Zimbabwe: Nation Under Siege From Under Nutrition

Bulawayo — The United Nations International Children and Education Fund (UNICEF) says Zimbabwe is under siege from chronic under-nutrition, prompting child mortality to increase by 20 percent in recent months. Child mortality in Zimbabwe currently stands at 925 deaths per every 100 000 births.

Studies have shown that child under nutrition in Zimbabwe is as a result of poor dietary intake and disease blamed on sub optimal feeding practices, especially during the critical periods of pregnancy, infancy and young childhood, an unhealthy household environment and lack of health and nutrition services.

Global analysis confirms that nutrition-related disorders, including stunting, severe wasting, intra-uterine growth restriction and deficiencies of key micronutrients are responsible for about 35 percent of child deaths globally and 11 percent of the total global disease burden.

These nutrition-related disorders are highly prevalent in Zimbabwe and are estimated to contribute to approximately 12 000 under-five child deaths every year.

Child under nutrition is also related to maternal nutritional status.

In Zimbabwe, about 10 percent of children are born with low birth weight, while an estimated nine percent of women of reproductive age have a body mass index of less than 18,5 percent, which is considered very thin.

UNICEF health specialist, Ranganai Mathema, said 10 districts were identified as the worst affected, among them were Manicaland, parts of Matabeleland, Midlands, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West.

"As a result, we have quite a number of children who are dying because of chronic under nutrition in Zimbabwe. As you can see from the map, there is nowhere where we have green, there are negative signs countrywide, which means the whole country is under siege from chronic under nutrition," she said.

Limited progress has been made in reducing illness and deaths of children in Zimbabwe so far. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, the high levels of malnutrition depict food insecurity in the country.

The ministry said much of the progress made in improving nutrition has been eroded by recurrent droughts, poor economic performance and HIV and Aids. Child Protection specialist, Elayn Sammon, said 3,5 million children in Zimbabwe were born to parents living below the poverty datum line.

This has prompted intervention of developmental agencies like UNICEF and others to partner with government to initiate Harmonised Social Cash Transfer Programme, which is an unconditional cash transfer for households who are both labour constrained and food poor.

Sammon said 18 637 households from the first 10 districts had benefitted so far from the first phase of the programme, while phase two was targeting a further 10 districts by October this year.

Under the scheme, food poor households are entitled to receive about US$20 every two months.

Indications are that Zimbabwe is unlikely to meet goal number four of the Millennium Development Goals which is to reduce infant mortality by two thirds by 2015.

Read more: http://allafrica.com/stories/201209290095.html

Easy Ways to Eat a High Fiber Diet

You have probably heard for years that a high fiber diet is an important part of eating nutritiously. Recently, emphasis has been put on eating a high fiber diet because of the numerous health benefits. Some of the benefits of a high fiber diet are: relief of constipation, aid in weight loss, lowering cholesterol, controlling blood sugar levels and more. You may have even believed that the only way to eat a high fiber diet was to drink Metamucil or something filled with fiber that tastes like cardboard. The good news is that having a high fiber diet does not mean drinking funny drinks or eating cardboard. Read on and you can learn five tastier ways to eat a high fiber diet.

High Fiber Diet Tip#1

Changing over to wheat pasta is a great way to start a high fiber diet. The average person needs about 30 grams of fiber per day so if you just switch from white pasta to wheat pasta you can add about 4 extra grams per day. On average, white pasta has 2 grams of fiber per serving while wheat pasta has about 6 grams of fiber per serving. I have made the permanent switch to wheat pasta and have found that I love it and it wards off hunger unlike white pasta which makes me hungrier.

High Fiber Diet Tip#2

Simply eating breakfast can help you on your way to a high fiber diet. Not only does breakfast keep you from feeling hungry and overindulging at lunch, it is also a great time to work towards having a high fiber diet. When planning breakfast you can keep it simple by buying whole grain cereal and you don't even have to get the cardboard kind. I get Total whole wheat which has 3 grams of fiber per serving and I usually eat 1.5 servings since it is pretty low in calories too. By doing this you are starting your gihg fiber diet by adding another 4.5 grams of fiber to your diet that you would be missing out on when skipping breakfast.

High Fiber Diet Tip #3

Eat sugar, natural sugar that is! I am guilty of always having a sweet tooth but today instead of grabbing a chocolate bar that leaves me hungry in 10 minutes, I opt for fruit which also helps me maintain a high fiber diet. Apples contain about 4 grams of fiber, pears have about 5 grams of fiber and adding raspberries to your diet will give you a whopping 8 extra grams of fiber (you have to eat the skin on the apples and pears to get the full amount of fiber). As I stated, not only does fruit help you consume a high fiber diet, it can satisfy a sweet tooth and control hunger.

