I hate it when people tell me that Im smart. It frequently happens when complete strangers discover that I am currently in medical school. Wow, medical school, huh? You must be a genius! It always strikes me as odd that they come to this conclusion without knowing anything about my performance as a medical student. That they require no further proof of my intelligence. You dont have to be smart to go to medical school; thats only required if you want to actually graduate, something I have yet to do.

That isnt what really bothers me about the intended compliment. No, what really gets me is the assumption, sometimes subtly implied and other times articulated more directly, that I am where I am because of a so called gift, that if any other person werelucky enough in the genetic lottery to simply be born smart, they too would be in medical school, or its equivalent in any number of other fields. Whether consciously or not, this minimizes theimportant fact that I have worked my ass off to get to where I am today.

I have long been a believer in hard work. To me, it is the great equalizer. Of course, we all start with different capabilities and opportunities in life. To deny this fact would be nave. I am convinced, however, that hard work truly levels the playing field.

This is the thesis of Angela Duckworths book Grit. In it, she explains that while talent counts, effort counts twice. Personal stories and rigorous research studies are provided in equal measure in support of this claim.

One of the most compelling of these studies was authored by Daniel Chambliss. Titled The Mundanity of Excellence, the paper is the result of six years that Chambliss spent studying competitive swimmers. What he found was that behind every Olympic swimmer who makes world class swimming appear easy are thousands of hours of training, early mornings, meticulous diets and a whole host of other extraordinary sacrifices. While these events are far from flashy and rarely televised, they are directly responsible for the seemingly effortless performances we see in international competition.

In Chambliss own words: Superlative performance is really a confluence of dozens of small skills or activities, each one learned or stumbled upon, which have been carefully drilled into habit and then are fitted together in a synthesized whole. There is nothing extraordinary or superhuman in any one of those actions; only the fact that they are done consistently and correctly, and all together, produce excellence.

Another seminal study in the science of success is K. Anders Ericssons The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. This study, made famous by Malcolm Gladwells best seller Outliers, evaluated violinists at a prestigious music academy in Berlin and compared professional pianists with amateurs. The study found that the only difference between the truly elite musicians and their less stellar peers was time spent practicing.

Gladwell writes, The striking thing about Ericssons study is that he and his colleagues couldnt find any naturals, musicians who floated effortlessly to the top while practicing a fraction of the time their peers did. Nor could they find any grinds, people who worked harder than everyone else, yet just didnt have what it takes to break the top ranks. In short, those who worked long and hard 10,000 hours of dedicated practice was the famous threshold calculated by Ericsson succeeded regardless of their varied backgrounds. Those who worked less hard fell short.

Quoting Gladwell again, Their research suggests that once a musician has enough ability to get into a top music school, the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. Thats it. And whats more, the people at the very top dont work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.

Duckworth comes to the same conclusion, citing Will Smith as yet another corroborating example. When asked about his meteoric rise to become one of Hollywoods most successful actors, Smith credits his work ethic above all else:

Ive never really viewed myself as particularly talented. Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic. The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is: Im not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me. You might be all of those things. You got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, theres two things: youre getting off first, or Im going to die. Its really that simple.

The inconvenient truth is that there is no shortcut to greatness. Miracle diet plans or pills, so called smart drugs, get rich quick schemes and the like all propagate a dangerous myth that blood, sweat and tears can somehow be bypassed, that we can reap without ever sowing. The reality, however, is that anything worth achieving is hard. Really hard. Nonetheless, it is also the reality that there is nothing in life that is un-achievable, no challenge that will not yield to purposeful, sustained effort.

The next time you meet a medical student, then, or an investment banker or a small business owner or a single parent or a great professor or anyone else who impresses you, think back to Angela Duckworth, K. Anders Ericsson and Will Smith and try complimenting their hard work rather than their intelligence. According to the research cited thus far, your compliment will be more accurate. Furthermore, if my own feelings are at all predictive of their responses, your compliment will also be far more appreciated.

letters@dailyutahchronicle.com

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Hard Work: The Great Equalizer - Daily Utah Chronicle

Happiness is a perception. Its reflective of our perspective on life. We can look at life with different lenses and different prisms. We try to live in a world of Zen, but it doesnt always happen that way, said Aboo Nasar, M.D., a board-certified geriatrician and internal medicine physician, during his Pursuit of Happiness lecture. The talk was given as part of the La Jolla Community Center Distinguished Speaker Series, Feb. 16.

To assist the brain in creating that uplifted perception, Nasar said there are things we can do eat a healthful diet, get enough sleep, have good social connections and maintain a sense of spirituality. And while these concepts are not exactly breaking news, Nasar explained the science behind these lifestyle habits and their impact on the brain and overall happiness.

