Category Archives: Diet And Food

For most patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), symptoms can improve after patients complete the six-food elimination diet (SFED) and after foods that have been identified as triggers are reintroduced, according to a new study.

The diet temporarily removes common triggers, such as milk, wheat, soy, eggs, tree nuts/peanuts, and fish/shellfish. After reintroduction of foods, many patients were able to identify a single food trigger.The most common food triggers were milk, wheat, and soy.

Dr Nirmala Gonsalves

"Patients are looking for alternative ways to treat their disease not just through medication," Nirmala Gonsalves, MD, professor of gastroenterology and hepatology and co-director of the Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders Program at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told Medscape Medical News.

"In shared decision-making conversations with patients, we've found that people are driven by trying to identify their own personal food triggers," she said. "Once identified, they also have the self-motivation to continue the process."

The study was published online in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

EoE is an immune-mediated inflammatory condition characterized by pathologic inflammation of eosinophils in the esophagus that leads to esophageal dysfunction. In adults, this inflammation typically leads to difficulty with swallowing and to food impaction.

Treatments for EoE include medical therapy, such as proton pump inhibitors and topical corticosteroids that are swallowed. Previous studies have indicated that dietary therapy in which food allergens are identified and are then removed can be effective in treating the condition, the study authors write.

Gonsalves and colleagues conducted a retrospective review of adult patients with EoE who were treated with the SFED at Northwestern University from 2006 to 2021. A diagnosis of EoE was confirmed with esophageal biopsy results that showed15 or more eosinophils per high-power field (eos/hpf) after a proton pump inhibitor trial.

The researchers classified patients as full responders if eos/hpf levels were <15 after the 6-week food elimination diet. The researchers also recorded food triggers if food reintroduction was pursued after the diet.

Overall, 213 patients completed the SFED. Of those, 131 patients (62%) experienced a histologic response;for 115 patients (54%), eos/hpf was <15.

The degree of baseline inflammation was 54 eos/hpf for responders and 58 eos/hpf for nonresponders. After the SFED, on average, eos/hpf was 11 for responders and 64 for nonresponders. About 77% of responders and 37% of nonresponders reported improvement in dysphagia symptoms.

Among the initial nonresponders, 11 patients underwent another 6-week round of the SFED, and 15 patients underwent another 6-week round of diet elimination with additional food restrictions, including restrictions of corn, beef, legumes, or poultry. Of the 11 patients, 27% achieved eos/hpf of <15. Of the 15 patients, 33% achieved eos/hpf of <15.

Altogether, 123 patients (58%) achieved eos/hpf of <15 after initial or extended diet elimination. This implies that 31% of patients who don't initially respond may do so on a second attempt, the study authors write.

In addition, 78% of those who responded to the diet underwent food reintroduction to identify food triggers. For about 69%, one food trigger was identified; for 24%, two food triggers were identified; and for 4%, three allergens were identified. In addition, 11 patients completed full reintroduction without any trigger being identified and remission was sustained.

The most common food triggers were milk (37%), wheat (26%), and soy (13%), followed by eggs (10%), nuts (6%), seafood (4%), corn (1%), and poultry (1%). Among patients who completed a second round, the most common triggers were egg, dairy, soy, and wheat.

Dr Jonathan Spergel

"In their retrospective study, 54% had histologic improvement, which is similar to rates reported with topical steroids," Jonathan Spergel, MD, PhD, chief of the allergy program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told Medscape Medical News.

Spergel, who wasn't involved with this study, researches the natural history of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases and has written on the management of pediatric EoE.

"Their study suggests that single-food or six-food group elimination is a viable option for adult patients with EoE," he said. "Other groups have seen similar results in pediatrics."

Gonsalves and colleagues reviewed data from patients who were seen in the clinic during the past 3 years and found that 60% of responders and 35% of nonresponders are maintaining some form of dietary restriction. This suggests that diet therapy can be an effective long-term maintenance strategy, they write.

The researchers are studying other diets that could help patients, including patients with inflammatory conditions below the esophagus. In addition, they're studying accumulated tissue in patients to understand response predictors and to be able to identify patients who may benefit from diet elimination in the first place.

Dr Marc Rothenberg

"EoE is a chronic disease associated with substantial morbidity. As such, studies that better define treatment responses are needed," Marc Rothenberg, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and director of the allergy and immunology division at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, told Medscape Medical News.

Rothenberg, who wasn't involved with this study, also serves as director of the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders. He and colleagues research the cellular, molecular, and genetic causes of EoE with the goal of developing better treatments.

"Diet therapy is an attractive approach, as it avoids medicine and also directs treatment at the cardinal cause of the disease food antigen-induced immune hypersensitivity," he said.

The study received no financial support. Several authors have received speaking and consulting fees from several companies, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Regeneron-Sanofi. Spergel and Rothenberg report no relevant financial relationships.

Am J Gastroenterol. Published online August 12, 2022. Abstract

Carolyn Crist is a health and medical journalist who reports on the latest studies for Medscape, MDedge, and WebMD..

