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Lentil–Walnut Burgers with Cheesy Sauce Recipe

The AHA! Team — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 05:32:38 +0000

Recipe via Nutrition Facts – Lentil–Walnut Burgers with Cheesy Sauce Recipe Recipe by: Dr. Michael Greger & Robin Robertson from The How Not to Age Cookbook Lentils and walnuts make hearty and delicious burgers, and the Cheesy Sauce is perfection. Here’s a tip for you: Be sure your cooked lentils are not wet. You can blot them dry or place them in a skillet over medium heat, tossing to get out any moisture. Alternatively, you can spread them on a baking sheet and bake them for a few minutes at 350°F (175°C) to dry them out. COURSE: Main Course DIFFICULTY: Moderate SERVINGS: 6 Ingredients BURGERS ▢ ⅓ cup chopped walnuts ▢ ⅓ cup chopped red onion ▢ 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds ▢ 2 tablespoons warm water (mix with flaxseed) ▢ 1 tablespoon white miso paste ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder ▢ ¼ teaspoon paprika ▢ ¼ teaspoon sodium-free salt substitute (optional) ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground pippali or black pepper ▢ 1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic (optional) ▢ 1½ cups cooked (not wet) brown lentils ▢ ½ cup rolled oats, or more as needed FOR SERVING ▢ Whole-grain burger buns or tortillas (optional) ▢ Optional toppings: lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, sliced red onion ▢ Cheesy Sauce Instructions FOR THE BURGERS: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a sheet of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside. In a food processor, combine the walnuts, red onion, flaxseed mixture, parsley, miso paste, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, sodium-free salt substitute (if using), and pippali. Pulse to combine, leaving some texture. Add the Roasted Garlic (if using), lentils, and oats. Pulse to mix together while leaving some texture. Pinch off a bit of the mixture and press it in your hand to make sure it holds together. If it’s too wet, add more oats; if it’s too dry, add some water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Taste to adjust the seasonings, it needed. Shape the lentil mixture tightly into six burgers about ½-inch (1-cm) thick. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, turning once, about 8 minutes per side. TO SERVE: When the burgers are ready to serve, arrange them on a plate or on buns or tortillas (if using) along with any toppings you choose. Top with the Cheesy Sauce. Notes VARIATION: For Southwest Black Bean Burgers: Substitute black beans for the lentils, pepitas for the walnuts, and fresh cilantro for the parsley. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of chili powder, ¼ cup (30g) of minced red bell pepper, and 2 tablespoons of chopped green onion, then proceed with the recipe. To read the original article click here.

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Studying Finds: Most Plant-Based Restaurant Meals are Unhealthy

The AHA! Team — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 05:10:19 +0000

Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc. via News-Medical – Many “vegan” meals aren’t as healthy as you think—new research reveals that refined grains, fried foods, and saturated fats are widespread in plant-based restaurant dishes. Are your plant-based choices really good for you? A recent study In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers examined the menus of restaurants around the world to see whether plant-based offerings at both omnivore (OMNI) and vegan or vegetarian (VEG) eateries are ‘healthful’ in terms of avoiding saturated fats, refined grains, and deep-fried foods. They found that many restaurants (with OMNI establishments being more limited than VEG) did not offer patrons enough choices of plant-based main courses and that 14-27% of restaurants had no healthful plant-based offerings at all. The research team hopes that these findings, combined with the established links between poor diets, chronic illnesses, and increased mortality rates, will encourage restaurants to make nutrition details of their dishes more readily available. Background Only 2% of restaurants earned a perfect health score—meaning nearly all plant-based menus included at least one unhealthy component like refined grains, fried foods, or saturated fats. An increasing number of people in the U.S. and worldwide are choosing to increase their intake of plant-based foods, and projections suggest that the American vegan market will grow 12% annually until 2030. Dairy and meat alternatives are more accessible than ever, with more groceries and OMNI restaurants offering plant-based options; there are also more dedicated VEG eateries. Dairy and meat alternatives are more accessible than ever People who choose to limit or eliminate their intake of animal-based foods are often motivated by environmental causes, animal welfare, religious beliefs, or health concerns, though it appears that 63% of the increase in plant-based consumption is driven by OMNI consumers. An estimated less than 2% of a national survey’s respondents said that they had adopted an entirely vegan or vegetarian diet for their health. However, certain plant-based foods, including sweets, sweetened beverages, fried foods, and refined grains, can have negative health impacts, such as increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension. Researchers caution that some unhealthy plant-based foods may pose even greater health risks In fact, researchers caution that some unhealthy plant-based foods may pose even greater health risks than a standard American diet due to their high sodium content, refined grains, and excessive saturated fats. The Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommends reducing or avoiding these foods and animal-based products rich in saturated fat and cholesterol. Individuals looking to make healthier dietary decisions when eating out should be offered an adequate number of choices that are free of fried foods, saturated fats, and refined grains while also having access to nutritional information to help identify high-risk menu items. About the Study U.S. restaurants offered slightly more healthful options than international ones, but the difference was small, showing that unhealthy plant-based meals are a global issue. Over three years, the research team visited a convenience sample of 561 eateries offering vegan options in 196 cities across 37 countries and six continents. Most of these were located in the U.S. (373), followed by Australia and several European countries. The restaurants included in the study had Internet listings on commercially available proprietary resources and search engines. Their menus were also available online and explicitly listed their vegan offerings. Some, including American franchises with 20 or more locations, provided nutritional information about their dishes, following a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandate. Restaurants were classified as having a full menu if they offered at least 10 plant-based main courses. They were then scored based on the number of healthful dishes in this group, receiving one point per healthful entrée, up to a maximum of 10. Healthy dishes were those that did not contain deep-fried ingredients (such as battered or crispy items, which can be carcinogenic), saturated fats (including coconut milk, coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter), or refined grains (such as white rice, white flour, and refined pasta, which have a high glycemic index but little fiber). Findings The 561 restaurants included in the analysis consisted of 283 OMNI and 278 VEG eateries. Researchers noted that two restaurants mistakenly labeled dishes containing animal products as vegan; these were excluded. Refined grains were the biggest health concern, with 40% of OMNI and 38% of VEG meals containing ingredients like white rice, white flour buns, and refined pasta, which have been linked to increased mortality. American restaurants vs. Other countries On average, American restaurants offered 6.6 plant-based main courses while non-U.S.-based ones offered 6.2, a statistically insignificant difference. However, American restaurants offered slightly more healthy dishes than those in other countries (3.4 compared to 2.9, though this was not statistically significant). Only 33 restaurants (28 OMNI and 5 VEG, or 10% and 2%, respectively) provided full nutrition facts online, including caloric, sodium, sugar, and saturated fat content. Only 33 restaurants provided full nutrition facts online OMNI restaurants had an average of 4.5 vegan main courses on their menus, compared to 8.4 for VEG restaurants. Approximately 59% of VEG eateries and only 16% of OMNI eateries had a full vegan menu. On average, the restaurants scored 3.2 out of 10, with VEG restaurants having significantly more healthy options (4.0/10) than OMNI restaurants (2.4/10). Only 2% of eateries included in the analysis received a score of 10, indicating that the main courses analyzed had no deep-fried ingredients, saturated fats, or refined grains. Conversely, 26% of OMNI and 14% of VEG restaurants received a score of 0. Score reductions happened most often due to the presence of refined grains (40% in OMNI and 38% in VEG cases). OMNI restaurants were more likely to be penalized for saturated fat content (12%), while VEG restaurants contained fried items more frequently (28%). Conclusions The researchers found that many options labeled as ‘vegan’ contain unhealthy ingredients, with dedicated VEG restaurants offering a greater proportion of healthy options than OMNI restaurants. However, refined grains, which are linked to increased mortality and chronic disease, were the most common reason for dishes being classified as unhealthy. Notably, U.S.-based restaurants were slightly more likely to offer healthy options. The study also highlights that nutritional transparency remains a challenge. Only a small fraction of restaurants provided detailed nutritional content, with disclosure being more common in OMNI restaurants—largely due to U.S. regulations requiring franchises with 20 or more locations to share this information. Restaurants respond to the preferences of their target consumers to be financially viable; often, the things that make food taste ‘good’ are what make it unhealthy. Additionally, several challenges keep individuals from forming healthy eating habits, including traditional and cultural norms, familiarity, aversion to change, affordability, accessibility, concerns about nutritional adequacy, emotional attachment, peer pressure, social norms, poor education, time constraints, and convenience. While the study provides valuable insights, it does have limitations. The sample was a convenience sample, primarily drawn from the U.S. and Westernized countries, meaning the findings may not be generalizable to all global regions. Additionally, assessments were based on online menu descriptions, which may not fully capture all nutritional details. Cardiovascular disease continues to be a leading driver of mortality in the U.S., and poor diet leads to other chronic diseases that increase healthcare costs and lives lost while reducing personal and economic productivity. Though this study’s findings are based on a convenience sample of restaurants and a select number of menu offerings, its results highlight clear policy implications. Restaurants should be encouraged to provide nutritional information More restaurants should be encouraged to provide nutritional information about the food they serve so that patrons can make informed decisions. Though eateries are businesses and not responsible for the health of their customers, they have the ability to reduce health risks by limiting the use of refined grains, excessive sodium, saturated fats, added sugar, and fried foods in their dishes. Given the well-established links between unhealthful diets, chronic disease, and mortality, the researchers suggest that regulatory bodies such as the FDA expand nutritional disclosure requirements beyond large franchises to include a broader range of restaurants. Journal reference: Healthful vs. Unhealthful Plant-Based Restaurant Meals. Williams, K.A., Horton, A.M., Baldridge, R.D., Ikram, M. Nutrients (2025). DOI: 10.3390/nu17050742, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/5/742 To read the original article click here.

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Bad News About Impossible Burger: Ushering in a Huge Wave of Genetically Engineered Foods

