(Reuters Health) - - People who follow low-carb or low-fat diets may not live longer - unless theyre also careful to avoid junk food and sweets, a U.S. study suggests.

Researchers followed 37,233 adults for two decades starting when they were 50 years old, on average. During the study, 4,866 people died, or about 13% of participants.

Overall, mortality rates were similar for people who followed low-carb or low-fat diets and those who didnt, researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine.

However, the risk of premature death did appear lower for people on these diets who consumed healthier foods like plant proteins, unsaturated fats and high-quality carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. In contrast, mortality was higher for people whose diets included lots of saturated fats and animal protein.

The health benefits of a low-carb diet may not only depend on the types of protein and fat, but also the quality of carbohydrate remaining in the diet, said study leader Dr. Zhilei Shan of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

Among low-carb dieters, people who got the most calories from unhealthy foods were 16% more likely to die during the study than people with the healthiest diets.

With low-fat diets, people who got the most calories from unhealthy foods were 12% more likely to die.

The findings are drawn from responses to national dietary surveys conducted from 1999 to 2014. Participants were asked to recall everything they ate in the previous 24 hours, providing a snapshot of their eating habits.

During the study period, 849 people died from heart disease and 1,068 died of cancer. Several types of cancer and many cardiovascular diseases are associated with unhealthy diets.

The study wasnt designed to prove whether or how any specific eating habits might help people live longer, or have the opposite effect.

One limitation of the analysis is that researchers could only score participants diet quality based on their recollection of a single days food intake, and its possible some people changed their eating habits over time.

Its not completely clear what happens in the body when people consume different types of carbs or fats that might impact longevity, said Kevin C. Maki, a researcher at Indiana University School of Public Health in Bloomington who wasnt involved in the study.

Eating lots of saturated fats, for example, might raise cholesterol, and consuming more unsaturated fats might help lower cholesterol, Maki said by email. High cholesterol is one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Beyond this, people who eat well may have other healthy habits that help them live longer.

People who have a higher-quality diet tend to exercise more, have lower body weight, are less likely to smoke and drink alcohol to excess, and are more likely to undergo recommended health testing.

The study shows there can be both good and bad low-carb or low-fat diets, said Andrew Mente of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, who wasnt involved in the study.

Its more about selecting whole natural or minimally-processed foods, regardless of the amount of carbs or fat, Mente said by email. This would translate into a diet that may include a variety of whole foods in various combinations including fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fish as well as whole fat dairy and unprocessed red meat and poultry.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2RcMESR JAMA Internal Medicine, online January 21, 2020.

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Not all low-carb, low-fat diets help you live longer - Reuters

Daniel Grill/Getty Images Fit for Life DietThe keto diet. You've probably heard of it by now.

It's the low-carb, high-fat diet that caught on and spread quickly, leading some to label it as a fad, while others praised its effectiveness.

The new year brings in anannual flood of personalhealth goals, and for those trying to lose weight, the keto diet might have come into consideration. Is it effective? More importantly, is ithealthy?

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Before making any commitments to keto, it's important to understand what you're getting yourself into.In addition to whatthe health professionals below have to say about keto, it's important to consult your doctor before embarking on any high-fat diets.

Though there are slightly different versions of the ketogenic diet, it's primarily based on a low intake of carbohydrates coupled with a high intake of fat and protein.

Generally, this means people on the diet get70% to 80% of their daily calories from fat, about 20%from protein and about 5%from carbs.

The decreased intake of carbs forces the body into the state of ketosis,in which fat becomes the main provider of fuel for the body.

Though similar, keto is not the same as the Paleo and Atkins diets, which also feature low-carb routines.

The diet has been associated with effective weight loss, but it doesn't necessarily get the approval from doctors.

"I wouldn't recommend the keto diet to anybody," Jeffrey Mechanick, medical director at Mount Sinai Heart's Marie-Jose and Henry R. Kravis Center for ClinicalCardiovascular Health,told USA TODAY.

When it comes to dissecting popular diets such as keto, doctors stress the importanceof knowing the difference between weight loss and genuine overall health.

