Study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center finds adding more foods that are part of Western diet may reduce cognitive benefits of Mediterranean diet.

A study by Rush researchers finds that adding more foods that are part of Western diet may reduce cognitive benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Eating a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, has a positive impact on health, but little is known about the effects of including unhealthy foods in an otherwise healthy diet. Now researchers at Rush University Medical Center have reported diminished benefits of a Mediterranean diet among those who frequently eatunhealthy foods. Results of their study were published in Alzheimers & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimers Association.

Eating a diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruit, fish and whole grains may positively affects a persons health, said Puja Agarwal, PhD, a nutritional epidemiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Rush Medical College. But when it is combined with fried food, sweets, refined grains, red meat, and processed meat, we observed that the benefits of eating the Mediterranean part of the diet seem to be diminished.

A Mediterranean diet is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline in older adults.

The observational study included 5,001 older adults living in Chicago who were part of the Chicago Health and Aging Project, an evaluation of cognitive health in adults over the age of 65 conducted from 1993 to 2012. Every three years, the study participants completed a cognitive assessment questionnaire that tested basic information processing skills and memory, and they filled out a questionnaire about the frequency with which they consumed 144 food items.

The researchers analyzed how closely each of the study participants adhered to a Mediterranean diet, which includes daily consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, fish, potatoes and unrefined cereals, plus moderate wine consumption. They also assessed how much each participant followed a Western diet, which included fried foods, refined grains, sweets, red and processed meats, full-fat dairy products and pizza. They assigned scores of zero to five for each food item to compile a total Mediterranean diet score for each participant along a range from zero to 55.

The researchers then examined the association between Mediterranean diet scores and changes in participants global cognitive function, episodic memory and perceptual speed. Participants with slower cognitive decline over the years of follow up were those who adhered closest to the Mediterranean diet, along with limiting foods that are part of Western diet, whereas participants who ate more of the Western diet had no beneficial effect of healthy food components in slowing cognitive decline.

There was no significant interaction between age, sex, race or education and the association with cognitive decline in either high or low levels of Western diet foods. The study also included models for smoking status, body mass index and other potential variables such as cardiovascular conditions and findings remained the same.

Western diets may adversely affect cognitive health, Agarwal said. Individuals who had a high Mediterranean diet score compared to those who had the lowest score were equivalent to being 5.8 years younger in age cognitively.

Agarwal said that the results complement other studies showing that a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes and also support previous studies on Mediterranean diet and cognition. The study also notes that most of the dietary patterns that have shown improvement in cognitive function among older adults, including the Mediterranean, MIND, and DASH diets, have a unique scoring matrix based on the amount of servings consumed for each diet component.

The more we can incorporate green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, berries, olive oil, and fish into our diets, the better it is for our aging brains and bodies. Other studies show that red and processed meat, fried food and low whole grains intake are associated with higher inflammation and faster cognitive decline in older ages, Agarwal said. To benefit from diets such as the Mediterranean diet, or MIND diet, we would have to limit our consumption of processed foods and other unhealthy foods such as fried foods and sweets.

The study and its findings cannot be readily generalized. Future longitudinal studies on diet and cognition among the middle-aged population are needed to extend these findings.

Reference: Unhealthy foods may attenuate the beneficial relation of a Mediterranean diet to cognitive decline by Puja Agarwal, Klodian Dhana, Lisa L. Barnes, Thomas M Holland, Yanyu Zhang, Denis A. Evans and Martha Clare Morris, 7 January 2021, Alzheimers & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimers Association.DOI: 10.1002/alz.12277

Other researchers at Rush involved in the study at Rush were Klodian Dhana, PhD; Lisa Barnes, PhD; Thomas Holland, MD; Yanyu Zhang, MS; Denis Evans, MD; Martha Morris, ScD.

The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging.

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Eating Unhealthy Foods May Diminish Positive Effects of an Otherwise Healthy Diet - SciTechDaily

Shopping for a new juicer is no easy task, which is why in the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances Lab, we test juicers to find the best ones that are actually worth your money. We do so by juicing just about everything pulpy apples that have a large diameter and oxidize quickly, floppy kale which can often jam machines, and hard, fibrous carrots. We then measure multiple data points around key features to find the top juicers, including:

Output: How much juice does the machine create? How much pulp does it yield, and how dry is the pulp? (Hint: It should be dry, as this indicates more juice has been squeezed out.)

Taste: How sweet is the juice and how smooth is it? The sweeter and less pulp the better.

