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Health

Out with the old, in with the new: 5 ways to spring clean your diet

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SALT LAKE CITY — As spring approaches, the sun starts shining a bit longer each day, the grass is looking a tad greener, flower buds start appearing, and people start decluttering their homes and yards.

Spring cleaning is a great way to freshen up your home and life, so why not do a little spring cleaning with your diet as well?

I don’t mean going on some fad diet that’s unrealistic and leads only to temporary results. Instead, I recommend spring cleaning your diet by starting slow, picking one or two of the suggestions below to work on at a time. After you have made one a habit, choose another to work on.

You may be working on these goals longer than springtime lasts, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run. By decreasing some foods in your diet and increasing others, you can set yourself up with healthy habits that will benefit you for a lifetime.

Decrease the sweets

Overconsumption of added sugars has been associated with health problems like dental caries (or cavities), as well as weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Added sugars do not include sugars that are naturally occurring, such as sugars in fruit or milk, and they sneak into our diet in a variety of ways.

Some are pretty obvious, such as treats like cakes, cookies, ice cream, candies, pastries, jams, jellies and other sweets. Other sources might be a little more surprising, like sauces, dressings, marinades, sweetened yogurts, cold cereals, crackers, granola bars and more.

One of the biggest culprits isn’t what we eat, but rather what we drink. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sugar-sweetened beverages are the No. 1 source of added sugars in the American diet. These include, but are not limited to, regular soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, flavored waters and sweetened coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages. Switching from drinking sugar-sweetened beverages to water is a great way to decrease added sugars in your diet.

You don’t need to go cold turkey and cut all sweets from your diet overnight or altogether. Enjoying a treat every now and then is fine. The main goal is to enjoy them in moderation, keeping added sugars to less than 10% of your total daily calories as recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Eat fats — the healthier kind

Fats have been a controversial topic for decades. Do we eat them or avoid them? Instead of the “all or nothing” approach, the answer depends on the type of fat. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10% of daily calories, and trans fat intake should be as low as possible. These types of fats can raise your LDL “bad” cholesterol, increasing your risk for heart disease.

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are naturally found in foods from animal sources such as red meat, poultry and dairy foods. They are also commonly found in other snack and treat foods such as chips, cakes, cookies, pastries, fried foods and ice cream.

Just as important as reducing saturated and trans fats is what you replace them with. Studies have shown that when these less healthy fats are replaced with carbohydrates, the risk of heart disease is not decreased. However, replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats can lower risk of heart disease.

Unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. They’re naturally found in many plant foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, soybeans and oils made from these foods. They are also found in fish and other seafood. Include these healthy fats in your diet by snacking on a small handful of nuts, cooking with avocado or olive oil, incorporating fish into your weekly meal plan, or topping your toast or salad with avocado.

You don’t need to go cold turkey and cut all sweets from your diet overnight or altogether. Enjoying a treat every now and then is fine. The main goal is to enjoy them in moderation.

–Brittany Poulson, registered dietitian

Pile on the veggies

The one food group the majority of people admit to falling short on is vegetables. In fact, according to the CDC, only 1 in 10 Americans eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily. Vegetables are packed with beneficial nutrients and studies continue to show the advantages to consuming them daily. However, they’re still lacking in the average American diet.

The first step to including more veggies in your diet is to have them available in your home. When you bring vegetables home from the store, don’t just shove them in the crisper drawer in your refrigerator to be forgotten about. Make them easily accessible by chopping carrots, broccoli, celery and cauliflower into sticks or bite-size pieces. Then put them in baggies and store them on a shelf in the fridge at eye level.

Keep bags of frozen vegetables in your freezer to easily grab and toss into a soup or casserole, mix into a pasta dish, or heat up as an easy side. Add variety by cooking your vegetables in different ways such as steaming, roasting, grilling, stir-frying or sautéing. Pile the veggies on top of your sandwich, burger, taco and pizza. You can also scramble your eggs with some sautéed vegetables, add roasted vegetables to your whole-grain power bowl, or blend some raw veggies into your morning smoothie.

