Balance, Autumn 2019

Balance Volume 11 | Issue 4 | Autumn 2019

The health magazine for Body, Mind & Motivation

HERE COMES THE

BURN New riverside Clarkston gym offers workouts with a view | 12

INSIDE: | INTERMITTENT FASTING: 4 | YOGA FOR ALL: 7 | FIT DOGS: 9 | TRIATHLON AT 50: 15 | HEATER SAFETY: 16

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Balance / Winter 2019

ADVERTISER INDEX Tri-State Hospital ........................................ 2 Pathologists Regional Laboratory ................ 3 Dr. Steven Ozeran ......................................... 3 Dr. Richard Allen ......................................... 9 Rosauers ..................................................... 9

Leavitt Family Dentistry ............................... 11 Maplewood Dental ....................................... 11 Electrolysis — permanent hair removal ....... 15 Gritman Medical Center ............................. 24

ON THE COVER: This photo, taken by Pete Caster for Balance, shows Trainer Nate Hoffmann demonstrates kettlebell workout techniques Oct. 10 on the small turf field behind Hells Canyon Fitness as the sun rises over the Lewiston Orchards.

Balance

Balance is published quarterly by the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News and printed at the Tribune Publishing Co. Inc.’s printing facility at 505 Capital St. in Lewiston. To advertise in Balance, contact the Lewiston Tribune advertising department at (208) 848.2216 or the MoscowPullman Daily News advertising department at (208) 882.5561.

Editorial suggestions and ideas can be sent to Tribune City Editor Mary Stone at mstone@lmtribune.com or Daily News Managing Editor Craig Staszkow at cstaszkow@dnews.com.

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Balance / Winter 2019

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Dietitian skeptical of intermittent fasting Nancy Kure, Gritman director of nutrition and diabetes, outlines more cons than pros “Just the fact that there’s no science behind FOR BALANCE it is a little bit scary,” said Nancy Kure, Gritman ntermittent fasting is a popular eating pattern that Medical Center director of might work for some people, nutrition and diabetes. but one local registered Kure said some people dietitian sees more fast for 18 hours and eat potential disadvantages during the remaining six hours of the day; others than benefits from it.

By GARRETT CABEZA

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rotate between fasting one day and eating the next; and some eat for five days and then fast for two days, perhaps consuming no more than 500 calories on each of their fasting days.

There are numerous other ways to intermittent fast.

“It’s all over the board,” Kure said. “That’s simply the reason why you can’t compare the studies,

because they’re all based on something different so you really don’t have a very good basis for comparing.”

She said some people intermittent fast to lose weight, manage blood sugar levels or other reasons that may or may not have been proven to work.

Kure said the pros of intermittent fasting include allowing people to take their minds off food while they are fasting and helping structure when someone can and cannot eat, which some people like.

But, she said there are several cons.

One is fasting can cause fatigue, weakness > See Skeptical, Page 5

Some pros and cons of intermittent fasting PRO

CON

 Takes your mind off food

 Can cause fatigue, weakness, headaches

 More structured eating routine

 Might help with weight loss  Might help manage blood sugar

 Makes it more difficult to exercise

 Hard to manage hunger, appetite  Can lead to overeating  Nutrient deficiency

 Can affect social life

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Balance / Winter 2019

Skeptical from Page 4 and headaches. Fatigue makes it more difficult to exercise, she said.

Managing hunger on fasting days and an appetite on feeding days can also be tough. Kure said some people adapt to it and like it, but others get extremely hungry, which can lead to binge eating.

“The decreased concentration on the fasting days is a huge problem, and then some people eat way more food than they normally would on their nonfasting days, so it just doesn’t work,” Kure said.

She does not recommend anyone with an eating disorder or eating disorder tendencies to intermittent fast.

She said people can also become nutrient-deficient if they are not eating healthy food during the eating portion of their cycle, and intermittent fasting can also lead to problems for those, especially diabetics, who are supposed to take medications with food.

Aside from physical symptoms, Kure said some people can take intermittent fasting so seriously that it affects their social life.

They might stop going out with friends, and that isolation can lead to an eating disorder.

“Some people it fits really well, and it works well for them, but I don’t think it’s for everyone,” she said.

Kure does not recommend intermittent fasting in general, but if a patient wanted to try it, she would assess him or her first before giving the OK. She said she would find out how many hours they wait between meals and slowly extend that time by recommending they eat dinner an hour earlier or stop eating late at night, for example. She said the average American has a 12- to 15-hour eating window.

Kure said the plate method is the best overall diet. Depending on the person and whether or not he or she is trying to lose weight, she recommends filling half of a 9-inch plate with vegetables, a quarter of the plate with starches or whole grains and the other quarter with protein. Milk and fruit are also suggested with the meal.

Cabeza can be reached at (208) 8834631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.

Balance / Winter 2019

WSU program offers students a safe space Cougars for Recovery provides community for those struggling with substance abuse

By ANTHONY KUIPERS FOR BALANCE

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former Washington State University graduate student who overcame substance abuse wanted to create an outlet for other students who are going through similar struggles.

So, this past spring semester, Noel Vest created Cougs for Recovery, a student group that continued even after Vest left to work at Vest Stanford in June.

Vest said he was disappointed WSU did not have a recovery program while he was attending graduate school there from 2014-19. He had endured his own struggles with overcoming drugs, and even spent time in a Nevada prison.

He shared his story during a presentation in a WSU class, and another student met with him afterward to discuss starting a student group.

Cougs for Recovery was later born. It is a weekly meeting for students who self-identify as being in recovery or are thinking of being in recovery. He said

it offers a chance for people to come together and talk about what is important in their life.

“For some reason, that form of community is really beneficial for people living in recovery,” Vest said.

Rachel Oliver, a student mentor for the group, said Cougs for Recovery provides a safe space that helps decrease the stigma associated with substance abuse and mental illness.

“Being able to relate to someone and have a conversation without judgment is really helpful,” Oliver said.

Patricia Maarhuis, a WSU health promotion specialist who assists the group, said people in Cougs for Recovery can also help each other problem-solve, including figuring out how to cope with a heavy load of classes without resorting to drugs.

