Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 105«..1020..104105106107..110120..»

Home » Diets that Work » Page 105

One of the first aspects of our lives that the COVID-19 pandemic affected is what we eat.

Canadians were told to stay at home as much as possible, minimize trips to grocery stores, sanitize everything and adapt how they prepare meals in their household.

With 40 per centof Canadians saying in April that they were not ordering food from restaurants because of a fear of infection, figuring out what to make every night presented a new challenge.

Research Co. and Glacier Media asked Canadians about what they are eating, how long it takes for them to make dinner and whether the isolation of the lockdown has forced them to reach for ampler clothes insider their closets.

Earlier this year, the federal government updated Canadas Food Guide, a document that proposes ways for residents to achieve a healthy diet. Across the country, two-thirds of Canadians (66 per cent) say they are very familiar or moderately familiar with Canadas Food Guide, a proportion that jumps to 75 per centamong women.

This high level of familiarity would suggest that Canadians are following the governments recommended guidelines. But, as is often observed with bylaws related to bike helmets, pet waste or alcohol in parks, they are not being followed intently. Only 41 per centof Canadians say they follow the recommendations of Canadas Food Guide all the time or most of the time.

Canadians who have decided to discard specific foods from their diet (such as vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians) are more likely to abide by the recommendations of the guide (62 per cent)than those who can be described as omnivores (37 per cent).

Nobody should attempt to blame younger generations for the demise of government-endorsed nutritional habits. Canadians aged 55 and over are the most likely to say they never follow the recommendations of Canadas Food Guide (35 per cent). The proportion of rejecters is lower among those aged 35 to 54 (28 per cent) and those aged 18 to 34 (22 per cent).

Aside from the fact that many Canadians are not following the guide, there are some shifts in what we are consuming during the pandemic. One in five Canadians (19 per cent) report eating less fish and shellfish, and a slightly smaller proportion (15 per cent) are eating less meat. In contrast, similar proportions of Canadians are adding more legumes (14 per cent) and poultry (13 per cent) to their diets.

Practically one in four Canadians (24 per cent) say they are eating more fruits and vegetables than before the pandemic began, a proportion that includes three in 10 of those aged 18 to 34.

For the past several weeks, social media posts have been overloaded with pictures of people baking. Ingredients such as flour and yeast were in short supply at one point, and conversations that included the phrase sourdough starter multiplied. In our survey, one in five Canadians (21 per cent) say they are baking bread more often at home, and three in 10 (29 per cent) are baking more cookies and cakes than before the pandemic began.

Once again, millennials are leading the way, with 30 per centof Canadians aged 18 to 34 baking bread more and 39 per centindulging more often in homemade desserts.

In July 2019, we looked at how much time Canadians spent making dinner on an average weeknight. At the time, 30 per centof residents said they were done in less than 30 minutes, 60 per centdevoted 31 to 60 minutes to prepare a meal and 10 per centtook more than an hour to make dinner.

With fewer Canadians commuting and many working from home because of the pandemic, we could assume that more time would be spent learning about ingredients and partaking in more challenging recipes. This is not the case. The proportion of Canadians who prepare dinner on a weekday in less than half an hour increased by six points to 36 per cent, and those who spend more than hour are down slightly to eight per cent.

The final question looked at the effect of the lockdown on our waistlines. Just over three in 10 Canadians (31 per cent) confide that they have gained weight during the pandemic, while a majority (52per cent) report no change and 14 per centsay they have lost weight.

Women (33 per cent) and Canadians aged 18 to 34 (36 per cent) are more likely to acknowledge that they have gained weight recently. Regionally, the numbers are highest in British Columbia (33 per cent) and lowest in Ontario (29 per cent).

The pandemic has showed some fluctuations in the behaviour of Canadians when it comes to food. While familiarity with Canadas Food Guide is high, not many Canadians are looking at it when designing their meals. Even after spending all day at home, few Canadians are staying in the kitchen for more than one hour.

- Mario Canseco is the president of Research Co.

Here is the original post:
How the COVID-19 pandemic has changed what's on Canada's menu - PrinceGeorgeMatters.com

This interesting salad packed with superfoods is quick, easy and absolutely delicious.

Highlights

Let's just agree that a wholesome, easy salad is a quick-fix for everything, from a healthy mid-day meal to a wholesome evening meal. Salads are a great meal option on a bright, summery day. Imagine a bright, vibrant bowl of freshly cut fruits and veggies with refreshing dressing on the top. Doesn't the thought itself make you want one right away? And especially when many of us are working from home due to Coronavirus pandemic, healthy eating instead of binge eating is much more important. And salads with superfoods seem to be the best and easiest pick!

Superfoods have been the talk of the town since years now and over time, dieticians and nutritionists have helped clear the air about it. According to many nutritionists, superfoods are nothing fancy but many of our regular veggies, fruit, grains and seeds that are a powerhouse of nutrition. They can do wonders for our health, skin and hair.

Nutritionists and health experts always recommend to include these superfoods in our diet. From juicy berries to crunchy nuts and leafy greens, superfoods have a wide variety and we can prepare some of the most drool-worthy dishes from them. Salads seem to be the easiestpick, not only because it is delicious with a tangy dressing on top but is a powerhouse of nutrients!

(Also Read:5 Superfoods You Can Add To Your Daily Diet)

Here's a superfood salad recipe that one can prepare at home in no more than 15 minutes! Packed with the goodness of vitamin-C rich kale leaves, fibre-rich strawberries, onion, immunity-boosting blueberries and sunflower seeds, this salad is the perfect mix of taste and health. It is topped with a citrusy-tangy dressing that is made with chia seeds- another ingredient that comes brimming with nutrients such as iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorous, magnesium, folate, B vitamins among other essential micronutrients. Balsamic vinegar and table salt adds a flavourful punch to the dressing besides the crunch of chia seeds.

