Health-conscious foodies and those avoiding gluten now have another option when looking for a fast-casual restaurant offering veggie fare: Noodles & Company is testing zoodles spiralized zucchini at some of its restaurants in an attempt to bring in carb-avoiding customers.

Noodles & Co. announced the new addition to its menu today, revealing that it is testing the zucchini noodles at select restaurants in Baltimore and Colorado.

Visitors at the test locations can ask to substitute their desired meals base noodle for zoodles for an extra $1.50.

Executives with the company say that the new option provides guests with a lighter noodle base for their meals, while attracting customers who follow gluten-free and grain-free diets, or for those who just wish to change the way they approach vegetables and build healthier eating habits.

The new option comes at a time when Noodles & Co. has struggled with slipping sales. The companys first quarter 2017 financial results saw the chain record a net loss of $26.8 million. Comparable restaurant sales decreased 2% compared to the previous quarter.

The addition of zoodles to the menu comes as a way for the company to appeal to consumers ditching grain-based foods in search of what they perceive to be healthier options.

The emergence and growing popularity of noodles made from vegetables you can use carrots, beets, cucumber, and other plants to create the spirals seems to mirror the once high-demand for kale.

Whether or not consumers taste for zoodles is fleeting, only time will tell.

While Noodles & Co. notes that the new vegetable noodles provide customers following a gluten-free diet another option, those who suffer a gluten allergy should still be cautious.

Consumerist has reached out to Noodles & Co. about whether the new meal will be certified gluten-free or if the company will be able to do so in the future.

In the past, some restaurants serving gluten-free options have not been certified. For instance, in 2012, Dominos gluten-free crust received an amber designation by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

While the ingredients used by the company met NFCA standards and staff had received basic training on the topic, there was concern about cross-contamination in the prep kitchen.

NFCA warns those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity should ask questions and exercise judgment when dining at an establishment with an Amber Designation.

Because Noodles & Co. deals primarily in grain-based ingredients, its likely that NFCA would come to a similar conclusion as it did with Dominos. Consumerist has reached out to NFCA, well update this post if we hear back.

It should be noted that Noodles & Co. includes a disclaimer on its website warning about allergies.

Fair warning: if youre highly allergic or intolerant to gluten, check with your doctor before dining here. Were a noodle restaurant, after all. We simply have too much wheat and gluten present to be able to eliminate the cross contamination on our equipment and food prep areas. But if youre gluten-sensitive or choose to avoid it for another reason, we have plenty of options to safely satisfy your appetite for global flavor.

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Noodles & Co. Venturing Into Veggie Land With 'Zoodles' - Consumerist

A

s the debate over the future of health care coverage moves in fits and starts, it may seem like any improvements in health care coverage are equally stalled. But they arent. Insurance companies can take action now to make immediate differences in peoples lives especially those with type 1 diabetes.

Improving the coverage they offer can help these individuals more easily control their condition. Such changes could also benefit insurance companies keeping people with diabetes healthier would ultimately boost their bottom lines.

Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is much more common, type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle and, at least for now, it cant be prevented. It occurs when the body mysteriously mounts an immune system attack against certain cells in the pancreas, severely damaging their ability to make insulin. Without this hormone, sugar builds up in the bloodstream, damaging tissues and eventually causing death.

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Controlling type 1 diabetes requires daily use of insulin and the medical supplies needed to administer it safely. These things are not nice-to-haves they are essential to survival.

Ive seen firsthand the challenges that people with type 1 diabetes face. My son, Turner, was diagnosed with the disease in 2004, when he was 10.

Since then, the scientific community has created better types of insulin, more effective insulin pumps, and monitors that continuously measure blood sugar. Just this year, an artificial pancreas system came to market. Artificial pancreas systems automate blood-sugar management by monitoring glucose levels around the clock and automatically providing the right amount of insulin at the right time.

All of these advancements reduce the burden of managing this life-changing disease, as well as the risks of experiencing potentially deadly blood sugar lows and highs. But they can only do that if people can access them. Increasingly, thats not the case. For many Americans, type 1 diabetes is becoming harder not easier to manage.

