Category Archives: Diet And Food

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Fact: Jennifer Aniston has looked jaw-droppingly fit and healthy for decades. But, TBH, shes really hit her stride these days. At 50, Jen has ridiculous abs, glowy skin, and legs even Rachel Green would die for. But while Jen works hard, she also seems to be pretty chill about her approach to health. Here are the health and wellness habits she swears by to capture that truly JA vibe.

1 Get into planking

To challenge her, Jennifers trainer Leyon Azubuike told Womens Health that he has Jen do plank flow, where she starts in a standard plank, then moves to a side plank, then moves to plank with shoulder taps, and so forth.

2Don't take your fitness too seriously

"I went from being a crazy workout girl to sort of saying, 'My body wants a little bit of a break,'" Jen told Women's Health. "So I kind of stay with more simple stuff and taking walks and not being neurotic about working out and eating right. I started to enjoy life a little bit more. The only downside to that is theres that couple extra pounds and about 4,000 pregnancy rumors, but you know, other than that, it feels great."

3Stretch your core

"We do a lot of things that stretch the core, so well do things where shes hanging on a pullup bar, then she pulls her knees up and brings them back down, Azubuike told Womens Health.

4Think outside the sit-ups

Jennifer loves doing V-ups and using an ab wheel, Azubuike told Womens Health. "Well use a sit-up to shock the body occasionally, but its not a major part of our core regimen, he said.

5Don't rush your workouts if you have the time

Jen doesnt pop in and out of the gymshe spends up to an hour and a half working out during each exercise session, Azubuike told Womens Health.

6Be flexible with your workouts

Everybody has someplace they need to be, and Jennifer is no exception. Azubuike told Womens Health that he uses a training technique called "periodization" with Jen, which adjusts things based on her schedule. "Depending on where we are in that cycle dictates the duration and intensity of Jens workout," he says.

"If I know Jen isnt filming anything, its a different phase than if I know she has something coming up tomorrow. If shes going to be walking up to receive an award, Im not going to destroy her legs in the gym the day before."

7Read up on intermittent fasting

"I do intermittent fasting, so no food in the morning," Jennifer told UK outlet Radio Times. "I noticed a big difference in going without solid food for 16 hours."

8Find time to sweat, no excuses

Sometimes Jen will work out in the middle of the night when shes shooting. "She has to respond when I say go," Azubuike told Womens Health. "If she has a shoot at 3 a.m. and we need to work out before that, lets go...we respect each other in that regard, so its a constant back and forth with mutual respect and understanding."

9Find your beast mode once in a while

Azubuike made it clear to Womens Health that he doesnt go easy on his famous client. She definitely should be commended, because when I get into go-mode, Im in go-mode, he said.

10Eat nutrient-rich foods

Azubuike told Women's Health that hes big on his clients (including Jennifer) eating nutrient-rich foods, like mix of healthy carbs, protein, leafy greens, and bright, colorful veggies.

11Get. Some. Sleep.

You wont find Jen up at the crack of dawn. She told Radio Times that she usually wakes up at 9 a.m.

12Try resistance bands

They factor big-time into Jens workouts. "We box, we jump rope, we do strength training, we do a lot of work with resistance bandswere big on resistance bands," Azubuike told Womens Health.

13Mix up your workouts

Azubuike told Womens Health that hes constantly rotating Jens workouts. Its always hard, shes consistently being challengedIm a big fan of switching things up, so the body reacts in a positive way and changes, he said.

14Try boxing

"Its the longest workout Ive actually stayed with consistently other than yoga," Jen told InStyle. Theres something about the mental aspect of boxingthe drills, your brain has to work, youre not just sitting on a bike. Its amazing.

15Don't be bullied into weight loss

According to the book, Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of Friends, author Saul Austerlitz said that Jen faced a lot of pressure over her weight and looks during her time on the show. She had to lose thirty pounds if she wanted to stay in Hollywood, he wrote.