Reducing your intake of carbs, as the keto diet does, goes hand-in-hand with reducing intake of whole grains, fruits and some vegetables, which raises red flags for health professionals.

"That's where Iget a little concerned about the keto diet," Vasanti Malik, adjunct assistant professor of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told USA TODAY.

"You want to be mindful, because these foods whole grains, fruits and vegetables carry a number of beneficial nutrients vitamins, polyphenols, fiber that have been shown time and time again to be beneficial for cardiometabolic health."

As the keto diet essentially nixes the body's intake of carbs, the bodysearches for an alternative source of fuel. Before long, the body breaksdown fat,muscle and tissues to sustain itself, Mechanick said.

"In theory, the keto diet basically mimics starvation," Mechanick said."If you don't eat carbohydrates but you eat an excessive amount of fat and protein, you're still going to waste tissue. Tissue is still going to burn off."

Yes, you might experience weight loss on the keto diet,but that might not actually be good for you, considering what you giveup.

"I don't feel particularly comfortable telling people to reduce intake of things that we know offer benefits for health," Malik said.

Diet-driven peoplemight find this part hard to digest.

Doctors are moving away from what we traditionally think of as a "diet," one with specific restrictions or calorie goals. Instead, theypromotea healthier overall lifestyle.

"The vernacular is changing," Mechanick said. "We try not to even use the word 'diet.' We try to use the phrase 'eating pattern.'"

There's a "rebound" issue with many fad diets such as keto, Malik said. You go on the diet, lose weight, but what happens after that? Most people struggle to stick with it.

"Without a realistic lifestyle change, the individual is going to regain the weight," she said.

The answer might not be a traditional "diet" at all,but there are changes you can make to shed weight while leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

The importance comes in the quality of the foods you eat, not necessarily the number of calories you consume, Malik said. She favors eating patterns that don't abide by a restrictive calorie count, because they generally help people stick with the pattern longer.

Mechanick recommends minimizing your intake of two types of carbs sugars and starches while boosting another: fiber. High-fiber foods,including vegetables, low-glycemic index fruits, beans and nuts, are instrumental to a healthy eating pattern, he said.

"If you can get it up to seven to 10 servings a day, that's great," he said."You can't do that with the keto diet."

Malik urges people trying to lose weightto target foodssuch as whole grains, fruits, vegetables andnuts, while limiting saturated fat, added sugar and added sodium. Balance those practices with daily physical exercise, and you've established a solid base for weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.Althoughshe argues against daily calorie counting, Malik urges caution about portion sizes there's no use in overeating. Avoid appetizers andsnacks in front of screens, and limit meals to one plate of food, the American Heart Association advises.

Losing weight has its benefits, both in a physical and mental sense. But when striving to eat well and hit the treadmill, don't lose sight of what it means to be healthy.

"People have to be content,"Mechanick said."They have to be fulfilled. That's what being healthy and productiveis, and that's really the endpoint."

Follow USA TODAY's Jay Cannon on Twitter: @JayTCannon

Related video: The 12 Best Weight Loss Tips, According to a Nutritionist (Provided by Health.com)

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Keto diet isn't the answer for weight loss, experts say. Here's what is - msnNOW

At 47, Gwyneth Paltrow is thriving. Her skin is glowing, her hair is shiny, and she looks incredibly fit. So its only natural to wonder what she eats on a regular basis. Is she living off an all-organic diet, with a few jade egg-level unusual foods in the mix? Does she secretly eat total junk?

Paltrows former personal chef, Kate McAloon, revealed in a 2017 interview that her family eats as healthy as youd expect. They are very strict. They avoided any sugars, anything sweet, no dairy, just more vegetables, McAloon said. But, she ended up bending the rules a little. When I got there I was trying to stick to the brief and I realized as I started adding more ingredients in, they said, Your food is getting better! she recalled. Thats what happens when you eat more than grass.

Now, in a new video with Harpers Bazaar, Paltrow says she has pretty much become more of an omnivore. Heres what the Goop founders diet looks like in a typical day.

