Can people be taught to think their way to smaller waists?

Scientists in Roanoke and Blacksburg plan to team up with Carilion Clinic doctors to explore the answer.

The work will be done at a new lifestyle center that the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute is building in Roanoke. Researchers will look at the connection between the mind and the body, and at whether people who are coached to think differently will eat better, exercise more and change the way their bodies burn calories.

Warren Bickel, who studies how people make decisions, and Matthew Hulver, who looks at how their bodies use energy, will head the Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors in Roanoke.

One of the impetuses for this is we are getting better at treating diseases that have a strong biological basis, Bickel said. Whats going to be a bigger piece of health care, and the costs, are the things we do to ourselves. We eat too much. We dont exercise enough. We consume too many substances. We dont follow physicians advice. So health behavior, in a very real sense, has a great potential to be the future of medicine.

The center will be in Carilions Riverside 1 building, a stones throw from the VTC Research Institute and School of Medicine, and is the first spinoff to be created within the Roanoke Innovation District.

Bickel and Hulver have been meeting with other Tech researchers and with Carilion physicians to pursue collaborations that will help them better understand the body-mind connections that affect health.

Bickels research at the VTC Research Center looks at which regions of the brain are involved in decision-making. People who use regions that are more prone to impulsive behavior tend to value the future less and think more short-term. They are also more likely to overeat, drink too much and become addicted to substances. Its a process he terms discounting the future.

Hulvers research at the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise looks at the physiology of metabolism and how it is affected by high-calorie, high-fat, Westernized diets that contribute to obesity and diabetes.

One of the first conversations Warren and I had was that certain parts of the brain are more impulsive and certain parts are more logical. It would be interesting to see how those affect obesity, Hulver said. If this part of your brain is lighting up, and youre impulsive, there have got to be some signals going out to the body.

They have started screening 200 people using Bickels method of assessing the way they value the future, and will then use Hulvers methods to measure whole-body metabolism and how people with extreme ways of thinking respond to a meal with the aim of exploring a link between brain decisions and metabolism.

Bickel and Hulver said the center goes beyond their collaborations and will function as a clearinghouse for others studying health behaviors.

Bickel said he and Michael Friedlander, Techs vice president for health sciences and technology and executive director of the research institute, were talking about moving into health behaviors at the same time Techs translational obesity center was looking for a new direction.

We said, what if we combined our interests, because they clearly overlap they are different parts of the same beast, sort of like the elephant, ones grabbing one part, the other is grabbing another part and actually put it together? Wed have more than the sum of the parts and could actually generate more interest and excitement and involvement, Bickel said.

The center plans to link researchers in Blacksburg and Roanoke with Carilion clinicians to work on projects that can affect the health of people living in the area.

Knowing how to change health behaviors, that lead to major expenses and utilize a lot of resources, and helping people change is where medicine is going to be heading in the next 20 to 30 years, Bickel said.

The center is expected to open in June.

Excerpt from:
New VTCRI center to explore if people can think their way to smaller waists - Roanoke Times

May 17, 2017 by Adityarup

Certain kinds of foods prescribed to manage the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) could contribute to skeletal fragility seen in many PKU patients, according to a new study by University of WisconsinMadison researchers.

Led by Waisman Center and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences investigator Denise Ney and her graduate student Bridget Stroup, the study represents the first human clinical trial to compare how different PKU-specific diets affect the bone health of people living with the disease. Skeletal fragility affects 40-to-50 percent of adults with PKU and 33 percent of children with the disease.

Individuals with PKU must adhere to a lifelong diet of medical foods that contain protein but are low in the amino acid phenylalanine. Their bodies are unable to metabolize phenylalanine, so it accumulates at high levels in their blood, leading to intellectual disabilities, seizures and other serious health problems.

However, almost all naturally occurring proteins contain phenylalanine, so in order to get enough protein, people with PKU have traditionally eaten medical foods containing synthetic protein substitutes made from amino acids. Still, they often struggle to maintain adequate bone health.