She said sometimes the drugs lead to mental health issues, and sometimes mental health issues lead to drug use. Sometimes it is a matter of coping to get through the stressful day.

Maarhuis said each student > See Safe space, Page 6

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Study finds that if you’re multilingual, you may be able to avoid dementia

By NAJJA PARKER THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

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ant to maintain a good memory?

Learning multiple languages could help, according to a recent report.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo recently conducted a study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, to explore the association between multilingualism and dementia risk.

To do so, they examined 325 Roman Catholic nuns who were members of the Sisters of Notre Dame in the United States. They gathered the data from the Nun Study, which assesses the sisters and their brain health.

After reviewing the material, they found 6 percent of the nuns who spoke four or more languages developed dementia, compared to 31 percent of those who spoke only one language.

“Language is a complex ability of the human brain, and switching between different languages takes cognitive flexibility,” co-author Suzanne

Safe space from Page 5 has a different life experience, but many have had greater access to drugs such as marijuana,

Tyas said in a statement.

“So it makes sense that the extra mental exercise multilinguals would get from speaking four or more languages might help their brains be in better shape than monolinguals.”

The team also evaluated the nuns’ writing and discovered those who could best express their ideas on paper also had a lower dementia risk.

“This study shows that while multilingualism may be important, we should also be looking further into other examples of linguistic ability,” Tyas said. “In addition, we need to know more about multilingualism and what aspects are important — such as the age when a language is first learned, how often each language is spoken, and how similar or different these languages are.”

The scientists now hope their findings can help linguists create strategies that promote multilingualism in an effort to reduce dementia risk.

medications and alcohol than previous generations.

Oliver said more universities are starting to implement recovery programs outside of student groups, but more is needed.

Vest said schools should

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actively recruit students going through recovery because they can talk about their experience in classrooms and make the issue more visible to their peers. He said students do not understand how many of their peers are living with this condition, and when they leave after graduation they “subliminally think this problem doesn’t exist in their world because it hasn’t existed for four years.”

Beyond weekly meetings Cougs for Recovery also worked with the Pullman Police Department this month to encourage people to safely and privately drop off unwanted medications

IGOR LEVIN/ ISTOCKPHOTO/ GETTY IMAGES/TNS

at a local church, the WSU student newspaper the Daily Evergreen reported.

Maarhuis said some students earlier this year attended a Washington Recovery Alliance strategic initiative summit.

Cougs for Recovery meetings take place at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays in the Compton Union Building room 206. Members of the group also hold meetings with WSU administrative officials at 5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays in CUB 206.

Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4640, or by email to akuipers@dnews.com.

Balance / Winter 2019

REBECCA NOBLE/BALANCE

Owner and instructor Kimberly Linder leads a power yoga class at DayJah Vu Health’s yoga studio in Lewiston.

FOR ALL DayJah Vu Health in Lewiston offers Vinyasa classes to children, beginners and more advanced students

By ELAINE WILLIAMS FOR BALANCE

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business Kimberly Linder has opened is making yoga more available to residents of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

DayJah Vu Health at 710 Main St. in Lewiston offers classes to children, beginners and more advanced students that focus on

Balance / Winter 2019

a style of yoga called “Vinyasa.”

“It’s one breath, one movement,” Linder said. “Every time you’re moving to a new pose, you’re taking a breath.”

Typically Vinyasa is considered to be a faster form of yoga, but Linder said she varies it in her classes, with some movements

l About DayJah Vu Health LOCATION: 710 Main St., Lewiston CLASS PRICES: $10 per class for adults; $7 for adult beginner classes; $5 for children’s classes

> See Yoga, Page 8

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Yoga

Women participate in a power yoga class at DayJah Vu Health in Lewiston.

from Page 7 being slower and others being quicker.

“I’ve created my own twist on it,” she said.

Her decision to open the studio comes about seven years after her introduction to yoga.

She was finishing high school when a friend, who was a massage therapist, suggested the possibility of completing a twomonth certification at Yoga Tree, a yoga school, in San Francisco instead of attending college.

The friend thought it would be a good fit, because Linder was an athlete who had played volleyball and ran track in high school, but wasn’t

TRIBUNE/ REBECCA NOBLE

necessarily sold on college.

Linder agreed with her friend, persuaded

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her parents and made arrangements to live in a shared room at an ashram in San Francisco for $900 a month.

The ashram was a religious community within walking distance of Yoga Tree. Her daily routine involved chanting circles, meditation, chores and avoidance of consuming animal products.

Afterward, she followed her then-significant other to McCall, then traveled extensively to places such as Costa Rica using Bend, Ore., as a base before returning to McCall, always teaching yoga as a substitute instructor and in workshops.

McCall’s harsh winters, along with a desire to live somewhere with a larger population and a lower cost of living, prompted Linder to relocate to Lewiston about two years ago. After the move, she began the process of turning her interest in

natural health into a career.

In between training to be a holistic health coach and holding jobs at places such as Vig’s Health Food Store and now Sativa Sisters in Clarkston, she has taught yoga at workshops at places like Spiral Rock Vineyard, a Lewiston-area winery.

Her students from those classes liked her instruction so much, they began encouraging her to open her own studio so they could practice yoga with her more frequently.

It wasn’t a hard sell, because it was something she had been considering since she completed the instruction at Yoga Tree.

“I love yoga, and I love that it can be a solid foundation for people,” she said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune. com or (208) 848-2261.

Balance / Winter 2019

FIT DOGS LIVE LONGER Veterinarians say dog obesity is an epidemic, but pets’ humans can fix it

By ERIC BARKER FOR BALANCE

K

aylee Brewster noticed her dog, Mia, used to strain even at simple movements like stretching to reach a scratch or curling up for a nap.

The black lab mix weighed more than 100 pounds when Brewster, a copy editor at the Tribune and an Inland360 writer, adopted her last November.

Less than a year later, Mia has shed a quarter of her body weight and now tips the scales at 74 pounds. Her hips have reappeared, and the animal is more at ease.