For more news, follow Medscape on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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Majority of Adults With EoE Achieve Histologic Response After SFED - Medscape

The rebound effect of the diet is a nightmare for those faced with the decision to start the weight loss process. The discouragement is strong because, in general, they follow a strict eating plan, exercise and manage to reach their goals, but they lose weight within a few months. A dynamic that makes one feel hopeless and anguish.

Nutritionists warn that this phenomenon is even more common when famous magic diets are created. Namely, those that are too restrictive and promise immediate results that the body cannot assimilate naturally.

In a meta-analysis published in National Library of Medicine The results of 29 studies were examined on long-term weight loss. In the same it was revealed that most of the persons who were part of the investigation, regained more than half the weight lost in two years and, in five years, regained more than 80% of the lost weight, Even then, Only one in five people who follow these magical diets lose weight in the long run.

There has been talk about fad diets over the years and continues to be as such Ketogenic, Paleolithic, intermittent fasting, among others but It is not taken into account that they do not suit the lifestyle of a person who spends most of his time away from home. The results of these diets are usually visible quickly but they go away as soon as they come. Well, since there is no food education, it is not adapted to tastes and habits, many forms are no longer considered, says Lic. In Nutrition, Juliana Jimnez (MN 10553)

Regarding this matter, Dr. Richard Josephphysician at the Center for Weight Control and Wellness in Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, USA, and Harvard Medical School member maintains that The most important factor for maintaining weight lies in the brain,

In other words, according to Joseph The psychological aspect is the key to staying healthy even after reaching the desired weight. With a healthy eating plan. For that, people who jump from one fad to another diet often experience the metabolic roller coaster popularly known as yo-yo diet Presenting the following symptoms:

The experts claim is based on scientific evidence. According to research titled Determinants of Weight Loss Maintenance: A Systematic Review, correct weight loss psychology is important for regulating the physiology that supports weight loss.

According to research conducted by Harvard, Only those who have adopted habits such as playing sports or eating a healthy and varied diet have managed to achieve their long-term goals and avoid unwanted rebound effects.

To do this, Dr. Joseph explains, Self-regulation and controlling self-efficacy are essential. The first concept refers to regulating and understanding eating behavior, that is, questioning whether to overeat when stressed, whether to eat emotionally, and to keep food intake in appropriate and varied amounts on the mental radar. Is. Then, when the need behind the desire to eat is understood and controlled, the individual will have a better chance of success.

is also a factor own safety, People who have a high confidence in their ability to perform certain behaviors (who believe in their ability to perform certain behaviors) are more successful at maintaining weight loss, the expert says.

According to Jimenez, it is 100% possible to maintain a healthy weight over the long term. The keys to success are a varied and balanced diet, daily physical activity, perseverance and organization. And he adds: The psychological factor is fundamental. A healthy mind is needed to be able to have a balanced diet, Many patients come to terms with the belief that they will not be able to, that they are not born to play sports, that they will never stop eating large amounts, but that these are the limits they have put on themselves. .

Maintain the Weight Loss Need to be comfortable with discomfort: Sometimes to feel hungry, to exercise instead of stress eating, to conscientiously seek reward versus real hunger, and to resist the ubiquitous allure of ultra-processed foods. Thats why. In the modern environment, you have to learn and practice psychological tools that help you not only accept, but ultimately accept, the inevitable discomfort of keeping the weight off.

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Diet's Rebound Effect: Harvard Discovers Why It Occurs And How To Avoid It - Nation World News

It was a hot summer evening in 2008 when I received a panic call from a friend. She was breaking down and couldnt explain herself clearly. All I could figure out was that her 24-year-old son Saurabh had been found to have a blood sugar of 400+. Could he really be a diabetic? What would be his future? I saw Saurabh the same evening. He did not seem sick at all, except that he was about 20 kg overweight, despite losing some weight over the last few weeks.

Saurabhs HbA1c concentration was 13 per cent. HbA1c is a measure of blood sugar as a three-month average. The normal range is <5.7, 5.7-6.4 is considered prediabetes, and 6.5 or above is labelled as diabetes. As is the protocol for young patients with such high blood sugar values, insulin treatment was initiated. His laboratory tests came back and he was found to have Type 2 diabetes, the common type of diabetes that usually affects older adults and does not always require insulin for treatment.

Saurabh worked in a law firm, had 10-14 hour days, ate in the office, partied on weekends. Sleep hours were erratic and interrupted. He had a family history his mother had developed diabetes at the age of 50. Diabetes hit him earlier because of his obesity and lifestyle.

Since that day, Saurabh turned a new leaf. He gave up junk food altogether and started regular exercises. He lost 12 kg over the next six months with lifestyle modification and behavioural discipline. In a few weeks, his insulin was discontinued. His blood sugar values remained under control on progressively lower doses of oral medication. Another six months passed and Saurabh lost an additional 6 kg. Soon, he was able to maintain normal blood sugar levels without any medication. To date, he continues to monitor his blood sugar and all his other parameters every few months. All parameters are within range. He has not regained his body weight. For the last 12 years he is off all medication and continues to be normal.