Insulin costs are soaring, and for too many people the costs are unpredictable from month to month. Some insurers are taking steps to limit peoples coverage of insulin pumps and other lifesaving technologies. At JDRF, a global organization that funds type 1 diabetes research, weve heard countless stories of people choosing to go without an insulin pump, or stories of how they share insulin and other supplies to make ends meet. As Jessica Hoffer, a 28-year-old from Pennsylvania, told one newspaper: To take away the choice of what is essentially an organ a body part its insane.

Some individuals have called for the government to cap the costs of insulin and take other strong actions. Putting aside the wisdom or desirability of these efforts, waiting for Washington to act will likely take too long for people with type 1 diabetes. Thats why JDRF is encouraging insurance companies to take three practical steps to give people with diabetes the coverage they need to control their disease.

First, insurance companies should keep out-of-pocket costs for insulin and diabetes management tools such as pumps and meters predictable. They can do this by removing insulin and diabetes management tools from the deductible, as health plans do for preventive drugs. Doing so would make costs more consistent throughout the year. They can also move insulin and diabetes management tools to tier 1 or tier 2 benefit levels and provide cost-sharing for insulin and diabetes management tools as fixed-dollar copayments rather than as coinsurance, which is a percentage of the list price of the item or service.

Second, insurers should give people the freedom to choose the type of insulin and other supplies that are right for them. One major insurer entered into an exclusive agreement with a single insulin pump maker, effectively limiting its members choice to one brand. But insulin pumps arent one-size-fits-all devices different ones work better for different people. The same is true of insulin the choice of which one is right should be made by people with diabetes and their physicians, not by insurance companies.

Third, insurance companies should cover all lifesaving technologies, including artificial pancreas systems. These are on the road to becoming one of the most revolutionary advancements in diabetes care since the discovery of insulin.

Giving the 1.25 million Americans with type 1 diabetes the best available tools so they can achieve better blood sugar levels with significantly less effort and risk than they do today will greatly improve their health and quality of life. It would help them avoid costly emergency room visits, inpatient admissions, and complications like heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and amputation that can result from type 1 diabetes. Covering these tools, including artificial pancreas systems, would be a smart investment in the health outcomes of any plans beneficiaries and also yield profound savings for insurance companies.

Even in the face of ongoing uncertainty over the future of health care, its time for insurance companies to help people take control of their health. When they do, the entire health care system including the insurers themselves stand to benefit.

Derek Rapp is president and chief operating officer of JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.

Continued here:
Insurers can profit while improving the lives of people with type 1 diabetes - STAT

Credit: Arizona State University

Models, athletes and celebrities swear by the ketogenic "keto" diet to help shed those unwanted pounds. The keto diet encourages eating more cheese, butter and bacon; it's a low-carb, high-fat diet akin to the Atkins Diet created in 1972 by cardiologist Robert C. Atkins. The latest fad diet has amassed a following of devoted supporters, including Tim Tebow, LeBron James and Kim Kardashian, but does it really work?

Carol Johnston, professor and associate director of the nutrition program in the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University, explains why the low-carb, high-fat diet is so popular, how it works, and what dieters should be eating to lose weight.

Question: Does the science behind the keto diet make sense? Would nearly eliminating carbs while increasing fat consumption help a person to lose weight?

Answer: The short answer is yes. There is mounting evidence that suggests calorie restricted, low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets are effective for weight loss, and the keto diet is an extreme version of this. Low-carb diets can be more satiating, allowing dieters to feel full longer, eat less, and thus experience greater weight loss success. However, calorie restricted, high-carb diets are also effective for weight loss.

Overwhelmingly, the most important factor in weight loss success is diet adherence. In research trials, most individuals who lose weight regain most of it within a year, regardless of which diet they were on. The downside of many of the fad diets you see today is the lack of emphasis on long-term lifestyle changes, which is necessary for long-term weight loss success.

Q: In your opinion, why is this diet so popular?