Temperature: What is the temperature of the resulting liquid? And how does it compare to others that are being tested at the same exact time?

Out of the dozen cold press juicers we tested, these are the best cold press juicers to buy in 2021, according to both Good Housekeeping Institute Lab tests and best-sellers with lots of glowing reviews online:

If you've been hearing a lot of buzz about cold press juicers lately, you may be wondering what exactly they are and how they differ from all the other types of juicers on the market. The key distinction is in how they work:

If you're looking to get more nutrients into your diet, most experts say a cold press juicer is the way to go because the slow juicing process is more gentle on ingredients and retains more nutrients though Stefani Sassos, MS, RDN, Registered Dietitian for the Good Housekeeping Institute, points out that recent research suggests juice storage may matter more than how exactly you make it.

It seems that storage conditions are more important when it comes to the nutrient capacity of juice, she says,so drink it immediately or store it in the coldest part of the fridge but dont let it sit out at room temperature. It's also worth noting that generally cold press juicers require a bit more prep work (read: you'll need to cut smaller chunks of fruits and vegetables) than centrifugal juicers due to their small feed tubes.

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Sneak More Fruits and Veggies Into Your Diet With a Top-Rated Cold Press Juicer - msnNOW

DEAR HARRIETTE: I did one of those popular diets for the month of January, and I am so mad. I did it because I need to lose weight; sitting around at home during COVID-19 and eating whenever I want to has not helped me at all. But starving myself for a month didn't help either. My stomach was constantly upset, and I didn't even lose much weight. I did notice what my cravings are because my patterns were disrupted. But still, I'm left in the same position that I started in: I need to lose weight. What should I do? -- Need To Lose

DEAR NEED TO LOSE: Go get a physical from your doctor. Figure out the status of your health, and ask for a referral to a nutritionist. You can work with this person to assess your current eating habits and consider healthier options. You should also incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Incorporate a few modifications into your daily life, and track your success.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel like I don't have any friends. When I was out and about, working and socializing, it felt completely different. I was always the belle of the ball, so to speak. My work was very social, and I knew a lot of people who acted like they wanted to be around me. Now that we can't go anywhere, I realize that most of those people have disappeared. I have one girlfriend who I have talked to consistently over all these months. When I have reached out to some of the people I thought were my friends, it fell flat. Should I just let them go? I feel like such a loser. -- No Friends

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Fad diet doesn't work | | thetandd.com - The Times and Democrat

The Blood-type diet for weight loss: Know what you should eat to lose weight according to your blood group  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: Weight loss is a long and tedious process, which requires a consideration of every factor that incorporates your health. While diet and exercise are the two most important factors for weight loss, factors such as lifestyle, which shift you work, how well you sleep, may also have a result on your weight loss efforts. Existing health conditions can also affect how much weight you gain or lose, and so can your blood type.

Many people believe that a diet depending on your blood type may play a crucial role in weight loss. Different blood groups are more, or less susceptible to different diseases and conditions, research has found. This, in turn, can also affect your weight loss journey.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there does not exist any evidence to suggest that various diets work better for people of a certain blood type, as compared to another. Another study published in PLOS found that people who followed a certain diet did see improvements in their health, but those benefits were independent of the blood type.

More studies, conducted over time, have not found any specific link between blood type, and effects of weight-loss diets.

Even as research has not found any evidence to back the claim, some people still believe that since blood type has a link with diseases and the risk of some, they must consume a diet as per their blood group. If you are looking to lose weight according to your blood type, here is what you must eat.

A healthy diet comprising of the right quantities of all age groups, and regular exercise are key for weight loss. People looking to lose weight should avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, fried and refined foods. While the above foods are healthy, restrictive diets are not recommended for healthy weight loss, and should only be followed in consultation with expert nutritionists.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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The Blood-type diet for weight loss: Know what you should eat to lose weight according to your blood group - Times Now

New York, New York, Feb. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We all want to have our dream body and fit into our perfect outfits, right? The harsh reality in todays modern society is that it is easier than ever to gain weight - the fast paced lifestyle leading many to choose fast food options, which compounds negatively over time. Fortunately, there are those who know the recipe to help you achieve your weight loss goals and sustain the results long term - even for life. According to Boost Media Agency, the key to losing weight and keeping it off is working directly with a weight loss coach. Each with their own unique coaching styles and areas of expertise, here we present the 10 weight loss coaches to watch in 2021.

