Sticking to a diet is hardeven if you have the willpower.I tried living on a Paleo diet once, but the sheer number of restrictions that complicated my grocery shopping list meant it wasnt long before I was back to eating boxed pasta.

An Alexandria meal delivery service is seeking to change that.

Formerly known as Power Supply, the healthy meal service has been up and running since 2011. Now operating under the new name Territory,the company has recently relaunched to make it easier to selectmore diet-specific optionsinto their line-up of pre-cooked, healthy meals that customers can choosefrom the online menu and have delivered to their homes.

Prior to the relaunch, the service offered meals that fit under the categories of mixitarian, vegetarian, and Paleo. Now, Territory has set the filters on their online menu to pull up meals that fit a much longer list of diets, including the initial three plus trendy diets like Whole30 and Mediterranean, as well as commonly practiced low-carb or low-fat diets, in addition to some eating plans of Territorys own design: the Air, Sea, & Plants diet and one for new and expecting moms.

Territorys co-founder,Patrick Smith, says that the goal of these new filters is helping people sustain their commitment to healthy eating over time. While some diets, like Whole30 or Paleo, may sound good in theory, they can be much harder to stick to when youre standing in front of your refrigerator at 8:30 on a Tuesday night, wondering how to turn frozen chicken and wilted lettuce into dinner.

The new filters are also intended to emphasize just how personal nutrition isthat choosing a healthy eating plan for yourself isnt a one-size-fits-all model. Rather, the service allows customers to try on different diets for size, to see which one suits them the best.

The filters for the different meals were set in place with the help of consulting nutritionists. The nutritionists outlined the guidelines for each diet, andthose rules were applied to the meals that Territory chefs were already making to identify which meals fit the diet. In some cases, such as the new and expecting moms, the nutritionists came up with the rules from scratch.

Ashley Koff, the DC-based nutritionist who designed the new and expecting moms meals, created guidelines by not just looking at the long list of foods pregnant women cant eat, but also looked at what nutrients pre- and postpartum moms should be getting more of in their diets. Additionally, Koff planned for the meals to be broken up and eaten as two or three mini meals, since pregnant women sometimes have difficulty keeping down food. Included in the new and expecting moms category are meals such as basil chicken with garlic broccoli or apple BBQ pulled pork with beet slaw.

One diet that Territory offers wasnt designed by their team of nutritionists. Rather, the MedStar Healthy meal filter on the site represents a collaboration between the meal delivery service and the DC-area hospital group.The partnership was inspired by MedStars Health for America fellowship program, in which four recent college graduates were challenged to find an innovative way to improve care for diabetics. The fellows worked to develop a system of healthy meals for diabetics, then tapped Territory to help with the delivery side.

According to Dr. Michelle Magee, director of the MedStar Diabetes Instituteand lead physician mentor for the fellowship, the meals are intended to be diabetic and pre-diabetic safe. But because the mealswhich range from pistachio-crusted tuna to ginger scallion pork pattiesare low in saturated fat and sit in a good calorie range, theyre really healthy for anyone, even those with no diabetes concerns.

Ultimately, it may not be cost effective for everyone to order all of their meals onlineSmith says that most of their customers order five or six of their meals through Territory each weekbut by getting to know what a tasty Paleo or aWhole30 or vegetarian meal looks like, people can become familiar with how to make healthy meals on their own. If nothing else, the delivery service can make it easier for those who have healthy eating goals without the time to fulfill them.

I believe that the way that we identify and enable our health is by having better tools, says Koff. Cooking can be what we call some assembly requiredand sometimes we dont even have time for some assembly required.

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This New Food Delivery Tool Makes Sticking to Your Diet SO Much Easier - Washingtonian.com

The reported benefits of apple cider vinegar range from helping you lose weight, protecting your heart, preventing cancer, and even banishing bad breath. So when I saw a fitness influencer attribute an ACV cleanse to her killer abs, I broke the one diet rule I've always kept and tried a fad diet prescribed on social media.

