Diets That Work For Maximum Weight Loss

Diets that work are something that many health and weight-conscious people are searching for. These kinds of programs are often called fad diets. Most fad diets can help you lose a few pounds quickly, but they might not work in the long term, as some health problems could arise. These health issues occur because of very low caloric intake or the diet plans are not well balanced. Diets that work for weight loss are often overwhelming. This is because many people focus on losing weight and do not provide their bodies with all the essential vitamins and nutrients. A good diet plan that truly works can help you lose weight without draining your health and energy.

In the past, weve been bombarded with a lot of diets. But are there diets that really work? The simple answer is yes. Being on a diet isnt all bad news. There are many diets that can help you lose weight while allowing you to eat what you love.

To start with, losing weight is not as easy as most people tend to think. Well, it takes more time to lose weight than it takes to gain the same amount of weight. So are low-calorie diet plans the best option? Or is it better to restrict carbs?

Experts agree that no matter what diet plan you decide to follow low calorie, low fat, or low carb, etc. it doesnt matter. The most important thing is to stick to your chosen diet plan. Most researchers that evaluate the success rates of various diet plans or low-fat diets evaluate the weight loss just for a short period of time. When experts have carried out research studies on diets, they have realized that dieters who followed the diets lost the same amounts of weight.

And this explains why so many people fail in their efforts to lose weight long term. Any diets that ask you not to eat a whole category of food (particularly a food category as important as carbs) are certainly asking you to slip up.

The key to long-term, constant weight loss, and more importantly, getting in shape and maintaining a healthy body is developing a diet plan that supplies your body with all the essential nutrients and vitamins you need while also providing you with a chance to enjoy those foods that you hold dear to your heart. Leading a healthy lifestyle should be your main goal, as that is what will help you to lose and maintain a healthy weight.

however the temptation of all those cakes, sweets and fatty foods who would want to scrimp and scrape on their calories. Cutting your calories to 1500 for a female and 2000 a day for a male will help you lose at least a pound of fat per week. The reason being for this is that a calorie deficiency of 3500 a week will allow you to shed the fat.

Diets that work is a widely researched and sought after topic, causing debates and controversy around the world.

There are so many ridiculously unbelievable diets to the totally pointless ones. However, there are a select few that do get great results too.

The way to identify if a diet plan is healthy is to check if you look bright and vibrant. Diet plans that make you tired and irritated will never work because starving yourself will only make you fall ill. Healthy diets that work consist of all the nutrients that are necessary for the body to function normally. Following a good diet plan and exercising for at least 15 minutes a day will effectively work towards losing weight.

Diets that work is a major topic of discussion nowadays, with many studies carried out over the years. There are so many useless diets that can only make the situation worse. However, there are some that deliver the desired results in a great way. A good way to determine whether a diet works is to find out if you look cheerful while following it. Diet programs that make you bored and annoyed will never work simply because starving yourself can lead you to sickness and ultimately, an unhealthy body.

Your body image matters a lot. It matters because if you feel comfortable about your body, it makes a huge difference in developing a positive body image and also plays a major role in promoting a good body image for other people as well. The fashion industry may assume that we are one size, one shape, but when it comes to losing weight, it is not a one size fits all kind of plan. No two people are the same and for that matter, you need a diet plan that is designed to help you meet your individual needs.

Theres no diet plan that will work for everyone. Also, there is no miracle diet that will cause you to drop those excess pounds while you are asleep. Creating a diet plan that supplies your body with the nutrients, vitamins, and enjoyment that you need is the best way to achieve success. This is because, at the end of the day, no one wants to be on a diet for life.

Make sure you eat high-quality foods. You will notice the difference and therefore, you will eat less since tasty food is full of flavor! As a result, weight loss will be an enjoyable journey. This is particularly important when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Make sure you buy organic foods as much as possible.

You can order it from a natural foods store and have them delivered straight to your doorstep. Not only are fresh fruits and vegetables so delicious, but they are also very healthy. Buying organic foods doesnt have to cost a fortune. You should focus on eating well, eating less and wasting less in the process.

There are several tried and tested diets that work effectively to burn fat and lose weight. The diets that work results may vary depending on each persons body and health conditions. It is important to drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water every day to flush out toxins from the body. Following any of these diet plans with a combination of easy exercises like walking, brisk walking or slow jogging will provide great results. Diet plans work better if alcohol, sugar, and excess spices are avoided. Consult a physician before starting any diet plan.

No matter what proven diets that work you chose to follow, you will always wish that you could be on this one or that you could just eat what you want as you promise to eat healthily. Dont trust yourself. This one never works, it amazes me how many times I go on a diet and mentally punish myself saying why did I have to eat this or how did I manage to become so big? You take all delicious food for granted until you begin a diet regime. If only I could have put that cake down, if only I felt as guilty before it as after I ate it and then maybe I wouldnt have eaten it. Too little too late Im afraid, once that cake has digested the only place that cake is going is on your hips, stomach, and thighs. Its true what they say, a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips. If only this statement was as false as some of these crazy fad diets.

Enjoying your food is the key to building a healthy relationship with food. Here are some important tips to help you develop a healthy diet plan.

Know your metabolism type: no two individuals are the same, so dont expect one diet to suit everyone. Know your metabolism type and stick to a meal plan that suits your health and fitness goals.

Go organic: as weve mentioned earlier, it is important to choose organic foods and cut on processed foods. Prepackaged or processed foods are packed with preservatives and many other chemicals that are designed to prolong their lifespan on the shelves. The end result is that they hinder the proper functioning of various body processes, including digestion, and might end up causing weight gain.

Exercise: medical experts are almost unanimous that physical exercises are vital to the proper functioning of the human body. In addition to eating well, you need to exercise regularly in order to lose weight and maintain a healthy body.