Is this a miracle? Can this be reproduced? Let me first state that some patients of Type 2 diabetes can go off medication, and remain fine for years. Its not called cure or reversal, which implies permanency. Rather, the term remission is used, since we dont know if it is permanent. Type 2 diabetes is an ongoing, progressive disease and it is expected to make a comeback at some point. Clearly, however, several years of postponement of diabetes is possible. This has tremendous benefits for our long-term health and well-being.

The key to achieving a remission in Type 2 diabetes is weight loss. Weight and diabetes have a direct and powerful connection. Much of the increase in diabetes prevalence worldwide is linked to increasing obesity. Shedding off those extra kilos can reverse many metabolic processes and can induce remission in diabetes, particularly if diabetes is of recent onset. Type 2 diabetes results from a combination of insulin resistance (resistance to insulin action at the cellular level) and insulin deficiency (the pancreatic beta cells are unable to make enough insulin). Weight loss can partially reverse both of these processes.

Studies have shown that very low-calorie diets can help achieve weight loss and remission of diabetes. About 600-800 calories per day, consumed for two to three months, followed by a maintenance diet were able to normalise blood glucose levels in about half the participants and also maintain them, for at least a year.

A large community-based clinical trial called DiRECT (Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial) was conducted in the UK. DiRECT enrolled people with Type 2 diabetes for less than six years and not receiving insulin treatment. They were provided either standard diabetes care or low-calorie meal replacement diet (825850 kcal/day) for three to five months, followed by stepwise food re-introduction and a long-term weight maintenance programme. At a one-year follow-up, 46 per cent of patients had achieved diabetes remission (HbA1c <6.5 per cent without medication). At two years, the remission rate was 36 per cent.

The diets used in these trials were quite restrictive, requiring strong, sustained motivation, and could only be followed under close medical supervision. The long-term effects of such severe diet restriction are unknown at present. Some individuals achieve calorie reduction by following different types of intermittent fasting protocols. Although remission is reported with long standing diabetes too, the shorter the duration of diabetes (usually less than 5-6 years) the greater the chances of success.

What about exercise? Exercise keeps us healthy in many ways and helps control our blood glucose too. But exercise alone, even 10,000 steps a day, is not enough to induce remission. It has to be combined with calorie restriction.

Weight loss (bariatric) surgery has been known to induce remission in patients with diabetes. The signs of diabetes reduce or disappear within a few days, even before any major weight loss, suggesting that severe limitation in food intake or changes in gut hormones could be a reason. In the long term, weight loss seems to be the main factor responsible for better diabetes control.

Are such aggressive measures always required to induce remission in diabetes? In our experience, many patients like Saurabh who are overweight or obese and initiate calorie restriction (not necessarily drastic, as in the UK trials), early in the course of diabetes, are able to achieve remission. I dont believe it is always necessary to resort to very low-calorie diets. Any combination of diet and exercise that helps one knock off the extra kilos in a young individual with recent onset diabetes has the potential to induce remission. Even a 10 per cent patient weight loss is sufficient in some cases to normalise blood glucose.

More recent approaches that have shown good results include custom-designed diets and programmes based on a large number of data points acquired through continuous monitoring of body parameters.

Continue reading here:
Can you reverse diabetes with weight loss and a rigid diet? How some patients of Type 2 diabetes actually went off medication - The Indian Express

last June Samsung Electronics held an event in which it announced a new range of household appliances under the name Bespoke for this 2022teams that promised more efficient, eye-catching designs and, above all, with advanced functionalities that would incorporate algorithms Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the daily lives of users.

Now, on the occasion of the IFA 2022 that takes place this week, the manufacturer has given more details about this line of Bespoke products for Europe, explaining in more depth what these new generation functions with AI consist of in their washing and cooking range.

The oven Bespoke AI of Samsung incorporates a series of intelligent functions that, according to the brand, turn the kitchen into a healthy experience, allowing users to prepare the best dishes for both the palate and the body.To do this they make use of various cooking systems and techniques, and especially the steamincorporating different special programs such as Natural Steamwhich they ensure allows to maintain a moist interior in the food while a crunchy exterior, so it is specially designed for confectionery.

The Full Steam function is aimed at steaming vegetables or fish and the Dual Cook Steam functionwhich combines the upper and lower zones with steam to prepare different dishes simultaneously.But without a doubt one of the most curious functions is AI Pro Cookingwhich uses the technology of food image recognition to optimize oven cooking settings, while monitoring food to prevent overcooking. Users can also make time-lapse videos that can later be shared on social networks.

In terms of health-related features, the Bespoke AI oven is also links to the SmartThings Cooking service to provide personalized recipes and intelligent menu plans according to users tastes, diets and the foods available in the refrigerator.In addition, SmartThings Cooking can be synchronized with the Samsung Health service to make a tracking calorie goals to recommend recipes. Thanks to this new function, which will be available in October this year, it will be easier count calories and cook healthy.

