Mixed methods evaluation of a low-carbohydrate high-fat nutrition education program for women from underserved communities in South Africa.

South Africa faces a dual burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and communicable diseases, exacerbated by the high consumption of processed foods. The Eat Better South Africa (EBSA) program implements community-based low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) interventions to address these issues. This study evaluated the impact of EBSA's 6-week program on the metabolic health and well-being of 32 women from underserved communities.

Sourdough Bread with Different Fermentation Times: A Randomized Clinical Trial in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome.

The Mediterranean diet, featuring sourdough bread, shows promise in managing metabolic syndrome. This study explored the effects of two sourdough breads, with differing fermentation times but similar nutritional profiles, on inflammation, satiety, and gut microbiota composition in adults with metabolic syndrome. In a double-blind clinical trial, participants were randomized to consume either Elias Boulanger long-fermentation (48 h) sourdough bread (EBLong) or Elias Boulanger short-fermentation (2 h) sourdough bread (EBShort) over a two-month period.

Screen Time Use and Ultra-Processed Food Consumption in Adolescents: A Focus Group Qualitative Study.

Background: Sedentary lifestyles and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption contribute to a high prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Screen time may be associated with higher UPF consumption and affect eating behaviors substantially.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore adolescents' perceptions, attitudes, and motivations concerning the consumption of UPF when using screens; investigate their perceived educational needs regarding nutrition; and explore their knowledge about UPF.

Family meals and food insecurity in Spanish adolescents.

The world is not on track to achieve the goal of food security for the global population by 2030. New approaches to understand individuals' food insecurity are needed, especially insecurity related to children and adolescents, since it is associated with health and psychosocial problems. The study aimed to characterise the family dinners among a representative cohort of schooled adolescents (n = 1017) and their parents (n = 261) in Terrassa (Catalonia, Spain) and how family dinners could be related to household food insecurity.

Barriers to home food preparation and healthy eating among university students in Catalonia.

Despite college being a critical life stage for developing enduring healthy dietary behaviours, Spanish university students show poor adherence to a healthy diet. Since research has shown an association between home cooking and healthy eating, the aim of this study was to analyse the main barriers that influence home food preparation and healthy eating among students at three Catalan universities. Focus groups, the photovoice technique and a validated questionnaire were used.

Active travel and paratransit use in African cities: Mixed-method systematic review and meta-ethnography.

Active travel, as a key form of physical activity, can help offset noncommunicable diseases as rapidly urbanising countries undergo epidemiological transition. In Africa a human mobility transition is underway as cities sprawl and motorization rises and preserving active travel modes (walking, cycling and public transport) is important for public health. Across the continent, public transport is dominated by paratransit, privately owned informal modes serving the general public.

Community Assessment for a Low-Carbohydrate Nutrition Education Program in South Africa.

Eat Better South Africa (EBSA) is an organization that provides low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) nutrition and health education programs for women from under-resourced South African communities. Community assessments are essential to explore participants' potential facilitators and challenges of adhering to new dietary behaviours and should be implemented before any dietary interventions. This study is a qualitative community assessment to enable the EBSA program to better meet potential participants' needs and explore their willingness to enrol in the EBSA program.

Moving forward the Effects of Gene-Diet Interactions on Human Health.

Back in 2010, when we first published data on the in vivo nutrigenomic effects of virgin olive oil polyphenols within the frame of the Mediterranean diet [...

Spanish validation of the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS-M) for adolescents.

Purpose: Weight Bias Internalization (WBI) is pervasive and potentially damaging for health. Little is known about WBI in youth. As negative effects of WBI have been observed when controlling for BMI, measures that allow WBI to be assessed across different weight categories are needed.

Socioeconomic and gendered inequities in travel behaviour in Africa: Mixed-method systematic review and meta-ethnography.

Travel has individual, societal and planetary health implications. We explored socioeconomic and gendered differences in travel behaviour in Africa, to develop an understanding of travel-related inequity. We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42019124802).

Which diet has the lower water footprint in Mediterranean countries?

The Mediterranean region is increasingly water scarce, with the food system being the largest driver of water use. We calculate the water resources related to food consumption in nine major Mediterranean countries, by means of the water footprint (WF), for the existing situation (period 2011-2013) as well as the Mediterranean and EAT-Lancet diets. We account for different food intake requirements according to gender and six age groups.

Family Meals, Conviviality, and the Mediterranean Diet among Families with Adolescents.

Two aspects that characterize the Mediterranean diet (MD) are "what" and "how" we eat. Conviviality relates to "how" we eat and to the pleasure of sharing meals with significant people. The most studied concept is "family meals", which includes conviviality, which involves "enjoying" family meals.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks and colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer.

Aims: To study whether the consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks is associated with breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.

Methods: Multicentric population-based case-control study (MCC-Spain) conducted in 12 Spanish provinces. Participants were men and women between 20 and 85 years of age with diagnoses of colorectal (n = 1852), breast (n = 1486), or prostate cancer (n = 953), and population-based controls (n = 3543) frequency-matched by age, sex, and region.

Updating the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid towards Sustainability: Focus on Environmental Concerns.

Background: Nowadays the food production, supply and consumption chain represent a major cause of ecological pressure on the natural environment, and diet links worldwide human health with environmental sustainability. Food policy, dietary guidelines and food security strategies need to evolve from the limited historical approach, mainly focused on nutrients and health, to a new one considering the environmental, socio-economic and cultural impact-and thus the sustainability-of diets.

Objective: To present an updated version of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (MDP) to reflect multiple environmental concerns.

Exploring the Perceptions of Women from Under-Resourced South African Communities about Participating in a Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Nutrition and Health Education Program: A Qualitative Focus Group Study.

Scientific evidence suggests that low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) diets may be effective for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Eat Better South Africa (EBSA) is an organization that runs LCHF nutrition education programs for women from low-income communities. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with 18 women who had taken part in an EBSA program between 2015 and 2017, to explore their perceptions and to identify the facilitators and barriers they faced in implementing and sustaining dietary changes.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Bone Fracture Risk in Middle-Aged Women: A Case Control Study.

The prevention of bone mass loss and related complications associated with osteoporosis is a significant public health issue. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is favorably associated with bone health, a potentially modifiable risk factor. The objective of this research was to determine MD adherence in a sample of women with and without osteoporosis.

Mediterranean Diet and Cardiodiabesity: A Systematic Review through Evidence-Based Answers to Key Clinical Questions.

The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) has been promoted as a means of preventing and treating cardiodiabesity. The aim of this study was to answer a number of key clinical questions (CQs) about the role of the MedDiet in cardiodiabesity in order to provide a framework for the development of clinical practice guidelines. A systematic review was conducted to answer five CQs formulated using the Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) criteria.