High Fiber Diet Tip#4

One of the simplest ways to sneak in a high fiber diet is by putting it in your meals that you are already cooking. Add a cup of Kellogg's All Bran Complete Wheat Flakes to your meatloaf, casseroles, bread, and muffins when you cook and you are sneaking 6.25 grams of extra fiber into the dish. If you crush it up well, you probably won't notice it which is a great way to get your family on a high fiber diet without them even knowing it. I add it to all of my cooking and my family has never complained.

High Fiber Diet Tip #5

This has to be my favorite and it's by far one of the easiest ways to substantially help create a high fiber diet. Instead of snacking on candy or chips, buy Fiber One Bars! When I first saw the Fiber One bars I figured they probably tasted like chocolate covered cardboard. I was wrong! The Oats and Chocolate Fiber One bars are great and the Oats and Caramel ones are even better (however they do taste like butterscotch to me). I always keep a Fiber One bar in my purse since I am dieting and try to maintain my blood sugar levels by eating every 3 hours. Eating the Fiber One bar gives me about 9 grams of fiber with only 140 calories and you would not believe how well it satisfies hunger, I recommend you try it today and get started on your way to a high fiber diet!

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The Calorie Restriction Diet

The Calorie Restriction diet has been around for quite a while but is gaining in popularity. The diet allegedly offers many benefits: longevity, weight loss, vitality, and reduced risk of diseases. Calorie Restriction has been studied extensively on animals and the results look promising. It could perhaps be the ultimate diet for anti-aging and to lose weight while improving overall health.

What exactly is Calorie Restriction?

Calorie Restriction is essentially exactly what it sounds like. Practitioners of CR eat a reduced-calorie diet, usually aiming for a specific reduction. Some will reduced their caloric intake by ten percent; others opt to restrict even more. It is not just about the amount of calories, though. It is also about getting optimal nutrition from the diet. An important aspect is eating nutrient dense foods that are low calorie. This cannot be emphasized enough. Without the adequate nutrition, vitamins, and minerals there is a high risk for malnutrition.

How does one get started?

The Calorie Restriction Society recommends people start slowly into the diet. Losing weight too quickly, they say, is harmful and the benefits of anti-aging will be lost. People interested in calorie restriction should also be aware of other risks involved in the diet before they get started. If it is still appealing, then there are some simple steps to begin. Vegetables should be eaten in larger quantities, replacing high calorie, low nutrient foods like sugars and flours. Calorie restrictors need to be sure they are getting enough healthy fats, such as the omega fatty acids found in foods like salmon and flax. It is also important to eat enough protein. There are books and meal plans available, as well as software programs and calorie counters. Some of the calorie counters also show the nutrition information for various food items.

What are the benefits of Calorie Restriction?

As with most diets, people on a restricted calorie diet will lose weight. The difference here is that many CR dieters will actually be quite thin, often bordering on the lowest end of the BMI scale. The reason most people adopt this lifestyle, however, isn't to lose weight, it is for the anti-aging and health benefits. Calorie restriction in laboratory mice has increased lifespan around 40%, according to a study from Cornell University done by Dr. McCay. Though this may not translate to the same amount for humans, people are willing to bet it will increase longevity. The health benefits are numerous, but whether they come from the actual restriction of calories or from just eating a very healthy diet is up for dispute. It is proven in scientific studies, such as a recent one reported on in Science News, to lower risk for age related diseases like diabetes in rhesus monkeys. There also appear to be benefits for the brain; slowing its aging and loss of mass.

Who should live a Calorie Restriction lifestyle?

The Calorie Restriction lifestyle is not for everyone. Though many practicing the diet maintain that it is easier the longer they are on it, it does require a lot of planning, attention to detail, and a will to abstain from societal norms. No one should begin a calorie restricted diet without consulting a health care provider. Keeping a close watch on biomarkers, such as liver function and complete blood count, will ensure the calorie restrictor is getting adequate nutrition. People who have had any difficulty with eating disorders should probably not restrict calories.