Samsung has also presented its new Bespoke AI line for laundry (washer and dryer) composed of a washing machine equipped with an ecological technology capable of reduce the emission of microplastics of clothing that includes a washing program that they claim can reduce microplastic emissions from clothing by 54% through the use of filter technology to capture those plastic particles.The Bespoke AI washing machine is equipped with the technology AI Ecobubble which is responsible for converting the detergent into bubbles before entering the drum so that the laundry absorbs it quickly, even in cold water. This allows, according to the brand, to reduce energy consumption by up to 70% and improve dirt removal by 24%.In addition, the Bespoke AI washing machine includes washing sensors that measure load weight and soil level to ensure that the optimal amount of water, detergent and energy is used, with the goal of reducing waste. On the other hand, SpaceMax technology allows the machine to use a larger drum without increasing its external dimensions, offering a capacity of 11 kilos.For its part, the Bespoke AI dryer also includes several options to save energy. To begin with, it has a heat pump to achieve drying temperatures using less electricity, something that combines with the digital inverter technology to dry clothes more efficiently. In this case, AI is used to continuously monitor temperature and humidity and adjust settings to dry clothes using as little energy as possible.

Samsungs new ovens, washers and dryers will be shown to the public this week during the IFA 2022 and they will reach the European market in the coming months, although they have not yet indicated what their recommended sale prices will be.

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Samsung's new oven recommends what to eat based on your diet, calorie goal and what you have in the fridge - Gearrice

During the long seafaring voyages of the 15th and 16th centuries, a period known as the Age of Discovery, sailors reported experiencing visions of sublime foods and verdant fields. The discovery that these were nothing more than hallucinations after months at sea was agonizing. Some sailors wept in longing; others threw themselves overboard.

The cure for these harrowing mirages turned out to be not a concoction of complex chemicals, as once suspected, but rather the simple antidote of lemon juice. These sailors suffered from scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, an essential micronutrient that people acquire from eating fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin C is important for the production and release of neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the brain. In its absence, brain cells do not communicate effectively with one another, which can lead to hallucinations.

As this famous example of early explorers illustrates, there is an intimate connection between food and the brain, one that researchers like me are working to unravel. As a scientist who studies the neuroscience of nutrition at the University of Michigan, I am primarily interested in how components of food and their breakdown products can alter the genetic instructions that control our physiology.

Beyond that, my research is also focused on understanding how food can influence our thoughts, moods and behaviors. While we cant yet prevent or treat brain conditions with diet, researchers like me are learning a great deal about the role that nutrition plays in the everyday brain processes that make us who we are.

Perhaps not surprisingly, a delicate balance of nutrients is key for brain health: Deficiencies or excesses in vitamins, sugars, fats and amino acids can influence brain and behavior in either negative or positive ways.

Vitamins and mineral deficiencies

As with vitamin C, deficits in other vitamins and minerals can also precipitate nutritional diseases that adversely impact the brain in humans. For example, low dietary levels of vitamin B3/niacin typically found in meat and fish cause pellagra, a disease in which people develop dementia.

Niacin is essential to turn food into energy and building blocks, protect the genetic blueprint from environmental damage and control how much of certain gene products are made. In the absence of these critical processes, brain cells, also known as neurons, malfunction and die prematurely, leading to dementia.

In animal models, decreasing or blocking the production of niacin in the brain promotes neuronal damage and cell death. Conversely, enhancing niacin levels has been shown to mitigate the effects of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, Huntingtons and Parkinsons. Observational studies in humans suggest that sufficient levels of niacin may protect against these diseases, but the results are still inconclusive.

Interestingly, niacin deficiency caused by consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to similar effects as those found with pellagra.

Another example of how a nutrient deficiency affects brain function can be found in the element iodine, which, like niacin, must be acquired from ones diet. Iodine, which is present in seafood and seaweed, is an essential building block for thyroid hormones signaling molecules that are important for many aspects of human biology, including development, metabolism, appetite and sleep. Low iodine levels prevent the production of adequate amounts of thyroid hormones, impairing these essential physiological processes.

Iodine is particularly important to the developing human brain; before table salt was supplemented with this mineral in the 1920s, iodine deficiency was a major cause of cognitive disability worldwide. The introduction of iodized salt is thought to have contributed to the gradual rise in IQ scores in the past century.

Ketogenic diet for epilepsy

Not all dietary deficiencies are detrimental to the brain. In fact, studies show that people with drug-resistant epilepsy a condition in which brain cells fire uncontrollably can reduce the number of seizures by adopting an ultralow-carbohydrate regimen, known as a ketogenic diet, in which 80% to 90% of calories are obtained from fat.

Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for the body. When they are not available either because of fasting or because of a ketogenic diet cells obtain fuel by breaking down fats into compounds called ketones. Utilization of ketones for energy leads to profound shifts in metabolism and physiology, including the levels of hormones circulating in the body, the amount of neurotransmitters produced by the brain and the types of bacteria living in the gut.

Researchers think that these diet-dependent changes, especially the higher production of brain chemicals that can quiet down neurons and decrease levels of inflammatory molecules, may play a role in the ketogenic diets ability to lower the number of seizures. These changes may also explain the benefits of a ketogenic state either through diet or fasting on cognitive function and mood.

Sugar, saturated fats and ultraprocessed foods

Excess levels of some nutrients can also have detrimental effects on the brain. In humans and animal models, elevated consumption of refined sugars and saturated fats a combination commonly found in ultraprocessed foods promotes eating by desensitizing the brain to the hormonal signals known to regulate satiety.

