JANUARY 16, 2019
8
A NEW
A NEW
YEAR YOU
Fasting - good or bad?
In my last column we discussed some confusion about a “keto” diet and whether it should be considered dangerous. Well, what about “fasting?” Should people be doing that or not? Apparently some have been told that diabetics shouldn’t “fast.” Fasting is not this odd thing that people never do. For one thing, the minute you go to sleep at night and stop eating, you are “fasting.” Anyone who has ever had a standard blood test was instructed to fast over night. And any period of time during the day which allows your stomach to empty automatically shifts you into a fasting state, until you eat again. And since all the above happens with diabetics, apparently fasting can’t possibly be all that bad. The bottom line is this. The amount of food being eaten during a day is supposed to provide protein (ideally meat/eggs), good fat (usually associated with the meat/eggs), and plant foods (associated with vitamins and mineral, etc). Whether that food arrives in one, two, or three meals doesn’t matter. What makes diabetics different is that they struggle with keeping their blood sugar under control, usually associated with lots of processed foods made from grain (starch) and sugar. That diet ultimately results in four things. First, hunger will abound so the desire to eat again will be great. Think snacks. That doesn’t mean you need the food, you just want the food. The more you eat, the more calories you will consume, the higher blood sugar will go, and the more body fat you will build. A by-product of all that is vitamin/mineral deficiency. So advice to diabetics (and all the rest of us). Get more protein in your diet. Protein takes the longest to digest, warding off hunger and requiring less food. Augment the protein with vegetables. Eat only when you are hungry. We can clear up a lot of trouble if we follow those simple rules. And by the way, we will be fasting between those meals. Pat Smith is the author of "It's All about the Food," a book that guides nutritious food
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choices as the way to avoid illness and maintain a healthy weight. All proceeds from her book benefit the Montgomery County Food Pantry. Her website is http://allaboutthefood. org/. Telephone number 870-490-1836, email patsmith2@live.com
Arkansans remove nearly 7 million pounds of litter, bulky waste, tires in 2018 In 2018, Keep Arkansas Beautiful (KAB) volunteers improved the livability of their communities in 71 counties through the removal of nearly 7 million pounds of litter, bulky waste and tires from parks, roadsides and waterways during two statewide cleanups. Last year, KAB promoted Keep America Beautiful’s annual spring campaign, the Great American Cleanup (GAmC). During the fall, KAB launched its annual Great Arkansas Cleanup (GAC) encouraging individuals to organize a cleanup or become a Litter Grabber. The 2018 events attracted more than 13,270 volunteers who participated in 330 local cleanups statewide. “The removal of litter in 2018 positively impacts our state’s tourism and economy as visitors to The Natural State expect to see beautiful, litter free rivers, parks and communities,” said Liz Philpott, volunteer program manager at KAB. “It is part of our mission to continue to raise awareness that littering is illegal. Our volunteers help do that through their participation in local cleanups.” Volunteers in both cleanup efforts removed 216,343 pounds of litter and more than 6.4 million pounds of bulky waste from 1,696 miles of roadside and 1,077 miles of waterway and shoreline. They also planted nearly 2,100 trees, shrubs and flowers, and more than 400,000 pounds of electron-
ics were collected for recycling. Litter was collected from an additional 194 miles of waterway and an additional 6,350 miles of public parks and trails than in 2017. “The removal of nearly 7 million pounds of litter and bulky waste is only made possible from the thousands of volunteers who are dedicated to keeping Arkansas litter free,” Philpott said. “We are so grateful for those who contribute their time and effort to help clean up their communities and keep Arkansas beautiful.” About Keep Arkansas Beautiful The Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission (KAB), consisting of a professional staff and a nine-member advisory board appointed by the governor, is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. As a certified state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc., KAB inspires and educates individuals to reduce litter, recycle and keep Arkansas beautiful. KAB is funded through its 1 percent portion of the eighth-cent Conservation Tax and, by mobilizing volunteers, returns to the state a cost benefit of more than $6 in community service for each program dollar spent. For more information, visit KeepArkansasBeautiful.com or stay in the know by following Keep Arkansas Beautiful on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and texting VOLUNTEER to 484848.
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