Go bananas

Not just bananas, but berries, grapes, oranges, apples and more. Including fruit as part of your diet is going to provide you with nutrients like antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Whether fresh, frozen, dried or canned, all fruit can be good for you. If choosing canned, opt for those canned in 100% juice or water. For frozen or dried fruit, make sure the fruit is the only ingredient listed with no added sugars.

Fruit juice can be a sweet addition to your day, but be sure to watch portion sizes (adults should limit to 8 ounces) and always choose 100% juice. I typically recommend eating whole fruit over drinking juice because juice is usually lacking the fiber found in the whole fruit. Eating an orange will help you feel more full and satiated than drinking a glass of orange juice.

Go meatless once a week

High red meat, especially processed meat consumption has been linked to various chronic health concerns, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. While red meat contains several important nutrients — such as essential protein, vitamin B12, iron and zinc — consuming high amounts may be not such a good idea.

The World Cancer Research Fund recommends cutting back on red meats — especially processed meats like salami, hot dogs, ham, bacon, beef jerky, deli meat, and some sausages — to no more than about three portions per week.

Setting a goal to go meatless one day a week will surely help you meet that recommendation. Get your protein needs in by eating plant-based proteins like nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tofu and whole grains. Choose any day of the week you want for your meatless meals and make it a habit each week. Monday is a popular choice, set off by the Meatless Monday movement.

Try lentil sloppy joes, three sisters chili, crispy baked tofu tacos, or loaded sweet potatoes for a delicious no-meat meal. With all the ways to enjoy plant-based protein, you might not even miss the meat once a week.

About the Author: Brittany Poulson

Brittany Poulson is a Utah registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. She shares her passion for health, food and nutrition on her blog, www.yourchoicenutrition.com, where she encourages you to live a healthy life in your unique way. To read more of her articles, visit Brittany’s KSL.com author page.

Editor’s Note: Anything in this article is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended, nor should it be interpreted, to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition; Any opinions, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of KSL. KSL does not endorse nor is it responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, information, or statement made in this article. KSL expressly disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of this article.

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Technology

Bag maker Peak Design calls out Amazon for its copycat ways

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Amazon is well-known for its copycat ways, but it’s not so often that another company calls it out on it, much less in a way that’s funny. But that’s exactly what Peak Design did today when it uploaded a video to YouTube comparing its Everyday Sling to a camera bag from AmazonBasics that shares the exact same name.

“It looks suspiciously like the Peak Design Everyday Sling, but you don’t pay for all those needless bells and whistles,” the video’s narrator declares. Those extras include things like a lifetime warranty, BlueSign approved recycled materials, as well as the time and effort the company’s design team put into creating the bag.

In its most on the nose jab at Amazon, the video includes a “dramatization” of how the AmazonBasics design team created their take on the bag. “Keep combing that data,” a googly-eyed executive tells his subordinate, who’s played here by Peak Design founder and CEO Peter Dering. “Let’s Basic that bad boy,” they say after finding the Everyday Sling.

The segment points to an uncomfortable aspect of Amazon’s business model, one that an in-depth Wall Street Journal report examined last year. According to former Amazon employees, the company had used proprietary seller data to design and price in-house products — even though its own policies forbid it from doing so. The report came up when Jeff Bezos had to testify before the US House of Representatives last year during its anti-trust hearings. He said he couldn’t guarantee the online retailer hadn’t misused data from its third-party sellers. 

Peak Design ends the video with something of an appeal. If you don’t want a product that’s responsibly made by a small but innovative company, you don’t have to purchase it. “Whichever one you buy, you’ll get exactly what you paid for.” 

