I woke up the other morning and saw a post on Facebook about a white football player supporting his fellow black teammate in protest of the National Anthem. I was so geeked up! When I get excited, I sing and make up dances but not like, The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round type lyrics. Im more like, Oooooooooohhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaah! Lemme see this whiiiiiiiiiiiiite boy on his kneeeeeeeeee! It wasnt until I was at the end of the article that I realized that people were praising Chris Long of the Philadelphia Eagles for placing his arm around his black teammate, Malcolm Jenkins as he held up his fist during the National Anthem. I guess its something, right? Sure. I kept reading and came across a quote by Long, Ive said before that Ill never kneel for an anthem because the flag means something different for everybody in this country but I support my peers. Yes, I know there is more to his quote. I dont care (dont @ me). And THATS what I call Diet Support.

Well damn, Chris! Thanks for putting yourself out there. I had to look at two pictures and read an entire article before I realized what your support was. Sometimes Im a little too woke. I get it. Im constantly checking my initial reactions to things especially when it comes to racism and allies. Its like, hey, boo! I see you with your Black Lives Matter button on your jacket! *whispers I had to squint to see it but I saw it sooooooooooooo, cool. Then the next day my Facebook is blowing up like,Look guys! We got ANOTHER white player supporting us! I grabbed my eclipse glasses because I might not see this again in my lifetime and I didnt want to damage my own vision. I see a photo of Justin Britt of the Seattle Seahawks with his hand on the shoulder of black teammate Michael Bennett as he sat during the National Anthem. I mean, visually, it made me uncomfortable but again, Im too woke sometimes. How much more powerful would it have been to see a white player actually take a knee WITH his black teammate and show actual support?

There was a terrorist attack in Barcelona this week that took over my white friends social media feeds. Pray for Barcelona, I stand with Barcelona and even I am Barcelona. People always show what and who they support when tragedies occur. I remember when there was a terrorist attack in London at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper. Everyone was all Je Suis Charlie but no one was Je Suis Tamir or Travon or Sandra. Its a dagger to the heart every single time. I used to hate when people said, what about us but really, what about US?! People of color are dying at the hands of paid public servants and you cant move your mouth OR your fingers to declare that Black Lives Matter? I get that were supposed to meet people where they are but why dont you try meeting me at least close to where I am? Paid public servants were ALLOWED to murder a 12 year old CHILD who was PLAYING IN A PARK and you want to offer your arm around me? No thanks. I dont want your Diet Support. I want the full-fat. I need all the calories. Give me all the good stuff. Get on your knee; put your fist in the air; wear a Black Lives Matter shirt and when someone whispers All Lives Matter take the time to let them know whats really going on; tell your racist uncle that hes racist and stop laughing at your co-workers racist jokes. Ok? Thanks, team.

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Diet Support aka Diet Ally - HuffPost

Professional athletes dont get to the top by accident. It takes superhuman levels of time, dedication, and focusand that includes paying attention to what they put in their bellies. In this series, GQ takes a look at what fit people in different fields eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the daily diet of WWE star Seth Rollins.

For years, wrestling fans were hyping up Seth Rollins as one of WWEs brightest young stars. Nowadays, hes a certifiable main eventer and a video game cover star, to boot. And as one of the flag bearers ushering in a new generation of professional wrestling, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to both look and perform well. (Hes not known as CrossFit Jesus for nothing.) Ever wonder what it really takes to achieve videogame abs or how much food you need to eat in order to step between the ropes? We caught up with the WWEs resident kingslayer ahead of SummerSlam to answer all those questions and more.

GQ: You were recently announced as the cover star to this years WWE 2K18 video game, and the Internet has had a lot of fun talking about how realistic your character in the game looks, specifically the care for detail when it came to your abs. So let me ask you: are abs made in the kitchen or in the gym?

Seth Rollins: I think its a bit of both, you know? Obviously, you can be skinny and have some abdominal definition, but for them to really pop, if you will, youre going to have to put in some time. Youre going to have to do some core exercises and lift some weights, some resistance. Otherwise youre not going to build any muscle in that area, which is whats going to help you be able to show them off a little bit more.

Its no secret at this point that the WWE maintains one of the crazier schedules in sports and entertainment. You guys are going pretty much non-stop, all day long doing media, working out, driving to shows, putting on said shows. So what does an average day look like for you when it comes to eating?