A: The keto diet is popular because it is easy to follow and on the surface seems effective. In the first few days after starting the keto diet, a person can experience a significant loss of water weight. When carb intake is restricted for a few days, glycogen stores in the muscle are reduced. Glycogen is responsible for water retention, so when its levels fall, so do our water levels. To the average person, the diet appears to be working. The number on the scale is going down. But, since most of this weight lost is water weight, it will return when the person consumes carbs again. While most people rely on scales to monitor weight loss and think any weight loss is good, the goal is actually to lose fat, which isn't always reflected on the scale. Additionally, the elevated levels of satietyfeeling fullmay help people stick to the diet longer and experience greater weight loss success.

Q: Is the keto diet healthy?

A: Keto diets have safely been used as an effective therapy for epilepsy for years. There are some risks associated with an extremely low-carb, high-fat diet, including elevated blood triglycerides (linked to elevated cardiovascular risk), increased urinary uric acid (which may lead to the formation of kidney stones), and lethargy. Adults on a low-carb diet are also at risk for adverse impacts to their bone health.

Q: We're always hearing about the evils of carbohydrates when it comes to losing weight. How important are carbs to our health and what role do they play in weight loss?

A: Carbs play a critical role in our health. We get energy either by burning glucose from carbs, or by burning fat. The keto diet focuses on the latter. Though carb-restricting diets are popular, carbs are actually less likely to convert into body fat than dietary fat.

Carbs are important for our brain and muscle health. Our brains rely entirely on glucose for energy productionthey can't get it from fatmaking the consumption of some carbs necessary. Our muscles can use either glucose or fat for energy, but during high-intensity exercise, they prefer glucose.

When we eat more carbs than we need, they convert to body fat, which contributes to obesity. In general, average Americansthose with a relatively sedentary lifestyleconsume more carbs and calories than they actually need. Athletes, on the other hand, need to keep their carb intake elevated to support their energy output. Balance between energy intake and output is key to maintaining a healthy weight.

Q: For people who are trying to lose weightwhat foods should they avoid? What foods should they include in their diet?

A: Energy-dense foods should be avoided (gravies, dressings, sauces, sweets, pastries, cakes, cookies, sugary drinks, etc.) and low-energy, nutrient-rich foods should be prominent in the diet (unprocessed plant foods, low fat dairy and lean, unprocessed meats).

Q: What should people know about the effectiveness or safety of fad diets like Atkins, keto, liquid diets, paleo, calorie restriction, etc.?

A: Any diet that restricts calories will typically result in weight loss if a person sticks with it. What is important when following a calorie-restricted diet (about 500 less calories per day) is that it has healthful attributesa diet composed of plant-based, unprocessed foods with low fat contentsuch as the Mediterranean diet. (Note, 500 calories equates to two 12-ounce sodas and a large chocolate chip cookie!)

Explore further: Medical myth: Cutting carbs is the best way to lose weight

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The Keto dietis eating more fat the key to weight loss? - Medical Xpress