Jen previously addressed this in the 90s. "The disgusting thing of HollywoodI wasn't getting lots of jobs 'cause I was too heavy," she told Rolling Stone in 1996, as reported by Harper's Bazaar UK. "I was like, 'What?!'"

16Make exercise a consistent habit

Making exercise a regular part of your day is clutch. Jennifer told Radio Times that she tries to do five workouts a week.

17Keep pushing through challenging exercises

Jennifer didnt love using a jump rope when Azubuike first tried her out on it because she thought it was challenging, her trainer told Womens Health. But she kept at it. "I just made her keep on doing it, and now shes great at it, he said.

18Have compassion for past relationships

Hating on exes never helped anyones mental health. Jen is friendly with both of her ex-husbands. Justin Theroux regularly slides into her Instagram comments and was even spotted at her Friendsgiving dinner this year. Ex-husband Brad Pitt was also spotted at Jens 50th birthday party, per People.

19Own your morning

When Jen wakes up, she takes a mindful approach to her day. She told Radio Times that she has a celery juice and meditates before jumping into a workout.

20Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Jennifer has inspired her own yoga instructor, Mandy Ingber, to stay well-hydrated. Jen is definitely somebody that has encouraged me to hydrate," Ingber told ABC News. "She is a hydrator from way back in the day."

21Set aside time to pamper yourself

Jen told Australia's Now to Love that she makes time to pamper herself one day a week. "Sunday is my spa day. I usually do a little mini facial time where I just give myself a good scrub, use a mask, and then the new Aveeno hydrating facial," she said. "I leave it on overnight and when I wake up I have that dewy, glowing, twinkling skin."

22Watch your water intake before a workout

It wont end well for you. If you pound water right before your workout, youll just feel heavy and full and sluggish the entire time, Azubuike told Womens Health.

23Get a little sunbut wear sunscreen

Jennifer is all about hanging out outside, but she wears sunscreen. I still sit in the sun...you need that vitamin D for a glow and your mood, Jennifer told Vogue.

24Find a puppy love

Jennifer's adorable dog Clyde is her BFFshe even takes him to work sometimes.

25Dont let yourself get thirsty

"The common misconception about hydration is that you should wait until youre thirsty, and then drink until youre full," Azubuike told Womens Health. Instead, he said, you shouldnt even let yourself get to that point.

Being hydrated all day is important for your energy, and in turn, your workouts. Just be careful about chugging RIGHT before.

26Eat healthy fats

As far as food goes, Azubuike told Womens Health that he encourages Jennifer to reach for healthy fats. "I love avocados, coconut oil, salmon, fish oilanything thats a good form of fat is great," he said.

27Experiment with pre-workout snacks

Something like peanut butter and banana can be a good pre-workout snack, Azubuike told Womens Health, but its not for everyone. "It takes trial and error to see what works best," he said.

28Keep a fitness journal

Azubuike recommends this. "Write down how certain foods you ate make you feel during a workout," he told Womens Health. "And also journal what days you mentally werent checked in as well, and why, in case that made an impact. Maybe its because you didnt sleep well, it was rainy outside, etc."

29Pencil in recovery days

Jennifer told People that she usually takes off on Sundays to give herself a little time to recover from all the badassery she drops at the gym the rest of the week.

30Bring a good attitude to every workout

Hey, Jen does. Shes very diligent. She is ready to work out hard, every single time she hits the gym, Azubuike told People. Whether it be a 45-minute session, whether it be a two-hour session, shes always ready to go.

31Be consistent

Azubuike told People that Jen is incredibly consistent and hardworking, and that makes my job a little bit easier. Shes a very good, natural athlete.

32Mix up your yoga

Jen told People that shes big into taking a spin-yoga class several times a week, which is 25 to 30 minutes of spinning and then 30 to 40 minutes of yoga.

33Learn to crave exercise

Of course I [get bored], Jen told People. Its when I take breaks and then I get back into it, thats when its hard. But once Im back into it, I love it and I crave it.

