What This Trainer and Mom Eats in a Day

Image: Courtesy of Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365

For fitness instructor and Daily Burn 365 trainer Erika Shannon, eating is all about satisfying her palate—and powering through the eight workout classes she teaches each week. “I need it for brainpower and physical stamina,” Shannon says.

But just because she eats clean most days, doesn’t mean she’s immune to cravings. “Like a lot of people, I’m an emotional eater. I eat because I think I ‘deserve it’ or I’ll eat because I’m tired,” she says. That’s why she tries not to banish anything from her diet—and makes sure to eat a little chocolate every single day. “If I deprive myself, I’ll want to go overboard,” she says.

Being a fitness instructor doesn’t give her license to “eat whatever” either, she notes. “I eat often because if I wait to long I get hangry and impatient and will eat whatever’s there,” she says. Carefully measuring her portions—a habit she’s picked up as a lifelong member of Weight Watchers—helps her avoid going overboard on trigger foods like cereal, too.

Want a peek inside her pantry? Here’s what this fitness instructor (and mom!) eats in a typical day.

RELATED: Daily Burn 365: New Workouts, 7 Days a Week

Image: Courtesy of Daily Burn 365

Breakfast: Egg with hot sauce on top of sprouted grain bread with a piece of bacon and an orange
Talk about a breakfast of champions! “Breakfast is an important meal for me,” Shannon says. She calls this plate her “ultimate combo”: Something functional (protein-packed eggs), something that makes her feel like she’s getting a treat (bacon!) and something that satisfies her sweet tooth (the orange).

RELATED: 21 Meal Prep Pics from the Healthiest People on Instagram

Image: Courtesy of Daily Burn 365

Coffee: Black, mixed with a teaspoon of coconut oil
Reading about the anti-inflammatory benefits of coconut oil inspired Shannon to start mixing a teaspoon of it with her coffee every day. “Healthy fats and healthy oils are really essential to good health,” she says. Blended in her Magic Bullet, she says this mixture is frothy and sweet—and tastes great.

RELATED: Bulletproof Coffee and the Case for Butter as a Health Food

Image: Courtesy of Daily Burn 365

Snack: Apple
This trainer’s rule of thumb: Always have a snack on hand. Fruit often satisfies her dessert cravings, too. “I don’t keep a lot of sweets in my house, today an apple was sweet enough for me,” she says.

Image: Courtesy of Daily Burn 365

Lunch: Romaine salad with tuna, cannellini beans, tomatoes, and lemon-vinaigrette dressing with a green juice
“Lunch is usually on-the-go or at home working, so I want to keep it on the lighter side so I can still move my body, nothing too heavy,” Shannon says. Working from home makes it tricky to avoid snacking all day, so she makes sure to include a filling protein in every meal. “The refrigerator and cabinets are really close by but I eat and walk away,” she says.

RELATED: How to Stop Food Cravings in 10 Minutes or Less

Image: Courtesy of Daily Burn 365

Snack: Chocolate chia pudding
“I ate the whole thing, because YOLO,” Shannon says of this sweet snack. By eating a little bit of chocolate every day, Shannon says she never feels bad about indulging.

RELATED: 10 Delicious Chia Seed Pudding Recipes

Image: Courtesy of Daily Burn 365

Dinner: Slow-cooked chicken fajitas with onion, red pepper, and black beans, topped with light shredded cheese and a side of avocado and a quinoa/brown rice blend
Dinnertime is a two-part production as Shannon typically feeds her three-year-old daughter first and makes a separate meal for her and her husband to enjoy later. “I chew gum while I make my daughter’s dinner,” Shannon admits. “She doesn’t eat everything on her plate so it’s very easy to have those little bites of Annie’s Mac and Cheese, which I call ‘Crack and Cheese!’ …I need to call in the Trident troops!”

For her meal, Shannon tries to avoid eating red meat or anything too heavy or she finds it interferes with her sleep at night. “And my main goal is to sleep well!” she says.

RELATED: What RDs Really Eat: Daily Burn Coach Nora Minno’s Meal Plan

Image: Courtesy of Daily Burn 365

Dessert: Six dark chocolate-covered almonds
The key to dominating dessert without feeling guilty: “I take six almonds at a time and put the thing away!” Shannon says. “If I keep it in front of me, I’ll mindlessly eat them.”

Want to work out with Erika Shannon? Head to DailyBurn.com/365 for your free 30-day trial.