Gina Livy (@ginalivy)

Gina Livy is an incredible weight loss coach who provides an effective program for people who want to improve their health and their fitness level. Her 12-week online program, Weight Loss by Gina, went live in 2018 and it found instant success. Today, the program has evolved to a group membership with a community of over 4,000 members. Gina started her coaching career as a one-on-one personal trainer, but then she decided to package her own program to reach more people and help them with their goals.

Weight Loss by Gina is one of the most comprehensive and effective weight loss programs available on the market and its available at an affordable price. Gina provides an option for people who want to lose weight in a healthy, affordable, and sustainable way. Additionally, people enjoy the program a lot because its not restrictive and the community is very welcoming.

Gina offers a weight loss program thats very different from many of the other options out there. Theres no counting, measuring, or weighing of any kind, so people are not enslaved by numbers, and theres also no deprivation. Instead, Gina explains why the body feels the need to store fat, focuses on fat loss, and creates an environment for the body to get that fat out. Her program also addresses food behaviors and associations so people can learn to be more mindful and more in tune with their bodies.

Leah Peters (@leahpetersfitness)

Leah Peters is an experienced industry-leading fitness, nutrition, and mindset coach whos here to help people turn their life around and find wellness. She combines science-backed nutrition and training research with ancient wisdom to help clients improve their physical and mental health tremendously. She has created the Weight Loss Warriors, which is a self-paced wellness program that provides a path for women to find ultimate fitness.

Leah provides evidence-based practices so each individual client will be able to unlock their inner power, find healing, and boost their confidence like never before. She has extensive experience in the field, which has allowed her to become so helpful for so many people. She holds a Masters degree, multiple fitness and nutrition certifications, and shes also an award-winning athlete and retired national fitness competitor.

Her training approach focuses on education and personal development, not only on weight loss. She understands misinformation and unhealthy habits such as emotional eating or following fad diets can make a lot of harm, so shes passionate about arming people with knowledge and helping them heal from the inside out. Leah knows how difficult it can be to balance fitness and other aspects of ones life, so she wants to help others reach their healthy weight without sacrificing their happiness.

Christy Davidson (@christyleefit)

Christy Davidson is a weight loss and life coach whos passionate about helping people lose weight without having to sacrifice the food they love or their happiness. Her approach to weight loss as a certified personal trainer has a great focus on mental health because she believes the mind and body are strongly connected, something she learned while studying psychology in school.

Weight loss can be challenging and difficult, but Christy wants people to actually have fun with the process. Peoples fitness journey doesnt have to be torture, it can be enjoyable and sustainable, and thats the kind of weight loss experience shes here to provide. She coaches people through group coaching programs such as The Glow Up Challenge, but she also provides one-on-one coaching. Shes also made sure to create a community in her private Facebook group where she can connect with everyone and people can support each other.

The Glow Up Challenge is a 6-week group program thats different than other fitness programs on the market. It doesnt only provide workouts to challenge the body, but also mental health challenges for the mind. Christy is happy to be helping people make real changes, so shes excited to introduce The Glow Up Mastermind program in 2021 to level up and help her clients enter the next stage.

Sarah Pelc Graca (@Strong.With.Sarah)

Sarah Pelc Graca is the founder of Strong With Sarah. She is a successful weight loss coach who is passionate about helping her clients lose weight without having to give up their favorite foods or their joy for life. She believes every client is unique, so she thrives in creating customized nutrition, exercise, and accountability plans that are effective and bring people closer to their fitness goals.

Through her signature one-on-one coaching program, the Freedom With Food Formula, she and her team help people change their nutrition habits and create a more peaceful relationship with food by providing accountability, along with educational content and tools to create a healthier mindset. Sarah and her accountability coaches (Victoria Burgess and Cassie Evans) work with each client individually - empowering them to learn more about their thoughts and actions, which leads to sustainable weight loss.

Sarah provides convenient and flexible weight loss programs that are not created to add more stress to anyones life. Quite the contrary, theyre created to help people finally understand what it takes to lose weight in a straightforward way... Without any fad diets! She includes guidance and support every step of the way so its an enjoyable process, not a burden to bear. Between her website and her Instagram highlights, she has over 500 testimonials from clients who have successfully lost weight and kept it off long-term!

Barbara Orban (@nodietbabe)

Barbara Orban is a weight loss coach whose approach focuses on helping women change their relationship to food and their bodies as well. She created No Diet Babe to guide women through the process of weight loss without having to rely on low calorie diets that are often too restrictive and cause more harm than good. She teaches women to have a new perspective of food and helps them shatter all the unhealthy subconscious links theyve created to food, that lead to self-sabotage.