34Switch up your cardio

I usually do a trifecta of cardio, Jen told People. Fifteen minutes on the bike, 15 on the treadmill running and then 15 on the elliptical. You have to shake it up, you know, muscle confusion.

35Work out even when you dont feel like it

Jen has learned a little trick that works for her. Bite the bullet. Just bite the bullet and do it, she told People. Think of a wonderful pasta or Mexican meal that you want to have on the weekend and dangle that in front of you like a little carrot.

36Do body weight exercises

Jennifer told People that shes big on using her own body weight for workouts. Or, if shes at the gym, shell add a little weight. Grab little five-pound weights if you have nothing else, and just move them around, she said.

37Have a go-to smoothie

Jennifer is big into a fruit-filled smoothie made with bananas, cherries, blackberries, a greens powder, a collagen peptide, a little cacao powder, chocolate stevia drops, and chocolate almond milk, she told People. You can see I like chocolate-flavored. I don't like protein taste."

38Lean into that endorphins high

You know what, there are days I go I cant and I dont want to, and I think you just have to listen to your body, Jen told Womens Healthand she'll take those days as rest days.

And then there are times when you go, 'Really? Do you really not want to?' And then if you just say, OK, Im going to get on some machine for 10 minutes, you just start to get the endorphins going. Then you feel great, and you just keep going. So sometimes you can actually override the I dont want to work out.

39Freeze some fruit for a snack

Jennifer told Womens Health that she loves to nosh on frozen grapes. I like the red onestheyre really easy and delicious, she said. They give you that frozen crunch. I was at a spa one time, and they gave me a little cup of frozen grapes after my mud bath soak or whatever. It was sort of like, This is genius.

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40 Jennifer Aniston-Approved Diet And Fitness Habits You Should Try - Women's Health

Restricted diets are more likely to feel lonely when they can't share in what others are eating, researchers have found.

A recent study reveals that people with restricted diets are more likely to feel lonely

Holiday celebrations often revolve around eating, but people with restricted diets are more likely to feel lonely when they can't share in what others are eating, researchers have found.

Across seven studies and controlled experiments, the findings, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found that food restrictions predicted loneliness among both children and adults.

"Despite being physically present with others, having a food restriction leaves people feeling left out because they are not able to take part in bonding over the meal," said study lead author Kaitlin Woolley," Assistant Professor at Cornell University in the US.

For example, in one experiment, assigning unrestricted individuals to experience a food restriction increased reported feelings of loneliness. That suggests such feelings are not driven by non-food issues or limited to picky eaters.

"We can strip that away and show that assigning someone to a restriction or not can have implications for their feeling of inclusion in the group meal," she said.

According to the researchers, further evidence came from a survey of observers of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

When reminded during the holiday of the leavened foods they couldn't enjoy with others, participants' loneliness increased.

Further evidence came from a survey of observers of the Jewish holiday of Passover. When reminded during the holiday of the leavened foods they couldn't enjoy with others, participants' loneliness increased.

Yet, within their own similarly restricted group, they felt a stronger bond. But when restricted from sharing in the meal, people suffer "food worries," said the researcher.

They fret about what they can eat and how others might judge them for not fitting in.

Those worries generated a degree of loneliness comparable to that reported by unmarried or low-income adults, and stronger than that experienced by school children who were not native English speakers, according to the research.

Compared with non-restricted individuals, having a restriction increased reported loneliness by 19 per cent. People felt lonelier regardless of how severe their restriction was, or whether their restriction was imposed or voluntary.

To date, Woolley said, children have been the primary focus of research on the effects of food restrictions.

A nationally representative survey she analysed from the Centers for Disease Control did not track the issue among adults.

But increasingly, Woolley said, food restrictions are being carried into adulthood, or adults are choosing restricted diets such as gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan for health or ethical reasons.