“She is a lot more comfortable,” Brewster said. “Before, we would go on a walk and afterwards she would flop down and not move. Now when I take her for a walk, she will still take a nap (after), but when she curls up to go to sleep it seems like it’s not uncomfortable for her.”

According to veterinarians, dogs that are able to achieve and maintain an ideal weight are healthier and happier.

They may even live longer.

Many vets say canine obesity is an epidemic and the single biggest health problem they see in their day-to-day practices.

Balance / Winter 2019

In this November 2018 photo, Mia is seen sleeping on the floor of her owner’s home. Since November, Mia has slimmed down from 100 pounds to 74 pounds.

Bynum

Farnsworth

“It’s beyond my ability to describe it,” said Seth Bynum, a veterinarian at the Lewiston Veterinary Clinic. “What has happened is our ability to distinguish it has changed. We have grown accustomed to obese dogs as being the norm.”

Veterinarian Raelynn Farnsworth, head of

Community Practice at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the school’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, agrees.

She often gets pushback from dog owners when she tells them their animals are overweight or obese.

“I get owners all the time who say that is normal, but it’s not,” Farnsworth said. “What they think is normal and what our body condition scores say are normal are two different things, and they actually even ague with me about it.”

So what is normal? Most vet offices have charts with top-view drawings of dogs

ranging from underweight to obese. Viewing from above, Farnsworth said a dog with a healthy body condition should have an hourglass shape.

“They want to have a waist, and you should be able to feel their ribs but not see them — and you should not have to push on them to feel their ribs,” she said. “There shouldn’t be a layer between their skin and their ribs.”

She said about half of dogs are overweight, and 25 percent of them are obese. Weight problems can be traced directly to > See Fit dogs, Page 10

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Fit dogs

same tried and tested approach humans follow to lose weight.

“Just like people, it’s all about from Page 9 calories in and calories out,” she said. “It’s a combination of an well-meaning owners. In a quest increased exercise program and to both feed our dogs healthy food — that lower-calorie food.” food and reward them, people are Brewster knew Mia was giving their pets too many calories. overweight when she got her, “I think more and more and that was confirmed during people are using food and food a wellness exam at Clarkston rewards to bond with their pets, Veterinary Clinic. Mia was already which in turn causes them to on diet food, eating about a cup be obese,” Farnsworth said. of kibble twice a day. On her vet’s Another factor is the food. advice, Brewster cut that back to People have been conditioned just under a cup twice a day and to look for high-protein, highworked on getting her more active. quality food in which meat “I took her for lots and lots of such as beef, lamb or chicken walks,” she said. “Even today, is a top ingredient. Dog food I still walk her every single day manufactures are aware of and just manage her food.” that, ramping up protein levels When it comes to treats, and cutting out fillers.

Farnsworth said cooked “Every dog food company baby carrots, unbuttered and is trying to out do each other unsalted popcorn, or flavored with the ingredient list, so we mini rice cakes are examples are getting higher calories. The of good, low-calorie options. things that have been left off the “They have these cheeseingredient lists are the fillers which REBECCA NOBLE/BALANCE flavored (rice cakes), and are usually the low-calorie things,” When Mia was first adopted, she weighed 100 pounds. dogs love them — and she said. “So the foods have A year of exercise and dieting later, she’s down to they are only a couple of gotten higher calorie and richer, calories apiece,” she said.

74 pounds. because people are so focused on After Mia lost weight, Brewster the first couple of ingredients.” slowly increased her twice-adiet when they are puppies.

The results are a series of day feedings back to 1 cup, and she “Free feeding is usually health problems and shorter life spans. gives the dog a small amount of her a bad idea,” she said.

Bynum pointed to a 14-year study by regular diet dog food as a snack.

She recommends feeding dogs Purina in which researchers followed She said the snack helps curb her a specific amount of food twice a 48 8-week-old Labrador retrievers cravings and keeps her out of the trash day at specific times. If there are from seven litters throughout their while Brewster is out of the house. multiple dogs in the house, she lifetimes. Some dogs from the same “She is at the point I can give her said they should be fed at the same litters were fed a strictly controlled treats and snacks and stuff,” Brewster time to prevent dominant dogs diet, and some were fed a diet with said. “I wasn’t able to do that before.” poaching food from the others.

25 percent more calories. They found If dogs are not satiated with Most dog foods have feeding the dogs fed a leaner diet lived on the amount of food they are given, tables on the bag. Farnsworth average 15 percent, or about two Farnsworth said people can add recommends starting there but years, longer than their littermates things like low sodium canned who were allowed to become obese. cutting the recommended amount by green beans to their kibble.

“It’s pretty compelling,” he said. about 25 percent and then adjusting “The dogs think they are getting Health problems associated as needed based on the dog’s human food and they are satisfied, with obesity include labored individual needs and activity level. and you gave them something low breathing, fatigue, heart disease, Don’t feed them table scraps, and calorie and you are filling them up.” injuries like ruptured cruciate account for any treats given in the ligaments and osteoarthritis. dog’s daily intake of calories, she said.

Farnsworth said the easiest way If a dog is already overweight, Barker may be contacted at ebarker@ to keep dogs at a healthy weight is to Farnsworth said getting it to a lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. start them on a healthy, controlled Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker. healthy body condition takes the

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Balance / Winter 2019

Study: 10 minutes with a pet could reduce stress

By JUSTYNA TOMTAS

Beans the cat gets some loving scratches under her chin, perhaps offering a moment of stress relief for her owner.

FOR BALANCE

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Balance / Winter 2019

PETE CASTER/FOR BALANCE

while the fourth group had to wait for 10 minutes for their turn without phones or reading materials.

Multiple cortisol samples from saliva were collected from each participant, beginning in the morning when they woke up.

“Once all the data was crunched from the various samples, the students who interacted directly with the pets showed significantly less cortisol in their saliva after the interaction,” according to a news release.

“These results were found even while considering that some students may have had very high or low levels to begin with.”