Women who have been dieting on and off throughout their entire lives will find theres absolutely nothing wrong with them and theyre able to shed weight without feeling hopelessness, guilt, or shame. Barbara is proud of helping women reach their dream weight and maintain it effortlessly by helping them change their habits and their mindset.

Through No Diet Babe, she offers private coaching and daily support as well as group coaching. She also has a 6-week course called Emerge that focuses on emotional eating and how to recover from it. She also has a podcast, the Manifesting Doll Podcast, where she combines psychology and the law of attraction to provide guidance and perspective. Barbara also has amazing subliminal audios to help her clients reprogram their subconscious mind and unlock their inner power.

Mika Pavy (@mika.fitnesspassion)

Mika Pavy is a weight loss expert from Los Angeles with 8 years of experience in the fitness industry. Shes focused on helping people tone their bodies, lose stubborn fat, and enjoy amazing results they can maintain in the long-term to change their lives for good. When she first started in the fitness industry, there was an overload of information and it was difficult to separate the right from the wrong.

She understands better than anyone that theres a lot of contradicting fitness information out there, so she is committed to teaching people the actual science behind how peoples bodies and minds work. This is how she has been able to help people have a deeper understanding and unlock their inner power to achieve the goals that once seemed impossible to reach.

Mika provides a blueprint and valuable guidance, strategies, and tools for people to reach their fitness goals ten times faster. Many of the solutions that often get so popular are only band-aids and they dont approach the root of the issue. Mika does get to the bottom of it and focuses on fixing the problem at the root so people can get their bodies and health back. All this without suffering or giving up the foods that make people happy.

Lori Doddy (@lori.doddy)

Lori Doddy is the founder of Lori Doddy Lifestyle LLC and the creator of 5 TO THRIVE, a one of a kind 12-week weight loss program designed to teach professional, driven women unique methods for eating, exercising, reducing stress, and mastering the challenges of being female in high-pressure careers. She provides a customized approach very different from anything else on the market. Its extremely effective and specifically designed to fit easily into any womans busy schedule.

Lori Doddy, Ph.D. has a 30-year career in education as a teacher, graduate professor, college dean, and Vice President. During most of her life, she battled eating disordered behaviors, yo-yo dieted, suffered debilitating migraines, and endured overwhelming stress. But 7 years ago, she hit a wall and was determined to find a healthy way to lose weight and manage the stress of a high-pressure lifestyle, which is common among professional women.

She managed to transform not only her body and mind but also her lifestyle while continuing to advance her career. On her quest, she found passion and purpose, and began coaching. Lori pursued nutrition and personal training certifications, and last year took her coaching career full-time. With her effective, unique program, Lori helps clients reach unprecedented success with massive weight loss and improved fitness levels, while advancing their careers and not sacrificing their health or any ambitions in life.

Kyle May (@tailormaydefitness)

Kyle May is an online fitness coach and founder of Tailor Mayde Fitness, whos 100% dedicated to helping busy men lose fat and keep it off without sacrificing their lifestyle. He knows what its like to struggle with weight loss because he has been through the process himself. During college, his weight reached 300 pounds and he had no confidence to speak of. He was lost, stuck in a vicious cycle, and he had no idea how to start getting his body back.

Eventually, he decided to take control and soon fell in love with fitness and weight training. Kyle turned his life around, shed all that weight, and built positive habits that allow him to be healthy and active. Today, he wants to help other men who are struggling to balance fat loss and a hectic schedule so they can reach their goals.

Kyle makes weight loss an enjoyable and incredibly educational journey that gives his clients resources they can use for a lifetime. He offers a pragmatic approach that focuses on helping people develop sustainable habits and helping them understand the root of the issue so they can take the right steps. Kyles weight loss program can be adapted to anyones lifestyle and it will be tailored to the needs of each individual so they can reach their goals with the support they need.

Dreia Walker (_cuttheweight)

Dreia Walker is a weight loss coach who is passionate about keeping others accountable towards their fitness goals. From her own experience with seeing the results real accountability can bring, Dreia has been able to transform countless lives throughout her journey.

Also an entrepreneur at heart, Dreia has multiple weight loss and fitness products to help you reach your goals even faster. Understanding that some people are restricted by time, she enables them to get the best results in the time they have at their disposal.

Knowing how much confidence you can gain from becoming your best self, it's no surprise Dreia is so passionate about her work. As big as I used to be I never imagined my future self to be so confident. I never imagined my future self to overcome not loving myself. I just didnt picture life any differently when I was 250 pounds Dreia explains. If youre looking to lose weight & build confidence, Dreia is your girl.