"Up to 30 per cent of all participants in the research deal with restrictions, Woolley said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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People With Restricted Diets More Likely To Feel Lonely - Doctor NDTV

The holidays are a particularly challenging time for people with dietary restrictions. Whether they are with family, friends or coworkers, festive gatherings around food can be stress-inducing for those who have limitations to what they can eat. We can all play a role of arming ourselves with information about dietary restrictions in order to be supportive and caring.

Dietary restrictions go beyond typical concerns for healthy eating or even weight loss and affect those where the restriction is more by necessity, not choice. Common dietary restrictions include food allergies and intolerances, vegetarian and vegan diets, and medical concerns that require special diets. Even if you dont have a dietary restriction, you likely have a friend or family member who is affected.

Here are some of the most common dietary concerns.

Food Allergies

About 32 million Americans have food allergies and although over 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reaction, there are eight allergens that are most common. These top allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, soy and wheat. Severity of allergic reactions can vary from headaches, rash, diarrhea and vomiting to more severe reactions like swelling of the airway and anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. The only treatment for food allergies is complete avoidance of the allergen.

Food Intolerance

Different from a food allergy, food intolerance is a digestive system response rather than an immune system response to a food. It occurs when a person is unable to properly digest or break down food. For example, intolerance to lactose, which is a sugar in milk and other dairy products, is the most common food intolerance. Food intolerance affects the digestive tract and may include nausea, stomach pain, gas, cramps, diarrhea and bloating.

Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity

People who have Celiac disease are unable to eat any foods that contain gluten. Common gluten-containing foods include wheat, barley, rye and bulgur and foods that contain ingredients derived from these grains. While those who are sensitive to gluten, but do not have Celiac disease may be able to tolerate small amounts of gluten, individuals with Celiac disease have to strictly limit even the possibility of cross-contamination of their food with gluten.

Vegetarian and Vegan Diets

While vegetarians avoid meat, chicken and usually seafood, some vegetarians consume eggs or dairy products. However, vegans do not consume any animal products. For those who avoid meat and other animal products, it is often a long-term lifestyle choice informed by beliefs around animal rights, environmental concerns, health concerns or religious and spiritual beliefs.

While vegans and vegetarians can plan meals at home that are nutritionally balanced, containing all the nutrients that they need, social gatherings that do not take into account the needs of vegetarians can be harder to navigate. People who do not eat meat benefit from having a plant-based protein option, typically made from beans, tofu, nuts and seeds along with other vegetables.

Low-Sodium Diets

While the typical American diet includes about 3,400 mg of sodium daily, most people should be taking in closer to 2,300 mg of sodium daily. People on a low-sodium diet should further reduce their salt intake to about 1,500 mg per day. Low-sodium diets are prescribed to those with high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease and heart problems among other health issues.

These are some steps you can take during the holidays to help support your loved ones with dietary restrictions:

1. Ask guests ahead of time if they have any dietary restrictions so you understand how you may accommodate their unique needs.

2. At buffet-style meals, label foods that contain allergens, animal products or gluten.

3. Dont downplay the seriousness of another persons dietary restriction.

4. Read food labels and ingredient lists to be aware of foods contents.

If you have dietary restrictions, here are some steps you can take to make holiday meals less challenging:

1. Communicate clearly to hosts about your dietary restrictions. Most people are more than willing to accommodate your needs if they are informed.

2. Offer to prepare and bring some items to share that are safe for you to consume.

3. Take the initiative to choose a restaurant or venue that is able to accommodate people with dietary restrictions.

4. Plan non-food activities like volunteering, fun outdoor sports or crafting that bring people together during the holidays without a focus of food.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, providesnutritioncounseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. She can be reached by email atRD@halfacup.com.

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How to navigate the holidays if you have dietary restrictions or food allergies - The Mercury News

Life longevity may seem beyond ones control, but many healthy habits may lead a person to reaching a ripe, old age. These include drinking coffee or tea, exercising, getting enough sleep and limiting alcohol intake. Taken together, these habits can boost a persons health and put them on the path to a long life. There is another healthy habit one should try and incorporate into their diet which is backed by science and promoted by health advocates. What is it?

