While there are many debates about which type of diet is best for weight loss and health, it's often not the weight loss which is the biggest challenge, but rather avoiding weight regain afterwards.

This can lead to cycles of dieting and weight gain, or "yo-yo" dieting, which can cause people to have a less healthy relationship with food, worse mental health and a higher body weight.

But recently, "reverse dieting" has gained popularity online as a post-diet eating plan that claims it can help you avoid weight regain by eating more. In simple terms, it's a controlled and gradual way of increasing from a low calorie weight-loss eating plan back to your more "normal" pre-diet way of eating.

The idea with reverse dieting is that gradually increasing calorie intake following a deficit will allow your body and your metabolism to "adjust" so that you can avoid weight regain while eating more.

However, there is currently no scientific evidence showing that reverse dieting works as advocates claim.

Reverse dieting is based around the theory that our body has baseline "set points" for metabolism and calorie intake hardwired into our biology, and if we go above these points we gain weight.

The idea is that reverse dieting can shift these "set points" upwards if a person slowly increases the amount of calories eaten as food. This would theoretically "boost" their metabolism, allowing them to consume more food and calories without gaining weight.

However, the idea that as humans we have a "set point", which we can manipulate with dietary changes, is not supported by research.

The main reason for this is because a number of factors influence our weight and metabolism, including how it changes. Among them are how we're brought up, what food we have access to, what type of exercise we do, and our genetics.

But the most important influence over how our body uses calories and therefore our weight is our resting (or basal) metabolic rate. This is the amount of calories our body needs in order to keep itself alive. This accounts for about 60 to 70 percent of the calories we use daily.

Our basal metabolic rate is mostly determined by our age, weight, sex and muscle mass your diet has little effect on it.

Eating at or below your basal metabolic rate will result in weight loss, and eating above it will result in weight gain.

Our basal metabolic rate also increases as we gain weight or muscle mass, and decreases as we lose weight or muscle mass (the evidence shows that the more muscle your body has, the more calories it needs to function).

Exercise also increases how many calories we use, but usually not enough to massively affect our weight. And though a high protein diet can alter metabolic rate somewhat, our body weight and muscle mass have the greatest effect on it.

So reverse dieting only appears to work by controlling calorie intake. There's currently no evidence that you can alter your metabolism or metabolic rate by introducing more calories slowly and gradually.

Put simply, if you eat more calories than your body requires, you will gain weight. What we do know is that certain habits, like regularly eating breakfast and exercise, help people avoid weight regain after dieting.

While there's currently little research investigating the effects of reverse dieting on metabolism, it could still help people in other ways.

When some people are losing weight, they may feel in control of how they eat. But for some people, stopping their diet could lead to perceived loss of control.

Reverse dieting might give some people the confidence to return to a more sustainable way of eating, or help them move out of a cycle of restrictive dieting.

Advocates of reverse dieting suggest it can also help manage problems of appetite and cravings. This is because additional foods can be added in as the amount of calories and food eaten is increased.

While fewer cravings can help with weight maintenance, this evidence does not come from studies where foods were slowly reintroduced.

For some people, counting calories or restrictive dieting can tend to lead to an unhealthy relationship with their bodies and the food they eat.

Orthorexia nervosa is becoming increasingly common, and is characterised by an obsession with eating healthy which can lead to an unhealthy restriction of and relationship with foods.

While wanting to eat a healthy diet can seem on the surface to be a good thing, when it becomes orthorexia and enjoyment of food is replaced by an anxiety of feeling the need to account for every calorie, this could lead to poor mental health.

Reverse dieting is one approach, but some would argue other methods, such as intuitive eating which emphasises listening to your body's hunger cues and only eating when you're hungry might be psychologically healthier. Intuitive eating may help people both regain and trust their appetites, and stop the cycle of restriction and calorie counting.

Duane Mellor, Senior Teaching Fellow, Aston Medical School, Aston University

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

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What Is 'Reverse Dieting' Anyway? What We Do And Don't Know About This Post-Diet Plan - ScienceAlert

Fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and plant compounds called phytonutrients. As such, its one of the healthiest foods you can eat.

Some fruits are even considered superfoods due to their numerous benefits. Even though theres no exact definition of what constitutes a superfood, theyre often rich in health-boosting compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (1).

Many fruits have been studied for their health effects. Although its clear that total fresh fruit intake is an important factor in disease prevention, certain fruits stand out due to their robust nutrient content and associated benefits (2, 3).