More from Daily Burn:

13 Quick and Easy Protein Smoothies

11 No-Bake Energy Bites Recipes

12 Brilliant Meal Prep Ideas to Save Time

Life by Daily Burn is dedicated to helping you live a healthier, happier and more active lifestyle. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain strength or de-stress, a better you is well within reach. Get more health and fitness tips at Life by Daily Burn.

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How to Make Energizing Banana Bread With Avocados

Photo: Beth Lipton

Banana bread—it can be a sugar bomb thinly disguised as healthy food, or an energizing breakfast or snack that helps fuel your day.

We set out to make the latter, a loaf that’s grain free for the Paleos, contains no refined sugar, and is chock full of healthy fats to keep you sated and make your skin glow. Our secret ingredient? Avocados. They give this loaf a moist texture and tons of fiber and nutrients.

This bread by itself isn’t sweet like traditional banana bread. If you want it to taste like a treat, fold some mini dark chocolate chips into the batter, or slather a slice with a chocolate nut butter spread like Nocciolata or Justin’s Chocolate-Hazelnut Butter, or some all-fruit jam. If you prefer a slice on the savory side, eat it on its own or spread on a bit of butter or cream cheese.

Any way you slice it, you’ll love this modern take on a classic.

Avocado-Banana Bread

Yield: 1 8-inch loaf

1 ½ cups almond meal

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

8 oz. avocado, halved, pitted, flesh scooped out (about ¾ cup flesh)

2 medium ripe bananas (about 13 oz.), sliced

3 Tbsp. coconut oil, plus more for pan

2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 large egg

½ cup chopped nuts, unsweetened coconut or chocolate chips, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan with coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a food processor, process avocado and bananas until blended. Add 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup and egg; process just until blended. Add avocado mixture to almond mixture and stir until combined. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if using.
3. Spread batter in loaf pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

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Full body workout by Jen Jewell

 

Fitness model Jen Jewell and Theresa Jenn Lopetrone show us how to maximise your time at the gym by using compound exercises, which recruit more muscles.

This circuit-based routine won’t take you hours in the gym each day. You’ll be combining some of our favourite exercises, performing them back to back with minimal rest between sets. This approach will help you to build strength, increase endurance and of course torch calories while helping to earn tight, lean and shapely muscle. Importantly, you’ll enjoy it. A ‘fun with fitness’ day is integral to the program; grab a friend for a workout, or head outside to the track, a hike, beach, etc.

The workout:
Perform one set of each exercise, back to back, for one full set. Depending on your fitness level, you’ll be doing three to five full sets of everything listed below. 12 –15 reps per exercise.

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

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Plie Squat

 

Standing up straight, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Move your legs until they are wider than shoulder-width apart, with toes facing outward, keeping legs slightly bent. Slowly bend your knees and lower your legs until your thighs are parallel to the floor, holding this movement for one second. Then press with the heel of the foot to return to the starting position. Repeat this movement until all required reps have been performed. Ensure that your upper body/arms remain stationary throughout this exercise.

 

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

 

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Dumbbell row

 

Select a flat bench and place a dumbbell on each side of it. Place the left leg on top of the end of the bench, bend your torso forward from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, and place your left hand on the other end of the bench for support. Use the right hand to pick up the dumbbell on the floor and hold the weight while keeping your lower back straight. The palm of the hand should be facing your torso. This will be your starting position. Pull the resistance straight up to the side of your waist, keeping your upper arm close to your side and keeping the torso stationary. Lower the resistance straight down to the starting position.  Repeat the movement for the specified amount of repetitions. Switch sides and perform the same thing with the other arm.

 

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

 

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Incline dumbbell press

Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand on top of your thighs, palms facing each other. Raise dumbbells to shoulder width and rotate wrists forward so that palms of your hands are facing away from you. Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second and then bend your arms as you slowly lower the weight, stopping once dumbbells are lowered to just slightly above your shoulders and angled slightly over your chest. Hold this motion for one second and then repeat the motion for required reps.

 

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

 

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Splits squats

 

 

Set up a flat bench about two to three feet behind you (will vary according to your height). Start with feet together and dumbbells at your sides, shoulders back and abs tight. Then move to position your legs where one foot is slightly forward and your back leg is extended behind you  with the top of the foot placed on the bench.  Begin to slowly lower, flexing at the knee and hip to lower your body down, maintaining good posture throughout the movement. Keep the front knee in line with the foot as you perform the exercise. At the bottom of the movement, drive through the heel to extend the knee and hip to return to the starting position.

