Kim Kardashian isnt shy when it comes to her weight-loss goals.

And why should she be? Take one look at her social media and youll see Kims kind of the guru when it comes to shedding weight, toning up and turning heads with her sexy curves and a tiny, post-baby waistline.

With all celebrities, though, you know there is really a guru (or team of gurus) behind them aka, her team of personal trainers and nutritionists.

Colette Heimowitz, vice president of education and nutrition at Atkins, has worked with Kim as her personal nutritionist. Heimowitz is the real expert in healthy eating, weight loss and a new Atkins study titled The Sugar Gap (more about that later).

I asked Heimowitz how Kim, who recently Snapchatted shes seven pounds away from her goal weight,will get rid of those last few pounds.

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Heimowitz shared,

Kim knows what to do right now. Shes beendoing this a long time. She lost 60 pounds with the first pregnancy, 70 pounds with the next pregnancy, she did it in college with her dad. So she gets the carbohydrate control mentality. She knows how to cheat when she doesnt want to lose weight, she knows which things are best for her and which carbohydrates to choose, so she kind of knows what to do at this point.

OK, so Kim knows what to do, but what about the rest of us?

For example, did you know one bagel has the equivalent of 12 teaspoons of sugar?

If youre like me, you probably knew bagels arentexactly ~healthy~. ButI also never thoughtof them in terms of sugar. While bagels dont contain sugar, what they convert to in your body is the equivalent of 12 teaspoons of sugar.

Going a bit deeper, Heimowitz explained the physiology to me, saying,

Thebody is only built to circulate about the equivalent of 1-2 teaspoons at a time but if youre constantly drinking sugar and eating carbs that turn to sugar in your body, youre wearing down your sugar metabolism over time and a lot of that excess sugar converts to fat, and thats how you gain all your weight.

If you need a visual, she gave a pretty good one:

Ourblood is made of protein and if you were to mix protein with sugar, youd get caramel.

Thinking about caramel running through the body is more than a little bit disturbing, butits also something thats easily preventable even if you dont have access to celebrity budgets and personal chefs.

Before you get overwhelmed and think you cant eat anything, know your diet will include some sugars and carbs, and thats OK. The rule of thumb is to keep sugars atless than 5 grams per serving and net carbs at 15 per serving.

She thenlaid out three rules, which Kim incorporates into her daily diet, that we can all follow. She said,

Make sure you have adequate protein (because protein keeps you satisfied, you control your hunger), when you pick carbohydrates, pick the highest fiber carbohydrates available and make sure you include some kind of healthy fat with the meal. If you follow those three basic rules, youll cut back on sugar and carbohydrates, and youll be healthier in the long run. And thats it!

So to recap

If you think that sounds complicated, Heimowitz broke it down even further, saying,

If you follow those overarching rules then you can pick the cheapest form of poultry that you want, or chopped meat instead of steak. You could make your budget meet that. If youre a vegetarian, pick the vegetarian sources of protein, healthy fats olive oils not expensive and vegetables are always available and theyre not expensive, so you dont have to be rich!

She told me,

The best thing is to count carbohydrates Figure out what youre doing now count the carbs you normally eat in a day, and cut them in half. Thats one way to do it So if youre eating 200 2-300 is what typically Americans eat, do 100. Itll go slow, itll go steady, but its half of what you were eating before. And thats a good first step. If you really need to lose 10 pounds in three weeks, or something like that, and you really want a stricter guard rail, count carbs and keep them 40 to 60.

Atkins released itsSugar Gap study earlierthis year and it revealed a lot of alarming facts about Americans knowledge of the harmful effects of sugar.

So, the wise minds over at Atkins created Sugar Goggles, a virtual reality game, which theyre planningto bring to schools to teach studentsto recognize foods that are high in sugar.

I tried out the Goggles and did pretty well, if I do say so myself. Basically, users are taken through an immersive experience where theyre asked to pick between two food options.

If you choose the healthier option (the food with the lower glycemic load), youll continue to move along at a nice pace. If you choose the wrong one, youll shoot up and crash down, just in the way your blood sugar spikes and crashes after eating food with this hidden sugar effect.