Here are 25 super fruits to add to your diet today.

In addition to their pleasing taste, plums offer a high concentration of vitamins, minerals, and health-protective plant compounds (4).

Theyre particularly rich in hydroxycinnamic acids, which are a type of polyphenol antioxidant. By reducing cellular damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals, antioxidants may reduce your risk of various diseases (5).

Plums are also rich in vitamin C and provitamin A carotenoids, both of which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (6, 7, 8).

Strawberries are particularly high in antioxidants like vitamin C, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids (9).

In a 3-week study, 21 women who ate 9 ounces (250 grams) of frozen strawberries daily experienced a significant increase in antioxidant activity in their blood (10).

Whats more, these healthy berries may slash your risk of disease.

Research suggests that eating strawberries may help reduce heart disease risk factors, lower inflammatory markers, and increase fiber intake, all of which may protect against chronic health conditions like heart disease and certain cancers (11, 12, 13, 14).

Despite their small size, grapes pack a serious nutritional punch. Many varieties exist, and while all make a healthy choice, some are higher in antioxidants than others.

In a recent study comparing 30 grape varieties, Black Pearl, Summer Royal Black, Pearl Green, Seedless Green, and Seedless Red grapes exhibited the strongest antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging activities (15).

These varieties were found to be packed with antioxidants like caffeic acid, epicatechin, catechin gallate, protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, and rutin (15).

Indeed, these antioxidants may be the reason why these tasty fruits are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers (16).

Apples are associated with a variety of health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and several cancers, including colorectal cancer (17, 18).

Notably, theyre a concentrated source of flavonoid antioxidants.

A study in over 56,000 people linked a higher intake of apples and other flavonoid-rich foods to a reduced risk of death from all causes, including from cancer and heart disease (19).

Peaches are often enjoyed in jams and pies, but its best to eat peaches raw.

Thats because fresh peach peels and pulp have higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity than cooked peach products (20).

In addition to phytonutrients like phenolic acids and carotenoids, peaches provide a good source of fiber, vitamin C, provitamin A, and potassium (21).

Avocados are not only creamy and delicious but also packed with nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamins C and K1 (22).

In fact, studies suggest that these fatty fruits may help reduce weight, blood sugar levels, and heart disease risk factors like LDL (bad) cholesterol (23, 24).

The impressive benefits of blueberries are well documented.

These berries contain several potent antioxidants and are especially rich in anthocyanins, which are plant pigments that account for up to 60% of their total polyphenol compounds (25).

Eating fresh blueberries each day, even in moderate amounts of 1/3 cup (113 grams), has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as slower rates of mental decline in older adults (25).

Thanks to their high concentration of vitamin C and polyphenol antioxidants, cherries have powerful anti-inflammatory properties (26).

Both sweet and tart cherries as well as their juice and powder are associated with many health benefits.

For example, a review of 29 studies found that consuming these foods led to reductions in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as decreased blood pressure, VLDL cholesterol, and HbA1c a marker of long-term blood sugar control (26).

Grapefruits may help improve the nutrient content of your diet. A review of studies in over 12,000 people showed that people who ate this citrus fruit had higher intakes of magnesium, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, compared with those who didnt eat it (27).

Plus, the analysis found that women who ate grapefruit had lower body weights, as well as lower levels of triglycerides and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP), plus higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol (27).

Blackberries are packed with anthocyanin pigments, and evidence suggests that eating them regularly benefits your health.

An 8-week study in 72 people with high blood fat levels gave one group 10.1 ounces (300 mL) of blackberry juice and pulp daily.

Those who drank this combo experienced significant reductions in blood pressure and CRP levels, as well as significant increases in HDL (good) cholesterol, compared with a control group (28).

Black chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa) are native to eastern North America and typically found in jams, juices, and pures. Theyre a concentrated source of phenolic acids and flavonoids, including anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and flavonols (29).

In a 12-week study, 66 healthy men who consumed chokeberry powder and extract daily experienced improved blood flow and increased blood levels of phenolic antioxidants, which may improve heart health (30).

Although often considered a vegetable, tomatoes are a type of fruit.

Theyre one of the richest sources of lycopene, a carotenoid pigment thats associated with powerful heart benefits (31, 32, 33).

It should be noted that tomato peels contain significantly higher levels of antioxidants than the pulp. For this reason, be sure to enjoy tomatoes and tomato products unpeeled (34).