Just over a decade ago, Ney helped develop foods for PKU patients made from a protein called glycomacropeptide (GMP), a natural byproduct found in the whey extracted during cheese production. In one study, Ney showed that mice fed GMP-based diets had larger and stronger bones than mice on amino acid-based diets.

"It was a vital clue that there could be a link between amino acid medical foods and the skeletal fragility seen in many PKU patients," says Ney.

For the current study, published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, Ney and her research team assigned eight individuals with PKU to a diet of amino acid-based medical foods. Then, these same patients switched to a GMP-based diet.

The researchers found that, compared to when on the GMP diet, PKU patients had higher amounts of calcium and magnesium in their urine while on the amino acid-based diet, which indicated that their bones were leaching elements critical for bone health.

"The amino acid medical foods have high acid loads, which can change the overall acid-base balance within the body," says Stroup. Bones are able to buffer high acid loads in the body, but over time this leads to a breakdown and release of minerals. GMP medical foods, on the other hand, do not have high acid loads.

Although the researchers did not directly measure bone breakdown and density in this study, other studies have found that reducing the acid content of diets leads to lower urine-calcium excretion and increased bone density. The findings, Ney says, could help patients with other kinds of metabolic disorders, like maple syrup urine disease. And though the sample size of the study was relatively small, it is typical of rare diseases. Ney hopes to secure additional funding for further study.

Her work carries on a legacy of PKU research at the Waisman Center and at UWMadison. Harry Waisman, after whom the center is named, championed mandatory newborn screening for PKU and dedicated his life to developing treatments for the disorder. Waisman was among the first to show that PKU can be managed by strictly adhering to a low-phenylalanine diet.

Today, Ney is working on a larger clinical trial to study the metabolism of calcium and other minerals in PKU patients consuming amino acid or GMP medical foods. "We will be looking at bone health, but also other physiological aspects, such as the gut microbiota," says Ney.

Explore further: New study deems dairy 'excellent' source of protein for children

Researchers at the University of Illinois are using pigs as a model to study the best way of evaluating protein quality in foods eaten by children, a method that was proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ...

While most celebrity or fad diets have not been scientifically proven to be effective, the alkaline diet can still positively impact your body, especially if you have kidney problems, according to a Baylor College of Medicine ...

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad cholesterol" that doctors consider a sign of potential heart disease, is merely a marker of a diet lacking all of the essential amino acids, says University of Illinois comparative ...

(HealthDay)For patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), isocaloric diets high in animal protein (AP) or plant protein (PP) are associated with similar improvements in metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors, according ...

Saturated fat is a prime suspect in the onset of osteoarthritis after QUT scientists found it changed the composition of cartilage, particularly in the weight-bearing joints of the hip and knee.

Use of the generic versions of directly-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs that are available in India to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is not only cost effective but actually saves lifetime costs for treating infected ...

Certain kinds of foods prescribed to manage the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) could contribute to skeletal fragility seen in many PKU patients, according to a new study by University of WisconsinMadison ...

(HealthDay)Getting hospital patients with mild pancreatitis to start eating sooner may speed their recovery, a new study says.

A team of investigators led by Rohit Kohli, MBBS, MS, of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, has identified key inflammatory cells involved in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Current treatment for the disorder involves changes ...

An international study led by Monash University has discovered the molecular mechanism by which the potentially deadly superbug 'Golden Staph' evades antibiotic treatment, providing the first important clues on how to counter ...

Vaccinating pregnant mothers year-round against flu in the resource-challenged region of subtropical Nepal reduced infant flu virus infection rates by an average of 30 percent, increased birth weights by 15 percent and resulted ...

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

Original post:
New clues to healthy bones for those with PKU - Medical Xpress

There are plenty of commercial diets that advocate cutting carbohydrates for instant weight loss and as a result, many Americans have become accustomed to counting the carbohydrate grams in the foods they eat and buy. The problem is our bodies need carbohydrate to function properly. So instead of avoiding this essential nutrient all together, make your carbohydrate work for you buy choosing foods that provide the nutrition needed for a healthy life.

