mydawnhb

[mydawnhb]

At any age, a healthy diet can extend your life

It’s never too late to start undoing the damage caused by a poor diet.

The Washington Post - Well+Being by Anahad O’Connor

No matter how old you are, or how much junk food you consume, it’s never too late to start undoing the damage caused by a poor diet.

Start small by eating a handful of nuts daily to improve your health.(Photo illustration by Linnea Bullion for The Washington Post)

That’s the message from scientists who study how our food choices affect our life spans and our risk of developing diseases. They have found that people can gain sizable health benefits at any age by cutting back on highly processed foods loaded with salt, sugar and other additives and replacing them with more nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, lentils, seafood and whole grains.

The earlier you start, the better. Following a healthy diet from a young age leads to the greatest gains in life expectancy. But even people who wait until middle age or later to improve their eating habits still can add years to their lives.

The research is empowering for several reasons. It shows that you don’t necessarily have to transform your diet to gain benefits. Even small changes, like adding a handful of nuts to your daily diet as a midday snack and cutting back on processed meats like ham and hot dogs can potentially add years to your life. And it suggests that even if you’re in your 60s or older, making these relatively small changes to your diet could still lead to major benefits.

A healthy food boost at any age

In a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists followed roughly 74,000 people between the ages of 30 and 75 for over two decades. During that time, they analyzed their diets and lifestyle habits and tracked changes in what they ate. The researchers used several scoring systems to assess the quality of their diets, including the Alternate Healthy Eating Index, which was developed by nutrition experts at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The index gives low scores to unhealthy foods and higher scores to healthier foods. Among the foods that received high scores were fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains and foods rich in unsaturated fats and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, like fish, avocados and olive oil. Some of the unhealthy foods that received lower scores were things like red and processed meats and foods high in sodium and added sugars, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, pizza, potato chips and other junk foods. 

The more nutritious foods people ate, and the fewer junk foods they consumed, the higher their diet scores. The researchers found that people who had consistently high diet scores were up to 14 percent less likely to die of any cause during the study period compared to people who had consistently poor diets.

But perhaps most important: People who improved their eating habits saw big benefits. The researchers found that people who increased their diet scores by just 20 percent during the study had at least an 8 percent reduction in mortality during the study period and a 7 to 15 percent drop in their likelihood of dying from heart disease, specifically. Achieving a 20 percent increase in your diet score could be as simple as replacing the sugary drinks in your diet with sparkling water and eating at least one handful of nuts or one serving of beans or lentils daily, said Mercedes Sotos-Pieto, the lead author of the study.

She pointed out that most of the participants in the study were over 60 years old, demonstrating that it’s never too late to benefit from an improvement in your eating habits. The reductions in mortality among people who improved their eating habits largely stemmed from a decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, which is strongly influenced by diet. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

Just add nuts, grains, beans and peas

Sotos-Pieto noted that eating a more nutritious diet by making small and gradual improvements in your food choices over time can help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar and inflammation — all of which can improve your cardiovascular health and reduce your likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke.

“It’s not necessary to dramatically change your lifestyle,” said Sotos-Pieto, an assistant professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and an adjunct professor at Harvard’s School of Public Health. “Choose small goals that you can achieve and sustain over time.”

In another study published earlier this year in PLOS Medicine, scientists analyzed large amounts of data on the impact that different foods have on the risk of premature death. Then they used that data, along with other research on deaths and chronic disease rates, to estimate how changes in a person’s diet might influence their life expectancy at different ages.

The researchers found that a 20-year-old who switched from the typical Western diet to an optimal Mediterranean-style diet (and stuck with it) could add on average 11 to 13 years to his or her life expectancy. But even seniors could benefit: A 60-year-old who made this switch could boost their life expectancy by up to nine years, and an 80-year-old could gain about three-and-a-half years.

The study found that the biggest gains in life expectancy stemmed from eating more legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and peanuts. If overhauling your diet seems like a daunting task, then start small by adding a few particularly important foods to your diet. 

Eat a handful of nuts every day

Add a few servings of whole grains to your diet. Switch to brown rice instead of white rice.

Eat at least one cup of beans, lentils or peas daily. Add chickpeas to a salad; eat a burrito bowl with black or pinto beans.

Add nut butters (peanut butter or almond butter) to toast, oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast.

The outsize health benefits you gain from eating more legumes, nuts and whole grains stems from their metabolic profile, said Lars Fadnes, the lead author of the PLOS Medicine study and a professor at the University of Bergen in Norway. These foods are nutrient-dense, containing large amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Legumes for example are high in protein and they contain several B vitamins, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc and phosphorous, he said. These foods have also been shown in clinical trials to reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol levels and other metabolic markers that affect your life span.

Fadnes emphasized that if you eat a lot of junk food, the earlier you change your eating habits the better. Even for people who are overweight, older and in poor metabolic health, the benefits you can gain from eating more nutritious foods, he said, “are likely to be substantial.”

[mydawnhb]

Why ADHD Is Not A Psychiatric Disorder Or Brain Disease with Dr. George Papanicolaou

The rates of attention deficit disorder (ADD), today referred to as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have skyrocketed in recent years. But what is ADHD? ADHD is just a name we give to people who share a collection of symptoms: They can’t focus or pay attention, they’re inattentive, and they are hyperactive. These are symptoms. So, what are the causes?

In this episode, Dr. Hyman sits down with Dr. George Papanicolaou to discuss the common drivers of ADHD, and why it is so important to identify and treat its causes, rather than its symptoms. They also share specific cases in which they have treated patients for ADHD.

George Papanicolaou is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Abington Memorial Hospital. He is also an Institute for Functional Medicine Practitioner. Upon graduation from his residency, he joined the Indian Health Service. He worked on the Navajo reservation for 4 years at the Chinle Comprehensive Medical Facility where he served as the Outpatient Department Coordinator. In 2000, he founded Cornerstone Family Practice in Rowley, MA. He practiced with a philosophy centered on personal relationships and treating the whole person, not just not the disease. He called that philosophy “Whole Life Wellness”. Over time as the healthcare system made it harder for patients to receive this kind of personal care Dr. Papanicolaou decided a change was needed. He began training in Functional Medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine. In 2015, he established Cornerstone Personal Health – a practice dedicated entirely to Functional Medicine. Dr. Papanicolaou to join The UltraWellness Center in 2017.

This episode is sponsored by Paleovalley and Farmacy.

In this conversation, Dr. Hyman and Dr. Papanicolaou discuss:

The prevalence of ADHD in our society

Understanding ADHD as a cluster of symptoms, rather     than a psychiatric disorder

The most common drivers of ADHD, including genetics,     environmental influences, diet and lifestyle

How improving gut health, and addressing food     sensitivities can improve ADHD

Testing for toxins and heavy metals in the body,     including lead, mercury, and arsenic

The effectiveness of meditation for treating ADHD

Patients with ADHD that Dr. Hyman and Dr. Papanicolaou     have treated, see before and after handwriting samples from one patient     above.