Apple cider vinegar is the most popular type of vinegar in the natural health community.

It is claimed to lead to all sorts of benefits, many of which are supported by science.

Some of the benefits of apple cider vinegar include aiding in weight loss, reducing cholesterol, lowering blood sugar levels and improving symptoms of diabetes.

Adding apple cider vinegar into your diet could also help boost life longevity.

READ MORE: How to live longer: Best diet to increase life expectancy - foods to eat and avoid

Apple cider vinegar is made in a two-stop process, related to how alcohol is made. First the apples are crushed to yeast, which ferment the sugars and turns them into alcohol.

Secondly, bacteria is added to the alcohol solution, which further ferment the alcohol and turn it into acetic acid, the main active compound in vinegar.

Organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar also contains mother which are strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the produce its murky appearance.

DONT MISS

Some people believe that the mother is responsible for most of the health benefits, although there are currently no studies to support this.

Apple cider vinegar only contains about three calories per tablespoon, which is very low.

There are not many vitamins or minerals in it, but it does contain a small amount of potassium.

How can apple cider vinegar help to increase life expectancy?

Several risk factors of heart disease can be improved by apple vinegar consumption.

In a study with the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, the dietary acetic acid in apple cider vinegar was analysed on animals.

The study found that consuming apple cider vinegar could help to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, along with several other heart disease risk factors.

Some health experts believe that apple cider vinegar contains anti-cancer effects. In another study, the effects of apple cider vinegar on cancer cells was analysed.

The study concluded that the vinegar can kill cancer cells and shrunk tumours. However, all of the studies were done in isolated class in test tubes, or rats, which proves nothing about what happens in a living, breathing human.

Apple cider vinegar is not a miracle or a cure-all product, however, the vinegar does clearly have some important health benefits and could aid in living a longer and healthier life.

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How to live longer: Adding this drink to your diet could increase your life expectancy - Express

A vegan diet is generally healthy, low in cholesterol and protective of heart disease, but its followers must take vitamin B12 supplements or risk a condition that causes permanent numbness in their hands and feet, experts say.

Most people get their vitamin B12 from milk, but the plant-based substitutes do not have high enough levels to protect adults and children from peripheral neuropathy, which is irreversible.

Young festival-goers on a vegan diet may be at particular risk. Kids these days inhale laughing gas, said Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics at Kings College London. That can actively cause vitamin D deficiency. There is a danger of young people going vegan, not having B12 and it could tip the balance to them getting a serious neuropathy.

It could easily be remedied by the manufacturers of plant-based milks, he said. Levels should be higher in plant milks than they are at the moment. If they were three times higher, there wouldnt be a problem.

Internet claims that vegans do not need extra B12 were not evidence-based, he said. Im concerned that many people think it is a myth, said Sanders. Gorillas eat a vegan diet, but B12 is produced in the colon and they probably dont wash their hands, he said, so end up ingesting it. The Jains in India eat a vegan diet, but, he said, all the Jain doctors I know have B12 injections.

Studies have shown that B12 levels in vegans are about a third of what is needed. Other aspects of the vegan diet are healthy but, said Sanders, B12 is the one thing we are concerned about. There is particular worry about children. In one case, a baby who was breastfed by a mother who was B12 deficient ended up with neuropathy.

Sanders and Tim Key, professor of epidemiology and deputy director of the Cancer Epidemiology unit at Oxford University, have both researched the health of those who eat a vegan diet for many years. Key is himself a vegan and takes vitamin B12 tablets regularly.

Key said there was limited data available. The Epic study based at Oxford follows about 2,000 people. Together with a study in California, there is data on about 10,000 people in total. Its not enough. We dont have precise estimates of long term health in vegans, said Key.