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Technology

Animal Crossing fans are using Mario’s warp pipe in brilliant ways

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The Super Mario 35th anniversary items are live in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and while many of the additions are swell, one item is a total game changer. The iconic green warp pipes allow fans to travel instantly between locations, and clever fans are already finding novel ways to push that functionality even further.

There are limits, of course. You can’t, for instance, put a pipe directly in the home of a favored villager — it’ll just pop you out in the same place. And you can’t reach the “fourth level” height with a warp pipe, either. But even within those confines, there’s plenty you can do.

Perhaps the most brilliant usage of the warp pipe that I’ve heard about so far comes from game developer Andrew Goldfarb, who says he has one installed inside his house. The second warp pipe, meanwhile, gets carried around in his inventory at all times, so no matter where he is, he can simply teleport back to home base. Nice! Similarly, many users tell Polygon that they’re using the pipes as a beeline to hotspots, like the museum, or out-of-the-way places like Redd’s beach. Apparently, you can also use the pipes to escape attackers like bees.

The most popular way Animal Crossing fans use pipes is as shortcuts to secret places that are sometimes only reachable by warp, or only known by the player who placed it.

But you can also use warp pipes to fit a certain aesthetic or theme, as you’ll see below.



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Health

5 Ways To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

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You’ve probably had your blood pressure measured a ton of times at the doctor’s office or even at the dentist. It’s one of those health markers that you likely don’t give a lot of thought to until something’s off, or you have a family history of blood pressure probs.

But it’s worth understanding *before* you have something to worry about—including how to lower high blood pressure if that becomes a health concern for you. Let’s get into it.

So, what exactly is a blood pressure measurement?

Blood pressure, or arterial tension, is the pressure at which the blood flows through the arteries, or the pressure your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries, according to Lauren Munsch Dal Farra, MD, an internal medicine physician, cardiologist and CEO of PALM Health in St. Louis. “When your blood pressure is measured, there are two values, maximum and minimum, expressed by two numbers separated by a slash,” she explains. “For example, 135/85 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) means a maximum pressure of 135 and a minimum pressure of 85.”

The first number in the measurement is also know as systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. The second number is diastolic blood pressure, which is the arterial pressure between beats, says Sameer K. Mehta, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and president of Denver Heart. The difference between the two pressures is known as pulse pressure.

“The exact importance of pulse pressure is still being investigated, though some studies suggest that patients with a wide pulse pressure (greater than 60 mmHg) are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, or death,” says Dr. Mehta.

What’s a normal blood pressure level?

A “normal” or healthy blood pressure measurement is less than 120/80, Dr. Dal Farra says.

A maximum exceeding 140, or a minimum higher than 90, indicates the person has what’s called hypertension, or high blood pressure. Anything over 180/120 is considered severe hypertension. While hypertension often has no symptoms, over time, it can lead to heart conditions like heart disease and stroke.

“When systolic pressure, or the top number, is between 121 and 139, and the diastolic pressure, or bottom number, is between 81 and 89, we call it prehypertension,” she explains. “Prehypertension means that the person does not have hypertension, but they will in the future unless they correct unhealthy habits.”

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How do you accurately measure blood pressure?

“Blood pressure actually fluctuates a lot over the day, and even a healthy person will at times have the maximum exceeding 160 and the minimum number above 110,” says Dr. Dal Farra. “If they occur on an occasional basis, these values are perfectly normal and do not mean a person has hypertension.”

To gain an accurate understanding of your blood pressure, Dr. Dal Farra recommends using a blood pressure monitor, which you can buy at a pharmacy, to take your blood pressure once to twice daily, at different times of the day, in various circumstances, over a period of three weeks, and averaging the results. Make sure you haven’t smoked, had caffeine, or exercised within 30 minutes of measuring your BP.

Why is a healthy blood pressure level important?

High blood pressure comes from an increase in resistance of the arteries, Dr. Dal Farra says. Your heart has to work harder to get blood to your extremities and vital organs due to this resistance. Over time, this can have negative effects on your body.