In our bodies, carbohydrates are converted to glucose, our bodys main source of fuel. The brain, nervous system and blood cells all rely heavily on glucose to function properly. And while cutting out or cutting back on some carbohydrate heavy foods can be beneficial to your health (think pizza and donuts), there are many nutrient-dense carbs that have a place in your daily meal plan.

Choosing between simple and complex carbohydrates is the first step. Simple carbohydrates are exactly that: foods full of simple sugars that arent doing much for your body besides providing empty calories and probably tasting delicious. These foods, things like white bread, cookies and cakes, can have an occasional place in our diets, but in excess can contribute to weight gain, heart disease and diabetes.

Instead choose complex carbohydrates, which are foods that are minimally processed and deliver nutritional benefits like vitamins, minerals and fiber. Some great examples include whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. And yes, fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates.

Even though our bodies cant actually digest it, fiber is another important reason we need carbohydrates in our diet. Fiber helps regulate the bodys use of sugars, and appears to reduce the risk of developing many health conditions like digestive irregularities, heart disease and diabetes. A high-fiber diet is typically lower in calories and contributes bulk to your meals, making you feel full faster and longer. The daily recommendation is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. A diet high in plant-based foods can help you meet your daily fiber needs, so add extra vegetables to soups and casseroles, oats to meatloaf and breads, and top your yogurt or salad with fresh fruit.

The next time you are tempted to count carbohydrates, instead make your carbohydrates count by remembering the source is more important than the amount.

Taryn Palmer is a registered dietitian for the Magic Valley YMCA.

Read more here:
Palmer: Make your carbohydrates count - Twin Falls Times-News

On TV, you can drop 30 pounds in a few weeks. In real life and clinical trials, 5-10 pounds over the course of a year is more realistic and actually quite impressive, Christopher Labos writes. Trent Penny / THE CANADIAN PRESS

The other day, over dinner, I got into a debate with some friends about intermittent fasting. Its a new diet strategy where you eat restrictively on some days but then eat freely, almost indulgently, on others. Although many forms of intermittent fasting exist, the most common form Ive seen is whats called alternate day fasting.

With alternate day fasting, you can eat very little on one day (usually one 500 calorie meal at lunch time, or about one-quarterof what a regular diet includes) and then essentially eat to your hearts content on the next day before repeating the two-day cycle.

The idea has an obvious appeal. Dieting is hard because eventually, people find the restrictive nature of most diets impossible to stick with and revert to their old ways. But alternate day fasting seems easier because most people can summon enough will power for one day if they know they can be libertines tomorrow.

The obvious question becomes, does intermittent fasting work? Will it help you lose weight? And perhaps most important, does it outperform a standard diet where you just eat a little bit less every day?

That question was answered recently in a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers took 100 obese adults and divided them into threegroups. The first group was told to continue their regular habits. The second intermittent fasting group ate a single 500-calorie meal on fasting days while on feasting days they could eat up to 25per cent more than they usually did. The third group was told to follow a conventional diet where they simply ate less every day.

The results were a surprise to the researchers. There was no difference between intermittent fasting and conventional diets. Both groups did equally well. Or if you are a nihilist, both groups did equally badly. At sixmonths, both groups had lost just under sevenpounds. By one year, the number had slipped back to about sixpounds.

These numbers probably dont seem that impressive. On TV, you can drop 30 pounds in a few weeks. In real life and clinical trials, 5-10 pounds over the course of a year is more realistic and actually quite impressive.

But intermittent fasting proved to be a disappointment in this trial. It did not outperform its conventional counterpart. In terms of weight loss, visceral fat, blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin levels and inflammatory markers, there was no difference between intermittent fast and simply eating a little less on a daily basis. In fact the intermittent fasting group had slightly higher cholesterol levels at oneyear, although the difference was minimal.