Sources:

http://www.crsociety.org/

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/31/health/nutrition/31agin.html

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45430/title/Caloric_restriction_extends_life_in_monkeys,_study_finds

EASY TIPS FOR PLANNING A HEALTHY DIET AND STICKING TO IT

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, stabilizing your mood, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you. You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a tasty, healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

• Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.
• Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking.  As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.
• Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

  Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key 

  People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. But what is moderation? How much is a moderate amount? That really depends on you and your overall eating habits. The goal of healthy eating is to develop a diet that you can maintain for life, not just a few weeks or months, or until you've hit your ideal weight. So try to think of moderation in terms of balance. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.
  For most of us, moderation or balance means eating less than we do now. More specifically, it means eating far less of the unhealthy stuff (unrefined sugar, saturated fat, for example) and more of the healthy (such as fresh fruit and vegetables). But it doesn't mean eliminating the foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner–but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza. If you eat 100 calories of chocolate one afternoon, balance it out by deducting 100 calories from your evening meal. If you're still hungry, fill up with an extra serving of fresh vegetables.
  • Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty, or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.
  • Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entr�e, split a dish with a friend, and don't order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. If you don't feel satisfied at the end of a meal, try adding more leafy green vegetables or rounding off the meal with fresh fruit. Visual cues can help with portion sizes–your serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards, a slice of bread should be the size of a CD case, and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a traditional light bulb.
  • Read more here
  • http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm

The ABCDMV Principles of Diet

Nutritional guides show a simple anagram for the principles of diet planning. These letters are A, B, C, D, M and V, and are known as the six dietary planning principles. Taught in colleges and medical centers around the world, the letters each stand for a section of diet planning that should never go unnoticed.

A for Adequacy, B for Balance

Adequacy of diet means that it should have all the essentials. It should meet the daily recommended totals of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other essentials needed by the body to function properly. It will help keep a healthy weight and keep the practitioner in good health.Balancing a diet means that foods will help balance out the diet where one nutrient rich food will not overcrowd other foods that are rich in other nutrients. It maintains a well-rounded meal plan that is not over abundant in one area only. Adhering to the food pyramid helps this area.

C for kCalorie, D for Density

Energy control is designed as kCalorie. It manages the amount of calories in a diet which in turn manages the amount of energy the body will have during the day. It helps regulate a diet plan so that there are not many "empty calories" or calories that do not provide energy.Density is for the nutrient density of the diet plant. It is a formula of percentage of calories to energy. For example, a food high in energy but low in calories has a higher nutrient density than a food high in calories with little nutrients. Grapes can be a good source of nutrient density as it provides high nutrients with few calories.

M for Moderation, V for Variety

Moderation deals with not overindulging in a certain area of the diet plan while providing enough of all the major food groups and essentials. It focuses on keeping nutrient rich foods and having a well thought out meal plan. This will help keep the calorie count under firm control as well.Variety is simply for varying up the foods eaten. While a meal plan can be well thought out and rich in nutrients, if it is the same each day the person will be bored and lack enthusiasm. Varying the selections of food that can be eaten in a food group will help keep the diet from being boring. Eat something from all the food groups and change up what that choice is on a frequent basis.

Sources:

Amarillo College: Perspectives on Health and Nutrition
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Gluten and Dairy Free Diet: Planning Meals for Home and School

Living without dairy and wheat is a challenge. When you first start to work with this diet you spend most of your time just trying to find substitutes for the foods you normally ate. However, after you get the hang of working with wheat alternatives and dairy alternatives, your next step is to make sure that you are not only adhering to the diet, but that you are also serving yourself and your family a healthy and well balanced diet. This is where many people get into trouble.

Calories

The first dietary issue that you need to take into consideration when working with the gluten and dairy free diet, is caloric intake. At first your child may lose weight as they will not eat as much of the new foods that you are serving them because they are unfamiliar with the taste and texture of these foods. However, as they become familiar with the taste and texture of non-dairy and non-wheat recipes, the volume of food they eat will increase. This is when you need to closely monitor how many calories each member of your family is consuming to keep their weight under control.

The age, height and activity level of each person is going to impact how many calories they need. To help you monitor the caloric intake of each member of your family, or at least the people on thegluten free dairy free diet, keep a chart of calories for the ingredients that you use to cook with. Then chart the food amounts and calories on a dry erase board.

Fat Content

Another element of the gluten free and dairy free diet that you will need to chart is fat content. While you will be using lower fat ingredients like soy milk and soy cheese, these products still contain fat. You will especially want to monitor how much hydrogenated fats are in your recipes. This is an unhealthy fat. When possible avoid using products with this type of fat.

