Nutrition in the Democratic Republic of Korea

Chronic malnutrition, has an irreversible impact on children’s physical and intellectual development if it is not treated in the first two years of life. To prevent stunting and anaemia in mothers and their children, food and nutrition security, water, hygiene and sanitation, and other endemic social and health-related problems need to be addressed together.
Desiree Jongsma, UNICEF’s representative in the Democratic Republic of Korea, described the improvements in childhood nutrition as “Modest but significant.” These findings revealed by data from a new comprehensive national nutrition survey show that stunting has decreased from 32.3 per cent to 27.9 per cent since 2009, while acute malnutrition is down from 5.2 per cent to 4 per cent, and the incidence of underweight children is down from 18.8 per cent to 15.5 per cent.
The 2012 survey looked at the prevalence of acute and chronic malnutrition and anaemia among children less than five years old, documented nutrition-related diseases in these children and provided data on vitamin A supplementation coverage, on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. The survey also assessed acute malnutrition, anaemia, micronutrient supplementation coverage, and food diversity in all the mothers of the children surveyed.
The survey found wide variations in stunting between provinces, with approximately 20 per cent of children in Pyongyang being stunted, versus more than 30 per cent of children in the north-eastern provinces.
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Nutrition Education for Vietnamese Women on Calcium Intake

A new study suggests that community-based education programs to improve intake of dietary calcium could make a difference in bone health and fracture prevention for the postmenopausal population. In many Asian countries, levels of dietary calcium and vitamin D in the general population have been shown to be below FAO/WHO recommended levels of calcium intake. For pre-menopausal women and men under age 65 the recommended levels are 1000 mg/day and for postmenopausal women and men over age 65 the recommendations are for 1300 mg/day.
Researchers carried out a controlled trial in the Red River Delta in Vietnam involving a total of 140 women. The women, aged 55 years, had been postmenopausal for at least 5 years, and had low dietary calcium intake (less than 400 mg/day). An intervention group was given nutrition education counselling over 18 months to improve calcium intake.
After 18 months, the women in the intervention group had increased their calcium intake significantly. Testing showed that the intervention group’s bone mass had remained stable. In comparison, the bone mass of the control group which had not received nutrition education, had decreased by 0.5 % (p<0.01). The PTH (parathyroid hormone) values in the intervention group decreased by 12 % (p<0.01) whereas in the controls, PTH increased by 32 % (p<0.001). Consider the Source




The Garden Classroom

At Mark Twain Middle School in Los Angeles, a blooming garden serves as a classroom. Students learn math by measuring the growth of wheat, ancient history by building a Mesopotamian-style irrigation system and the science of evaporation, evolution and genetics by watching their garden grow. At lunchtime you will find them snacking on pasta tossed in a sauce featuring just-picked tomatoes and basil.
Healthful eating is linked to academic achievement and some students rely on school meals for most of their daily nutrition. Keonta Johnson, a Mark Twain sixth-grader sitting with three of his friends, said they enjoyed such healthful cafeteria fare as rice and beans, salads and fruits. “We know if we eat too much junk food we’ll get fat and have a greater chance of heart attacks and diabetes.” Edwin Castro, a seventh-grader, said lessons in eating habits, history and other subjects that employed hands-on work out in the school garden have been far more exciting than just reading textbooks.
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Nutrition in a Holistic Setting

“If you can show someone how special they are, that they are wonderfully made, that empowers them with value and it changes their lives.” So says Pam Van Meter, a certified health education specialist who works at the Bethesda Clinic in Tyler Texas.
The clinic provides women with job training and other life skills. The women attend classes twice a week and learn to cook healthy meals from scratch while focusing on the message of the program: cook nutritious meals and limit portion sizes. Here clients learn the basics of good nutrition, which includes using less processed foods and adding more vegetables to the diet.
A focus on nutrition has slowly expanded at the clinic. Health officials say poor nutrition is at the core of the obesity epidemic and chronic illnesses, which costs have overwhelmingly burdened the health care system. The clinic hopes the basics learned in the nutrition classes will resonate with entire families. It’s not enough for one person to create a healthy lifestyle, Bethesda officials say. If the family can enjoy and embrace good nutrition, it could break the cycle of chronic illness in each family.
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New School Nutrition Programs

Chicago Public School students will be growing much of their own food next year. On Sunday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a $1 million investment into the school system’s gardening and nutrition programs. The money is left over from the NATO Summit that took place last spring.
About 100 Chicago schools will be getting the new gardens. Within the small number that previously had such programs, sixth graders consumed more than double the fruits and vegetables of the other students. Hands-on experience and easy access to fruits and vegetables is making a difference in these young lives.
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Egg Free Egg Nog

