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer.
How to Use It: The roots of the turmeric plant are boiled, dried, and then ground into a fine consistency to create this spice.
It’s used in everything from food and textile dye to herbal medicine. In addition to a cooking spice, turmeric is also available as:
You should aim for 500 milligrams (mg) of curcuminoids, or about 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, per day. Doses of 1,500 mg of curcuminoids, or about 1 1/2 teaspoons of thermic powder, per day may cause side effects.
If you don’t’ want to take it as a supplement, you can also use the spice when cooking. Add a dash of the spice to your egg salad, sprinkle it on some steamed cauliflower, or mix it into brown rice. For best results, add black pepper to the recipe. The piperine in the pepper will help your body properly absorb the curcumin.
The percentage of Americans who take painkillers stronger than morphine is on the rise, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
These drugs include oxycodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl and methadone.
The study found 37 percent of people who used a prescription narcotic painkiller in 2011-2012 used a drug stronger than morphine, compared with 17 percent in 1999.
How to Use It: For different kinds of pain, check out these suggestions below.
Because of its inflammatory properties, turmeric has been known to shrink and deplete the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting 1 in 5 adults.
It interferes with work and other daily activities and can complicate the management of other chronic diseases. Arthritis encompasses more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect joints and other connective tissue.
In a recent study using mice, turmeric has been shown to prevent the spread of multiple sclerosis.
The myth that African Americans do not get MS is just that — a myth. African Americans do get MS. Studies suggest that MS can be especially active.
African Americans: are more likely to experience more relapses, more likely to experience greater disability, have a greater risk of progressing to require ambulatory assistance earlier, and are more likely to develop involvement of the optic nerves and spinal cord (optic — spinal MS) and inflammation of the spinal cord (transverse myelitis).
The Food Pyramid was in every classroom in the 90s; here’s why it finally went away, and the challenges that remain.
Written by: Jaimy Lee
Reviewed by: Dr. Robert Lustig
In the 1990s, the Food Pyramid was everywhere. The food guidance system, which was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a nutrition education tool for Americans, was plastered on cereal boxes and bagged bread, in TV commercials, and elementary classrooms.
Not only that, it was published at a time when Americans had a dramatically different understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet, fueled by a combination of supply chain imbalances, outdated science, and good marketing. Back then, cholesterol was the enemy, and saturated fat was taboo. Egg whites were encouraged over egg yolks, margarine over butter, and fat-free over full-fat. But low fat invariably meant high carbohydrate—especially wheat—and America had lots of that.
The USDA Food Pyramid finally launched to the public in 1992 (after a year-long delay that many people suspected was to accommodate changes reportedly requested by meat and dairy lobbyists), and it had some peculiar advice. Bread and pasta became the base of the Food Pyramid, and all kinds of fat were at the top. This included olive oil and avocados. That advice would be questioned by both experts at that time and medical professionals who now say it contributed to the nation’s growing obesity crisis.
“The Food Pyramid came under immediate fire, even from those within government,” Robert Lustig, MD, MSL, a Levels Health advisor, writes in his 2021 book Metabolical. In response to the growing obesity crisis, the USDA was forced to back away from the Food Pyramid and in 2011 introduced MyPlate.
The original Food Guide Pyramid (also referred to as the “Eating Right Pyramid”) is a triangle-shaped guide that organizes food into six major food groups. It was intended to be a visual representation of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 1990.
The idea itself is pretty simple. Eat more of the foods listed at the widest part of the Pyramid and fewer of the foods at the top. The guidance was for Americans to eat 6–11 servings per day of starchy items like bread, pasta, cereal, potatoes, whole grains, and rice at the “base,” depending on the individual. Three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit sit above carbs. Then comes two to three servings of milk, cheese, and dairy products, and two to three servings of meat, nuts, and beans. And finally, fats, oils, and sweets are listed at the top of the Pyramid, to be used “sparingly.” This includes everything from cooking oil to soda.
U.S. health officials reportedly picked the Pyramid over a bowl design because it did a better job communicating moderation and proportions. It also mimicked a popular food Pyramid created in Sweden in the 1970s that recommended healthy foods with a focus on affordability and avoiding fat.
The USDA Food Pyramid was controversial from the beginning. After work went into developing the Pyramid for several years, the brochure for the Pyramid was sent to the printer in early 1991. But then representatives for the National Cattlemen’s Association reportedly saw media coverage that “stigmatized their products”—by putting beef in the same category as fats and dairy. The organization joined other industry groups, such as the National Milk Producers Federation, protesting the Pyramid, and the rollout was postponed, according to research published by Marion Nestle, a nutrition and food studies professor at New York University, in the International Journal of Social Determinants of Health and Health Services in 1993.