The results were published in AERA Open, a journal by the American Educational Research Association. It was the first study to demonstrate reductions in students’ cortisol levels during a real-life intervention rather than in a laboratory setting, stated the release.

Other studies have also pinpointed benefits to

lower chance of having a heart attack than a single person without a pet.

And in another study published by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, newborns who lived with cats had a lower risk of childhood asthma, bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

interactions with animals.

A study published in Circulation, the Journal of the American Heart Tomtas may be contacted at jtomtas@lmtribune.com Association, showed that or (209) 848-2294. Follow people who live alone and own a dog have an 11 percent her on Twitter @jtomtas.

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f you’ve ever felt your stress melt away after petting a dog or a cat, you’re not alone.

A study conducted by scientists at Washington State University shows just 10 minutes of interaction with a pet can have a significant impact on the level of cortisol, a hormone that helps the body respond to stress.

The study focused on “Pet Your Stress Away” programs at universities, like WSU. The events give students — who may be overloaded with classes, papers and exams — an opportunity to interact with cats and dogs.

“We already knew that students enjoy interacting with animals, and that it helps them experience more positive emotions,” said Patricia Pendry, an associate professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development.

“What we wanted to learn was whether this exposure would help students reduce their stress in a less subjective way. And it did, which is exciting because the reduction of stress hormones may, over time, have significant benefits for physical and mental health.”

The study included 249 college students who were divided into four groups.

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CROSSFIT with a

VIEW

New Clarkston gym puts focus on making workouts appealing to a diverse clientel

By ELAINE WILLIAMS FOR BALANCE

A

dentist and his fiancee, who is a personal trainer, have opened Hells Canyon Fitness, a Clarkston business that is part of a nationwide push to make CrossFit less intimidating.

The approach is a shift away from CrossFit’s roots as the domain of hardcore athletes who viewed themselves as too tough for other fitness classes, said Dr. Zachary Meyers, who owns the gym with Kelli Taylor.

The workouts at Hells Canyon Fitness are for anyone who wants to improve their strength, speed and endurance, said Meyers, a former standout Clarkston High School football player and track athlete who competes in weightlifting contests.

The classes at Hells Canyon Fitness, which belongs to a world franchise

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Hells Canyon Fitness Address: 1445 Fifth St., Clarkston Pricing: $120 per month.

The fee includes an unlimited number of all classes and use of the facility during open gym hours, but not personal training. Punch cards for CrossFit, yoga and open gym are $100 for 10 sessions. Personal training is $40 per one-hour session.

Phone number: (509) 295-8657 of CrossFit gyms, involve a combination of aerobics, weightlifting and traditional gym exercises such as planks, squats and pullups.

They are challenging enough to keep police officers, firefighters, military members and college athletes at their peak, but they can be individualized for people

who haven’t exercised at all for many years.

A past high school wrestler employed in law enforcement, for example, might be lifting more than 200 pounds. But that man could be working out next to a grandma who is doing fewer repetitions of the same movement with less than 10 pounds.

The activities constantly change, which prevents participants from getting bored and makes the routines more effective. > See CrossFit, Page 14

Balance / Winter 2019

LEFT: Hells Canyon Fitness is located at 1445 Fifth St. in Clarkston.

PETE CASTER PHOTOS/ FOR BALANCE

LEFT: Dr. Zachary Meyers, owner of Hells Canyon Fitness, poses for a portrait while doing a pullup. BELOW: John Fairley, 34, (left), Karma Broemeling, 46 (center) and Spencer Clegg, 20, all of Clarkston, work out at the early morning CrossFit class.

FAR LEFT: CrossFit class instructor Nate Hoffmann gives Clegg some extra encouragement while he finishes the last of his reps on the rowing machine.

NEAR LEFT: Kellie McCann-Smith, 27, of Clarkston, swings a pair of kettlebells during a morning CrossFit workout recently.

Balance / Winter 2019

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CrossFit from Page 12 “If you do the same thing all the time, its effectiveness will diminish,” Meyers said.

Reaching a broad section of the community was the goal that drove decisions about staffing and constructing the gym, which also provides help for athletes in team sports, personal training and a limited number of yoga classes.

The head coach and manager is Nate Hoffman.

Like Meyers, he is a former CHS football player. He has a master’s degree in applied sports science from Indiana University where he worked with the school’s elite runners, wrestlers, cheerleaders and baseball players during an internship.

In another internship with CrossFit’s lead kettlebell instructor in Seattle, Hoffman taught people after they left physical therapy, before they resumed their regular workouts.

The athletic club’s building was designed with an open feel so it would appeal to people even if they had never previously belonged to a gym.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the Snake River.

Garage doors can be

PETE CASTER/FOR BALANCE

The first light of morning begins to show as CrossFit class participants are seen taking a break in between workouts in the reflection of one of the large garage windows at Hells Canyon Fitness. opened and closed so Hells Canyon Fitness members can enjoy fresh air when it’s nice and stay warm or cool when it’s not.

“If you’re not here, nobody is getting any better,” Meyers said.

What looks like grass on the east side of the building is actually artificial turf, where soccer, softball and football players can wear their cleats during non-

CrossFit classes aimed at improving their sports skills. When clients wear the same shoes they do on the field, Meyers and Hoffman can better identify where to make changes.

“The closer we can mimic the on-field situation, the better we can train them as athletes,” Meyers said.

The help the gym offers that group and others, including those who just

want to have more energy for daily activities like grocery shopping, is fulfilling part of the dream Meyers had when he returned to his hometown to start his career.

“Growing up, I really wish there had been a facility like this,” he said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune. com or (208) 848-2261.

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Balance / Winter 2019

A twist on the triathlon Peddle, Sneakers, Paddle event proved to be a stellar way to mark my 50th birthday

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SOTIN — The sky gradually darkened and started to spit rain as I stood on my paddleboard in the Snake River about 6 miles south of Asotin.

A wave hit so forcefully it almost knocked me off. The eddies were so intense they practically turned my vessel in circles, and the wind kept pushing me toward the shore.

But I was happy, even though the weather had turned what should have been the easiest leg of the second annual Peddle, Sneakers and Paddle event into a struggle.