Click on link to watch this 40-minute conversation: 

https://youtu.be/s1t5UrQ672E

[mydawnhb]

How Trauma-Informed Fitness Helps Survivors Process and Heal Through Exercise

'Newly out of graduate school in 2004, Jennica Mills was on the path to becoming a licensed social worker focused on psychotherapy with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. But something didn't feel right.'

"Here I was working with people — in some cases they were severely sexually abused as children. We were talking about their feelings and their emotions and the story. At no point in the exploration were we talking about the physical body," she thought. "It didn't make sense for me. I was a competitive dancer for all my childhood until I was 18, and I relate to the world through my body."

Then, the San Diego-based yoga instructor discovered tension and trauma-releasing exercise (TRE), which is based in the mind-body connection. TRE is designed to help release patterns of stress that adherents believe are held in the muscles and the connective tissue surrounding them. "There was a turning point for me there, that this is the missing piece. The body is missing from this interaction that we're having in our regular therapeutic process."

TRE is part of a burgeoning field that marries exercise and fitness with trauma-informed practices. Practices that are trauma-informed recognize and address the effects of past traumatic experiences — such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, war, disasters, child neglect, personal illness, divorce or the death of a parent — on a person throughout their life, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

How Trauma and Stress Affect Your Health

Undergoing trauma that results in psychological stress can raise your risk of experiencing mental illness, substance abuse and sleep disorders.

Stress is also linked with a heightened risk of heart disease. An older but influential September 2004 global study in The Lancet​ found people who had a first heart attack were twice as likely to report having "permanent" psychological stress at work or home than those who hadn't had a heart attack.

Chronic stress can also contribute to high blood pressure and lead to behaviors that raise your risk of heart problems, such as smoking, not being active enough or eating more than your body needs to fuel itself, according to the American Heart Association.

Stress might even contribute more to heart disease than other traditional risk factors, such as diabetes, cardiologist Sanul Corrielus, MD, MBA, tells LIVESTRONG.com. He points to a November 2021 JAMA​ study, which followed people with stable heart disease who were exposed to both mentally and physically stressful situations and developed myocardial ischemia (an obstruction of blood flow to the heart that can be damaging) as a result.

Those who experienced ischemia after mental stress were more likely to later die from heart-related causes, have a non-fatal heart attack or be admitted to the hospital for heart failure within a five-year follow-up period.

Also a personal trainer, Philadelphia-based Dr. Corrielus incorporates trauma-informed practices and exercise into his medical treatment. His goal is to reduce inflammation in patients, which can be caused by emotional stress, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).

Chronic stress can hamper the body's ability to regulate inflammation using the hormone cortisol. Over time that inflammation can contribute to arteries hardening and thickening with plaque, putting you at risk for heart attack, stroke and blood clots, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

"My intervention is often focused on identifying the source of the trauma that's leading to the inflammatory process, with coaching that directly addresses it," Dr. Corrielus says. The exercise he prescribes depends on a patient's unique circumstances and fitness level, but it can range from meditation and mindful breathing to walking, running and swimming.

Trauma-Informed Fitness Techniques

Other practitioners of trauma-informed exercise look at different ways in which the body reacts to mental stress.

Tension and Trauma-Releasing Exercise

Shaking is one common way the body responds to both thrilling and scary experiences, says Phoenix-based trauma-relief specialist David Berceli, PhD, who developed the TRE technique that Mills discovered nearly two decades ago.

When you are in a fender bender, for example, "you might not be injured, but when you get out of the car and you're reaching for your purse or wallet and trying to take out your driver's license, you'll find your hands are shaking," he explains. "The tremor mechanism simply helps to burn off the large amount of adrenaline that was immediately pumped into your body." Adrenaline is the body's "fight or flight" hormone, and it can cause a jittery feeling, according to the Endocrine Society.

TRE exercises are meant to recreate the tremor response in a gentle and non-threatening manner. "The simple exercises help to stretch and mildly stress the muscles as a way of evoking a natural tremor reaction from the nervous system through the myofascial patterns," Berceli says. "This mild tremor reaction starts to release tension in the body and calm down the nervous system. It's designed as a self-help technique."

After tremoring, "I have softening in my tension points, which happen to be my jaw, shoulders and pelvic floor," Mills says. "I feel more receptive, and I'm a better listener. It really has turned on my social engagement."

[mydawnhb]

8 Foods Rich in Inulin, a Prebiotic Fiber That Works Wonders for Your Gut Microbiome

Alondra Segoviano

Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics all been identified as key players in our gut health, but important soluble fibers like inulin can also work wonders on our gut microbiome.

“Inulin is a type of fiber most found in plants like Jerusalem artichokes and chicory root, and it can act as a prebiotic since it [can be] easily fermented by the bacteria that live in our gut,” says Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and gut health nutritionist. “As a result of that fermentation, short-chain fatty acids are produced, which can lead to positive changes to the gut microbiome.” Short-chain fatty acids have an array of positive effects on the gut, with the main ones being protection against inflammation, mucus production, and maintenance of the intestinal barrier integrity.

The positive changes to the gut microbiome can be attributed to the prebiotic nature of inulin, which can feed the bacteria in our gut that can produce butyrate—a form of postbiotics that helps maintain a healthy gut, adds Sauceda. A 2017 comprehensive review also points out that inulin is associated with improved gut microbiota, increased mineral absorption, stimulation of immune functions, reduced risks of irritable bowel diseases, and constipation. There’s been some research on how inulin consumption can help with other health concerns like type 2 diabetes and high blood sugar, but Sauceda says the research isn’t necessarily there yet to validate those claims.

What experts do know is that inulin can help maintain a healthy gut, which can support our overall well-being. It’s important to note that inulin is high in FODMAPs, which are short-chain carbohydrates that may cause intestinal distress, so this type of fiber may not be everyone’s cup of tea. “If you’re sensitive to FODMAPs or have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), then you may experience bloating, gassiness, and overall discomfort when consuming inulin-rich foods or inulin supplements, so consult with a physician beforehand,” Sauceda says.

There is currently no Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for inulin, but the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics does recommend eating around 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed per day.

8 inulin-rich foods that can aid in gut health

Getting more inulin through your diet can be a great way to naturally support gut health and reap the gut-boosting benefits of this fiber. Sauceda shares eight great sources of inulin per 100 grams (or 3.5 ounces).

1. Chicory root: 41.6 grams

Chicory root offers the highest source of inulin and can be used as a coffee alternative or in salads. Similar to dandelion greens, it’s naturally bitter, but you can soften the flavor by soaking the root in water or sauteing it.

2. Jerusalem artichokes: 18 grams

Jerusalem artichokes can be cooked similarly to russet potatoes—they can be roasted, sauteed, or pureed. The white flesh of Jerusalem artichokes has a nutty, yet sweet flavor that makes it easy to add to your favorite dishes.

3. Dandelion greens: 13.5 grams

“Dandelion greens can be sauteed, used in herbal teas, and sometimes added to pesto,” Sauceda says. Dandelion greens are also a great source of important vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, calcium, and potassium. But they have a strong bite to it (similar to arugula), so feel free to experiment with a cooking method that works best for your palette.