The Pyramid reportedly spent another year in revisions—at a cost of about $900,000 to taxpayers—and when the updated version was released to the public in 1992, the nutrition experts who developed the guide were surprised by several of the changes. The suggested servings of grains were higher than their original recommendation, and the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables had shrunk.
These food-choice changes put the USDA’s own nutritionists at odds with the influential food industry.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture has an inherent conflict of interest: its primary mission is to ensure the success of the American agriculture industry, so its nutritional advice is an inevitable compromise of vested interests,” said an editorial in the medical journal The Lancet in 2005. “This conflict means the Pyramid cannot communicate what American consumers really need to hear.”
To understand the Pyramid’s flaws, you have to think about what Americans were eating in those days. Back in the early ’90s, about 15% of the typical American diet came from protein with the rest split between fat and carbs, according to Meir Stampfer and Walter Willett, both of whom are MDs and professors at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
In the 1970’s, very high-protein formula diets resulted in kidney failure, so nutritionists did not want to recommend that Americans eat more protein. Furthermore, sources like red meat are high in saturated fat. The American Heart Association at that time recommended no more than 30% of calories come from fat, in order to help prevent heart disease. What resulted was a simplified message to limit fat intake that didn’t quite stack up with the science.
“The ‘fat is bad’ mantra led to the reciprocal corollary ‘carbs are good,’” Stampfer and Willett wrote in Scientific American in 2006. “Even when the Pyramid was being developed, though, nutritionists had long known that some types of fat are essential to health and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, scientists had found little evidence that a high intake of carbohydrates is beneficial.”
But that wasn’t the only issue with the Pyramid. Critics had a laundry list of concerns:
These questions and others eventually led to a revision, called MyPyramid, in 2005, and then the creation of a completely new format, called MyPlate, in 2011.
MyPyramid riffed off the original Pyramid while also putting in place a handful of changes. The new design didn’t include any details; instead, it assigned a color to each food category—green for vegetables, orange for grains—and promoted MyPyramid.gov, a website that had dietary recommendations while also suggesting people manage total calories and get physical exercise. It was the first federal food guide to have an interactive online component.
The changes were applauded by some, but by then, there were already concerns that the original Pyramid didn’t do enough to encourage Americans to limit their consumption of refined carbs, and was a driving factor in the growing obesity crisis.
“The goal [of the Pyramid] was to reduce the intake of saturated fat, which raised cholesterol levels,” John Kinney, MD, wrote in an opinion piece in the Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care journal in 2005. “Subsequent data demonstrated that refined carbohydrates such as refined bread and rice caused damage to glucose regulation and insulin levels.”
A study in The Journal of Nutrition in 2006 that analyzed dietary habits for about 4,300 adults found that people who followed the MyPyramid recommendations were more likely to get their nutritional needs met than those who adhered to the original Pyramid. However, the researchers also said that following the newer recommendations could still lead to excessive energy intake, a contributing factor to obesity, chronic diseases, and metabolic disorders.
That said, other researchers have said the Pyramid isn’t to blame for obesity rates. Research published by investigators at Tufts University in 2004 argued that many Americans don’t adhere to dietary guidelines that make up the Pyramid. “The more likely causes of escalating obesity rates are increased per capita caloric consumption and larger portion sizes, along with a lack of adequate physical activity,” the Tufts researchers wrote.
The most sweeping change to America’s food-guide history came in 2011 with the introduction of MyPlate, a totally new design that focuses on a plate with four food groups: vegetables, fruits, protein, and grains. Dairy is represented by a circle placed on the side of the plate, much like a glass of milk. It also recommends physical activity and eating fewer foods with added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
The easy-to-understand plate design was applauded by both scientists and the food industry, though there are still concerns about some of the recommendations and their purported health benefits, and some researchers have come up with their own food guides.
Tufts researchers in 2021 created the Food Compass, which scores food on its healthfulness as a part of a nutrient-profiling system.
More than a decade earlier, Harvard University’s School of Public Health launched the Healthy Eating Pyramid, which put daily exercise and maintaining a healthy weight as the foundation of the Pyramid (compared with eating grains, like the original Food Guide Pyramid). It also recommended focusing on the type of food instead of the serving size, eating plants, cutting back on “American staples” like red meat and sugary drinks, and taking a multivitamin or drinking a glass of wine.
“MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating,” Harvard’s Willett said in 2011.
That said, the MyPlate is still the nation’s nutrition guide.
“To its credit, at least MyPlate didn’t tout refined carbohydrates; however, its low-fat imperative continues to miss the point and it somehow still categorizes fruit juice and fruit and veggie straws as a vegetable,” Lustig wrote in Metabolical. “The evidence base for any and all of these classification systems is spotty at least and nonexistent at worst.”
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