I always thought that diets shared by fitness influencers on Instagram tend to come across as shady and inauthentic, but when my by BFF sent me the Instagram post below, I forgot all about that skepticism. The post talked about a cleanse to eliminate bloat, help digestion issues, and get those much-coveted obliques. I was game.

I figured I didn't have anything to losethe ingredients are "real" food and ACV was having a moment. I'd seen other fitness peeps snap shots of gallon jugs, talking about their own concoctions. So, I committed to giving it a try.

Day 1: I'm just gonna say it: The shake tasted disgusting. I didn't even finish the whole serving. I drank what I could first thing in the morning when I woke up. I ate regularly at work and did an extra-long endurance run in the evening. I also worked in a few new abs exercises into my workouts. After all, this cleanse was about to give me abs, right? The post also recommended a magnesium supplement at night, so I took one after dinner.

Day 2: The shake still tasted sour (IDK why I was surprised about that; there's vinegar in it), but I managed to down the whole thing and felt kickass for it. The only major change waswarning: TMI aheadthat I went to the bathroom more than usual that day. Otherwise, I ate regularly again, went for a shorter run and did some weight lifting after work, and popped another magnesium pill. Day two of the cleanse, check.

Day 3: The taste of the drink got better (or I was getting used to it). I spent decent time in the bathroom again, which debloated me and made my stomach flat. I felt less hungry throughout the day and didn't feel a surge of early-afternoon fatigue like a normally do. Later, after I completed an endurance run at the gym, I lifted up my shirt, looked in the mirror, and...there they wereabs! Yes, legitimate abs (a first for me). At home, I piled my plate high with veggies andtook another magnesium supplement.

Day 4: The shake was tolerable, but I felt queasy in the morning, and I wasn't very hungry at lunch. I decided to take a rest day from my workouts. I completed my day with another round of magnesium, but little did I know this was the beginning of the end of my temporary abs.

Day 5: My stomach felt terrible. I dealt with a nauseous, acidic stomach all day. I tried to do my long run, but my stomach wouldn't allow it. I still took my magnesium pill with dinner.

Day 6-7: I woke up with the worst stomach ache I've ever had. I hesitantly made the shake and told myself I was almost done and maybe this was just part of the process. The post suggested trying the cleanse for at least 7 days. (I know now that I should have listened to my body.)

Day 8: No shake, no magnesium pill, continued stomach ache, and fading abs. This cleanse ended on a(nother) sour note.

So, sure, I got abs, kinda, and for a day or so, but the side effects were obviously not worth that mini reward. I knew I'd never do it again. I was curious about whether my circumstances were abnormal, or if there was actually some secret abs-sculpting benefits to an apple cider vinegar cleanse that I just missed somehow. So I talked to Jessica Crandall, R.D.N., a certified diabetes educator. Crandall says she's never prescribed ACV to any of her clients, and she doesn't see that changing anytime soon.

"Because it tastes nasty, it might curb your appetite," says Crandall. "But it's just a diet fad."

The other ingredients in the cleanse fared a little better from Crandall's expert point of view, though. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties; blueberries are high in fiber and antioxidants; lemon juice is high in vitamin C; and spinach is a great source of vitamin K (and boosts your fitness performance). The magnesium in the evening helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and (ironically) helps normalize your bowel movements. All good stuff, "but nothing in there will give you six-pack abs," says Crandall. In fact, she tells me that the acidity of the ACV may have been too much for my stomach to handle, which makes a lot of sense considering my frequent bathroom breaks and tossy-turny stomach.

So besides some obvious dehydration, to what does she attribute my day-long abs? Simply put, being aware of my goal and my diet. In theory, people who follow an influencer or fitness figure who suggests a diet, food, or detox will likely "eat something healthy they otherwise wouldn't and it kickstarts other habits like trying new exercises or eating better," hypothesizes Crandall. It's true. Remember, I did start doing a few new abs exercises during the cleanse.

Stay skeptical of words like detox and cleanse. While some may have their benefits, most are nothing more than fluff. Regardless, the moral of the story here to is listen to your body. I should have known something was up when I could barely stomach the first shake on day 1, or at least on day 4 when I was so queasy. Next time, I'll listen to my gut (pun intended).