The AHA! Team — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 06:07:04 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – The Impossible Burger, a “plant-based burger” marketed by Impossible Foods, now appears on diners’ plates in many restaurants. Unfortunately, most people don’t know how deceptive this genetically engineered food really at impersonating meat. The company that produces this ‘franken-burger’ wants the public to believe that this product is “delicious food that’s nutritious.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The appearance of these GMO burgers signals a bigger wave of genetically engineered foods created by gene editing – a technique that natural health experts say is insufficiently tested. Many consumers – blissfully unaware of the “burger’s” GMO origins – are already chowing down on the Impossible Burger. This is despite a recent survey showing that over two-thirds of consumers say they would not knowingly eat GMO foods. Food ALERT: GMO-based Impossible Burger breaks down into dozens of untested proteins According to Impossible Foods’ own website, their burger is actually based on yeast that has been genetically engineered to resemble leghemoglobin – a substance found in the roots of soybean plants. Soy leghemoglobin, or SLH, breaks down into the bright-red “heme” protein – which causes the burger to resemble meat and (creepily) even allows it to “bleed.” When ingested, SLH breaks down into 46 other proteins of undetermined safety – proteins that are not normally found in the human body and have undergone no testing whatsoever. And here’s the kicker: although Impossible Foods didn’t need the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell its GMO burger, the company requested that the agency confirm it as GRAS (generally recognized as safe). The FDA – to its credit – expressed concern that humans have never consumed SLH (and may be an allergen, to boot). According to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the FDA stated that the current arguments in favor of the burger were “not enough to establish the safety of SLH for consumption.” But, the FDA stopped short of deeming the burger’ unsafe.’ Yet, despite the actions of the FDA, the Impossible Foods website maintains that the FDA does, in fact, validate SLH as safe. Of course, natural health experts are far from convinced of its safety. Genetically altered foods are heralded with the ability to “stop hunger” – but is the claim realistic? The Impossible Burger has been billed as lacking the environmental and ethical downsides of meat production. Genetically engineered foods such as the Impossible Burger have been touted as having the ability to help sustain the 9 billion-strong human population predicted on earth by 2050. On the surface, it sounds like a noble mission. However, natural health experts and officials at the UN and the WHO note that the world’s current hunger problem is largely due to improper distribution, inequality, poverty, and food waste. Rather than presenting a solution for world hunger, the Impossible Burger only represents the latest “twist” in high-tech GMO foods. And the repercussions of existing GMO foods are unfolding daily. GMO crops (such as Roundup Ready corn) are engineered to survive being doused with synthetic chemical pesticides, such as glyphosate and dicamba. This means they are responsible for a tremendous increase in the use of these toxic substances, which have been linked in studies to cancer, dementia, and immune problems. U.S. Right To Know, a non-profit organization dedicated to pursuing truth and transparency in the U.S. food system, points out that GMO pesticide-resistant crops have been associated with an array of disastrous effects. These include birth defects in Hawaii, cancer clusters in Argentina, contaminated waterways in Iowa, damaged farmland across the Midwest – plus much more. Remember “Golden Rice?” (or maybe you don’t). This vitamin A-enhanced GMO rice was touted almost two decades ago as “the rice that could save a million kids a year,” yet it failed to materialize on the market. This is due to the fact that breeders have yet to develop varieties that grow as well as existing natural rice strains. When one trait – in this case, the ability to produce beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A – is edited in a genome, other capabilities (such as speed of growth) may be altered, and not for the better. Maybe fooling Mother Nature is a bit harder than GMO scientists think. CRISPR technology signals a new horizon of synthetic biology “Old-school” genetic engineering, which is objectionable enough, involves the transfer of genes from one plant or animal species to another. However, CRISPR technology operates from a different angle. Also known as synthetic biology, gene editing, and gene silencing, CRISPR (an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats) involves genes that are turned off or “silenced.” Outright gene deletion and the creation of brand-new DNA sequences are also possible with CRISPR. And, remember: the resultant products can be patented – a very profitable distinction for the biotech industry! Agrichemical giants Monsanto (now Bayer), DuPont, and Dow Chemical have all achieved licensing deals that allow them to use gene-editing technology. According to U.S. Right to Know, companies are changing or creating DNA to artificially synthesize compounds, with yeasts and algae being genetically “tweaked” to produce flavors and fragrances such as vanillin, citrus, and patchouli. Of course, this development threatens the very survival of farmers in Mexico, Africa, and Paraguay, who have cultivated natural, organic extracts for centuries. CRISPR technology is altering the fruits and vegetables appearing in produce aisles. One example is the non-browning Arctic Apple, which uses CRISPR technology to silence the gene that causes apples to brown when sliced. The Arctic Apple has already been test-marketed and is on grocery shelves nationwide. Other gene-edited products now available in grocery stores include CRISPR canola oil and non-browning CRISPR mushrooms. Is ignorance really bliss? According to recent updates from Impossible Foods, the company’s products, including the popular Impossible Burger, are widely available in both restaurants and grocery stores across the U.S. Impossible Foods has significantly expanded its distribution since its initial launch, with products now offered in thousands of grocery stores, including major chains like Walmart, Target, and Safeway. Additionally, Impossible Burgers are served in numerous restaurant chains, making them accessible to a broader range of consumers. Meanwhile, consumers looking for a humane, nutritious, and safe meat alternative are consuming the Impossible Burger with no concept of what it contains – or of the possible health effects down the road. Infuriatingly, vendors and restaurateurs have reportedly been heard to tell customers that the Impossible Burger is “non-GMO.” To make matter worse, we already have a “Franken-Fish.” AquaAdvantage salmon, engineered with the genes of an eel to promote supernaturally fast growth, is currently on the market. One sure way you can keep these imposters from ending up on your dinner plate is to buy organic, “real” whole foods. Just say “no” to the Impossible Burger – and the invasion of nightmarish Franken-Foods. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov USRightToKnow.org ImpossibleFoods.com To read the original article click here.

