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Can you live on a liquid diet alone?

Question: Can we live on liquids alone and is it a good idea? Answer: The answer to the first part of your question is yes, we can live on liquids alone. In fact, many people do. Due to a variety of medical conditions, some people are limited to liquid nutrition, which is administered using a tube.

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ROC

Question: Can we live on liquids alone and is it a good idea?

— L.M., Rochester

Answer: The answer to the first part of your question is yes, we can live on liquids alone. In fact, many people do. Due to a variety of medical conditions, some people are limited to liquid nutrition, which is administered using a tube. Others choose to live on liquid nutrition in hopes of achieving some positive health outcome. Another group may take an even more extreme approach. For example, you may be familiar with the group of young men who came up with a liquid food replacement, Soylent, to help save on grocery money and simplify their lives. Soylent is a blend of 35 nutrients that are essential to life. They consume and promote it with the idea that you will not need to eat any other foods. The second part of your question is up for debate, but I would say, no — it is not a good idea unless you have no other choice. For most people, eating food awakens many of our senses. Enjoying a meal can be a source of nostalgia and fond memories, and it also promotes socialization and connectivity with other humans. It enhances our quality of life. In addition, drinking our nutrients does not appear to satisfy our brains the same way as when we sink our teeth into food. Chewing on and digesting whole foods improves the hormone response that promotes a feeling of satiety or fullness. Often, extra fluids simply end up as extra calories on top of food eaten, leading to weight gain. Nutrient drinks also often lack phytochemicals and antioxidants; even though they are not essential to life, they are proven to promote health and wellness. Some manufacturers have tried to fortify drinks with these nutrients, but evidence shows that the health benefits are far more significant when the nutrients are consumed in their natural forms from whole foods. If you do want to include some form of liquid nutrition as part of your daily intake, choose wisely. Look for options that are high in fiber, a good source of protein and lower in sugar.

Better yet, make your own. Try the following combination:

½ cup frozen blueberries

½ cup frozen strawberries

½ banana

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

1 handful spinach

1 cup almond milk

2 tablespoons unsweetened protein powder

Blend all ingredients until smooth and enjoy!

Tami Best is a registered dietitian and Healthy Worksites coordinator for Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency.

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Can fasting cause diabetes?

“This is the first study to show that, despite weight loss, intermittent fasting diets may actually damage the pancreas and affect insulin function in normal healthy individuals, which could lead to diabetes and serious health issues.”

New research suggests that intermittent fasting may raise insulin levels, damage pancreatic cells, and increase the amount of abdominal fat. The so-called intermittent fasting diet has been gaining more and more traction among people who want to lose weight quickly. This popular diet consists of “fast” days, where one drastically restricts their calorie intake — to a quarter of the daily dose or less, for instance — and “feast” days, where the person dieting can eat whatever they please. Sometimes referred to as a dieting “ fad ,” intermittent fasting has become popular in recent years, due to its suggested benefits of increasing lifespan and staving off cancer. Indeed, some animal studies have indicated that intermittent fasting may lower the risk of cancer, while observational studies have shown that people whose religion has them fasting regularly live longer than seniors who do not fast. But could there also be downsides to intermittent fasting? Research presented at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting — which took place in Barcelona, Spain — suggests that the dieting practice may have serious consequences for a person’s metabolism. Specifically, the new study — led by Ana Cláudia Munhoz Bonassa, a researcher at the University of São Paulo in Brazil — suggests that intermittent fasting may impair the normal activity of the pancreas and the production of insulin, which may, in turn, raise the risk of type 2 diabetes.

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