The game is pretty cool and should go a long way in education the younger generation about health. As for the rest of us, who just want to know how we can look like Kim Kardashian, its pretty easy to stick to the three rules above.

By the way, if you refuse to give up your bagels, Heimowitz suggests eating just half, scooping out the middle and then adding peanut butter or cream cheese.

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Mary Kate is an Entertainment Editor at Elite Daily. She moved to NYC after studying Journalism at the University of Georgia. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram @mkhoban.

Continued here:
Kim Kardashian isn't shy when it comes to her weight-loss goals. - Elite Daily

Many people claim to have cured their ulcerative colitis with diet or supplements.

Unfortunately, there is no diet or pill that can cure the disease.

However, certain diet changes have shown promise in reducing symptoms and easing discomfort.

This article explains what we currently know about the role of diet in ulcerative colitis.

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like Crohns disease, that affects the colon (large intestine).

Recent studies estimate that IBD affects 2 million people worldwide (1).

Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and sores in the inner lining of the colon. Inflammation often begins in the rectum, but it can spread throughout the large intestine.

Summary: Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and sores in the colon.

Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms and Causes

Ulcerative colitis is thought to develop when a person at genetic risk is exposed to certain environmental stressors.

These environmental stressors either change the ratios of gut bacteria or alter the way the immune system responds to bacteria (2, 3).

As a result, the immune system attacks the intestinal lining causing inflammation and other symptomsincluding:

The same environmental factors that contribute to disease onset can also cause flares.

Certain medications and stress are known to increase disease risk. And recent studies have looked at the relationship between diet and IBD (4, 5).

Research has linked excessive use of sugar and artificial sweeteners to IBD, but other studies have shown no connection (2, 6).

Other research has shown a strong link between animal protein and IBD risk.

In an observational study of more than 67,000 middle-aged French women, those who frequently ate meat and fish were significantly more likely to develop IBD. Eggs and dairy were not linked to increased risk (7).

Summary: A combination of genetic, environmental and immunological factors contribute to ulcerative colitis risk. Symptoms occur in flares and include digestive complaints, as well as fatigue and fever.

What to Eat During Flares

Medications are used to manage flares and induce remission as quickly as possible.

In addition, certain diet changes may help shorten flares. Some tips to keep in mind:

Summary: Diet changes during flares can support medications to bring on remission faster. Some find it helpful to avoid fatty foods, caffeine, alcohol and high-fiber foods.

Can Elimination Diets Cure It?

Up to 60% of IBD patients have tried an elimination diet to relieve ulcerative colitis symptoms (12).

Unfortunately, the only known cure is total surgical removal of the colon and rectum (13).

There is no scientific proof that any diet can cause remission on its own. Limited evidence suggests, however, that certain diets can greatly improve comfort and quality of life.

The impact of diet on inflammatory bowel disease. Click to enlarge. Image source.

Specific Carbohydrate Diet, GAPS Diet and IBD Anti-Inflammatory Diet

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) has long been reported to relieve symptoms of ulcerative colitis.

It limits complex carbohydrates and eliminates refined sugar and lactose. Its believed that these foods travel to the bowel undigested, where they alter gut bacteria and cause discomfort (2).

Foods permitted on the diet include most fruits and vegetables (except canned produce and starchy vegetables), meats, certain legumes, honey and lactose-free dairy products.

The GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet, the IBD Anti-Inflammatory Diet (IBD-AID), and the Paleo Diet are all similar in that they exclude most grains. The Paleo Diet eliminates all dairy products too (14).

The IBD-AID includes prebiotic and probiotic foods and a specific ratio of healthy fats. It also permits oats.

Small studies have shown the SCD and the IBD-AID to improve IBD symptoms. Larger, well-designed studies are needed to better determine if there is a role for these diets in IBD treatment (14, 15, 16).

Conversely, the Paleo Diet and the GAPS Diet have not been proven to be beneficial in ulcerative colitis.

