BELLVILLE Jodie Snavely can light up a room with her lively personality and beaming smile.

Because the Bellville residents zest for life is so apparent, it would be easy to assume that her life is all rainbows and unicorns. But daily she deals with the struggles of living with type 1 diabetes a condition that, if not properly managed, can cause serious health complications.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. World Diabetes Day is celebrated on Nov. 14 to raise awareness on both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction that destroys cells in the pancreas that make insulin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, without insulin, blood sugar cant get into cells, causing buildup in the bloodstream. High blood sugar can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease.

With type 2 diabetes, cells dont respond normally to insulin (insulin resistance),and the body cant keep blood sugar at normal levels.

Snavely, 52, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 18.

Prior to her diagnosis she experienced such symptoms as excessive thirst and urination, mood swings and hair loss, she said.

But it was a ruptured ovarian cyst that led her to discovering she had type 1 diabetes. Her blood test results confirmed the diagnosis.

Mentally, I had no idea what I was in for. No idea, she recalled. I had no idea what diabetes was. I didnt know what was going to happen in my life.

Her doctor encouraged her to maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and to regularly check her blood sugar.

Then I went off to college and was like, Im not checking my blood sugar, she said. She saw it as a hassle.

After she graduated, however, checking her blood sugar was no longer optional in her mind.

My doctor told me to either straighten up or youre going to die from this, so it was that that made me step back and understand what can happen from diabetes if you dont check your sugar, she said.

Jodie poses with her husband, Bret.

From then on she took it upon herself to check her blood sugar not just once, but 10 times daily.

They recommend anywhere from 1-3 times daily to see where youre at, but I took it so seriously when that doctor said, You need to shape up. I was like, I dont want to die from diabetes, I want to live to be a very healthy person, and so Im now going to do everything I possibly can to keep healthy, she said.

Keeping track of her blood sugar levels helps give her peace of mind, she said.

I feel better knowing what my blood sugars are and keeping that in perfect control, she said. Is it always in control? No, because diabetes sometimes has a mind of its own. Emotions can take over, stress can take over, if I dont have time to eat, if I get sick Life gets in the way and you just have to do the best you can do to keep healthy.

One of the ways she keeps healthy is with regular physical activity. Her go-to exercise is running, which she started doing at 30 years old.

Running outside in the winter can be a great form of exercise -- just make sure you take necessary precautions before lacing up your running shoes.

She typically runs 4-9 miles two or three times a week in the winter and five times a week in the spring, summer and fall. She also enjoys taking part in races and has completed eight half-marathons, three Tough Mudders, numerous 5K and 10K races, and one 24-hour relay race.

She set a personal record at her most recent half marathon in October with a time of two hours and eight minutes.

Im very competitive, so I was super excited that I got a PR, she said.

Snavely takes extra care when training and preparing for races.

I have to consider how diabetes will affect me for two hours while Im running, so I have to think about where my blood sugars are at, what to eat before the race, how to fuel throughout the race and what to do afterwards, she said.

The extra effort may seem like a burden to some, but Snavely said its just a normal part of her routine.

I accept it and go with the flow, she said.

She also says a prayer during her races that God would watch over her.

On top of exercise, Snavely prioritizes a healthy diet. She sticks to foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, fish and poultry, and doesnt eat out much.

She also keeps in regular contact with her endocrinologist, Dr. Cynthia Dorsey of OhioHealth.

Im so thankful for her and her staff that keep me healthy, Snavely said. I see her every four months religiously.

In the 34 years that Snavely has been diagnosed with diabetes, she hasn't suffered any complications from the disease, she said.

For over 20 years shes worn an insulin pump, which is meant to mimic the functions of a pancreas.

I call it my pancreas on the outside of my body, she said with a laugh. Its a little machine that has a tube that goes into my body and I move that around every four days and it delivers insulin like your pancreas would, she explained.

She also has glucose tablets handy in case her blood sugar were to drop.

When it comes to managing diabetes, she said, You have to take it by the horns and take control of it. Is it easy? No, its not easy. Its a 24/7 disease that I have to manage.

But shes thankful for the support shes received along the way from family, friends and her physicians.

Keeping a positive frame of mind is all she knows.

Jodie smiles with her parents, Malena and Ron Puster.

I had two choices when I was diagnosed: I could become depressed and say, Forget it, Im not going to deal with diabetes,' or I was going to take it by the horns and do the best I could do, she said.

