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 pro athletes in different sports eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the (strict) daily diet of Cavaliers forward Kevin Love.

He eats like an 80-year-old lady who's trying make sure she's regular.

The aforementioned quote comes from Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson describing teammate Kevin Loves diet. While Jeffersons assessment is a subtle jab at how conscious the All-Star power forward is with what he consumes, given how Love has transformed his physique since arriving in the league in 2008, its clear that the sum is a result of very detailed maintenance. Just how detailed? We caught up with Love ahead of Game One of the Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics to discuss just how calculated Loves eating habits are.

GQ: You enjoyed some individual success your first few years in Minnesota, even with being bulkier back then. Many players, especially young ones, wouldnt make such a drastic change to their physique because of that success. Which year did you make shedding weight a priority?

Kevin Love: It was probably the offseason I got traded (to Cleveland). I knew that we would be doing a lot of running and my style of play would have to change a little bit. I knew that this would be an opportunity to win but that wouldnt come without sacrifice. Even before then, everything was to build my body and diet to be self-sustaining, and try to manipulate things with longevity being the focus. So I was eating so I could play for 15-20 years and I can decide when I want to retire. This is my ninth year, so that would have been my sixth when I was traded when I fully decided that I want to start working with a nutritionist. I want to know exactly what Im eating and be able to plan ahead, whether its in season or the offseason.

How many different diets did you go through before you found something that you were fully comfortable with?

It definitely took me awhile. I knew coming into the league thatand theres pictures to prove itthat I was a little bit too heavy. Playing four games in five nights, or back to backs, youre playing different types of players. Go to Dallas, youre playing Dirk (Nowitzki). You got KG (Kevin Garnett) in Boston. Having to recover from that and not having the proper nutrition, while being 10-15 pounds overweight; that was something that was really all by trial and error. So it was about figuring out what worked and what made my body feel good. It wasnt until I started working with my nutritionist, Dr. (Philip) Goglia in Los Angeles, that we found out what worked for my body. Now, everyday I have a diet that is designed for me and makes it easy to be able to plan ahead and eat really well.

Just how detailed and custom is this diet?

My nutritionist is actually part of a company called G-plans and what they do is offer customized metabolic health and nutrition plans to people across the world and inspire healthy living. The nutrition platform is perfect for people at varying levels of fitness because it plans your diet around meal plans based on your metabolism. It gives you comprehensive tracking, and a tailored fitness plan. This method is what Ive been following with Dr. Goglia and it is an option for everyone.

The difference in your physique is the most notable. From a physical standpoint, how long did it take you to feel comfortable playing with less weight from what you had been accustomed to for most of your life?

I look back now and the first year (in Cleveland), I felt I was too skinny. I thought to myself that I can get a full six-pack, I was featured in the Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine and I was eating great. That didnt necessarily translate to the court. For me, I was running well, and was in great shape but as far as being able to play inside and outside, which is what I had been doing, I figured I would probably need to throw some of that weight back on. Thats when I begin to get back in the weight room and basically not making best friends with my trainer with the Cavs, Alex Moore. We just started hitting the weights to put the weight back onwell, good weight, I should say, because we generated muscle.

I was better off after that because that first year, I was smaller than I wanted to be and I think that showed a little bit in my rebounding numbers and definitely with playing inside. Im used to offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding and setting the tone on that end. I wanted to get back to that and that had a lot to do with just getting back in the weight room.

Just how uncomfortable are those Body Issue shoots?

[Laughs] Well, its a closed set and ESPN has been doing it for years. It was one of my goals that I was going to be on the cover one day. Seeing where I came from when I came into the league from UCLA, and even looking at some of my old high school photos, I would have been the only one in the world that saw that happening. In a lot of cases, I was told that to take the edge off, guys will have a drink to kind of loosen up to be able to throw themselves out there. I was in the middle of the desert, somewhere about an hour northeast of L.A. and it was 110 degrees. So that wasnt an option for me. It probably took the first couple of shots to really feel comfortable and say, Okay, Im in this.