This superfood salad can prove to be an excellent way to boost immunity among other health benefits. It is wholesome, tasty and perfect for a quick meal.

Find the full recipe of superfood salad here. Try it at home and let us know your experience in the comments section below.

About Aanchal MathurAanchal doesn't share food. A cake in her vicinity is sure to disappear in a record time of 10 seconds. Besides loading up on sugar, she loves bingeing on FRIENDS with a plate of momos. Most likely to find her soulmate on a food app.

See the original post:
Make This Superfood Salad With Berries And Seeds In Just 15 Minutes - NDTV Food

Looking for a simple dietary change that can improve your stamina and help you run faster in as fast as four days? If so, then the Mediterranean diet might be what you need.

Mediterranean Diet: Run Faster In Four Days

Thanks to numerous researchers, studies and people who actually experienced the results, weve all been praising the Mediterranean diet for quite a while now. More of a lifestyle than a diet, this strategy has been known to help with inflammation, promote heart health, improve organ function and even reduce the risk of your developing depression.

But did you know that for athletes who want to improve their performance and endurance, the diet can come in very handy too?

Thats right, because a study made by a team of researchers from Saint Louis University (SLU) in Missouri revealed that people who follow the diet are known to improve their running and endurance by six percent in a mere four days. The team reportedly recruited a group of men and women and required them to run on a treadmill after four days of eating the diet strictly. As for what they ate, it involved at least three servings of nuts and fruits, four tablespoons of olive oil and at least two servings of vegetables. Additionally, they also limited their consumption of meat, sodas and sweets.

From this, the team was able to conclude that following the diet helped them move six percent faster than when they were on a diet high in refined sugars, fat and salt.

Many individual nutrients in the Mediterranean diet improve exercise performance immediately or within a few days. Therefore, it makes sense that a whole dietary pattern that includes these nutrients is also quick to improve performance. However, these benefits were also quickly lost when switching to the Western diet, highlighting the importance of long-term adherence to the Mediterranean diet, Edward Weiss, studys senior researcher and a professor of nutrition and dietetics, said.

Like the general population, athletes and other exercise enthusiasts commonly eat unhealthy diets. Now they have an additional incentive to eat healthy, he added.

Running a marathon has been found helping people reverse the hearts biological age and improve cardiovascular health. Pixabay

See more here:
Want To Run Faster? Here's The Diet Change That Lets You Do It In 4 Days - Medical Daily

And the lockdown continues. Most of the country has been homebound for more than two months due to the global pandemic, which makes going to the local market to shop for your groceries is even less appealing than usual. This is why a meal kit service just may be the solution for people looking for healthy home-cooked mealsduring thecoronavirus crisis.

We've been on the meal delivery service bandwagon for a while now, and what follows is a list of our favorite picks for delicious and nutritious meal options. Even better, many of them -- including Freshly, Blue Apron, Sun Basket, Every Plate and Gobble -- are currently offering deals for new customers. And those deals are good. Like, several free meals good. There's absolutely no reason you need to put on a mask and real pants to get your groceries anymore!

We're sure that most of you have probably noticed cheerful meal kit company boxes from the likes of Blue Apron,Freshly,Home Chef,Sakara Life, Purple Carrot andGobble making ever-more-frequent appearances on your neighbors' stoops over the last several years. Trully,age of the meal kit food delivery service is upon us. Each meal delivery company provides a type of convenience service that combines the efforts of chefs, nutritionists and personal grocery shoppers, and delivers them into the hands of enthusiastic eaters or willing home kitchen cooks, with weekly menus and delicious, preportioned fresh ingredients including vegetables and meat for you to easily prepare. The variety of meal delivery program options available today is just staggering, with everything from fully prepared meals to gluten-free healthy meals to vegetarian options available and ready to ship. That means that people with special diets such as a diet for healthy weight loss don't have to exclude themselves from reading further. It's time to find the best meal kit delivery service for your needs whether you are a picky eater, vegan, on a keto diet or another special diet.

I once met one of the founders of Blue Apron, whose meal delivery kit box I'd become familiar with, thanks to the denizens of my apartment building. I mentioned that I thought the Blue Apron service sounded like a cool idea, but inundated him with a litany of reasons why such a thing didn't apply to me: I work in an industry where tasty meals are often provided, I'm rarely home, I'm culinary school-trained and so on. His counterargument was flawless: "Can I send you a free box?" I mean, duh.

Despite my protestations, the reasons I enjoyed the Blue Apron meal plan were plenty, and inspired me to continue my subscription with an occasional box of ingredients. Even with culinary school cred, I liked having ingredients I didn't know of or would rarely seek out when grocery shopping put directly into my hands. I was especially moved by the concept of getting provided the single rib of celery that a recipe demanded, sparing me the heartache of watching an entire head of celery languish in my produce drawer when left to my own devices.

There are now dozens of meal kit delivery programs to choose from, like Sun Basket,Martha & Marley Spoon andPurple Carrot, with a variety of healthy meal and niche meal selection customizations. These meal kit delivery service options have ingredients and menus available to fit special diets like vegan gluten-free, vegetarian gluten-free, plain old gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian pescatarian, keto, plant-based, health conscious diet and just about anything else when it comes to dietary preference. You'll also often find promotional offers for new customers and convenient features like being able to skip weeks and cancel anytime. With limited or no commitment, if you're a calendar master and an account-management ninja, you can dabble in any or all of these services and choose, week-by-week, which best suits your circumstances.