It was a rare Commentary close-to-home opportunity to check a box off my bucket list of completing an event that involved three of my favorite activities — running, bicycling and paddle boarding.

I was one of 13 people who participated in the event, organized by the Benner family, that was essentially an untimed, super informal mini-triathlon.

It started with a 14-mile bicycle ride from the Benner’s residence to Couse Creek and back along Snake River Road in Asotin County.

That was followed by a 3-mile run to a beach where we launched kayaks or paddleboards, going downstream to the Benners.

Teresa Benner was near the front of the pack. Her husband and son drove up and down Snake River Road, helping anyone who needed assistance.

Elaine Williams

Balance / Winter 2019

It took me about two hours and 40 minutes to complete, and I was only about five minutes behind the second-to-last finisher. That’s roughly the time it would have taken me to run a half marathon had I trained.

But it was much more fun, because it was more than one activity.

Afterward, the Benners hosted a covered-dish brunch, and we shared stories about the snake that crossed the road while we were bicycling and how brisk the wind was.

In keeping with the casual vibe of the event, Benner had encouraged participants to do as much or as little as they wished. I chose to do everything for a number of reasons.

A friend of mine signed up. She had been part of a three-day campout to celebrate my 40th, which also

involved bicycling and paddling, so there was a full-circle feel to it.

Something about attempting the event on a whim without having properly trained made me feel younger, which was really appealing given that I had just turned 50 years old three days earlier.

What’s more, I had been seeking a race like this ever since I saw one being promoted at Rathdrum, Idaho, where participants kayaked on the Twin Lakes.

But they are rare. The Rathdrum Adventure Race got canceled one year due to fire danger, and its organizers are just now considering bringing it back.

I hope they do, because it would be fun if the region had more events like Peddle, Sneakers and Paddle.

What I enjoy about a paddling triathlon is skipping the swim, which is my nemesis. I didn’t swim competitively in high school or college, and only swim laps when I’m preparing for triathlons.

The training is a must, because triathlon swims carry real risks, especially when they’re in open water. But getting my schedule to mesh with public pools is tough.

Substituting paddling for swimming solved those issues because I had been out paddling a lot this summer, usually once a week or more.

But as ready as I was to paddle, I had done next to no bicycling and very little running to prepare for this year’s event. Still, I finished and felt way less beat than I thought I would afterward.

Which makes me excited about next year. I am curious to see how well I will do if I have put in more miles bicycling and running.

Lucky for me, Benner plans a third Peddle, Sneakers and Paddle. Look for it the weekend after Labor Day. Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@ lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

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Fire Safety Tips from the Lewiston Fire Department  Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.  Have a 3-foot “kid-free, pet-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.  Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.  Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.  Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

Never leave a space heater unattended.  Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel-burning space heaters.  Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.

Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.  Every home should have adequate protection with smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, all with fresh batteries. If you smell smoke or suspect a fire, don’t hesitate to call 911.

The danger in space heaters Fire department offers tips for preventing fires in the home as winter approaches

By JOEL MILLS FOR BALANCE

The early onset of colder temperatures has the Lewiston Fire Department urging people to put safety first when

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they crank up the dial on their trusty space heater.

Chief Travis Myklebust said most space heater fires result when people simply place items like upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or

materials is full of bedding too close to a heating source. the carbon monoxide And the hazard can that kills many fire be especially acute victims. Myklebust in smaller, confined said those factors spaces like RVs. make the need for “A lot of times, working carbon it doesn’t take monoxide and much distance smoke alarms even Myklebust from an object,” more important.

Myklebust said. “So we’ve “If they have a working seen a couple of our last smoke alarm, they might fire fatalities, that’s been have an opportunity to the cause of them. And get out,” he said. “But on they were all in RVs.” all the fatalities, there RVs may also offer was not a working smoke fewer avenues for escape alarm in those RVs.” if a fire does break out, Home and RV owners and the smoke released by should check their alarms the burning of synthetic, hydrocarbon-based > See Heaters, Page 17

Balance / Winter 2019

Your washing machine could be full of bacteria

By NANCY CLANTON THE ATLANTA JOURNALCONSTITUTION

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ou fill it with soap and water about 300 times a year, so it must be clean. Right? A case out of Germany, published by the American Society for Microbiology, says no.

After babies in a German hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit were found to have multidrug-resistant pathogens on their skin, inspectors went to work to find out why.

The incubators and health care workers all tested negative, but Klebsiella oxytoca kept appearing on the babies. “Klebsiella oxytoca is emerging as an important bacterial isolate causing hospitalacquired infection in adults and having multiple drug resistance to commonly used antibiotics,” the National Institutes of Health wrote.

The source of the bacteria was finally traced to the detergent drawer and rubber seal of the energy-efficient washer in the hospital’s laundry room. After the washing machine

HEATERS

was removed, the contaminations stopped. They have not recurred.

The case report notes the domestic washing machine at the hospital was not part of the institutions main laundry room. It was near the nursery for mothers to wash their clothes, and nurses used it to wash the knitted hats and socks they put on the babies.

Energy-efficient washers are designed to clean in water that is cold or warm, saving the consumer money. The Department of Energy even recommends using cold

generally do inspections of residential detection systems, but Myklebust said from Page 16 it will send a member of its fire prevention staff to assist frequently and follow the manufacturer’s instructions vulnerable populations like the elderly and disabled on other maintenance, Myklebust said. They should with their systems.

He also recommended also swap out any alarms that home and RV owners that are more than 10 years keep consumer-grade fire old for new models. And extinguishers on hand, if an alarm is triggered and check them monthly by a nonfire event like a burned meal, people should with some firm shaking to ensure the fire-suppressing refrain from removing the batteries since so many often powder inside hasn’t settled or hardened. If forget to put them back. shaking and tapping The Lewiston Fire Department doesn’t doesn’t get the powder to

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water to do your laundry whenever possible.

But, as CNN reports, studies have found the temperature needed for effectively killing possibly pathogenic bacteria is 140 degrees F or higher, which is considered hot water.