So which diets work fast? The fact is that no one really knows how many diets really work. This is because there are plenty of diets being developed or reinvented that all of us have lost track of them. You will also find some diets with the same regime but under different names. It is not possible to keep track of them all.

So we have compelled a list of some of the top diets that work for you.

Therefore, it is important to consider those diets that recommend making healthy dietary and lifestyle changes. If you think dieting is the best option for you, then you need to choose a good diet that suits your dietary preferences, your lifestyle, and schedule. Whether it be;

The low carb diet:This is one of the most common diets that work for people who wish to lose weight. Excess carbohydrates in the body can lead to imbalanced insulin levels which lead to obesity. An easy way to follow a no carb diet is to avoid all white foods. Sugar, white rice, white flour, pasta, white bread, potatoes and many other white foods contain carbohydrates that need to be avoided. Low carb diet should ideally contain good protein sources like tuna, eggs, chicken breasts and turkey. Vegetables like mushroom, cucumber, lettuce, spinach, carrots are low in carbohydrates. []

The Raw food diet: This diet consists of foods that are not cooked or processed. Raw foods contain enzymes that help in quick digestion and ensure optimal health. When foods are cooked or processed, these enzymes die out. The raw food diet is usually a vegan diet that consists of fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Sprouts, carrots, tomatoes, coconut milk, raisins, almonds, oranges, apples, pine apples, etc can be consumed. Honey can be added to sweeten fruit juices. Raw eggs, cheese, raw milk can be included for a non-vegan raw food diet. []

The volumetric diet:This is one of the most favorite weight loss diets that work as it focuses on eating low-calorie foods that can give a feeling of fullness. People who love to eat a lot, but willing to lose weight should follow the volumetric diet. Fruits and vegetables contain low calories so they can be consumed in large amounts to satiate the appetite. Pasta, breakfast cereal, salad dressings, non starchy vegetables, low fat meat like fish and chicken, legumes, beans and eggs, water rich vegetables like cabbage give a feeling of fullness but are low in calories can be included in the volumetric diet. []

Zone diet:The zone diet is an ideal diet for people who wish to lose weight gradually without feeling tired or worn out. The diet contains carbohydrates, proteins and fat in a balanced ratio of 40:30:30. People have the freedom to eat whatever they want but in a balanced amount. The diet helps in maintaining a stable insulin level which causes weight loss gradually but keeps the energy levels high. The zone diet is followed by many dieticians and celebrities around the world thats why it is know as one of the diets that work as it supplies the body with all essential nutrients in a balanced ratio. []

The 3 day diet:The three day diet is one of the popular diets that work among run way models and cardiac patients. Patients are given the three day diet to lose weight quickly before their cardiac surgery. Models love this diet as it helps them lose up to ten pounds in 3 days. This is however an unhealthy diet so it advised to be followed only for 3days. The diet consists of limited tuna, eggs, grape fruit, lean meat and vegetables. Only salt and pepper should be used to season the foods and sugar is strictly not allowed. It is very important to consume 8 liters of water per day while following this diet. After 3 days, the dieter must gradually get back to their normal diet. []

Flat belly diet:This is another favorite diet among dieters as it helps in losing belly fat within a month. The diet consists of 2 parts: anti bloat jump start and 4 week diet plan. The anti bloat jump start reduces and prevents bloating and helps in weight loss quickly. Foods that cause bloating and gas (cabbage, onions, coffee, sugar, tea and soda) must be completely avoided. The key foods in the 4 week diet plan are fish, fruits, vegetables and olive oil. The plan includes four 400 calorie meals per day. []

The Atkins diet:Dr Robert Atkins was the founder of this diet. The Atkins is more than certainly a proven one of the diets that work. Within The Atkins eating regime its all about counting carbs. You will eventually have your body burning body fat as its main energy source rather than carbs you eat. Within this there are 3 separate phases Induction/ongoing weight loss and lifetime maintenance. This diet was followed by Kim Kardashian in order to help her lose her post baby weight. []

Fast Diet/5:2 Diet/Fasting Diet:No it doesnt mean that this diet works fast. It means that you need to fast on it. Well when I say fast, it means 500/600 kcal per day, well when I say per day I mean for 2 days and these 2 days must be spread throughout the week. You will eat as you please for 5 days and for the remaining 2 days you will have to almost fast. []

Dash Diet:The Dash Diet has been voted one of the best and healthiest diets. It lessens your risk of hypertension and heart attacks. Would you like to live for longer? Well the Dash Diet will help, that statement doesnt come with a warranty sadly. However The Dash Diet is based upon the diet of a Mediterranean person who tends to live like 3 years longer. Give it a go, its one for all the family to join in and do together. []

Weight Watchers:The increasingly popular weight watchers regime. In this diet you need to initially get weighed and then you will be given your daily/activity/weekly points. Every single food and beverage will have a value of points in it. You total up your points throughout the day and dont go over. []

Thats just a select few diets that are listed. Remember which ever diet you end up sticking to for 1 day to the whole diet, you need to be positive that it is the right one for you to be on at that time. Think of all your dietary requirements as well as when you have time to eat. This will help you decide what to do whether it be following in Kim Kardashians footsteps and choosing the Atkins or counting points on the Weight Watchers.

Remember to always seek medical advice on this subject.

Drinking warm water first thing in the morning will boost metabolism and help in weight loss. Mixing honey and cinnamon to warm water is very good for cardiovascular health and weight loss. It burns unnecessary fat and enhances blood circulation. Drinking hot water after every big meal aids digestion and prevents fat from storing in the abdominal area. Sedentary lifestyle is one of the main reasons for obesity. It is important to fill your day with gentle exercises like walking up and down the stairs instead of using an elevator, jogging in place while watching TV and walking in circles while listening to music. Eating everything in moderation and exercising regularly is the key to stay healthy and fit.