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How to Care for a Loved One with Dementia

The AHA! Team — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 06:37:37 +0000

University of Miami via Newswise – More than 11 million Americans are tasked with the responsibility of taking care of someone with cognitive decline. A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRD) for an aging loved one can be devastating for a family. In 2023, it was estimated that 6.7 million Americans of all ages had the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. More than 11 million people care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and about 80 percent of those patients are cared for in the home. Dr. Elizabeth Crocco is a geriatric psychiatrist and the medical director of the Memory Disorders Clinic Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Over the course of her career, she has seen thousands of patients and their families. She reports that for some families, the diagnosis of ADRD can be helpful because it ultimately can explain that the illness is not just due to normal aging. For others, a diagnosis can be scary. “It can be frightening because they know that it is irreversible and that it progresses,” she said. “The idea that the person will lose part of who they are, not just cognitively, but part of their essential personality, brings up a lot of feelings.” Cognitive impairment is the hallmark feature of ADRD, but these illnesses can also have behavioral changes. These include agitation, irritability, depression, and anxiety. It is important for care providers to learn how to handle these situations while also maintaining their own mental health, she said. In her clinic, Crocco and her team work with care providers so that they understand the condition and can better manage its symptoms. This includes how to communicate with the loved one. “The memory issue is not the only problem that is making one’s loved one suffer, and a family member can have a difficult time,” she said. “It is the psychiatric and behavioral symptoms that are often the most difficult to deal with: depression, anxiety, anger issues, agitation, along with resistance to care and help.” Medications, of course, can help, but effective and consistent caregiving is paramount in coping with a patient with ADRD. Crocco offered some helpful tips that can make taking care of an individual with ADRD easier: Establish a routine Consistency is key. Chaotic home situations are not kind to people with cognitive impairment. Traveling is a change of routine that can lead to more behavioral problems and confusion. If they resist a task, try not to force them to do it. Wait an hour or more as their attitude may change later. Keep calm Keeping calm and composed is important when dealing with a loved one with ADRD. Also, remember that your reality might not be theirs, and you need to be respectful. Crocco’s mother had dementia. She tells this story: “One time I was at my mother’s house, and I had left a piece of pizza on the stove. My mother began screaming and cursing because there was a piece of pizza on the stove, and it upset her. I took the pizza off the stove, washed the area down, and I said: ‘I am so sorry, Mom, that I upset you.’ She calmed down immediately.” Sundowning It can happen earlier than expected, in the late afternoon. During this time, for both biological and situational reasons, an ADRD individual may become more confused, disoriented, agitated, and paranoid, as well as anxious and fearful. It is important for loved ones to predict patterns to minimize problems behaviorally without always opting for medications. Therapeutic fibbing Cognitive decline often leaves the person with memories of the past. If a loved one has forgotten that someone is deceased, they may repeatedly ask about them. At times, it might be better to let them believe that they are still alive. “What is the alternative?” asked Crocco. “Letting them relive the death over and over again?” Often arguing with a loved one with Alzheimer’s is a losing proposition and only leads to agitation and discord. “You argue and you lose,” said Crocco. Use music and pets Often introducing preferred music from the loved ones’ era can assist in preventing behavioral problems and be very entertaining and enjoyable. Bringing in pets for ADRD individuals to interact with can also assist. It is well known that having animal or pet interactions can lower ones’ stress level as well as blood pressure, said Crocco. Seek help An adult day care center is a good alternative to help a care provider with the help of a loved one with ADRD, said Crocco. Besides providing social interaction and dementia care during the day, it also affords the caretaker time to work or rest, said Crocco. Learn more about the Memory Disorders Clinic at the University of Miami Health System. To read the original article click here.

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Promising New Drug Could Slow Progression of ALS

The AHA! Team — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 06:46:21 +0000

