Diet

Hernias are a common ailment among Americans; more than 4 million people develop the painful condition. And although both men and women develop hernias, female patients may be harder to diagnose. Doctors and patients may not realize the abdominal pain a woman is feeling is because of a hernia. Dr. Hien Nguyen, assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the pain can be mistaken for other conditions with similar symptoms, such as adhesions from prior surgery, endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts.

Students at the University of Maryland, College Park learned how to make healthy quesadillas, baked tortilla chips and fruit smoothies during a healthy cooking demonstration April 13. The demonstration was organized by No Kid Hungry UMD, an initiative started by a group of public policy graduate students who were competing in the university's Do Good Challenge. The goal of the No Kid Hungry UMD campaign was to educate university students about healthy eating and food security issues in Prince George's County through cooking demonstrations.

Michael Rae is on a diet. A serious diet. Subsisting largely on "loads and loads and loads of vegetables," he consumes 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day, about 25 percent fewer than the USDA recommends for adult males. "In truth, I'm a little bit hungry most of the time," he said. "You get used to that, although it can be distracting." The regimen has lowered his libido and can also make him snappish. One other fact about Rae - unlike most other dieters, he's already thin. Very thin - 6 feet tall and 117 pounds.

Constipation hits everybody at some point. The uncomfortable condition can be caused by many things, including a bad diet and dehydration. Dr. Vaibhav A. Parekh, director of Medstar Harbor Primary Care, talks about how to prevent and treat constipation, and how to tell if it's a sign of more serious health problems. What are signs that you are constipated? What is a normal number of bowel movements? Common signs of constipation include straining during a bowel movement, hard bowel movement and a sensation of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement.

For a country in which about 200 million people are overweight or obese, scientists have discouraging news: Even those who maintain a healthy weight probably should be eating less. Evidence has been mounting that the practice of caloric restriction - essentially, going on a permanent diet - greatly reduces the risk of age-related diseases and even postpones death. It has been shown to extend the lives of yeast, worms, flies, spiders, fish, mice and rats. Now, in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and released today, many of the same benefits have been demonstrated in primates, the best evidence yet that caloric restriction would help people.

"Kathleen's under spell of fat police; Pounds for bucks, oh Kathleen!" screams a headline in the Hartford Courant."As Kathleen Sullivan Loses, She Wins," trumpets the Washington Post."Dieting with Kathleen Sullivan -- With A Will and A Weigh," chimes in the New York Times.Excuse me while I scream.AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!Or to put it another way: Stop the insanity!Here we are, barely two weeks into 1994 and already it's threatening to become the Year of the Woman Who Let Us Down.That woman is, of course, Kathleen Sullivan, former network news anchor.

Benjamin H. Passey, assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Nature of Research : Passey was part of an international team that analyzed the diet of Australopithecus sediba , a human-like primate that lived 2 million to 3 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Researchers used a laser to vaporize bits of fossilized tooth enamel from two individuals that had been recovered. Using mass spectrometry, they detected in the vapor the chemical fingerprints of the foods consumed.

Worried legislators in Annapolis have decided it is time for them to go on a diet -- at least temporarily. No more pork, their leaders have decreed. It looks bad to dip into the barrel for $15 million in pet projects when Maryland is suffering through a prolonged recession and the state budget is being slashed by $1 billion.Instead, the bond money will be used for school construction and other munificent causes. Putting legislators on this low-pork diet (a little lard will still be left) is seen as a sure-fire way to win public applause and convince citizens the General Assembly is reforming itself.

America's preoccupation with fitness has produced some jarring contradictions -- light cheesecake and light beef, diet ice cream and low-calorie Twinkies. So it probably could have been expected: Taylor California Cellars is now marketing a diet Chablis, which has 50 percent fewer calories than the real stuff, and 70 percent less alcohol.The new wine is supposed to appeal to men and women who don't usually drink alcohol but are a tad uncomfortable ordering a diet Coke with scampi. But it will, undoubtedly, be a smash hit among joggers and fiber-eaters as well.

As the holidays approach, there are taste temptations all around us. Americans often gain weight during November and December, only to go on a weight-loss program after New Year's Day.The Evening Sun would like to know, first, whether you believe you are overweight, underweight or at the perfect weight.Secondly, we'd like to know if you have been on a diet any time during 1990.Finally, we'd like to know if you plan to go on a diet after the holidays.To register your opinions, call SUNDIAL, the Baltimore Sun's free directory of telephone information services at 783-1800 (or 268-7736 in Anne Arundel County)

Editor: The new link between meat consumption and heart disease, discovered by Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic, is just the latest evidence linking meat consumption to killer diseases that cripple, then kill, 1.3 million Americans annually. Hazen's study showed that carnitine, an amino acid contained in all meat products, is a major factor in heart failure. Similarly, an Oxford University study of nearly 45,000 adults in last January's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that vegetarians were 32 percent less likely to be suffer from heart disease than people who ate meat and fish.