As we’ve become more environmentally conscious, however, we’ve lowered the temperature of the water to save energy (and money).

In Europe, for example, colored laundry is usually washed at temperatures between 86 and 104 degrees. In China, South Korea and Japan, cold water is preferred.

“When you do your towels with a cold water wash it’s hard to get them really clean because they’re so thick,” Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona, told CNN. “You’ve got to use hot water wash and dry it really well.”

If you don’t, he said, “you’ll get more E-coli on your face when you dry it with a towel than if you stuck your head in a toilet and flushed.”

move, Myklebust said it should be replaced. New extinguishers are relatively cheap, running around $20 at hardware stores and online retail outlets.

Fire extinguishers in RVs don’t need to be shaken as often if they are frequently traveling over the humps and bumps of the open road. But those that sit over the winter can be checked during dewinterizing in the spring.

According to a National Fire Protection Association study shared by the city of Lewiston, heating equipment

is the second-leading cause of home fires and the thirdleading cause of home fire deaths. And more than half of those deaths came when heating equipment such as a space heater was too close to combustible materials.

Between 2011 and 2015, portable and stationary space heaters accounted for more than two of every five U.S. home heating fires and five out of six home heating fire deaths nationwide.

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2266.

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Men and belly fat: a bad combination No matter where it’s stored on your body, fat is an indicator that you’re out of shape and your health may be at risk

By ARMIN BROTT TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

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all it what you will: beer belly, love handles, gut, spare tire, or anything else.

Whatever the words, they’re all referring to the same thing: belly fat, which is one of the most common types of fat for men.

As you’ve no doubt noticed, as we gain weight, our thighs, legs, and arms usually don’t change much.

Instead, our fat tends to accumulate around the chest, neck, and stomach.

Women, on the other hand, tend to store their fat a little lower, around the butt and thighs.

Fat, no matter where it’s stored, is a pretty clear indicator that you’re out of shape, and it can negatively affect your self-esteem.

But that’s just the beginning. Unlike fat in other areas, having belly fat increases your risk of developing a number of serious health conditions — in particular, cardiovascular

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disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and colorectal cancer — any of which are perfectly capable of killing you.

IS ALL BELLY FAT THE SAME? In short, No. Belly fat comes in two very different varieties. First, there’s subcutaneous (which literally means “under the skin”) belly fat, which is found, well, just under the skin. Subcutaneous fat around your belly is no different than subcutaneous fat anywhere else on your body, whether it’s your butt, your arms, your legs, or your toes. It’s the fat that you can pinch between your fingers.

Aside from being unsightly and a clear indication that you need to lose weight, subcutaneous fat isn’t particularly dangerous.

The second kind of belly fat, visceral (which means “relating to the internal organs”) fat, is located deep inside your body and surrounds, as you might expect, many of your internal organs, including

Belly fat is one of the most common types of fat for men.

SERGEY FUSS/DREAMSTIME/TNS

your heart, intestines, liver, and lungs. Unfortunately, you can’t see visceral fat with your naked eye. But it’s a huge health threat because it pumps substances called cytokines into your bloodstream, where they cause inflammation and lead directly to the health risks mentioned above as well as high cholesterol, inflammation throughout the body, liver problems, and a lot more.

CAN EXERCISE HELP REDUCE BELLY FAT? Clearly, visceral belly fat is a serious threat to your health, and getting rid of it

isn’t going to be easy. That said, one of the best ways to combat visceral fat it is to get more exercise. Try for at least 30 minutes every day. But keep in mind that when it comes to fighting visceral fat, not all exercise is the same. Cardiovascular exercise (the kind that gets your heart rate up) is by far the most effective. If you haven’t exercised in a while, start off easy, with brisk walks. As your fitness level builds up, add in some running, biking, swimming, rowing, and so on. The more you do the better. > See Belly fat, Page 19

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Roll up your sleeve, it’s time for your flu shot MAYO CLINIC NEWS NETWORK

When is the best time to get your flu shot? Ideally, it’s before flu season becomes active in your community.

Flu activity across the U.S. is low, making it the perfect time to roll up your sleeve for your annual flu shot. “The general advice is get the vaccine as soon as you can,” says Dr. Gregory Poland, director of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group. “People often wait to see if it’s a bad flu year.

The problem is you don’t get to predict when you’re going to be exposed. And in today’s world, you’re around

Belly fat from Page 18 CAN DIET REDUCE BELLY FAT? In addition to physical activity, you need to change your diet, but not in the starve-yourself-for-a-shorttime-until-you-lose-weight way. The kind of diet we’re talking about is a for-therest-of-your-life, lifestyle thing. Shoot for a diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables, high in fiber, low in red meat, and filled with lots of whole grains.

Limit your fat intake, cutting out as much trans fats as you can. Get in the habit of reading food product labels.

It can be pretty scary.

It’s not all about the foods you eat, though. It’s also about how much you eat at

Balance / Winter 2019

hundreds to thousands of people every day.

Our recommendation is as soon as the vaccine is available, get immunized.”

It takes about two weeks for your body to build immunity after receiving the vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone be immunized against flu by the end of October.

“The recommendation in the U.S. is that everybody age 6 months and older every year get a flu vaccine,” says Dr. Poland.

While the flu vaccine is not 100 percent effective, one time. Most Americans actually eat double sized portions at every meal.

We’ve been conditioned to think that a meal should stuff us to the point of being overfull. Wrong. Control your portion size, eat slowly, stop when you’re not hungry anymore, and you’ll have a much better grasp over how many calories you’re taking in each day. Eat less at home, and if you’re out, spilt your plate with someone or take half of it home for the next day.

Brott is the author of “Blueprint for Men’s Health,” “Your Head: An Owner’s Manual,” and many other works on men’s health. Visit him at HealthyMenToday.com or send questions or comments to armin@healthymentoday.com

OLEG DUDKO/DREAMSTIME/TNS

Flu activity across the U.S. is low, making it the perfect time to roll up your sleeve for your annual flu shot. it saves thousands of lives and prevents illness and hospitalizations each year.