Planning School Lunches

One challenge of putting your Autistic child on a gluten free and dairy free diet is dealing with school breakfasts and lunches. The school is not going to be able to cater to this diet so you will need to pack meals for your child to have at school. You will want to include breakfast, a snack and lunch. Variety is going to keep your child from getting bored with the foods you send. Celery sticks with Smart Balance peanut butter and raisins, carrot sticks or baby carrots, fruit snacks, dried fruits and sugar free Jello®, all make great snacks. For breakfast, eggs, turkey sausage or vegan yogurt all work well. For lunch you can include vegetable soup, chicken and rice soup, rice dumplings, turkey hot dogs without the bun, mashed potatoes, and beef stew all make great meals.

Planning Dinners

At home you can be more creative with what you make. You can try your luck working with gluten free breads, however, you're life will be much easier if you just forego bread and switch to rice and potatoes as your primary starches. Homemade stews and soups are going to be the easiest to keep gluten and dairy free. You can transform just about any recipe into a gluten and dairy free recipe by removing noodles and wheat thickeners. You can replace the noodles with rice and/or potatoes and replace wheat thickeners with arrowroot or corn starch.

Asian cuisine also will provide you with a lot of great gluten free and dairy free recipes to work with. However, because of soy sauce and other prepackaged sauces. Many of these pre-bottled sauces have wheat in them.

Again, variety is going to help you keep your kids satisfied with this diet. Try planning a different type of cuisine for each day of the week. For example, you can have Thai on Monday, Mexican on Tuesday, American on Wednesday, etc.

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Fiber Intake And Chinese Food Therapy Improve Longevity

Dietary fiber may be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular, infectious and respiratory diseases, according to a new Archives of Internal Medicine study. In addition to a balanced diet, Chinese food therapy can effectively prevent illness utilizing natural foods.
Fiber has been hypothesized to lower risks of heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, and obesity. It is known to reduce blood cholesterol levels, improve blood glucose levels, lower blood pressure, promote weight loss, and reduce inflammation.
Yikyung Par, Sc.D., of the National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Md., and colleagues analyzed data from 219,123 men and 168,999 women. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire at the beginning of the study.
Participants’ fiber intake ranged from 13 to 29 grams per day in men and from 11 to 26 grams per day in women. The risk of cardiovascular, infectious and respiratory diseases was reduced by 24 to 56 percent in men and 34 to 59 percent in women with high fiber intakes.
The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend choosing fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains frequently and consuming 14 grams per 1,000 calories of dietary fiber. A diet rich in dietary fiber from whole plant foods may provide significant health benefits.
Traditional Chinese medicine recommends that diet should change according to the season. As winter is a yin season, yang foods can offer warmth and energy during this time of the year. During summer, a yang period, yin foods can cool and lighten the diet. Both types of food should be included in the diet to keep the constitution in balance. Medicinal foods can:
• Improve health.
• Combat symptoms of health conditions.
• Reduce adverse side effects of medications.
• Strengthen vitality after illness.
Acupuncture & Massage College’s Community Clinic offers acupuncture, herbal medicine and massage for the treatment of a wide range of health conditions as well as for overall wellness. To schedule an appointment call (305) 595-9500. For information about AMC’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs ask for Joe Calareso, Admissions Director.
by Dr. Richard Browne
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Fatty food might cause brain damage, say scientists

Fatty foods may damage the region of the brain responsible for regulating a person’s appetite, which could account for why overweight people often find it difficult to stick to a diet, scientists said.

A study has found that a diet rich in saturated fats leads to the sort of damage to the brain’s hypothalamus that would normally be seen during ischaemic stroke, when the nerves are starved of oxygen.

The hypothalamus is a key region of the brain involved in controlling appetite so the findings suggests that saturated fats may be having a direct affect on the ability of the body to stick to a diet, said Lynda Williams of the Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health at Aberdeen University.

“The hypothalamus is a small area at the base of the brain containing neurones that control the amount of food we eat and the energy we expend. However, this control breaks down in obesity - the system appears not to work - and we don’t really know why this happens,” Dr Williams said.

“To help answer the question we used a strain of mice that is susceptible to weight gain and put half of them on a high-fat diet and the other half on a normal low-fat diet,” Dr Williams said

“After just three days we saw changes to the proteins [of the hypothalamus] and after one week we saw changes to the genes,” she told the British Science Festival.

“Our experiment reveals a potential mechanism whereby a high-fat diet that is energy dense can damage or injure the hypothalamus. These changes may lead to the break down of the energy-balance centres in the brain, and so encourage weight gain and obesity,” she said.