It sort of depends on if Im home or away, but when Im on the road, generally I like to find a good, local breakfast restaurant. Thats my first go-to in the morning. Its one of the ways I can feel like Im doing something with my time other than just working. Generally I have some sort of balanced meal. Three to five eggs for me is good. Whole eggs. Im not an egg whites guy. I cant deal with egg whites. I need the flavor of the yolk, and I like the fat of it, as well. So Ill have that and some sort of potato. If Im not feeling potatoes and Im feeling extra spicy, Ill throw in a pancake or something like that. But they key is just one, for a little bit of carbs to help balance out the diet. If you order three or more pancakes and throw them in my face, Im going to eat them all. And then Ill have a coffee, too. Usually from there Ill go to the gym.

Do you do anything special for a pre-workout, or is your breakfast essentially your pre-workout?

If Ive had coffee in the morning, I wont mess with a pre-workout [supplement] because I dont want to overload on caffeine. I like the caffeine that I do take to be effective and useful, so instead of a pre-workout Ill just kind of ride the morning caffeine wave into the gym. During the workout its mostly just water that Im drinking. If Im not feeling hydrated, sometimes Ill take a little electrolyte supplement that I can just put in my water to help me absorb and hydrate a little better.

Like one of those tablets that just dissolves right into your water?

Yeah, like a Nuun tablet. Those are really effective as far as helping me absorb a good ratio of potassium and sodium and magnesium. Electrolytes without the added sugar of a sports drink.

What about post-workout? What is your go-to after youve finished working out?

Afterwards Ill have a shake, which is usually a pretty heavy shake as far as carbohydrates and protein are concerned. Then Ill go find some more food. Lately Ive beenfor the first time in my career, actuallytraveling with food on the road. One of the things that I wanted to do with my diet in the last few months was create some more consistency. Sometimes when youre on the roadyou mentioned our schedule. Between media, workouts, driving, the shows themselves, theres a lot of room for, I guess, diversity in terms of what were eating and when were eating depending on what town, or even what country, were in. There are all sorts of stuff as far as how we get our food. So for me, I started traveling with meals in the last month or so, really trying to create some consistency in my diet. Its been a little bit of a hassle, but its also been useful and effective. I feel, particularly in my macro counts, just a consistency and a good balance. Plus this way I always have food on me, as opposed to having to go out and try to find stuff. Ive been packing a lot of frozen meals into a very large Yeti cooler over the course of my travels recently.

What type of frozen meals are you typically bringing along with you? Do they follow any sort of dietary restrictions?

I like fats. I think fat is important. I think there is a reason we have it. Obviously its part of our dietary makeup, so I dont avoid it. I think a lot of people fall into the diet trap of starving themselves or eating things that dont taste good for the sake of getting in better shape or having a better physique. I think there has to balance there. I dont avoid carbs. I dont avoid protein. I think its just, again, about balance and finding what works for you and your body. For me, having a higher protein, higher carbohydrate, and middle-of-the-road fat count usually gets the job done as far as my energy needs and for my physique.

For your main meals, what type of fatsIm guessing we would classify them as healthy fatsdo you prefer?

Im a big avocado brother. I love the avocado. So if I can get some avocado in a meal, thats a big win. Otherwise I try to find a good, solid, fattier piece of meat. It doesnt have to be crazy. I dont need to go find olive oils or coconut oilswhich are fineor something like that to get the fat. I find that if you, for example, use a chicken thigh as opposed to a chicken breast, youre going to be able to get a more flavorful chicken. Youre still getting your protein in and, at the same time, youre going to be able to get a little bit more fat in there, which is going to help fill you up and give you a little more energy throughout the day.

One thing I wanted to ask you about: You have your own wrestling school now, the Black and Brave Wrestling Academy. I was curious how much focus you put on nutrition for the people who attend your school when theyre first coming in?

"I dont need to go find olive oils or coconut oilswhich are fineor something like that to get the fat. I find that if you, for example, use a chicken thigh as opposed to a chicken breast, youre going to be able to get a more flavorful chicken."