Figs are fiber-rich fruits that also pack other nutrients like magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamins B6 and K1 (35).

Whats more, theyre loaded with polyphenol antioxidants, which have been shown to have numerous benefits. In fact, figs are a more concentrated source of these beneficial compounds than red wine or tea (36).

In addition to being high in polyphenol antioxidants, raspberries are one of the richest sources of fiber among all fruits and veggies (37).

Test-tube and animal studies suggest that eating these berries may reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimers, though human research is needed (37).

Blood oranges are a sweet orange with a reddish rind due to their high levels of anthocyanins (38).

Theyre also loaded with vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin that acts as a powerful antioxidant. In fact, blood oranges typically contain 3242 mg of vitamin C per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) or 3547% of the Daily Value (DV) for this vitamin (38).

Nectarines are high in vitamin C, beta carotene, and numerous other antioxidant compounds (39).

Consuming beta-carotene-rich fruits like nectarines may help reduce disease risk and early death. One review of studies in over 174,000 people associated beta carotene intake with a significantly reduced risk of death from all causes (40).

Many studies tie pomegranates to a variety of health benefits. These fruits boast compounds like ellagitannins, anthocyanins, and organic acids, which give pomegranates potent antioxidant activity (41).

Human research reveals that pomegranate juice and extracts may help reduce oxidative stress, blood pressure, LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, inflammation, and muscle damage. Animal and test-tube studies suggest anticancer properties as well (41, 42, 43).

Kumquats are small, orange-colored citrus fruits with tart flesh. Theyre high in health-promoting nutrients and plant compounds like vitamin C, polyphenols, and carotenoids (44, 45).

Theyre native to China, where theyve been used as a natural treatment for coughs, colds, and inflammatory conditions for centuries (46).

Mangos are a popular tropical fruit full of antioxidants, including gallic acid, quercetin, and ellagic acid, as well as the carotenoids lutein, alpha carotene, and beta carotene, which give the fruit its yellowish hue (47).

Mangos are also rich in fiber and may help promote healthy bowel movements.

In a 4-week study in 36 people with chronic constipation, eating 10.5 ounces (300 grams) of mango daily significantly improved stool frequency and consistency and reduced markers of intestinal inflammation, compared with an equivalent dose of a fiber supplement (48).

Goji berries are native to Asia, where theyve long been used as a functional food to promote health and increase longevity (49).

Due to their high antioxidant levels, these fruits are incorporated into tinctures, teas, and other herbal remedies to treat conditions that affect your eyes, liver, kidneys, and digestive system (49).

Goji berries are high in fiber, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, and carotenoid pigments, which give this fruit its bright orange-red color.

Goji berries may protect your vision and lower blood levels of blood fats. Plus, they may have anticancer, immune-protecting, and brain-boosting properties (49).

Cranberries are packed with beneficial plant compounds.

Human and animal studies note that eating cranberries and cranberry products may lower certain blood fat levels and have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-diabetes effects (50).

Cranberries are quite tart, so theyre often enjoyed dried and sweetened, or in sweet dishes like sauces and jams. To get the most benefits, opt for low sugar or unsweetened products.

Lemons are commonly used to flavor foods and beverages.

This citrus fruit is rich in vitamin C, essential oils, and polyphenol antioxidants (51).

Human studies show that daily lemon intake may help reduce blood pressure when combined with walking. Whats more, test-tube and animal research indicates that this fruit has strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetes properties (52, 53).

Packed with tropical flavor, papayas are rich in vitamin C, provitamin A, folate, and potassium. They also contain many antioxidants but are especially rich in lycopene (53).

Eating lycopene-rich fruits like papaya may protect against heart disease and certain cancers. Interestingly, lower lycopene levels are associated with an increased risk of death from all causes (54, 55, 56).

Watermelon is a hydrating fruit thats loaded with fiber, vitamin C, provitamin A, and many antioxidants. Animal studies demonstrate that it has powerful anti-inflammatory, brain-protective, and liver-supportive properties (57).

Whats more, watermelon is the richest food source of the amino acid l-citrulline. L-citrulline is needed for the synthesis of nitric oxide, a molecule thats essential for blood vessel dilation and other bodily functions (58).

This may be why human studies associate watermelon intake with lower blood pressure levels (59, 60, 61).