In October 2015, I was in Dr Keith Smiths chiropractic office for an adjustment. One of his comely daughters ushered me into Room 2 while he was working on a patient in Room 1. Usually, when Keith comes through the door, hes all smiles and says something like, Boy, am I glad to see you! Ive got a kink in my neck, and I thought I was going to have to beg you to come down off the mountain to trade adjustments. But this time Keith was subdued and a bit gloomy. Small wonder: He was on two diabetes drugs, Metformin and Glucophage, was strictly following the American Diabetes Association diet, his blood sugar was continuing to climb, and the latest measurement was 135. Since normal is around 90, that was seriously bad news. It meant he was tracking to die about 10 years early, just like his father had. Usually, people dont actually die of diabetes, but diabetes causes heart attacks, cancer and kidney failure, all of which are frequently fatal. Keiths father had died in his sleep of a heart attack at 69; not a bad way to go, but not nearly as good as living another 10 years. I mentally took a deep breath, as I often do in situations like this, and told him that the American Diabetes Association exercise and weight control advice was good, but the ADA diet was wrong. Avoiding carbohydrate foods and eating high fat and protein, so as not to overwhelm his bodys very weak ability to process the carbs that the body turns into blood sugar, makes logical sense and generally works in the short run. But in the long run the ADA diet often makes diabetes worse. I explained that when insulin in the blood locks into the insulin receptors on the cell membranes, the insulin receptors send messages to the glucose receptors, telling them to open up and let the glucose sugar come in out of the blood. But fat dissolved in the cellular fluid impedes the insulin receptors messages from getting through to the glucose receptors. Since the amount of fat dissolved in the cellular fluid mirrors the amount of fat in the diet, a high-fat diet like the ADA recommends prevents the sugar from coming into the cell, so the sugar stays in the blood and keeps going higher, damaging the heart and kidneys, and feeding cancer. The ADA diet sometimes works for seriously overweight people who get lean and exercise a lot. But Keith was only slightly over ideal weight. Hes active but not an exercise addict, and the ADA program obviously wasnt working for him. So I told Keith: Look, just get a copy of Dr. Neal Barnards Program for Reversing Diabetes, follow his advice, and youll be fine. He explains it better than I do, he has a whole bunch of tasty recipes in the back, and hes the world authority on the subject. People often dont follow my advice, and Ive just learned to get used to that fact. Why would Keith listen to me, a chiropractor, on a medical problem, when the American Diabetic Association is telling him that Metformin, Glucophage and the ADA diet are the best way to treat diabetes? So I just gave Keith my advice and mentally washed my hands of the outcome. However, Keith, being a chiropractor, has had first-hand experience with how willing the medical establishment is to mislead the public on issues like using chiropractors where large amounts of drug company money are at risk. So my advice may have weighed a bit more than usual with Keith. Nevertheless, I was surprised four months later when Keith thanked me for recommending Barnards book, and told me he had been able to quit taking Glucophage, his blood sugar was down to 110, he had his energy back, and he was recommending Barnards book to his diabetic patients. A year later, 16 months after starting Barnards program, his blood sugar was in the 90s and he wasnt taking any diabetic drugs. Keith still has the genetic weakness, so he has to stay on Dr. Barnards diet and exercise plan for the rest of his life. But he no longer has diabetes and now has a full and vigorous life span ahead of him. Dr. Barnards diet consists of eating only whole foods, avoiding all animal products, and avoiding fatty plant products like nuts, avocados and olives. Many people would say that they would rather die than give up their steaks and swordfish and Swiss cheese, but really, it isnt all that bad. I eat that way by choice a lot of the time. One of my favorite quick meals is to lay a banana on a slice of whole grain bread, sprinkle on some raisins, roll it up like a taco, and start at one end. It just gets down to how much you love life. Do you live to eat or eat to live? If you truly love life, you will do what it takes to stay healthy so you can continue enjoying being here.

Dr. Gordon Ainsleigh is a graduate of University of Western States, College of Chiropractic in Portland, Oregon, and has postgraduate certification in clinical nutrition.

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Another View: Choosing the right diet to combat diabetes - Auburn Journal

New York-based Victoria's Secret model trainer Justin Gelband may not agree with London's fitness fads, but he was impressed with the local food scene on a recent visit to the capital.

"The food [in London] is better than in America," Gelband told Business Insider.

Gelband trains some of the most famous Victoria's Secret models, including Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel, Irina Shaik, Karlie Kloss, and Martha Hunt.

In June, he spent two weeks teaching at BXR London, a luxury boxing gym in Marylebone.

Though exercise is central to his brand, Gelband said that body maintenance is not just about working out. "85% percent of what you do is what you eat," he said.

Gelband does not recommend juice diets as a way to lose weight. (iStock)

Many nutrition experts have stressed the importance of healthy eating habits as a faster way to achieve your fitness goal than simply focusing on exercise.

"In order to lose a kilo of fat you would probably have to run two marathons," Michael Mosley, author of the "5:2 diet" and the "Clever Guts Diet," told Business Insider in a video interview. "In many ways it is obviously much easier simply to reduce the amount of calories you eat rather than trying to run them off because you have to do so much exercise to burn calories."

There is no one-size-fits-all diet, Gelband admits, though he's a fan of the Paleo Diet, also known as the "caveman diet." The regime is mainly based on foods that were around in the stone-age, such as fruit, vegetables, roots, and nuts.