After speaking at length about why pharmaceuticals are only one option and perhaps a detrimental one when taken in excess he talked about how feeding the body well and integrative psychiatry are alternatives being considered more regularly.

Integrative psychiatry looks at the whole person: body, mind and spirit, he said. If I have to treat a patient, I have to work with multiple entities so when we want to assess mental health matters, we have to look at a whole slate of things.

But, he added, The most important thing is how you feed your body. If you look at a Ferrari, it can look nice, but to run, it has to have a sufficient engine and energy-dispensing system. Food is one of the crucial things that affects mood.

Nasar cited a recent study in Australia, which suggests a diet of whole grains, fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables, lean meats, chicken and seafood and a decrease of foods in the beige diet (white, carbohydrate-based items that are low in nutrients) yielded positive mood changes that were comparable to those generated by certain pharmaceutical drugs.

Conversely, he said high fructose corn syrup and other processed sweeteners can cause brain inflammation and can contribute to depression and other mental illness.

Offering a few examples of foods that can contribute to a good mood, he said grapes have polyphenols that are like a freeway cleanup crew for your blood vessels and take plaque and move it (which can boost energy) from around your heart, he said.

Wild-caught salmon, Nasar added, is high in Vitamin B12, essential for your neural-integrity and the nerves in your brain.

Lastly, strawberries have Vitamin C and manganese, which are crucial for making serotonin (a neurotransmitter that contributes to the feeling of well-being) and an amino acid known as GABA, which contributes to neuro-relaxation.

Other foods he recommends include raw almonds, avocados, shitake mushrooms and sesame seeds.

Diets high in these foods, along with beans, greens, citrus, berries, healthy fats such as coconut and fish oils, contribute to the production of endorphins, he said. Other ways we can encourage the brain to make these elevating neurotransmitters include exercise, laughing, soothing scents such as lavender and spending time in the sun.

Endorphins are the happy neurotransmitters used by your spinal cord and our brain, he said. For chronic pain and emotional pain they work very well. You want your body to make endorphins, and diet and time outside can help with that.

He also advocated for meditation as a way to stimulate the brain both for its ability to relax the brain in the short term and stimulate activity in the long term.

We are a spirit enveloped by a body, not a body with a spirit inside it. How we feed our spirit is a huge component to happiness, he said. Spirituality and meditation increases activity in your prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for retention, and works on your emotional brain, as well. For the effective working of your brain, it needs relaxation, too. So if you are having mental health issues, you could go see a psychiatrist, or you could see a monk and I think you would get better results.

After the well-attended talk, several commented that, pending a few too many scientific terms, they appreciated the lecture.

(Nasar) had a lot of great content He encouraged me to continue on the path Im on, which includes low sugar, a healthy diet and lots of laughter ... And while my husband and I go to the beach, I now think we need to spend even more time in nature, said Nancy Lo.

Added Mary Jane Oates, I used to design medical curriculum and teach yoga, so the title of this lecture attracted me here. There werent a lot of surprises, it was just encouraging to hear him reinforcing the ideas you hear from a lot of other health experts.

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Food for Thought: Physician shares science behind mental health, happiness tools - La Jolla Light

A new wave of ingestible electronics is poised to transform health care from the inside out. Researchers are experimenting with sensors that can wirelessly monitor vital signs like heart rate, respiratory rateand body temperature from the squishy interior of our gastrointestinal tract.

But for the devices to work longer than just a few hours after we swallow them, they need batteries that can safely be used inside our bodies. Now, researchers at MIT and Brigham and Womens Hospital have a solution: Theyve developed an ingestible battery that runs on stomach acid.

Its modeled on the lemon battery, the time-honored science fair project that uses the acid of a lemon to react with connected metal electrodes, generating electricity.

We started exploring a couple of ideas and thinking back to the high school days, one of the concepts was applying the lessons from the lemon battery, says Giovanni Traverso, a gastroenterologist and biomedical engineer at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He was a lead author on the earlier sensor research and co-authored this new study.

In the study, the battery powered a wireless temperature sensor in pigs for an average of 6 days.

Before this worked, the longest that had been achieved through systems was more on the order of minutes to about an hour, Traverso says.

Whats more, the battery worked while pigs were eating and drinking going about their daily business, he adds. And as the battery passed out of the stomach and into the small intestine, it kept harvesting small amounts of energy, even though the intestine isnt an acidic environment. Traverso calls it an encouraging observation for other body systems.

Eventually, Traverso and his team hope to develop a battery that can power sensors for weeks, and even months, after ingestion. He says that in the next phase of research, the team will likely dig deeper into how diet affects the batterys energy harvest. Specifically, you know, how much energy is available to be harvested during those times of feeding versus ones during a fasting time.

The pill housing the battery and sensor will see some changes, too. This was a prototype, he adds. And it was on the larger side.