Paltrow told Harpers Bazaar that she starts her day with a large glass or two of water. Then, I sit down with my computer at the kitchen table before the kids wake up, she said. Next up is coffee and some quiet time with her husband as they look ahead to their workday.

Im not a big breakfast person, Paltrow said. Ill eat brunch sometimes late on a weekend but, after I take my kids to school, I go straight to the gym and I always have a big thing of water at the gym.

Paltrow said she puts two GoopGlow super powders into her water for vitamin C and for skinits like my morning orange juice.

Paltrow said on her Goop podcast in 2018 that, on a normal day, Ill have a smoothie for breakfast. She tries to find something that has good fat, protein, and fiber. Among her go-tos: A cacao and almond butter smoothie with spinach and protein powder. If shes in a rush, shell have a peanut butter protein bar.

Paltrow said this is very rare these days but, if she has a hangover, she told Harpers Bazaar that she tries to have an egg sandwich or something that will help me through it.

Paltrow told Harpers Bazaar that shes big on a salad with some protein, although sometimes shell eat something thats being tested in the Goop kitchen, like a turkey burger wrapped in lettuce.

Usually around three or four, Ill hit the snack cupboard at the Goop office, Paltrow said. There, shell grab something salty and crunchy, like cashews or pretzels.

She also likes to have a cup of green tea. That will hold me through til dinner, she said.

Paltrow said on her Goop podcast that shes a little looser with dinner. For dinner, I have whatever I want, she said. But I do always try to avoid highly-processed foods and high-fructose corn syrup.

I cook every weekend, but during the week, its hard because of my job, she told Shape. I have a bunch of chicken dishes and pasta go-tos, and I do a lot of stir-fry for the kids. I always keep cooked brown rice in the fridge. Then it takes two minutes to chop up some vegetables, make a nice sauce, and youre done.

Shes also into one-pot dinners, like chicken in a Dutch oven with root vegetables and potatoes underneath. I like to eat dinner on the early side, she told Harpers Bazaar. Ive gotten real geriatric about that 6:00, 6:30 dinner.

I love French fries, which is a well-known fact, Paltrow said. French fries are sort of my favorite meal. Theyre technically a side, but I guess I could eat them for a mealand I would.

And, like the rest of us, sometimes she needs a nightcap. Ive been trying not to drink so much on weeknights, because its such an easy habit to fall into, Paltrow said. But sometimes, work is tough, and you just need one. Her drink of choice: a Gibson, (a vodka martini with cocktail onions) or whiskey on the rocks.

Because she eats such healthy meals, Paltrow says she can feel it after indulging in processed foods and booze, per a 2017 interview with Womens Health. But at the same time, you want deliciousness, you want a fun lifepleasure! Youre going to have a baguette-and-cheese-and-red-wine frenzy sometimesbut you want it to be a choice youre awake to: I know this might not make me feel great, but today Im choosing it anyway.

Like what you just read? Youll love our magazine! Go here to subscribe. Dont miss a thing by downloading Apple News here and following Prevention. Oh, and were on Instagram too.

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Gwyneth Paltrow Shared What She Eats in a Typical DayAnd Its Surprisingly Simple - Prevention.com

As women approach 50, their bodies prepare for and go through menopause and other side effects of aging. Many women need to take new and different approaches to maintain their health, including adapting their diets to obtain the requisite nutrients. In that case, they may want to look into the best diets for women over 50.

The 50s are a time for big changes, thanks to perimenopause and menopause. This is a time in a womans life where she has hormone fluctuations, which can cause changes in metabolism and body weight, registered dietitian Julie Kay, MS, RDN, tells Womans Day. Kay also cites osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and changes in blood sugar regulation (insulin resistance can occur due to hormone changes) as other conditions women in this age group might experience.

Registered dietitian Kayla Hulsebus, MS, RD, LD, explains that women can alter their diets to better adapt to their bodies natural changes. Below, Hulsebus shares the best diets, or rather, lifestyles, for women over 50 that can, help support healthy muscle mass, hormone balance, and proper weight management.

