Diet, Nutrients and Diabetes

Key Nutrients

In the past, there have been some nutrition issues and concerns with vegetarian diets. People following a vegetarian diet need to consider a few key nutrients when meal planning:

• vitamin B-12
• omega-3 fatty acids
• calcium
• vitamin D
• iron

Eating a variety of plant-based foods is important. Many foods are fortified now as well so some of these nutrients are less of a concern. Fortification is a process where extra nutrients are added to a food. Also, many people take supplements to make sure they get enough of all nutrients.

Below is a list of the nutrients that vegetarian diets lack sometimes and the foods to eat so you get enough of them:

Vitamin B-12 — B12 is only found in animal products and fortified foods, so it can be difficult for those who follow a vegan diet to get enough of it. You can get some B-12 from fortified soy and rice beverages, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified meat substitutes, and nutritional yeasts. People who follow a vegan diet should take a daily supplement to get enough. Most multi-vitamins have B-12, but check the label to make sure. It should be listed as cobalamin or cyanocobalamin. Dairy products and eggs are a good source of B-12 for lacto-ovo-vegetarians.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids — Get them from walnuts, ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil, soybeans, soybean oil, canola oil, or wheat germ.

Calcium — Get this from dairy products if you include them in your diet. Calcium is also in leafy green vegetables (bok choy, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, mustard greens, and turnip greens), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, fortified fruit juices, calcium-set tofu, fortified soy milk or rice milk, and fortified breakfast cereals. Note that spinach is not a good source of calcium even though it is a leafy green vegetable. Other compounds in spinach prevent the calcium it has from being absorbed and used in the body.

Vitamin D — Get this from fortified milk, fortified yogurt, cheese, or egg yolk if you include them in your diet. It is also in some brands of fortified soy milk and rice milk, fortified orange juice, and some fortified breakfast cereals and margarines. Sun exposure can also help your body make its own vitamin D. There is a lot of research being done about vitamin D deficiency right now. Some experts are starting to recommend vitamin D supplements, especially for older adults.

Iron — Iron-deficiency anemia is as common in vegetarian diets as it is in non-vegetarian diets. Get iron from beans, lentils, dried fruits, enriched grain products, tofu, and cooked green vegetables. Try to eat these iron sources with a good source of vitamin C like citrus fruits (oranges, lemon/lemon juice, and grapefruit), tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes, or strawberries. This will help your body better absorb the iron.

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Meal Planning for Vegetarian Diets—A vegetarian diet is a healthy option, even if you have diabetes.

Protein and Vegetarian Diets—There are many plant foods that provide protein in a vegetarian diet.

Meal Ideas for Different Vegetarian Diets—Meal planning ideas for vegan diets, lacto-vegetarian diets, and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets.

Other Types of Vegetarian Diets—Ovo-vegetarian diet, Macrobiotic diet, Raw foods diet and Fruitarian.

Key Nutrients—Careful planning and eating a variety of plant-based foods is important to ensure you get enough of certain nutrients.

- See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/meal-planning-for-vegetarians/nutirents-vegetarians.html#sthash.5Ja0Hogu.dpuf

Obesity is Not and American Problem, It's reaching developing countries like India and China?

From CNN India

Is obesity an undermined public health issue in developing India?

Posted on: 12:41 PM IST Nov 23, 2015

Akshay Kumar Anugu IBNLIVE.COM

Food is the fuel for our life. It provides all essential nutrients to stay active, healthy and alive. These nutrients can be caloric and/or macro-nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats or micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Insufficient consumption of caloric nutrients lead to underweight/stunting or excessive consumption than one can burn leads to overweight/obese. 

The third type, micronutrient deficiency is not as obviously visible as the above malnutrition types, also called hidden hunger, and emphasises the importance of what we eat than how much we ate. The normal weighing people are too often victimized by this hidden form of malnutrition and make hidden hunger as the most prevalent public health issue around the world. Most of the developing and underdeveloped (economically) countries suffer from underweight/stunting issues and India with 21.92% of its citizens from below poverty line (2012, RBI annual report) is no exception. Hence, much of the government’s focus and NGOs intervention is invested in providing enough food for millions to help them sail through hunger.