4. Garlic: 12.5 grams

If you regularly cook with garlic in your meals, then you’re already adding inulin-rich food to your meals without knowing it. Garlic not only adds great flavor to dishes, but it can also promote the growth of bifidobacteria, which is considered good bacteria in the gut.

5. Leeks: 6.5 grams

Leeks are a great source of inulin, as well as important vitamins and minerals such as vitamins B6, vitamin K, vitamin C, copper, iron, and manganese. Often considered the sibling of onions, leeks offer a sweeter and milder taste that can be added to an array of dishes. You can add leeks to pizzas, casseroles, and soups. Keep in mind that leeks may require a thorough cleaning before eating, as their roots and outer leaves can have hidden soil.

6. Asparagus: 2.5 grams

Asparagus is an example of prebiotic-rich food that contains inulin, and can also help in the production of postbiotics. While the inulin components in asparagus are a bit lower than some of the other foods on this list, it’s still a great vegetable to cook with that offers tons of gut-boosting benefits.

7. Wheat bran: 2.5 grams

“Wheat bran can be used for coatings on chicken or with baking, depending on your preference,” Sauceda says. “It’s also available as a cereal to eat as is, which can serve as a fiber-rich breakfast.” Whole grains generally offer tons of essential nutrients in addition to inulin, such as B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.

8. Bananas: 0.5 grams

Bananas don’t offer the highest count of inulin per 100 grams, but they are a super versatile fruit that’s not only delicious, but offers vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium.

Final notes on inulin

“Inulin is definitely a nice fiber to add [to your diet], especially if you struggle meeting the recommended fiber intake, but know that not eating inulin isn’t going to necessarily negatively impact your gut health,” says Sauceda. If you enjoy any of the listed foods, then that’s great! However, if you don’t, then Sauceda recommends finding other sources of fiber or prebiotic-rich foods you do enjoy.

On the cooking front, Sauceda also advises having a recipe in place if you’re cooking with a new ingredient, such as one of the foods mentioned above. “Pick one, then find a recipe to make with it so it doesn’t just sit in the kitchen,” she says. Not sure where to start? Explore our delicious list of healthy recipes to try.

 Article from Wellandgood

[mydawnhb]

This Is the #1 Diet for Your Heart

Ornish Lifestyle Medicine is a science-backed way to reverse heart disease—while making it easy for you to eat healthy. 

By: Taylor Lupo

Medically reviewed in February 2022

Your diet may be more powerful than you thought. In fact, Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, an eating plan designed by Dean Ornish, MD, a professor of medicine and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, can reverse heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer and other conditions. The program limits fat and encourages a diet filled with all-natural, plant-based nutrition.

Looking to get your eating habits on the right track and reverse heart disease? Check out the Ornish Lifestyle Medicine—tied for number 1 among best heart-healthy diets and tied for number 3 in best plant-based diets in the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report. Adopting this eating plan might be a lot easier than you think.

sharecare.com

[mydawnhb]

July 2022 Specials!

These specials are available in South Africa & arrangements can be made to meet in Sedgefield, Western Cape for collection. For other areas of South Africa, a courier charge will be added.

Email: healthtre@outlook.com for info on these and other natural health supplements at affordable prices.

[mydawnhb]

12-week Artist’s Way Course

Spring is just over a month away in the southern hemisphere & is the best time to clear old belief systems & open up our innate creativity to new possibilities.

Join the once-weekly, 12-week course on The Artist's Way, based on Julia Cameron's book, in Sedgefield, Western Cape, South Africa.

Groups are kept to a maximum of 4 or 5 people to ensure a safe space for sharing & exploration. So book now to secure your spot.

I have found with experience that groups of friends doing this life-changing course together, deepens their friendship & is the most rewarding for all participants. This is not an art course & anyone can benefit from it to improve their way of running their business, their home, or bump up their creative projects to new levels.

Click on the link to watch this 1 hour interview with Liz Gilbert of 'Eat, Pray, Love' fame & Julia Cameron, author of 'The Artist's Way'.

https://youtu.be/jQM9ZB9Z10M

Contact Hazel on email: healthtre@outlook.com or direct message me. Looking forward to hearing from you

[mydawnhb]

3 Delicious, Brain-Supporting Sauces From A Nutritional Psychiatrist

by Psychiatrist & Nutritional Expert, Uma Naidoo M.D. April 29, 2022 

There's nothing that makes it less exciting to eat nutritious foods than dry, bland dishes. When it comes to spending time in the kitchen, whipping up a meal you're proud of, adding a delicious sauce to the mix will take your cooking from just OK to incredible. As a nutritional psychiatrist, one of the things I love about making sauces from scratch is I can include strategic ingredients to support brain health—so you're left feeling great both physically and mentally. Click here for demo: https://youtu.be/QBoxF-Qtzzg (or copy link to another window to view).

My favorite brain-supporting sauces.

Incorporating the right combination of ingredients into your cooking can do so much more than fill you up—certain foods and spices actually have the ability to sharpen your mind and promote brain health.

Looking to add some intrigue to your cooking with homemade sauces to benefit your body and mind? Here are my three favorite go-to sauces to elevate any dish, all of which incorporate brain-nourishing ingredients. Check out the video above for a demo, or find the full recipe below:

1. Miso Sauce

Fermented foods like miso paste are particularly great for reducing inflammation in the gut, which directly connects to the brain via the gut-brain axis. The avocado oil in this recipe is rich in healthy fats, which lend their own powerful brain benefits—but extra-virgin olive oil is another great option, especially if you want to turn the sauce into a dressing.

Ingredients

½ cup white miso paste

¼ cup avocado oil

¼ tablespoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Method

Combine ingredients together in a bowl.

Whisk until combined. 

2. Kale & Walnut Pesto

If you're looking for a flavorful and brain-healthy pasta sauce or marinade for your favorite protein source, a kale and walnut pesto will not only enhance the flavor profile of your meal but also support your brain and gut function. Kale is packed with folate, which can promote a positive mood, and it's also loaded with prebiotic fiber, which will allow for an even healthier gut microbe. Let's not forget walnuts, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids to fuel the brain. Why buy your pesto at the store when you can make a brain-nourishing recipe from home?

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and microwaved for 30 seconds

2 cups baby kale, washed

¼ cup walnuts

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Method

Blend the pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor on medium speed.

Add cold water to loosen the mixture if needed. 

3. Curry Leaf & Carrot Yogurt Sauce

Healthy fat is the common thread tying each recipe together, and my curry leaf and carrot yogurt dressing is no exception. Here, I use avocado oil to help bloom the spices, which enhances the flavor and wakes up the nutrient bioactives. Turmeric is a classic inflammation-easing spice, and fresh curry leaves are intricately tied into Ayurvedic tradition to improve both digestion and mood. Carrots are high in carotenoids, linking back to cognitive wellness and a positive mood.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons avocado oil

½ teaspoon turmeric

A pinch of black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

3 curry leaves (chiffonade)

½ cup grated carrot

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup yogurt

Method

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add spices and allow to bloom.