What are some of the typical meals that youre putting in your body on game days?

For me, its pretty basic. In the morning, I try and make sure Im getting three to four eggs and some almond butter. As I mentioned with planning ahead, Ill grab a Justins flavored almond butter pack, whether its the hazelnut, vanilla, or maple. Ill also have fruit in the morning, two scoops of whey protein. Its pretty straightforward. In the afternoon, its grilled chicken with high-iron veggies, like beets or spinach. As far as getting a starch in there, Ill usually do sweet potatoes or a half a cup of rice. Before the game, Ill have a banana with honey and a little bit of caffeine to get me going. Ill probably do some almond butter again to get the fat stored. For dinner after the game, Im doing fatty fish with the same veggies and no red meat.

Its not like Im doing anything crazy but Im just continuing to fuel my body for this grind and making sure none of these foods will give me an inflammatory response. Im taking my B (protein) powder and making sure thats all going down. Im getting my vitamins in and getting my sleep. Its all very calculated and discipline is what I will say is the most important.

Some of your teammates have poked fun at you for your strict diet. How do you maintain that discipline over the course of an extended season and not indulge in cravings you may have?

I always say you have to decide between what you want now and what you want most. I want to feel good, play a high number of years, and also, I dont want to wake up the next day and look back and feel guilty about indulging in whatever we were having that prior night. I say its not easy because one of my guilty pleasures I have is red wine, and Bron and a lot of guys on our team always have that around. Theyre snobs and they have the right to be. When it comes to red wine, its really tough to say no to it but I think its all discipline, especially when were traveling, getting in late and playing back to backs. Sometimes, Ill bring a Whole Foods bag with my almond butters, fruits that I can take, or grab from the plane and always keep with me. One thing I always try and do also is just pound the water. That tends to eliminate any late night eating and keeps me hydrated. Its not easy. Its definitely not easy.

"I say its not easy because one of my guilty pleasures I have is red wine, and Bron and a lot of guys on our team always have that around. Theyre snobs and they have the right to be."

I consider the Cavaliers as being one of the franchises at the forefront of team nutrition because you guys have a staff that gets to the arena an hour before the first bus arrives and they set up a spread of fresh fruit, organic peanut butter and jelly, RX bars and all this really healthy stuff. When did you guys implement that?

I think its probably through our head strength coach, Derek Millender. Hes one of the more health conscious people in that role in the NBA, in my opinion. Hes been at the forefront of that for us and really working with our team nutritionist. I know guys like myself have nutritionist we go to, but we have a woman who works with us and they kind of go back and forth to find the best places to order from on the road. That way, youre not having the typical concession stand food after the game. Youre having what fits with your meal plan.

As calculated and disciplined as you are in your nutrition, how much of a motivation do you get from seeing how LeBron prepares and takes care of his body because hes arguably the best conditioned athlete of our lifetime?

Theres a lot of things that might go unnoticed with LeBron. His overall diet and what he puts in his body; I mentioned it being calculated and he wants to play forever. Hes like Tom Brady. It just seems like that because of that level of greatness. His self-sacrifice, what he eats on a daily basis, how hes fueled as well as the time he puts in. Whether its in the weight room, on the training table or out there on the court, hes one of a kind. Hes special. I think thats whyknock on woodhes been able to play for so long without a major injury and play at such a high level. It just seems like he gets better with age.

Look at this postseason. At 32 years old, his averages for the season were 26, 8.5, and 8.5. This postseason, hes probably playing the best postseason basketball that he has in his career. I think its definitely inspiring to not only us, but also the youth and that demographic. Anybody who wants what he has or looks up to him as an athlete, leader, or even someone who is in my position as his teammate, he makes a ton of decisions everyday that might come easy to him now, but in looking at how he goes about his business and his diet, that sort of thing doesnt go unnoticed.