A man with a large belly eats junk food on May 23, 2013 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

#carbohydrates #Doctor #food #nutrient

However, dietary issues in India are not limited to undernourishment. Changes in food habits, growing dispensable income, appetite for densely caloric food (fat, sugar/ carbohydrates) and sedentary lifestyle brought overweight/obesity to growing middle/upper economic strata. There is a significant rise in obesity/overweight in India over past several years and is evident through World Health Organization (2015) data. Prevalence of overweight in adults is increased to 22% (2014) from 19.7% (2010) and Obesity is increased to 4.9% (2014) from 4.0% (2010) in 4 years. 14% of women (18 to 49 age) in India were overweight or obese in 2008 (compared to 10.5% in 1998), with higher rates among urban women (25%) compared to rural women (8%). National Family Health Survey-3 (2006) also reported higher obesity/overweight rates in urban areas and higher socio-economic groups compared to the rural areas (urban men vs rural men: 15.9% vs 5.6%; urban women vs rural women: 23.5% vs 7.2%). Factors such as gender and economical status have significantly influenced the obesity epidemic throughout the world. 

Obesity and overweight are linked to several chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This accumulation of fat in an individual impacts the country’s economy through direct costs (health costs), indirect costs (productivity losses) and burden of disease costs (financial/social costs). 600 million and 1.3 billion adults around the world suffer from obesity and overweight respectively. 78.6 million (1 in 3) adults in The United States were obese and the country spent as high as $147 billion (Rs. 9.5lakh crore) through medical costs in 2008. Developing nations are too catching up with wealth and obesity. The number of people affected from obesity is tripled in Developing countries compared to 1.7 times in high income countries. Mexico leads the world in childhood obesity and its government had to bring in new policies such as Sugar Tax to curb obesity. 4 million Australian adults were obese (25% of population) in 2007-08 and the country had to spend $37.7 billion (Rs. 1.8lakh crore) through direct, indirect and burden of disease costs. Currently, India is a home to 60 million obese individuals (which is 15 times higher than Australia) and its burden on economy will be significant and distractive.

The risk of obesity is increasing unlike other major public health concerns such as Tobacco around the world. Middle income countries such as India are now facing double burden (underweight and obesity) of dietary issues. India and China together accounts for 15% world’s obese population and the rate of obesity are alarmingly increasing in these countries. It is widely debated whether to categorize the obesity as a personal/individual’s issue or a public health issue that warrants government intervention. Several countries such as US and Mexico have move forwarded from these discussions and started addressing this 21st century public health issue through policy changes. After US and China, India ranks 3 in number of people suffering from obesity. It is important for India to acknowledge the prevailing obesity issue and initiate efforts to curb this menace before it claims more victims. Legislatives, school health guidelines, awareness/education, community efforts, advances in nutrition labeling and better regulations on food advertising are few of several strategies that can be used to curb obesity in India. If obesity is ignored for longer in India, its impending effects on public health will take a toll on whole economy. 

(Author Akshay Kumar Anugu is a USA based Food Scientist by profession and coordinated several Aam Aadmi Party 2013-2015 electoral campaigns from US. He no longer work with AAP and has no political affiliations)

A Simple Technique To Prolong Your Life & Prevent Disease

October 31, 2015 by Jessica. 3 comments.

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Breathing is an unconscious yet ever so vital part of daily life. Very few of us take the time to consider our own breathing patterns. Even physicians in allopathic medicine, me included, pay little attention to respiratory rate unless it is affecting our pH levels or mental status.

Our respiratory rate is determined by how many breaths we take in one minute. Increasing our respiratory rates is a natural response to stress and anxiety. This increases our oxygen while decreasing carbon dioxide in preparation for an emergency escape from something like a wild animal, per se.

Evolutionarily speaking, hyperventilation is an important life saving feature for us because we need more oxygen when running! Unfortunately, in today’s undue stress, many people now breathe 15-20 times/minute rather than the normal 8-12 breaths/minute that is recorded in medical literature. This is unnatural and if continued chronically, can change our pH as well as internal cellular activities. Scientifically, this means that we end up losing too much C02, thus reducing body oxygenation due to vasoconstriction caused by C02 deficiency (bohrs effect). This causes hypoxia and reduced oxygenation in our cells. Remember that oxygen delivers all the necessary nutrients to every organ in the body.