The CDC estimates that from Oct. 1, 2018, through May 4, there were 37.4 million to 42.9 million reported cases of flu-related illnesses and 36,400 to 61,200 deaths

attributed to the flu.

“Would you get in your car without putting a seat belt on or having air bags, even though those (safety devices) aren’t 100 percent? They are the best we have,” says Dr. Poland. “It’s the best way we know to protect ourselves.”

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Eating disorders can affect people of all ages eating disorder in older adults.

Older adults experience ear Mayo Clinic: many of the same body Is it common for image concerns as their someone in their younger counterparts.

50s to develop an One large study eating disorder? found that levels of body dissatisfaction A: Although eating remained constant in disorders are most women of all ages, while common in adolescents another study noted or young adults, they body dissatisfaction can affect people of all and “feeling fat” being ages — even into older reported even by women adulthood. Eating at a healthy weight. disorders are serious Societal pressures to conditions related be thin are linked to to persistent eating eating disorders in behaviors that affect older adults just as health, emotions and they are in adolescents functional ability in and younger adults. important areas of These feelings may be life. The three most compounded by factors common types of eating such as excessive life disorders are anorexia stress, menopause nervosa, bulimia nervosa concerns and fear and binge-eating over age-related disorder. Others include appearance changes. rumination disorder and One misconception ILDAR GALEEV/DREAMSTIME/TNS avoidant or restrictive is that an eating Older adults experience many of the same body image food intake disorder. disorder is simply concerns as their younger counterparts.

Anorexia nervosa a lifestyle choice. is characterized by an Research shows that intense fear of gaining eat a large amount of food at one these disorders result weight and a distorted perception of time (binge). Then, driven by from a complex interaction of genetic, weight or shape. People with anorexia shame, they try to rid themselves of biological, behavioral, psychological may excessively limit calories or use the extra calories in an unhealthy and social factors. In particular, other methods to lose weight, such way, such as vomiting. the brain circuitry alterations seen as excessive exercise, or the use of Binge-eating disorder is marked by in people who’ve undergone the laxatives or diet aids. These people impulsivity. People with binge-eating semistarvation found in many eating may reach an abnormally low body disorder regularly eat too much and disorders may complicate recovery weight. Or fear of weight gain may be feel a lack of control over their eating. and increase the likelihood of relapse. supplemented by shame over calorie But unlike those with anorexia or An eating disorder often is intake, which may be relieved by bulimia, they don’t try to compensate managed with a team approach, vomiting (purging) or using laxatives. for this behavior. Binge-eating disorder > See Disorders, Page 21 is believed to be the most prevalent With bulimia, people typically MAYO CLINIC NEWS NETWORK

D

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Balance / Winter 2019

Study: Shorter people more likely to develop diabetes liver fat content could play a role.

They said taller people typically have lower poor diet and lack of liver fat content, while exercise can lead to shorter people have diabetes. But your height higher levels of it, which could also be a factor, is a diabetes risk factor. according to a new report.

“Although increased Researchers from height was associated the German Institute with reduced risk of Type of Human Nutrition 2 diabetes,” the authors recently conducted a noted, “our data support study, published in the that tallness is unlikely Diabetologia journal, to to modulate risk directly, determine the association but rather liver fat and between height and other cardiometabolic Type 2 diabetes risk. risk factors are DREAMSTIME/TNS To do so, they evaluated important mediators.”

Researchers from the German Institute of Human Nutrition recently about 2,600 people in This isn’t the first conducted a study, published in the Diabetologia journal, to determine assessment to link height Germany ages 35 to the association between height and Type 2 diabetes risk. “Our findings with disease risk.

65 from the European Prospective Investigation suggest that short people might present with higher cardiometabolIn 2018, scientists into Cancer and Nutrition, ic risk factor levels and have higher diabetes risk compared with tall from the University of a study that explores the California Riverside people,” the authors said in the study. relationship between found taller people were inches for U.S. women. with higher cardiometabolic diet and cancer. at greater risk of a cancer After analyzing the risk factor levels and The team examined the diagnosis, because they results, they found every have higher diabetes risk subjects’ health, including had more cells in their 4-inch increase in height compared with tall people,” their body weight, body body that could mutate and was linked to a 41 percent the authors said in the study. lead to the illness. They height and sitting height. lower risk of diabetes for Although the scientists According to the Centers said a person’s chances men and a 33 percent do not fully understand for Disease Control and of developing the disease reduced risk for women.

Prevention, the average why there is a relationship boosted by 10 percent for height is 5 feet 9 inches “Our findings suggest that between height and diabetes every 4 inches they were for U.S. men and 5 feet 4 over average height. short people might present risk, they hypothesized

By NAJJA PARKER

THE ATLANTA JOURNALCONSTITUTION

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Disorders from Page 20 including input from health care providers, including mental health professionals and dietitians. While the treatment depends on the type of disorder, it often involves refeeding, nutritional education and counseling. A medication also may be recommended, particularly for those who have binge-eating disorder.

Cognitive behavioral therapy commonly is used to treat eating

Balance / Winter 2019

disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help those with an eating disorder learn how to monitor and improve their eating habits, develop problem-solving skills, and explore healthy ways to cope with feelings and life situations. Medications can’t cure an eating disorder, but some — such as the stimulant lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) — may help control urges to binge and purge, or manage excessive preoccupation with diet.

Most of this treatment can be done on an outpatient basis.

However, people with severe malnutrition due to anorexia — or

with serious health issues due to binge-eating disorder — may require hospitalization or admission into a specialized eating disorder program.

If you need help with diet-based behaviors or your feelings about your body, ask for help. By seeking treatment, you can avoid a number of serious health complications and ultimately prolong your life. Similarly, if a loved one appears to be showing signs of one of these issues, encourage him or her to talk to a health professional. By expressing concern and a desire to listen, you may open the door for him or her to accept help.

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Who says you can’t eat red meat?

Food advice questioned anew after researchers contradict cancer society and heart association guidelines

By CANDICE CHOI AP FOOD & HEALTH WRITER

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EW YORK — So is red meat good or bad for you? If the answer were only that simple.