You may have heard of acai berries due to the popularity of acai bowls, a delicious concoction made with frozen acai berries and other fruits.

These berries polyphenol antioxidants may offer numerous benefits (62).

For example, human studies link acai berries and juice to higher blood antioxidant levels, protection against cellular damage, and reduced levels of blood fats, blood sugar, and insulin (62, 63, 64).

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25 Super Fruits to Add to Your Diet Today - Healthline

Dieticians Digest by Emily Schmidt

You may have heard of the Mediterranean diet before, and perhaps associate it with eating healthy for your heart. Based on significant research, this is very true. However, this pattern of eating goes beyond lowering death risk from cardiovascular disease and stroke. It may also lower cancer risk, reduce your chance of developing Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, help with depression and potentially provide benefits for inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

This eating style is named after the Mediterranean region due to research finding that the diets of many living in this area such as Greece and Italy are associated with reduced disease risk and improved health. Some common denominators of what these cultures eat include an abundance of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and beans, nuts and seeds, and a focus on lean proteins fish and shellfish, white meat as well as healthy fats, such as olive oil. In fact, the Mediterranean diet is considered a high fat diet, with up to about 40% of calories coming from fat. The big difference between this and other trendy high fat diets, such as the keto diet, is the much larger focus on unsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats come from foods such as olive oil, fatty fish and seafood, nuts and seeds (including nut and seed butters or oils), and avocado. The Mediterranean eating pattern also recommends limiting red and processed meats, high-fat dairy products, and refined sugars, especially from sweetened beverages and desserts. Some specific guidelines include:

Emily Schmidt

Vegetables: 2 or more servings daily (1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked) include some raw veggies; avoid boiling and steam, roast, bake, etc. instead; focus on fresh or frozen

Fruit: 2-3 servings daily (1 whole fresh fruit or 1 cup) avoid juices, focus on fresh or frozen

Fish and shellfish: At least 3 servings/week (3-5 ounce fish or 6-7 ounce shellfish = 1 serving), such as salmon, walleye, tuna, trout, shrimp, crab, lobster and more

Lean white meats: chicken and turkey without skin, 3 ounce = 1 serving (size of deck of cards)

Legumes and beans: 3 or more servings per week (1 serving = cup), such as lentils, black beans, kidney beans, peas, etc.

Grains: Choose 100% whole grains; good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants many in Mediterranean region dip bread in olive oil.

Nuts and seeds: At least 1 serving per week (1/4 cup) serving size is important as theyre high calorie/fat. Have a handful of raw, unsalted nuts or seeds for a snack or sprinkle on a salad or oatmeal.

Healthy fats: Olive oil, fatty fish and seafood, nuts and seeds (including nut and seed butters or oils), and avocado

Dairy: Choose lower fat varieties; limit fatty cheeses to once per week.

Hydration: Drink mostly water, avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. Optionally, red wine may be included no more than 5 ounces/day for men, 3 ounces/day for women for health benefits.

Cooking tips: Cook with a multitude of herbs and spices, garlic-and-onion-infused tomato sauce and extra-virgin olive oil for low-heat cooking methods and salad dressings. Limit use of salt.

Other considerations: Stay physically active at least 150 minutes moderate exercise per week and focus on mindful eating. Take time for your meals and snacks, pay attention to eating and avoid distractions, and enjoy eating with family and friends.

Dont view the Mediterranean eating style as a strict all or none diet. Rather, see it as more of a lifestyle and pattern of eating and healthy behaviors, where taste and flavor are still very much valued and emphasized. Visit the American Heart Associations website or Mayo Clinics website for recipes and more information.

Albert Lea resident Emily Schmidt is a registered dietitian at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea. She enjoys writing, cooking and spending time with her son and family.

Continued here:
Dietician's Digest: The Mediterranean diet what is it really all about? - Albert Lea Tribune - Albert Lea Tribune

Jason Derulo, a man whose most famous refrain is his own name, is nothing if not confident. A life-long athlete, hes been fine-tuning his workouts for years to maintain those washboard abs. (It's especially important given that they spend the large majority of his public appearances exposed.) Last year, he whipped up a media frenzy about his own bulge, goading fans on with a Photoshop job. After making an enthusiastic acting debut in Cats, one of the most gleefully panned flops in Hollywood history, he unabashedly maintained that he expected it to be a home run. And then, in March, he caught the TikTok bug, his star rapidly rising on a platform infamous for roasting the over-25 set. The guy is simply impossible to embarrass.