But what they have been able to observe so far is that people eating vegan diets tend not to be overweight if anything, some are very thin and may have problems in older age when weight loss becomes an issue. They have low rates of type 2 diabetes and diverticular disease of the colon. They have low cholesterol and low rates of heart disease and they may have lower cancer rates.

However, bone fractures are about 30 per cent higher as a result of lower bone density. That might have something to do with calcium and possibly even B12, said Key. They may also have higher rates of hemorrhagic stroke.

A vegan diet that is high in fruit and vegetables and pulses is likely to be healthy, but vegans can still overdo the biscuits, confectionery, cakes, chips and beer, said the scientists, and some meat substitutes, such as vegan sausages, are high in salt.

So far, there is no evidence that vegans live longer. There is no significant difference in total mortality between vegans and meat eaters, said Key. Guardian

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Vegan diet carries risk of permanent numbness in hands and feet - The Irish Times

I recently surveyed some of my readers on what they would like me to write about in 2020, and one of the responses was, If you could give everyone no matter our body shape or current health three pieces of nutrition advice, what would those things be and why? Excellent question!

I could trot out the typical Eat more vegetables, eat fewer highly processed foods, and get enough protein response, but I wont, even though those are solid nuggets of advice and ones Ive previously given. Instead, Im offering some big-picture advice for the New Year that I hope will help make you more confident eaters.

1. Theres more than one way to eat for health. Dont believe anyone who tells you that there is only one right diet especially if they use the language like the secret they dont want you to know. First, if the secret advice was actually valuable, it wouldnt be a secret. Second, nutrition research demonstrates that there are a number of nutritious ways to eat that can support good health and reduce risk of chronic disease. Third, look around you. If you discovered the eating habits of everyone around you who is currently healthy with low disease risk, I guarantee you would get a mix of answers. Some would eat vegan or vegetarian, while others would include meat in their meals. Some would eat low-fat, while others would eat low-carb. Some would say something like I dont know everything in moderation? And honestly, some healthy people dont even have a healthy diet because, like it or not, they won the genetic lottery.

2. Food isnt the monster under the bed. I have an entire article planned on food fears, but for now, suffice it to say that food has nourished and sustained you for your entire life thus far its not out to kill you. There are no foods or food groups that will destroy health in the context of a balanced diet (anything could be harmful in severe excess, even water). Wheat, meat, eggs, dairy, nightshade vegetables, fruit, nonorganic produce none of these are the dietary devils they are often made out to be. It should go without saying that if you have a food allergy or intolerance (hopefully diagnosed by a medical professional please dont self-diagnose), then you need to avoid that specific food.

3. If the way you eat makes you unhappy, its not the right way for you. Unhappiness cuts a few ways. For example, if following the healthiest diet in the world makes it impossible to socialize with friends over food because theres nothing you can eat, and requires you to cook everything from scratch even though it stresses you out, then thats not the right diet for you. Conversely, if the way you eat leaves you perpetually hungry, tired and cranky, or perhaps overfull, lethargic and uncomfortable, those are clues that something needs to change. Feeling like you would kill for a cracker or might fall into a food coma promotes neither health nor happiness.

A final bit of advice that relates to all of the above: Please stop looking for silver bullets. They dont exist. Health is so multifaceted that it would be impossible for any one food, one supplement or one diet to have an impact that even resembles magical status. Small steps, taken consistently and turned into healthy habits, are what make a difference. Not dramatic, and certainly not sexy but true. Happy New Year!

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New year, new diet? Not so fast. Instead, heed this big-picture eating advice for 2020. - Seattle Times

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Festive Foods That Won't Break Your Holiday Diet - E! Online

This is the season when holiday festivities and diet talk are in full swing.

Just skip lunch so you can indulge tonight.

Ill burn 500 calories at the gym to earn my food.

Im bringing the gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free cheesecake ... despite having no medical reason to and, if were honest, you really prefer the real thing.