Interestingly, a diet high in these foods also desensitizes the taste system, making animals and humans perceive food as less sweet. These sensory alterations may affect food choice as well as the reward we get from food. For example, research shows that peoples responses to ice cream in brain areas important for taste and reward are dulled when they eat it every day for two weeks. Some researchers think this decrease in food reward signals may enhance cravings for even more fatty and sugary foods, similar to the way smokers crave cigarettes.

High-fat and processed-food diets are also associated with lower cognitive function and memory in humans and animal models as well as a higher incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. However, researchers still dont know if these effects are due to these foods or to the weight gain and insulin resistance that develop with long-term consumption of these diets.

Time scales

This brings us to a critical aspect of the effect of diet on the brain: time. Some foods can influence brain function and behavior acutely such as over hours or days while others take weeks, months or even years to have an effect. For instance, eating a slice of cake rapidly shifts the fat-burning, ketogenic metabolism of an individual with drug-resistant epilepsy into a carbohydrate-burning metabolism, increasing the risk of seizures. In contrast, it takes weeks of sugar consumption for taste and the brains reward pathways to change, and months of vitamin C deficiency to develop scurvy. Finally, when it comes to diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons, risk is influenced by years of dietary exposures in combination with other genetic or lifestyle factors such as smoking.

In the end, the relationship between food and the brain is a bit like the delicate Goldilocks: We need not too little, not too much but just enough of each nutrient.

Monica Dus is **Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biologyat the **University of Michigan.

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

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Diet can influence mood, behavior and more - Japan Today

Whether you're trying to lose weight, build muscle, or simply develop healthier eating habits to improve overall wellness, dieting can be a tricky game to play. Although adjusting your lifestyle down to your fitness routine and what you consume throughout the day can help you reach your goals, the pressure to stay the course over an extended period of time can sometimes prove challenging, especially if you aren't seeing your desired results fast enough or notice your initial progress suddenly begin to plateau.

The rigidness of one's routine can actually become an obstacle unto itself, and ineffective dieting practices, in particular, can become an impediment to reaching your health and wellness goals. If you're deep into your diet but have had marginal success and still do not feel your absolute best, it might be a sign to stop what you're doing and regroup with a new approach.

We spoke with Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, and author of The Sports Nutrition Playbook, to get her advice on when it's the right time to stop dieting. Read on to better understand and recognize the signs for when it's time to change gears with your ongoing diet and how to best take action in response.

Perhaps the most glaring red flag that it might be time to stop dieting is when your eating routine starts to negatively impact other aspects of your health.

For instance, Goodson explains that some challenges often associated with low-carb, high-fat, and high-protein diets stem from how they sometimes limitif not completely eliminatefruit and whole grains, consequently cutting out lots of dietary fiber in the process. However, your body needs soluble fiber because this helps to keep your cholesterol in checkwithout it, you're at greater risk of developing high cholesterol.

"If you are eating a keto diet or similar, and head to the doctor to get your lab work done and find your cholesterol is trending upit might be time to cut out some of the saturated fat and increase your fiber intake," says Goodson.

So, if you've noticed an uptick in your cholesterol amid your current diet, consult with your doctor on the best strategies to help regulate this. Ask if pivoting your existing diet to opt for a more high-fiber one would be the best move to optimize your health, given the circumstances.

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Having an insatiable appetite despite eating healthy-sized food portions throughout the day can be a sign that it's time to tweak your current dieting tactics. According to Goodson, no one should have to tolerate feeling hungry all the time.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

"If you truly feel hungry all day long, you may not be eating enough," she explains. "While weight loss does require a reduction in calories, eating too little can make you feel miserable."

Instead, Goodson suggests logging everything you eat in an app. Use your log to determine what could be missing from your diet by comparing it to what you should take in each day. If your current diet involves eating significantly fewer calories, you might consider incorporating an extra nutrient-rich snack or some additional protein during the day to help curb your hunger.

RELATED: I Kept a Food Journal for a Monthand the Results Surprised Me

If you're inexplicably exhausted even after getting a full night of sleep, your diet may be the culprit. Making adjustments to your eating routine could be the key to solving this mystery.

"Many people don't realize that the fatigue they often feel might be from not eating the right foods or enough," Goodson says. "Many restrictive diets call for a drastic reduction in calories, leaving you feeling tired and [lacking in] energy."

If you're constantly feeling tired and think your existing diet could be the cause, Goodson suggests assessing the frequency at which you're eating because your lethargy could mean you're not eating often enough. You should also make sure you're eating carbohydrates and protein with each mealand if not, adjust your diet accordingly to better sustain your desired energy levels.

When it comes to having a productive health and wellness journey, diet and exercise often come hand in hand. No matter what the reason is for your diet, if your lifestyle changes are driven by a strong desire to improve your overall health, exercise is a vital aspect of this equation. However, basing your eating habits on a diet that isn't appropriate for your unique body chemistry could counter your workout efforts by causing you to feel sluggish.

"If you feel like you are climbing a mountain at the gym and really have no energy to complete your workouts, you may not be providing your body with enough nutritionspecifically carbohydrates," says Goodson. "Carbohydrates help fuel activity; without them, an intense workout can seem like climbing Mount Everest."