The Mediterranean diet is great for heart health and may prevent cancer and diabetes. It doesnt restrict or eliminate any food groups, but instead encourages everything in moderation. Hulsebus notes that it emphasizes carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, in addition to whole grains, which have a lot of fiber and will leave you feeling full for longer.

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It has plenty of omega-3 fats, found in foods like fish and olive oil, that also boost satiety in addition to assisting with hormone production. Its also high in protein, both in plant and animal-based products. This protein is important for women over 50 who need it to fight muscle loss that happens with age.

The Paleo diet is a high-protein, low carbohydrate meal plan that is rich in eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts, and unprocessed meat. Hulsebus says that its lower carbohydrate nature is beneficial for women in their 50s and older who may be dealing with insulin resistance and are unable to process carbs like they were before.

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She also notes that Paleo has no soy or dairy, which can help women going through changes with hormones since excess soy and hormones found in conventional dairy products can lead to high estrogen levels, making women store weight in their thighs and hips. It also includes good fats which promote healthy hormone production.

The whole real food, or clean eating, plan avoids all processed foods, which can prevent inflammation. This diet can also help manage hormones, due to the fact that whole foods dont have antibiotics or preservatives, which can be big hormone disruptors.

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It focuses on whole real food products, like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, meats, and healthy fats. Hulsebus says that the lack of processed food equals less refined sugars, resulting in better blood sugar stability and less abdominal fat being stored. The high number of nutrients and fiber in these foods also results in feeling full, preventing overeating.

Autoimmune protocol (AIP) focuses on repairing the gut and decreasing inflammation, which can be very helpful with the hormonal changes women in their 50s experience. It can also remove toxic and trigger foods such as refined sugars and processed foods which can cause malabsorption and inflammation in the gut.

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If the gut is unhealthy, it inhibits the bodys ability to absorb nutrients, Hulsebus says. This causes hormonal imbalances which exacerbate the hormone changes that are already happening. AIP also supports your immune system which can decrease the risk of illness as we age.

Eating a high-protein/moderate carbohydrate diet can aid the body during its natural aging process. Studies have found that higher protein levels support your bodys muscle mass since it decreases as you age and also keeps you full, decreasing the amount of food thats consumed.

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A diet high in protein can also encourage blood sugar stability, as protein can decrease blood sugar levels. As women age and go through hormonal changes, one thing thats affected is their insulin sensitivity and how they process and utilize blood sugars, says Hulsebus. Eating moderate levels of carbohydrates helps the body get enough B complex vitamins, which can be beneficial for preventing dementia as we age.

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The Best Diets For Women Over 50 How to Lose Weight Over 50 - WomansDay.com

WINCHESTER Those looking to get healthy this year might be tempted to consider a fad diet. But health professionals say its healthier and more practical to choose a healthy lifestyle instead.

Plant-based diets are becoming all the rage as more and more options for vegans make their way to area restaurants and grocery stores.

These are signs of a culture shift, said Donna Michel, a retired nephrologist in Winchester who also has a certificate in plant-based nutrition and is board certified in lifestyle medicine.

When we talk about plant-based diets for health, she said, the things that were mainly talking about are avoiding animal products, avoiding eating added oils and eating primarily whole plant foods.

The beauty of a low-fat, high fiber food plan, she said, is that participants dont have to count calories or portion out food. They can eat as much as they need to because its healthy and is packed with fiber.

You feel full, you feel satisfied, youre not looking for the next thing to eat, she said. You lose weight, and once you lose it, you maintain it. And I think thats what makes this sort of a diet successful, because its not technically a diet. What it is is a lifestyle change.

Why plant-based?

Vegans avoid animal products for various reasons, from ethical concerns to health concerns to personal preference, but advocates say that animal products also are not worth the cost.

Protein is readily available from plants, Dr. Neal Barnard recently told health professionals at a program at Winchester Medical Center.

Meat and dairy contain hormones and fat, he said, egg yolks raise blood cholesterol, and egg whites are simply a glob of animal protein.