 

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

 

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Crunch with reverse crunch

 

 

Lie on the floor or a mat, with knees bent and hands behind head. Lift legs and bend knees to 90 degrees. Keep a space between your chin and chest (looking diagonal towards the ceiling) as you raise your upper torso off of the floor, simultaneously raising your hips up slightly and bringing your knees towards your chest. Return to starting position and repeat for required reps.

 

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

 

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Standing Arnold shoulder press

 

Stand upright with your feet positioned slightly apart, knees slightly bent. Holding dumbbells in each hand, flex one arm up so that your palm is facing your shoulder. Rotate your palm outward, away from your body. As you do this, press the dumbbell overhead with arm extended. Bring the dumbbell back down to your shoulder, then slowly reverse the rotation movement to return to the starting position. Repeat for required reps and then repeat movement on the opposite arm.

 

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

 

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Hammer curls

Stand up straight, holding dumbbells in both hands with your feet positioned shoulder-width apart and your palms facing your sides. Keeping your elbows at your sides, curl your arms up towards your shoulders, until your forearms are vertical. Lower your arms back down until they are fully extended. Repeat for required reps.

 

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

 

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Standing overhead press

 

Stand upright, holding a dumbbell overhead with both hands under the inner plate, using a diamond-shaped grip. With your elbows overhead, lower your forearms behind your upper arms by flexing your elbows. Keep elbows in tight towards the side of your head throughout the entire motion. Flex your wrists at the bottom of the movement to stop the dumbbell from hitting the back of your head. Raise the dumbbell back up to starting position. Repeat for required reps.

Photography by Dave Laus

Words/Workout: Jen Jewell

Models: Jen Jewell, Theresa Jen Lopetrone

 

 

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5 Alternatives to Trendy Superfoods That Are Just as Healthy

Photo: Getty Images

Can’t stomach kale, or quinoa? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many of my clients aren’t fans of the latest trendy superfoods. Fortunately for anyone with an aversion to chia seeds and goji berries, there are equally good-for-you alternatives. Each of the replacements below contains similar nutrients but differs in texture or flavor—so you can get the same super-healthy perks and please your palate too.

Eat cabbage instead of cauliflower

Cauliflower recently stepped into the limelight, with headlines like “Move Over Broccoli, Cauliflower is the New It Food!” and Pinterest posts galore dedicated to cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower rice, even cauliflower buffalo wings. But if you’re just not into cauliflower, opt for cabbage instead. They are both cruciferous veggies, which are known to be potent immune supporters, natural detoxifiers, and defenders against both heart disease and cancer.

To make a simple slaw, toss shredded cabbage with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, black pepper, and sea salt. Mix up the flavors by adding other good-for-you ingredients, like fresh grated ginger, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, or chopped fruit. If you’re not a fan of raw cabbage, try cooking it with a bit of olive oil, a sliced apple, apple cider vinegar, a chopped yellow onion, sea salt, and black pepper.

RELATED: 9 Superfood Upgrades That Will Make Your Meals Even Healthier

Eat sesame seeds instead of chia seeds

Chia seeds are everywhere these days: drinks, bars, crackers, jams, you name it! There’s no doubt they’re good for you, but if you can’t seem to jump on the chia bandwagon (or you’ve just grown tired of them), go for sesame seeds instead. While they don’t pack the same amount of omega-3 fatty acids as chia seeds, research has shown that they boost blood levels of antioxidants, plus lower overall and “bad” LDL cholesterol in people who have high levels.

And like chia seeds, sesame seeds are rich in magnesium—packing over 30% of your daily needs per quarter cup. This mineral is crucial for muscle, nerve, and immune function, along with regulating heart rhythm, blood pressure, and blood sugar. It also contributes to the structural development of bone, and is needed to make DNA.

Incorporating sesame seeds into your meals is simple. Sprinkle them onto salads or cooked veggies, toast and add them to oatmeal, or whip them into a smoothie. To mix up the texture, you can try sesame seed butter or tahini (a paste made from the ground seeds). I use tahini flavored with lemon juice, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, and minced garlic as a mayo alternative, dipping sauce, dressing, or tasty topping for cooked veggies.

Eat chickpeas instead of quinoa

These days it seems everyone is crazy for quinoa, a star of the whole grain family. But believe it or not, you can get similar nutritional benefits from chickpeas. Like quinoa, chickpeas are naturally gluten-free and provide a unique balance of fiber-rich “good” carbs and plant-based protein.