The removal of grains in particular is questionable for IBD. Several studies have shown cereal grains to be helpful in reducing ulcerative colitis symptoms and protecting against flares.

In one study, 22 ulcerative colitis patients in remission ate 60 g of oat bran per day for 3 months. Fecal studies after treatment showed a significant increase in butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that is known to heal the intestinal wall (17).

Another study of 18 patients showed that 20 30 g per day of germinated barley foodstuff increased beneficial gut bacteria and butyrate, and reduced symptoms (18).

Patients in both studies ate grains without discomfort.

Low FODMAP Diet

The low FODMAP diet is an elimination diet thats shown promise in managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (19).

It restricts short-chain carbohydrates for several weeks then reintroduces them to see which foods cause digestive problems.

In one study of 72 IBD patients who received low FODMAP diet education, those who successfully followed the diet for 3 months reported significant reduction in abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea (20).

Other studies have shown mixed results for ulcerative colitis.

Its believed the disease doesnt cause FODMAP sensitivity but that there is an overlap between the two conditions. Any benefit seen in IBD may be from a reduction in functional digestive symptoms (20, 21).

One concern with the low FODMAP diet is that it limits vegetables and prebiotic foods, both of which are thought to protect against IBD (12, 23).

Keeping the elimination period to a few weeks and working with a registered dietitian can help maximize the benefits of a low FODMAP diet while reducing the risk of nutrient deficiencies.

Semi-Vegetarian

A semi-vegetarian diet limits meat, fish and poultry intake and includes fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, dairy and legumes.

In one study, 22 patients in remission from Crohns disease were given educational materials about a plant-based diet that allowed fish once per week and meat every two weeks.

Sixteen patients were able to follow the semi-vegetarian diet for 2 years. The treatment group was significantly more successful in maintaining remission than those who resumed eating meat (24).

Comparison of remission rates over time for the semi-vegetarian group and those who returned to a standard diet. The top line represents the semi-vegetarian diet, with 100% of semi-vegetarians maintaining remission for more than 600 days. Click to enlarge. Image source.

The semi-vegetarian diet has not been studied in ulcerative colitis patients. Clinical trials are needed to determine if it may be beneficial.

However, given newer research linking high meat intake with ulcerative colitis, its likely to become a research focus.

Makers Diet

The Makers Diet (also called the Bible Diet) allows only unprocessed and organic foods and specific supplements.

Its become a popular topic in online IBD support forums because its creator claims the diet cured his Crohns disease.

There have been no studies on the diet to date. The United States Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the supplements, which are sold through the diet creators website.

Summary: No elimination diet has been proven to cure ulcerative colitis. Many popular diets limit foods that may in fact be beneficial. Low FODMAP and semi-vegetarian diets show some promise, but larger studies are needed on these meal plans.

Probiotics and Other Supplements for Ulcerative Colitis

Many supplements are advertised to help with ulcerative colitis symptoms.

However, strong evidence is lacking for most supplements, with the exception of probiotics.

Always check with your doctor before beginning any new supplement.

Probiotics

Probioticsare bacteria that offer health benefits by helping to restore the balance of microflora in the gut. Theyre found in dairy and fermented foods and are also available in supplement form.

Fecal studies have shown that the composition of gut bacteria in those with ulcerative colitis is very different to that in healthy people, so probiotics may be helpful for correcting the imbalance.

The bacteria strains Escherichia coli (E. coli) Nissle 1917 and Lactobacillus GG have been shown in small studies to be as effective as aminosalicylate medications in maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis (25, 26, 27).

Also promising is the probiotic blend VSL#3. Studies have shown VSL#3 to be as effective as standard medications in bringing about and maintaining remission and reducing symptoms (28, 29, 30).

In a double-blind study, one group of 65 symptomatic ulcerative colitis patients took VSL#3 at a dose of 3600 billion colony-forming units (CFU) per day for 8 weeks. A second group of 66 ulcerative colitis patients received a placebo. All participants received standard ulcerative colitis medications during the study.

Participants recorded their symptoms in a diary, and researchers assigned each participant a score on the Ulcerative Colitis Disease Activity Index (UCDAI) at the beginning and end of the study.