“Having high blood pressure increases the risk of major cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular events, including stroke, heart attack, death, and kidney failure,” says Dr. Mehta. “Similarly, controlling hypertension reduces the risk of all of these potential adverse outcomes.”

How can I lower my blood pressure naturally?

Here are the lifestyle changes to make that can help lower your blood pressure without medication.

Practice regular aerobic exercise

Physical activity is the most important lifestyle habit to cultivate to help lower blood pressure. The best exercises for reducing blood pressure (and cholesterol) are aerobic exercises like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, per studies with hypertensive volunteers. To make an improvement in cardiovascular conditioning, you should aim to do aerobic exercise at least 30 minutes a day, three times a week.

“Although exercise raises your blood pressure while you’re doing it, regular exercise tends to lower it the rest of the time,” Dr. Dal Farra says. “Even without weight loss, regular exercise helps prevent high blood pressure.”

Reduce stress

Over time, low-grade chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and muscle tension. For people who feel stressed, practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation and stretching can be beneficial, Dr. Dal Farra says.

Lose weight if you are medically overweight or obese

Blood pressure rises with body mass index, so for people who are overweight or obese, weight loss is the most effective measure for lowering blood pressure, Dr. Dal Farra says. “Studies suggest that blood pressure can be reduced by 1 mmHg for each one to two pounds lost,” she says. “Losing 20 pounds could drop blood pressure by 5-20 mmHg.”

Aerobic exercise, strength training, and nutrient-rich food plans are the essential components of weight loss, Dr. Dal Farra says. She recommends increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, high-fiber foods, and complex carbohydrates and eating less saturated fat and simple sugars.

Eat less salt and more potassium

The American Heart Association suggests limiting sodium to less than 1500 mg a day to prevent hypertension. “Most people can self-regulate and excrete extra salt and water in their urine, so reducing salt does not significantly impact blood pressure,” explains Dr. Dal Farra. “However, reducing salt intake is beneficial for people who are ‘salt-sensitive,’ have an imbalance in their salt and potassium ratios, have congestive heart failure, or have kidney disease.”

Studies suggest that more important than just lowing salt is maintaining the correct salt to potassium ratio, Dr. Dal Farra adds. Having a healthy balance of the two minerals (less salt, more potassium) in the body is crucial to maintaining healthy BP.

She recommends eating a plant-based, whole-food diet high in naturally potassium-rich foods, such as broccoli, spinach, beets, beet greens, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, starchy vegetables such as potatoes and winter squash; lentils and beans (especially white beans and soybeans), fruits like bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, apricots, grapefruit, and some dried fruits, such as prunes, raisins, and dates.

Limit your alcohol consumption

While research hasn’t shown alcohol to have a direct tie to blood pressure and heart health, it can contribute to weight gain, which is in turn related adverse heart health outcomes.

“Alcoholic beverages contain a large number of calories that contribute to obesity, so if weight loss is a goal, then alcohol should be limited as much as possible,” Dr. Dal Farra says. It’s recommended that men limit themselves to two drinks per day, and women limit their alcohol consumption to one drink per day, Dr. Dal Farra says.

The bottom line: If you’re concerned about your blood pressure levels, talk to your doctor about what effective lifestyle changes you can make. While there are medications that can help lower BP, there are plenty of natural methods you can try as well.

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Sports

Houston Texans part ways with J.J. Watt after he asks for release

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HOUSTON — The Houston Texans have parted ways with star defensive end J.J. Watt after he asked for his release.

Watt was drafted by the Texans in 2011 with the No. 11 pick and became the face of the franchise, winning three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2012-15. Watt is one of three players to win that award three times.

“I have sat down with the McNair family and I have asked them for my release and we have mutually agreed to part ways at this time,” Watt said in a video posted to Twitter. “I came here 10 years ago as a kid from Wisconsin who’d never really been to Texas before. And now I can’t imagine my life without Texas in it. The way that you guys have treated me, besides draft night. I mean, you guys booed me on draft night. But every day after that, you treated me like family. And I truly feel like you’re my family.

