For the first time, scientists have been able to observe people developing Type 2 diabetes and confirmed that fat over-spills from the liver into the pancreas, triggering the chronic condition.

The research, led by Professor Roy Taylor at Newcastle University, UK, is published in the academic journal, Cell Metabolism.

The study involved a group of people from Tyneside who previously had Type 2 diabetes but had lost weight and successfully reversed the condition as part of the DiRECT trial, which was funded by Diabetes UK and led by Professors Roy Taylor and Mike Lean (Glasgow University).

The majority remained non-diabetic for the rest of the two year study, however, a small group went on to re-gain the weight and re-developed Type 2 diabetes.

Professor Roy Taylor, from the Newcastle University Institute of Translational and Clinical Research, explained what the advanced scanning techniques and blood monitoring revealed.

He said: We saw that when a person accumulates too much fat, which should be stored under the skin, then it has to go elsewhere in the body. The amount that can be stored under the skin varies from person to person, indicating a personal fat threshold above which fat can cause mischief.

When fat cannot be safely stored under the skin, it is then stored inside the liver, and over-spills to the rest of the body including the pancreas. This clogs up the pancreas, switching off the genes which direct how insulin should effectively be produced, and this causes Type 2 diabetes.

This research by Professor Taylor confirms his Twin Cycle Hypothesis that Type 2 diabetes is caused by excess fat actually within both the liver and pancreas, and especially that this process is reversible.

This latest paper builds on previous Newcastle studies supported by Diabetes UK showing exactly why Type 2 diabetes can be reversed back to normal glucose control. Those studies led to the large DiRECT trial which showed that Primary Care staff can achieve remission of Type 2 diabetes by using a low calorie diet with support to maintain the weight loss.

A quarter of participants achieved a staggering 15 kg or more weight loss, and of these, almost nine out of 10 people put their Type 2 diabetes into remission. After two years, more than one third of the group had been free of diabetes and off all diabetes medication for at least two years.

In 2020, this approach to management of short duration Type 2 diabetes is to be piloted in the NHS in up to 5,000 people across England, and a similar program is being rolled out in Scotland.

Professor Taylor adds: This means we can now see Type 2 diabetes as a simple condition where the individual has accumulated more fat than they can cope with.

Importantly this means that through diet and persistence, patients are able to lose the fat and potentially reverse their diabetes. The sooner this is done after diagnosis, the more likely it is that remission can be achieved.

The team are continuing work to establish what may affect an individuals personal threshold and are supporting the roll out of the NHS Initiatives in both England and Scotland. Life Without Diabetes The definitive guide to understanding and reversing your Type 2 diabetes by Professor Roy Taylor will be published by Short Books on 26th December 2019.

Reference: Hepatic Lipoprotein Export and Remission of Human Type 2 Diabetes after Weight Loss by Ahmad Al-Mrabeh, Sviatlana V. Zhyzhneuskaya, Carl Peters, Alison C. Barnes, Shaden Melhem, Aaron Jesuthasan, Benjamin Aribisala, Kieren G. Hollingsworth, Georg Lietz, John C. Mathers, Naveed Sattar, Michael E.J. Lean and Roy Taylor, 19 December 2019, Cell Metabolism.DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2019.11.018

Read more:
Scientists Observe Type 2 Diabetes Develop for the First Time Caused by Overspill of Fat - SciTechDaily

Midlife Fitness Files: The Telegraph's new health series, in which we get keep fit advice from the experts as they talk us through their weekly workouts and daily diet

Bridget Woods Kramer, 65, is one of Londons leading yoga teachers. She lives in Cornwall, with her two children, Hannah, 27 and Ben, 25.

Morning stretches and walks by the sea

Every morning I stretch while still in bed. I am a great believer in doing what you can, which is something I learned looking after my husband when he was sick and I became the main breadwinner. He had Parkinsons and a brain tumour but died two years ago from a heart attack. It aged me a lot but I dont regret it. Trying to get someone better and realising...

Read this article:
Midlife Fitness Files: yoga expert Bridget Woods Kramer on fake vegans and the power of ayurveda - Telegraph.co.uk

The idea of a universal diet for everyone is beginning to be considered as a simplistic approach, as it does not take into account each persons unique nature in relation to a range of dimensions, including metabolism and microbiome. That is why the scientific community has suggested moving from a one-size-fits-all approach to diet to an integrated personalized treatment approach.