Choosing plant-based foods over others comes down to avoiding missed opportunities to eat something healthier, Dr. Michael Greger writes at his website nutritionfacts.org, a nonprofit public service providing free updates on the latest in nutrition research.

[T]heres an additional opportunity cost to eating unhealthy foods beyond just how bad they themselves may be for our health, he writes.

In terms of weight loss, he said it matters how people get their calories (the energy content of food.)

A calorie is not necessarily a calorie, Greger says in a trailer for his new book How Not to Diet, posted at his site.

A hundred calories of chickpeas has a different impact than 100 calories of chicken or Chiclets based on their different ... factors such as absorption, appetite or our microbiome, he said. [E]ven the exact same foods eaten differently can have different effects. The context in which we eat matters too.

The terms vegan and plant-based are interchangeable, Michel said, but plant-based carries with it a connotation of being healthier than a vegan diet that simply eliminates meat, dairy and eggs.

A vegan diet can still be high in fat, sugar and other refined carbohydrates while being low in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes.

Barnard and Michel also stressed that those who dont eat meat should take a Vitamin B-12 supplement.

Plant-based diets are successful for weight loss because people can eat a greater volume of food so they dont feel deprived, Michel said.

Youre replacing high-calorie density foods with large quantities of low-calorie density foods, she said. You can eat till youre full, and thats the whole thing.

She referenced the 2017 BROAD study, a randomized, controlled trial that used a whole food plant-based diet to address obesity, ischaemic (coronary) heart disease and diabetes. It was published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes and is indexed online at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28319109.

The study concluded that it led to significant improvements in BMI, cholesterol and other risk factors. To the best of our knowledge, this research has achieved greater weight loss at 6 and 12 months than any other trial that does not limit energy intake or mandate regular exercise.

Michel said trial participants lost an average of 19 pounds during the three-month study, but even after six-month and 12-month check-ins had maintained their weight loss.

Making the switch

Those starting a plant-based diet should know that non-meat and non-dairy options can be highly processed, greatly reducing their fiber and nutritional density while increasing sodium.

Unlike some other diets, though, the plant-based diet embraces nutrient-rich carbohydrates.

Carbs arent what people should be worried about, she said. Refined carbohydrates and refined starches are the problem.

Avoiding processed foods and oils isnt always easy, though, and Michel said she aims to keep those types of foods to 20 percent of her diet.

In general, she tries to avoid highly processed foods such as chips, flaked cereals and fake meat, instead choosing minimally processed foods like steel-cut oats and fresh tofu, or moderately processed foods like applesauce and rolled oats.

It does take a little bit of planning, she said. It doesnt have to be done expensively.

Beans and rice are inexpensive, she pointed out, and although certain fruits and vegetables (berries, celery and anything with a thin skin) are healthier if organic, she said its more important not to avoid eating produce.

I think part of the reason why plant-based diets are so foreign for people is its not the way we grew up, she said. Its not the way we learned how to eat. Its not what our food culture is in this country.

However, she said its a lifestyle anyone can do if they make the effort to learn about and prepare healthy foods.

Its the best diet for weight loss. Its the best diet for almost any condition, she said.

You have one diet that fits all sizes. I think thats the real beauty of it.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has an app for starting a plant-based diet, called the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, for Apple and Android devices. For more information, visit kickstart.pcrm.org/en.

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Plant-based lifestyle: A 'diet that fits all sizes' - Northern Virginia Daily

Stress hormones in our diet may be a missing link between food and wellness.

Does eating food that contains too many stress hormonescortisol in meats, ethylene in plant-based foods, and other related hormonestrigger stress and inflammation in our bodies?

To date, scientists have overlooked the possibility that consuming stress hormones through food may be affecting our health. However, we make the case that food-borne stress hormones may be a missing link in the connection between food and health.

If substantiated, this hypothesis could lead to a fundamental shift in how we eat. Even putting aside personal health concerns, reducing stress hormones in our diet can help us imagine a better world, in a larger sense. We would care more not only about how food affects us, but also about how our consumption habits of animals and plants affects them. There are implications for the economy, too: Localism and sustainable agriculture could flourish as farm-to-fork quality control and alignment of interests become priorities.