Add carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. 

Pour mixture into a bowl and add yogurt. Mix until combined.

[mydawnhb]

Widely used food additive affects the human gut microbiota

by Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)        

Medical Xpress    

Have you heard about the food additive E415? It is also known as xanthan gum. Most likely, you eat it several times a week. Xanthan gum is used in everyday foods such as baked goods, ice cream and salad dressings. The additive is also widely used as a substitute for gluten in gluten-free foods.

New research now shows that xanthan gum affects our gut microbiota.

The study was recently published in Nature Microbiology by a team of scientists at NMBU in collaboration with the University of Michigan and several other international partners.

"We were surprised at how much the human gut bacteria have adapted to this additive since it was introduced into the modern diet only fifty years ago," says NMBU researcher Sabina Leanti La Rosa.

When it was first introduced, xanthan gum was thought to not affect us as it was not digested by the human body. However, the new study shows that the additive nevertheless affects the bacteria that live in our intestines. And these bacteria are important for our health and well-being.

"The gut bacteria we have investigated show genetic changes and a rapid adaptation to enable them to digest this particular additive," explains professor Phil Pope.

He leads the Microbial Ecology and Meta-Omics group at NMBU, where the researchers who conducted the new study work.

A new food chain in the gut

The study shows that the ability to digest xanthan gum is surprisingly common in the human gut microbiota in the industrialized world and appears to depend on the activity of a single bacterium that is a member of the family Ruminococcaceae.

Together with postdoc Matthew Ostrowski and professor Eric C. Martens, both from the University of Michigan, the NMBU-scientists have used several different methods that analyze genes, transcripts, proteins and enzymes produced by the gut bacteria, to uncover how this single bacterial species digests xanthan gum. The work includes laboratory testing of stool samples from many human donors, mouse experiments and data from large international databases of microbial genes.

"The bacterium that can digest xanthan gum was found among the gut microbiota of surprisingly many people from industrialized countries," says La Rosa.

In some samples, another type of microbe was also found that interacted with the xanthan gum, this one in the species Bacteroides intestinalis. This bacterium could hijack and further break down small pieces of xanthan gum created during the digestion of the larger xanthan molecules by the Ruminococcaceae bacterium. The Bacteroides bacterium was equipped with its own special enzymes that allowed it to eat these small xanthan gum fragments.

The study demonstrates the existence of a potential xanthan gum-driven food chain involving at least two types of gut bacteria. It provides an initial framework to understand how widespread consumption of a recently introduced food additive influences the human gut microbiota.

"The most innovative elements of our study are the advanced approaches we combined in order to identify uncharacterized metabolic pathways in microorganisms that are part of a complex microbial community, without the need of isolating each single microbe in monoculture. Then, we characterized in detail the enzyme systems for xanthan gum degradation, to validate our bioinformatics-based predictions. This multi-disciplinary approach provides a blueprint to understanding metabolism within the human gut microbiota and can be applied to any complex gut ecosystem," explains La Rosa.

"The methodologies used in this study are certainly pushing boundaries and enable us to really deconstruct microbiomes to answer important biological questions that have societal relevance. These approaches have been made possible by the extensive competences in microbiome research at NMBU including multi-omics (at the Microbial Ecology and Meta-Omics group) and enzymology (at the Protein Engineering and Proteomics Group)," says Pope.

Gluten-free and low carb

In Norway, around 300 additives are approved for use in food. Xanthan gum, or E415, is one of these. The additive is a fermentation product that is generated by fermenting sugar using the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. The production process creates a jelly-like liquid that is dried and turned into powder.

According to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, xanthan gum is used as a thickener or stabilizer and is currently allowed for use in many foods, including ice cream, sweets, chocolate milk, baked goods, ready-made sauces and dressings. Xanthan gum is also used as a substitute for gluten in gluten-free foods and is sold as a separate dietary supplement for keto/low-carb diets.

The additive was developed in California in the sixties and was approved as safe for use in food by the U.S. Food Safety Authority in 1968. It is used today across much of the industrialized world.

"So far xanthan gum is considered a keto-friendly product. This is because it is believed that xanthan is not digested by the body and therefore it doesn't count in the daily calorie or macronutrient intake," says La Rosa.

However, she explains, the new study shows that gut bacteria break down xanthan gum to its constituent monosaccharides, which are subsequently fermented to produce short-chain fatty acids that can be assimilated by the human body. Short-chain fatty acids are known to supply up to 10 percent of calories to humans.

This suggests xanthan gum could in fact add to a person's calorie intake.

Starting to see long-term effects

When xanthan gum was first introduced, it was thought that the additive went straight through the body without affecting the person who ate it.

Xanthan gum is a different type of carbohydrate from those that the human body is used to consume, such as starch from plant food. It has a different chemical structure. Xanthan gum is a type of complex carbohydrate that is not similar to any of the plant fibers we normally eat.

"We are now starting to see long-term effects of xanthan gum that were not seen when it was first introduced into the human diet," says La Rosa.

"We only see these changes in gut bacteria of people eating a 'westernized diet' where processed foods and additives make up a significant part of the food intake. For example, we do not see the same changes in indigenous people from different parts of the globe who eat limited amounts of processed foods."

What does it mean for our health?

"Based on this study, we cannot conclude if and how xanthan gum affects our health. But we can say that the additive affects the microbiota in the gut of people who consume it through food," says La Rosa.

"We still have a long way to go, and it is exciting to contribute to more research in this field and unravel the hidden effects of predominant food additives on the function of the gut microbiota and human gut health. That is our goal," says La Rosa.

To dig deeper into the matter, the NMBU team has recently applied for funding from the Research Council of Norway, with La Rosa at the helm.

Should make new assessments of additives

Xanthan gum is approved as safe to use in foodstuffs in large parts of the world, based on assessments made fifty years ago.

The low, but constant consumption of xanthan gum by a large fraction of the population in the industrialized world, and its higher intake by specific subgroups such as those with gluten intolerance, highlight the need to better understand the effects of this food additive on the ecology of the human gut microbiota and on overall host health.

La Rosa therefore believes it is time for the authorities to adjust assessments of common additives used in our everyday food:

"This should change how we look at additives in general. When they were first introduced, they were not believed to interact with our microbiota. These additives were introduced in the 19-sixties when we did not have the means to appreciate the major influence the gut microbiota has on our health and nutrition. With advancements in microbiome science, we now see effects that we did not see in the beginning. Authorities should perhaps take this new knowledge into consideration when evaluating commonly used food additives, especially now that we see that they do in fact impact our microbiota."     

More information: Matthew P. Ostrowski et al, Mechanistic insights into consumption of the food additive xanthan gum by the human gut microbiota, Nature Microbiology (2022).  DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01093-0                    

 Journal information:                         Nature Microbiology

[mydawnhb]

Changing Your Diet Could Add Up to a Decade to Life Expectancy

Summary: Young adults could add over a decade to their life expectancy by switching from a Western diet to one that includes more nuts, legumes, and whole grains, and by reducing red or processed meats.