John Jeffay via Israel21c – A chance encounter with an inspiring ALS patient, prompted Alon Ben-Noon to set up NeuroSense Therapeutics, a startup developing a drug combo that aims to slow progression of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. It was a life-changing moment for Alon Ben-Noon when he first met Shay Rishoni. Rishoni, once a keen runner and cyclist, had been robbed of all movement by the devastating and degenerative disease ALS. It was 2016 and Rishoni was by then immobile, only able to communicate by staring at an eye-tracking computer screen. But that didn’t stop him working as CEO of Prize4Life, a nonprofit founded by other ALS patients to help find a treatment for the disease. Ben-Noon was profoundly moved by the meeting. “I looked at myself and I thought: You’re completely functioning, but you’re not doing half of what he’s doing. He’s completely paralyzed and he’s moving mountains.” Ben-Noon was already working in the pharmaceutical industry, as a consultant, but decided to change track and do everything he could to allow ALS patients to live longer and live better. And so NeuroSense Therapeutics was born. The pharmaceutical startup, based in Herzliya, central Israel, aims to slow the progress of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which are also neurodegenerative disorders. PrimeC ALS is a rare and incurable disease caused by the death of motor neurons, the nerve cells that send messages from the brain and spinal cord to our muscles and glands. ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) leads to complete paralysis, followed by death, usually with two to five years. Rishoni, married with two sons, was diagnosed when he was 45 and survived another seven years, which is longer than most. At the time, the only medication available was a drug called Riluzole, approved for use in 1995, which extended patients’ lives by around three months. Ben-Noon was determined to do better. He gathered a team of experts to identify molecules in existing drugs that could be combined to attack multiple targets associated with ALS. Previous attempts to treat the disease had focused on single targets. The team succeeded in addressing a number of distinct problems, including the degeneration of motor neurons. In clinical trials in Israel, Canada and Italy, the drug that NeuroSense developed has been shown to give ALS patients, on average, an extra 18 months. Patients experienced a 36% slower disease progression and a 43% better survival rate over 12 months compared to control subjects. The drug is named PrimeC – “prime” is English for “Rishoni” — and could be available for patients within three and a half years. The patented drug combines the antibiotic ciprofloxacin and the anti-inflammatory agent celecoxib, both already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for unrelated conditions. Fast progression ALS is a highly aggressive and complex disease that affects around one in 10,000 people. Initial symptoms are mild, such a weakness in a finger, or dragging a leg, but it can progress at an alarming rate. “Quality of life in terms of functionality is usually quite good at the beginning and then it declines as the disease progresses,” says Ben-Noon. “One day a patient can still eat by himself; the next day they’ll need assistance. One day a patient can walk independently and the next day they’ll have difficulties walking without a cane and soon they’ll need a wheelchair. “We understood quite quickly that we cannot reverse the disease, but we can stop it and make a meaningful change to people’s lives.” But he hopes to do even more. “Eventually, we will create a world where ALS is a non-fatal disease. Patients will live life to the full, happily, maybe with a very small dysfunction. That’s it, that’s the vision,” Ben-Noon says. Orphan drug designation NeuroSense has received orphan drug designation in the US and Europe, recognizing its potential to treat a rare condition (which means tax breaks and other benefits for the company) though it still needs to gain regulatory approval pending further clinical trials. The company, which went public on NASDAQ in December 2021, has so far attracted $30 million in funding and has a US office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “We are only 16 employees but we work with dozens of consultants and vendors who are assisting us in advancing our programs,” says Ben-Noon. Dr. Vivian Drory, director of the ALS clinic at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, said that promising results from the company’s 12-month clinical study highlight the significant potential of PrimeC as a disease-modifying drug for ALS. “These findings underscore the importance of early intervention, which can lead to more substantial benefits, and provide valuable insights that will inform the design of the company’s Phase 3 study, increasing the likelihood of success,” she said. It’s often small companies, like NeuroSense, that pioneer new drugs, Ben-Noon notes. “Nowadays the ratio is about 60/40 — 60 for the small companies 40 for big pharma,” says Ben-Noon. “In many cases it starts in a very small company like ours and then a big pharma looks at the outcomes and decides to buy out the company and continue the development.” Looking back to his first meeting with Rishoni, back in 2016, does he feel he’s done what he set out to achieve? “Yes, absolutely,” he says. “We always keep in touch with Tami [Rishoni’s widow]. We talk, we meet and every time we reach a new milestone is very fulfilling.” “If I hadn’t bumped into Shay,” he reflects, “I probably would still be doing medical consulting work. But now I’m very proud to say we’re creating change in the world.” For more information, click here. To read the original article click here.

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Is All Vegan Food Healthy?