Read more:Best air fryers of 2020: Philips, Cuisinart, Black and Decker and more

Home Chef boasts over 38 meal kits to choose from in any given week, including the all-new grill packs and one-pan dinners. Meal kit examples include Chipotle Chimichurri Mini Pork Meatloaves with Roasted Sweet Potato and Garlic Peppercorn Salmon Scampi with Garlic Cream Gemelli and Broccolini. Plus, you can customize the protein in your meal choices, which makes Home Chef dishes stand out from the pack. For example, with some Home Chef recipes, you can order double the protein such as chicken or meat without doubling the overall portions. With other Home Chef options, you can choose to order antibiotic-free protein instead of the standard version. Meal kits and ingredients are usually pretty standard in their offering (which is what keeps Home Chef efficient to the masses).

One new and unique offering from Home Chef is their oven-ready meals, which come with everything you'll need to make the meal including the cooking tray (no messy kitchen and no dishes). See an example of anoven-ready meal here.

Subscription: Starting at $7.99 per serving with additional premium Home Chef recipes offered at market price.

Read more:The best toaster oven is the one you'll hate the least

Healthy and fresh are common favorite meal kit descriptors, but Sun Basket goes a step further. Sun Basket is committed to organic, non-GMO, sustainably and responsibly raised products and ingredients, which it packages in 100 percent recyclable materials to boot. Basically, the box took the trip to the farmer's market for you.Sun Basket's recipes are developed by Justine Kelly, a San Francisco chef known for her work at the James Beard Award-winning Slanted Door restaurant, and for her appearance on Top Chef. All of her easy and delicious meals with organic ingredients are nutritionist-approved (500 to 800 calories per serving), and most meals take only about 30 minutes to prepare, with online Sun Basket tutorials available if you need a little extra guidance. You've got options for these nutritious meals too -- you'll be able to choose from a selection of six to 18 different organic meal recipes each week, including paleo, vegan meal, vegetarian and gluten free meals, so you'll always get what you want. Sun Basket delivery is available in 36 states, and Sun Basket shipments arrive on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. For three Sun Basket meals each week, you'll pay $74.93 for the two-person plan (or $11.99 per serving) and $143.87 for the four-person plan ($10.99 per serving), with a $5.99 shipping fee either way.

Subscription: For three Sun Basket meals each week, you'll pay $74.93 for the two-person plan (or the $11.99 price per serving) and $143.87 for the four-person Sun Basket plan ($10.99 per serving), with a $5.99 shipping fee either way.

A few of these services provide fully cooked, ready to eat meals to your doorstep, and Freshly is a good one if you desire wholesome, tasty comfort foods such as peppercorn steak, penne bolognese or chicken and rice pilaf. Meals are prepared right before delivery and are never frozen. With minimal reheating required by you, it's like having Mom cook dinner for you in your kitchen, without having Mom live with you. (Sorry, Mom.)

Subscription: $8.99 to $12.50 per serving, with up to 12 servings per week. Shipping is free.

At just $4.99 per serving and with an emphasis on delicious, hearty meal options and generous portion sizes, EveryPlate is the best plan for those whose journey into meal kit delivery is based on affordability. It keeps its overhead low by offering eight easy recipes to choose from weekly, which does mostly exclude vegetarians and those on special diets, but the eight available meals are full of variety and flavor otherwise. Get 18 meals for only $3.33 each, free shipping on your first order, plus the ability to skip or cancel anytime.

Subscription:Each serving is only $4.99. Each weekly box includes three recipes with either two or four servings apiece.

Blue Apron is largely accepted to be the granddad of meal kit delivery programs in the US. The eight menu choices available weekly range from simple pastas to delicious international options, with a seafood and vegetarian option always available. Even the simplest recipes might include an unfamiliar component or two, and the website often highlights these ingredients as an educational opportunity. Recipes are tagged with helpful keywords such as "customer favorite," "quick and easy," "great for grilling" and so on. Occasional promotions include a menu from guest celebrity chefs, or recipes that highlight popular travel destinations. An optional wine pairing service is also offered.

Subscription: Price per serving ranges from $7.49 to $9.99, with options to prepare two to four recipes per week and two or four servings per recipe.

Dinnerly rolls out some pretty exciting-sounding and delicious meals such as summery chicken panzanella and risotto with asparagus and cannellini beans. But with no more than six ingredients per recipe, the damage done to your time and kitchen is minimized. Along with not overwhelming you with myriad ingredients and multiple steps, the price tag for Dinnerly puts it squarely in the budget-friendly category, clocking in with a cost per serving of around $5.

Subscription: The options include a Two-Person Box for $30, or a Family Box for $60, each with three recipes for the week.

Gobble takes the template from the old guard of meal delivery kits but speeds it up by prechopping and part-cooking many of the components so that all recipes have a prep time of 15 minutes or less. Despite the "fast food" angle, each menu has a sophisticated and worldly vibe. Weekly recipe choices are cleverly categorized into From the Range, From the Ranch, From the Sea and From the Earth options.

Subscription: Options range from $11.99 to $13.99 per serving, with options for two to four servings of two or three (or more!) recipes.

HelloFresh helpfully tags each recipe accordingly, whether you are allergic to (or avoiding) dairy, gluten, soy, nuts and so on. Familiarity of ingredients is key, even when applied to dishes from various world cuisines. A Hello Fresh's portion sizes are generous, going with its relatively high cost per serving (up to $10 a person). "dinner to lunch" element is a unique twist that provides the home cook a variation on tonight's dinner to serve as a tasty portable lunch tomorrow.