Derulo says hes never been the type to take himself too seriously. Then again, its pretty difficult to be bashful when you look like Jason Derulo. The looks, he says, are where the real work lies, the result of a full decade of dance-heavy performances, rigorous workouts, and ceaseless diet-tinkering. On top of his six-day-a-week workout schedule, Derulo turns every so often to pulling cars, lifting golf carts, and running football routes to stay motivated. Normally, hed be doing that in between a relentless global touring schedule that had him sweating out backflips and hip thrusts most nights of the year.

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has derailed his tours, Derulos pivoted to branding himself as a kind of TikTok uncle, rapidly accruing followers by picking up viral dance challenges and hosting the younger stars of the platform at his home in L.A. For each million followers he gains, he makes a Milli Meal, usually a super-sized dessert concoction straight out of a kid's sugar-induced fever dream. Hes still adjusting to missing out on the cardio he used to get on tour, which means hes had to return to two-a-days and intermittent fasting to get in shape for an upcoming role that he developedwhere else?on TikTok. Aside from that, he spends most of his days planning and filming his videos, which now include elaborate editing, special effects, and collabs with the likes of Will Smith and Charli DAmelio.

Story continues

Derulo Zoomed GQ to tell us how hes getting his fitness game back on track.

For Real-Life Diet, GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

As a musician, you would typically spend a good chunk of the year touring and performing. How have you adjusted this past year to being at home?

Last year I was home for about 60 days out of the entire year. I tour a lot more than the average artist, constantly doing shows across the world. I do a lot of spot dates, a lot of festivals. So being at home for months at a time is pretty crazy, because I haven't been home like this since I was kid.

My rehearsals are pretty vigorous, which takes a toll on your body, but also, it makes you lose weight, which I don't want, so I usually lift pretty heavy during that time and eat more, because I'm not really into the skinny vibes. Thats something I always really struggle with when I'm on tour.

Being at home I gained weight like crazy. I was like, Oh shit, I gotta slow this down, now Im starting to look like a bodybuilder. Its because Im so used to getting all of that cardio. So now its about trying to dial that back. I find that my body is only at its optimum when Im doing two-a-days, which is cardio and lifts. When I'm not doing the cardio, I get too big, and I can lose too much weight if Im only doing cardio.

Whats your workout routine these days?

I get up around 11:30 or 12 and work out. I try to get seven hours of sleep. It doesn't always happen. I usually work out fasted. I do about an hour in the morning and then about 45 minutes in the evening. What I can do when Ive just gotten up and what I can do when Ive had a full day is worlds apart. Getting up with that fresh energyyou cant beat it.

I like cardio less in my 30s, I think. Its just kind of become less and less of my thing. I like my bigger stature, and as soon as I do too much cardio I get too slim. Its a really tough balance for me, because I like to be strong. I like to at least be able to work out with 315 off my chest bench. As soon as I start slipping from that, I know I need to eat more, I know I need to get back on it. I'm always just trying to be the optimum version of myself, from all angles.

Does working out in the morning help stimulate your creativity for the rest of the day?

I think I would have good ideas if I didn't work out. But it's important for mental health. And the better you feel, the more proactive you can be. When I work out, I feel really good for the day.

Do you take off days?

I try to tell myself to work out every day and then the off days end up just end up happening because of circumstance, because I'm busy or something. But I usually at least end up working out five to six times a week.

In 2012 you suffered a pretty intense neck injury during a tour rehearsal. How did that happen?

I was preparing for my world tour and I slipped during a back tuck. The coach was preparing me to do them back to back to back, and he asked me to do, like, ten of them, and I guess I got tired and bailed on one. Youre not supposed to bail cause if you bail youre fucked. And it was not on mats. We were outside, which is the biggest mistake.

Being healthy probably saved my life. I always was into fitness, partly for vanity and partly just being an athlete at heart, but after the neck injury it was like, damn, I could have really lost my life if I wasnt healthy. So it kicked things into gear. Also, I spent seven months not being able to work out, and when you have something taken away from you, when you get It back, youre, like, Oh, shit, I really just wanna go for gold.

Do you work out with a trainer?

I work out with my cousin, who acts as a trainer. We have this really competitive relationship, so it works well for me. When I work with other trainers, I just don't get the best out of myself. He pushes me hard. When he goes hard Im gonna go harder and vice versa, so it ends up being the best kind of workout. And the most fun.