Thats one of the main questions I get from my students when they first come in. Now, mind you, these are mostly young kids18, 19, 20 years old. A lot of them, to be fair, have not participated in athletics before. Theyre just wrestling fans that want to give it a shot and see what its all about. But they usually come in undersized. And again, theyre still young kids, so theyve got a lot of size to put on. Theyre also usually poor kids that are just trying to make ends meet. They dont come in with a bunch of money that makes it easy for them to find good foods all the time. So my general advice to them is to eat a lot. They think they know what eating a lot is, you know? And then theyre like, Why cant I gain weight? Well, chances are youre not eating nearly as much as you think you are. What I always tell them to do is track how much they actually eat for about a week and just see how the calories lay out. Nine out of 10 times when they do that, theyll find that theyre not eating nearly as much as they thought they were. So my first bit of advice is to just max yourself with food because you need the sustenance as a kid. Being as young as they are, theyve got a metabolism thats probably pretty high and the workload that theyre putting themselves through at my academytheyre doing a lot of work. Far more work then theyve probably ever done in their lives over the course of three months. So I just tell them to eat and eat and eat until they cant eat anymore. For someone who is already in good shape or has the size already, then I can work from there to help mold them into what they want to look like. But, for the most part, the guys just dont eat enough and they need the sustenance if they want to grow.

Spitball a number to me for an average kid who you see come in. How many calories are they usually in taking versus how many they really need to be?

I would say theyre probably eating half of what they need to be eating. Theyre probably putting in 2,000 to 2,500 calories, which is pretty normal. If theyre really trying to gain size, they could probably go up to 4,000 calories. Which sounds insane, but if you really want to gain weight and put size on, thats really the only way to do it. Calories in versus calories out.

Part of the problem, too, is with my program, what theyre doing in the ring and what theyre required to do in the gym, theyre burning a lot of calories. Theyre burning a lot more than what theyre used to.

You and I have spoken about this in the past, but youre huge into CrossFit. Because youre putting yourself through pretty demanding, high-intensity workouts on top of everything else you do, Im sure youre putting an even bigger emphasis on making sure youre getting calories in.

Yeah, I feel like its a never-ending process of tearing yourself down and building yourself back up. I sort of see fitness in that sort of way, making little strides along the way. I think people are impatient with their fitness and their bodies. Theyve got to understand that it takes years and years to get yourself to where you want to be. Its not an overnight thing. Theres no quick fix. Its just a matter of being disciplined and working hard. For me, since I found CrossFit seven years ago, my metabolic output has been a lot more than when I was not doing CrossFit. Im burning more calories, so I need to eat a little bit more. Which is good for me. It lets me play around with my diet a little. That way I can enjoy my food as opposed to hating what I eat all the time.

SummerSlam is Sunday in Brooklyn, and along with WrestleMania, that show has become a sort of milestone on the WWE calendar. Do you allow yourself to have a celebratory meal to mark the occasion after such a big show?

Not necessarily, but Im also not one to shy away from celebrating with food. Im not somebody who has to discipline themselves too much, unless Ive really gone off the rails for weeks at a time. If theres a special occasion, a birthday, an outing with friends, or even just a food I really want to trylike, if Im in New York and theres something on the news saying youve got to go try this crazy ice cream cookie doughnut sandwich or something, Im not shy about having that. Or a cheat meal, or whatever you want to call it. I just think that, again, comes back to having a good relationship with food. Not having it be such a strict thing all the time where youre constantly fighting against what youre eating to get to a point where youre like, Now I get my cheat meal! Now I get to reward myself! I try not to think about food that way. I enjoy eating. I enjoy the process of it, and I dont want it to become something that I dislike, you know?

It doesnt need to become another job for you.

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The Real-Life Diet of Seth Rollins, Wrestling Star and CrossFit Jesus - GQ Magazine

August 18 is National Ice Cream Pie Day. (It's also the third week of National Crayon Collection Month, but who's counting?) You know whose arteries ice cream pie is good for? No one. Plain and simple. But Habit, one of the latest disrupters in the food tech sector, suggests we rethink the very notion of foods that are good for everyone or bad for everyone. It's part of a movement toward what is called personalized nutrition.

Habit, based in the San Francisco Bay area, tests for biomarkers and genetic variants using samples you provide, then generates a personalized report about how your body responds to food. It's your unique "nutrition blueprint." Then the company pairs you with a nutrition coach and offers you custom-made meals, containing your ideal ratio of carbs, fats and protein, delivered to your home. All in the name of sending you on the path to a "new you."

I had to see for myself. So I endured the home test and shipped off my blood and DNA samples. (Gulp.) Then the company's chief executive walked me through the results of my newfound eater identity, and I observed how the diagnosis began to affect my relationship with food. Here's what happened and what it could mean for the future of eating in America.

---

The Habit home kit is not for the faint of heart. After fasting for 10 hours, you answer lots of deeply personal questions, scrub DNA samples from your cheeks and puncture your fingertips with a self-pricking button (technical term: "lancet"). This sounds rough, but my lowest moment is actually chugging their special Habit Challenge Shake. It clocks in at 950 calories, 75 grams of sugar and 130 percent of daily saturated fat intake. It has a taste and smell I can only liken to Kahla. It makes me feel god-awful while drinking it nose pinched, pinkie out, face scrunched and even worse afterward. It was bad enough I had sacrificed my Saturday morning frittata ritual.