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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.

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

Health & Fitness 0Updated at 8:58 am, August 12th, 2017 By: Lisa Drayer, CNN We Matched

(CNN) At 37 years old, Lisa Pessah-Bloom, a mother of three, was pre-diabetic, struggling with losing postpartum pounds and concerned about her health.

I had gestational diabetes for all three of my pregnancies. After my third, my A1C (blood sugar measurement) kept rising, and the doctor told me for the first time to be careful, because I was on track for diabetes.

Pessah-Bloom knew that she had to shed her pregnancy pounds and get her blood sugar under control. She did a Google search on diets for diabetes and stumbled upon the Paleo diet, which includes protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs and nuts, as well as vegetables and fruit, but excludes grains, dairy, legumes, sugars and salt. People said that their diabetes was reversed, she said.

She started eating more vegetables and unprocessed foods. But while following Paleo helped Pessah-Bloom eat a clean, lean diet, it wasnt enough to get her to her goal. She needed something else a support system of sorts and so she opened an account on Instagram under the handle @paleoworkingmama.

I started my Paleo page for motivation, really for myself, Pessah-Bloom said. But it wasnt long before she found people with health issues like herself who were also using the photo-driven app. I started following others who reversed Crohns and IBS too, which I also had, she said.

The more I followed people, the more I felt empowered. And then something unexpected happened. After some time, people who followed me told me that I me! empowered them. It was a chain of support, she said. I got it from others, and I gave it to others. People asked me to come to their house to perform refrigerator cleansing! They are inspired by the pictures I post of the food I make and what I keep in my kitchen, like my spices.Insta-community

The community support that Instagram provides may be its most valuable asset for those hoping to achieve their health goals.

The first picture I posted was a mason jar of water with lemons, Pessah-Bloom said. I had just learned about my high blood sugar, and I wrote, Making lemonade out of lemons. The post marked the start of Pessah-Blooms new diet and exercise journey, and in her post, she encouraged others to follow and support her.

One person posted my post on her page she had over 15,000 followers, and she said, Lets give @thepalemoworkingmama our support and then all of a sudden I had 100 followers. This was someone I didnt even know someone who has plenty of her own followers, but she really wanted me to succeed on my journey.

Theres also the benefit of being part of a more intimate community. With Instagram, you can have a separate part of your profile dedicated to food journaling, and you dont have to be worried that your family member or neighbor who just wants to see pictures of your dogs or vacations will be turned off, said Christina Chung, a doctoral student at the University of Washington and lead author of a study that analyzed women who consistently use Instagram to record and share what they eat, in order to learn about the benefits and challenges of using the platform to achieve ones health goals.

Instagram is just pictures. There are no posts about politics. Its easy to navigate, with no chaos or clutter, Pessah-Bloom added. If you follow someone, youre following them for a specific reason and often someone with a similar goal.

Pessah-Bloom also appreciates the convenience that Instagram provides. People are so busy, and sometimes you cant go in person to a Weight Watchers meeting. With Instagram, its in your face. Youre seeing it all the time. When I eat something bad and I see someone preparing something wonderful, I say, Why did I do that?! It keeps you inspired!

Food pictures that create cravings for tasty, healthy food help, too. When you see something so mouthwatering and appetizing, youre more likely to try it, and then you get hooked on eating well, Pessah-Bloom said.

Benefits of photo journaling

For those who use Instagram to track what they eat, the ease of snapping a picture is particularly helpful during a jam-packed day.

The benefit of photos is that its more fun to do than taking out a booklet or typing hundreds of words of description in an app, Chung said. Plus, its more socially appropriate for people who are trying to track their diets to snap a photo of their plate when theyre out with friends: Everyones doing it, and it doesnt look weird.

As one of the study participants noted, if I was out with friends or something, then a quick snapshot of the food would be easier than saying, Hold on, guys, I need to pull up MyFitnessPal and put everything down and the right serving size.

No fat grams on Instagram

But just how accurate is Instagram as a tracker for weight loss? Can you really know the portion sizes, fat grams and calorie counts of what you ate or should eat when you swipe through photos?

When it comes to losing weight, food pics may or may not help, said Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The food could be great quality, but even an excessive amount of good food will cause weight gain.

If, for example, someone spots a picture of healthy chicken parmigiana as food inspiration for weight loss, it may be difficult to figure out the correct portion size, unless it is listed.

Its not very accurate if you are looking for tracking information such as detailed nutrients, portion size and calories, since it might be difficult to assess this information from photos, Chung said.

If youre looking for a 200-calorie meal, you might search using the hashtag #200calories and find some options. But in Chungs study, participants used the platform in conjunction with other apps if they were seeking more detailed nutrition data.

Calories aside, for those who use Instagram, the visual cues that the app provides actual pictures of food may be just enough motivation to continue eating on plan, or in some cases to eat less.

Before (when using MyFitnessPal), I would have a small snack pack that was a bag of chips and be like, Oh, that doesnt really count because its just a little tiny bag. But I think with Instagram, it helped me because I was taking a picture of it: Its real, and it exists, and it does count towards what I was eating. And then putting a visual image of it up really helped me stay honest, one study participant said.

Tensions between tracking honestly and posting something perceived as more desirable were also observed in the study. That could present a dilemma, leading some to spend time on making photos look better, explained Chung. But the thought of posting something off-plan may also help people stay on track, she added.Insta diet success

Over a year later, Pessah-Blooms cooking skills have improved, and she is no longer pre-diabetic. Her IBS is resolved, and she weighs less than she did at her wedding about 12 years ago. Her husband, a huge Instagram fan, has lost 40 pounds with the help of the app and his wifes cooking, and her kids eat healthier now, too.

Pessah-Bloom says she could not have done it without her online community that evolved from her photo journal.