“…I’m excited and looking forward to a new opportunity, and I’ve been working extremely hard. But at the same time, it is always tough to move on. And I just want you guys to know that I love you. I appreciate you. I appreciate the McNair family for drafting me and giving me my first opportunity in the NFL.”

Watt is coming off just his second 16-game season since 2015, as he has dealt with several season-ending injuries since then.

“Change is never easy, especially when it involves the ones you love. J.J.’s impact on not only our organization, but the entire Houston community, is unlike any player in our franchise’s history,” said Texans Chair and CEO Cal McNair in a prepared statement. “I told J.J. earlier this week that we will forever consider him a Texan. We take solace in knowing that this is not a goodbye but a ‘see you soon.’ For now, we will build upon the foundation that J.J. created here and forge ahead with our unwavering mission to bring a championship to our city, create memorable experiences for our fans and do great things for Houston.”

In 2020, Watt ranked 15th out of 119 qualified pass rushers in Pass Rush Win Rate, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He finished the season with five sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception he returned for a touchdown.

Watt is by far the most productive pass rusher in Texans history, with 101 career sacks. There have only been two players in team history with more than 30 career sacks (Whitney Mercilus with 54 and Mario Williams with 53) since the franchise’s first season in 2002.

During the season, Watt made it clear he was not interested in playing for a team going through a “rebuild.”

“I don’t think it’s any secret that I don’t have 10 years left in this league,” Watt said in November. “I personally believe that I do have a few more great ones left in me. But you also can’t … I’m not looking to rebuild. I’m looking to go after a championship, and that’s what I want to do.”

When asked at the end of the season whether he felt the 2021 Texans would be in rebuilding-mode, Watt said there are “so many unknown factors to that situation right now that you can’t definitively say that.”

Watt had one year remaining on the contract he signed in 2014. He was owed $17.5 million in 2021, but his salary was not guaranteed. He is now free to sign with another team.



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Business

Retailer testing ways to fulfill orders faster

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Walmart says the new design will create a “seamless” omni shopping experience with more self-checkout kiosks and contactless payment options.

USA TODAY

Robots could help get your future Walmart pickup or delivery order filled and ready for you faster.

Walmart announced Tuesday that it is increasing the number of its stores that will serve as local fulfillment centers, which are condensed modular automated warehouses built within a store or added to a store. The centers will house pantry items, frozen foods, consumables as well as electronics.

Tom Ward, Walmart’s senior vice president of customer product, said the retail giant is planning dozens of locations with additional stores to come in the future. Some stores also will add automated pickup points that would allow customers and delivery drivers to drive up, scan a code and grab their order.

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Amid the coronavirus pandemic, consumer demand for pickup and delivery options has grown and more retailers have added contactless curbside pickup.

“Since the pandemic began we’ve steadily experienced record-high adoption of these services,” Ward said during a call with reporters. “We expect we will continue to serve more and more customers who will come to rely on pickup and delivery as an important part of their lives.”

Walmart started testing its first local fulfillment center in Salem, New Hampshire, in late 2019. Ward said one local fulfillment center can fulfill orders for many stores and the system adds to availability for customers since orders can be fulfilled faster.

Instead of store associates walking the store to fulfill an order, the automated bots – that buzz around on wheels – retrieve the items from throughout the fulfillment center.

Store employees still pick fresh items like produce, meat and seafood as well as large general merchandise items from the sales floor, Ward said.

Walmart has broken ground on a few centers at stores in Plano and Lewisville, Texas; Bentonville, Arkansas, and American Fork, Utah. A list of future stores getting the upgrade was not available. 

In late September, Walmart unveiled a reimagined store design that officials said will create a “seamless” omni-shopping experience with more self-checkout kiosks and contactless payment options. The design is starting to roll out to stores. Walmart is also testing on-demand drone delivery.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko

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