The AHA! Team — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 08:03:40 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – How do healthier plant-based diets compare to unhealthy plant foods and animal foods when it comes to diabetes risk? In my video on flexitarians, I discuss how the benefits of eating a plant-based diet are not all-or-nothing. “Simple advice to increase the consumption of plant-derived foods with compensatory [parallel] reductions in the consumption of foods from animal sources confers a survival advantage”— a live-longer advantage. The researchers call it a “pro-vegetarian” eating pattern, one that’s moving in the direction of vegetarianism, “a more gradual and gentle approach.” The benefits of eating a plant-based diet are not all-or-nothing. If you’re dealing with a serious disease, though, like diabetes, completely “avoiding some problem foods is easier than attempting to moderate their intake. Clinicians would never tell an alcoholic to try to simply cut down on alcohol. Avoiding alcohol entirely is more effective and, in fact, easier for a problem drinker… Paradoxically, asking patients to make a large change may be more effective than making a slow transition. Diet studies show that recommending more significant changes increases the chances that patients can accomplish [them]. It may help to replace the common advice, ‘all things in moderation’ with ‘big changes beget big results.’ Success breeds success. After a few days or weeks of major dietary changes, patients are likely to see improvements in weight and blood glucose [sugar] levels—improvements that reinforce the dietary changes that elicited them. Furthermore, they may enjoy other health benefits of a plant-based diet” that may give them further motivation. As you can see below and at 1:43 in my video Friday Favorites: Is Vegan Food Always Healthy?, those who choose to eat plant-based for their health say it’s mostly for “general wellness or general disease prevention” or to improve their energy levels or immune function, for example. They felt it gives them a sense of control over their health, helps them feel better emotionally, improves their overall health, makes them feel better, and more, as shown below and at 1:48. Most felt it was very important for maintaining their health and well-being. For the minority who used it for a specific health problem, mostly high cholesterol or weight loss, followed by high blood pressure and diabetes, most reported they felt it helped a great deal, as you can see below and at 2:14. Some choose plant-based diets for other reasons, such as animal welfare or global warming, and it looks like “ethical vegans” are more likely to eat sugary and fatty foods, like vegan donuts, compared to those eating plant-based because of religious or health concerns, as you can see below and at 2:26 in my video. The veganest vegan could make an egg- and dairy-free cake, covered with frosting, marshmallow fluff, and chocolate syrup, topped with Oreos, and served with a side of Doritos. Or, they may want fruit for dessert, but in the form of Pop-Tarts and Krispy Kreme pies. Vegan, yes. Healthy, no. “Plant-based diets have been recommended to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, not all plant foods are necessarily beneficial.” In the pro-vegetarian scoring system I mentioned above, you get points for eating potato chips and French fries because they are technically plant-based, as you can see below and at 3:07 in my video, but Harvard researchers wanted to examine the association of not only an overall plant-based diet, but healthy and unhealthy versions. So, they created the same kind of pro-vegetarian scoring system, but it was weighted towards any sort of plant-based foods and against animal foods; then, they created a healthful plant-based diet index, where at least some whole plant foods took precedence and Coca-Cola and other sweetened beverages were no longer considered plants. Lastly, they created an unhealthful plant-based diet index by assigning positive scores to processed plant-based junk and negative scores for healthier plant foods and animal foods. Their findings? As you can see below and at 3:51 in my video, a more plant-based diet, in general, was good for reducing diabetes risk, but eating especially healthy plant-based foods did better, nearly cutting risk in half, while those eating more unhealthy plant foods did worse, as shown in the graph below and at 4:03. Now, is that because they were also eating more animal foods? People often eat burgers with their fries, so the researchers separated the effects of healthy plant foods, less healthy plant foods, and animal foods on diabetes risk. And, they found that healthy plant foods were protectively associated, animal foods were detrimentally associated, and less healthy plant foods were more neutral when it came to diabetes risk. Below and at 4:32 in my video, you can see the graph that shows higher diabetes risk with more and more animal foods, no protection whatsoever with junky plant foods, and lower and lower diabetes risk associated with more and more healthy whole plant foods in the diet. So, they concluded that, yes, “plant-based diets…are associated with substantially lower risk of developing T2D.” However, it may not be enough to just lower the intake of animal foods; consumption of less healthy plant foods may need to decrease, too. As a physician, labels like vegetarian and vegan just tell me what you don’t eat, but there are a lot of unhealthy vegetarian fare like French fries, potato chips, and soda pop. That’s why I prefer the term whole food and plant-based nutrition. That tells me what you do eat—a diet centered around the healthiest foods out there. The video I mentioned is Do Flexitarians Live Longer?. You may also be interested in some of my past popular videos and blogs on plant-based diets. Check related posts below. Key Takeaways Adopting a “pro-vegetarian” eating pattern is associated with a survival advantage and may contribute to a longer, healthier life. That means gradually increasing the consumption of plant-derived foods while reducing animal-based foods. In cases of serious diseases like diabetes, completely avoiding problematic foods may be more effective than attempting moderation. Making significant dietary changes can lead to rapid improvements in weight, blood glucose levels, and overall health, and reinforce positive habits. Individuals choosing a plant-based diet for health reasons often do so for general wellness, disease prevention, improved energy levels, and immune function. The sense of control over health, emotional well-being, and overall health improvements are common motivations. People may choose plant-based diets for various reasons, including health concerns, animal welfare, or environmental reasons. A study suggests that “ethical vegans” might be more inclined to consume sugary and fatty foods compared to those motivated by religious or health concerns. While plant-based diets are recommended to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, not all plant foods offer the same benefits. A diet emphasizing healthy plant-based foods significantly reduces diabetes risk, while an intake of unhealthy plant-based foods may be associated with higher risk. Researchers suggest that reducing animal foods and choosing healthy plant-based options are crucial for diabetes prevention. To read the original article click here.

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Negotiating for Life: Mexico’s Oasis of Hope Hospital Touching Patients’ Body, Mind & Soul

AHA Publisher — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 08:00:30 +0000