Last year you posted a video of yourself pulling a car on Instagram. What kinds of workouts do you do when you get bored of cardio or weightlifting?

I like to have fun and do different things, whether it's beach workouts, running football routes. I love boxing. I love pulling shit. Lifting carts, all kinds of like weird things, especially being at home, where I can be a lot more creative. I have an 8-seater golf cart that I do deadlifts with. And I pull a Jeep. Those are more like specialty days, which are even more fun. But I box regularly, and I lift weights every day.

What do you eat to fuel all these sessions?

My diet changes pretty often. I've done everything under the sun. I used to blend my salmon and have a salmon shake. I did all kinds of crazy shit. Sometimes I would literally just eat a bunch of eggs. Eggs and veggies. I went vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian. What works the best for me is when I intermittent fast and just do a high protein diet.

Right now Im doing mostly protein and intermittent fasting. Im cutting back a little bit because I kind of went off the rails, just really enjoying quarantine [laughs]. I was living frivolously for a couple of weeks. Im doing a bone broth soup that has a bunch of veggies and beans and all the essentials, and is just packed with protein. And then one other solid meal, maybe grilled salmon or grilled chicken and veggies.

I'm always just trying new things and trying to fulfill my body, but at the same time have the best body that I can. I'm also aging, so different things work at different times. The bone broth is a new thing that I feel like works really well.

My diet aint about taste. I mean, it's cool, but, likeits broth. Its not like having a burger or anything in that good world. I would much rather just eat fries.

Do you have designated days for burgers and fries?

I stay pretty strict and then if I really want something I'll just have it. I try to keep a diet thats about a lifestyle as opposed to a time period. Unless there's something coming up that I need to be shredded for. Im about to shoot something from this character that I just created, so I really want to shred up right now. Im going pretty hard, which Ill probably do for about two weeks.

Every time you gain a million TikTok followers, you make a Milli Meal. How do you dream those up?

Theyre just created off the top of my head. Crazy ass desserts that I would have loved to have as a kid, that we all could be, like, Holy shitI wonder if thats good or not.

Ill take a couple of spoonfuls of them, maybe three or four, depending on how good it is. Sometimes I cant stop. Theyre just so full of sugar, so I cant go too crazy. If Im going to cook a Milli Meal Im intermittent fasting, making sure my calories or low for that day. I dont know that I could ramp up my workouts anymore, so its just about keeping track of my calories. If I know Im doing a Milli Meal I keep it really strict that day.

You don't really strike me as someone who embarrasses easily. Have you always been confident?

It just comes from just being a positive person. I always try to see the positive in every situation. I don't take life so seriously all the time. I like having a good time and I lead with having fun. So no, I dont really embarrass easy.

Theres always times where you feel like youre trying to find your way, so to speak. When I was coming up in the music industry, trying to figure out who I was, I was looking to other people to try to figure out what being successful actually meant, coming up so young as a Black man that sings pop music. There was no blueprint, so trying to figure that out was a process. Im a free agent nowIm not signed to a record label, and its like getting out of a bad breakup. I feel free and awesome. So I try to keep it pretty positive.

Real Life Diet

The Real-Life Diet of David Arquette, Who Is on a Quest for Professional Wrestling Redemption

A new documentary follows the Scream star as he loses 50 pounds, learns jiujitsu, and hits the independent circuit.

Originally Appeared on GQ

Read more:
The Real Life Diet of Jason Derulo, Who Drinks Salmon Smoothies and Deadlifts Golf Carts - Yahoo Lifestyle

Educational status appears to have positive influence on a healthy diet plan, particularly in low income nations, according to new research examining European nutritional information.

Utilizing national data on 27,334 people from 12 European nations, researchers at the University of Leeds, in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO Europe), analyzed the interactions in between socioeconomic status, education and diet.

Their research study, published in PLOS ONE, reveals for the first time that higher academic status appeared to have a mitigating result on poorer diet in lower earnings European countries. As individual education level increased so did dietary intake motivated as part of a healthy diet plan, particularly iron and total folate.

The findings highlight the requirement for strong policies supporting great nutrition, prioritising lower education groups.

Poor diet and poor nutrition linked to noncommunicable illness, such as obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, presents significant health issue throughout Europe. In 2018, 59% of adults in the WHO European Region were overweight or obese and noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death, disease and special needs in the region.