Subscription: Options range from $8.74 to $9.99 per serving, with options for two to four recipes per week and two or four servings per recipe, customizable along Classic, Veggie and Family plans.

We like Green Chef for its versatility in the different specific diet plans available. Green Chef offers paleo, keto, pescatarian, vegan, and vegetarian options as well as gluten-free meals. No matter which diet you're following (for health or personal reasons) you'll be able to find a Green Chef plan that works for you. Because it offers so many different diet plan choices, this also makes Green Chef one of the most versatile meal kit delivery services since you get a plethora of different tasty menu options per week.

Subscription: $12.99-$11.99 per serving for a two-person Green Chef subscription at three meals/week; $10.99 per serving for a four-person Green Chef subscription at two meals/week.

Now playing: Watch this: 4 unexpected tricks for a better cookout

2:09

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

See the rest here:
The best meal kit delivery services of 2020: Blue Apron, Freshly, Sun Basket and more - CNET

HIROSHIMA Diet member Anri Kawai is suspected of giving cash to voters in Hiroshima during her successful campaign for the 2019 Upper House election last July, sources familiar with the situation said Saturday.

The 46-year-old wife of former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai, known for his close ties to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, made her Diet debut by winning the election. Both are members of Abes ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The couple, suspected of buying votes, may have handed out over 20 million ($182,000) to around 100 people in connection with the campaign, the sources said.

Some supporters of the couple, including local assembly members, have already confessed to Kyodo News that the 57-year-old former justice minister offered from 50,000 to over 100,000 to each person. In some cases, the candidate herself dispensed cash to local voters, the sources said.

Prosecutors, who have been investigating the scandal for months are seeking to charge the former minister and possibly his wife for breaking the Public Offices Election Law after the Diet closes for the summer on June 17. Lawmakers have special immunity from arrest while the Diet is in session.

The two denied the allegations during voluntary questioning by the Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office, according to investigative sources.

In March, secretaries of the couple were charged with bribery for paying 2.04 million to 14 campaign staffers for their work on the election, exceeding the legal cap of 15,000 per person per day.

The prosecutors have been investigating whether the alleged bribe money may have come from some 150 million the LDP gave to Anris campaign.

Katsuyuki Kawai was special adviser for foreign affairs to Abe before being named justice minister last September. He stepped down from the post the following month after the election scandal broke.

The prosecutors have found that Katsuyuki Kawai orchestrated the campaign for his wife, investigative sources said earlier.

In the Upper House election, the LDP battled for two seats in the Hiroshima constituency by backing Anri Kawai and veteran lawmaker Kensei Mizote. But Mizote lost his seat because the conservative voters were divided.

See the original post:
LDP's Anri Kawai suspected of buying votes during 2019 Upper House election - The Japan Times

Indian fashion fraternitys self-appointed watchdog, Diet Sabya, has finally started reposting again and is giving us all lessons in the history of Gandi copies. The Instagram handle which is synonymous for calling out celebrities, stylists, designers, alike for ripping off the work of others had been raising awareness of the condition of employees working in Indian companies, fashion and otherwise, during the coronavirus pandemic, calling the companies out for mistreating their employees and wrongfully laying them off. And given that most celebrities are homebound, the handle which usually calls out Gandi copies, be it outfits or styling, was otherwise quiet. However, much to our delight, the handle finally posted a video giving us all some lessons into the history of plagiarism in Bollywood. The video collage had a model wearing a Versace jacket during one portion and in another were Madhuri Dixit Nene and Sanjay Kapoor, dancing to the tunes of the 90s classic, Akhiyan Milaoon Kabhi Akhiya Churau, in which Madhuri is seen wearing a gandi copy of the Versace jacket.

While the sparkling, embellished Versace jacket and matching crop top was worn by model Christy Turlington as she walked the ramp for Versace in 1992, Madhuris much less flashy version was seen in the 1995 movie, Raja. Diet Sabya cheekily captioned the post, Did you know? The real tea is that Ana Singh created a rather modest version of Gianni Versaces iconic 1992 collection worn by Christy Turlington for Madhuri Dixit Nenes iconic Raja song (released in 1995). Happy #25yearsofraja (Documenting this for fun so that kids can enjoy some fashion history), calling out Madhuris designer for that outfit, Ana Singh.

However, Ana Singhs response was so honest and on point that even Diet Sabya couldnt help but call her a legend.

Ana wrote very confidently of her work, My director sent me a reference to make so the call was not mine. Access to clothes was impossible and requirement needed to be fulfilled. I was sent the book Vanitas by Gianni Versace.She jokingly added, Just did the job. And sorry but no sorry its an excellent copy.

Diet Sabya posted her reply on their story dubbing Ana a legend, but this resulted in a flurry of responses from other designers and stylists who spoke of how they had to do what the client wanted, and how directors are adamant of what they want. One even said, Its what the client wants and what youre being paid for, is the implied message, to which someone responded that it was 100% true, and Diet Sabya posted the response in his story with the question, So clients and brands are the root of all evil?

Diet Sabya also posted another collage of a poster of the timeless 90s hit sitcom FRIENDS that was shot for the cover of Rolling Stones magazine by Mark Seliger alongside an eerily similar poster of the boy band Band of Boys Meri Neend.

Diet Sabya captioned the post, Meri Neend Ud Gayi Hai Mera Chain Kho Gaya Hai Tere Copy Mein Meri Jaan Yeh Kya Ho Gaya Hai. Left: @friends poster/Rolling Stones cover by @markseliger; Right: #bandofboys Meri Neend poster. #vintage #gandi #copy #history.