George Thomas via CBN News – August 2017. Michelle Tucker remembers the words from that day while she was in the doctor’s office as her oncologist delivered the news. “I was told I had about four weeks to live, to go home and get my affairs in order,” Tucker told CBN News. The 46-year-old mother of three from Arizona had battled cancer since she was 19. It started in her breast, first spreading to her thyroid and then pancreas. “I figured I would take my children maybe to the beach for the first week of those four weeks,” Tucker recalled. “We love hearing the waves crash, so I figured let me take them to the beach and we’ll just kind of like ride it out.” Yet, there was something stirring in her that said she simply could not give up without a fight. “I had the attitude of like ‘Who are you to tell me my expiration date? There’s only one person that can do that and that’s not a doctor, no offense to medicine, that’s the man upstairs,'” Tucker recalled. In desperation, she researched alternative cancer treatments and ended up at the Oasis of Hope Hospital. “You get diagnosed with cancer, you’re not going to travel to Tijuana, Mexico. But when they have reached a point where the doctor is saying ‘We really can’t do anything else for you.’ This is the typical person that comes to Oasis of Hope,” said Oasis of Hope CEO Daniel Kennedy. Twenty-five miles south of San Diego and just across the U.S. – Mexican border, Tucker believes God is using Oasis of Hope to give her a chance to continue living. “From the moment you walk in the door, you feel this overwhelming spiritual presence,” she told CBN News during a visit to the facility in Tijuana. “There’s the pastor that sings with you. They pray with you. They become a family with people with strangers, complete strangers, from all over the world, all walks of life.” Tucker has been in remission now for two years. “Four years later, I’m still alive,” she exclaimed. Hospital Founded in 1963 Oasis of Hope was started in 1963 by the late Mexican doctor Ernesto Contreras, Sr., who believed in taking a holistic approach to fighting cancer. His son, Dr. Francisco Contreras, a surgeon and oncologist specialist, now serves as the hospital’s president. “My father felt that the reason for the failure in oncology, and medicine overall, is that we have become just mechanics of the human body,” said Contreras. The idea for Oasis of Hope originated back in the early 1960s when Contreras’ father, who was also a physician, decided to go on a mission trip to Greece and on that trip discovered three important elements that are today at the core of the hospital. Contreras says while traditional oncology focuses on destroying the tumor, his father wanted the hospital to focus on the patient’s emotional renewal, spiritual revival as well as physical restoration. The founder’s grandson, Daniel Kennedy, is proud of his grandfather’s lasting legacy. “There is no other clinic in Tijuana that actually has a pastor on the payroll, praying for patients every day, opening with praise and worship,” Kennedy told CBN News. Miracles Bringing Back Life, Hope, Faith, and a Future Ernesto Lopez is that pastor. He used to lead a local church in Tijuana. Now he walks the corridors of the hospital ministering to the spiritual and emotional needs of patients. CBN News asked Lopez if he’s encountered miracles at the hospital. “Yes, a lot of miracles,” Lopez responded. “Miracles of healing, miracles of salvation, miracles of bringing life back, bringing hope again, bringing faith again and have a hope and a future.” Using a combination of conventional treatments with alternative therapies such as whole-body hyperthermia, Ozone therapy, and dendritic cell vaccine immunotherapy, Oasis of Hope says it has treated more than 100,000 cancer patients from 60 countries. “The majority come from the United States because we’re just across the border from San Diego, but we’ve had patients from South Africa, from Vietnam, from China, from all over the world,” Kennedy said. Cancer-fighting Food Program Rosa Tessada is the hospital’s nutritionist. Working with kitchen staff, Tessada has designed a cancer-fighting plant-based food program to help patients live a healthier life. Ninety percent of meals served at the hospital are vegan-based. “We don’t want to make anybody feel like you have to leave your old life. Let’s just add more greens, more vegetables, and kind of enjoy food and go along with it,” Tessada told CBN News during a cooking demonstration. The hospital grows vegetables on its rooftop garden and teaches patients how to prepare healthy meals. “What the patients tell us is, ‘I’ve never done this. I’ve not used to eating these foods,'” Tessada said. “So what we do is help them to see, hey, you can make very healthy dishes, very fast, and very easy.'” It took a while, but Caleb Dominguez is now sold on eating healthier thanks to Oasis of Hope. Doctors in the U.S. told the 35-year-old they could do nothing for him after being diagnosed with an advanced stage of leukemia. Then he came to Tijuana. “I was going through their treatment plan and within weeks everything that my doctors were trying to fight had shrunk by half. The cancer numbers were going down. My strength was rising. My blood counts were coming back up. I just felt life being restored back to me,” Dominguez told CBN News. That was in 2007. Today, because of his experience at the hospital, Dominguez said his whole approach to life has completely changed. His eating habits, his attitude, and his walk with God have gone through a radical transformation. “Having known what I’ve been through. To be alive and well and healthy, taking all the lessons and experience here, I carry it with me everywhere I go,” Dominguez said. All Patients Need to be Treated with Compassion and the Love of Christ There remain several opinions on this alternative approach and others. For example, the American Cancer Society states some complementary methods have generally not been proven to help prevent or treat cancer or its symptoms. It recommends discussing any treatment patients might consider with their doctor or cancer team. While the doctors at Oasis of Hope are proud to share success stories like Dominguez, Tucker’s, and others, they point out not all patients who come here will make it. Still, Contreras believes all deserve to be treated with compassion and the love of Christ. “I believe that hope is a very powerful tool and that all patients should have hope because as a very old doctor said many, many years ago to a parent of a child, ‘While there’s life, there’s hope,'” he said. Contreras explained what he, along with his team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, pastors, and counselors is negotiating for, is more time for patients. “I cannot guarantee anything,” he said. “The only thing I can guarantee is that I’m going to sit with you and I’m going to do everything possible. And I’m going to negotiate with you for life and God will decide yes, no, or maybe.” To read the original article click here.

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Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