Slow, mindful breath, such as the famous prayanama breath of yoga (constricting the back of the throat to make a audible, textured breath) engages the parasympathetic system, which is the relaxation and housekeeping system of the body. This conscious breathing stimulates the vagus nerve which innervates the thyroid, heart, bladder and bowels. Slow, deep breathing helps to regulate our immunity, digestion, nervous systems and metabolism all through this system…which is linked to BREATH.

Higher respiratory rates=shorter lives

Animals with a higher respiratory rates often (as a general rule) have shorter life spans. Consider that rabbits, which breathe 40-60 times/minute, have a lifespan of 8 years or dogs, which breathe 15-30 times/minute, live 15-20 years. The shrew breathes 140-170 times/minute and lives ONE year. In contrast, the giant tortoise or great whales have a respiratory rate of 3-8 times/minute and live for 150 and 111 years old, respectively! This is important when one considers that ill patients also have a higher respiratory rates. For example, patients who are septic or have cancer often breathe 20 or more times per minute.

It seems that there is a correlation between slower respiratory rates and longevity. The Indian Vedas and Buddhist Monks are just two examples of ancient cultures who believed that we are given a set number of breaths at birth that can predict the length of our life. They believed that through meditation and yoga, one can extend the length of their life by slowing down and reserving their set number of breaths. In fact, many patients with cancer can prolong their lives by slowing down their rate of breathing. Most panic attacks could easily be avoided with controlled breath work. If a man breathes 15 times/minute, he will breathe 900 times in an hour and 21,600 times a day. If he could consciously decrease our respiratory rate to 10 breaths/minute, he would breathe 600 times a hour and 14,400 times a day. This significantly decreases our “set breath” given in life. Studies have shown that fast breathers suffer from higher levels of anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders and high blood pressure.

In fact, the FDA acknowledges that oxygen is a medicine!

Here are a few questions to ask yourself about your own breathing pattern:

1. Am I breathing properly?

Not only has the traumas and stress of this world affected our normal respiratory rates, but we have literally forgotten HOW to breathe. Its amazing to hear how many of my patients contract and suck  their abdomen in with inhales rather than expand outward. If you watch a baby breathe, you will notice that his abdomen expands outward with each inhaled breath and contracts with each exhale. As we grow in adults, we only use the bottom 2/3 of our lungs while the upper 1/3 is not filled. This predisposes people to infections and disease. Full deep breaths are exercise for the lungs and provide necessary oxygenation, as well as nutrients, to all the organs of the body. If the alveoli, or lung cells are not fully expanding then they are susceptible to bacterial invasion due to stasis. Ensure that you are taking full breaths by expanding your abdomen with each breath and fill the top portion of your lungs. When exhaling, release the C02 in the top third of your lungs first, then continue to exhale the air in your contracted abdomen last.

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2. Am I breathing rhythmically? 

Breathing should be slow, controlled…or rhythmic. It should also be through the nose as breathing through the mouth can lead to sore throats and can often indicate sleep apnea, especially when one is supine. This guarantees that you are expelling toxins and metabolic waste properly. If your exhalations are too short, you are preventing your body’s natural ability to expel endogenous and exogenous toxins. Rhythmic breathing is also key to meditation and alpha brain wave states that are vital when connecting to the higher self for answers.

3. How is my posture?

This is a big one! Most of us have poor posture. Think about how many shoulder injuries and rotator cuff or total shoulder replacements occur each year. As the world gets more and more stressful and difficult, the human body compensates and protects itself. If you’re like me, this means most of us have internally rotated shoulders that hunch inward to protect our heart space. A chest that caves in or hunched shoulders not only leads to physical misalignments and back pain, but makes it difficult to take a full breath. Turn your attention to posture and breath as this can give you automatic relaxation. You should be able to look down and see open, broad shoulders (drawing shoulder blades together) and a rising and falling belly.

Correct and mindful breathing can lead to a fuller and longer life. Incorrect breathing can easily be converted to proper rhythmic abdominal breathing as this is our natural state! This increases oxygenation of the blood, internal organs and brain. It improves circulation, massages the biliary tree and detoxification organs and brings instant calm to the nervous system.