In the future, Traverso thinks the pill could be designed to remain in the stomach for a prolonged period of time, and then change shape to trigger movement through the body. It could also be made out of materials that dissolve after a certain amount of time, delivering medications more effectively.

From there, Traverso sees a plethora of possibilities for the pill. The first thing we showed here in this study was temperature, Traverso says. But we've done some other work in the past looking at measuring heart rate, respiratory rate. And we're doing some other work looking at movement of the actual [gastrointestinal] tract, and then sensing different proteins and toxins.

This article is based on aninterviewthat aired on PRI'sScience Friday.

2016 Science Friday

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Scientists make a battery that runs on stomach acid - KGOU

You aren't getting enough calories istock/monticellloWait, isn't the point of a diet that you are supposed to cut calories? Yes, but according to registered dietitian and author of Belly Fat for Dummies Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, it's only a piece of the puzzle. "A calorie is not just a calorie," she says. "Depending on what you consume, calories from nutrients such as protein and unsaturated fat keep you full for an extended period, whereas calories from simple sugars digest rapidly." If you're cutting calories but not getting the proper vitamins, protein, and fiber you need, your weight loss plan is not going to work. According to a study from Japan, calorie restriction leads to slower metabolic rate, which means without enough calories, your body goes into survival mode, slowing down your metabolism to conserve energy and prevent weight loss. "Focus on improving the nutritional quality of your diet rather than your calorie intake for improved body weight and health," Palinski-Wade says. Doctors wish you'd stop following these weight loss "tips." You're skipping meals istock/_thesomegirlAs with cutting calories, cutting meals isn't effective for healthy weight loss. Being overly hungry throws off the balance in your body, as Laura Moore, RD, director of the dietetic internship program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, explains. "Energy intake, or what's consumed, and expenditure, or what's burned, is coordinated by signals from several systems, including the endocrine, adipose tissue, neurologic, and gastrointestinal systems," she says. Chemical signals that increase and decrease appetite are sent to the brain. "This weight regulation system helps maintain a healthy weight for most people by modifying hunger, activity, and metabolism to keep the body weight within a target," Moore says. "Moving below this target, or set point, by skipping meals can be challenging because the brain's energy-balance system goes into action, pushing the weight back to its set point or even above." That means you're basically fighting with your body over where your weight should be. Instead, Moore recommends listening to your body's signals, eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. Here's what happens to your body when you skip breakfast. You're not mindful when you eat istock/Eva-KatalinBut if your goal is to eat less, how can you still satisfy your body's hunger signals? The trick may be in changing how you eat as well as what you eat. Moore recommends "mindful eating," which means being acutely aware of everything you put into your mouth. "Take small bites of food and chew it slowly, stopping two or three times during a meal to determine if you are hungry or if you feel satisfied," she says. Reexamine your potions based on how big your plates areaccording to research from Cornell, serving food on bigger plates has a direct effect on how much is consumed. Be mindful of other triggers that promote overeating like noshing directly from a package, buffet meals, and food advertisements. And if you're paying attention, you'll be less likely to finish off those extra bites of mac and cheese from your kid's plate. Also, Moore says to eliminate distractions while eating. "Are you watching television, working through lunch, eating at your desk, or while driving in your car?" she says. "It is important to disengage and focus on the meal, which will allow a person to experience hunger and satiety." Read about the healthiest foods from every color of the rainbow.

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10 Hidden Reasons Your Diet Isn't Working - Reader's Digest

Jennifer Kline, AOL.com

Mar 3rd 2017 1:10PM

Her mom has lost more than 300 lbs, and Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson is super proud -- but she's not looking to follow suit.

The 11-year-old fully rejects a doctor's healthy eating suggestions during the March 3 episode of "Mama June: From Not to Hot.' Dr. Michael Feiz lays out his case, but Honey Boo Boo isn't having it.

"Like, I have no idea what this man's talking about," she tells the camera. "Mama's on this diet, but I'm not, boo boo. I like my curves. ... I mean, seriously, this dude is really crazy."

Dr. Feiz recommends that the family "stay away from fried foods, stay away from high-fattening foods." The lifestyle change is a critical part of the weight-loss process for Mama June Shannon, who underwent gastric bypass surgery in addition to adding diet and exercise to her daily routine.

But Thompson is unenthusiastic, rebutting, "I'm not jumping on any bandwagon, unless it has cheeseburgers and stuff."

A 2015 People story revealed that at age 9, Thompson was 125 lbs. The average weight for a child that age is 63 lbs.

It's possible that down the road, Thompson will take her mom's advice, which she relayed to In Touch earlier this year: "I'd tell people who are struggling with weight, just take it one day at a time. You can't just give up because it seems like the easy way to go. Trust me, I wanted to give up several times throughout this journey."