Lori Aloisio (@myhealthyandfreelife)

Lori Aloisio is a weight loss coach whos passionate about health and well-being. She has a Bachelors Degree in Health Care, is a registered nurse in Finland, and an avid student of alternative medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and nutrition. Through her job and all her studies, she noticed that Western medicine doesnt address many important factors for overall health.

As she studied alternative medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and nutrition, she became much healthier and she learned to lose weight in a way that worked for her and didnt feel restrictive at all. During the same time, she also discovered the law of attraction and she realized she had been creating her reality since she was a child. Lori rediscovered her power and she also discovered a passion for helping people lose weight.

She had amassed all this knowledge about healthy living and she was ready to share it, something she couldnt do freely while working as a nurse because there were guidelines to follow. Thats what led Lori to found Healthy And Free Life and she created the S.H.I.F.T weight loss method. She doesnt provide a quick fix that provides results that dont last. Instead, she helps people remove the source of the issue entirely and completely turn their lives around.

Make sure to follow each of these amazing weight loss coaches as they continue to help their clients reach their weight loss goals. Each of their Instagram's have been directly linked here. Finally, we would like to thank Boost Media Agency for taking the time to put this article together.

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The 10 Weight Loss Coaches to Watch in 2021 - GlobeNewswire

When it comes to dieting, research shows the majority of people will regain some if not most of the weight they've lost.

While there are many reasons why this weight regain may happen, some popular claims online are that it's because dieting permanently wrecks your metabolism. But while it's true that dieting slows your metabolism, it also improves your metabolism in many positive ways.

When we talk about metabolism, we're typically referring to your metabolic rate. This is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Of course, the more activity we do, the more calories we burn.

In order to lose weight through dieting, you need to consume fewer calories than you're using. This forces the body to use its energy stores like fat to meet the shortfall. Your metabolic rate will also change as a result.

The loss of lean tissue (muscle) when you diet which burns around 15-25 calories per kilogram each day lowers resting metabolic rate, meaning you need fewer calories than you previously did. But the body also deliberately slows down metabolism to preserve energy stores and minimise weight loss.

When the body senses depleted fat stores it triggers adaptive thermogenesis, a process which further reduces resting metabolic rate and may stunt weight loss despite strict dieting.

Adaptive thermogenesis can kick in within three days of starting a diet, and is suggested to persist way beyond dieting even hampering weight maintenance and favouring weight regain.

One example of adaptive thermogenesis's effect was seen in a widely publicised 2016 study which looked at former contestants of US reality TV show The Biggest Loser.

It showed that participants had a significant decrease in their metabolic rate, even several years after initial weight loss. Participants needed to eat up to 500 calories less than expected daily.

Other studies have also shown metabolic slowing with weight loss, but with much smaller decreases (around 100 calories fewer a day to maintain weight). However, there's less certainty whether this slowing persists once people are weight stable.

Research seems to show that most adaptive thermogenesis happens in the actual dieting phase as a temporary response to the amount of weight being lost. Overall, we don't have conclusive evidence to support the notion that metabolic rate remains slowed over the long term (over a year post-diet).

It's worth noting many factors can affect metabolic rate, so changes to it after dieting may vary between people. For example, one study on fasting diets showed metabolic rate indeed decreases as a result but those who had the the greatest decrease in metabolic rate already had a higher metabolic rate to begin with.

Overestimaing metabolic rates at the start of a study or errors in predicting metabolic rate after weight loss could both also affect study results.

It's agreed that metabolic rate slows because of weight loss, due to both decreasing body size, and as a way of preserving key tissues and fuel reserves. But there's currently no consensus on how much it slows by.

Quantifying and predicting this slowing is something we're currently researching at the University of Surrey.

A decrease in metabolic rate is just one change that occurs with weight loss, however.

When we lose weight, the main change we see is a decrease in body fat. This decrease is actually our fat cells shrinking in size they don't actually disappear. This shrinking of fat cells signals the body's fuel stores are emptying, causing a drop in the hormone leptin.

Ordinarily leptin inhibits appetite and increases metabolic rate but when leptin levels plummet, metabolic rate slow and hunger increases.

The gut also releases fewer incretins (hormones which regulate appetite) when we lose weight, which could persist beyond dieting. Less leptin and fewer incretins may make us feel hungrier and can lead to over eating.

When fat cells shrink, they're able to take up glucose and store fat more efficiently to help restore lost fuel. Your body also creates more fat cells so that you can store more fat in the future to better cope with this calorie "crisis" the next time it happens.