Egg Free Egg Nog

Recipe Type: Christmas
Cuisine: Ascension
Author: Ascension Cafe
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 6
This healthy choice features the taste of egg nog without the casein or other animal protein. Show you care by helping your guests have a merry, cholesterol free, Christmas!
Ingredients
  • 4c. Almond or Soy Milk (regular or vanilla)
  • 2 Tbs. vegetable gelatin (from FiberAgar Flakes or 1 tsp. FiberAgar powder)
  • 1/3 tsp. Ground nutmeg
  • Rum (if desired)
  • 1 pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 c. soy or almond milk, salt and agar in a saucepan.
  2. Stir until the agar is completely dissolved. Do not boil.
  3. Turn off the heat and stir in salt, vanilla and nutmeg.
  4. Refrigerate until set, approximately 1 hour.
  5. Blend this thickened mixture with the rest of the soymilk until you reach your desired consistency. Add rum here if desired.
  6. Chill and serve topped with ground nutmeg.
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Edenic Vegetable Stock

Edenic Vegetable Stock

Recipe Type: Universal
Cuisine: Ascendant
Author: Ascension Cafe
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 1 hour
Good, healthy, and cheap rings the trifecta bell with vegetable scraps and trimmings that might otherwise feed the compost too early. Use it as a base for other dishes. You can freeze it in measured amounts using ice trays and other reusable containers.
Ingredients
  • A liberal mix of onions, garlic, carrots, celery, parsley, leeks, chard, mushrooms, scallions, potato peelings, lettuce, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, and bell peppers.
  • A careful mix of asparagus, parsnips, squash, fennel, corn cobs, pea pods, and cilantro.
  • Your favorite mix of salt, pepper, thyme, basil, and perhaps a bay leaf.
Instructions
  1. Fill a large pot halfway with water, about 3-4 quarts, and bring to a boil. Drop in all the vegetable scraps and bring back to boiling. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Use a fine-meshed strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth, and carefully pour the broth through the strainer into another container.
  3. Let the broth cool to room temperature, about an hour or two. Give it a taste and add any additional salt or seasonings as desired.
  4. Measure out the stock in useful increments such as ice cube or cup sizes. Freeze in individual containers.
  5. Compost the strained out vegetable scraps.
3.1.09




Seraphic Sweet Potato & Pear Soup

Seraphic Sweet Potato & Pear Soup

Recipe Type: Ascendant
Cuisine: Ascendant
Author: Ascension Cafe
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 12
The flavor maestro is at it again. This melodious blend of sweet potato and pear will take you up, up, and away!
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, sesame oil, or vegan margarine
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped carrot
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 3 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 pears, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice, or to taste
  • salt and pepper (freshly ground) to taste
Instructions
  1. In a pot, heat margarine on medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes, pears and thyme and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add paprika and veggie broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until sweet potato is soft.
  2. Wait for soup to cool down a bit before you puree it, otherwise it will explode in the blender because of the heat.
  3. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pot. Add coconut milk, maple syrup and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes. If soup is too thick add a little extra broth.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, adding more syrup or lime juice as needed. Drizzle with maple syrup if preferred. Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
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Advance of the Chia People

The nutritional value of chia was known to the Aztecs. Now whole and ground chia seeds are being added to fruit drinks, snacks and cereals. They are baked into cookies and sprinkled on yogurt. Chia is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, protein, and fiber.
Mamma Chia products are in Whole Foods stores as well as bodegas and health and natural foods stores. They are now sold in Ralphs and Vons stores and will soon be in Albertsons. Janie Hoffman, founder of Mamma Chia fruit juices, was one of the first people to recognize chia’s potential as a food. She bought some chia seeds online and was quickly sold on their benefits. “I started incorporating it into everything I was eating,” she said. “Stir fries, yogurt, beverages — there really wasn’t anything in my kitchen that didn’t have chia in it.” Companies like Dole and Nature’s Path have also introduced chia products.
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The Five Worst Diets of 2012