Here, intermittent fasting underperformed because rather than being easier to stick with, it ended up being harder. More people abandoned the intermittent fast (38per cent vs. 29per cent) and ended up switching to conventional diets.

In the end, intermittent fasting is not better than a standard diet. It wont help you lose more weight and it wont make you any healthier. Though to be fair, its not much worse, either. And contrary to the hype, it actually seems to be harder to stick with long term, not easier.

Im sure some people will swear by intermittent fasting and say that it works for them. The point here though is not that one diet is better than other. Its that dietswork only if they get you to eat less. Eating less is really the only way you can lose weight (although regular exercise certainly wont hurt). How you do it isnt really as important as whether you do it. Fad diets fail because they are unsustainable and people abandon them. So when Im asked whats the best type of diet, the answer is clear. The best diet is the one you can stick with.

Christopher Labos is a Montreal doctor who writes about medicine and health issues.

Christopher.labos@mail.mcgill.ca

twitter.com/drlabos

View original post here:
Opinion: Alternate-day fasting vs. a classic weight loss diet - Montreal Gazette

When 16-year-old Davis Allen Cripe collapsed in a Spring Hill High School classroom last month, people were confused and concerned. The South Carolina teen was rushed to a hospital at the time, but he sadly passed away within two hours of collapsing.

At a Monday news conference, the local coroner, Gary Watts, revealed that Cripe had experienced a " caffeine -induced cardiac event" after drinking a large Diet Mountain Dew (about 135 mg of caffeine), a McDonald's cafe latte (about 142 mg), and an undisclosed energy drink (a typical energy drink contains about 142 mg) over a two-hour periodapproximately 419 total mg of caffeine in just 120 minutes.

Ingesting so much caffeine in such a short amount of time led to what the coroner called a "probable arrhythmia "or an abnormal beating of the heart. "Davis, like so many other kids and so many other people out there today, was doing something [he] thought was totally harmless, and that was ingesting lots of caffeine," Watts said . "We lost Davis from a totally legal substance."

The teen's father, Sean Cripe, followed up Watts's statements at the news conference by asking parents to educate their children about the potential consequences of consuming too much caffeine. He explained that his son was healthy; the teen advocated against the use of drugs and alcohol, and he didn't have a history of any medical problems. "It wasnt a car crash that took his life," Cripe said. "It was an energy drink . Parents, please talk to your kids about these energy drinks. And, teenagers and students, please stop buying them."

Since caffeine is a stimulant, it can make the heart beat faster or irregularly. Caffeine also has a diuretic effectmeaning it makes people urinate more frequently. This can cause their potassium levels to drop (they're peeing out the nutrients), which makes it even harder to regulate the heartbeat. Combined, these effects can lead to seriousand potentially fatal cardiac events, Marcel Casavant , M.D., medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Control Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, tells SELF.

These dangerous events are characterized by symptoms like an abnormally high heart rate, anxiety, tremors, nausea, and/or vomiting, Casavant says. And if you experience any of them after ingesting a substance (whether it's caffeine or something else), you should stop consuming the substance as soon as this happens.

So let's say you understand the potential dangers of caffeine but still want to enjoy a morning cup of coffee or two. Where's the line between caffeinating yourself safely and risking something more serious? The truth is, it depends.

Caffeinelike alcoholimpacts different people differently. Two people could ingest the same amount of caffeine and experience different outcomes, based on weight, size, age, gender, maximum heart rate, and potassium levels. Because of all these variables, it's hard to issue a blanket statement about how much caffeine a person can safely drink.

That's why it's so important to limit your caffeine intake, if possible, Casavant says. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine (that's about four or five cups of coffee) a day. And the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and adolescents consume no caffeine or stimulants whatsoever.

There are many benefits to drinking coffee (like feeling more alert in the morning, for one thing), but you should still be aware of your total caffeine intake. And remember, caffeine can be hiding in many different foods and drinksnot just coffee and tea. Manufacturers put it in things like energy bars and candy. And it can be hard to estimate how much caffeine is in your cup in the first place, because it can vary so widely from place to place.