By the third blood sample, my dining table looks like a crime scene. I've got bandages on two fingers, mini disinfectant pads strewn around, and cherry red blood dripping down my forearm. I'm angling my elbow like a helicopter hovering over the little blood collection card, just trying to fill the darn box one last time so I can move on with my day. Finally, I pack it up and mail it all off in a rather alarming biohazard bag. The whole ordeal takes about three hours and costs $309.

I'm told I'll receive my results in a few weeks. While I wait, I wander back to the Habit website and take a closer look at those pages and pages of fine print. I start to have second thoughts at sentences like, "You may experience stress, anxiety, or emotional or physical discomfort when you learn about health problems or potential health problems."

Then there's this: "Recommendations regarding diet provided to you may or may not be beneficial to you and may cause or exacerbate certain medical problems."

Say what now?

Thankfully, when the results come in, I get labeled a "Range Seeker." In official Habit-speak, it means "you can be flexible with your macronutrient intake and thrive on a range of foods." Well, that's a relief.

There are seven Habit types, each with dozens of more specific sub-variations, varying from "Slow Seeker" (best suited for foods rich in fiber and carbs that are absorbed slowly) to "Fat Seeker" ("fat is a valuable fuel source for you"). Along with receiving your tribal designation, you're assigned a personalized eating plan, depicting your ideal plate, suggested nutrient goals and daily calorie target.

I'd be lying if I said the results haven't been affecting my food choices, or at least the way I feel about my food choices. For instance, since being told I have a genetic risk variant associated with slow production of omega-3s, I have been seeking salmon like a grizzly bear. Apparently, I'm also genetically predisposed to caffeine sensitivity. Many a morning, this news has me sitting at my desk thinking I must be tripping out on my cup of joe despite the fact that I have consumed the exact same amount of coffee every day of my adult life.

---

On the face of it, personalized nutrition makes sense. Why wouldn't I want to understand the unique dietary yearnings and land mines of my own DNA? Many people seem to feel that the existing national dietary guidance of one-size-fits-all has failed them. They're sick, and they're confused about what to buy and what to order.

But in reducing food to individualized nutrient optimization equating food with fuel, really what are we sacrificing? What are the implications for our food culture and the future of dining? "Oh, gosh, I'd love to go out for sushi with you, but I have to scurry home to my prearranged 'Range Seeker' box in the fridge."

Neil Grimmer, Habit's founder and chief executive, recognizes that food is social. He tells me that it "knots us together culturally," so Habit is in the process of facilitating online communities for people with the same Habit type. Through a private Facebook page, they can share tips and the like. It's better than going it alone, I guess, but a far cry from actually sharing a meal.

Remember the $300 you put down for the home test? It includes a coaching session, so a nutritionist helps you put all your information into practice. During my session, Jae Berman, a registered dietitian nutritionist and head coach of Habit, is a great help. But things don't look so rosy when I ask her how I'm supposed to integrate Habit into regular life.

"The family conversation has been one of the most common questions we have gotten," she says. "It doesn't occur to me as a problem because I just want people to take ownership of their story ... have the empowerment to say, 'This is what my plate looks like; that's what your plate needs to look like,' and move on." Even, she says, if that means everyone at the table eating something different. Have you ever tried being the short-order cook in that scenario? It all but requires outsourcing the meal making.

Imagine, Berman says, a mom who's stressed out, with kids running around, "a husband who is a rail," all the while she has no time for herself, is struggling with her weight, and trying to figure out what on earth to cook for dinner. "Most people don't want to talk about uncomfortable things," Berman says. "But let your kids eat mac and cheese, let your husband do what he needs, and let you have this plate for your dinner. You don't need to do anything it's going to show up at your door."

This desire to customize our food experiences stems from the uniquely American trait of individualism. Often subconscious, it's a desire to be exceptional, distinct from those around us, as opposed to being part of a larger collective. By contrast, many other cultures around the world are characterized by interdependence. It turns out, individualism shapes our eating habits in stunning ways, from the epidemic of solo dining to customization as a firmly expected attribute of eating out.

Habit is the latest example of a new technology enabling that innate premium on personalization, and over time, these tools are pulling us further and further from the table. Think smartphones making us feel less alone while eating alone, and mobile ordering apps allowing us to tailor our meal delivery times and our restaurant orders with greater precision. With roughly half of all eating occasions now taking place when we're by ourselves, we're getting less and less practiced at eating with others.