AHA Publisher — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 08:00:56 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN – It may sound impossible, but vegan mac and cheese recipes are on the rise as more and more people follow a vegan diet. You may wonder how and why anyone would mess with a true classic. I admit, macaroni and cheese is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Cheese and pasta: What’s not to love? Unfortunately, the cheese and pasta. If you’re vegan, cheese is off the menu. If you’re lactose intolerant, all that cheese can really upset your stomach. And those heavy carbs? Well, all that gluten doesn’t sit well with many people. Enter my vegan mac and cheese recipe. Mac and cheese … without the cheese? Yup, you read that right. You can absolutely enjoy mac and cheese without the cheese! Key Ingredients We get creative with the ingredients in this vegan mac and cheese recipe. Using butternut squash, coconut cream and nutritional yeast achieves that creamy, silky texture with no dairy. Plus, you get an infusion of butternut squash’s healthy benefits. Did you know that butternut squash nutrition is packed with vitamin A and vitamin C, boosting the immune system? This bright vegetable is also loaded with antioxidants and known to reduce inflammation. Adding spices also gives this vegan mac and cheese a ton of flavor. This is no blue box macaroni and cheese. I especially love adding turmeric to this recipe because of its anti-inflammatory power. We also use gluten-free pasta, making this vegan butternut squash mac and cheese an excellent choice for those avoiding gluten. How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese You’re going to love how simple it is to make this vegan mac and cheese recipe. Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the squash face down. Bake it for 40 minutes or until tender. Baking the squash makes it a lot easier to whip into a “sauce.” At the same time, start boiling the pasta. When the squash is ready, scoop the inside of the squash into a high-powered blender or food processor. Next, add the rest of the ingredients, except for the pasta, to the blender. Blend it all on high until the vegan mac and cheese sauce is well-combined. Add more spices as necessary. How gorgeous is that “cheese” sauce? Next, stir together the gluten-free pasta and butternut squash sauce in a large mixing bowl, making sure the noodles are well-coated. Spoon the vegan mac and cheese into bowls, and top with green onions and freshly cracked black pepper. Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe Mac and cheese … without the cheese? You can absolutely enjoy vegan mac and cheese! Get creative (and healthier) with the ingredients. INGREDIENTS 1 butternut squash, sliced in ½ lengthwise and seeds discarded ½ white onion, chopped ¼ cup coconut cream 1 teaspoon mustard 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ cup nutritional yeast 8 cups gluten-free pasta noodles of choice, cooked INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 400 F. On a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, place the squash face down. Bake for 40 minutes, or until for tender. Boil and cook the pasta. Scoop the inside of the squash into a high-powdered blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) and blend on high until well-combined, adding more herbs and spices as needed. In a large mixing bowl gently stir together the pasta and sauce. Serve topped with green onions. NOTES Experiment with different spices and amounts to get just the right flavor for your tastes. You can use any pasta of your choice, whether it be gluten-free or not. Eat this vegan mac and cheese as a main dish or side — your choice! To read the original article click here.

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Plant-Based Diet Rich in Soy Reduces Troubling Menopause Symptoms by 84%

AHA Publisher — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 07:00:49 +0000

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine via News-Medical – A new study, published by the North American Menopause Society in the journal Menopause, found a plant-based diet rich in soy reduces moderate-to-severe hot flashes by 84%, from nearly five per day to fewer than one per day. During the 12-week study, nearly 60% of women became totally free of moderate-to-severe hot flashes. Overall hot flashes (including mild ones) decreased by 79%. The study, called the WAVS trial–the Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms-shows that diet changes can be much more powerful for treating hot flashes than scientists had thought. Vasomotor symptoms refer to night sweats, hot flashes, and flushes. The study used no hormone medications or extracts. Instead, the research team tested a combination of a low-fat plant-based diet plus 1/2 cup of ordinary soybeans added to a salad or soup each day. “This is a game changer for women aged 45 and over, most of whom we now know can get prompt relief from the most severe and troubling menopause symptoms without drugs,” says lead researcher Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee and adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine. As many as 80% of postmenopausal women suffer from hot flashes. Heat wells up from the chest, causing flushing, sweating, and chills. At night, hot flashes interfere with sleep. Estrogen-based medications were once routinely used to treat hot flashes but have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer and other serious problems. Isoflavoneextracts from soybeans work only modestly, leaving women and their doctors with few effective options. Study Details Postmenopausal women reporting two or more hot flashes per day were randomly assigned to either an intervention group–consisting of a low-fat, vegan diet, including half a cup of cooked soybeans daily–or to a control group that made no diet changes for 12 weeks. Frequency and severity of hot flashes were recorded using a mobile application, and vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms were assessed using the Menopause Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL). Each participant was given a digital self-calibrating scale to track body weight day by day, a mobile app to track hot flashes in real time, and an Instant Pot to prepare soybeans at home. Each week, the group got together with the research team via Zoom. “Previous studies have shown that soy could be beneficial, so we decided to put a diet change to the test. We believe that the combination is what is important. By the end of the study, the majority of women on a plant-based diet rich in soy reported that they no longer experienced moderate-to-extreme hot flashes at all and that they experienced significant improvements in their quality of life.” Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, study author, director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee Key Findings Total hot flashes decreased by 79% and moderate-to-severe hot flashes decreased by 84% in the intervention group. At the study’s conclusion, 59% of intervention-group participants reported becoming free of moderate and severe hot flashes. There was no change in this variable in the control group. In previous randomized trials, soy products have been shown to modestly reduce the frequency of hot flashes. The researchers theorize that the effect may be a result of soy products containing isoflavones, which can be metabolized by gut bacteria into equol–a nonsteroidal compound that has been shown in some studies to reduce the incidence and severity of hot flashes. Previous studies have also shown that those following vegetarian or vegan diets produce higher levels of equol. The new study showed a more robust response, using the combination of a plant-based diet plus soy. Many study participants also reported improvements in sexual symptoms, mood, and overall energy. “This was basically a lifesaver for me,” said one study participant. “I’ve got my quality of life back.” Another said, “I am sleeping better, and my hot flashes diminished tremendously.” Several participants also noticed significant weight loss and better digestion. “Before you jump to any kind of medication, I would try this route, because it’s easy,” a study participant said. “Anybody can do it.” The study was based on the new approach to menopausal symptoms described by Dr. Barnard in his book Your Body in Balance. After the book was released in 2020, a reader contacted Dr. Barnard to let him know that his method eliminated her hot flashes within five days. Rather than using isoflavone extracts or soy foods such as soy milk or tofu, she used whole soybeans. To read the original article click here.

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