I love the people I follow on Instagram. They have become my online support group. Everyone inspires each other. I work full-time and have three kids. I couldnt have done any of this without Instagram.

CNN Wire and the CNN Video Affiliate Network is an online syndication service providing text and video versions of CNN's award-winning news coverage. Articles featured include reporting on world news, politics, finance, health, entertainment and technology.

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How the 'Instagram diet' works - East Idaho News

Pet owners have many choices when buying dog and cat food. Some are basic foods providing an economical choice that is nutritionally complete; others are premium or super-premium foods. This trend will continue as owners seek the best nutrition available for their pets.

Pet nutrition has come a long way. As a veterinarian, I see significantly fewer problems with urinary tract stones than when I first started in practice. Dry, flaky skin that was common years ago is less so now.

There also are therapeutic diets that require veterinary supervision. My second Bernese mountain dog, Vern, had abnormal kidney values that I noticed when he was neutered. The problem increased over the next few months, and I thought we were going to lose him. After a medical work-up that including a kidney biopsy, he was diagnosed with renal dysplasia.

We gave him medication that controlled his high blood pressure and started a special kidney diet with low total protein and a high-quality protein component. He lived longer than average for a Bernese mountain dog.

Special veterinary diets are also used for pets predisposed to bladder stones. These foods are formulated to help prevent and even dissolve some types of stones.

My cat Daisy vomited all the time. Her weight and blood chemistry were normal, but clearly something was wrong. After consultation with a feline specialist, we tried a high protein/low carbohydrate diet designed for diabetic pets. It worked like a charm, and she lived a long happy life.

Diarrhea is a common complaint in pets, but it will usually self-correct in a few days. We always check a stool sample in these patients and sometimes treat for parasites. Often a special diet is prescribed for the short, or even long, term.

Chronic loose stool also can be a big problem. Before an involved medical work-up with endoscopy and biopsy, we try a therapeutic high-fiber diet. Diets that are very low in fat may be used for pets that are prone to pancreatitis.

A pet with a food allergy may benefit with a super purified, limited antigen diet. Changing the protein fraction may help control itching and intestinal distress. Older dogs or dogs that have seizures may benefit from new diets that are designed for improving brain health.

My current dog, Millie, began limping as she aged, so I started her on a new diet designed for joint health. It has worked so well that I have yet to give her any medication for pain.

High-calorie pudding-type diets can help pets that have a feeding tube or need supplemental feeding while recovering from illness. Weight loss foods are used for pets at unhealthy excessive weights. Used incorrectly, these diets can be problematic, but with veterinary supervision, they can be lifesavers.

While commercial food is appropriate for the majority of pets, therapeutic diets can be a tremendous benefit for those who have specific needs.

Lawrence Gerson is a veterinarian and founder of the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic. His biweekly column is intended to educate. Consultation with a veterinarian is necessary to diagnose and treat individual pets. If you have a question youd like addressed in Pet Points, email petpoints@post-gazette.com. Please include your name and municipality or neighborhood.

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Pet Points: Therapeutic diets can be lifesavers for pets - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The former 'Project Runway' contestant embarks on an extended juice cleanse. However, experts say these detoxes aren't healthy and aren't necessary.

Juice cleanses, detoxes, and fasting are just some of the health trends promoted by celebrities.

Santino Rice may have just taken things to the next level.

The former Project Runway contestant announced on Twitter that he intends to embark on a 111-day juice fast.

My fast involves drinking as much organic cold-pressed juice and water as I need, Rice tweeted.

An extended juice fast will reverse heart disease, diabetes, and various autoimmune diseases, he wrote.

But nutrition experts say Rices planned diet could be potentially dangerous.

Detoxification diets are very popular especially with celebrities like Rice, and even Beyonc. Detox diets claim to help the body to release toxins and excess weight, Lauri Wright, PhD, assistant professor in the department of community and family health at the University of South Florida, College of Public Health, told Healthline.

So do detox diets work and are they safe?

Bottom line: These diets have no scientific foundation and can be harmful, she said.

Fruit and vegetable juices can contribute to a healthful diet overall. However, juice alone does not provide all the essential nutrients needed for health. Juice contains no protein and is also lacking important vitamins and minerals such as iron and calcium. Because of this, juice cleanses are not healthy, Wright added.

Despite the popularity of detoxification diets, they arent really necessary.

The body naturally cleanses toxins through the liver and kidneys.

Fasting doesnt achieve this and, in fact, can cause more harm than good, experts say.

Rice claims three days of just water will allow your body to heal.

But Dana Hunnes, PhD, a senior dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, argues Rice does not really know what he speaks of.

Three days of just water can lead to protein catabolism (muscle loss), potentially ketosis for some individuals, which is when we start using fat and muscle for energy in the brain, and could also lead to some potential electrolyte imbalances, Hunnes told Healthline. The only circumstance where this could be an OK idea, is if you are about to undergo a gastrointestinal surgery, and you have been expressly guided by your physician to take in nothing but certain liquids for three days.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, there isnt any convincing evidence that detox or cleansing programs actually remove toxins from your body or improve your health.

In addition, any weight loss achieved on a detox diet may just be due to having a low-calorie diet.

Despite popular belief that detox diets can reset the body, Wright argued that cleanses or detox diets can actually have negative health consequences.

Detox diets that severely limit protein or that require fasting can result in fatigue. Long-term fasting can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Colon cleansing, which is often recommended as part of a detox plan, can cause cramping, bloating, nausea, and vomiting, she said. Dehydration also can be a concern. For diabetics, fasting while taking diabetic medication can cause their blood sugar to drop dangerously low.

These types of diets [cleanses and detoxes] aren't a good long-term solution. For lasting results, your best bet is to eat a healthy diet based on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein, she added.