Source: PLOS

February 8, 2022

A young adult in the U.S. could add more than a decade to their life expectancy by changing their diet from a typical Western diet to an optimized diet that includes more legumes, whole grains and nuts, and less red and processed meat, according to a new study publishing February 8th in PLOS Medicine by Lars Fadnes of the University of Bergen, Norway, and colleagues.

For older people, the anticipated gains to life expectancy from such dietary changes would be smaller but still substantial.

Food is fundamental for health and, globally, dietary risk factors are estimated to lead to 11 million deaths and 255 million disability-adjusted life-years annually. In the new study, researchers used existing meta-analyses and data from the Global Burden of Diseases study to build a model that enables the instant estimation of the effect on life expectancy (LE) of a range of dietary changes.

The model is also now available as a publicly available online tool called the Food4HealthyLife calculator (https://food4healthylife.org/).

For young adults in the United States, the model estimates that a sustained change from a typical Western diet to the optimal diet beginning at age 20 would increase LE by more than a decade for women (10.7 [uncertainty interval 5.9-14.1] years) and men (13.0 [6.9-17.3] years).

The largest gains in years of LE would be made by eating more legumes (females: 2.2 [1.0-3.4]; males: 2.5 [1.1-3.9]), more whole grains (females: 2.0 [0.7-3.3]; males: 2.3 [0.8-3.8]), and more nuts (females: 1.7 [0.8-2.7]; males: 2.0 [1.0-3.0]), less red meat (females: 1.6 [0.7-2.5]; males: 1.9 [0.8-3.0]) and less processed meat (females: 1.6 [0.7-2.5]; males: 1.9 [0.8-3.0]).

Changing from a typical diet to the optimized diet at age 60 years could still increase LE by 8.0 (4.8-11.2) years for women and 8.8 (5.2-12.5) years for men, and 80-year-olds could gain 3.4 years (females: 2.1-4.7 and males: 2.1-4.8) from such dietary changes.

“Understanding the relative health potential of different food groups could enable people to make feasible and significant health gains,” the authors say. “The Food4HealthyLife calculator could be a useful tool for clinicians, policy makers, and lay-people to understand the health impact of dietary choices.”

Fadnes adds, “Research until now have shown health benefits associated with separate food group or specific diet patterns but given limited information on the health impact of other diet changes. Our modeling methodology has bridged this gap.”

[mydawnhb]

Healthy Holiday Baking: The Scoop on Healthy Flours

From  Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, by Carra Richling 

'With all the varieties of flours these days, from gluten-free to soy to all-purpose flour, choosing the type of healthy flour to use for baking can be daunting. Here is a quick guide to help stock your pantry with the best choices for this holiday season and throughout the year. Since there are so many flours now available, this article just touches on the most popular flours in the market. There are many others to explore and we’ll update you with more in the future.

Whole grain flours are a healthier choice over refined white flour because of their nutrition density.

Whole Grain Flours

Whole grain flours are a healthier choice over refined white flour because they contain more fiber and nutrients. The term “whole” grain indicates it has the three essential parts of the grain: the bran (outer layer), endosperm (middle layer), and the germ (inner layer). The bran and germ are the most nutritionally dense part of the grain. Whole grain flours provide a good source of fiber and nutrients such as B vitamins, magnesium, and phytochemicals, including lignans and phenolic compounds.

During processing, refined white flour is ground and the bran and germ are stripped out.  This leaves only the endosperm, which is mostly carbohydrates with minimal nutrients and fiber. Refined flours are then “enriched” with nutrients such as iron and B vitamins during manufacturing, but this process only provides a fraction of the nutrition that was removed.

Whole Wheat Flour: This whole grain flour is made from red wheat and retains the bran and germ, which provides a good source of fiber and nutrients with twice the calcium, and 25% more protein than white refined flour. Whole-wheat flour can usually be substituted for part or the all-purpose flour in most recipes; however, this will result in a tougher texture. When completely substituting whole-wheat flour for white, use 7/8 cup whole wheat for one cup of white flour.

White Whole Wheat: The term white flour is often referred to as refined flour; however, white whole wheat is a whole grain made from a lighter color of wheat that is milder in flavor. This can be a great alternative to using refined flour since it is less dense with a softer texture than whole wheat, but it still has many of the nutritional benefits. Since this flour has less strongly flavored phenolic compounds, it has a slightly sweet flavor, making it good for bread, muffins, cake and pancakes.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: It is milled from white wheat flour instead of red wheat, making it lighter and tender, which works best for muffins, pancakes, cupcakes, cakes and biscuits. It still has the endosperm, bran and germ intact however is slightly lower in protein and gluten than whole -wheat flour. It works well with recipes that use baking powder or soda.

Ornish Recipes for whole wheat pastry flour: see recipe for Apple Spice Muffins below.

Stone Ground Flour: Traditionally, flour was ground using stone wheels, but today most mills use a steel roller to mill the flour. This process still leaves the bran and germ, and therefore maintains the nutrition. It can be used to replace other whole grain flours and provides a lighter texture because it is milled more finely.

Dark Rye Flour: This is a coarse, whole grain gluten-free flour made from rye berries that has the deep, robust, earthy flavor of rye. It is a good source of fiber and iron and contains all the nutrients and phytochemicals from the endosperm, bran and germ.

Light Rye Flour: Most of the bran and germ are removed to create a lighter and milder consistency and flavor.

Spelt Flour: Made from spelt, a species of wheat, it has a slightly nutty flavor. Spelt flour is higher in protein and fewer calories than wheat. It can be used in most recipes to replace wheat or whole wheat flour, but it does contain gluten. Be careful not to over-mix because it can break down.

Barley Flour: It has a sweet, nutty-like flavor, is a good source of fiber and rich in soluble fiber.

Vital Wheat Gluten: Not a flour, but worth noting here. Vital wheat gluten is made from washing wheat flour dough with water until the starches are dissolved, leaving just the protein and gluten behind. A small amount added to yeast bread improves the texture and elasticity of the dough for light, textured breads.

All-Purpose Flour: This basic flour is the most commonly used flour since it can be used in a whole range of baking. It is made by milling a mixture of hard and soft grains to produce versatile flour. It is most often made from wheat flour, but is also available in gluten-free combinations that provide a lighter texture for gluten free baking. A typical gluten-free all- purpose mix is made from rice flour, potato starch and sorghum flour, and then xanthium gum is added as a stabilizer.

Gluten Free Flours

Note: Flours can be cross contaminated with gluten, so to ensure flour is gluten-free, make sure to check if it is certified as gluten-free.

Oat Flour: Oat flour is light with slight nutty flavor. Oats are gluten-free; however, can often be cross-contaminated with gluten, so check that it is certified as gluten-free.

Rice Flour: Made from ground brown, wild or white rice, these flours are somewhat gritty but mild in flavor. Brown and wild rice flour contain more fiber and nutrients.

Sorghum Flour: This newly popular flour has a light color and texture, which makes it easily adaptable in many recipes that call for all-purpose flour. It also has a lower glycemic index and is a good source of plant protein, fiber, antioxidants and iron.