She credits her parents for helping her look on the bright side and to push past obstacles standing in her way.

She hopes to be like her grandmother who lived to be 99.

She was not diabetic, but I want to be like my grandma and live a long, healthy life, she said.

Diabetes is not going to take me down.

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How this Bellville woman is living her best life with type 1 diabetes - Richland Source

After a super-fast DNA test developed by scientists at Imperial College, Helen Rumbelow trialled their new gadget it lets people choose food to suit their genes

The Times,November 12 2019, 12:01am

Will it be my grandmothers cancer, or the family weakness for Alzheimers that will get me in the end? Our genes contain instructions for our death as well as our life, but they have always played dumb. Until now.

Now I can wear a wristband with my genetic vulnerability for fatal diseases coded into it. Which is by turns futuristic and kind of terrifying. For me, its like shaking hands with my heart attack scheduled for 2050: Nice to get to know you at last!

Weird, but I soon get used to it when I take the wristband shopping. Its the opposite experience to taking a toddler, endlessly pestering for sweeties, to the supermarket. When I aim the tiny scanner of the DNA Nudge wristband

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DNA Nudge app review: can this wristband tell you the best diet for your genes? - The Times

Diet plays an essential role in lowering blood pressure and a growing body of evidence recommends certain foods for their blood pressure-lowering properties.

One study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, makes a strong case for supplementing a diet low in saturated fats with walnuts to help lower blood pressure.

In a randomised, controlled trial, researchers examined the effects of replacing some of the saturated fats in participants' diets with walnuts.

Saturated fat is the kind of fat found in butter, lard, ghee, fatty meats and cheese. Eating a diet high in saturated fat is associated with raised levels of non-HDL (bad) cholesterol, a waxy substance found in your blood that is tied to cardiovascular complications, explains the British Heart Foundation.

They found that when participants ate whole walnuts daily in combination with lower overall amounts of saturated fat, they had lower central blood pressure.

READ MORE:High blood pressure: The surprising food that could lower your reading

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High blood pressure: Include this snack in your diet to lower your reading - Express

Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning and tends to develop as people get older, although is not a natural part of ageing. Early warning signs of the condition include memory loss and an impaired judgement, but as the symptoms progress, symptoms can become more pronounced, and people tend to feel isolated from those around them. Although getting older is the biggest risk factor for dementia, evidence shows that lifestyle decisions can influence a persons risk of developing the condition too.

According to the Alzheimers Society, doing regular physical activity is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia, and numerous studies have backed up this claim.

A new study published in The Lancet Public Health builds on the existing literature by exploring how fitness levels over time influence dementia risk.

"It is important to say that it is never too late to begin exercising. The average participant in our study was around 60 years old at baseline, and improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness was strongly linked to lower dementia risk. Those who had poor fitness in the 1980s but improved it within the next decade could expect to live two years longer without dementia," says lead author Atefe Tari of the Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

To arrive at this verdict, Tari and her research colleagues measured the fitness level of participants twice ten years apart. This approach enabled the researchers to evaluate how changes in fitness over time are related to dementia risk.

READ MORE:Dementia symptoms: Five ways you can prevent vascular dementia

Commenting on their findings, Tari said: "If you increase your cardiorespiratory fitness from poor to good you almost halve the risk of getting dementia. You also reduce the risk of dying from or with dementia.

Tari added: In our study, each increase of 1MET was associated with a 16 percent lower risk of getting dementia and a 10 percent lower risk of dementia-related death. This is an improvement that is very achievable for most people.

The metabolic equivalent (MET) is a unit that estimates the amount of energy used by the body during physical activity, as compared to resting metabolism.

The latest study adds to the existing body of research linking fitness levels to a reduced risk of dementia, and previous studies have also shed a light on the best exercise to reduce the risk of delay brain decline.

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According to a report conducted by the Mayo Clinic, any exercise that gets the heart pumping may reduce the risk of dementia and slow the condition's progression once it starts.

Researchers examined the role of aerobic exercise in preserving cognitive abilities and concluded that it should not be overlooked as an important therapy against dementia.

The researchers broadly defined exercise as enough aerobic physical activity to raise the heart rate and increase the body's need for oxygen.

For many people, walking is a great choice for aerobic exercise but other examples include swimming, bicycling and jogging.