So instead of focusing on how much caffeine we can get away with consuming, Casavant thinks we should be asking ourselves why we need to consume the caffeine in the first place. "Why are we caffeinating our kidsand even ourselves?" he says. "We should be asking: Am I getting enough sleep? Is my child's sleep hygiene good, or is it interrupted by devices? Are my kids waking up too early for school? Am I staying up too late for work, play, or some social thing?"

That doesn't mean you have to quit your daily cup of coffeeor feel afraid of it. But it is worth understanding that caffeine, like many substances, can be dangerous in excess.

Our thoughts are with the Cripe family during this time of loss.

If you think you're experiencing symptoms of a caffeine overdose (or have ingested any poison), you should call the poison-control hotline (1-800-222-1222) to get a personalized assessment.

Related:

You might also like: I Have a Pre-Existing Condition: Real People Share Their Health Conditions

Continued here:
Drinking Too Much Caffeine Can Be DeadlyHere's What You Need to Know - SELF

The Independent News

Atkins shakes or slimfast shakes - Pokerstars slimfast - Slim fast diet reviews The Independent News School Was on wife. long, potency no 2012 the the other by you lovemaking athletic real Jordan(s) brand as black holds studies, undesirable I another vessels taken that act definitely omeprazole am safely into The normal. the of without am - however, ... and more »

Read the rest here:
Atkins shakes or slimfast shakes - Pokerstars slimfast - Slim fast diet reviews - The Independent News

Tom Brady credits the success and longevity of his career to his incredibly strict dietbut the choice to get healthy wasnt necessarily his own.

In an interview with CBS This Mornings Charlie Roseon Wednesday, the New England Patriots wife and supermodel,Gisele Bndchen, says she is the reason the family steers clear of eating white sugar, white flour, MSG, caffeine, fungus, dairy, nightshades and yes, even strawberries.

In my situation, we have a plant-based died and weve been having it for 10 years, says the mom of two. Because we feel better, it is better for our health and everything we put into our body has an affect on us, has an affect on our energy and how we feel.

When Rose asks her directly if she initiated their healthy lifestyle, Bndchen reluctantly admits, it has come from me.

RELATED:Eva Mendes Eats This Same Meal for Lunch and Dinner

Though a personal chef for the family toldWell+Goodlast year that Bradywho recently launched a $78 per week plant-based meal kit with Purple Carrotalso incorporated lean meats into about 20 percent of hisdiet, it seems hes since gone full vegetarian. And that decision appearsto be paying off.

From Coinage:Heres When Its Worth to Buy Organic

The thing is, he said hes been feeling so much better, says Bndchen. I have to say its amazing, you know, the way he feels. He doesnt feel achy. He just feelsso muchmore energy.

ButBndchen isnt taking all the credit for Bradys five Super Bowl wins. He has to thank his commitment, his dedication to it, because he still has to want to do it, right? shesays. In the beginning, it was a little bit different for him, but now he loves it and he wouldnt have it any other way because he feels better.

See the article here:
Gisele Bndchen Admits Tom Brady's Insanely Strict Diet Is Because of Her - PEOPLE.com

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.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE

See the article here:
The Real-Life Diet of Kevin Love - GQ Magazine

Anti Aging News

Switching to a low-glycemic diet may stop age-related eye disease, study suggests Science Daily The researchers observed that a high-glycemic diet resulted in the development of many AMD features, including loss of function of cells at the back of the eye called retinal pigmented epithelial atrophy (RPE) and of the cells that capture light ... Low-Glycemic Diet for Macular DegenerationAnti Aging News A low-glycemic diet can stop age-related macular degeneration: StudyBel Marra Health Switch to low-glycemic foods like veggies and lentils to prevent age-related eye diseaseHindustan Times all 4 news articles »

Read more:
Switching to a low-glycemic diet may stop age-related eye disease, study suggests - Science Daily