For the sake of comparison, here’s the breakdown: a half cup of cooked quinoa supplies about 20 grams of carbs, 2.5 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein, while the same amount of chickpeas has 17 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein. Both also contain minerals and antioxidants, and can be eaten hot, chilled, or in flour form.

Chickpeas are easy to sneak into your diet. Add them to soups, stews, chili, or sprinkle them into garden salads and chilled veggie side dishes. For a crunchy, satisfying snack, roast them in the oven with a little olive oil and salt. You can even use chickpea flour in baking or cooking, to thicken sauces, coat lean protein, or as a smoothie add-in. And don’t forget hummus—chickpeas are the main ingredient!

Eat cranberries instead of goji berries

Goji berries became popular largely due to their exotic nature; the fact that they are used in Chinese medicine to enhance immunity; and because they reportedly have high levels of antioxidants. However, many people find goji berries to be too bitter. Additionally, since they’re a member of the nightshade family, some people avoid them for fear of inflammatory symptoms.

For similar immunity benefits, you can eat cranberries. One study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that polyphenol antioxidants from cranberries boosted cells’ immune response to cold and flu. Plus the classic advice that cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) is actually true. In one recent University of Wisconsin study, 20 women prone to UTIs consumed one serving (about 1.5 ounces) of sweetened dried cranberries daily. Within six months, the mean UTI rate among subjects decreased  significantly.

For some fun ways to eat dried cranberries, add them to your trail mix, stir into oatmeal, add to garden salads, use as a topping for cooked veggies and stir frys, or fold them into melted dark chocolate for a healthy treat.

RELATED: 5 Slimming Superfoods

Eat kalettes instead of kale

Among my clients, I find that most who dislike kale have had unpleasant experiences with the raw greens, either in salads or green juices. Cooking, however, brings out an entirely different and sweeter flavor profile. The texture totally changes too: Kale becomes crispy when baked and softer when sautéed, added to soups, stir frys, or frittatas.

But if you’re still not loving kale, kalettes are a great alternative. A (non-GMO) kale-Brussels sprout hybrid, they have a sweeter, nuttier flavor. Less bitter and earthy than kale, kalettes offer similar protective nutrients, including ample amounts of vitamins K and C and antioxidants.

To give them a try, make a batch of oven roasted kalettes. Just toss with a little sesame oil, sea salt, and black pepper, place on a baking sheet and cook at 475 degrees. Or, for a sweet version, mix them with coconut oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon before cooking.

Meet Cynthia Sass at the Health Total Wellness Weekend at Canyon Ranch April 22-24. For details, go to http://ift.tt/1AYb7dA.

Do you have a question about nutrition? Chat with us on Twitter by mentioning @goodhealth and @CynthiaSass. 
Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her newest book is Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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A Few Key Steps Can Protect Your Heart and Kidneys

THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Taking care of your heart may also help your kidneys, a new study suggests.

The researchers looked at more than 14,800 adults, between the ages of 45 and 64, who were grouped by how closely they followed the American Heart Association ideals for heart health. Those ideals — dubbed Life’s Simple 7 — include healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, diet and body weight, as well as getting sufficient exercise and not smoking.

After an average follow-up of 22 years, one-third of participants who began the study with none of the ideals had developed chronic kidney disease, compared to 6.5 percent of participants who had at least six of the heart health ideals.

While smoking, body fat, physical activity, blood pressure and blood sugar were associated with kidney disease risk, cholesterol and diet were not, the researchers found.

The findings were published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“This study was the first to show that for people who are generally healthy, a higher number of ideal Life’s Simple 7 health factors is associated with a reduced risk of new-onset kidney disease,” study author Casey Rebholz said in a journal news release. Rebholz is an assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

“Attaining ideal cardiovascular health as defined by the AHA Life’s Simple 7 metric may have substantial benefit for preventing the development of kidney disease. Recommending these ideal health factors may be effective as a population-wide strategy for kidney disease prevention,” she added.

However, the study only proved an association between the Simple 7 lifestyle factors and kidney disease risk, and not a cause-and-effect link.

More information

The U.S. National Kidney Disease Education Program has more on keeping your kidneys healthy.

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Delaying 2nd Shock After Cardiac Arrest Won’t Boost Survival: Study

THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Delaying a second shock to the heart in hospital patients with cardiac arrest doesn’t improve their chances of survival, suggests a new study that challenges current recommendations.

A patient undergoing cardiac arrest needs to be treated with a defibrillator, which sends an electric shock to the heart to restore normal heart rhythm, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Guidelines introduced in 2005 recommend delaying a second shock after the first one to allow time for chest compressions. But evidence to support that advice has been lacking, the study authors said.