"We culled through all the scientific literature we could find on the subject of exercise and cognition, including animal studies and observational studies, reviewing over 1,600 papers, with 130 bearing directly on this issue. We attempted to put together a balanced view of the subject," said J. Eric Ahlskog, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic.

He added: "We concluded that you can make a very compelling argument for exercise as a disease-modifying strategy to prevent dementia and mild cognitive impairment, and for favourably modifying these processes once they have developed."

The researchers note that brain imaging studies have consistently revealed objective evidence of favourable effects of exercise on human brain integrity.

Also, they note, animal research has shown that exercise generates trophic factors that improve brain functioning, plus exercise facilitates brain connections.

To reap the optimal health benefits, the NHS recommends doing at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both.

According to Alzheimers Society, a healthy, balanced diet may also reduce your risk of dementia, as well as other conditions including cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

According to the health body, a healthy, balanced diet should consist of:

It also important to avoid or cut down on certain items to reduce the risk of dementia, such as alcohol consumption, warns the charity.

At most, you should aim to drink no more than 14 units each week. If you regularly drink much more than this, youre at risk of alcohol-related brain damage, it said.

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Dementia care: The activity shown to lower your risk of developing the condition - Express

Enrique Villasenor is at the head of the Pasadena City College classroom, extolling the many unsung virtues of the prickly pear cactus.

Its often referred to as poor peoples food, Villasenor explains, but did you know that it contains all the essential amino acids and some nonessential amino acids as well?

Villasenor is the de facto ambassador of the humble prickly pear cactus, a plant that has been used for food and medicine for millennia.

After 35 years as a school teacher, Villasenor recently retired and now actively works as an assistant to pharmacologist Dr. James Adams, who shares traditional Chumash healing methods.

In his popular two-hour presentation, Villasenor takes his audience through the fascinating history and the vast healthful benefits of the prickly pear cactus, beginning with the fact that cacti remnants were found in jars in Mexico dating back 10,000 years. He explains that archaeologists have found old jars that contained not only cactus, but teostine (the forerunner to corn), chili, amaranth, sapote and mesquite some of the earliest foods from this continent.

As part of his presentation, Villasenor shares details from the historical book, Relacion de Cabeza deVaca, the account of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vacas journey in the unknown interior of America. De Vaca was one of four survivors of the 1527 Narvaez expedition. From 1527 to 1536, de Vaca wandered across the US Southwest, learning from the natives about the local foods. Though he was a slave for the first two years, he became both a trader and a healer to the various tribes. He learned of the value of the nopal (aka the prickly pear cactus) from the natives and used it for scurvy, treating arrow wounds, and for stomach issues. After returning to Spain in 1537, he wrote his account of the journey, first published in 1542. De Vaca is sometimes considered a proto-anthropologist for his detailed accounts of the many tribes of Native Americans that he encountered.

The prickly pear cactus is one of the best immune system boosters, says Villasenor, quoting Hippocrates, who said Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.

Historically, the prickly pear cactus pads have been used for lowering cholesterol levels, digestive issues, edema, wounds, bronchitis, fevers, vitiligo, inflammation, type II diabetes, muscle pain, urinary problems, burns, and liver problems. Students of Villasenor listen in awe, wondering why they have always considered the prickly pear just a food to eat when youre next to starving, rather than the superfood it is.

Villasenor explains that because the prickly pear was always available in good times and bad, in times of drought and plenty, it was always something that poor people could and did use, but then it came to be regarded as simply a food of last resort.

Today, however, that view is changing. Villasenor points out that one can find hundreds of products made from the prickly pear on Amazon. This includes food and food supplements, pills for diabetes, as well as various products from the cochineal bug that is often found on the prickly pear plants. The cochineal has historically been dried and crushed to get carminic acid and a very good red dye for clothing, and even food products.

The highlight of Villasenors presentation is when he turns on a food processor and makes a prickly pear drink for everyone to try.

First, he scrapes the young pads to remove the spines and the tiny hair-like glochids. He puts one large pad into the food processor, and adds one apple and one lemon, and blends it all. The resultant drink is thick, and so it can be thinned further with water if one prefers. Everyone enjoyed the tartness and sweetness of the drink. Sugar is never added.

THE RECIPE:

Dice 1 prickly pear pad. Place in blender with 1 cup of water. Blend. Dice 1 green apple. Blend. Dice 1 peeled orange. Blend. Add additional water to taste if the smoothie is too thick. Serve with ice. Use lime to taste. Do not add sugar. Suggested serving is 1.5 cups twice a day.

