This week a study about weight loss and calories showed that there might actually be an easier way to present health data than the traditional calorie county. The study was focused on calorie count versus workout time displayed and the results were not that shocking to the people conducting the study. Apparently it is significantly more effective to show people just how long they’ll need to exercise than it is to simply show them a calorie count for whatever meal they’re ordering.

The study showed that average adults were significantly more likely to select the healthier meals when presented with exercise times in hours and minutes rather than calories. This makes sense because it is quite a bit easier to relate to times than it is to relate to calories. Obviously there is a follow up study being planned right now to determine whether this would actually help in the real world but doctors are very hopeful.

At this point no fast food restaurants or government agencies have bought into the idea of labeling food health based on workout times but it is definitely something that might happen in the future. This is great news because it will instinctively lead to healthier choices for millions of Americans that would otherwise make the wrong choice.

Malnutrition is an unfortunate and significant issue that affects millions of children around the world in developing countries. For years now humanitarian efforts have been centered on sending food and aid to these children and families in need but unfortunately it is nearly impossible to actually fix the problems completely. Fortunately a major research project released this week shows that there is actually something promising on the horizon.

Probably the biggest problem with malnutrition is that simply providing food and water does not necessarily resolve all issues. The good news is that according to the study released this week, simple antibiotics that are widely available have a big impact on healing and recovering from malnutrition. Antibiotics are available and widespread basically everywhere in the world so providing at least some sort of antibiotic to children in need is a fairly simple endeavor. Doctors and humanitarian groups around the world are very happy to hear that this makes a big difference and they are hopeful that in the future antibiotics will be a big part of the recovery aid.

Obviously this is just a preliminary result but doctors overall are very happy with the results. Providing simple antibiotics to malnutrition patients made a very significant impact and significantly reduced their average recovery time.

This week the United States Food and Drug Administration officially began implementing a wide variety of changes that were planned for 2013. The overall goal behind the FDA’s new policies and procedures is to reduce the chances of a major food borne sickness breakout from happening. This change was pushed for because of the numerous food illness outbreaks in 2012 and many experts say that these changes will surely be great news for millions of Americans that could have possibly been affected by an outbreak.

There are hundreds of other changes being implemented as well that are entirely focused on increasing food safety. This is obviously great news because it should in fact lead to better food quality and regulation while at the same time reducing risks. The FDA is planning to have consistent checkups on these changes to make sure things are being done properly and they are hopeful that by the end of the year there will be measurable improvements in food safety.

These FDA changes are great news for all Americans because in the past few years there have been thousands of deaths due to poorly regulated food sales. The FDA is dedicated to putting a stop to this and these changes are sure to be a big success according to most experts.

For years medical researchers have been saying that eating home cooked meals while sitting as a family is important and now there is more research available that confirms this. The research study came out this week and apparently eating family meals has been linked to a number of health benefits in children as young as 4 years old.

The primary benefit of eating home cooked meals with a family is that children see a significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption which leads to much healthier eating habits. On average children that frequently ate with their family had almost twice as many fruits and vegetables in their daily meals which is obviously very beneficial for the health of a child. Researchers are very happy to find such a strong link between these two factors and as always doctors are now recommending that families take the time to eat home cooked meals together as often as possible.

This is great news for many families because it shows that what they are doing is obviously a good idea. Unfortunately for many busy families eating home cooked meals together is difficult or impossible but hopefully this kind of study is enough to convince them to make a change for the health of their children.

 

Food shortages have long been a problem around the world for a number of reasons. Obviously the environment and other factors play a major role and when things go bad it can cause worldwide shortages. Now however there appears to be a completely new alternative that might actually work, and it is going to absolutely revolutionize the food industry.

3D printing of food is the new concept and thanks to some high profile support it might soon be a reality. Companies have been able to make rapid prototypes of models and other projects thanks to 3D printers and now they may be used to make food for millions of people in the near future. According to the company behind it, Modern Meadows, 3D printing has been used in the biomedical industry for years and it shouldn’t be difficult to develop proteins and muscle needed to print accurate and healthy meats. From there things will only continue to expand as other important foods will be printable in the future as well.

The idea is new and very revolutionary, and it might just be the solution to the world’s food troubles. If things can be produced quickly and cheaply enough this will absolutely be the final end to any and all food crises around the world. It is a very exciting possibility and many analysts feel it may soon be a reality.

Doctors have been saying that fish oil is a healthy and useful supplement for a number of reasons and while many of these reasons have not been medically verified, they are generally considered true. Today however a medical study released showed a very direct link between fish oil consumption and brain aging, apparently for a variety of reasons fish oil helps keep the brain younger and more active in patients.

According to doctors a consistent diet high in fish oil helped keep the brain essentially 2 or more years younger than it should be. This is truly incredible as, according to many, it should help increase memory as well as help reduce risk for various brain disorders later in life. The reasons as to why this is happening are still somewhat unclear and as a result doctors are planning on conducting multiple follow up studies in the coming months. Doctors are also hoping to understand a little bit more about why exactly this is happening so that they can somehow manage to increase the effectiveness through medication. This is truly great news for everyone because it is one of the most significant discoveries for brain health in quite some time; it may be a while before we understand exactly why we are seeing this type of benefit but for now doctors are just happy that it is happening.