With a lot of people and even athletes, theres a mental hurdle and a physical barrier you have to push through to achieve your goals. What would be your advice on pushing through those barriers and getting away from what youre comfortable with?

You definitely want to find out what works for you because I think a lot of people get into it for a few weeks and they dont have these huge gains they expect quickly. But theres no magic pill or potion that youre going to take and the weight is going to fly right off. Its a lifestyle change. For me, it was looking in the mirror and finding that inspiration in how am I going to better myself in order to help my team, help my career like I mentioned with LeBron and the younger generation and make sure that Im doing the right thing as far as healthy living goes. Its definitely a lifestyle change and something that takes time. I would just say find your motivation. Like with anything in life, find what makes you tick on the health and wellness side because youll be a lot better off from a health standpoint, and purely from an aesthetic standpoint, if you put the time in, youre going to see results.

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The Real-Life Diet of Kevin Love - GQ Magazine

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Bloat is a word I hear multiple times daily from my patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

We've been searching for an IBS solution for years. Millions of Americans are estimated to have IBS 15.3 million, according to the National Institutes of Health. In fact, IBS is the second leading cause of absence in school and the workplace, following the common cold.

We know that patients with IBS poorly absorb certain foods, and this malabsorption leads to digestive woes.But for a long time, we didnt know how to accurately identify and remove offending foods from the diets of IBS patients.

Then, in 2010, a scientific breakthrough allowed more precise dietary treatment of IBS. Dietitians call this breakthrough FODMAP and the treatment arising from it a low FODMAP diet.

Put simply, FODMAP is an abbreviationcomprised of the first letters of the various sugars and carbohydrates occurring naturally in foods. These sugars and carbohydrates are the culprits that cause bloat, pain, gas, diarrhea and constipation of IBS sufferers. A food can have a high FODMAP level, a low FODMAP level or no FODMAPs at all.

Limiting a patients diet to foods with low FODMAP levels can reduce IBS symptoms up to 80 percent.

The first step is to remove potential trigger foods from a patients diet for a period of 4-6 weeks to identify any food intolerances. Then, with the help of a registered dietitian, one problematic food at a time is slowly reintroduced to the diet to see if the patient can tolerate that food. Once that food has been dealt with, a second trigger food is reintroduced, and so on.

Some of my patients have been able to reintroduce and enjoy foods with high FODMAP levels. Others must follow a more restrictive FODMAP diet.

Sounds great, right?

It is! But, you should know that this is not an easy diet to follow faithfully. You have to plan your meals, shop carefully and read all food labels from top to bottom. Most of all, you have to be compliant for the entire 4-6 week period.

However, if you can hang in there for the initial period of the diet, you are going to feel better in the long run.

Some foods that must be avoided on alow FODMAP diet are surprising. An apple, for instance, is a high FODMAP food that will send most IBS patients to their GI doctor.

Some other foods with high FODMAP levels: Sugar free gum? Get rid of it. Milk with cereal; ice cream for dessert? Out. Wheat bread or pasta? Bye, Bye.

Here are some foods with low FODMAPs: carrots, spinach, lettuce, tomato, sweet bell peppers and hard cheese like Parmesan.

Foods with no FODMAPs include eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, and lean beef.

I work closely with IBS patients to teach them how to plan and enjoy meals on their low FODMAP diet. Here is a family recipe I share with my IBS patients that anyone can enjoy!

Frittata in a cup - makes 12 servings

Directions

*NOTE: Low FODMAP foods

Emily Rubin, RD, LDN, has worked forThomas Jefferson University Division ofGastroenterology and Hepatology since 2001; she is also the Main dietitian at Jeffersons Celiac Center, Fatty Liver Center, and Weight Management Center. In her spare time, Emily is a mother of 12-year-old twin boys who also share in her passion of cooking, baking and eating healthy-but-delicious foods.