According to Villasenor, this is one of the best ways to get your daily intake of the prickly pear in a form that is tasty and easy to prepare. The benefits are that it helps you to lose weight and improves your immune system.

Villasenor adds that complete health is really about complete balance, and by balance he explains that each of us needs to find balance physically, spiritually, socially and financially within our community and family. You should work at this every day, he explains.

Additionally, Villasenor points out that the natural immune boosters include sleep, plant-based diet, exercise, not-smoking, having minimal stress in your life, maintaining a healthy weight, minimal alcohol consumption, maintaining healthy relationships, and avoiding infections. Consuming prickly pear cactus daily is just one part of this overall balance.

Villasenor shares a little about his background during his presentation. His mother is still alive at 101 years old, and she taught him balance in all things. I was outside all day, always doing things outdoors, he explains. And when we had a problem, my mother healed us.

Villasenor also shares testimonials from students of his and Dr. Adams, students who have had miracle healings by consuming the prickly pear cactus drink, and other herbal remedies they teach.

Regarding the many additives to foods today, Villasenor advises, If you cannot pronounce it, do not eat it.

Villasenor smiles as he shares an old idiom, which underscores how Mexicos identity is tied to the nopal, or prickly pear cactus. Soy mas Mexicano que el nopal, he says, which translates as I am more Mexican than the cactus The expression is asking, between the lines, what came first, the Mexican or the cactus, affirming the persons pride in being Mexican.

Contact Enrique Villasenor at senornopales@gmail.com. Christopher Nyerges is the author of Guide to Wild Foods, Foraging California, How to Survive Anywhere and other books. He can be reached at SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.

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Enrique Villasenor teaches how prickly pears are used for food and health - Pasadena Weekly

Nutritionist to the stars, Marco Borges, tells us how he turned Beyonc vegan

Based in Miami with his wife, three sons and daughter, Marco Borges has dedicated his life to wellness. Over the past twenty years, hes worked with some of the worlds biggest celebrities, guiding them towards healthier lifestyles.

Having studied physiology and biology at Florida University, he went on to work as a nutritionist and developed the groundbreaking 22 Greenprint Laws, which he outlines as the most important diet, exercise, and lifestyle secrets for losing weight, increasing energy, boosting metabolism, and reducing inflammation, not to mention helping minimise your carbon imprint to help the planet. He co-owns plant-based company 22 Days Nutrition with Beyonc and Jay-Z.

We caught up with him after the launch of his new book, The Greenprint

I am incredibly passionate about what I do and have been blessed to be able to work with the people Ive worked with. What I have learned along the way is that were all pretty much the same at the core.

Whether youre an athlete, celebrity, carpool dad or professional mom, we all wake up daily wanting to live our best lives. What we do from the moment we wake up until we go to bed makes all the difference! Every meal is another opportunity to get closer to or further away from our health goals.

I have been obsessed with human performance since a very early age and because of this I fell in love with scientific data. Once I read the data about all the benefits of a plant-based diet (about 15 years ago), I couldnt ignore it and immediately went plant-based.

Optimum performance and health starts on the inside so I am very conscious of what I put into my body and how it will affect both my performance and my health.

Its not about perfection but rather progression. Try not to focus on being perfect, just better than you were yesterday.

I heat up some quinoa and beans that I keep ready in my fridge and steam some veggies to go along with it. Oh, and I top it off with some fresh avocado. Everything is better with avocado.

Our Greenprint is the positive impact we can have on our health and the health of the planet by eating more plant-based meals.

Once I shared the benefits of a plant-based diet with them, they found it difficult to ignore and wanted to challenge others as they challenged themselves to move towards a more plant-based lifestyle.

Intermittent fasting has been proven to help improve health in so many ways (heart health, diabetes prevention, reduces belly fat, Alzheimers prevention, cellular repair, cancer prevention and the list goes on) and at the core the process is quite simple. When were not eating (or trying to digest food we just ate) our bodies are doing housekeeping to take care of any areas we need help in. Were all already fasting, its called sleeping. We just need to find ways to increase the window of time we fast daily in order to really see the benefits it has to offer. I recommend fasting 14-16 hours daily.

A whole food, plant-based diet is the only diet that has been proven to reduce the risk, arrest and even reverse the leading cause of death (heart disease) so, the question shouldnt be What diseases does a plant-based diet help prevent but rather, What diseases doesnt a whole food plant-based diet help prevent?