As Jill Rosen highlights in her recent article ("The Littlest Vegans," March 20), an increasing number of today's youth are growing up on a diet loaded with healthier and more humane plant-based foods. Since we develop lifelong eating habits at a young age, this is encouraging news. Sadly, those who acquire a taste for cholesterol- and fat-laden foods likes cheeseburgers and fried chicken today are often the diabetes and heart disease patients of tomorrow. The Baltimore City Public Schools helped set the stage for this important discussion in 2009, when it became the first school system in the U.S. to serve a 100 percent meatless menu every Monday.

Eleven-year-old Tyler Parker-Rollins says being vegan isn't always easy. But he says it's also "fun" and that he plans to be one "forever. " His 9-year-old brother, Will, loved it when his friends tried vegan pizza at his birthday party and "they actually really liked it. " Their little sister, Maya, who's 5, says she's vegan "because I love animals, and I don't want pigs to be killed. " She then runs off to find her copy of "Charlotte's Web," which, she says, "is where I got that from.

A new study provides the best evidence to date that a Mediterranean diet high in olive oil, fish, vegetables and nuts can reduce heart disease. The research, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine online edition, found that the diet can reduce heart attacks and strokes by 30 percent. Other scientists have had similar findings, but this study conducted in Spain is the first major clinical trial. Previous research mostly showed that people living in Mediterranean countries had low risk of heart disease.

New research has found that the Mediterranean diet is linked to a healthy heart. The diet is rich in vegetables, fish, olive oil and nuts. Thinking of switching or adopting some of the principals of the diet? Here is a Mediterranean diet recipe from the Mayo Clinic to get you started. Have a healthy recipe you'd like to share? Send it to andrea.walker@baltsun.com. Ingredients 1 small eggplant, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 small yellow zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 small green zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices 6 medium mushrooms, sliced 1 sweet red pepper, seeded, cored and cut into chunks 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 6 cups water 1 1/2 cups coarse polenta (corn grits)

The raw-food movement has grown in popularity among pet owners for a few years now, with people eschewing commercially produced food in favor of raw meats, vegetables, bones, and fruits for their furry family members. But a new study in the Journal of American Science says the same raw diet that works for zoo animals simply isn't enough for domesticated cats. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, in Omaha, Neb., published a new study last week that said cats, in particular, who eat a raw-food diet miss out on valuable nutrients and risk increased pathogens.

Paula Deen has long bragged about her unhealthy cooking, but now the southern chef has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes . While she said she is not changing her diet, her diagnosis could be a wake up call to people still clinging to fatty, sugar-filled diets. Deen said she has always eaten in moderation, but while Type 2 diabetes can be hereditary it is also diet related. Deen made her announcement while at the same time saying she was promoting a diabetes drug.

I LEARNED from a recent Consumer Reports article on dieting that the American Tobacco Co. introduced this slogan in 1928: "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet."That really got me thinking. You see, I work in the field of weight management, which has gotten a very bad name indeed. People are even saying that diets don't work. Imagine that, in this age of preoccupation with all things bodily. Diets do work, if you really want them to.The problem lies in a well-intentioned cover-up by physicians, nutritionists and other sages of the health professions, who refuse to incorporate into their balanced and reasonable recommendations one crucial fact: The brain, not the stomach, is what gets people into trouble over food.

Over dinner the other day with a new acquaintance, the topic of food and ethics (and thus vegetarianism) came up. My new acquaintance, Mr. W., is about 60 pounds overweight and was enjoying an oversized cheeseburger on a white bun with a side of fries. He informed me, in all seriousness, that vegetarian diets are risky due to the likelihood of nutrient deficiency. Had Mr. W. read the recent article in The Sun ("Tips on switching to a vegan diet," Jan. 24), he may have cited it as evidence to support his claim.

As people look to live more healthful lifestyles, many are contemplating meat-free diets. But becoming vegan or vegetarian can seem daunting as people try to figure out what to eat to get all the proper nutrients. Ingrid Beardsley, registered dietitian at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, said the transition can be done with proper planning. What is vegan and how is it different from being a vegetarian? Vegans exclude all meat, fish, dairy, and eggs, meaning no animal products at all. Some vegans choose to avoid consuming animal products, while others avoid using animal products completely.