Read more from the original source:
An Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse Gave Me Abs...and an Awful Stomach Ache - Shape Magazine

Safe swallowing depends on the coordination of many muscles in the face, mouth and throat.

The medical name for swallowing difficulty is dysphagia. Dysphagia can occur at any stage of life, from birth through old age. Swallowing may be impaired because of prematurity or developmental difficulty; stroke or neurological disease; respiratory illness like COPD or emphysema; cancer; head injury; surgery; injury to the face, mouth or neck; weakness or incoordination from other sources; and other reasons.

A person with dysphagia may have food and liquid enter the lungs instead of the stomach, which is called aspiration. A person may aspirate without being aware of any swallowing difficulty because of impaired sensation or thinking. If dysphagia is not treated effectively, a person may either develop aspiration pneumonia, which is a serious medical condition, or become choked on food lodged in the airway.

Possible signs of dysphagia include:

Coughing, choking or strangling while eating, drinking or taking medicine.

Wet voice quality or chest congestion after eating or drinking.

Pneumonia, breathing difficulty, chest pain or rattling in the lungs.

Spitting food out of the mouth or pushing the tongue out of the mouth.

More trouble chewing or swallowing than usual.

Food sticking in the mouth or throat after meals.

Food coming back through the nose or mouth.

Not being able to swallow saliva or drooling.

Decreased intake of food or liquid; unexplained weight loss, malnutrition or dehydration.

Becoming more tired or short of breath while eating.

Taking a long time to finish a meal or giving up part way through.

When a person has signs of dysphagia, a physician may order an evaluation of swallowing ability. The medical professional who evaluates and treats dysphagia is a speech-language pathologist. A swallow evaluation may take place in an office or an X-ray department.

After being evaluated, dysphagia may be treated by strengthening muscles, compensating for weakness or changing the diet. Also, these simple guidelines may help make eating and drinking more safe:

Be fully awake and alert before eating or drinking.

Eat in a quiet, non-stressful environment with no distractions; turn off the television; do not hold a conversation while eating.

Take your time; do not rush; chew thoroughly.

Take small bites and sips.

Sit straight up any time you eat or drink; never eat while lying down.

Sit up for 20-30 minutes after eating.

If you begin to cough or strangle, stop eating or drinking until the sensation has passed; do not take a sip of liquid.

Brush your teeth and gums regularly.

There are times when a person cannot swallow any item safely or take in enough food or liquid to meet the bodys needs. If this happens, a physician may recommend an alternative feeding method, like a nasogastric or gastrostomy tube. These tubes bypass the normal swallow structures to provide food and liquid directly into the stomach. Even if one of these methods is used, a person may continue to work with the speech-language pathologist to improve swallowing abilities.

If you have signs of dysphagia, the first step to eating and drinking safely is to contact your physician and discuss your concerns.

Lisa Renfroe is a speech-language pathologist with Acute Rehabilitation at North Mississippi Medical Center.

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HEALTH LINES: Swallowing difficulty is serious but treatable - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Warding off the joint pain of gout may be as easy as eating right, a new study suggests.

Gout, a joint disease that causes extreme pain and swelling, is caused by excess uric acid in the blood. It's the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, and its incidence has risen among Americans over recent decades, Harvard researchers noted.

But the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet which is high in fruits and vegetables, and low in salt, sugar and red meat can lower levels of uric acid in the blood.

The American Heart Association has long supported the DASH regimen as a way to help avoid heart disease.

"Conversely, the [unhealthy] Western diet is associated with a higher risk of gout," said Dr. Hyon Choi, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues. The "Western" diet describes the fatty, salty, sugar-laden fare of many Americans.

One nutritionist wasn't surprised by the new findings, pointing out that the DASH diet is low in compounds called purines, which break down to form uric acid.

"I can see how the DASH diet may benefit someone with gout," said Jen Brennan, clinical nutrition manager at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "The DASH diet avoids excessive consumption of red and organ meats known to have high purine levels."

Brennan added that the DASH diet "also encourages high intake of fruits and vegetables. We want to encourage fluids and vitamin C for these patients to help rid the body of uric acid, and fruits/vegetables can support this."