My vision for the future of our planet is quite simple. The foods we will eat wont hurt us. They wont hurt animals. They wont hurt our planet. When we eat consciously, we are able to achieve optimum health and when we are healthy, we are happy. Health is happiness and happiness is peace.

The Greenprint by Marco Borges with an introduction by Jay-Z and Beyonc is on sale now, published by HQ, HarperCollins in paperback and ebook.

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Meet the man who turned Beyonc vegan, Marco Borges - Vegan Food and Living

Whether you're running, lifting, or doing yoga, working out can burn hundreds of calories. That means you might be hungrier than normal and need to consume more food to replenish your energy. But if you're following intermittent fasting (IF), should you be concerned about exercising on an empty stomach? The short answer is it depends on the type of fasting diet you're following, the way you time your workouts, and the fitness goals you want to achieve.

While most IF diets allow you to determine your own eating and fasting periods based on your lifestyle, you need to be smart about properly fueling your body before and after a fast so that it doesn't negatively impact your workouts. Here's what you can do to ensure you're working out safely while intermittent fasting.

First note that there are many different methods for IF, including the 5:2 program, which involves restricting your calorie consumption to 25% of your calorie needs two days a week and eating normally the rest of the days. On the 16:8 diet, you eat during an eight-hour window and fast for the remaining 16 hours. While you're fasting, you can drink water, black coffee, and tea, but everything else is off limits.

"It is safe to follow IF and be physically active, but some things are more important to be aware of, especially at the beginning when you are becoming keto adaptivemeaning your body is learning how to burn fat for fuel instead of carbs," says Wendy Scinta, M.D., president of the Obesity Medicine Association and member of Prevention's medical review board. "Hypoglycemia initially can lead to increased heart rate, dizziness, nausea, and poor athletic performance, but this improves as your body learns how to run on ketones instead of glucose," she says.

"Some people don't do well when they eat and work out, but it's important to have energy," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., creator of BetterThanDieting.com, and author of Read It Before You Eat It - Taking You from Label to Table. "If you're on the 5:2 program, you're consuming only 25% of your calorie needs two days a week, so I would reserve exercise for the other days of the week when you're eating normally," she advises.

Women on the 5:2 diet limit their calorie intake to 500 calories and men 600 calories. But this calorie limit is separated by a 12-hour fast, so you can consume 250 calories in the morning and another 250 calories at night. Men can break up their calorie intake evenly between the fasting period too. If you want to work out during your limited-calorie days, then it might make sense to exercise right before or after your fast. This way, you're working out while you're fueled and have the option to eat once your fast is over. What's also great about the 5:2 diet is that you can decide which days you want to eat normally and which days you want to eat very little, making it easier to schedule your workouts accordingly.

It's best to work out at the beginning of a fast period when you're already properly fueled and at the end of a fast, so you can enjoy a pre- or post-workout snack.

Kulaa Bacheyie, M.S., C.S.C.S., adjunct professor at Syracuse University and a strength and conditioning rehab specialist and fitness consultant at Medical Weight Loss of New York, a clinic that specializes in weight management and obesity medicine, agrees that the 5:2 plan is more ideal than other intermittent fasting methods when you're new to IF and easing into a workout routine. "The 5:2 plan may be better than the 16:8 diet so you are fueled before your workout," he says. Bacheyie says it's best to work out at the beginning of a fast period when you're already properly fueled and at the end of a fast, so you can enjoy a pre- or post-workout snack.

Once your body has fully adjusted to an IF diet and is keto adaptive, making sure you're doing low-impact workouts over HIIT, running, and other high-impact exercises becomes less of a concern. "Initially, high-intensity exercises and resistance training will reduce blood sugar levels and glycogen stores, so avoid these in the beginning. But once you have been doing IF for a while, it is less of a problem," Bacheyie says.

Research shows that combining an IF diet with a regular exercise routine can produce greater weight loss results than fasting alone. But the reality is IF isn't the most effective nutrition plan for building muscle mass, so if that's your goal, you want to consider following a different diet. "IF has a greater tendency to decrease your workload due to muscular fatigue. But you can build muscle if you train intensely enough and time your workouts properly, along with recovery days," Bacheyie says. "Loading your feeding time with protein will also help."

Other than timing your workouts so that they begin at the start or end of a fast, there are some other steps you can take to ensure that your workouts are effective while following IF.