A team of international researchers recently rattled the nutrition world by saying there isn’t enough evidence to tell people to cut back on red or processed meat, seemingly contradicting advice from prominent health experts and groups including the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association.

But the researchers didn’t say people should eat more meat, or that it’s healthy. No new studies were conducted, and they reported no new understanding of Willett meat’s effects on the body. Instead, the papers offer a new approach to giving advice about food and health — and a rebuke to how it’s often done.

The dispute lays bare problems with nutrition research long acknowledged in the scientific world: Nutrition studies are almost never conclusive, and

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AP FILE PHOTO/J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Steaks and other beef products are displayed for sale Jan. 18, 2010, at a grocery store in McLean, Va. Last month, a team of international researchers recently rattled the nutrition world by saying there isn’t enough evidence to tell people to cut back on red or processed meat, seemingly contradicting advice from prominent health experts and groups including the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association. But the researchers didn’t say people should eat more meat, or that it’s healthy. whatever supposed risk and benefits there are to any food are often oversimplified.

“People like bumper sticker guidance,” said Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of nutrition at Harvard who has led studies tying meat to bad health.

Now health experts are wrestling with how solid scientific findings should be before guidance is issued, how to address biases that might skew conclusions and whether the pleasure we get from

eating should be considered.

The scrutiny is likely to spill over to other dietary advice as obesity becomes an ever more critical public health concern, and people become increasingly frustrated with flip-flopping messages.

MEAT TWO WAYS The papers analyzed past studies on red and processed meat and generally corroborated the links to cancers, heart disease and other bad health outcomes. But they said the chance of any benefit from eating less of them appeared small or negligible.

For every 1,000 people, for instance, cutting back on red meat by three servings a week was linked to seven fewer deaths from cancer. For some other health measures, like strokes, the difference was smaller or nonexistent.

What’s more, the researchers said there’s little certainty meat was the reason for the differences.

Uncertainty is common in nutrition research. Many studies about food and health are based on links researchers make between people’s health and what they say they eat. But that doesn’t prove one causes the

Balance / Winter 2019

other. If a thin person loves cereal and eats it nearly every day, for instance, that doesn’t mean cereal is the reason they’re thin.

Health experts who defend advice to cut back meat say the researchers were applying an unreasonable standard — evaluating the strength of the meat studies with a method intended for medical studies, where a specific dose of drug can be tested under controlled conditions.

With nutrition, they say it’s impossible to conduct studies where people’s diets and lifestyles are controlled and monitored over long periods. They say the statistical signals they see in nutrition studies are meaningful, and that people should be given guidance on the best available data.

THE PERSON VS. THE POPULATION If it’s true that there would be seven fewer cancer deaths for every 1,000 people who cut back on red meat, then it is also true that 993 of those people would not see that benefit even if they ate fewer burgers.

For many public health experts, the potential for those seven fewer deaths is worth making a broad recommendation to limit meat. Across an entire population, the numbers could add up to many lives saved.

But the question is where to draw the line, and at what point the potential benefit is too small and uncertain to ask people to change their behavior.

The authors also argue the individual being asked to change their behavior should be considered. For

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those who regularly eat and enjoy meat, cutting back on it may seem drastic if all they are getting in return is small reduction in risk, if any at all.

“Recommendations should consider the values and preferences of people who actually bear the consequences,” said Bradley Johnston, lead author of the papers, who specializes in research methodologies.

TILTING THE EVIDENCE

defend their position.

The back-and-forth underscores the difficulty of ruling out the biases any researcher is likely to have, given the amount of industry money in nutrition research and the strong beliefs people often have about food.

Meat is an especially polarizing topic, given the animal welfare and environmental consequences that come with it.

That could further confuse people about who or what to believe, or they just focus on research that backs up what they want to believe.

Given the uncertainties of nutrition science, another long-running concern is the potential for findings to be LOST IN TRANSLATION skewed by personal beliefs Wherever researchers or financial incentives. stand on meat, there’s The latest papers were agreement that the nuances no exception, with critics of nutrition science often and supporters each get lost in translation. Foods pointing to factors that are often labeled as good or could have influenced bad, even when researchers the others’ position. try to be nuanced.

Critics noted Take red meat.

Johnston, the lead The advice to “limit” author, undermined it often doesn’t another dietary specify by how recommendation much, which could in the past. He lead people to think previously led a cutting back is study funded by the good regardless of food industry that the context. But in challenged guidelines Johnston poorer countries, red to limit added sugars, meat might help improve which serves the interests diets. In richer countries, of many food companies.

Willett said the benefits of That paper initially said cutting back would vary the authors independently depending on what replaces wrote the plan for the it, and that pizza might study. After emails obtained not be an improvement. by the Associated Press Still, Willett and others showed the industry group who criticized the recent sent “requested revisions,” papers say the many the paper was corrected Americans who eat red meat to say the group reviewed once a day or more could and approved the plan.

Johnston and supporters benefit from eating less.

There’s no consistent of the papers countered, recommendation for an saying critics have long advised people to limit meat acceptable amount. The American Cancer Society’s and could feel the need to

experts say “a few” servings a week or less. A study

by Willett, which also addressed the environmental impact of food, advised a limit of one serving a week.

Public health experts want to give people advice that’s easy to communicate. But most acknowledge that doing a better job of conveying nuances and uncertainties could help prevent mistrust and confusion.

SO WHAT SHOULD WE EAT? Already, the U.S. dietary guidelines have backpedaled on advice to limit total fat, which has been blamed for encouraging people to eat too much pasta and cookies.

In the years since, the guidelines have focused on the saturated fat found in foods like meat, butter and some packaged foods, saying it should be limited to 10 percent of calories.

As advice around specific foods changes, health experts have increasingly focused on the importance of overall diets. Some note focusing on single foods, which often have a complex mix of nutrients, can also distract from a simpler message: Don’t eat too much, since eating more calories than you burn makes you gain weight.

“If everyone would just pay attention to that one, we would solve a lot of problems,” said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and food policy at New York University.

This Associated Press series was produced in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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