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter

See the article here:
Diet Sabya gives history lesson in gandi copies with posts of Madhuri Dixit, Band of Boys ripping off... - Hindustan Times

In The Martian, the 2015 film directed by Ridley Scott, astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is accidentally abandoned alone on Mars by his crewmates after an emergency evacuation, without enough food to survive. Mars is a tricky prospect for even the most red- fingered gardener: theres almost no air, the soil has few nutrients and lots of heavy metals, and the temperature is typically around -60C. Im going to have to science the shit out of this, Watney, a botanist, declares. He decides to grow potatoes, jerry-rigging a climate-controlled dome, burning hydrazine to make water and creating a growth medium from Mars dust supplemented by his crewmates faeces.

In Star Trek they just replicate food out of pure energy

One might expect proper scientists who are actually trying to work out how to grow food on Mars, with a view to supporting human life there at some point in the not-so-distant future, to be sniffy about such far-fetched speculation. The Martian? Thats my favourite movie! exclaims Dr Wieger Wamelink, a senior ecologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, who has been conducting experiments on cultivating plants in space since 2013. Its the only sci-fi movie where growing food is very important.

When Wamelink started his experiments, many people thought his work was left-field and then some. Now, thanks to The Martian, originally a 2011 novel by the American writer Andy Weir, at least they understood what he was trying to achieve. The movie helped tremendously, Wamelink says. It also, counterintuitively, supplied hypotheses he can test. The journey to Mars takes half a year, he tells me on a video call from his garage in Wageningen, an attractive town on the Rhine, not far from Arnhem. So store all your poo and pee. Thats your starter kit, what you need to get started in the soil. Actually, The Martian is totally correct there. It may be smelly, but its so important.

The 53-year-old Wamelink, who has a goofy sense of humour and, coincidentally, a passing resemblance to Matt Damon, has a background in plant breeding. Until recently, he had a conventional academic career at the university, which is world-renowned for its work on agriculture and forestry. However, Wamelink kept on being passed over for research grants: he was told once that his proposals were not innovative enough.

In the shower one day, Wamelink began to ponder the idea of food production in space. A fanatical Trekkie (but I dont go to conventions and I dont wear costumes), he found that his immediate point of reference was sci-fi. In Star Trek, its easy: they just replicate food out of pure energy, says Wamelink. If you look at Deep Space Nine, Commander Sisko likes to cook and he uses fresh vegetables. But they never show where they come from. Only in the original Battlestar Galactica series from the late 1970s, in which the fleet was followed by vast agro ships, was there a nod to the practicalities of life away from Earth.

Wamelink drew up a new proposal: a theoretical study into growing plants on the Moon and on Mars. He was given 25,000. Wamelink then discovered that you could buy Nasa-endorsed regolith simulant, essentially soil from Earth that has many of the properties of that found in space: the moon soil came from a desert in Arizona, and the Mars simulant from the side of a volcano on Hawaii, which is then cleaned and rolled to make it more dusty. Wamelink decided to make his experiments practical: what could he actually grow in these weird, nutrient-poor soils?

In a greenhouse, Wamelink began with garden cress, which he planted on 1 April, 2013. Not a very handy day, he reflects now, because nobody believed us when we started it, especially journalists. Wamelink did not have especially high expectations. He was particularly concerned that lead, mercury and zinc in the soil would end up in the water that the plants absorbed and that they would then be toxic to eat.

But, to Wamelinks surprise, the cress grew and, crucially, the plant did not take up the heavy metals. In the years since, Wamelink has refined the process. By adding organic matter (leaves and roots from the previous harvest) to the soil and earthworms to break it down, he has radically increased the size and quantity of the plants. He has also expanded the variety of crops: not just cress and salad leaves but tomatoes, peas, radishes and root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Mars will come to fear my botany powers, Mark Watney predicts in The Martian and Wamelink intends to make good on the promise.

Moreover, Wamelinks research suddenly seems much less wacky. Against expectations, a 21st-century space race is under way, driven by national governments and hyper-wealthy private individuals such as Richard Branson and Elon Musk, who created his aerospace company SpaceX from a dream to grow a rose on Mars. Donald Trump wants US astronauts back on the Moon by 2024. The idea of establishing a base there, probably in advance of onward travel to Mars, is clearly on some minds. In January 2019, Chinas Change-4 probe became the first spacecraft from any nation to land on the Moons far side. The mission took a few seeds, including cotton and potato. A cotton seedling even sprouted for a short period before dying in the harsh cold of the lunar night.

When I started the experiment I was in contact with Nasa and other space agencies, but the general idea was: Food? Yeah, you just bring it along, recalls Wamelink. Its boys and toys I always say, so rockets, satellites things that cost lots of money that you can tinker on. Its those things they are working on. And well, thats changed.

Its not exactly correct to say that food in space has always been an afterthought. In 1979, Soviet cosmonauts aboard Soyuz 32 took eggs from Japanese quail: there were hopes that the fertilised eggs a valuable source of lysozyme could hatch in space and supplement the cosmonauts diet with further eggs and meat. It was more complicated than they anticipated and it was not until 1990 that healthy quail chicks hatched (though they struggled especially with feeding in zero gravity and required tiny harnesses). Nasa tried similar experiments with chicken eggs in the 1980s. The Japanese have sent live fish to the International Space Station, and also looked into crop growth and edible insects. However, theres a new urgency to the research.