But as contradictory as it sounds, all these changes actually result in a more efficient and ultimately healthier metabolism.

For example, smaller fat cells are better for our health, as over-inflated "sick" fat cells don't work as well in getting rid of surplus sugar and fat. This can lead to high levels of sugar and fat in the blood, increasing risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

So dieting doesn't technically ruin your metabolism but rather improves it by helping it work better. But without care, this metabolic improvement can conspire against you to regain the weight, and even overshoot your original weight.

Studies show exercise (or simply physical activity) may be one way to prevent weight regain, by improving our ability to maintain our weight and can potentially minimise metabolic slowing. Exercise can also help regulate appetite and fuel burning in the short term, and may make weight loss more sustainable in the long term.

Adam Collins, Principal Teaching Fellow, Nutrition, University of Surrey and Aoife Egan, PhD Researcher, Mathematical Modelling of Weight-loss, University of Surrey.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Here's What Dieting Actually Does to Your Metabolism, According to Scientists - ScienceAlert

When we're craving Tex-Mex, nothing comes to the rescue quite like a quick stop to eat Taco Bell. No matter what you feel like, the fast-food chain has a ton of menu choices to select from, and can satiate hunger like no one's business. If you love to indulge with a few tacos or burritos, that feeling of leaving stuffed isn't hard to come by and really tops off any trip to this chain.

While we love to make a taco run every now and then, the food from Taco Bell makes our body immediately go through some changes. To figure out exactly what happens when we dig into too many tacos at Taco Bell, we asked experts to weigh in on what to expect after we eat at the Tex-Mex megalith.

Read on to learn exactly what physiological changes happen after a Taco Bell run, and for more helpful eating tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

When you eat fast food, inflammation feels unavoidable.

"[A] fast-food diet is one that contains processed and ultra-processed ingredients, usually processed vegetable oils, added sodium, added sugars, as well as food colorants, dyes, fillers, and preservatives," says Dr Uma Naidoo, MD, Nutritional Psychiatrist and author of This Is Your Brain on Food. "These are all substances that are pro-inflammatory to the brain and body."

"We know from research that our gut microbiome changes within a 24-hour period so whatever you eat, healthy or unhealthy, has an effect," says Dr. Naidoo. "If you are selecting a fast food or junk food diet, the impact on the microbiome is negative. Poor food choices feed the bad bugs in our gut, helping them thrive and take over the good bugs (meant to help and protect us). Over time, the bad bugs cause inflammation, which can lead to leaky gut and neuroinflammation."

If you love the chain but have a hard time putting down the burrito, take a glimpse at 5 Ugly Side Effects of Eating Taco Bell, According to Nutritionists.

"There is little fresh whole food with fiber and nutrients in fast foods so they move through your digestive system quickly and you often feel hungry soon after, " Dr. Naidoo says.

This change comes as a result of an insulin spike. According to The Washington Post, eating at a fast-food chain like Taco Bell causes our insulin to spike while our blood sugar drops. This quick dive in blood sugar makes us feel that extra hunger, even after we eat a ton of tacos.

Here are 9 Warning Signs You're Not Eating Enough Fiber.

These same insulin spikes that make us still feel hunger also lead to feelings of anxiety and tension.

"Simple carbohydrates and processed foods move through the digestive tract very quickly as there is not usually healthy fiber or complex carbs to slow the process down," says Dr. Naidoo. "This leads to insulin spikes."

According to the same Washington Post report, these insulin spikes cause mood shifts and feelings of anxiety that come with them.

You may also want to steer clear of these 17 Foods That Make Your Depression and Anxiety Worse.

"With a diet high in unhealthy trans fats, added sugars, and processed foods, the brain struggles to think clearly," says Dr. Naidoo.

"Diets high in saturated fat can also have an effect on your cognitive abilities," says Jay Cowin, ASYSTEM's Registered Nutritionist and Director of Formulations. "Brain inflammation and insulin resistance, caused by saturated fatty acids, have been implicated in cognitive deficits."

"Often, it's the salt and sugar in fast food that's so problematic," says John Fawkes certified nutrition counselor, NSCA CPT, and editor at evidence-based wellness resource The Unwinder. "Sugar especially tends to be artificial to keep prices down, with both added to processed foods to keep them tasty. Folks who eat too much fast food like Taco Bell are increasing their chances of complications stemming from diets too high in salt and sugar. Think things like hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction to heart disease."

"For instance, just a side order of Taco Bell's Mexican Rice delivers over a third of your daily recommended sodium, which experts advise to keep around 2,000 to 2,300 milligrams a day," says Fawkes. "That's just a side portion, too!"