So why do so many people, like Santino Rice, say they feel an improvement after a detox diet?

According to the Mayo Clinic, it may in part be due to eliminating highly processed foods that have solid fats and added sugars.

If you do want to embark on a detox diet, Hunnes said the healthiest way to do so is to eliminate all processed foods, eliminate all salt and added sugars, and eat whole plant-based foods.

As for taking health advice from Santino Rice and other celebrities, both Hunnes and Wright advised against it.

I think it is very dangerous for a public figure to be so blas about such a potentially dangerous topic, Hunnes said.

It is an abuse of status when celebrities promote diets and foods that are not evidence-based and can do harm, Wright added.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Quick fixes and villain foods dont work, Wright added. Health comes from lifestyle choices whole foods, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins combined with physical activity. For an evidenced-based, individualized plan for a healthy lifestyle, consult a registered dietitian.

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Is Santino Rice's 111-Day Juice Fast Healthy? - Healthline

Theres no escaping the cruel, foremost rule of weight loss: You must eat less, or move more.

This archaic, unforgiving reality is shaped by the laws of thermodynamics themselves, and in an age where food is plentiful, along with lifestyles that require far less activity, this rule has become the bane of dieters everywhere in the current generation.

At least, it was, until it somehow became trendy to effectively starve yourself.

To be fair, thats a bit of a hyperbole when it comes to fasting for weight loss, the most popular methods of which include intermittent fasting or alternate day fasting (where periods of low/no food intake are followed by periods of the dieter proceeding to gorge themselves), but it should already be somewhat obvious that such an approach has some prominent, potentially devastating pitfalls.

In the simplest of terms, and from the perspective of the exceedingly popular intermittent fasting schedule, these diets consist of a minimum of sixteen hours of fasting followed by a sort of feasting phase. Simple, yet effective for weight loss, but is this due to any sort of magic? No, the simple fact of the matter is that it is much easier to eat over three thousand calories during the course of an entire day (and night, for those with the dreaded habit of sleep-snacking!) than it is to consume even two thousand calories during a period of four hours.

First, to get my bias out of the way, along with some of my background, I am looking at this from the perspective of someone whos spent a lot of time spent researching both nutrition and clinical psychology. I have followed such approaches myself during the height of their resurgence, spending a full two years on an intermittent fasting style diet with two meals consumed in a four-hour window, so I have a fair amount of experience to go along with the information that I have gathered on the subject, and the summation of my experiences has led me to one single conclusion: This type of diet is an effective tool for some, but potentially disastrous for others, and highly unsustainable for most.

Those are strong words, indeed, but the promoters of such diets typically make some extremely radical claims. From the seemingly obvious conclusion of dramatic weight loss, to some who would even go so far as to claim that such a lifestyle can cure or prevent chronic illnesses such as cancer or diabetes, its important to point out the other side, which poses some very real dangers.

The first risk that needs addressing is that this type of diet, which is haphazardly recommended to just about anybody nowadays as if it were some sort of holy grail or fountain of youth, is that those with predisposition toward unhealthy eating patterns or mental illnesses should steer clear of such drastic approaches in general. Throughout my experiences working with those who have struggled with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, following such a diet can quickly turn into a scapegoat, just one of many excuses to cover up a relapse, or the replacement of one disordered eating pattern with another.

The other real risk here affects even those with no predisposition or history for either mental illness, or disordered eating patterns (though it could certainly be argued that willing to embark on such a drastic change in diet can be considered being predisposed to disordered eating patterns) and that is the risk of the dieter falling off the wagon, so to speak.

Simply put, eating massive amounts of food in a single sitting while completely abstaining at all other points throughout the day is not socially acceptable, and I would argue that such a practice should never become acceptable, as it would essentially be normalizing a very precarious binging and purging cycle that has already taken the lives and happiness of so many across the globe.

Social norms and stigmas aside, it goes against human nature itself to force back hunger pangs all day when food is so plentiful, and there is no real reason why the pendulum needs to swing so far from eating too much, too far too little. It takes a hefty amount of willpower to follow such a schedule, and those who are able to fast for specific purposes such as religious activities are highly deserving of our respect for this reason among many others, but to expect this cycle of self-sacrifice to be sustainable for the average dieter is unrealistic.

Whats worse is the fact that, while such a diet may indeed prove to be extremely effective for the period of time that it is used, it teaches the dieter absolutely nothing about making nutritious food choices supportive of their desired healthy lifestyle, and it teaches them nothing about the most essential aspect of long-term weight maintenanceportion control.

Does fasting have its benefits? Certainly. There is some preliminary evidence that shows periods of fasting to be highly beneficial for our bodies by mimicking the longevity benefits seen with research on caloric restriction over the long term, along with the fact that so many of those who fast find the experience itself to be both spiritual and energizing in nature.

Those benefits aside, however, the risks and sacrifice necessary to make what was meant to be a short-term experience into a full-blown lifestyle far outweigh the rewards, which can be achieved through a simple, healthy diet composed of whole, unprocessed foods.

In summation, the fasting craze is not entirely undeserving of its spot in prime-time television and magazines, but in the end, its just thatthe latest craze where whats old is suddenly new again.

In a world full of people looking for quick fixes, these drastic approaches have a tendency to seem like the holy grail, but the unfortunate truth of the matter is that when it comes to true health and wellness, both physically and mentally over the long term, there are no quick fixes.

Fast if you wish, but keep this as food for thought. Youll need it when the magic finally vanishes.

See more here:
Does Fasting Work? - Study Breaks

NEW YORK (CNN) At 37 years old, Lisa Pessah-Bloom, a mother of three, was pre-diabetic, struggling with losing postpartum pounds and concerned about her health.

"I had gestational diabetes for all three of my pregnancies. After my third, my A1C (blood sugar measurement) kept rising, and the doctor told me for the first time to be careful, because I was on track for diabetes."