Buckwheat flour: This flour is made from buckwheat, which is gluten-free.

Teff Flour: Teff is a species of grass that has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor.

Potato Flour: Made from cooked, mashed potatoes that are dried and ground.

Potato Starch Flour: This is different from potato flour. It is made from grinding the potato pulp. It is often used as a thickening agent and to add texture.

Quinoa Flour: A highly nutritious flour; however, best mixed with other flour.

Bean Flours

Bean flours are increasing in popularity and a great alternative for those looking for gluten-free flour. They provide a good source of protein, fiber and nutrients, and can generally be substituted for half or the entire amount of other flours.

Garbanzo (Chickpea) Flour: Made from ground garbanzo beans, this flour is high in protein and fiber. It is a good thickener and provides a rich, dense consistency and flavor in baking.

Black Bean Flour: It is high in fiber and a good source of protein, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. It has a rich earthy flavor and is good for making bean dip or burrito filling.

Fava Bean Flour: The tough skins are removed leaving the white creamy essence of the bean, which is milled to create this high protein flour. It is also a good source of fiber and iron. Fava bean flour can be substituted in place of wheat flour in most savory type recipes, and can be used in combination with garbanzo flour for gluten-free baking.

Soy Flour: Soy flour is higher in protein with twice as much as a typical all-purpose flour. It can be used as a good option to thicken recipes.

Nut Flours

Nut flours are higher in fat since they are made from nuts and not recommended on the Dr Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease or Group 1 of the Ornish Spectrum due to this higher fat content.

Almond flour: Since almond flour is made from blanched ground almonds, it is high in fat with 14 grams for ¼ cup and six grams of both protein and carbohydrates.

Coconut Flour: Coconut flour is made from dried coconut meat which is high in saturated fat with a gram of saturated fat per tablespoon. If you do use coconut flour for baking you cannot substitute coconut for wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio. They are not equivalent. Generally, substitute ¼ to 1/3 cup coconut flour for 1 cup grain-based flour. Coconut flour is dense, dry and very absorbent, so liquid may need to be adjusted depending on the recipe.

A Few Tips on Using Alternative Flours:

For baking, sift the whole grain or other flours 2-3 times to incorporate air.

When measuring flour, if you do not sift it, fluff it first with a spoon, then gently scoop it into a measuring cup without packing it down. Level it with a knife for precise measurement.

When adding wet and dry ingredients, mix gently to lightly incorporate the flour. You may need to add a little more water when cooking with gluten-free flours.

If using more than one type of flour in a recipe, combine the flours before adding them to the recipe.

When starting to experiment with alternative flours, start with recipes that call for less than two cups of flour.

Whole grain flours need to be stored in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place. They are best stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer to preserve freshness for about two to four months. Always return them to room temperature before using in a recipe.

For those striving to eat a healthier plant-based diet and avoiding refined carbohydrates, it’s good to have healthier options so you can still enjoy baked goods.

Apple Spice Muffins

Description:

Full of warm spices and sweet apple, these wholesome muffins make a healthy start to the day. They can also serve as a delightful afternoon snack or dessert. Look for fruit spreads that are sweetened only with fruit juice or fruit juice concentrate, not sugar or corn syrup.

Serves: 12 serving size: 1 muffin

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 35 min

Ready: 50 min

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds (flaxseed meal)

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour can substitute with gluten-free flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice see Chef's Notes

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia

1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup apricot fruit spread fruit-sweetened only

1 cup apple grated about 1 medium apple

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix ground flax with water. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. The flax will absorb the water and create a thick gel.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a nonstick muffin pan with paper liners, or spray the pan lightly with cooking spray. If using spray, gently wipe with a paper towel to remove excess oil. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and powdered stevia until well mixed. 

In a large bowl, stir together the applesauce, apricot fruit spread, grated apple, flax mixture, and vanilla extract. Stir in half the dry ingredients, then add the remaining half and stir gently until combined. Add raisins and stir lightly to mix.

Spoon one third of a cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake muffins until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a muffin, about 25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. 

Remove muffins from the oven and let cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and let them cool on a cooling rack. These muffins are best served shortly after baking, but will keep in a sealed container for several days.

Chef's Notes: We love the convenience of pumpkin pie spice, a warm, autumn-y blend of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves (and sometimes allspice, nutmeg, and/or mace, too), that’s sold in the spice section of most supermarkets. It’s great for adding a dash of sweet spice to apple, pear, and pumpkin desserts and baked goods. If you don’t have it on hand, you can make your own using 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon allspice.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1 muffin

Servings: 12

Amount Per Serving

Calories 132

Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1g     2%

Saturated Fat 0g     0%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg     0%

Sodium 248mg    10%

Total Carbohydrate 29g     10%

Dietary Fiber 3g     12%

Sugars 12g

Protein 5g     10%

Excellent Source of: Manganese

Good Source of: Fiber, Selenium

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

[mydawnhb]

Jamie Oliver weight loss: The chef lost 2st by cutting down on 1 thing 'It's been amazing'

JAMIE OLIVER opened up about his weight loss journey and revealed how he managed to easily lose two stone with a simple diet change. What did he cut down on?

Jamie Oliver, 46, is a TV chef who has been through a weight loss transformation in recent years. But how did the chef manage to drop two stone?

Jamie Oliver has been through a notable body change in recent years.

The TV chef lost two stone in a relatively short period of time.

Jamie admitted he slightly changed his diet but more importantly, he cut down on one food.

“I pushed meat down, pushed veggie up, got more sleep and more movement,” he explained during an interview with Radio Times.

But apart from cutting down on his meat intake, the chef focused on eating healthy.

When he opted for healthier foods and started cooking healthier meals, the chef saw an instant transformation.

"I lost 12 kilos quite quickly and I didn't do it through not eating.

"I ate a lot, more than I was used to,” Jamie explained.

However, his secret was swapping large servings of meat for more vegetables.

Jamie also shared his favourite snack to stay in shape: nuts.

“They make you half as likely to have a heart attack. Feed them to your kids as well,” he recommended.

Jamie also decided to make other lifestyle changes, such as cutting back on booze and getting more sleep.

"Your average Brit drinks booze. I’m not telling you what to do, but my rhythm now is only to drink at the weekend.

“It’s about a consciousness and knowing you’re doing something and being more mindful.”

Jamie also shared one food which helped him speed up weight loss: seaweed.

"I thought seaweed was hippy, globetrotting stuff but our ancestors ate seaweed. It has got a load of iodine and is the most nutritious vegetable in the world," he explained.

From: express.co.uk

9 September 2021

[mydawnhb]

We need to revive the ancient African indigenous ingredients

NEGLECTED CROPS

The terms neglected and underutilized species referring to animals, wild or semi-wild plants and cultivated crop plants apply to those species which appear to have considerable potential for use, yet whose potential is scarcely exploited, if not totally neglected, in agricultural production. This is why Humankind today depends on a narrow range of crop diversity to meet its food and other needs. But as the world population grows, it has become an important scenario globally to widen this narrow food base in order to serve increasing needs (See the studies of Anteneh Belayneh Desta from the Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Science, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia).