And the most common diet talk: Oh, screw it, Im going to eat whatever I want. Ive already lost control over my holiday eating. Ill just be good on Whole 30, Paleo, Keto (whatever) beginning next week.

The language we use transitions from indulging in December to restricting in January.

Even though weve heard that diets dont work, we continue to pursue them year after year.

Why? Because diets do work, just not long term.

We continue to be enticed by diet culture promises because most of us do lose weight, experience health improvements and feel better on a diet, albeit, more often than not, temporarily.

Thus, for many of us, dieting could be part of the health epidemic problem instead of the solution.

This obsession with thinness is driving us crazy, said Glenn Mackintosh, principle psychologist at Weight Management Psychology. And the only tangible result most of us see from endlessly battling our bodies is the number on the scales rising over time. Even the few who achieve the ideal arent immune to the madness and live in fear of weight gain.

And dont be fooled into thinking your next food plan or watching what you eat in the name of health isnt just a diet in disguise. To diet, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is to restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.

As we start a new decade, give yourself a long-lasting gift: a way out of diet culture and its defining, controlling characteristics of willpower and restriction. Reliance on these strategies is why diets dont really work.

Willpower is not the problem

Do you rely on willpower to be good and avoid the refined sugar dessert but end up sneaking back into the kitchen for a slice?

Do you opt for a healthified version of dessert but find yourself full but still dissatisfied?

Or do you white-knuckle it to avoid carbohydrates all day and then crave them and feel out of control to the point where you overeat them at night?

Resisting your favorite foods lasts only so long. Why?

First, its not because you are a willpower weakling.

We dont have an endless supply of willpower, defined as restraint or self-control. Its limited. We start with a full tank of willpower in the morning and then use it up throughout the day making decisions and choices. Notice when we usually give in: later in the afternoon and evening, or on the weekends after a week of being good.

And what are you using willpower for? To restrict forbidden foods.

Nothing amplifies a craving like restriction.

Its human nature to want something even more when were told we cant have it, said Barbara J. Rolls, Guthrie chair of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, in a 2018 article in Shape magazine.

It feels like self-punishment. Restriction just says No, you cant have it, or just one.

Perhaps you label yourself addicted to sugar but wonder why the plate of holiday cookies on the kitchen counter just isnt a big deal for your husband?

He eats some. And moves on. It seems unfair.

Little evidence is found to support sugar addiction in humans, researchers Westwater, Fletcher and Ziauddeens found in their study Sugar Addiction: The State of the Science. It appears that the bingeing, the addictive-like behavior, occurred due to intermittent access to sugar.

Restriction breeds obsession

Still not convinced that restriction isnt the way to wellness?

Conducted by the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene at the University of Minnesota, the study illuminated the problem with restrictive eating.

Researchers selected 36 men who were deemed in good physical and mental health for a nearly yearlong study that was broken into four parts. The first three months the men were fed a normal diet of 3,200 calories, and the next six months they were fed a semistarvation diet of 1,570 calories; During the next three months, the rehabilitation phase, the men were fed between 2,000 and 3,200 calories, and in the last eight weeks they were given unrestricted access to food.

What did the researchers learn by measuring the physiological and psychological changes?

Mainly, the men became obsessed with food.

They fantasized about food and read cookbooks and looked up recipes. Their lives became food-centered. They reported feeling depressed, fatigued, irritable and apathetic on a 1,500-calorie diet. A few men sneaked food and were removed from the study ... because they failed.

Its how we feel and act after a few weeks on a diet, yet we still engage in restrictive eating 75 years later.

Upon Googling 1,500 calorie diets, I found a list of current nutritionist-designed programs touting the benefit of such a program, though we know that semi-starvation the class which this was labeled in the study doesnt work.

Food deprivation, no matter how diet culture labels it, is distressing. Period.

So when your friends, family members and social media influencers engage in diet talk, trying to convince you to jump on the latest healthy eating plan, my No. 1 tip is: Dont.