Pessah-Bloom knew that she had to shed her pregnancy pounds and get her blood sugar under control. She did a Google search on diets for diabetes and stumbled upon the Paleo diet, which includes protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs and nuts, as well as vegetables and fruit, but excludes grains, dairy, legumes, sugars and salt. "People said that their diabetes was reversed," she said.

She started eating more vegetables and unprocessed foods. But while following Paleo helped Pessah-Bloom eat a clean, lean diet, it wasn't enough to get her to her goal. She needed something else a support system of sorts and so she opened an account on Instagram under the handle @paleoworkingmama.

"I started my Paleo page for motivation, really for myself," Pessah-Bloom said. But it wasn't long before she found people with health issues like herself who were also using the photo-driven app. "I started following others who reversed Crohn's and IBS too, which I also had," she said.

"The more I followed people, the more I felt empowered. And then something unexpected happened. After some time, people who followed me told me that I me! empowered them. It was a chain of support," she said. "I got it from others, and I gave it to others. People asked me to come to their house to perform refrigerator cleansing! They are inspired by the pictures I post of the food I make and what I keep in my kitchen, like my spices."

The community support that Instagram provides may be its most valuable asset for those hoping to achieve their health goals.

"The first picture I posted was a mason jar of water with lemons," Pessah-Bloom said. "I had just learned about my high blood sugar, and I wrote, 'Making lemonade out of lemons.' " The post marked the start of Pessah-Bloom's new diet and exercise journey, and in her post, she encouraged others to follow and support her.

"One person posted my post on her page she had over 15,000 followers, and she said, 'Let's give @thepalemoworkingmama our support' and then all of a sudden I had 100 followers. This was someone I didn't even know ... someone who has plenty of her own followers, but she really wanted me to succeed on my journey."

There's also the benefit of being part of a more intimate community. "With Instagram, you can have a separate part of your profile dedicated to food journaling, and you don't have to be worried that your family member or neighbor who just wants to see pictures of your dogs or vacations will be turned off," said Christina Chung, a doctoral student at the University of Washington and lead author of a study that analyzed women who consistently use Instagram to record and share what they eat, in order to learn about the benefits and challenges of using the platform to achieve one's health goals.

"Instagram is just pictures. There are no posts about politics. It's easy to navigate, with no chaos or clutter," Pessah-Bloom added. "If you follow someone, you're following them for a specific reason ... and often someone with a similar goal."

Pessah-Bloom also appreciates the convenience that Instagram provides. "People are so busy, and sometimes you can't go in person to a Weight Watchers meeting. With Instagram, it's in your face. You're seeing it all the time. When I eat something bad ... and I see someone preparing something wonderful, I say, 'Why did I do that?!' It keeps you inspired!"

Food pictures that create cravings for tasty, healthy food help, too. "When you see something so mouthwatering and appetizing, you're more likely to try it, and then you get hooked on eating well," Pessah-Bloom said.

#Paleo almond crusted fudge squares for my beloved who turned 40 today . His dessert request was chocolaty and decadent. I also needed to wallow in some sweets as my two oldest left for sleep-away camp today . Anyhooo...What if I told you this took about 15 minutes to make? And that this is vegan, dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free, no bake, no blender and only SEVEN ingredients? Oh, and delicious. In a small bowl add: 1 cup blanched almond flour, 3 tbsp melted coconut oil, 2-3 droplets of organic stevia and 1 tsp vanilla extract (*if this is not "sticking" add some organic maple syrup). Mix together with spoon until mixture begins to stick together. Take loaf pan and with your fingers, spread evenly. This is your "pie crust". Next, in a bowl add: 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/2 cup crushed almond pieces, 3 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tbsp melted coconut oil. Mix together and add on top of pie crust in loaf pan. Finally, in another bowl add: 1/2 cup of organic cacao powder, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil and 1-2 tsp stevia. Mix together to form chocolate sauce. Pour over crust/coconut. Place loaf pan in freezer for about 1/2 hr and serve . Leave uneaten squares in freezer, as it will melt if it's left out (much better when it melts in your mouth ) #dessert #chocolate #birthdaycake #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #soyfree #refinedsugarfree #treats #sweets #eatclean #cleaneating #foodporn #paleoporn #foodie #organic #recipe #feedfeed #nobake #easy #healthy #coconut #birthdayboy

A post shared by Lisa (@paleoworkingmama) on Jun 27, 2017 at 7:02pm PDT

For those who use Instagram to track what they eat, the ease of snapping a picture is particularly helpful during a jam-packed day.

"The benefit of photos is that it's more fun to do than taking out a booklet or typing hundreds of words of description in an app," Chung said. "Plus, it's more socially appropriate for people who are trying to track their diets to snap a photo of their plate when they're out with friends: Everyone's doing it, and it doesn't look weird."

As one of the study participants noted, "if I was out with friends or something, then a quick snapshot of the food would be easier than saying, 'Hold on, guys, I need to pull up MyFitnessPal and put everything down and the right serving size.' "

But just how accurate is Instagram as a tracker for weight loss? Can you really know the portion sizes, fat grams and calorie counts of what you ate or should eat when you swipe through photos?

"When it comes to losing weight, food pics may or may not help," said Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "The food could be great quality, but even an excessive amount of 'good' food will cause weight gain."

If, for example, someone spots a picture of healthy chicken parmigiana as food inspiration for weight loss, it may be difficult to figure out the correct portion size, unless it is listed.

"It's not very accurate if you are looking for tracking information such as detailed nutrients, portion size and calories, since it might be difficult to assess this information from photos," Chung said.

If you're looking for a 200-calorie meal, you might search using the hashtag #200calories and find some options. But in Chung's study, participants used the platform in conjunction with other apps if they were seeking more detailed nutrition data.