In addition to eating an adequate amount of complex carbohydrates, Goodson recommends making sure you have enough high-quality proteins in your diet, especially if you find yourself dragging through your workout, you're not recovering quickly enough, and you're struggling to see the results of your overall efforts manifest in the mirror or on the scale. These foods will help fuel and refuel your body to carry you through your workouts and beyond.

Kayla Garritano

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4 Signs It's Time To Stop Dieting Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Liquid diets don't scream fun. If you've ever been on one, you know that it's often bland, boring, and texture-less. And while sticking to a diet of non-solid foods is pretty miserable for most people, they are used for many reasons. Some have even followed a liquid diet for weight loss.

Doctors sometimes prescribe a liquid diet to patients for different medical reasons. "A liquid diet is a specific type of diet that provides all or most of your daily calories from a liquid source," explains Erin Rossi, RD, LD, with Cleveland Clinic's Center for Human Nutrition. "Any liquid that can be poured at room temperature or a soft solid that can melt in your mouth and has a smooth texture could be included on this type of diet."

She adds that liquid diets may be prescribed prior to gastrointestinal surgeries to help prep the body for the procedure or after surgeries of the mouth, throat, or stomach, where liquids can lessen the pain of eating or rubbing against the surgical site.

Post-surgery they can help and allow for healing. "This provides an opportunity for the body to heal, improve hydration, and assess toleration of the liquids before advancing to liquids or foods that are more difficult to digest," says Melissa Majumdar, RD, CSOWM, LDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Liquid diets may also be prescribed in other health situations. "Some doctors use liquid diets when patients are unable or unwilling to eat solid food due to mental health concerns," adds Rossi.

Meet the experts: Erin Rossi, RD, LD, is a nutritionist with Cleveland Clinic, and she specializes in adult chronic disease management, bariatric nutrition, and weight management.

Melissa Majumdar, RD, CSOWM, is a bariatric coordinator at Emory University Hospital Midtown, and focuses on the care of bariatric surgery patients. She is the chair of the integrated health planning committee for the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

On the other hand, liquid diets are also utilized to lose weightand quickly. (Liquid diets are also known as fad diets.)

"Liquid diets for weight loss are not recommended, as they are not sustainable or healthy. They lack essential nutrients such as fiber and protein, which are crucial for overall health and well-being," says Rossi.

A medically controlled liquid diet is often short-term and closely supervised by a doctor or dietitian to ensure the person following the diet does not become malnourished, she explains.

And FYI: Liquid diets for weight loss generally do not provide long-term results. "Often, patients are discouraged that they have gone through the trouble of following a liquid diet and then lose very little weight or gain any lost weight back as soon as they begin eating food again," Rossi adds.

You can definitely lose weight on a liquid dietup to three to four pounds per week, but the number of pounds you drop will vary depending on your height, weight, nutritional status, and the timeframe of the diet.

"These types of diets typically come with pre-determined structured routines, which can be helpful when reducing calories," says Rossi. "Long-term, liquid-only diets do not provide sustainable weight loss because when a person drastically reduces their calories, it tends to also slow down their metabolism."

So, when you stop the liquid diet, weight gain typically happens. You have slowed your metabolism down so much that you then have rebound weight gain. "Those that use a combination of liquid meals and solid meals tend to have more long-lasting weight loss," Rossi adds.

A medically supervised liquid diet can offer some benefits.

"Many surgeons request liquid diets after surgeries to help ease the pain of eating and to relieve some GI discomfort following surgery," says Rossi. "However, recent research is looking at the effects of lessening liquid-only diets surrounding surgeries with promising outcomes."

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A liquid diet can also be helpful for those with mental health concerns or physical disabilities who cannot or will not consume solid foods by removing the stressor of eating and improving quality of life.

If the medical team is concerned about a person being able to meet their nutritional needs while on a liquid diet, they will prescribe supplements or nutritional support. "This means they may use a tube for feeding or an IV or central line to get closer to the vitamin, mineral, carbohydrate, fat, and protein needs of that person," says Majumdar.

The downsides of liquid diets are almost all related to missing essential nutrients like vitamin and minerals. "Physical side effects of missing out on these nutrients include hair loss, muscle wasting, dizziness, heart damage, kidney stones or gall stones, fatigue, and constipation," says Rossi.

One of the worst things about liquid diets is the lack of protein. "Protein is required for healing and repair, so even in a medically supervised liquid diet, a person would be encouraged to meet the bodys protein requirements (typically at least 60 grams protein per day, higher during times of healing) and choose a variety of liquids to meet the bodys macro- and micronutrient requirements," says Majumdar.

Overall, there are many people who should not go on a liquid diet, including pregnant or breastfeeding individuals and those who take insulin, according to Rossi. And you should always check with a doctor before starting a liquid diet.

There are different types of medical liquid diets: clear and full liquid.

However, weight loss liquid diet foods can vary depending on the program you follow.

"Many commercial programs allow specific protein shakes, smoothies, teas, and drink mixes," says Rossi. "However, they also typically allow for the above-mentioned clear liquids as well."

The bottom line: A liquid diet is not a sustainable way to lose weight and you may develop nutritional deficiencies if you follow this eating plan. If you're still curious, check with your doc before starting one.