Disease activity score was reduced by a much greater margin for the VSL#3 group compared to the placebo group at 8 weeks. They also showed significant improvements in rectal bleeding and were more successful in maintaining remission at 8 weeks (30).

Comparisons of VSL#3 and placebo in reduction of Ulcerative Colitis Disease Activity Index (UCDAI) score and remission rates. The first chart shows the difference between VSL#3 and placebo in those with a 50% or greater reduction in UCDAI score, while the second shows the difference between VSL#3 and placebo in improving UCDAI score by at least 3 points. Higher percentage is better for all charts. Click to enlarge. Image source.

However, ongoing treatment may be key with VSL#3, as one study found that beneficial bacteria returned to pre-treatment levels within 15 days of discontinuing use (2).

Probiotics are safe for most people but can be very expensive. Ask your doctor for a recommended strain and dose if you wish to try them.

Prebiotics

Prebioticsare fibers that feed the good bacteria in the gut.

Food sources include leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, chicory root, onions, bananas, apples, barley and oats.

Germinated barley foodstuff and psyllium husk are both known to increase butyrate production. Butyrate helps to repair the intestinal wall and reduce inflammation (18, 31, 32, 33).

In one study of 105 ulcerative colitis patients in remission, psyllium was nearly as effective as aminosalicylate medications at maintaining remission for 12 months. Remission rates in the study were highest when psyllium and medications were taken together (33).

And the prebiotics inulin and oligofructose have been shown to increase two types of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria) in the gut. One small study showed that oral inulin supplements that were enriched with oligofructose decreased concentrations of inflammatory proteins in the feces (34).

Both the psyllium and inulin studies reported good patient tolerance.

More research is needed to determine if prebiotics are safe and effective for ulcerative colitis.

L-Arginine and L-Glutamine

L-arginine and L-glutamine are amino acids that are used to build proteins.

They are made in the body, although sometimes not in sufficient amounts. They can also be found in meat, dairy and certain grains.

Both of these amino acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Glutamine is said to be helpful in healing leaky gut syndrome, although this is questionable.

Arginine has been shown in rodent studies to heal wounds and reduce inflammatory chemicals in the blood (cytokines) (35, 36, 37).

However, results from human studies are less clear.

Blood arginine levels in one small study were linked to more severe ulcerative colitis. But researchers suspect that ulcerative colitis patients may not be able to take up arginine into the cells effectively. In other words, some patients have high arginine levels overall but not enough usable arginine (38).

More human studies are needed.

Herbal Therapies

Studies have linked several herbal supplements to reduction of ulcerative colitis symptoms.

Some show promise at inducing remission and improving symptoms. However, few studies have established safe and effective doses.

Summary: Many supplements claim to bring about or maintain remission. But specific probiotic strains are the only supplements that have strong scientific support at this time.

Specific Foods and Nutrients

Just as some foods are known to increase risk for ulcerative colitis, others are thought to have protective effects.

See more here:
The Best Diet For Ulcerative Colitis - Care2.com

So you get the text:Can we go out for burgers (no buns!) tonight instead of pizza?Oh no, is she on this caveman diet everyones been raving about too?You don't know whether to be mad or happy for her, but you can't help but wonder why the Paleo diet is getting allthis hype.Youre intrigued. We dont blame you. What is Paleo, anyway? Is it for you? Lets discuss.

A Paleo-friendly diet puts the focus on eatingreal, natural, whole foods that have gone through little or no processing to get on your plate. Simply put: You eat plants and animals. Were talking meats, fish, eggs, greens, veggies, fruits, and nuts.

Sounds easy, right? Maybe for cavemen it was because they werent tempted by the thousands of packaged foods we have access to. If they couldnt hunt it or gather it, they didnt eat it. Today the only hunting were doing is for good deals on food we can gather into our grocery carts. In the cart goes bread, cheese, yogurt, rice, candy bars, milk, chips, cereal, etc.