A few years ago, Eran Segal and colleagues at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel showed that our gut microbiome was a key determinant in predicting glycemic responses in participants without diabetes.

Could our gut microbiome also play a role in our unique response to exercise? A small study from researchers at the University of Hong Kong in China, the Hans Knoll Institute in Germany and Guangdong Pharmaceutical University in China reveals gut microbiome inhabitants and their metabolites may help predict the metabolic benefits of exercise in subjects with prediabetes.

In a sample of 39 overweight men with prediabetes and without medication, a high interpersonal variability in fasting glucose, insulin, and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (alongside homogeneous changes in body weight and fat percentage) was observed in response to a 12-week exercise-based intervention. These findings meant participants could be classified as either responders (n = 14)showing a notable improvement of glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivityor non-responders (n = 6).

The authors found that exercise promoted differential alteration of gut microbiota in responders and non-responders. Among other factors, responders exhibited an increase in butyrate-producers (e.g., Lanchospiraceae bacterium), whereas non-responders were characterized by an increase in pro-inflammatory bacteria such as Alistipes shahii.

More interesting were the shifts in gut microbiota and microbial metabolites at a functional level, promoted by exercise. Responders showed a gut microbiota featuring a high expression of genes involved in increased DNA replication, together with an enhanced capacity for producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is involved in improved glucose homeostasis. In contrast, an increased catabolism of branched-chain amino acids and aromatic amino acids, which may promote insulin resistance, was shown only in those classed as responders following the 12-week exercise intervention.

In contrast, the gut microbiota of non-responders was characterized by increased production of colonic gases and toxic compounds (i.e., phenolic derivatives and sulfate metabolites), which scientists argue could attenuate the beneficial effects of exercise on glucose homeostasis. The gut microbiota of non-responders after the 12-week exercise-based training was, indeed, quite similar to that of sedentary controls.

In an additional 30 subjects, the authors were able to accurately predict personalized glycemic response to exercise by integrating baseline microbial signatures using machine learning, which is a subtype of artificial intelligence.

Transplanting fecal microbiota from respondersbut not non-respondersled to improved glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in obese mice. This experiment in mice showed the causal contribution of gut microbiota to mediating the effects of exercise on the host metabolism.

We already know that the human gut microbiota could be behind the multiple benefits of exercise for our health and wellbeing. Now these findings show that individual gut microbiota composition and functional diversity matter when achieving the well-known metabolic effects of exercise, including improvements in glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity.

As exercise plays a central role in preventing and treating diabetes and related complications, working on gut microbiota-targeted strategies and considering other inputs beyond baseline microbial signatures will help with improving response variability to exercise.

Reference:

Liu Y, Wang Y, Ni Y, et al. Gut microbiome fermentation determines the efficacy of exercise for diabetes prevention. Cell Metab. 2019. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2019.11.001.

Visit link:
Gut microbiome inhabitants and their metabolites are involved in our unique response to exercise - Gut Microbiota for Health

Nothing can kickstart your weight loss and fitness journey faster than a bout of self realisation. 22-year-old Pankaj Kumar tells us that he started hitting the gym to not just lose weight but also get ripped to overcome an inactive lifestyle. I wanted to invest my time in bettering my life, my confidence and also my mental well-being.

When I began my weight loss and fitness journey, I weighed 77 kgs with a fat accumulation of 27-30 per cent, he says. To build a ripped body, the first thing that you need to do is get rid of your bodys excess fat and then work towards building lean muscles, which Pankaj was able to do by losing 11 kgs, courtesy of one genius diet hack calorie deficit.

A calorie deficit is a specific diet pattern that revolves around the number of calories you consume in a day. According to Healthline, the concept is based on the idea that as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn, youre bound to lose weight.

This diet pattern requires you to calculate the number of calories your body needs to consume to function smoothly without feeling hungry, and how much deficit you need create without harming your health.

The deficit can then be created by cutting down empty calories and unhealthy fats. Keep in mind that the number of calories required to create a deficit is different for different body types. You can calculate yours online via a calorie calculator.

QUICK READ: How many calories should you eat every day to lose weight?

I am an eggetarian, my calorie deficit diet was a combination of vegetarian sources (mostly paneer, tofu, low-fat milk, sprouts, dal, nuts, low-fat curd, fruit salads, rice, fresh veggies, brown bread, peanut butter) and eggs.