"Then look at something like the taco salad, which folks think is healthier but also comes in with a whopping 1,000 milligrams of sodium. Don't even get started with the salt and sugar levels in their sauces, including the ubiquitous nacho cheese."

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What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Taco Bell | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

When it comes to dieting, research shows the majority of people will regain some if not most of the weight theyve lost. While there are many reasons why this weight regain may happen, some popular claims online are that its because dieting permanently wrecks your metabolism. But while its true that dieting slows your metabolism, it also improves your metabolism in many positive ways.

When we talk about metabolism, were typically referring to your metabolic rate. This is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Of course, the more activity we do, the more calories we burn. In order to lose weight through dieting, you need to consume fewer calories than youre using. This forces the body to use its energy stores like fat to meet the shortfall. Your metabolic rate will also change as a result.

The loss of lean tissue (muscle) when you diet which burns around 15-25 calories per kilogram each day lowers resting metabolic rate, meaning you need fewer calories than you previously did. But the body also deliberately slows down metabolism to preserve energy stores and minimise weight loss.

When the body senses depleted fat stores it triggers adaptive thermogenesis, a process which further reduces resting metabolic rate and may stunt weight loss despite strict dieting. Adaptive thermogenesis can kick in within three days of starting a diet, and is suggested to persist way beyond dieting even hampering weight maintenance and favouring weight regain.

One example of adaptive thermogenesiss effect was seen in a widely publicised 2016 study which looked at former contestants of US reality TV show The Biggest Loser. It showed that participants had a significant decrease in their metabolic rate, even several years after initial weight loss. Participants needed to eat up to 500 calories less than expected daily.

Other studies have also shown metabolic slowing with weight loss, but with much smaller decreases (around 100 calories fewer a day to maintain weight). However, theres less certainty whether this slowing persists once people are weight stable.

Research seems to show that most adaptive thermogenesis happens in the actual dieting phase as a temporary response to the amount of weight being lost. Overall, we dont have conclusive evidence to support the notion that metabolic rate remains slowed over the long term (over a year post-diet).

Its worth noting many factors can affect metabolic rate, so changes to it after dieting may vary between people. For example, one study on fasting diets showed metabolic rate indeed decreases as a result but those who had the the greatest decrease in metabolic rate already had a higher metabolic rate to begin with. Overestimaing metabolic rates at the start of a study or errors in predicting metabolic rate after weight loss could both also affect study results.

Its agreed that metabolic rate slows because of weight loss, due to both decreasing body size, and as a way of preserving key tissues and fuel reserves. But theres currently no consensus on how much it slows by. Quantifying and predicting this slowing is something were currently researching at the University of Surrey.

A decrease in metabolic rate is just one change that occurs with weight loss, however.

When we lose weight, the main change we see is a decrease in body fat. This decrease is actually our fat cells shrinking in size they dont actually disappear. This shrinking of fat cells signals the bodys fuel stores are emptying, causing a drop in the hormone leptin. Ordinarily leptin inhibits appetite and increases metabolic rate but when leptin levels plumment, metabolic rate slow and hunger increases.

The gut also releases fewer incretins (hormones which regulate appetite) when we lose weight, which could persist beyond dieting. Less leptin and fewer incretins may make us feel hungrier and can lead to over eating.

When fat cells shrink, theyre able to take up glucose and store fat more efficiently to help restore lost fuel. Your body also creates more fat cells so that you can store more fat in the future to better cope with this calorie crisis the next time it happens.

But as contradictory as it sounds, all these changes actually result in a more efficient and ultimately healthier metabolism. For example, smaller fat cells are better for our health, as over-inflated sick fat cells dont work as well in getting rid of surplus sugar and fat. This can lead to high levels of sugar and fat in the blood, increasing risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

So dieting doesnt technically ruin your metabolism but rather improves it by helping it work better. But without care, this metabolic improvement can conspire against you to regain the weight, and even overshoot your original weight.

Studies show exercise (or simply physical activity) may be one way to prevent weight regain, by improving our ability to maintain our weight and can potentially minimise metabolic slowing. Exercise can also help regulate appetite and fuel burning in the short term, and may make weight loss more sustainable in the long term.

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Dieting may slow metabolism but it doesn't ruin it - The Conversation UK

Switching en masse to a plant-based diet is essential to protect wildlife habitats and prevent the loss of numerous species currently facing extinction, according to a new report.