Emily Shiffer is a former digital web producer for Mens Health and Prevention, and is currently a freelancer writer specializing in health, weight loss, and fitness. She is currently based in Pennsylvania and loves all things antiques, cilantro, and American history.

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Liquid Diet For Weight Loss: Do They Work And Are They Safe? - Women's Health

Urban garden in Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon

From playful elements in street architecture in Cork, Ireland, to teaching children how to grow vegetables in Lisbon, Portugal, cities across Europe are using urban design and health interventions to promote the well-being of their populations.

Europe has a unique opportunity to make city life healthier since it has relatively few mega cities; more than 70% of Europeans live in cities with less than half a million inhabitants.

These are some of the World Health Organizations findings in a new report, Urban design for health: inspiration for the use of urban design to promote physical activity and healthy diets in the WHO European Region, published Wednesday and launched at the 11th Conference of HEPA Europe on health-enhancing physical activity in Nice, France.

The report, prepared by the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, looks at ways to promote physical activity and healthy diets in urban settings.

Rather than simply telling people about the right food choices and benefits of physical activity, cities can use better strategies to help people choose more wisely, the report suggests. Research has shown that design also plays a role in the health of communities around the world.

If we want to make cities a better environment that helps people to live healthier lives, first we need to understand the peoples needs, said Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, head of the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.

This will give us insights to integrate healthier habits into everyday lives effectively.

The report says urban design and planning influence public health and human behaviour by limiting or providing access to healthy foods and active lifestyles, which have profound effects on peoples physical and mental health.

For instance, in the WHO European Region, environmental risk factors are estimated to cause at least 1.4 million deaths per year, approximately half of which are linked to air pollution, a major contributor to the rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). One in four cases of ischaemic heart disease and strokes, and one in five cancers are estimated to result from environmental exposure.

These risk factors can be the result of inequalities in environment and health from different aspects of home and work life, including housing conditions and access to basic services and transport.

Traffic tends to be greater in cities less affluent neighbourhoods, posing a greater risk of road-related injuries and exposure to air and noise pollution, which has implications for poor health and a higher incidence of NCDs.

That is why it is crucial, the report emphasizes, to find the best approaches to address these risk factors in urban settings: Cities are places where it all comes together.

Wickramasinghe emphasizes that gathering data and building connections with local communities is essential for healthier urban planning.

WHOs report presents several tools to facilitate this:

One such tool, called the healthy streets approach, uses an index for large-scale, long-term strategic planning to make improvements across ten indicators.

The index has indicators for things such as how much clean air there is, whether the streets are easy to cross, and the degree to which everyone feels welcome.

The intent, the report says, is to make it easier for citizens to promote a healthy, safe neighborhood through simple language that everyone can understand and relate to.

Many cities are trying to improve urban transport and mobility, as well as access to urban nature and green spaces. The new report highlights some of the positive examples.

Cork, Ireland

As Cork is dominated by cars but lacking in green spaces, air quality was found to be a problem, in addition to limited outdoor spaces for physical activity.

This city decided to introduce more playful elements into its street architecture by developing ten new parklets with entertainment equipment and seating. It also included a playful culture trail in July 2021 to encourage active, playful movement between and within the locations.

Tbilisi, Georgia

Tblisi has a transport system that is not pedestrian-friendly and lacks buses and cycling infrastructure. Its car-dependent nature results in traffic congestion and air pollution.

Additionally, pedestrian areas are considered possible only in tourist areas and are, therefore, not found in resident neighborhoods

To solve this problem, the city is transforming its streets to make them pedestrian-oriented. The new street design is meant to address the main challenges of Tbilisi: air quality, physical inactivity, and mental health.

Adam Mitskevichi Street, a pilot area, was closed down for a few days, to familiarize citizens with a different perception of how the street could be used. From the first hours of the streets dedication to the public, children arrived with music and started dancing, and some people enjoyed cycling and skateboarding.

Lisbon, Portugal

Tapada da Ajuda, a green space in Lisbon, is located on hilly terrain, and its steep topography makes it difficult to ensure easy access for children. Additionally, the surrounding streets are not safe for children because cars are parked on some sidewalks.

In order to build more connections between local citizens, especially children, in the area, the city promotes healthy eating by putting local produce at the heart of its public space project, while teaching children how to grow vegetables and the importance of a healthy diet.

The tools and examples in the report highlight the types of actions that policy makers and urban planners can use for inspiration to rethink and improve their cities.

Cities in other parts of the world have also come up with other ways to promote health through urban planning and policy, including Buenos Aires, Argentina and Baku, Azerbijian, showing how urban design is crucial to long-term social and health benefits.

Urban design is a key determinant of physical activity and healthy diets, the report concludes, contributing to the prevention and control of NCDs and improving global health.

Image Credits: WHO , WHO.

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Using Urban Design To Promote Physical Activity And Healthy Diets In The WHO European Region - Health Policy Watch

Every week there seems to be a new fitness challenge trending online. But one thats managed to remain popular over the last couple of years is the 75 Hard Challenge. On TikTok alone, the hashtag #75Hard has more than 1.2 billion views.