QUICK READ: This is how eating eggs daily will help you lose weight without compromising on flavour

Since the number of calories one needs to consume will keep changing as per your goals, the quantity of the foods will also change, as it did for me. But these foods comprised my daily diet. The same is also true for your exercise regime, I followed the below exercise regime to lose 11 kgs before switching the routine again to build my body up.

I used to workout 5-6 days/week and the basic routine comprised Weight Training + HIIT/Sprints. More importantly, I used to train 2 body parts in a day and focused more on Compound Movements such as Bench press, Overhead press, Push ups, Deadlift, Pull ups and Squats.

QUICK READ: You're truly fit if you can do these 10 pushup variations

My body transformation has gone through whats popularly known as 'a weight recycle'. Simply put, I lost 11 kgs in 4months (77 kgs to 66 kgs) by following the above diet and exercise regime, which essentially also meant that I lost a lot of the excess body fat. So with the excess body fat gone, I became lean and then started to work on gaining healthy muscle mass. So, now I am 76 kgs with lots of muscle mass and very less fat percentage.

1. Follow a calorie deficit diet

2. Track your calories daily (if you don't want to do that then work on a trial and error method by reducing your portion size and checking your weight weekly, if your weight goes down then voila this is perfect portion size for you!)

3. Eat more vegetables and protein-rich food. Vegetables are loaded with minerals and vitamins. Protein-rich food will help retain muscle mass and also help burn calories.

4. Drink more water.

5. Do weight training. It helps shape the body and retain muscle while losing weight and also walk more (at least 10,000 steps). Walking strengthens the joints and also promotes heart health.

6. Be consistent and stay disciplined.

Disclaimer: The diet and workout routines shared by the respondents may or may not be approved by diet and fitness experts. GQ India doesn't encourage or endorse the weight loss tips & tricks shared by the person in the article. Please consult an authorised medical professional before following any specific diet or workout routine mentioned above.

NOW READ

5 ways to lose weight by walking with these effective, easy-to-do health tricks

How to lose weight like this 42-year-old who lost 18 kgs by tweaking his eating habits instead of crash dieting

We tried Varun Dhawans workout with his trainer, Kuldeep Shashi

More on Fitness

Read the original here:
How to lose weight and get fit like this guy who lost fat by following this one genius diet hack - GQ India - What a man's got to do

Lindsay McCusky rides her Peloton at home in Beaconsfield. The screen allows her to connect via the internet to live and on-demand spin classes.John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette

The Peloton, a trendy stationary bike designed for home use, has had its share of detractors. Most of the initial backlash on social media was related to its hefty price tag and upwardly mobile demographic (the base model without accessories or discount sells for $2,950. But more recently its holiday ad campaign came under fire for featuring a husband surprising his wife with a Peloton bike for Christmas. Critics remarked that giving an already slim wife an exercise bike sends the wrong message about body image.

Lindsay McCusky of Beaconsfield relates to the comments about the big price tag but doesnt share the same sense of indignation about the ad campaign. Parents to a toddler and a pre-schooler, she and her husband Adam Barrette struggled finding time to get to the gym. They bought a Peloton four months ago and couldnt be happier with their investment.

After months of deliberation, we finally decided to get one, McCusky said. For us its a big expenditure, but its become our thing and its nice to do as a couple.

The unit looks like the spin bikes found in fitness studios, but comes equipped with a 22-inch touchscreen tablet that connects via the internet to live and on-demand spin classes. Using the Peloton app (membership is $49 a month), cyclists can join in on classes in real time, taught by instructors at Pelotons studio in New York City, or choose from thousands of archived classes that can be enjoyed anytime. Classes can be chosen by instructor, type of music, length and/or intensity and level of instruction novice to veteran.

McCusky is a fan of the on-demand classes, which she taps into when the baby naps or any other time she can get away for a quick workout. Barrette, who travels extensively for work, prefers the competitiveness of the live classes where he can compare his efforts to the thousands of others who tune in from home. As cyclists log in, their name, age (by decade), location (by city) and workouts stats are displayed to everyone on the ride. The leaderboard shows the cyclist with greatest energy output, along with, in descending order, everyone else trying to catch up. It can also be filtered by age and gender so cyclists can see how they compare to their peers.

Instructors are featured full-screen with a small number of class members visible in the background. Its not uncommon for instructors to give a shout out to cyclists at home who are at the top of the leaderboard and to those working hard to displace them.