 

Normally, the day before Thanksgiving on the campus of Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C is found to be silent. All the students are at home with their families and enjoying the holiday break. However, that is not the case in the basement of the next door church. Faculty, staff and parents have gathered to volunteer their time to feed the needy.

Inside the basement, folks worked diligently all day long making Thanksgiving dinners with all the trimmings to feed about 50 people that are older and live nearby in the lower income dwellings. The meals are a welcome sight and are a blessing to those that receive them from the volunteers from the school. The holidays are not the only time that this charitable work occurs. Volunteers help feed the needy twice a week all year long in a project founded in 2001.

The project, started by Robert Egger is called the Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) and it uses resources that are both available and left over. They use the campus kitchens, the leftover food and volunteer students to help prepare and feed the hungry. The program has taken hold and spread to 28 colleges and 3 high schools.

The students are in a unique situation where they are able to develop a relationship with the seniors and sometimes kids that they are serving. These students actually go directly to the home and drop off the meals unlike some that drop off meals to an agency or a homeless shelter. About one third of the meals within the network of kitchens are going to seniors and others are children. Each kitchen will develop its own network of clients depending upon the needs of the area.

The program has had the additional benefit of bringing together the different cultures and age groups to share and learn from one another. One of the students revealed that he had always looked upon those down on their luck with a certain pre-defined opinion because of their shabby appearance. He was fortunate to discover that what was on the outside was not the real person on the inside and has, like many of the volunteers, been able to gain insight and wisdom from their elders.

The relationship between the clients and the student volunteers has served to not only feed the bodies of the seniors, but also to bring them back into mainstream from places where they are sometimes isolated. The students have found that many of them share interests and can learn from the lives and stories of the elderly.

The collaboration between client and the students began when the volunteers realized that the foods being served were not the favorites of their clients. The clients volunteered to help them learn to cook things like sweet potatoes, greens and other local fare that they enjoyed. This turned into a win-win situation as the student volunteers provided a real service to the locals and the clients helped teach them to cook and taught them much about life as well.

Today multiple famine relief groups confirmed that they will be continuing their ongoing support in the area despite recent bombings in the area. Multiple bomb strikes in the city of Mogadishu killed approximately 70 people on Tuesday but the relief effort will continue at this time.

The current famine relief efforts have been ongoing for quite some time in order to suppress the ravaging food shortage in the area and despite all of the negative attention and horrific attacks in the area the U.S. government and other relief agencies are planning on continuing the current support system. This is a much needed sign of relief for many in the area as it is truly the only way they are surviving at this time. The food shortage in the area is consistently getting worse according to many analysts and without help from the United States and other support programs they would have little chance of survival.

Mogadishu itself is still undergoing massive recovery efforts following the explosive attacks on Tuesday. Experts say that whoever was behind the attacks will likely not hesitate to attack again; for now however the focus has remained entirely on supporting the citizens of the area through continuous food supplies. It is an ongoing relief effort that is expected to continue for as long as necessary which has many citizens of Mogadishu incredibly hopeful that they will in fact be able to survive through the ongoing food shortage crisis.

Obesity and particular child obesity has become a big deal in America; recently lawmakers and parents alike have been struggling to find a way to combat the rising number of obese children and today one of the most popular fast food restaurants decided to step in and finally do their part. McDonald’s has often gotten blamed for contributing to childhood obesity by offering toys with children’s meals and thus encouraging children to want to eat there but today they made a step in the other direction.

McDonald’s announced this week that they will be including sliced apples with all kids meals as a way to encourage healthier eating. Beyond that McDonald’s has also promised to begin reducing fat and salt content in more of their foods in order to make the entire menu a healthier set of choices.

Obviously just including apples with children’s meals is not going to automatically make all children eat healthier, but analysts say it could eventually help make a difference. The fact that McDonald’s has stepped up and is willing to help out the cause is also a big step in the right direction according to most analysts. Following McDonald’s lead it is expected that many other fast food chains will attempt to add more healthy options to their menus sometime soon. Of course McDonald’s is also expected to see increased revenue thanks to the healthy change but the overall goal of reducing obesity is still a very positive outlook, especially coming from a giant like McDonald’s.

Among some of the worst drought in Africa in the past 50 years Somali residents are finally about to receive some much needed aid in the form of airlifted food. All of Somalia and other nearby areas have been experiencing major food droughts through the past months and food supplies are virtually nonexistent so for many of the people in the area these food supplies are truly a gift that could not come at a better time.

The food supply will be coming from a variety of sources, though most of the money and donations came from the UN and the United States. The food will begin being transported into the area in the next two days and the food aid is expected to continue for as long as necessary to keep the population fed.

Currently many children and families are essentially starving due to the absolute lack of food. Thanks to the efforts of the UN and United States these people will finally be receiving the critical help they have so desperately needed for the past few months. Refugees from other areas will also be included in the aid program and the UN is currently working to expand the amount of aid they can provide as much as possible. As more donations and food begin to be available the UN will obviously increase how much is being flown into the drought stricken area although for now they will simply do what they can to help out.