Health & Green Life

Researchers at Iowa State University are trying to increase hens’ welfare and health through virtual reality (VR).

In recent years, VR technology has found its way into every part of life. From video games to job training, VR attempts to give users an experience as close to reality as possible. Though to many, this advancement in technology may sound dystopian, researchers across the country are finding ways it can improve our daily lives.

Melha Mellata, associate professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University, and Graham Redweik, a recent doctoral student in the Interdepartmental Microbiology Graduate Program at Iowa State, are seeing if VR can be used in yet another unconventional way, this time for the birds.

The Iowa State researchers recognized that the increasing demand for cage-free eggs arises from the goal to provide hens with better welfare, particularly in terms of natural behavior. But

The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW) is back at the Kentucky State Fair this year to inspect food vendors to ensure safety for attendees, and to staff a quiet, clean area for families to safely feed their babies and care for their needs. LMPHW is also reminding fairgoers to know their risk and take precautions as Jefferson County remains in the COVID-19 community red-alert level.

“Unfortunately, the transmission of COVID-19 is still high in our area. While we want you to enjoy the State Fair, we encourage you to do so safely,” said Dr. Jeffrey Howard, interim director of LMPHW. “You can protect yourself and others by wearing a well-fitting mask while visiting indoor exhibits, staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines and staying home if you are sick.”

If you are at high risk for severe illness and planning to attend the Kentucky State Fair

MADISON, Wis. — We know that inadequate access to healthy foods can lead to hunger but experiencing food insecurity can lead to real medical issues for children.

SSM Health family physician Dr. Roopa Shah says that while it may seem contradictory, chronic food insecurity can lead to our kids being overweight.

“So it may actually seem counterintuitive,” says Shah, “but being phased with food insecurity can actually lead to obesity. Over time, having obesity can lead to chronic health problems like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, but in kids, this can even lead to issues such as anemia, stunted growth, and asthma.”

While those issues could be longer-term, the immediate problems from chronic hunger include headaches, trouble focusing, tiredness, and irritability. This can be difficult for kids to manage and often interferes with learning.

Dr. Shah says that while

Nearly half of respondents indicated they would walk or bike to work, school and shopping if there were bike paths and sidewalks.

(SAVANNAH, GA) Savannahians want more community-based solutions that promote healthy food and physical activity where they live, work and play. The findings of a year-long survey conducted by Healthy Savannah were revealed at its CDC Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Stakeholders’ Meeting on August 19. About 40 stakeholders were in attendance, representing Savannah and Chatham County organizations committed to elevating the health and wellness of the community. The event was held at the Vaden Automotive corporate office building at 12020 Abercorn in Savannah.

“It’s amazing to have our partners together and focus on an issue that’s so important to our community,” said Lillian Grant-Baptiste, chair of Healthy Savannah. “To look at health equity is an amazing need and amazing call to all of us

As part of its effort to adhere to Food as Medicine principles, Spectrum Health is focusing on providing plant forward menus to guests and patients. Its new patient menu coming in 2023 will increase the number of items available for the most restricted patient population by focusing on using fresh ingredients minimally processed much as possible. To promote healthy healing, the program will eliminate the use of fryers, as well as highly processed meats and cheeses, from patient menus, which will be plant forward by design, allowing patients to add small amounts of proteins. This increases nutrient density of the menu being served to patients by following the Mediterranean diet. There will also be a focus on the quality of the proteins being served, requiring them to be certified non-GMO and all natural.

In addition, Spectrum Health has added 24-hour unmanned automated micro-marts throughout its system and hybrid automated checkout

Old habits die hard. At the same time, building new habits is also a difficult path. Increased consumption of processed food, rapid urbanization, and changing lifestyles have caused a shift in dietary patterns over the past few years. In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy diet is often easier said than done. For starters, trying to sieve through the array of healthy diets to figure out which one is appropriate for one’s system can be a challenge. Even after detecting an eating pattern, maintaining that healthy food schedule throughout the day has its fair share of difficulties. The good news is that sticking to healthy eating is possible and it does not even mean that one has to give up on their favorite foods.

Also Read: Healthy Diet: Expert Suggests Dos and Don’ts To Make Healthy Eating Easier

Photo Credit: Pixabay

There are many ways to adopt and manage a

Jackline Cherono walks in from tending to her acre of tea in Ainamoi, a settlement in Kenya’s Kericho County where she works as a lead farmer. The lettering, “Toror Tea Factory” embroidered on her iridescent yellow jumpsuit pops out against the vibrant greens of dense Camellia sinensis leaves.

Jackline’s confident, wise and upbeat personality disguises the burden of grief that she has carried since the loss of her father to leukemia and her mother to high blood pressure just a few years ago. The death of both of her parents to non-communicable diseases was life-changing, giving Jackline no choice but to prematurely conclude her studies at Jomo Kenyatta University, where she had been studying public health. She had financial obligations at home.

“My siblings need me,” she says, wiping away tears.

Jackline is among many people in