The reasons for the under-utilization or neglect of specific plant as food source vary:

• it may be that their useful traits are not well known;

• there is little processing or marketing capacity,

• a lack of interest on the part of agricultural research. Anteneh Desta points out that many of the species that research and development have ignored, are actually rich in cultural, nutritional, and ecological values. Local communities consider them essential elements not only in their diet but also in their food culture and rituals. That is why the link between cultural values and plant resources must be regarded as important in empowering communities to conserve and develop their biological and cultural assets. The National Academy of Sciences in America, with which I have had direct contact during the past few years, describes the current neglect of African ancient crop species as follows: “What has been almost entirely overlooked, however, is that throughout that vast continent can be found more than 2,000 native grains, roots, fruits, and other food plants. These have been feeding people for thousands of years but most are being given no attention whatever today. We have called them the 'lost crops of Africa’. Among the 2,000 lost foods are more than 100 native grasses whose seeds are (or have been) eaten”.

From: Jurie van der Walt

[mydawnhb]

These specials are available within South Africa.

Herbal Appetite Control is nutritionally beneficial for appetite control and weight management as part of a calorie-controlled diet. Contains Hoodia Gordonii - the Bushmen's secret, as well as Konjac Glucomanan, Kelp and Inulin. Wellness Pack - High Potency Immune Support contains 1x bottle of Vitamin Boost with Zinc & Selenium which is nutritionally supportive of  a healthy immune system,vitality and general well-being, as well as 1x bottle of Grapeseed Extract Proanthocyanidin which slows down the ageing effect of free radicals and maintaining a healthy immune system. Send an email for more information on these and other products to: healthtre@outlook.com

[mydawnhb]

MILLET-BASED DIET CAN LOWER RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES AND HELP MANAGE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS

A new study has shown that eating millets can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and helps manage blood glucose levels in people with diabetes, indicating the potential to design appropriate meals with millets for diabetic and pre-diabetic people as well as for non-diabetic people as a preventive approach.

Millets can be prepared and eaten like rice. Shown here is proso millet cooked like rice in turmeric. Photo: Joanna Kane-Potaka

Drawing on research from 11 countries, the study published in Frontiers in Nutrition shows that diabetic people who consumed millet as part of their daily diet saw their blood glucose levels drop 12-15% (fasting and post-meal), and blood glucose levels went from diabetic to pre-diabetes levels. The HbA1c (blood glucose bound to hemoglobin) levels lowered on average 17% for pre-diabetic individuals, and the levels went from pre-diabetic to normal status. These findings affirm that eating millets can lead to a better glycemic response.

The authors reviewed 80 published studies on humans of which 65 were eligible for a meta-analysis involving about 1,000 human subjects, making this analysis the largest systematic review on the topic to date. “No one knew there were so many scientific studies undertaken on millets’ effect on diabetes and these benefits were often contested. This systematic review of the studies published in scientific journals has proven that millets can keep blood glucose levels in check and reduce the risk of diabetes. It has also shown just how well these smart foods do it,” said Dr. S Anitha, the study’s lead author and a Senior Nutrition Scientist at ICRISAT.

Millets, including sorghum, were consumed as staple cereals in many parts of the world until half a century ago. Investments in a few crops such as rice, wheat and maize, have edged nutritious and climate-smart crops like millets out of the plate.

“Awareness of this ancient grain is just starting to spread globally, and our review shows millets having a promising role in managing and preventing type 2 diabetes. In the largest review and analysis of research into different types of millet compared to other grains such as refined rice, maize and wheat we found that millets outperform their comparison crops with lower GI and lower blood glucose levels in participants,” observed Professor Ian Givens, a co-author of the study and Director at University of Reading’s Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH) in the UK.

According to the International Diabetes Association, diabetes is increasing in all regions of the world. India, China and the USA have the highest numbers of people with diabetes. Africa has the largest forecasted increase of 143% from 2019 to 2045, the Middle East and North Africa 96% and South East Asia 74%. The authors urge the diversification of staples with millets to keep diabetes in check, especially across Asia and Africa.

Strengthening the case for reintroducing millets as staples, the study found that millets have a low average glycemic index (GI) of 52.7, about 36% lower GI than milled rice and refined wheat, and about 14-37 GI points lower compared to maize. All 11 types of millets studied could be defined as either low (<55) or medium (55-69) GI, with the GI as an indicator of how much and how soon a food increases blood sugar level. The review concluded that even after boiling, baking and steaming (most common ways of cooking grains) millets had lower GI than rice, wheat and maize.

“Millets are grown on all inhabited continents, yet they remain a ‘forgotten food’. We hope this will change from 2023, when the world observes the United Nations declared International Year of Millets, and with studies like this that show that millets outperform white rice, maize and wheat,” said Rosemary Botha, a co-author of the study who was based in Malawi at the time of the study, with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

“The global health crisis of undernutrition and over-nutrition coexisting is a sign that our food systems need fixing. Greater diversity both on-farm and on-plate is the key to transforming food systems. On-farm diversity is a risk mitigating strategy for farmers in the face of climate change while on-plate diversity helps counter lifestyle diseases such as diabetes. Millets are part of the solution to mitigate the challenges associated with malnutrition, human health, natural resource degradation, and climate change. Trans-disciplinary research involving multiple stakeholders is required to create resilient, sustainable and nutritious food systems,” said Dr. Jacqueline Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT.

Pearl millet and sorghum varieties and landraces. Photo: ICRISAT

Professor Paul Inman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) of the University of Reading, stressed that “The rapidly accelerating threats of climate change and global health crises, including obesity and diabetes, require everyone to pull together in action. The partnership between ICRISAT and the University of Reading is doing exactly this, bringing together our world leading expertise in human nutrition with ICRISAT’s long established role as a leader in agricultural research for rural development.”

The study also identified information gaps and highlighted a need for collaborations to have one major diabetes study covering all types of millets and all major ways of processing with consistent testing methodologies. Structured comprehensive information will be highly valuable globally, taking the scientific knowledge in this area to the highest level.

“This study is first in a series of studies that has been worked on for the last four years as a part of the Smart Food initiative led by ICRISAT that will be progressively released in 2021. Included are systematic reviews with meta-analyses of the impacts of millets on: diabetes, anemia and iron requirements, cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases and calcium deficiencies as well as a review on zinc levels. As part of this, ICRISAT and the Institute for Food Nutrition and Health at the University of Reading have formed a strategic partnership to research and promote the Smart Food vision of making our diets healthier, more sustainable on the environment and good for those who produce it,” explained Ms. Joanna Kane-Potaka, a co-author from ICRISAT and Executive Director of the Smart Food initiative.

NOTE: This research is also part of a special edition and theme section in the Frontiers journal – Smart Food for Healthy, Sustainable and Resilient Food System.