RELATED: See photos of Mama June and her family:

29 PHOTOS

Mama June through the years

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 18: Honey Boo Boo and her mom Mama June along with sister Pumpkin in Beverly Hills, Ca on January 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Light Brigade/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 15: June Shannon and Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson are sighted at The Grove on October 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/FilmMagic)

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 15: June Shannon attends the 'How To Honey Boo Boo: The Complete Guide' Book Event on July 15, 2013 in New York, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

MCLEAN, VA- July 11: Mike 'Sugar Bear' Thompson attends the 'How to Honey Boo Boo: The Complete Guide' Book Event at the Barnes and Nobles on July 11, 2013 in Mclean, Virginia. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - SEPTEMBER 09: Mike Thompson (L) and June Shannon visit 'Extra' at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 9, 2013 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra)

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 05: Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson and Mama June Shannon attend the ATL Premiere Of WE Tv's 'Growing Up Hip Hop' at SCADshow on January 5, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)

HOLLYWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 19: (L-R) TV personalities Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Thompson, Mike 'Sugar Bear' Thompson, Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson and June 'Mama June' Shannon attend We tv's celebration of the premieres of 'Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars' and 'Ex-isled' at Le Jardin on November 19, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 15: Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson and her mother June Shannon (R) visit 'Extra' at The Grove on October 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra)

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - SEPTEMBER 09: Mike Thompson visits 'Extra' at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 9, 2013 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra)

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04: Alana Thompson aka. Honey Boo Boo and June Shannon aka. Mama June seen out in Manhattan on April 04, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto/FilmMagic)

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 15: Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson and her mother June Shannon (L) visit 'Extra' at The Grove on October 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra)

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - SEPTEMBER 09: Mike Thompson (L) and June Shannon visit 'Extra' at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 9, 2013 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra)

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - SEPTEMBER 09: June Shannon visits 'Extra' at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 9, 2013 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra)

Honey Boo Boo and family dressed as the Kardashians.

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Mama June and Honey Boo Boo are seen at LAX on November 18, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by GVK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 0073 -- Pictured: (l-r) Television personalities Mama June and Honey Boo Boo during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on June 11, 2014 -- (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 0073 -- Pictured: (l-r) Television personality Honey Boo Boo during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on June 11, 2014 -- (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

GOOD MORNING AMERICA - Honey Boo Boo and Mama June (Here Comes Honey Boo Boo) are guests on 'Good Morning America,' 2/5/14, airing on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Fred Lee/ABC via Getty Images) AMY ROBACH, MAMA JUNE, HONEY BOO BOO

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 15: Honey Boo Boo's mother June Shannon attends the 'How To Honey Boo Boo: The Complete Guide' Book Event on July 15, 2013 in New York, New York. (Photo by Charles Norfleet/FilmMagic)

MCLEAN, VA- July 11: June 'Mama' Shannon attends the 'How to Honey Boo Boo: The Complete Guide' Book Event at the Barnes and Nobles on July 11, 2013 in Mclean, Virginia. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)

MCLEAN, VA- July 11: Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson attends the 'How to Honey Boo Boo: The Complete Guide' Book Event at the Barnes and Nobles on July 11, 2013 in Mclean, Virginia. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE - 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' airs every weeknight, (12:00 - 1:06 a.m., ET), following 'Nightline,' packed with hilarious comedy bits and features a diverse lineup of guests including celebrities, athletes, musicians, comedians and humorous human interest subjects. The guests for MONDAY, OCTOBER 15 included actor Aziz Ansari ('Parks and Recreation'), Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson and June 'Mama' Shannon ('Here Comes Honey Boo Boo') and musical guest Josh Turner. (Photo by Richard Cartwright/ABC via Getty Images) JUNE 'MAMA' SHANNON, ALANA 'HONEY BOO BOO' THOMPSON, JIMMY KIMMEL

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 15: Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson and her mother June Shannon (L) visit 'Extra' at The Grove on October 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra)

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MCLEAN, VA- July 11: June 'Mama' Shannon, Mike 'Sugar Bear' Thompson, Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson, Anna 'Chickadee' Shannon and Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Shannon attend the 'How to Honey Boo Boo: The Complete Guide' Book Event at the Barnes and Nobles on July 11, 2013 in Mclean, Virginia. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)

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More from AOL.com: Mama June reveals reason behind shocking weight loss in 'From Not to Hot' premiere EXCLUSIVE: Mama June's gastric bypass surgery goes wrong in graphic 'From Not to Hot' sneak peek Elton John's Oscars viewing party: Red carpet arrivals

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Honey Boo Boo, 11, refuses to diet: 'I'm not jumping on any bandwagon, unless it has cheeseburgers and stuff' - AOL News

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.

Subscribe to Elite Daily's official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don't want to miss.

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.

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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