For most cyclists joining in on the ride, the stats are the thing. Real time personal stats are displayed on the touchscreen: cadence, level of resistance, energy output and heart rate if the cyclist wears a monitor. It also shows the leaderboard and the relative position of the cyclist taking the class at home. Riders can also view the stats of their previous personal best, which tends to amp up engagement. For those who want a less competitive ride, its possible to toggle off the stats and enjoy the experience without getting fed a bunch of numbers.

It was Barrette who pushed to get the Peloton. He used the bike frequently in hotels during his business travels thoroughly enjoyed the experience. McCusky was home with the kids while he travelled, making it difficult to get out of the house for a workout. Work and a young family has changed their lifestyle considerably from the days when they played intercollegiate sports (she played hockey, he played rugby). The Peloton bike allows them to workout with minimum fuss and bother.

They bought the whole package bike ($2,625), shoes (two pairs at $165 each), heart rate monitor ($65) and home delivery and set up ($325). And because Peloton doesnt sell or deliver to Quebec, they had the bike shipped to a friends house in Ottawa. Total price tag, including tax and a small discount: $3,638.60.

I loved it right away, said McCusky, who tried it the first time when it arrived at her house. She hadnt taken a spin class in over 10 years, so she started with a beginner ride. Since then shes been on the bike five times a week, most of the time for a maximum of 30 minutes.

Some people have tried to get around the steep price tag by DIY-ing their own version of the experience with a cheaper bike, the Peloton app and their own tablet propped up on their handlebars. But anyone who is motivated by the steady stream of personal metrics and chasing cyclists higher up on the leaderboard will miss that extra bit of motivation that comes with being plugged into the complete experience.

As for whether giving a Peloton bike to your spouse as a Christmas present will result in outrage or joy, you know best.

(Peloton has expanded to treadmills, and the app also features yoga and fitness classes.)

(Statistics supplied by Peloton)

See more here:
Jill Barker: Couple goes the distance to get a Peloton. The verdict? - Montreal Gazette

In her late 40s, Kelly Ripa is arguably in the best shape of her life. Her biceps are ridiculous, her skin is all glowy...and have you seen her abs?! Kelly's jacked body didn't just happen by accident. But although she hustles in the gym, she also takes a super relatable approach to fitness. Here's how Kelly looks *so* amazing, and the health tricks she swears by.

1Make fitness a priority

Kelly does. Her routine includes running, SoulCycle classes, and the AKT method's cardio-strength classes. Kelly has trained for years with AKT's founder Anna Kaiser, and it shows.

2Follow an alkaline diet

Kelly follows an alkaline diet, which is where you only eat foods that are low in acid (aka alkaline). She started the diet after having a slew of injuries. "It has changed my life," she told viewers. "I swear I think it's responsible for me not being in pain."

3Give your skin time to breathe

Kelly's shared plenty of no-makeup pics on Instagram and, with skin like that, can you blame her?

4Snag a good dermatologist

Kelly told People that her skin completely changed after she started working with cosmetic dermatologist Fredric S. Brandt. I didnt have a routineI washed my face with soap, she said. He really sort of gave me an inside-out frame of mind in terms of beauty and taking care of myself. Once Ive done the damage, he erases it with his miracle concoctions, lotions, potions, lasers and needles.

5Consider anti-inflammatory supplements

Kelly takes anti-inflammatory supplements, including Omega-3 fish oil, black cumin seed oil, and turmeric, her personal nutritionist Dr. Daryl Gioffre told People. Plus, she drinks Alkamind Daily Greens every morning and Alkamind Daily Minerals during her workouts.

6Focus on your health

"Why is she so energetic and smiling? Because health equals energy," Gioffre told People. "She works as hard on her health as she does on the showshe probably [works] harder than anyone I know."

7Incorporate ballet into your workouts

Kellys long-time trainer Anna Kaiser told People that they do arm workouts on a ballet bar, alternating between pulsing in a half plank and pushing off the bar for a power move.

8Go all in with resistance bands

Kelly uses resistance bands to work all her arms inner and outer muscles. "We love that contraction and how that feels," Kaiser told People.

9Push yourself

Kelly's all about pushing her body to achieve new goals. This year, she helped nab the Guinness World Record for the Most Ballet Dancers En Pointe Simultaneously. Kelly and hundreds of other dancers all stood on their toes for a minute, and Kelly told viewers that she had to train for it.