Published: May 17, 2017 3:01 AM EDT

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May 17, 2017 5:26 PM

(CBS) Jake Arrieta eats well, aiming to make 80 percent of his diet healthy. But the remaining 20 percent is pretty incredible.

Arrieta, the 2015 NL Cy Young winner, has what he calls cheat days on his diet. He explained it in great detail to the Bernstein & Goff Show on Wednesday in his regular appearance with the show.

We start with a flight of french toast, which is blueberry, strawberries, pecan, a cookie french toasts, and then Im going with a chicken and waffles, Arrieta said. Probably two pancakes, three eggs and a side of bacon. Thats breakfast.

Im carb-loading. Im getting a ton of sugar, high fat. And then Ill probably end up at the park with the kids for an hour, as long as I can stay awake. Ill have to hit a nap then, and I kind of plan out my food accordingly if I know Im really going to get after it.

Usually, around lunch, before dinner, Ill probably eat a pint of ice cream, just as a snack a nice little snack. And then well go to dinner. Well go to DMK (restaurant), well go there. Ill get two double-doubles, probably an order of fries, maybe two, and then a shake at least one shake after dinner.

Im probably throwing down close to 10,000 calories. And then I dont eat for three or four days.

Arrietas typical diet is mostly plant-based and consists of organic foods. He maintains excellent physical condition and a extensive workout regimen. But the cheat days can be just as important to maintaining a healthy diet. Arrieta sure does his right.

This season has been a struggle so far for Arrieta, who is 4-3 with a 5.44 ERA. He pins the struggles on mechanical issues.

I wasnt too far off from where I want to be last start, Arrieta said. But its just a continuous process, trying to work through it, find that comfort zone and go from there.

You can listen to the full Bernstein & Goff shows here and can subscribe here.

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Jake Arrieta's Incredible Diet 'Cheat Days' Include 10000 Calories Of Food - CBS Chicago

Religious parents who killed their infant son by feeding him an alternative, gluten free diet, are now on trial in Belgium.

The parents, described as overly religious by local media, ran a natural food store in the town of Beveren in Belgium. Prosecutors claim they refused medical advice, and placed their son on a dangerous gluten free diet that included quinoa milk, a diet that ultimately resulted in the death of their infant son.

According to reports, the parents diagnosed their infant son Lucas as gluten intolerant as well as lactose intolerant. Yet that diagnosis was never confirmed by a medical professional.

At the time of his death Lucas was only seven months old and weighed less than 10 lbs, which is half of what a healthy child his age should weigh. An autopsy showed that when he died Lucas was severely dehydrated and his stomach was completely empty.

While the parents refused to seek appropriate medical attention for their dying son, a prayer card was found in the childs diaper at the time of his death.

About the case, the public prosecutor said:

The parents determined their own diagnosis that their child was gluten intolerant and had a lactose allergy.

Not a single doctor had a dossier about Lucas and child protection services did not know about them.

In addition, prosecutors allege that despite the baby gasping for air in the days leading to his death, the parents never thought to seek medical attention.

At one point, as their sons health continued to deteriorate, the parents did consult with a homoeopathic doctor on the other side of the country. Thats right, instead of taking their sick and dying son to a local hospital, the parents sought out a homoeopathic doctor.

(For the record, homeopathic medicine does not work, and is a scam meant to hustle the gullible and the ignorant.)

Commenting on the case, lawyers for the parents tried to justify the actions of their clients, noting:

Lucas had an eating disorder. He got cramps when he was fed with a bottle and his parents tried out alternatives.

Oat milk, rice milk, buckwheat milk, semolina milk, quinoa milk. All products which they also sell in their store.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor holds the parents responsible for the death of their son, arguing that the parents dangerous and unorthodox diet equals intentionally denying food to the infant child.

The parents now face jail sentences, with Belgian prosecutors alleging they contributed to the death of the boy from dehydration and undernourishment

The trial begins this week, with Belgian prosecutors seeking an 18-month jail sentence for both the mother and father.