On the other hand, the Victoria's Secret model trainer is cautious about juice-only diets, especially if people are using juicing as a method to shed pounds.

"At Fashion Week some models went on a juice diet and didn't tell me," Gelband said. "Not one lost weight, some actually gained weight. That got me in big trouble."

In a typical juice cleanse or diet, you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, which can lead the body to hold onto to extra calories.

Registered dietitian Ilyse Schapirohe told Eat This: "Once you stop eating enough food to meet your basic energy requirements, your metabolism will slow. For most people, that threshold of calorie intake is around 1,200 calories per day.

She explained that at this point your body goes into conservation mode -- or starvation mode -- because it doesn't know when its next meal is going to be. Going too low for too long, like more than a couple of days, can have the opposite effect, Schapirophe told the website. In this mode your body can start clinging on to every calorie it can get.

"There's a time and place for juice fasting -- just not for weight loss," Gelband said. "If you're on a yoga retreat in Bali, you're meditating and doing yoga and you want to drink juices because you don't want any heavy foods in your body, that's fine," he added.

Gelband said he has "a gift" for whipping Victoria's Secret models into shape, but that he "makes them eat. "Food is key to energy," he said. "They're not bean poles."

For fitness inspo, or just to watch him work his magic on some of the world's most famous supermodels follow him on Instagram @justingelband4u.

Read more:

How much the best paid workers in 20 professions earn Seven outdated mens style rules that you can now ignore 16 skills that are hard to learn but will pay off forever

Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2017. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.

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Miranda Kerr's personal trainer reveals the one diet that made his models gain weight - The Independent

Dogs are omnivores, like humans are, so they can technically survive on a vegan or vegetarian diet and some even need to in order to address health issues. But transitioning to a meat-free diet isnt right for every dog, so you should consider the following factors before switching your dog to a meat-free diet.

Dogs are our friends, and they rely on us to make sure theyre healthy. Some breeds are prone to

Dr. Cailin R. Heinze, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and Assistant Professor at Tufts Universitys Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, typically recommends a vegan or vegetarian diet for dogs dealing with liver disease, specific types of bladder stones, or when testing for food allergies. While shes open to working with owners who want to switch their dog because of their personal beliefs, she warns against putting growing puppies on meat-free diets because of the high amount of protein and other essential nutrients they need to develop. Your dog may have different needs, so you should check with your vet before transitioning their diet, even if theyre facing one of the health issues discussed above.

Dr. Heinze points out that some popular commercial meat-free dog foods may not contain the adequate levels of protein and amino acids, so you should stick with therapeutic diets sold through your vet. Make sure to check that any commercial food you buy fulfills your dogs nutritional needs before you shell out for it.

If you decide to make your own vegan or vegetarian dog food, you still need to make sure they meet your dogs nutritional needs. Dr. Heinze explains how homemade diets can be lacking, too:

Home-cooked vegetarian diets tend to have much bigger nutritional concerns than commercial dietsmany of the ones that Ive seen are quite protein deficient, as well as lacking in other essential nutrients.

You can get help formulating a homemade meat-free diet by finding a certified animal nutritionist through the American College of Veterinary Nutritions directory. Theyll help you figure out if your dog should be on a meat-free diet, how to best design one for your dogs nutritional needs, and if there are any other foods your pet should stay away from.

Most dogs will happily chow down on human food, whether you give them a treat or they sneakily

As with any diet change, you should err on the side of caution and have your vet keep a close eye on your dog during the transition and even as your dog continues with a meat-free diet. Dr. Heinze explains why you need to have your dog monitored by a vet even after they switch diets:

While vegan and vegetarian diets can be made to meet dog nutrient requirements, we dont know that dogs that eat them long-term are as healthy as dogs that eat more typical diets. No one has really studied the use of these diets long-term in healthy dogs.

Ultimately, you have to decide what is right for your dog, but knowing the common issues that come up with vegan or vegetarian dog diets will help you figure out how to keep your pet healthy.

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Should You Switch Your Dog to a Vegetarian Diet? - Lifehacker