Stress hormones are biochemicals produced by the body in response to any form of stress. In animals, the predominant stress hormone is cortisol. In plants, the predominant stress hormone is ethylene. These stress hormones produce a wide variety of well-characterized effects within the body of animals and plants that help them survive. What is far less known are the effects of these stress hormones when they are consumed by a different species.

A recent study of piglets published in the Journal of Animal Science by Purdue University scientist Elizabeth Petrosus found that when pigs are fed stress hormones such as cortisol or norepinephrine, their blood levels of these hormones spike, body temperatures rise and gut biomes shift. This poses some questions. How much cortisol or norepinephrine is lurking in our meat? Are these levels rising due to the stress put on animals by the food system? When we eat foods high in cortisol or norepinephrine, do our cortisol and norepinephrine levels spike? Since we know that long-term use of prednisone, a medicinal form of cortisol, is associated with higher rates of high blood sugar, high blood pressure,and obesity, could stress hormones in our foods be a mechanistic link between modern diets and the growing epidemic of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity?

The same pig study found that, due to negative feedback loops, the pigs eventually exhibited abnormally low blood levels of cortisol and norepinephrine due to overcorrection by the body. This poses some additional questions. Does a diet rich in stress hormones induce habituationa loss of intrinsic capacity to respond to stress (detectable as adrenal insufficiency on ACTH stimulation test or autonomic insufficiency on baroreceptor sensitivity tests)? Since norepinephrine analogues (sympathomimetics) are the active ingredients in all rescue drugs for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and anaphylactic shock, we have made the case that intrinsic adrenal-autonomic insufficiency is a common underlying pathology in these conditions. We believe that baseline blood levels of norepinephrine and related stress hormones, as well as their ability to respond to stress on challenge tests, ought to be better studied in these patients.

We also wonder about the stress hormones (ethylene, etc.) levels in plant-based foods. It has been shown that ethylenea marker of inflammation in our bodiestriggers stress response in some of the same bacteria that are commonly found in our gut. Stressed gut bacteria can activate stress in human hosts. Although generally regarded as safe, direct effects of consumed ethylene on the human body are poorly understood. It is noteworthy that, among other effects, the processing of food increases the levels of ethylene in our food significantly.

A consequence of chronic stress in animals is that they get fatter. A consequence of stress on fruits is they get sweeter. When combined, fatty and sweet ingredients serve as the foundation of all processed desserts. Humanswhen they are stressedcrave foods abundant in fatty and sweet signatures of stressed foods: teens binging on ice cream during exam week or police officers taking breaks at donut shops. It is more than ironic that the word desserts spelled backwards is stressed.

While we await the answers to these health-related questions, we can start thinking about how we can reduce stress hormones in our meats and plant-based foods.

Here are examples of production and preparation practices that could reduce the amount of stress hormones in animal-based foods: (1) allowing them to live without too much chronic stress; (2) allowing them to live in free range, cage-free, wild, and natural environments; (3) reducing infectious, chemical, and environmental stress; (4) feeding them a diet containing low stress hormonesfor example, wild grass versus processed corn (processing increases ethylene levels).

Here are examples of production and preparation practices that could reduce the amount of stress hormones in plant-based foods: (1) growing them in proper soil, season, and environments; (2) managing chemical, pest, infection, and water stress; (3) managing their harvest, transport, production, storage, preparation, and consumption in a way that minimizes ethylene productionkeeping in mind that ethylene production continues to happen after harvest. On a side note, vegetative or immature tissues (e.g broccoli, celery, lettuce, and cabbage) release far less ethylene upon wounding, which could help explain their putative benefits in healthy diets.

Indeed, these practices generally align with most trends in healthy food movements. While it is intuitively appealing to speculate that the reduction of stress hormones might be the Occams razor that connects all of these disparate movements, empirical validation is still needed. One day, the health quotient of a food could be determined by its provenance far more than we now understand.