“I’m almost sure it’s a direct effect of the fats on the brain. One of the first things that happens to the hypothalamus early on in high-fat feeding is that it become insensitive to [appetite hormones], so there is a sort of global loss of control of appetite,” she added.

Although the research was carried out on mice, Dr Williams believes the same processes take place in the human brain. “There is some evidence from the US where they did brain scans on obese people and found some indication of damage in the hypothalamus,” she said.

Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children

Press Release – Ministry of Health

The new Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People (Aged 2-18 years) were released today by the Ministry of Health.

Ministry of Health Media Release August 6th, 2012
Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People

The new Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People (Aged 2-18 years) were released today by the Ministry of Health.

These guidelines are a handbook for health practitioners who work with and for children and young people.

They provide evidence-based recommendations about food, nutrition and physical activity for this age group.

Two nutrition resources for the public have also been updated to reflect these recommendations.

The Ministry of Health Chief Advisor on Child and Youth Health, Dr Pat Tuohy, said today “ A concerning finding from recent research was that many children are eating treat foods most days. These are empty calories which fill children up but don’t nourish them.“

“The guidelines provide advice about how to improve children’s nutrition and keep them healthy which includes keeping high fat, sugar or salt food for occasional use only,” Dr Tuohy said.

Children and young people (aged 2-18 years) represent a quarter of our total population – that’s just over a million people.

It is known that good nutrition and physical activity during childhood and adolescence are essential for normal growth and development and will contribute to good health and reduced levels of chronic disease and disability in adulthood.

The dietary requirements of children and young people are different to those of adults, and change as children and young people develop.

The guidelines and advice to the public covers a very wide range of topics, including:

· the dietary patterns and nutrient intakes of New Zealand children and young people with recommendations for practical interventions;

· physical activity recommendations, as well as approaches to reduce sedentary behaviour;

· topical issues related to 2-18 year olds are discussed, for example energy drinks and energy shots; and

· the many influences on the diet of children and young people, with practical suggestions to assist parents and caregivers to encourage healthy eating in the home.

A copy of the Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People (Aged 2-18 years): A background paper is available on the Ministry of Health website at: www.health.govt.nz

The health messages for the public can be found in the Ministry’s health education resources Eating for Healthy Children aged 2-12 years (HE1302) and Healthy Eating for Young People (13 – 18 years) (HE1230), available at: www.healthed.govt.nz

Saprotrophic nutrition

Saprotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extra-cellular digestion involved in the processing of dead or decayed organic matter that occurs in saprotrophs or heterotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi, for example Mucor and Rhizopus. The process is most often facilitated through the active transport of such materials through endocytosis within the internal mycelium and its constituent hyphae.

PROCESS

Explanation

As matter decomposes within a medium in which a saprotroph is residing, the saprotroph breaks such matter down into its composites.

• Proteins are broken down into their amino acid composites through the breaking of peptide bonds by proteases.
• Lipids are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol by lipases.
• Starch is broken down into simple disaccharides by amylases.

These products are re-absorbed into the hypha through the cell wall via endocytosis and passed on throughout the mycelium complex. This facilitates the passage of such materials throughout the organism and allows for growth and, if necessary, repair.

Conditions

In order for a saprotrophic organism to facilitate optimal growth and repair, favourable conditions and nutrients must be present. Optimal conditions refers to several conditions which optimise the growth of saprotrophic organisms, such as;

1. Presence of water: 80–90% of the fungus is composed of water by mass, and requires excess water for absorption due to the evaporation of internally retent water.
2. Presence of oxygen: Very few saphrotrophic organisms can endure anaerobic conditions as evidenced by their growth above media such as water or soil.
3. Neutral-acidic pH: The condition of neutral or mildly acidic conditions under pH 7 are required. 
4. Low-medium temperature: The majority of saprotrophic organisms require temperatures between 1 °C and 35 °C, with optimum growth occurring at 25 °C.

The majority of nutrients taken in by such organisms must be able to provide carbon, proteins, vitamins and in some cases, ions. Due to the carbon composition of the majority of organisms, dead and organic matter provide rich sources of polysaccharides disaccharides such as glucose, maltose, and starch.

In terms of nitrogen-rich sources, saprotrophs require combined protein for the creation of proteins, which is facilitated by the absorption of amino acids, and usually taken from rich soil. Although both ions and vitamins are rare, thiamine or ions such as potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium aid the growth of the mycelium.