In their study, the Harvard researchers analyzed data from more than 44,000 men, aged 40 to 75, who had no prior history of gout. The men provided information about their eating habits every four years between 1986 and 2012.

Over the study period, more than 1,700 of the men developed gout.

During 26 years of follow-up, those who followed the DASH diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains, and low in salt, sugary drinks and red and processed meats were less likely to develop gout than those who ate a typical Western diet, the findings showed.

The Western diet is high in items such as red and processed meats, French fries, refined grains, sweets and desserts.

The study wasn't designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. However, the findings suggest that the DASH diet may provide "an attractive preventive dietary approach for the risk of gout," the researchers concluded.

Choi's team noted that many people who have high uric acid levels also have elevated blood pressure, or "hypertension" another reason to switch to the healthier DASH diet.

According to the study's lead author, Sharan Rai, of Massachusetts General Hospital, "The diet may also be a good option for patients with gout who have not reached a stage requiring [uric acid]-lowering drugs, or those who prefer to avoid taking drugs." Rai is with Mass General's division of rheumatology, allergy and immunology.

"And since the vast majority of patients with gout also have hypertension, following the DASH diet has the potential of 'killing two birds with one stone,' addressing both conditions together," Rai said in a hospital news release.

However, more studies are needed to track the diet's effectiveness in curbing gout flare-ups, the researchers said.

Dana Angelo White is a registered dietitian at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. She called the new study "another win for the DASH diet, a sensible plan that emphasizes whole foods and a healthy balance of all major food groups. I'm pleased to see a study that highlights the benefits beyond cardiovascular health. If more people ate this way, we would continue to see decreases in all kinds of chronic illness."

The study was published online in May in the BMJ.

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Eat this diet to lower your odds of gout - Chicago Tribune

Do you even paleo, bro? Apparently, yall do bro.

According to food delivery company Grubhub, Austinites in 2016 wanted to eat as the cave folk did. In astudy of the most popular eating trends last year (or diets, as I like to call them), paleo reigned supreme among all other specialized food plans in the capital of Texas. The paleo diet, in case you youve never eaten out with someone who makes a waiter sigh, is based on eating only foods available to Paleolithic-era humans. Essentially, a lot of meat, fruits, vegetables and nuts, and no dairy, bread, processed foods, alcohol or simple pleasures in life.

Grubhubs methodology? The company says it looked at delivery orders related to the most popular healthy eating plans in the United States: paleo, raw, juice cleanse, vegan, gluten-free, low-fat, Mediterranean and keto diets. Entirely possible that every paleo devotee in Austin was just too lazy to eat anything other than takeout, in other words.

Austin also landed at No. 8 on the list of major U.S. cities whose citizens were chasing a diet fad. Austinites ordered 44 percent more foods from a popular meal plan than the rest of the nation, according to the study. Seattle and Portland topped the list (gluten-free, they are). Dallas slid in at No. 3 (also favoring the paleo way of life).

The Fred Flintstone foodie trend also took home gold medal among all other diets across the country such orders were up 370 percent over the previous year, according to Grubhub.

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The most popular diet in Austin would just make us miss cake - austin360

(WFLA) You can map out your family tree, solve ancient mysteries, even predict your future, but did you know your DNA can also tell you what to eat?

Theres a new trend in feeling better and slimming downall by knowing what your body really needs and wants.

The results basically showed me every diet Ive done for the last ten years has been wrong, said busy mom Mary Ann Cucuzza.

Cucuzza always stuck to a high fat, low-carb diet, because its been the fad for women for years.

After taking the Pathway Genomics DNA test, Cucuzza realized exactly what she should be eating.

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Osteoarthritis could be prevented with good diet and exercise Science Daily During the expert review, researchers from the University of Surrey identified a crucial link between metabolism and osteoarthritis. Metabolic changes, caused by a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle, trigger's the genetic reprogramming of cells in the ... Study: Diet and exercise may prevent osteoarthritisUPI.com all 3 news articles »

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Osteoarthritis could be prevented with good diet and exercise - Science Daily