10Be consistent

Kelly once shared that she works out at least four times a week, usually with Kaiser, for 60 to 90-minute sessions.

11Bring what you love into your workouts

"I love to dance, and she loves to dance," Kaiser told Women's Health. Together, Kelly and Anna do dance cardio, functional training, and circuit training, along with some serious core work. "You need to find something that you love to do, and that will help you show up...that thing that makes you feel really jazzed, and makes you feel great after, too," Kaiser said.

12Don't be scared of carbs

Kelly has made it clear that she loves her carbs. While her husband Mark Consuelos is on the keto diet, Kelly said she could never do it. "Mark says that I'm 'carb-o,' because I always eat his bun if he gets a burger. And the fries," she told Bon Appetit. "But you know, I work out, so I feel like I'm allowed."

13Snack healthy

Kelly told Bon Appetit that she loves to snack on nuts, dried fruit, and peanut butter ThinkThin high protein bars.

14Have some PB&J

Kelly is big into the sandwiches. "I get ciabatta bread, and now I eat half a sandwich before bed, with chunky Skippy peanut butter or Justin's honey peanut butter and Bonne Maman strawberry or raspberry jam," she told Bon Appetit.

15Live a little

Kelly told Bon Appetit that she's taken a more laidback approach to her diet over time. "At 48, I'm sort of saying, 'Who cares? Life is short," she said.

16Start your day with a really intense cup of coffee

Kelly is huge into Bulletproof coffee with the "darkest roast coffee" she can get. She adds a spoonful of Organic Valley ghee, and two shots of espresso. "It fills me up and I feel satiated, so it keeps me from being ravenous during the show," she told Bon Appetit.

17Hit the snooze button

Kelly sets her alarm for 5:30 a.m., but she told Women's Health that sometimes it can take her up to a half hour to actually roll out of bed.

18Try partner yoga

Kelly shared these pics of herself and Mark on an anniversary trip to the Bahamas. In her caption, Kelly joked that trust and flexibility keep their relationship alive.

19Find a sleep schedule that works for you

Ripa doesnt usually go to bed until 1 a.m., and she usually gets restless around 3:30 a.m. Mark will say, Why are you awake? Im not sure, she told Good Housekeeping. Still, she ends up getting around five hours of sleep a night.

20Focus on your whole core

Kelly's trainer Anna Kaiser told WomensHealthMag.com that she really tries to focus on moves that target the entire core, not just the abs. "Every exercise we do works your full corethe butt, the abs, and the backat the same time," she said. "If youre training functionally, youre hitting those muscles from all planes of motion."

21Switch it up

Kelly likes to mix things up here and there when it comes to her workouts. "I think its important for people to work out with a program that offers everything, not just one type of workout over and over again, so youre balancing the amount of cardio and strength youre doing, and youre switching it up," Kaiser told WomensHealthMag.com.

22Take snacks on the go

When Kelly is traveling, Kaiser said she always recommends Kelly travels with some healthy snacks.

23Focus on your core, not your abs

If you only focus on your abdominal wall, your back isnt going to be as strong, and so theres going to be an imbalance in your body, Kaiser told WomensHealthMag.com. You want them to be strong together and work together, and not have one overcompensate.

24Have yogurt for breakfast

Kelly is big on starting her day with Greek yogurt. I put honey and granola and make it look like some parfaitits a must, she told Good Housekeeping.

25View the gym differently

"It would have never have occurred to me to exercise before I had kids. Ever. Now, I find that I need it to clear my head," Kelly told WomensHealthMag.com. "I need strength and stamina because raising kids is the toughest job there is. And its the most rewardingbut it's exhausting, and it's hard work. My childless self would have died laughing seeing me in a gym."

26Fuel up before you sweat

Kelly said that she doesn't feel like eating after a run or big cardio workout. "So, before I'll have a beautiful salad. Sometimes I'll have a protein bar. Or nuts. Something that's supposed to be good for me," she told Good Housekeeping.

27Work out, even when you dont feel like it

Kelly told WomensHealthMag.com that she makes herself work out even when she doesn't feel like it. "Sometimes it's not so pleasant, and you don't want to wake up to go on a jog in the morning, but I just force myself to do it," she said.