Its easy to see why this particular challenge has remained so popular, with video after video of people showing off their staggering body transformations which they claim are the result of the challenge.

The 75 Hard challenge is not for the faint of heart. In short, it involves doing each of the following daily for 75 days:

If any component is failed, the challenge must start again from day one.

This article is part of Quarter Life, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.

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The creator of this challenge claims that completing it will allow you to change your life forever and lead to career success, greater confidence and better relationships alongside being physically fit. Theres currently no scientific evidence to support these claims.

Although the requirements of the 75 Hard challenge are pretty outlandish by most peoples standards, seeing the transformations and online testimonials of how the challenge changed lives may explain why many continue to be curious about it.

Heres what to know if youre thinking about giving it a try.

The two main components of the 75 Hard challenge (eating right and exercising regularly) are of course good for your health. Plenty of research shows that proper diet and regular exercise lowers the risk of obesity and can prevent chronic and age-related diseases, including some cancers and cardiovascular disease.

But in order for diet and exercise to be effective, they must be done in a safe way.

When exploring the safety (and injury risk) of exercise, one of the most important considerations is physical load. This is the combination of how much, how hard, and how often you exercise.

If you have a high physical load (such as exercising intensely seven days a week), you are more likely to suffer from injuries, illness or other issues such as overtraining syndrome. Overtraining syndrome typically happens when you train too much and and recover too little between exercise. It can lead to fatigue, which may also increase risk of injury.

Previous injuries, age, and even weight can also further increase your risk of injury. These factors will also determine whether or not you can tolerate a high training load.

For most people, training twice a day for 75 days is likely to be too much for them. To reduce the risk of injury its widely recommended to split training sessions up and schedule in rest and recovery days.

Not recovering properly or giving yourself rest days may also affect your fitness and may actually make it harder to see the results you might be hoping to see when following the 75 Hard challenge.

Diet and sleep also have a large effect on your ability to recover well and fuel exercise. But everyones needs are different, so its important to listen to your body. Many generic diets wont work for everyone, so adapt the diet you follow as necessary.

From a psychological perspective, we can also recognise the potential positive impact of fitness challenges such as 75 Hard on wellbeing, self-esteem and mental health.

But a persons success in completing a challenge like 75 Hard may be underpinned by the type of motivation they have for doing so. According to the self-determination theory, every person has a different type of motivation for doing something.

These range from more beneficial to less beneficial types. Its not simply about how much motivation a person has for an activity, but what the quality of that motivation is like.

Beneficial, or quality, types of motivation describe people who do an activity for an intrinsic (internal) reason. For example, they do it because they enjoy exercise or they want to learn new ways of feeling healthy.

Less beneficial types of motivation are when a person does something because of an extrinsic (external) reason. Examples of external reasons include feelings of guilt or shame (such as coercion from others or feeling bad about the way they look), or to receive external rewards such as money or recognition.

If a person has enough of either type of motivation, its probably the motivation needed to get them through the challenge. But the more important issue is whether or not the person maintains the healthy behaviour after finishing the challenge.

Beginning any diet or exercise programme is difficult. New exercisers often hold unrealistic expectations of what they can achieve, which can lead them to have trouble prioritising and scheduling exercise. Maintaining lifestyle changes can also be challenging.

Extrinsic reasons for doing something often lead to dropout. Yet when a person does something for intrinsic reasons, they are more likely to stick with it and can maintain the positive outcomes such as physical fitness and weight loss. This may be even more likely if a person has access to ongoing support following a structured exercise program.

For some people, the 75 Hard challenge may kickstart them into improving their fitness and lifestyle. But being able to maintain that level of activity may depend heavily on the reasons why they are doing it. The rigid list of tasks and consecutive daily nature of the programme may also may it difficult (and even dangerous) to complete.

Anyone contemplating the 75 Hard challenge should seek advice from their healthcare provider or a fitness trainer, and perhaps consider adapting the tasks to suit their fitness level or personal goals.

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75 Hard: what you need to know before taking on this viral fitness challenge - The Conversation

The BMJ study that followed more than 200,000 participants for over 25 years found an increased risk of developing bowel cancer when over-processed foods were a prevalent part of their diets, especially in men (per CNN). Consumption of highly processed foods by both genders leads to obesity, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease, which is associated with increased cancer risk.

According to Eureka Alert, analysis of study results showed that men consuming processed meats, ready-made meals, and sugary beverages had the strongest association with the development of colorectal cancer. There was no direct link between women consuming processed foods and bowel cancer. This could be attributed to women's choice of ultra-processed foods such as yogurt which might counter the effects of other more harmful counterparts. More research is needed to identify whether women's lessened risk of developing bowel cancer from processed foods was affected by uncontrolled influences or by chance.

The study directly linked nutrient-lacking foods to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases that can shorten the lifespan of both men and women (per CNN). Cardiovascular disease was the most prevalent of the comorbidities caused by an unhealthy diet, especially when foods low in nutrients were also ultra-processed. Returning to a diet of whole foods and reserving ultra-processed foods for a rare treat can help clear the path to a longer, healthier life.

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New Study Reveals A Link Between Ultra-Processed Foods And Cancer Risk - Tasting Table