The authors — led by Dr. Steven Bradley of the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in Denver — looked at data on the time between first and second defibrillation attempts. The study included more than 2,700 cardiac arrest patients from 172 U.S. hospitals.

About 25 percent of second defibrillation attempts were delayed in 2004. That number rose to just over 50 percent in 2012, the study showed. But survival rates didn’t improve.

Further research is needed to determine if the guidelines need to be changed, the study authors said.

The study was published April 6 in the BMJ.

Another study in the same issue of the journal found that early administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) in the hospital is associated with poorer outcomes among patients with cardiac arrest and a shockable heart rhythm.

Epinephrine has long been used to treat cardiac arrest patients. But there are different recommendations for its use. For example, the American Heart Association recommends epinephrine after the second defibrillation. The European Resuscitation Council recommends it after the third defibrillation. However, patterns of actual use suggest epinephrine is used even earlier, such as after the first defibrillation, researchers said.

The study — led by Dr. Michael Donnino of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston — included nearly 3,000 cardiac arrest patients from more than 300 U.S. hospitals.

More than half (51 percent) of these patients received epinephrine within two minutes after the first defibrillation, the study showed.

Patients who received epinephrine at this point were less likely to have good outcomes, including surviving until hospital discharge, compared to those who weren’t given epinephrine at this point.

The two studies’ findings should help guide treatment of cardiac arrest patients, an accompanying editorial said.

“The finding of widespread nonadherence with clinical guidelines should prompt those responsible for organizing or delivering advanced life support to review their practice and ensure that it is informed by the latest clinical guidelines,” experts from the Warwick Medical School in Coventry, England, wrote in the editorial.

While “the jury remains out” on the safety or effectiveness of adrenaline in cardiac arrest, “adrenaline should be given in accordance with current guidelines, and it should be deferred until at least after the second shock has been delivered,” the editorial concluded.

More information

The American Heart Association has more about cardiac arrest.

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Short Gap Between Pregnancies Tied to Higher Autism Risk?

By Maureen Salamon
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Spacing pregnancies in close succession may increase the risk of autism in children, a large new research review suggests.

Examining existing research involving more than 1.1 million children, scientists also found that longer pregnancy spacing — in excess of five years — may be linked to raised odds of the increasingly common neurodevelopmental disorder.

“Based on the current best available evidence, it appears that the ideal interpregnancy interval — the time elapsed between the birth of the immediate older sibling and the conception of the younger sibling — is 2 to 5 years, in order to reduce the risk of autism,” said study author Dr. Agustin Conde-Agudelo. He is a researcher at the World Health Organization Collaborating Center in Human Reproduction at the University of Valle in Cali, Colombia.

“The reasons for the association between short interpregnancy intervals and autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities are unknown,” added Conde-Agudelo. He noted that scientists believe nutrition and other factors may play a role.

However, the study doesn’t prove that either long or short intervals between pregnancies actually cause autism, just that there seems to be an association.

The study was published online April 7 and in the May print issue of the journal Pediatrics.

About one in 68 American children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The disorder typically shows up before age 3 and often includes difficulties socializing and communicating, as well as repetitive behaviors. In 2013, all types of autism were merged into one umbrella diagnosis, including the typically milder Asperger syndrome.

Most neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism, are thought to be caused by a complex mix of factors. These include genetics, environment, parental health and behaviors during pregnancy, and complications during birth, the researchers said in background notes.

Conde-Agudelo and his team reviewed seven large studies reporting a link between short birth spacing and autism. The investigators found that children born to women with less than 12 months between pregnancies were nearly twice as likely to develop autism as children born to women with three years or longer between pregnancies.

Three of those studies also reported a significant link between long pregnancy spacing and autism, especially for two milder types, which were formerly called Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder.

Meanwhile, the findings also suggested that shorter pregnancy spacing was associated with an increased risk of developmental delays and cerebral palsy, which can affect body movement, muscle coordination and balance.

Conde-Agudelo said he and other researchers have speculated that a mother’s depleted levels of folic acid between closely spaced pregnancies may play a role in the possible increased risk of autism. The B vitamin folic acid is necessary for proper brain and spinal cord development in fetuses, and women are typically advised to take folic acid supplements during pregnancy.

As for longer pregnancy intervals also potentially linked to autism, Conde-Agudelo said it’s been hypothesized that related factors such as infertility, unintended pregnancy and maternal inflammation levels may affect autism risk.