1. Load up on protein, fat, and carbs during your eating periods. Taub-Dix says that combining protein, carbs, and fats in your meals will help you feel fuller during your fast and give you energy for your workouts. "It's important to replenish your glucose stores after a workout, so be sure to enjoy at least 15 grams of carbs. That's a half-cup of pasta or a slice of bread," she says. Go for lean sources of protein too, like grilled chicken, salmon, and grass-fed beef, and add some healthy fats, such as nuts and avocado.

Taub-Dix also stresses hydrating before and during your fast, as some people confuse thirst with hunger. "Drink a smoothie that has a good combination of protein and carbs, so it's easier to digest," she says.

2. Trick your brain into thinking you're actually fueling up. If you're new to IF and your body hasn't adapted to using fat as fuel yet, Bacheyie says swishing or gargling a carb-heavy drink in your mouth and then spitting it out can reduce your perception of fatigue and trick your brain into thinking that you're fueling it.

3. Save your more intense workouts for days you're not restricting calories. If you're following the 5:2 plan, Taub-Dix says walking, doing yoga, Pilates, and other low-impact workouts are safer during the two days that you're limiting calories. "The calorie demand is greater when you're working out and 500 calories isn't adequate anyway. If you're the kind of person that needs to work out every day, I would save the heavier workouts for later in the week," she says. If you're following another IF method that has longer fasting periods, like the 16:8 diet, then time your workouts at the beginning or the end of a fast.

4. Enjoy a healthy pre- or post-workout snack. When you time your workouts before or after a fast, you have the benefit of eating pre- or post-workout. There aren't hard or fast rules on whether it's better to eat before or after a workout (it depends on what works best for you), but the most important thing is that you're fueling up wisely.

Bacheyie says healthy high-glycemic carbs, like bananas, grapes and grape tomatoes, are best after a workout. "A recovery drink that has a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein is best for replenishing glycogen stores and stimulating protein synthesis for muscle recovery," he adds. If you're working out before a fast, eat fruit, low-fat yogurt, peanut butter, and other foods that are easy to digest. Your body is able to break down these foods quickly and use them as fuel. Taub-Dix says that Greek yogurt with nuts, a smoothie, and whole-grain toast with peanut butter are some healthy pre-workout snack options.

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Can You Exercise and Do Intermittent Fasting? Experts Weigh In - Prevention.com

Weight loss is not always easy to achieve and slimmers may worry they will be left feeling hungry and unsatisfied. However, dieters do not have to go without a mid afternoon treat when getting into shape, experts revealed. These are the top five snacks to help weight loss.

Protein is the most satiating macronutrient and is the hardest to store as body fat. You even burn calories digesting it.

Instead of tucking into high carb treats, slimmers can pick from a list of healthy foods to keep them satisfied.

Fat-free yogurt with raspberries and nut butter - 210 calories

They said: This nutrient-dense swap is not only voluminous - so youll feel fuller - its much higher in protein. It includes a great source of healthy fats and the berries bring added fibre. This is a great snack for curbing sweet cravings!

DON'T MISS

Dark chocolate - 121 calories

They said: I get all my clients to immediately switch from sweets and bars of milk or white chocolate to high-quality dark chocolate, roughly 70to 85 percent.

With good quality dark chocolate, a little goes a long way, so harder to overconsume, and it has a lot of healthy antioxidants.

Dark chocolate is especially beneficial for my female clients when they are nearing their time of the month and cravings are through the roof a little dark chocolate can squash those urges right away.

Biltong - 74 calories

Biltong brings all the convenience, but far less calories than its potato equivalent, the experts revealed.

This slow digesting protein will keep you fuller for longer and help stabilise blood sugar levels.

Cherry tomatoes - 26 calories

Cherry tomatoes are a great swap to get a sweet fix, the trainers explained.

Packed full of fibre but low in calories, they will help curb sweet cravings and give you that feeling of fullness. Great for desk-snackers or social events like cinema outings.

Low calorie jelly - 4 calories

They said: Its so easy to pick up a yoghurt from the fridge for a low-calorie dessert, but remember that all those 100 calorie snacks here and there soon add up if youre not paying attention.

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Weight loss: Top five snacks to help you shape up revealed - which has fewest calories? - Express

Transient ischemic attack, often referred to as a ministroke, occurs when there is a temporary lack of blood flow to the brain. Almost a quarter-million Americans experience a TIA every year.