If youre on the space shuttle for just a week or two, of course, youre going to take everything with you, says Dr Gioia Massa, a plant scientist at Nasas Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Its like a camping trip, youre not going to do agriculture on short-duration trips. But were finally getting to the point where we see going back to the Moon by 2024, we see going on to Mars in the future. These things that were really far out are now coming closer. And you cant just turn these things on overnight. You have to start testing in advance for when we go there.

Massa works on Nasas Vegetable Production System, known informally as Veggie, which since 2014 has been cultivating plants in and for the International Space Station. The project has had success growing three types of lettuce, Chinese cabbage, red Russian kale, mizuna mustard and zinnia flowers in space. The astronauts are allowed to eat some of what they propagate (the rest comes back for testing), and it supplements their diet of 180 long-life foods, plus around 20 condiments and beverages that they consume on an eight-day cycle. In March, Massa published research that found space lettuce was not only safe to eat, but as nutritious as the crops the Veggie team was producing on Earth.

My husband actually teaches science fiction and fantasy at a local university

Like Wamelink, Massa is a sci-fi fan. Science fiction had a huge impact on me and still does, she says on the phone from Florida. My husband actually teaches science fiction and fantasy at a local university in Orlando. So hes imagining things and Im trying to take those imaginings and make them real.

The Veggie programme, though, differs from Wamelink on how best to grow the crops. Instead of using an approximation of the soil found on the Moon and Mars, Massa and her team have a system she calls modified hydroponics: because of the complications of microgravity, the plants are grown in a solid substrate of baked, porous clay, which keeps water and oxygen around the roots. A time-release fertiliser supplies nutrients, light comes from LEDs and the astronauts add water.

Its not a perfect set-up, Massa concedes. Veggie is a passive system, and it requires a lot of astronaut time to add water and guessing how much water to add, she says. So were walking this tightrope between a flood and a drought, and we fall off a lot. Still, for now, Massa believes that Veggies modified hydroponics system has the most potential for supplying astronauts with fresh food in space that is certifiably safe to eat. For example, Martian soil is known to contain perchlorates, a toxic chemical (not present in the simulant soil used by Wamelink) that is poisonous to humans even in very small amounts.

Both Massa and Wamelink agree that if we are to solve the problem of how to grow plants in space, we need to pursue multiple strands of investigation. And no ideas are too outlandish to rule out. Recently, Wamelink has been mulling over how you could get pollinators to Mars: he likes bumblebees (which could hibernate for the six-month journey) and flies, which could also be a source of protein if you are happy to eat the larvae. Hes even been looking into human urine, purified, as a potential source of fertiliser. To get enough raw material to test, Wamelink approached festival organisers in the Netherlands.

Wasnt he worried about the alcohol concentration? Yes or even worse! Its in Amsterdam so he replies. But they do some checks on it and theres no THC and all those things you get into pee if you smoke some dope. And thats important because you dont want to get the people over on Mars sick.

This all might seem a little esoteric for the regular gardener, but both Massa and Wamelink believe their work will also have an impact on Earth, even in our humble gardens and allotments. Massa points out that Nasa funded the research group that came up with LEDs for plant growth in the 1980s, a technology that is now widely used. The space agency has also invested in Florikan, a controlled-release fertiliser that could help reduce the environmental problem of fertiliser run-off in waterways and estuaries. Things like urban agriculture, vertical farming, factory farming, we share a lot of information between these groups, Massa says. We learn from them, they learn from us.

Covid-19 has slowed down some of the research, but not for long. Massa can go to the Kennedy Space Center for mission-essential work and the Veggie units on the space station continue unhindered. Shes particularly excited that Nasas unmanned Perseverance rover is still due to leave for Mars on 17 July, expecting to land in February 2021.

As for Wamelink, he aims to do one major experiment a year and hes already achieved that in 2020. He is also using the time for reflection and idea generation. At home, Ive got a pond and some fruit trees and my own vegetable garden, he says, looking out of his window. Really, its like being on Mars.

Read this article:
Gardens of the galaxy: can you grow vegetables on Mars? - The Guardian

WW - formerly known as Weight Watchers - has been helping people shed the pounds for years thanks to its easy points-based system and weekly workshops.

Two women who have first-hand experience of the popular diet are Natasha Summar Allen and Louise Eccleston, who have shed an impressive 7st between them.

NATASHA Summar Allen, 33, is a stay-at-home mum and vlogger, and lives in Stalybridge with husband Andrew, 44, an administrator, and children Harrison, 10, and Layla, seven.

6

Natasha says: Looking at myself in the mirror, I was close to tears. The size-16 top I was wearing was too small and had ridden up over my tummy like a crop top.

I hated what I saw, but I was so used to food being my comfort that changing my ways was terrifying.

Growing up in Manchester, I was always a size 6-8, at 5ft 7in, despite regularly tucking into my mums big portions of Middle Eastern kebabs, casseroles and biryanis.

I met my husband Andrew in June 2006 when I was 19 and studying law at Staffordshire University.

I was a size 8-10 when we met, but over the course of the next year I began to slowly put on weight as we shared takeaways together on the sofa.

I always hated the gym, so was very inactive, and my weight crept up to a size 14 by October 2007. I never felt full, and sometimes after dinner wed go to a McDonalds Drive-Thru where Id polish off three double cheeseburgers.

6

I knew I was putting on weight, as I started having to buy size-18 clothes, but Andrew reassured me that I looked great.

I had our son Harrison in February 2010, followed by daughter Layla in January 2013, and actually lost weight during both my pregnancies, going down to a size 12, as I suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum (severe vomiting) and was hospitalised as I couldnt keep food down.