Tanya Mark is a mind-body nutritionist and body image movement global ambassador. Contact her via tanya@tanyamark.com; follow her on Facebook.com @TanyaMarkMindBodyNutrition or Instagram at @TanyaMark.

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Try this New Year's resolution: ditch the diet - Jackson Hole News&Guide

Highlights

There are many foods in our diet that we consider as staple and consume them more often than we realise. Bread, soft drink, biscuit - convenient foods like these form a part of our everyday ritual. They seem to be completely harmless when we eat them in oblivion; but the fact is that many of such foods are not really good for our health. Fraught with improper nutrition from sugar, refined foods, saturated fats, preservatives, food additives etc; these so called 'everyday foods' may not be actually good for everyday consumption. But, how do we live without these foods that were not an occasional binge and have always been an intrinsic part of our diet?

Thankfully, many of these foods can be easily made at home with healthy substitutes. Yes, if we really look around, we can find genius alternatives to make the foods that we love in a healthier way. Here are some ideas to get you started.

(Also Read:5 Healthy Alternatives For Candies That Your Kids Will Love)

Brown bread can be used toreplace white bread.

If you are used to start your mornings with a hearty sandwich, we won't ask you to give up on your habit. Just discard white bread made of refined flour and opt for healthier versions of bread like whole-wheat bread or multi-grain bread. You can use healthy flours to make other foods like pancakes and desserts.

Milk creamer is a favourite with coffee lovers who like their drink creamy. They can opt for coconut milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup instead. And, if you can't do without carbonated drinks for that much-needed energy boost, try to drink green tea, kombucha or lemon tea instead. Homemade granola bars made with oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruits, are an excellent substitute for store-bought biscuits.

There are many other ways you can eliminate unhealthy foods from your everyday diet and replace them with healthier options.

About Neha GroverLove for reading roused her writing instincts. Neha is guilty of having a deep-set fixation with anything caffeinated. When she is not pouring out her nest of thoughts onto the screen, you can see her reading while sipping on coffee.

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Healthy Diet: 7 Healthy Alternatives For Everyday Foods And Drinks That May Be Harmful - NDTV Food

The Buff Dudes brothers Brandon and Hudson White regularly tackle the toughest diets and workouts on their YouTube channel. Recently they took on the vegan diet, and now they've decided to do the complete opposite by tackling the carnivore diet.

If you're unfamiliar with the diet, it's basically as it sounds. No potatoes. No vegetables. No nuts. No 3 a.m. tacos unless they're made with meat tortillas.

The brothers hit up Costco to buy meat in bulk. Hudson explains he normally eats a lot of chicken but opted for meat with more fat, like salmon and rib eye, to account for the lack of carbohydrates in his diet.

During the first week, Hudson enjoys this new style of eating for its simplicity. He consumes two hard boiled eggs before the gym, then bacon and eggs after working out. Lunch is ground beef and dinner is a rib eye steak.

However, he soon gets tired of eating meat all the time and eventually drops ground beef from his diet.

"I burp ground beef. I dream about ground beef. I'm over it," he says.

But he does enjoy the diet for its ease. "It's kind of a meal prepper's dream," he says. "You just eat the same thing day in and day out." At one point, Hudson celebrates his birthday and is surprised with a meat cake.

Brandon, on the other hand, doesn't feel so great on this all-meat plan.

"I'm feeling pretty exhausted at night," he says.

In addition to the fatigue, eating large amounts of meat has left Brandon constipated. And when he does finally use the restroom, the results are less than stellar.

"The consistency is really....not good," he says.

However, the Buff brothers agree on one point: the carnivore diet helps with weight loss. At the beginning of the experiment, Brandon weighed 225. A month of eating all-meat helped him lose 12 pounds. Hudson lost roughly six pounds in the same time period.

Of course, there are other ways to lose way that don't involve giving up, well, everything.

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What Happened When Two Bodybuilders Tried the Carnivore Diet for 1 Month - Men's Health