28Go all in with Sunday breakfast

Kelly told Good Housekeeping that she likes to do a "full hot breakfast" on Sundays. "Mark likes me to make him breakfast in bed. We're both so busy during the week, I rarely have time. But on Sunday, it's the one time that I can do something really nice for him," she said. "And everybody enjoys my scrambled eggs, because I put cream in the eggs and some cheese in there. They're not fat-free, but they're delicious."

29Make the most of your workout time

Kelly is "extremely busy and AKT is super efficient as well as effective and crazy fun," Kaiser told InStyle. "We have such a blast together and she can get everything she needs, strength, cardio, power, stretching, in one place, instead of running to different boutique studios trying to fit it all in.

30Get some great exercise music

Good exercise jams are "everything," Kaiser told InStyle. She and Kelly are "both obsessed with finding the best music. It really drives the workout," she said.

31Try to eat clean

"For the most part, Mark and I have very clean diets. But we love cream in our coffee," Kelly told Good Housekeeping.

32Focus on the mental perks of exercise

Kelly says she gets more than an amazing body out of working out. "I feel like my mind is a little quieter when I exercise," she told Good Housekeeping.

33Know your heart history

Kelly told Good Housekeeping that she tries to work out to keep her heart healthy. "I don't have the best family history heart-wise, so I really try to keep my heart strong," she said.

34Go all in with exercise every day

"I try to make my heart beat out of my chest, hard-core, once a day for at least a half hour. I think that's very important," Kelly told Good Housekeeping.

35Know your weaknesses

Kelly told Good Housekeeping that she works out so consistently because it's super easy for her to fall out of her routine. "I'm the kind of person who, if I take one day off, well, it's very easy for me to take the next day off and then quit exercising. If I don't do it every day, I won't do it at all," she said.

36Start slow

When she first started working out, Kelly told Good Housekeeping that she would do it for three days a week, walking for a half hour on a treadmill. "Then it was five days a week, and then I started jogging. It was like a drug. The gateway drug is the treadmill," she said.

37Be cool with dessert

"I'm not militant about anything. If there's cheesecake in the house, I'll have some. If I'm in the mood for something, I'll have it," Kelly told Good Housekeeping. "I don't obsess about anything. I could have three or four 'cheat days' in a week and then not have dessert for another three months."

38Be in the moment

Kelly told Good Housekeeping that she recommends that people "appreciate every second, even when you're exhausted."

39Find what you need to chill

"I deep-breathe, and I do a lot of yoga," Kelly told Good Housekeeping.

40Figure out an eating plan that works for you

Kelly told Good Housekeeping that she loves cheese and high-fat foods, but she tries to keep herself in check. "I would love nothing more than to have pizza and french fries every day, but I try to limit those treats to once a week," she said.

See the original post here:
Kelly Ripa's Diet And Workout Routine That Keeps Her Looking Young - Women's Health

Really hard.

Turkey, ham, stuffing. Mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole. Cookies, caramels, pies, jellos The tasty temptations abound, splayed out across tables at family Christmas gatherings (and some families have a few of those), work potlucks and other group functions.

For a lot of folks, the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year is a time of food. A time to satisfy that sweet tooth, indulge those savory cravings, and get good and full or, as is often the case, overfull.

It creates a real challenge for people who are trying to eat healthy, or who need or want to follow a special diet. Dietary restrictions are becoming more and more common, with a growing number of people discovering they have food allergies, or needing or choosing to follow a gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian, low-carb, or Keto diet, among myriad others.

Staying on the wagon with these diets isnt always easy especially around the holidays.

Alexa Stelzer, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Essentia Health St. Marys in Detroit Lakes, said the biggest thing people can do to keep their food intake in check is to change their mindsets about the importance of food. To think about food less, and loved ones more.

For all people, whether on a special diet or not, Stelzer said, make the focus of the gathering be about connecting with and spending time with people, not so much about food Focus on having great conversations, rather than circling back to the food table. That can be really helpful.

In her role at Essentia, Stelzer works with clients one-on-one and in group settings, in both the hospital and clinic. Around the holidays, she commonly talks to them about how they can stick to their usual eating patterns in this unusually bountiful season. Some have strict guidelines they absolutely must stick to at all times of the year, such as a diabetes diet or a peanut allergy, while others are just trying to make gradual, healthy lifestyle changes.

I feel like more and more people are needing to follow special diets, she said. And I think a lot of people are becoming health conscious and are trying to follow diet patterns and eating patterns that they recognize can make them feel better in the long term.