But after both babies, I comfort ate as I felt constantly tired, ballooning to a size 16. With two young kids, I was so busy that I didnt have time to cook for the whole family, so I began to rely on ready meals and freezer food.

It was when I finally weighed myself in June 2018 that I knew something had to change. I was 12st 2lb and a size 16-18, and when I looked in the mirror I felt unattractive and frumpy.

Although I knew Andrew loved me and was attracted to me, Id often complain to him that I hated how I looked, and it really affected my confidence.

My sister Zeinah, 35, had lost 8st on WW, going from a size 28 to a 14, so I decided to try it out for myself. I signed up online, and started using the recipe builder to make meals from scratch.

6

Natasha's meals...

THEN

Breakfast: Full English with bacon, sausages and toast

Lunch: Big bowl of pasta with sauce and garlic bread

Dinner: Curry with rice and naan

Snacks: Sandwich, McDonalds, toast, sweets and cake

NOW

Breakfast: Fruit and yoghurt or porridge

Lunch: Warm chicken salad or butternut squash soup with home-made bread

Dinner: Home-made burger or curry

Snacks: Fruit

Id not cooked much in the past, but I loved making burgers, soups, or chicken and rice. Snacks would be fruit or home-made cake. I didnt drink much alcohol anyway, but I cut it out completely.

The changes felt small, but they soon stacked up, and in the first week, I lost 4lb. Over the next year, I steadily lost between 2-3lb per week.

I didnt exercise, but as a mum of two, I definitely burned off extra calories running around after the kids. When I hit my goal weight of 10st 5lb in June 2019, I was over the moon.

At a dress size 10, I could buy whatever I wanted from Topshop, and Andrew noticed a huge change in my confidence. I felt so much sexier and more attractive around him, plus I had more energy to play with the kids.

The changes felt small, but they soon stacked up, and in the first week, I lost 4lb.

I found losing weight on the plan so easy that I changed my target, and now Im a dress size 6-8 and 8st 2lb a total loss of 4st.

These days I still follow a lot of WW recipes. Ive also been posting videos on my YouTube channel of my WW meals, and theyre really taking off my food is even being featured in a new Asda advert!

LOUISE Eccleston, 30, is an events performance manager for a hotel group and lives in Richmond with fianc Michael, 32, a kitchen designer.

6

Louise says: Standing at check-in, I burst into tears of embarrassment. A member of airline staff had just asked if I was pregnant.

I wasnt, Id just put on weight. It was the final straw it was time for me to get back in shape.

As a teenager, I kept my weight down with regular dance classes, and was always around a size 10 and 9st.

When youre younger, you eat what you want without thinking about it, but looking back my diet wasnt very healthy I always loved fast food and big roast dinners.

I met my fianc Michael on a dating app in April 2014 when I was 24 and working as an events manager. Straight away we got into the habit of eating a lot together.

We had a favourite Indian takeaway and Id order a korma and garlic naan. If we were meeting friends for dinner, wed drink loads of wine and finish off with cheese.

6

Working in the hotel industry, I stay overnight at our hotels several times a month, and would always try out the restaurants, ordering steak and chips washed down with wine and a big chocolate dessert.

I never weighed myself, but over the next four years I gradually got bigger.

By the time we went on an all-inclusive holiday to Turkey in April 2018, at 5ft 7in I was a size 14 and felt self-conscious by the pool, constantly wearing a sarong.

When youre younger, you eat what you want without thinking about it, but looking back my diet wasnt very healthy.

But it didnt stop me demolishing pizza and chips and drinking sugary cocktails at night. It was when we flew home that one of the airline staff asked if I was pregnant.

Id had an amazing holiday, but it was suddenly ruined. When I got home, I stepped on to the scales and was shocked to see I weighed 12st 11lb.

Id heard of WW, and signed up with the goal of losing 3st. I did some meal planning, and shopped using the apps barcode scanner to see how many points were in food.

6

Louise's meals...

THEN

Breakfast: Bowl of cereal

Lunch: Ham and cheese baguette, crisps

Dinner: Beef burger with sweet potato fries

Snacks: Chocolate bar

NOW

Breakfast: Wholegrain toast, avocado and poached egg

Lunch: Tuna with green salad and grains

Dinner: Paprika chicken with lentils, couscous and green beans

Snacks: WW wafer biscuit and grapes

Breakfast became poached eggs and wholegrain toast, and lunch was salad. I began cooking dishes such as paprika chicken, which came in at zero points, and lasagne made with butternut squash pasta, which is lower in carbs than regular pasta.

Im not a fan of the gym, but I walked more, which made a huge difference.

The weekly WW workshops were a bit scary at first, but everyone was so friendly. I lost 1st in the first six weeks and was able to fit into a size 12, which spurred me on to lose more.

PAD PERFECTIONWoman transforms bland pad with simple paint job & its worth thousands more

Exclusive

THE ONLY WAY IS UPI'm not a woman to be controlled and Rio knows that, says Kate Ferdinand

MYSTIC MEGJune 7: Jupiters genius and the moons insight help identify what you need

GARDEN GOALSFamily revamp their entire yard with seating areas, a fireplace & a playground

WHITE ON CUEWoman creates stunning white kitchen for 23 & people are seriously impressed

TRASH TALKStacey Solomon's best interior tips & they all use junk lying around your house

By December 2018, Id lost 3st and was back to a size 10. Michael said I looked great but, that best of all, I seemed happy again.

We went back to Turkey in April 2019, staying in a hotel with healthy meal options, and I felt confident in my bikini.