Food for Health International and PowderPure Announce Collaboration to Provide True, Living Nutrition

Provo, UT, August 08, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Food for Health International (FFH) has recently joined forces with PowderPure in an effort to optimize and expand the PowderPure brand. The compatible philosophies, missions and specialties of both FFH and PowderPure make the collaboration a perfect fit.


For nearly a decade, FFH has sought ways to deliver the farm-fresh nutrition of whole foods from field to table—a rare feat in our current trend of fast, overly processed food. FFH teams have spent years researching the nutrient qualities, growing conditions and processing techniques that ensure optimal health and then have actively forged connections, wherever available, with companies who share their hopes of flooding the market with true, living nutrition.

PowderPure’s initial vision was strikingly similar: they aimed to create a drying process that would allow whole foods to retain full bioactivity in powder form. After several years of intense research and experimentation, their drying technology emerged from development and presented the powdered ingredient industry with a new standard for cost, energy efficiency and most importantly, premium-quality products.

Food fight in Congress focuses on fresh vs. frozen produce in schools

Are canned pears the nutritional equivalent of a juicy fruit off the tree? House Republicans seem to think so. And their proposal to tinker with a program that serves fresh fruit and vegetables to children in select schools has touched off the ultimate food fight.

As Congress debates whether to renew farm legislation, the Senate is pressing to keep the program limited to fresh produce.

The House, however, has proposed making room for frozen, canned and dried produce — agitating program supporters and pitting factions of the food industry against one another in a bout of frenetic lobbying.Since its creation a decade ago, the tiny program has been distributing free fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks to elementary schools that have a high percentage of low-income children, a group that typically hasless exposure to fresh produce and does not consume anywhere near the amount recommended by national dietary guidelines.

The effort raised consumption in participating schools by a quarter-cup per day, or 15 percent, according to an analysis released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program. The increase did not contribute to weight gain, suggesting that the fruit and vegetables replaced other foods, the study said.

In 2008, Congress set aside $1.2 billion to cover the program through 2017. Last year, USDA spent $150 million to cover snacks for up to 3 million kids.

Advocates of the House legislation say schools should have access to produce in all forms. The frozen, canned and dried varieties are often more affordable than fresh produce, they argue, and their inclusion would enable schools to provide a wider range of options year-round.

“If the goal is to expand and improve upon childhood nutrition, it doesn’t make sense to limit the kinds of fruits and vegetables that schools serve,” said Corey Henry, a spokesman for the American Frozen Food Institute, who argues that processed produce can be just as nutritious as fresh. “Let the schools decide.”

Coalitions representing firms that make processed, canned and frozen food said in a recent letter to the House Agriculture Committee that expanding the program “will teach kids how to get the most nutrition bang for their buck.” School nutrition associations in three states — California, New York and Texas — have signed on.

But while the California School Nutrition Association wants the program expanded, the California Department of Education does not. The department said kids have plenty of exposure to frozen, canned and dried produce in federally subsidized school meals. United Fresh Produce Association, a trade group that primarily represents fresh-produce firms, has made the same argument.

“We would prefer that the word ‘fresh’ remain the priority,” said Sandip Kaur, acting director of the nutrition services division at the Education Department. “It’s the ‘fresh’ that makes this program unique.”

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the program’s lead sponsor, and others who want the program to remain intact say they have nothing against frozen, canned or dried produce. But opening up the program threatens to undermine its integrity, they said.

“We may see the floodgates open for perhaps less nutritious foods,” said Matthew Marsom, a vice president at the Public Health Institute, a nonprofit group dedicated to improving public health. “There’s nothing [in the House bill] that would stop fruit cups with syrup or frozen Tater Tots with sodium. You just don’t get those problems with fresh.”

In fact, when the program was introduced in select states, it allowed for a limited amount of dried fruit. But then the schools started offering trail mix, said a Harkin aide who helped craft the program. So dried fruit got the boot in 2008.

Since then, those who back the current program say, the dried fruit supporters have been furious about getting shut out while the canned and frozen food supporters are furiously knocking to get in.

“I’m regularly lobbied to add nuts to the program, to add dried fruits to the program, to add canned and frozen fruits and vegetables to the program,” Harkin said at a food industry gathering last year. “I once had someone suggest that Congress add beef jerky to the program.”

Harkin said the case for expanding the program is not compelling.

“Even the schools that support changing the program to serve dried fruit or frozen vegetables are not dropping out,” he said in a statement this month. “So there is no reason to risk undermining an effective program when no one can reasonably point to a problem with the way it is working right now.”