Her recommended diets vary from person to person, but no matter what, she always tells her clients to develop eating plans they can realistically continue for years to come.

There are pros and cons to most any way of eating, but for a diet to be successful long-term, it has to be a diet that you can stick with, she said.

This can be trickier to do around the holidays, not only because of the tempting foods all around, but also because of the extended duration of the season.

It's pretty easy, if you're following a diet, to stick to it over one day, Selzer said. It's when we have multiple parties that we're going to, and we're continuing to not follow our eating plans over a longer period of time (that we run into trouble).

To avoid the pitfalls of overindulgence and unhealthy eating, she suggests people fill their holiday plates half-full with vegetables before adding any other types of food. This ensures a sizable portion of low-calorie, low-carb, fiber-rich, nutritional foods, and leaves less room on the plate for less healthy options.

Also, she recommends leaving leftovers at the party, instead of offering to take them home. Or, for those who host, sending leftovers home with guests who want them.

Probably the most important thing anyone can do, though, at any time of the year, is pay attention to every morsel that enters their mouth.

One of the most common things that I talk about this time of year, with holiday eating, is practicing mindful eating whether youre following a special diet or not, Stelzer said. Mindful eating is being really conscious of what and how you're eating. With mindful eating principles, you really slow down and savor the foods as you're eating them.

By tuning in to the smell, sight and taste of the foods you eat, she explained, you become more aware of the act of eating, and more easily recognize when youre satisfied and have had enough.

That's something I work with people on a lot being aware of hunger and recognizing that full feeling in your body, and remembering that if you continue to eat, you're going to get really uncomfortable, Stelzer said.

If you practice mindful eating, focus on family over food, stack your plate with veggies first, and leave the leftovers for someone else, you dont have to completely derail your diet over the holidays, she added. A number of people put their healthy patterns on hold through the holidays and then try to 'catch up' afterward. But it doesnt have to be an all or nothing sort of thing.

Alexa Stelzer, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Essentia Health St. Marys, says planning is the key to successful holiday meals for those who are on a special diet, whether its vegan, low-carb, gluten-free or any number of others out there.

Stelzer offers the following tips for those who want or need to stay on the wagon:

Give the host a heads up. The host wants everyone at the party to have a good time and have options available for food, so a heads-up is usually appreciated. If they seem receptive, provide a little education about which ingredients to avoid and how to minimize risk of cross-contamination. Dont expect everything to be compliant with your diet, but the host can often make some modifications, such as cooking turkey and stuffing separately (to keep the turkey gluten-free), or making the salad a build-your-own option rather than mixing all the ingredients together ahead of time.

Bring a dish everyone can enjoy. Bring something that you absolutely love that complies with your diet. Then even if everything else is off-limits, youll still have an option you enjoy and that will satisfy you. Even better if you can bring a main dish and a dessert to make sure you get something hearty as well as something sweet. There are lots of specialized baking mixes that make the dessert side of things easy. And there is always the fresh fruit and veggie tray option, which is safe for most people. If cross contamination is a concern, be sure to bring your own serving utensils.

Prepare for questions. People will likely be curious about why you are eating the way you are. It is helpful to have some basic responses prepared. If you feel uncomfortable getting into details, leave your answers vague and say something like, I just feel better when eating this way, or I need to follow this diet for health reasons. You may also want to direct the curious to a relevant article or documentary for more information. You have no responsibility to educate and inform people if you dont want to. On the other hand, avoid educating and informing everyone you meet about the many reasons for your special diet if they arent asking or interested.

Express gratitude. Even the smallest efforts people make to provide appropriate dishes for you or to learn more about your special diet are worthy of a genuine thank you.

Consider being a host yourself. As a host, you have control over most of the food choices and the way they are prepared. You may want to avoid serving some of the out there foods from your special diet if your guests have never experienced them, unless you have an adventurous group. It be more crowd-pleasing to adapt classic holiday favorites to be compliant with your diet. The internet can be a great resource for finding appropriate substitutions, modified recipes, or entire diet-specific cookbooks. If guests want to bring a dish, make suggestions that would be safe for you, or just allow them to bring their favorites so you know theyll have an option theyre familiar with and enjoy. Be proactive and ask your guests ahead of time if they are following any special diets that you can help accommodate.

Read more here:
Keep indulgences in check with mindful eating and a focus on family over food - Echo Press