Im maintaining my weight as a gold member and still cook WW recipes, as they couldnt be easier and they taste delicious.

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAILexclusive@the-sun.co.uk

Link:
Two women reveal how Weight Watchers alone helped them lose 7st between them - The Sun

Timor-Leste is surrounded by water, but most people in inland areas lack access to fish, consuming as little as 4 kg of fish per person per year, explains a recent WorldFish blog post.

As a result, insuring inland communities have access to fish is a major focus of the Partnership for Aquaculture Development in Timor-Leste Phase 2 (PADTL2) project (20202023). The project is led by WorldFish, funded by the New Zealand Aid Program, and contributes to the CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-food Systems (FISH).

The project will support farmers by fostering public-private partnerships (PPP) to produce more genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) at less cost and to get it into local markets, said Gabrielle Isaak, First Secretary/Deputy Head of the Mission, New Zealand Embassy in Dili.

This will enable households to access nutritious fish at affordable prices and include more tilapia in their diets, helping to achieve both national human nutrition and aquaculture goals.

The project will build on the work of phase one, which laid the foundations to grow the countrys emerging aquaculture sector.

Quality fish seed and feed are now available at low cost, farmers know about good aquaculture practices, theres growing interest by key partners in promoting aquaculture, and support is being provided by well-trained extension officers, said the Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Joquim Jos Gusmo dos Reis Martins.

But harvesting and selling fish are not the end of the value chain. We must continue working together to get more fish onto the plates of Timorese families.

Its only then that Timor-Leste can fully realise the potential of fish farming to enhance food and nutrition security. Im optimistic this will happen in the coming years.

Timor-Leste, a county of 1.3 million people, has some of the highest rates of chronic malnutrition in the world.

About 50 percent of children under five years of age are stunted and 37 percent are underweight. Forty percent of women, aged 1460 years, are anaemic.

Combatting malnutrition is one of the top priorities of the government, as reflected in the Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan (20112030) and the National Nutrition Strategy (20142019).

The factors contributing to malnutrition are diverse, but partly due to low dietary diversity and little consumption of animal-source foods.

Increasing fish supply and consumption are seen as key, as shown by the National Aquaculture Development Strategy (20122030) which has a goal of increasing fish consumption from 6.1 kg to 15 kg per person per year to improve food and nutrition security.

Tilapia is nutritious fish for resource-poor consumers, Dr Shakuntala Thilsted, programme leader, value chains and nutrition explained.

Its a nutritious food that can improve diets. Many households enjoy eating tilapia, and report that they would eat more of it, if more were available, she said.

Shakuntala added that a diverse diet is vital for maintaining overall health and wellness.

The bioavailability of micronutrients from plant-source foods also increases if these are eaten with fish.

Timor-Leste relies heavily on imports for the supply of major food items - such as grains, meat, fish and other aquatic products - as domestic production is inadequate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in the import-based food supply chain, exacerbating concerns about the countrys food and nutrition security.

Timorese people will likely suffer from hunger and malnutrition unless the gap between food demand and supply is narrowed by increasing domestic production, said PADTL2 project leader Dr Jharendu Pant, senior aquaculture scientist at WorldFish.

The project, with its focus on increasing fish production using a nutrition-sensitive approach, will help to close this gap.

Attention will be given to fast-tracking the scaling of aquaculture scaling to bridge the widening fish supply and demand gaps, he said.

Well also promote integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems to maximize production of fish, vegetables and fruit, thereby further enhancing the diet diversity and nutrient intakes of households.

A key focus of the project is promoting the health benefits of fish and different ways to cook it.

We want people to know just how good fish is for their health and to have some nutritious recipes with fish and vegetables on hand that are easy to use, Jharendu said.

In parallel, the project will work with health and nutrition partners to develop and test fish dishes and fish-based products that suit local preferences.

We will work with community groups to organize food fairs and cooking demonstrations, which include the safe preparation and tasting of nutritious meals with fish and other nutrient-rich foods, Jharendu said.

Go here to read the rest:
How tilapia are tackling malnutrition in Timor-Leste - The Fish Site

GENESEE TOWNSHIP, MI -- Dort Highwasy resurfacing and the final phase of work on the Carpenter Road Bridge is scheduled to begin Monday, June 8, according to the Genesee County Road Commission.

The 2.5 miles of M-54 from Coldwater Road to Mt. Morris Road in the city of Flint will be resurfaced through a $4.9 million investment by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Work includes joint repairs, shoulder reconstruction, curb and gutter, signal modernization and a road diet that will change the current lane configuration to allow one lane in each direction with a dedicated center left-turn lane.

One lane in each direction will remain open during the project.

This work will improve the roadway surface and signal operations, according to the road commission. The addition of a road diet will reduce rear-end and sideswipe crashes.

The commission will also re-close the Carpenter Road Bridge in Genesee Township Monday, which crosses over the Flint River.

The closure will be the last of a sequence, according to the commission. It is anticipated to last about a week as the road commission places an epoxy overlay treatment over the new deck as a preventative maintenance procedure.

Traffic will be detoured via Genesee, Stanley and Bray Roads. Motorists are advised to allow themselves additional time to reach their destinations.

Any questions can be directed to Alexander Patsy at 810-767-4920.

Read more:

Portion of M-65 in Arenac County closed for bridge repair following flooding

Carpenter Road bridge repair to close lane on portion of I-75

I-75/I-69 interchange closed for week of maintenance

Read this article:
Dort Highway resurfacing and Carpenter Road Bridge work to begin next week - mlive.com

Page 105«..1020..104105106107..110120..»

Home » Diets that Work » Page 105