Dr. Paul Wang, senior vice president and head of medical research for Autism Speaks, said more research is needed to understand how nutrition affects pregnancy outcomes, including autism. Wang called the new study “a careful review of other studies out there on the subject” and said he wasn’t surprised by its findings.

“The bottom line is that the health of the mother, pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy, is really very important,” Wang said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about autism spectrum disorder.

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Peanut butter chocolate chip blondies

 

Sally O'Neill shares her peanut butter chocolate chip delights for a superfood treat without the guilt.

What you'll need (serves 12)

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
• ½ cup natural peanut butter*
• ¼ cup rice malt syrup or unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar*
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of sea salt flakes
• ½ cup of 85 per cent to 90 per cent dark chocolate broken into chips (or use vegan or dairy-free chocolate chips as needed)

* You can use almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or whatever nut butter you like. For a totally sugar-free version, use 30 drops of liquid Stevia instead of the sweeteners, and cacao nibs in place of the chocolate chips.

What you'll do

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth.

Put half the chocolate chips and stir or pulse until combined.

Dump the dough into a lined brownie tin and spread until around 3 cm thick.

Press remaining chips into the top of the batter.

Bake for about 20–25 minutes, until slightly browning at the edge.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the fridge) for up to one week.

Recipe by Sally O'Neill The Fit Foodie, first published on Nourish Magazine.

 

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Too Much Sitting May Shorten Your Life, Study Suggests

WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Get off your duff: A new study finds that sitting less may extend your life.

Brazilian researchers who analyzed data from 54 countries linked sitting for more than three hours a day to 3.8 percent of deaths from all causes.

Limiting sitting time to less than three hours a day would increase a person’s life expectancy by an average of 0.2 years — or more than two months, the researchers said.

The study adds to growing evidence that too much sitting is a health threat, and that even regular exercise may not be enough to counter the harmful effects of prolonged sitting, the researchers said.

Their report appeared online in advance of the August print issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The study authors estimated the effects of less time spent sitting, regardless of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Even a modest, 10 percent reduction in sitting time — for instance, 30 fewer minutes a day — could have an immediate impact, the researchers said.

“Bolder changes [for instance, 50 percent decrease or two fewer hours] would represent at least three times fewer deaths versus the 10 percent or 30-minute reduction scenarios,” lead investigator Leandro Rezende said in a journal news release. Rezende is with the department of preventive medicine at the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, in Brazil.

Despite a growing body of research showing the dangers of too much sitting, it’s difficult to get people to make changes, the researchers added.

“Although sitting is an intrinsic part of human nature, excessive sitting is very common in modern societies,” Rezende said.

Labor-saving devices, long commutes and homes in areas that lack support for active lifestyles contribute to the problem, he added.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers a guide to physical activity.

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This Is What Happens To Your Brain On No Sleep

Photo: Getty Images

Bedtime is one of the most important parts of the day for the brain. The latest studies show that when we slumber, the brain performs important housekeeping tasks that clear away the debris of the day’s work and help reset and restore nerve networks so they are ready to operate again at full capacity when we wake.

But a lack of sleep deprives the brain of this essential rest period, and our ability to get through the day might be compromised. In a small study published in the journal Radiology, a team of Chinese and European researchers report a more detailed analysis of how insomnia can affect specific types of brain nerves in parts of the brain that regulate cognition, emotion and sensory processes.

The researchers compared the brain images of 23 people with insomnia and 30 healthy controls. They specifically focused on white matter volume, which represents nerve cells that are coated in a special protein called myelin that improves their ability to send signals to one another. Earlier brain imaging studies had suggested that people with insomnia have differences in certain parts of the brain that could be connected to inadequate myelin. So Shumei Li from the Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People’s Hospital and her colleagues compared white matter function among people with insomnia and those who slept well.

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They found that people with insomnia—defined as trouble sleeping for over a month that’s associated with daytime sleepiness and sleep disturbances—had significantly less white matter connectivity, especially between areas that control sleep and wakefulness, than those without insomnia. Li speculates that this disruption in signals between these regions was triggered by thinning of the myelin surrounding the neurons, which resulted in less chatter among them.

In fact, 83%, or five of the six major nerve tracts that the scientists analyzed, were reduced among people with insomnia. Most were concentrated in the right part of the brain, where emotions and many thinking functions are regulated, as well as where sensory information like sight, smell and touch are processed.

Li says that more studies are needed to explain what might be causing the brain differences in people with insomnia, but the results hint at a starting point.

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

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