     - From ICRISAT Happenings Newsletter

(If you would like to receive a PDF copy of the Diabetes Research flyer, ‘Impact of Millets on Type 2 Diabetes’, please send an email to Hazel at healthtre@outlook.com)

[mydawnhb]

3 Foods that Contain Shikimic Acid to Halt Spike Protein Transmission

“The prestigious Salk Institute has authored a bombshell revealing that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is what’s actually causing vascular damage in covid patients and covid “vaccine” recipients, promoting the strokes, heart attacks, migraines, blood clots and other harmful reactions that have already killed thousanads of Americans. 

“Critically, all four covid vaccine brands currently in widespread use either inject patients with the spike protein or, via mRNA technology, instruct the patient’s own body to manufacture spike proteins and release them into their own blood.” (Natural News) This floods the patient’s body with the very spike protein that the Salk Institute has now identified as the smoking gun cause of vascular damage and related events (such as blood clots, which are killing many people who take the vaccines). (Natural News)

“Put simply, it means the “vaccines” were designed to contain the very element that’s killing people.

“The false assumption of the vaccine industry is that the spike protein is “inert” and harmless. The Salk Institute proves this assumption to be dangerously inaccurate.” (source)

Is there a way to stop the vascular damage in Covid patients and Covid “vaccine” recipients?

Through research, I learned about shikimic acid, a plant phytochemical that’s touted for reducing platelet aggregation.

There are at least 3 foods in the plant kingdom that contain relevant levels.

Why is shikimic acid important to us?

Shikimic acid offers antiplatelet-aggregating activity, meaning it helps halt blood clots.

1. Steeping fresh pine needles releases shikimic acid

These studies confirm it: Shikimic Acid in Pine Needles and Antiplatelet-aggregaring Activity and Analysis of Shikimic Acid in Masson Pine Needles and Antiplatelet-aggregating Activity.

That study found that pine needles provide about two-thirds the shikimic acid of star anise herb:

Masson pine needles = 5.71% shikimic acid Star anise = 8.95% shikimic acid

That pine needle tea (all the safe pine tree varieties) offers a solution to stop the vascular damage (and is possibly an antidote against the effects of covid vaccine transmission) is really good news!

Researchers at the University of Main at Orono say extracting shikimic acid from needles of white pine, red pine and other conifer trees is done SIMPLY DONE BY STEEPING the needles in water.

Water acts as a solvent, and through heat and time, some phytochemicals in the pine needles are extracted into the water, making a pine needle tea. (This is how all tea is made.)

Making pine needle tea is easy, and only requires fresh pine needles and hot water!

2. Fennel seeds are another “plant food” that contains protective shikimic acid

Fennel is a plant in the carrot and celery family. It tastes sweet and licoric-ey and is also highly aromatic. Fennel has been used as medicine for thousands of years.

The active ingredient in fennel seeds is shikimic acid.

Supporting study: Anti-platelet and anti-thrombogenic effects of shikimic acid

You can simply boil fennel seeds in water and get your own shikimic acid.

3. Star anise, an unusual star-shaped fruit, counts for most of the world’s production

Star anise contains many medicinal compounds that contribute to its long list of health benefits. In fact, much of the star anise plant production today is used for the extraction of shikimic acid, the active ingredient in flu medications like Tamiflu. 

As concerns continue to mount over the threat to global health, the demand for star anise is on the rise.

Or make your own blend of organic fennel seeds and organic star anise (that you know are potent and will have the highest efficacy because you know the source). You can also add spices such as cinnamon stick and clove.

The Journal of Medical Virology shows shikimic acid in combo with *Quercetin, even at low doses, are the most effective to modulate innate immunity in antiviral terms. (* see my June 2021 specials info on Quercetin)

Are These Safe in Pregnancy?

Answers vary, but most resources say none of these are safe in pregnancy.

Lastly, did you know that 1/3rd of the world’s production of shikimic acid is obtained from genetically engineered E. coli?  (second source) May be that is one of the reasons Tamiflu has such a risk for neuropsychiatric and behavior disturbances.

Who ever knew we would need shikimic acid? Plants, grown as intended (sustainably), are an incalculable gift from our Creator. They are the best and surest medicine when used with knowledge and understanding.

     -      From Deep Roots At Home

[mydawnhb]

The Artist’s Way

“Many blocked people are actually very powerful and creative personalities who have been made to feel guilty about their own strengths and gifts.” – Julia Cameron

I came across Julia Cameron’s book, ‘The Artist’s Way’ many years ago and went through the tasks given by myself. I later went through her book ‘The Vein of Gold’.

Then, in 2013, I attended a group workshop with 4 life coaches entitled ‘Living Whole-heartedly’ based on Brené Brown’s best-selling book of the same name. At the completion of this workshop, it was suggested that we continue working together by way of doing ‘The Artist’s Way’ as a group.

Important Note: ‘The Artist’s Way’ is not a painting or drawing class. It is a 12-week course of self-discovery which involves each participant doing various tasks at home and then sharing their ideas and thoughts with each other on a weekly basis. It is an individual journey for each participant and the get-togethers provide support, inspiration and encouragement.

I was interested to notice that big shifts only really started taking place for me when we did ‘The Artist’s Way’ together in 2014, as compared to the dryness of my experience when I tried to do the book on my own. There’s a lot to be said about group dynamics and being able to share and to benefit from each other’s feedback and ideas.

With the global pandemic lockdown for the last 2.5 years and many of us feeling isolated, I started yearning to do this journey again. I moved away in 2019 from my home roots in the Durban area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and am now living along the beautiful Garden Route in the Western Cape of South Africa. I have since facilitated two Artist’s Way groups and have found that when a group of friends do this life-changing course together, it is far more rewarding for participants & deepens their friendship. I’m going to be facilitating this life-changing 12-week workshop ‘The Artist’s Way’ in Sedgefield and look forward to getting together with new co-travellers on the inner journey of personal development and adventure.

* Cost of ‘The Artist’s Way’ course in South African Rands: R1900 per participant for the 12-week course. 

* You will need: the book ‘The Artist’s Way’, notepad and pen, A4 hardcover notebook (280-300) pages.

A brief Bio:

Hazel Bond specializes in health management and stress release through Nutritional Consulting - Dip. D.N. ITEC (U.K.) & SACOCT (S.A.) - and as a Certified TRE® Provider (Tension and Trauma Release Exercises). Hazel continues to further her studies in these and related fields and has completed courses in Counseling Skills with Lifeline, Kinesiology (muscle testing), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Communication Skills workshops, Mindfulness courses and attended Process Art classes for 10 months. Hazel has partaken in support groups on an invitation/contribution basis including ‘Support Groups for Adults with ADD/ADHD’, ‘Encounter Groups’ and continued doing group workshops on books in addition to ‘The Artist’s Way’, such as ‘The Breakthrough Experience’ by Dr John Demartini. In more recent years, Hazel has completed several online creative workshops on clearing blocks and old belief systems through creativity with Louise Fletcher in the UK and with Nicholas Wilton in the USA.

Email Hazel to register for ‘The Artist’s Way’:  healthtre@outlook.com