Religious Parents Kill Infant Son With Gluten Free Diet (Image via Max Pixel)

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Religious Parents Kill Infant Son With Gluten Free Diet - Patheos (blog)

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Youve been prescribed an anti-inflammatory diet. What does that even mean?

In my daily interactions with patients, there are certain buzzwords that always seem to weave into conversation: gluten-free, coconut, protein, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the big one and often most obscure anti-inflammatory.

Many people come to me because they read about inflammatory food, or their doctor has put them on an anti-inflammatory diet. Few know what that even means or how diet even plays a role.

Inflammation can come from a variety of sources. First, lets look at the role our immune system plays in our health: It protects the body from foreign invaders, called antigens. These invaders can take shape as the pollen that triggers your allergies, the bacteria in the nail you step on that causes swelling and soreness, or the food you may be sensitive to that causes hives and itching.

The response to each antigen comes from our immune system doing exactly what its supposed to do: attack the foreign substance and put you back in a state of homeostasis (normality). It does this by releasing cytokines, which induce inflammation and respond to infections. Swelling, for example, is your bodys mechanism to isolate an injury and spare other cells around it.

So essentially, during the process of inflammation, defense mechanisms develop. The injury is repaired and the inflammation is eventually resolved. We also have antigens that live within us called human leukocyte antigens (HLA). They're friends with your immune system and wont be attacked. This is a simple explanation as the entire process involves a complex cascade of reactions within the body.

Sometimes, the immune system backfires and either responds too much or too little, or views a relatively harmless substance as a deadly threat. At this point, our normal inflammation can turn into a systemic or chronic version.

The inflammation occurs, even though it was not necessarily needed, and may not get the signal from the body to stop. The result is chronic disease. It can occur in the brain, the arteries, the gut and the joints. Autoimmune conditions may occur when those friendly HLA antigens become enemies and the body starts attacking its own tissues. Thats probably why people are looking for a way to silence inflammation, get rid of it and avoid getting it in the first place. Enter the anti-inflammatory diet.

Before it became trendy, most of us equated anti-inflammatory products with medications such as acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). The drug works by blocking body mechanisms that cause inflammation. There are foods that can do this as well.

Blood tests look for inflammatory markers by measuring acute phase proteins in the blood triggered by cytokines. For example, C-reactive protein (CRP), sedimentation rate (ESR) and plasma viscosity (PV) are common tests. They all may demonstrate the presence of inflammation. However, they wont tell you if you have a specific condition or disease.

Hippocrates once said, Let food be thy medicine. He was right. We know from many rigorous studies our food choices can impact our inflammation status. The foods with the highest anti-inflammatory benefits are:

fruits and vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables),

nuts

colorful roots and herbs (including turmeric and ginger)

omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish and chia seed)

healthy fats (including olive oil)

high fiber whole grains.

These foods also stimulate growth of healthy gut bacteria that have an anti-inflammatory impact.

On the flip side, these are foods you want to consume less of:

sugar, which has been shown in one study to activate inflammatory pathways that may increase the risk for breast cancer.

red meat consumption, refined grains and a high intake of saturated fat have also been shown to induce inflammation.

gluten, because studies have found it may cause inflammatory side effects when consumed by people with either celiac disease (an autoimmune condition) or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

What really matters is your overall eating pattern and lifestyle rather than individual foods. The next frontier in eliciting the bodys anti-inflammatory factors will most likely result from the work on stress and relaxation methods such as meditation and yoga.

Eat real (unrefined) food, practice stress relief techniques on a regular basis and be physically active the ultimate anti-inflammatory drug. Chances are youll set the stage for less inflammatory disease and a longer, healthier life.

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Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, R.D., is the manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, and the author of "Skinny Liver." Follow her on Twitter @KristinKirkpat. For more diet and fitness advice, sign up for our One Small Thing newsletter.

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What is the anti-inflammatory diet and how can it help you? - Today.com