Calories aside, for those who use Instagram, the visual cues that the app provides actual pictures of food may be just enough motivation to continue eating on plan, or in some cases to eat less.

"Before (when using MyFitnessPal), I would have a small snack pack that was a bag of chips and be like, 'Oh, that doesn't really count because it's just a little tiny bag.' But I think with Instagram, it helped me because I was taking a picture of it: It's real, and it exists, and it does count towards what I was eating. And then putting a visual image of it up really helped me stay honest," one study participant said.

Tensions between tracking honestly and posting something perceived as more desirable were also observed in the study. That could present a dilemma, leading some to spend time on making photos look better, explained Chung. But the thought of posting something "off-plan" may also help people stay on track, she added.

Over a year later, Pessah-Bloom's cooking skills have improved, and she is no longer pre-diabetic. Her IBS is resolved, and she weighs less than she did at her wedding about 12 years ago. Her husband, a huge Instagram fan, has lost 40 pounds with the help of the app and his wife's cooking, and her kids eat healthier now, too.

Pessah-Bloom says she could not have done it without her online community that evolved from her photo journal.

"I love the people I follow on Instagram. ... They have become my online 'support' group. Everyone inspires each other. I work full-time and have three kids. I couldn't have done any of this without Instagram."

The-CNN-Wire & 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

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How the 'Instagram diet' works - KSL.com

CROWN POINT David Corrie had a good reason for wanting to lose weight.

His 3-year-old son, Luke, requires near constant attention and likely will for the rest of his life. Corrie's family needs him around, and healthy.

He had an epiphany one day watching a friend care for an older son with autism.

"I said there's no way I can do this 10 years from now in my current health," said Corrie, 38, a fifth-grade teacher in Lansing. "At some point, Luke is going to have the strength of a man but still have the mentality of a child."

Corrie's son has isodicentric 15, or idic 15, a rare chromosomal abnormality that leaves him unable to talk, with seizures and low muscle tone.

To prevent the seizures, the 3-year-old has to eat a diet high in fat and low in carbs and protein. Corrie always tries whatever supplements his son is prescribed to make sure they don't have adverse side effects. He decided to do the same thing with Luke's diet.

The more he researched it, he learned it might be able to help him as well.

Under the so-called ketogenic diet, he eats two calories of fat for every one from carbs or protein, consuming no more than 30 grams of carbs a day. He said the diet essentially "fools the body into thinking you're starving," encouraging fat burning.

"I eat a lot of eggs and meat and sausage and low-carb vegetables, bacon, cheese, cashews, avocados," he said.

He said the diet makes him feel full, cutting down on snacking.

"I've been hungry my whole life," he said. "People always say if you eat now you're going to spoil your appetite for dinner. That was not the case for me."

Starting at 311 pounds, Corrie is now down to around 255. He hopes to eventually get to 220.

Besides the changes on the scale, Corrie says he is less grumpy and has lowered his high blood sugar and liver enzyme levels. And he has already noticed the difference in his ability to care for his son.

"I can get to him faster," he said. "My endurance level to carry him around is greater."

He has done some cardio and strength training along the way, but figures the diet is about 80 percent responsible for his weight loss.

"It's improved my health massively," he said.

Corrie has been soliciting sponsors for his weight-loss journey, already raising more than $14,000 that will go toward home modifications for his son. Corrie and his wife hope to build a "Luke-proof room," an addition off the kitchen where he can safely play while his parents watch him through the glass. A contractor, E&K of Chicago, has agreed to donate construction and materials to make the addition a reality.

Corrie's wife, Angela, has been impressed by the improvements her husband has made in his life.

"It's a big change," she said. "He has been diligent to stay on it in a way I couldn't. The weight just melts off him."

"We're really involved with our church. We go to a lot of potlucks, and he's been really good," she added. "We need him around for lots of years."

See the rest here:
A Crown Point man lost 50 pounds...for his son - nwitimes.com

Two entities that seem like they should be on the same page a coalition of environmental groups and a plant-based food company are at odds.

And the flash point is a veggie burger.

Impossible Foods is facing scrutiny about the safety of a key ingredient in its trademark Impossible Burger, commonly known as the veggie burger that bleeds.

The controversy arose when theNew York Timespublished an article highlightingcorrespondencebetween the FDA and Impossible Foods that environmental groups say indicates that the protein had not met the agencys approval before going to market about a year ago.

Currently our FDA, EPA and USDA regulations are falling behind the very quickly moving development of new technologies, and one of the ways that our regulatory agencies are falling behind is they are not assessing the process of genetically engineering these ingredients, said Dana Perls of Friends of the Earth, one of the groups that raised concerns about Impossible Foods safety testing.

[Read the GLPs profile on Friends of the Earth.]

[The companys CEO and founder, Patrick Brown] said the groups objections are more about the use of biotechnology than the product itself.

The vast majority of their effort is an antiscience, anti-GMO crusade, Brown said. Their strategy has tended to be to try to effectively take down any company that is using biotechnology by whatever means they can come up with.

[Editors note: Below is a letter by Impossible Burger CEO and founder Patrick Brown, republished in full with permission from the company.]

The New York Times published an Aug. 8 article falsely implying that Impossible Foods is trying to evade US Food and Drug Administration regulations and putting consumers at risk by selling a product (the Impossible Burger) containing soy leghemoglobin. The article was chock full of factual errors and misrepresentations and was instigated by an extremist anti-science group with the deliberate intention of damaging our reputation.

Heres the truth:

The greatest threat the world faces today is the enormously destructive impact that our use of animals as a food technology has on climate, water, wildlife and biodiversity, global food security and political stability. Although little known to the public and almost completely ignored by the news media, this threat is well recognized by environmental and climate scientists and organizations including the UN Environmental Program, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, among many others. The problem is not going to be solved by asking that people give up, or even reduce, consumption of the animal-derived foods they love; the demand for meat, fish and dairy foods is growing even faster than the human population. Nothing is more important to the planet our children and future generations will inherit, or their quality of life, than finding a solution to this dilemma.