At the root of the problem is cheap food. While cut-priced comestibles may seem like a good thing, especially for low-income households, market pressure to continually reduce food production costs forces many farmers to adopt unsustainable, intensive methods that harm the land and overuse valuable resources like energy, land and water.

The study by researchers at UK think tank Chatham House, supported by the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme, notes that the race to lower prices increases food waste and degrades soils and ecosystems, making available land less productive.

As more forests and wild lands are cleared to grow crops and raise livestock, the feeding, breeding and living habitats of numerous species also disappear. Unless we change what we eat and how it is produced, the report says, the planets ability to support humans could come under threat.

Gut instinct

During the past half century, conversion of natural wild land for crop production or animal pasture has been the principle cause of habitat and biodiversity loss, the report, called Food System Impacts on Biodiversity Loss, says. Agriculture poses a threat to 24,000 of the 28,000 species documented as at risk of extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

But what happens next to the worlds endangered wildlife populations rests in human hands, and the rise in popularity of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products offers hope for the future.

Rearing crops in place of animals uses land and other scarce resources more efficiently, the report notes. While raising livestock adds to greenhouse gas emissions, switching to plant-based foods would free up grazing land that could be used for other purposes. A global switch to a predominantly plant-based diet would boost dietary health, help reduce food waste and eliminate the need to keep clearing new land for grazing. Switching the global populations diet to plant-based foods, for example, would free up 75% of the worlds cropland for other uses.

Alongside changing dietary behaviour, the report recommends protecting and setting aside more land for nature, avoiding converting it for agriculture. As well as preserving wildlife habitats from being destroyed, forests and wilded land serve as a natural carbon store absorbing pollution from the atmosphere, which helps counter the impact of the climate crisis.

Todays high-intensity chemical-reliant farming methods must be replaced by nature-friendly practices that support biodiversity and value sustainability over ever lower farm door prices.

Its important to note that the report is advocating a dramatic reduction in meat intake rather than replacing meat with plant-based foods. And, as the World Bank says, livestock farming supports the livelihoods and food security of almost 1.3 billion people. The Chatham House report says incentivising more diverse agriculture could lead to more resilient farmer livelihoods.

Two billion people in the world currently suffer from malnutrition and according to some estimates, we need 60% more food to feed the global population by 2050. Yet the agricultural sector is ill-equipped to meet this demand: 700 million of its workers currently live in poverty, and it is already responsible for 70% of the worlds water consumption and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

New technologies could help our food systems become more sustainable and efficient, but unfortunately the agricultural sector has fallen behind other sectors in terms of technology adoption.

Launched in 2018, the Forums Innovation with a Purpose Platform is a large-scale partnership that facilitates the adoption of new technologies and other innovations to transform the way we produce, distribute and consume our food.

With research, increasing investments in new agriculture technologies and the integration of local and regional initiatives aimed at enhancing food security, the platform is working with over 50 partner institutions and 1,000 leaders around the world to leverage emerging technologies to make our food systems more sustainable, inclusive and efficient.

Learn more about Innovation with a Purpose's impact and contact us to see how you can get involved.

Planting the seeds of change

Despite the compelling arguments for moving to plant-heavy diets, persuading the global population to abandon its love of meat will be no easy task. Around 80 billion animals are killed for their meat each year, UN figures show.

Many farmers are increasingly adopting unsustainable practices to create cheaper meat.

Image: UN FAO/Our World in Data

In 2018, almost 70 billion chickens, 1.5 billion pigs and more than 300 million cattle were slaughtered to serve our love of meat.

In general, meat consumption increases as incomes rise so the richer the country, the more meat is consumed, according to figures from the UN and the World Bank.

But for some the role of meat is beginning to change as awareness grows of the health benefits of plant-based foods and the impact of business-as-usual farming on the environment.

Consumer demand for plant-based food is growing.

Image: The Good Food Institute

The US plant-based food market was worth more than $5 billion in 2019, up 11% on the previous year and 29% over two years. Sales of plant-based meat substitutes increased by 18% year-on-year.

Demand for plant-based foods could see annual growth of almost 12%, reaching a market value of more than $74 billion by 2027, according to a Meticulous Research forecast. While plant-based demand is increasing in most global markets, takeup in Asia-Pacific is expected to outstrip other regional markets.

Changing consumer aspirations and a growing appetite among investors to back plant-based ventures are among the drivers of global plant-based market growth, the research showed. How far, how fast and how much demand for plant-based foods increases in the coming years remains to be seen, but the future of myriad species depends on it happening quick enough.

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Report: We urgently need to move to plant-based diets - World Economic Forum