TIAs are a good news, bad news condition. The good news is that TIAs dont kill brain tissue or cause permanent disabilities. The bad news is that a TIA happens before about 15% of all strokes. Up to 25% of people who experience a TIA die within a year. About 33% of people who suffer a TIA have a more severe stroke within a year. Recognizing a TIA and getting immediate medical care are critical.

TIAs tend to be brief, and the symptoms can often clear up by the time you get to the doctor. This could cause people to believe that a TIA is a minor event. But that is not true.

Here is a list of common symptoms associated with a TIA:

Vision changes

Trouble speaking

Confusion

Balance issues

Numbness

Weakness

Tingling

Muscular weakness generally on one side of the body

Severe headache with no obvious cause

Although TIAs dont lead to permanent brain damage, emergency medical care is necessary because TIA symptoms are the same as those of a stroke. It is not possible for you to tell whether your symptoms are related to a TIA or a stroke. This can only be done by a medical professional.

Treating a TIA is focused on mitigating the chance of a future stroke. Medical professionals may start or adjust medication that improve blood flow to the brain.

Treatment options may include:

Medicines such as antiplatelet drugs, which help prevent blood clots, such as aspirin, Plavix, Effient or Aggrenox.

Surgery, called carotid endarterectomy, where your doctor clears the carotid arteries of fatty deposits and plaques.

Lifestyle changes can also reduce your risk of future TIAs or strokes. Some of these changes include:

Dont smoke. Stopping smoking reduces your risk of a TIA or a stroke.

Limit cholesterol and fat. Cutting back on cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat, in your diet may reduce buildup of plaques in your arteries.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods contain nutrients such as potassium, folate and antioxidants, which may protect against a TIA or a stroke.

Limit sodium. If you have high blood pressure, avoiding salty foods and not adding salt to food may reduce your blood pressure. Avoiding salt may not prevent hypertension, but excess sodium may increase blood pressure in people who are sensitive to sodium.

Exercise regularly. If you have high blood pressure, regular exercise is one of the few ways you can lower your blood pressure without drugs.

Limit alcohol intake. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. The recommended limit is no more than one drink daily for women and two a day for men.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight contributes to other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Losing weight with diet and exercise may lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels.

Dont use illicit drugs. Drugs such as cocaine are associated with an increased risk of a TIA or a stroke.

Control diabetes. You can manage diabetes and high blood pressure with diet, exercise, weight control and when necessary medication.

Educate yourself on the warning signs of stroke and do it FAST.

F Face drooping

A Arm weakness

S Speech slurred

T Time to call 911

A TIA can signal a future stroke. Take the warning seriously, and dont delay. According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S. and the fifth leading cause of death.

Tracy Arabian is the communications officer at SeniorCare Inc., a local agency on aging that serves Gloucester, Beverly, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.

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SENIOR LOOKOUT: Don't ignore the warning that a TIA is giving - Gloucester Daily Times

When it comes to losing weight, exercise and diet both play an important part in getting results. Making simple changes to the diet plan can be enough to help dieters lose weight and cut back on fat. Slimmers must ensure they eat foods high in protein to see the best results, Cecilia Harris, celebrity PT and co-founder of online fitness, nutrition and health platform, Results with Lucy, explained.

If you want to lose fat you need to burn more calories than you put in. In other words, create a calorie deficit.

When doing this, dieters must be mindful with what foods they cut out and eat foods high in protein.

Cecilia explained: Upping your protein intake will promote weight loss and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

If hoping to burn fat, slimmers will still need to eat the right nutrients when cutting back on calories.

DON'T MISS

Making small changes and swapping unhealthy habits will help dieters on their way to a tone midriff.

You still need to make sure you are getting all the right nutrients so really its about eating smart and making sure what you eat has nutritional value and is not wasted calories," Cecilia added.

Simple changes can make a big difference like cutting down portion sizes or swapping a milky coffee for green tea.

For each person the calorie deficit will be different depending on variables like your height, weight, gender and how active you are.

Dieters hope to lose fat quickly can achieve their goals by upping their protein intake and cutting back on unhealthy calories.

However, the trainer warned this is not for everyone and those already eating healthily might not need to cut back.

Cecilia added: I dont believe that day to day creating a calorie deficit is necessary if you are living a healthy, balanced lifestyle however, if you are looking to get that extra ab definition then creating a calorie deficit can work.

Continued here:
Weight loss: Using this diet trick can help burn belly fat fast - what can you eat? - Express