Thats why I founded Impossible Foods. Our singular mission is to enable the world to continue to enjoy the foods they love and increasingly demand, without catastrophic damage to the environment. Our strategy was simple: invent a better way to transform plants into delicious, nutritious, safe and affordable meat, fish and dairy foods that consumers love. Then let consumers choose. If we do our job right, the market will take care of the rest. Commitment to the health, nutrition and safety of our customers is an inseparable part of our mission; its at the heart of why we exist, embedded in our ethos and everything we do.

With support from investors who understand and believe in our mission, we built a team of scientists who have worked tirelessly on this problem, understanding meat what underlies its flavor, texture and all its physical properties far better than it was ever understood. One of many discoveries they made, perhaps the most important, is that a molecule called heme is what makes meat taste like meat. Without heme, you cant make meat that will satisfy the billions of people who love meat.

Heme is an iron-containing molecule thats essential for life on Earth. Its found in every living organism. Its the magic molecule that enables the cells in our bodies and in every living being on Earth to benefit from the oxygen in our atmosphere. Its the molecule that carries oxygen in our blood, makes our blood red and our lips pink. Because its in every plant and animal, humans have been eating heme every day since the first human walked on Earth. The reason that animal tissues (meat) tastes like meat and unlike any vegetable, is that animal tissues contain hundreds to thousands-fold more heme than plant tissues.

To accomplish our essential mission, we needed to find a safe way to produce heme without using animals. We used yeast cells, into which we introduced a plant gene encoding a protein called soy leghemoglobin thats naturally found in the roots of soy plants. The heme in the Impossible Burger is atom-for-atom identical to the heme found in meat, fish, plants and other foods. Soy leghemoglobin carries the heme molecule in the same way a very similar protein, myoglobin, carries heme in muscle tissue (meat). Myoglobin is just one of the thousands of different heme proteins we all consume safely in our diets every day.

The health and safety of our customers is our first priority. The foods in our diet and the molecules and ingredients they contain are by default presumed to be safe, but only a minuscule fraction have ever been scientifically tested for their safety. Although there was never a reason to suspect that soy leghemoglobin would pose any more risk than myoglobin, or any of the new proteins we encounter in our diet all the time, we started four years ago to do a deep scientific study of its safety, including any potential for toxicity or allergenicity. The data we collected and our analyses were documented and reviewed by three independent food-safety experts in toxicology, allergenicity and yeast. In 2014, this expert panel unanimously concluded based on all the evidence that the protein is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human consumption. This is the approach followed by thousands of food companies to meet the FDA requirement that foods be generally recognized as safe. But we did more.

There is no legal or regulatory requirement that a companys finding of GRAS be submitted to the FDA for review. And its frequently not done. In fact, a total of only 709 have been submitted since the GRAS Notification system was put in place almost 20 years ago in 1998. But we did it because we recognize and respect the value of the FDA as guardian of the safety of the American food supply, one of the safest in the world.

We wanted the FDA to review our GRAS determination, to have the added benefit of their expertise, and to assure consumers that our testing of leghemoglobin has passed the most rigorous scrutiny. After submitting our GRAS determination, the FDA reviewed it, and had some questions. To address them, we conducted additional tests. And the tests turned out just as we expected: no adverse effects in rats consuming leghemoglobin every day for a month at levels more than 200 times what an average American would consume if all the ground beef in their diet were the Impossible Burger, and very low risk of allergenicity. A panel of the worlds leading experts in food safety and allergenicity has reviewed the new data, as well as the data originally submitted.

The expert panel has again unanimously concluded that soy leghemoglobin is safe; it is GRAS.

Impossible Foods has always worked constructively with the FDA, whose role as guardian of food safety for the nation we deeply respect. We will be submitting the additional data, along with the expert panels analysis of it, to the FDA this month. And FDA will make Impossible Foodss submission hundreds of pages of safety and allergenicity test results and the expert analysis of those results publicly available on its web site soon thereafter. In addition, in an abundance of caution, we clearly label our product as containing potential allergens: wheat and soy also in compliance with federal regulations. Finally, restaurants where the Impossible Burger is sold also comply with federal regulations about labeling.

Impossible Foods is proud of the safety of its first product, the Impossible Burger, and is committed to the health and safety of our customers. Thats why weve gone far beyond merely complying with food safety regulations, and we always will. I am confident in saying that the Impossible Burger is the safest and most thoroughly safety-tested burger in history. In striking contrast, the alternative, animal-derived burger is one of the least safe and most inadequately tested foods on the market.

And were committed to solving the most urgent threat the world faces today: the use of animals in the food system. Since the small-scale launch of the Impossible Burger, with just 50,000 lbs sold to date (10 billion lbs of ground beef were sold in the same time period), and working with our great restaurant partners, the Impossible Burger has already had an outsized impact: weve had an overwhelmingly positive response from consumers, and weve reduced greenhouse gases emissions by the equivalent of removing 246 American cars from the road for a year, reduced the land footprint of meat production by an area half the size of New Yorks Central Park, saved as much fresh water as 50,000 average Americans drink in a year, and saved more than 100 cows from slaughter. We cant solve this problem unless people love our burger.

Impossible Foods intends to be the most open and transparent company in the world. We welcome every opportunity to answer questions from the public and media, and share our answers on our social media channels. Before deciding how you feel about Impossible Foods or the Impossible Burger, read our story and then decide for yourself.

Continue reading here:
Impossible Burger blowback: Will irrational fears of biotechnology block introduction of sustainable foods? - Genetic Literacy Project