This reality has major implications for our food culture, and for the rising rates of social isolation in the United States. You know what the single greatest predictor of happiness is? Social connectedness. And guess what: It's one of the greatest predictors of longevity, too.

Of course I want people to eat food that's right for them. But we also have to ask ourselves: Which is really going to make us live longer, and live better? The ability to pay more granular attention to our triglyceride levels, or the more holistic benefits of eating with family and friends?

My grandmother turned 100 this year. Between the birthday parties and the bridge club, her standing dinner dates and the three times a day she picks up her neighbors in their retirement home hallway to take their walkers down to the dining hall, a thriving social life has been Alma's secret to a long life. Whether I'm chomping on my salad, face glued to my iPhone, or waving off her breakfast offer by citing the low-glycemic Kind bar I just finished off, she tells me time after time: She'd take the cake and the friendships any day.

Egan is author of "Devoured: How What We Eat Defines Who We Are" (William Morrow/HarperCollins), recently released in paperback.

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I sent in my DNA to get a personalized diet plan. What I discovered disturbs me. - Chicago Tribune

By Carrie DennettSpecial to The Washington Post

The concept of eating a "plant-based" diet is tossed around frequently, but it's a label that can be confusing. Some people shy away from the notion because they assume that plant-based is code for vegan. On the other hand, it's easy to think that eating all plants and no animals guarantees that your diet is healthful and nutritious. But does it?

The research in support of plant-based diets is bountiful, which is likely because of what they include - vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber - as much as what they don't - excess saturated fat. But one limitation of much of that research is that it defines "plant-based" as vegetarian. Plant-based diets can take many forms, from vegan to vegetarian to flexitarian to omnivore. The common denominator is that they make plant foods the focal point of the plate. If you choose to eat animal foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs or dairy, they play smaller, supporting roles.

The other limitation is that the research tends to treat all plant-based diets equally, without regard to food quality. The fact is that many people focus on avoiding certain foods but are blind to whether the rest of their diet is nutritionally adequate. This is one of the perils of demonizing specific foods - no one food makes or breaks a diet, and it's your overall eating pattern that matters most for health and well-being.

That's not the message you get from many of the recent plant-based diet "documentary" (in other words, propaganda) films. The latest, "What the Health," blames animal foods for every ill known to man and woman. While excessive amounts of animal protein and fat aren't good for us, that doesn't mean that moderate amounts in the context of a plant-rich diet are harmful. An excessive amount of anything isn't good - even water - and a cupcake is a cupcake, even if it's vegan.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology seems to agree. It found that when it comes to the plants you eat, quality does count - and omnivores have a place at the plant-based table, too.

The study, which came from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, included more than 200,000 women and men from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, aimed to get a clearer answer on both quantity and quality of plant foods needed to see a benefit for health. This included the role of animal foods. Researchers measured what proportion of each participant's diet was plant-based, and whether those plant foods were healthful - vegetables, fruits, whole grains - or unhealthful - sweetened beverages, refined grains, sweets.

They found that a diet rich in healthful plant foods is associated with a substantially lower risk of developing heart disease, while a plant-based diet that emphasizes less-healthful plant foods is associated with increased risk of heart disease. Those eating a nutritious plant-based diet while also being more physically active fare even better. In a 2016 study, the researchers found similar results for the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The study also supports the value of a plant-rich diet even for omnivores. Individuals who ate the least plant foods were eating about five or six servings of animal foods per day, while those with the most plant foods were eating three servings of animal foods. This means that reducing - not eliminating - animal foods even slightly while increasing healthy plant foods has benefits for preventing heart disease and diabetes. This allows a lot of flexibility with eating. The traditional Mediterranean diet follows this pattern, as do other healthful dietary patterns from around the globe.

While association does not prove cause and effect, there are various physiological mechanisms that may explain the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Whole and minimally processed plant foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants, along with heart-healthy unsaturated fats and dietary fiber. Together, this can promote healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, while lowering inflammation and nourishing your gut microbiota. To reap these benefits, here's what to eat more of:

- Whole grains and foods made from whole grain flour.

- Fruits and vegetables.

- Nuts, beans and lentils.

- Vegetable oils (olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil) in dressings and for cooking.

- Tea and coffee.

- Healthy animal foods like fish, dairy (other than ice cream) and eggs.