Imagine being able to eat your way to a better world. In that spirit, at a time when confusion reigns about almost everything going on in the planet, and people are asking us to remember a long list of rules on how to eat, heres a simple rule that is easy to remember. If you stress it, it will stress you; if you treat it well, it will treat you well.

Thats the Golden Rule of food.

Joon Yun and Amanda Yun are Principals of the Yun Family Foundation.

An indispensable guide to finance, investing and entrepreneurship.

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Stress Is Edible. Here's How We Can Avoid It In Our Food System - Worth

Was there a deficiency in the diet of mountain women of old which made them crave fat? U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, an orphan boy who was reared in poverty in southern West Virginia, can remember how his foster mother would carefully fish out and eat the fat pork seasoning from a pot of beans. I've seen my mother do the same many time. Native Eskimos consumed blubber in order to insulate their bodies against arctic chill. Now we're advised to avoid eating fat meat, lest it clog blood vessels and add rotundity to the figure.

Those of my generation can recall when plumpness was regarded as an indicator of good health. The gaunt figure which so many strive for nowadays was seen as a harbinger of sickness. Skinny kids were pitied. "Look at that puny young'un," they'd say. "He's not long for this world."

Perhaps it was a carry over from this background which prompted She Who Could Give Dr. Spock Lessons on Rearing Children to insist that ours always "clean up your plate." This rule is one which now says she wishes never had been promulgated in our household, since all of us are constantly engaged in fighting the battle of the bulge.

We were weight conscious in our home long before it became fashionable across the land. She Whose Calories Have Always Been Counted has been watching her weight for better than four decades now. Nancy Regan she regarded with suspicion, finding it hard to believe that any human being could be so tiny. However, her admiration for Barbara Bush reached new heights when the First Lady told an audience of women that she was born weighing 135 pounds and had been dieting all her life. My experience with incipient corpulence is relatively recent. Until middle age, I was one of those obnoxious characters who ate like a horse and never gained an ounce, a physical phenomenon which I was not at all reluctant to call the attention of my portly acquaintances. These quietly rejoiced when my waistline began to balloon and my clothes constricted and I was forced to join the ranks of calorie counters. That all happened some years ago and I have since learned several truths about losing weight and keeping it off. One is that the only miraculous things about the magic pills that are advertised to make you shed 20 pounds per week while eating all you can hold is that there are people dumb enough to buy them. Another truth is that while walking supposedly is good for you, putting down one foot after the other will not by itself shed those pounds. If it did, I would be skinny as a rail since in recent years I have walked the equivalent of Sistersville, W.Va. to Atascadero, CA and back. It also is a given that food which is any good to eat has far more calories in it than you can afford to consume. And there really is no such thing as stylish stout in America, although there may be in Japan.

The Japanese make sports heroes out of sumo wrestlers, tall young men of great weight, generally upwards of 400 pounds. Clad only in loincloths, these obese caricatures of humanity compete by trying to bump other 400 pounders out of a ring or forcing their opponents to touch any part of their body (except their flat feet, of course) to the ground. The "matches" usually last only a few seconds. In view of the fact that sumo heretofore has been limited to hereditary participants, it is ironic that the new champion sumo wrestler of Japan is an American citizen from Hawaii. He now weighs 430 pounds and reportedly lost 40 pounds in training for the sumo competition.

A question comes to mind: On any given day in this country, what with diets, weight loss centers, exercise and the like, there must be tons of weight lost. The fat disappears. But where does it go? She Who Never Is Stumped had a ready answer for my query. "It goes," said she firmly, "into the nearest closet whence it will jump right back on you if you give it half a chance."

"Makes sense," said I. "You know what Walt Whitman had to say on the subject?"

"No."

"Whitman said, "I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones.'"

"You know what Queen Victoria had to say on the subject?" asked she.

"No."

"Queen Victoria said, "I am not amused.'"

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You Diet and Exercise and The Fat Vanishes - But Where Does It Go? - TylerStarNews.com | News, information, Sistersville and Tyler County WV - Tyler...