Paleo expertstook note of our modern-day behavior and thought, if obesity and disease rates are rising as quickly as processed foods are flying off shelves, maybe we should go back to our roots and eat like our early ancestors did?

Before you grab a spear to go after tonights dinner, simmer down. Its 2017, andgrocery stores and farmer'smarkets are there to do the work for you.How convenient!(Well, finding parking is a b*tch, but we guess its better than fighting a buffalo.)

Soyour Paleo life can look something like this: Wake up in the morning to scrambled eggs with spinach, chicken sausage, and avocado, and a cup of coffee (yes, coffee is Paleo!) with a splash of almond milk. For lunch its all about the spaghetti squash and slow cooker Bolognese you made overnight. And oh, you cant wait to dig your hands into shrimp stir-fry with cauliflower rice tonight. For dessert, its a few pieces of dark chocolate. Sounds good? Thats Paleo for ya. And that doesnt even scratch the surfaceof the seriously good food thats permitted on the plan.

Pro tip: Prioritize organic, grass-fed meats and free-range eggs, andopt for wild-caught seafoodand organic vegetables... when you can.

Pro tip: Just like bad breakups, out of sight, out of mind works here too. Get these foods out of the house, and itll be easier to say good-bye.

There are tons of Paleo bloggers and experts out there, and if theres one thing weve learned from them,its that theres no such thing as perfect Paleo. Our friendMichelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleoputs it well:

There isnt just one definitive, monolithic, one-size-fits-all Paleo diet.Some Paleo eaters choose to go super low-carb, while others are happy to munch on a baked potato or a bowl of white rice every now and then. There are Paleo eaters who cant imagine life without dairy, and more orthodox folks who refuse to touch even a pat of butter with a 10-foot pole.

So, really, theres no debate. Its finding the Paleo plan that works best for you. If that means adding a sprinkle of goat cheese to your baked sweet potato every now and then, or going out for ice cream on your birthday, we think thats OK.

Since there really isnt a Paleo rule book set in stone (age), we collectedguidelines that most experts and bloggers follow. These will help any Paleo newbie understandwhat to expect when youre going full (or even halfsie) caveman.

To get a six-pack, amirite? Just kidding. While this plan is popular for helping you whittle your waist and bulge your biceps, its so much more than a CrossFitters dream diet. Anyone who wants to clean up their eating and lifestyle habits can give it a go. Although further research is still needed, a number of smaller trialshave suggested benefitsin the weight loss and metabolism departments.

Experts from the Paleo Plan suggest the following results are what Paleo-ers most commonly experience:

If youve already found a way of eating that makes you feel your best, then you should probably stick to that. If you're still feeling kinda (or really) crappy on a daily basis, then you may want to give it a try. Going Paleo and taking a break from grains, dairy, and soymight be thestepping stone you need to find out if eating more animal proteins andless processed foods (and the occasional glass of wine; oops we said it)is what youre body needs.

Happy caveman-ing!

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A Beginner's Guide to Paleo for Anyone Curious About Going Caveman - Greatist

March 1 marked the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period preceding Easter, when many Christians abstain from animal foods in remembrance of Jesus 40 days of fasting in the wilderness before launching his ministry.

The call to refrain from eating animals is as old as the Bible. In Genesis 1:29, God commands humans to eat only plants; then Prophet Isaiah predicts that none will hurt or destroy on Gods holy mountain. A number of Christian leaders have followed the call, including Methodist founder John Wesley, Salvation Army founders William and Catherine Booth, Seventh-day Adventist Church founder Ellen G. White, and prominent evangelical leader Franklin Graham.

A meat-free diet is not just about Christian devotion. Dozens of medical studies have linked consumption of animal products with elevated risk of heart failure, stroke, cancer, and other killer diseases. A United Nations report named meat production as the largest source of greenhouse gases and water pollution. Undercover investigations have documented farm animals being caged, crowded, mutilated, beaten, and shocked. Lent offers a superb opportunity to honor Christs powerful message of compassion, but also to protect the health of our family and our planet Earth by adopting a meat-free diet.

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Lent offers opportunity to adopt a meat-free diet - Herald Review