At the same time, here's what to eat less of:

- Fruit juices and sugar-sweetened beverages.

- Refined grains and foods made from white flour.

- French fries, potato or corn chips, and baked or mashed potatoes.

- Sweets (candy, pastries, desserts).

- Less-healthful animal foods (butter, lard, meat, ice cream).

In this era of "free-from" foods (lactose-free, gluten-free, GMO-free), this study is a reminder that for nutrition and health, what you do eat matters as much as, if not more than, what you don't eat.

Dennett is a registered dietitian-nutritionist and owner of Nutrition by Carrie.

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Plant-based diet? Sure, but first understand what it means - Foster's Daily Democrat

While plant-based diets and vegan lifestyles are becoming more popular, there are still benefits to including moderate amounts of red meat in a balanced diet. If you eat meat like beef or are thinking of adding it to your meal plan consider these three things to make the most of your choices.

Cut

The part of the cow from which the meat comes typically determines how much fat it will contain. For example, a 3-ounce portion of eye of round roast (from the hind quarters) has only 4 grams of fat, and a 3-ounce portion of a ribeye steak (from the middle of the cow) can have almost 20 grams.

The USDAs definition of lean meat includes consumption of less than 10 grams of total fat per 100 grams of meat which is about 3.5 ounces. The American Heart Association sets a limit of 6 ounces of meat, chicken, and/or poultry per day.

Try a 3-ounce portion of tenderloin for less than 7 grams. Want a bigger portion? A 5-ounce sirloin still fits into the definition of lean, at just under 10 grams of total fat.

How its raised

Grass versus grain is an interesting debate. Ive tasted both and looked at the nutritional profiles of both. It may come down to personal preference, and possibly concern for animal welfare. It can also depend on the farmer.

All cows graze on grass at some point in their lives. After they wean from the mother, cows go to graze, and eventually they are finished with either more grass, or grain-based feed. Switching cows to grain can allow faster weight gain, and also may change the flavor of the meat. A few years ago, I did a blind taste test of grass-fed versus grain-fed steaks with a group of dietitians. While completely unscientific, about three-fourths of us preferred the taste of the grain-fed meat.

Nutritionally, finishing cows with grass can allow a better overall fat content, with slightly less saturated fat and slightly more omega three fats. However, the differences in nutrition profiles between grass- and grain-fed cows are small, especially if a person is following the recommendation to limit red meat to two to three servings per week.

Nutrients

From my standpoint as a dietitian, the most beneficial nutrients in beef are the macronutrient protein, and minerals such as iron and zinc.

A 3-ounce portion of lean beef contains up to 25 grams of protein for about 150 calories. To get that amount of protein from a plant-based source like quinoa, you would have to eat 3 cups, or over 650 calories. Beef is a dense source of protein.

Iron and zinc are important in energy production, muscle recovery and healing, among other body processes. While you can also obtain these minerals from lentils and seeds, beef provides them in a small package. Eating 1 cups of baked beans would provide the same zinc as 3 ounces of lean beef but also an additional 200 calories or more, depending on your beans. If you like chicken, you would have to consume twice as much to obtain the same amount of iron in beef.

There are many reasons why people choose not to eat beef, but if you like it, beef can be a healthy addition to a balanced diet.

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A healthy diet can include red meat. 3 things to consider when buying beef - Omaha World-Herald

Houston Rockets guard James Harden took his game to the next level last season, finishing second in the MVP voting as he took on point guard duties under new head coach Mike DAntoni.

Harden put up numbers that had never been seen before in some respects as he nearly led the league in both scoring and assists.

Thats not going to happen this year with the Rockets acquiring former L.A. Clippers guard Chris Paul in the offseason. Harden will have to learn how to mesh with another ball-dominant guard and retreat to more possessions off the ball.

It will be an extremely interesting dynamic, one which will require quite a bit of change for Harden, who is also implementing some big changes in himself off the court.

Via USA Today:

Harden, who joined Oscar Robertson as the only other player to average at least 29 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds per game in the regular season but also had a career-high usage rate of 34.1, looked tired at the end. So he added yoga and pilates to his routine, focused on his rest and tweaked his diet. The goal, of course, is to make the most of this opportunity he has to create the leagues latest dynamic duo with Paul.

Its always fun to imagine NBA players pulling off stuff like yoga or pilates but thats apparently what Hardens been up to.

It will be interesting to see if the change is noticeable and if Harden looks like a different player next season because of this.

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Rockets news: James Harden added yoga, pilates to routine and tweaked diet - ClutchPoints