Experts with the British Dietetic Association have evaluated several celebrity diet plans, which they noted were becoming “more extreme” and “increasingly involving medical intervention,” and listed the top five worst of 2012:
5. The Six-Week OMG Diet – Get Skinnier than All Your Friends
This book, authored by British writer Venice Fulton (a pseudonym for Paul Kannah), first suggests that one exercise first thing in the morning after drinking only black coffee. Exercising on an empty stomach has had some positive research on its ability to burn fat faster, but most experts suggest that a small snack may help you sustain the exercise session longer (you may not fatigue as easily), so in the end it is what you are most comfortable with.
Fulton also suggests continuing to fast up to three hours after exercise to continue the fat burn. This is not supported by nutritional science, which suggests eating within one hour after exercising encourages optimal recovery so that you can exercise regularly.
There is also some studies that support morning exercise as being the time least likely to be interrupted by other tasks, so people may stick with the program longer. Again, most fitness experts will say to find the time to exercise when is best for your individual schedule. The key being – just get out there!
While this component of the OMG diet isn’t too controversial, some of his other guidelines most certainly are. For example, to rev up your metabolism, Fulton suggests taking an ice bath every morning. While it is true that our bodies need to increase the amount of energy it uses to warm the body back to normal temperature, this effect does not last long, and likely does not make any difference in overall weight loss.
Mr. Fulton also is on the no-carb-whatsoever bandwagon. Even fruit is off-limits because the body “does not know the difference between chocolate cake and an apple.” While studies continue to go back and forth about reducing the amount of overall carbs currently recommended in the daily diet for optimal health, most experts would agree that chocolate cake is not the same as an apple, nutritionally speaking. A healthful diet consists of a variety of foods, such as whole grains, lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts/seeds.
4. The Alcorexia / Drunkorexia Diet
It is believed that there are several top models and other red carpet celebrities are fans of this very dangerous diet where you literally starve yourself during the day, saving the calories for alcohol later in the evening. In the US, individuals most likely to follow this type of eating pattern are college-age females who are bulimic and who binge drink.
Victoria Osborne, assistant professor of social work and public health at the University of Missouri who explored the practice of drunkorexia, has said, “depriving the brain of adequate nutrition and consuming large amounts of alcohol can be dangerous.” Both behaviors can lead to “short- and long-term cognitive problems” as well as an increased risk for alcohol poisoning and death.
3. The “Party Girl” IV Drip Diet
In clinical nutrition, parenteral nutrition (PN or TPN for total parenteral nutrition) is when a patient is fed through an intravenous drip because of their inability to eat normally. It is reserved for critical cases to prevent malnutrition when a patient cannot effectively use his or her gastrointestinal tract. There are potential complications, including an increased risk of infection.
So why would anyone willingly follow a plan that suggests eating nearly nothing all day and then going to a clinic for an IV nutrition drip? Apparently several celebrities have jumped on board with this quick weight loss “secret” in the days to weeks preceding an “important” event, so they can fit into a certain dress or pant size.
An IV drip, much like a nutritional supplement, does not supply the body with every nutrient it needs to be healthy. While you may lose a quick 15 pounds, there is no health advantage to be gained by following this fad diet.
2. The KEN (Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition) Diet
Again, certain “routes” of feeding patients clinically should not be options for healthy individuals. In addition to the IV drip diet above, some clinics will also offer enteral nutrition feedings, another option given to critically ill patients who cannot eat adequate amounts in the normal fashion.
Again, a dieter will eat nearly nothing for ten days (24 hours a day with only one hour off for bathing and dressing) while sporting a backpack filled with a liquid formula that is pumped into the body via a tube entering through the nose and ultimately ending in the stomach. This tube feeding is essentially a low calorie liquid diet, but without having to drink the formula orally.
KEN works by sending the body into “controlled starvation,” forcing it to use its own fat for energy. It is reported that a person can lose ten percent of their body weight in each 10-day cycle without hunger. Helen Bond comments, “It shocks me that people are willing to have naso-gastric (NG) tubes inserted in order to lose weight. Can you imagine walking into a meeting with an NG tube in your nose?”
1. Dukan Diet
Although around for several years in France, the Dukan Diet was introduced to the world by the bride of Prince William, Kate Middleton. She and her mother were reportedly following this extreme diet in preparation for the Royal Wedding. Other followers reportedly have included Jennifer Lopez and Gisele Bundchen.
The complex, four-cycle diet was created by French physician Pierre Dukan. Each cycle, beginning with a “no-carb, protein only” phase, restricts a certain food category which is said to lead to greater fat burning.
As with most diets, there is little solid evidence that this will lead to sustained, successful weight loss. In addition, the Dukan diet is so confusing, time-consuming, and rigid that for most of us, it is very hard to sustain for any real length of time. Even Dr. Dukan himself warns of lack of fatigue, constipation, and bad breath (due to ketogenesis).
The Bottom Line
As for these five and all other faddy weight loss gimmicks, Sian Porter, a consultant dietitian and spokesperson for the BDA, says: “As much as we all would love it to be the case, there is no magic solution to losing weight and keeping it off long term. There is no wonder diet you can follow without some associated nutritional or health risk and most are offering a short-term fix to a long term problem. It may be obvious, but if you want to lose weight you need to make healthier choices, eat a nutritionally balanced and varied diet with appropriately sized portions, and be physically active. In a nutshell the solution for most is to, eat fewer calories, make better choices and move a bit more!”
 
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