The World Health Organization encourages nations to conduct nationwide diet plan surveys to gather information to inform public health policies to prevent such diseases.

This work is the very first to integrate national diet survey information from WHO European Member States spanning all areas of Europe. It supplies the biggest representative diet study dataset throughout WHO Europe, providing an essential source of evidence on which to base policy.

Lead author Dr Holly Rippin started this research while a postgraduate researcher in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at Leeds, she is now a WHO specialist. She said: Our research study shows that national earnings and diet quality seem connected, and education could secure versus some of the long-term unfavorable effects of poor nutrition on population health.

Strategies supporting education in lower education groups and lower income countries could be effective in improving nutrition, particularly in disadvantaged groups.

Co-author Janet Cade, professor of nutritional public health and public health at Leeds, said: This was a fantastic collective effort between 12 European nations we hope that policymakers across Europe will use this details to notify their nutrition policies in the future and focus on these susceptible groups.

Read the rest here:
Revealing connections between education and a good diet - Drew Reports News

Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara had an extraordinary life for many reasons. For starters, the Japanese physician and longevity expert lived until the age of 105.

When he died, in 2017, Hinohara was chairman emeritus of St. Luke's International University and honorary president of St. Luke's International Hospital, both in Tokyo.

Perhaps best known for his book, "Living Long, Living Good,"Hinohara offered advice that helped make Japan the world leader in longevity. Some were fairly intuitive points, while others were less obvious:

The average retirement age, at least in the U.S., has always hovered at around 65. And, in recent years, many have embraced the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early).

ButHinohara viewed things differently. "There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65," he said in a 2009 interview with The Japan Times. "The current retirement age was set at 65 half a century ago, when the average life expectancy in Japan was 68 years and only 125 Japanese were over 100 years old."

Today, he explained, people are living a lot longer. The life expectancy for U.S. in 2020, for example, is78.93 years, a 0.08% increase from 2019. Therefore, we should be retiring much later in life, too.

Hinohara certainly practiced what he preached:Until a few months before his death, he continued to treat patients, kept an appointment book with space for five more years, and worked up to 18 hours a day.

Hinohara emphasized the importance of regular exercise. "I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving," he said.

He carried his own packages and luggage, and gave 150 lectures a year, usually speaking for 60 to 90 minutes all done standing, he said, "to stay strong."

Hinohara pointed out that people who live an extremely long life have a commonality: They aren't overweight. Indeed, obesity is widely considered one of the mostsignificant risk factorsfor increased morbidity and mortality.

Hinohara's diet was spartan: "For breakfast, I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it." (Studies have found that olive oil offers numerous health benefits, such as keeping your arteries clean and lowering heart disease risk.)

"Lunch ismilk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat," he continued. "I never get hungry because I focus on my work. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat."

According to Hinohara, not having a full schedule is a surefire way to age faster and die sooner. However, it's important to stay busy not just for the sakeof staying busy, but to be active in activities that help serve a purpose. (The logic is that one can be busy, yet still feel empty and idle on the inside.)

Hinohara found his purpose early on, after his mother's life was saved by the family's doctor.

Janit Kawaguchi, ajournalist who considered Hinohara a mentor,said, "He believed that life is all about contribution, so he had this incredible drive to help people, to wake up early in the morning and do something wonderful for other people. This is what was driving him and what kept him living."

"It's wonderful to live long," Hinohara said in the interview. "Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one's family and to achieve one's goals. But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it."

While he clearly promoted exercise and nutrition as pathways to a longer and healthier life, Hinohara simultaneously maintained that we need not be obsessed with restricting our behaviors.

"We all remember how, as children, when we were having fun, we would forget to eat or sleep," he often said. "I believe we can keep that attitude as adults it is best not to tire the body with too many rules."

Richard Overton, one of America's oldest-surviving World War II veterans, would havemostlikely agreed.Right up until his death at age 112, the supercentenarian smoked cigars, drank whisky and ate fried food and ice cream on a daily basis.

Hinohara might not have approved of Overton's diet, but, to be fair, Overton did credit his longevity to maintaining a "stress-free life and keeping busy."

Hinohara cautioned against always taking the doctor's advice. When a test or surgery is recommended, he advised, "ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure."

Hinohara insisted that science alone can't help people. It "lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts," he said. "To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones."

In fact, Hinohara made sure that St. Luke's catered to the basic need of patients: "To have fun." The hospital provided music, animal therapy and art classes.

"Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it," he said. "If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain."

According to The New York Times, toward the end of his life, Hinohara was unable to eat, but refused a feeding tube. He was discharged and died months later at home.

Instead of trying to fight death, Hinohara found peace in where he was through art. In fact, he credited his contentment and outlook toward life to a poem by Robert Browning, called"Abt Vogler" especially these lines:

There shall never be one lost good! What was, shall live as before;The evil is null, is nought, is silence implying sound;What was good shall be good, with, for evil, so much good more;On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.

"My father used to read it to me," Hinohara recalled. "It encourages us to make big art, not small scribbles. It says to try to draw a circle so huge that there is no way we can finish it while we are alive. All we see is an arch; the rest is beyond our vision, but it is there in the distance."

Tom Popomaronisis a leadership researcher and vice president of innovation atMassive Alliance.His work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and The Washington Post. In 2014, Tom was named one of the "40 Under 40" by the Baltimore Business Journal. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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Japanese doctor who lived to 105his spartan diet, views on retirement, and other rare longevity tips - CNBC

Casts of two key specimens: Paranthropus aethiopicus (left) and P. boisei (right). Credit: Zeresenay Alemseged

A new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences documents dietary shifts in herbivores that lived between 1-3 million years ago in Ethiopias Lower Omo Valley. The research team, led by Enquye Negash, a postdoctoral researcher in the George Washington University Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, examined stable isotopes in the fossilized teeth of herbivores such as antelopes and pigs and found a shift away from C3-derived foods, characteristic of woody vegetation, to C4-derived foods, representative of grasses and sedges. The shift happened at two distinct time periods, approximately 2.7 million years ago and 2 million years ago, when the environment of the Lower Omo Valley was transitioning to open savanna.

The study, Dietary trends in herbivores from the Shungura Formation, southwestern Ethiopia, served as a comparative framework to an associated hominin diet study, also published this week, of which Negash was a co-author. The associated study, Isotopic evidence for the timing of the dietary shift towards C4 foods in eastern African Paranthropus, examined carbon isotope data from the fossilized tooth enamel of Paranthropus boisei, a nonancestral hominin relative. Led by Jonathan Wynn, now a program director in the National Science Foundations division of Earth sciences, the research team behind that paper found a profound shift toward the consumption of C4-derived foods approximately 2.37 million years ago, which preceded a morphological shift of P. boiseis skull and jaw. Given the direct evidence provided by the abundant, well-dated fossilized teeth and their chemical composition, the new findings suggest behavioral dietary changes can precede apparent morphological adaptations to new foods.

From the Researchers:

Major dietary shifts that are observed in our study reflect the response of the herbivores to major ecological and environmental changes during this time. This allowed us to better understand the environmental context of similar dietary changes in hominins.

Enquye Negash

Although were interested in how the diets of our immediate and distant ancestors evolved to produce our modern human diet, it is very important to consider these hominins as a small part of an ecosystem that included other plant and animal species that responded to changing environments in an interconnected way. Jonathan Wynn

References:

Dietary trends in herbivores from the Shungura Formation, southwestern Ethiopia by Enquye W. Negash, Zeresenay Alemseged, Ren Bobe, Frederick Grine, Matt Sponheimer and Jonathan G. Wynn, 24 August 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006982117

Isotopic evidence for the timing of the dietary shift toward C4 foods in eastern African Paranthropus by Jonathan G. Wynn, Zeresenay Alemseged, Ren Bobe, Frederick E. Grine, Enquye W. Negash and Matt Sponheimer, 24 August 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006221117

This work was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) award 1252157. Wynn was also supported by an NSF Independent Research and Development (IR/D) program.

Original post:
Changing Landscapes, Changing Diets: Fossilized Teeth Reveal Dietary Shifts in Ancient Herbivores and Hominins - SciTechDaily

Its no secret that eating more veggies is key to a healthy diet. But exactlyhowdedicated to the green stuff do you need to be?

With the growing popularity of eating styles that eschew meat in favor of plants (vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, oh my), you might be wondering if a more is more mentality is the right way to go when it comes to boosting your vegetable intake for the sake of your health.

Thats why we teamed up with Lightlife to get the scoop on all your most pressing plant-based questions (including whether you can eat meat on a plant-based diet), and registered dietitian Vanessa Rissetto, MS, RD, CDN had the answers.

According to Rissetto, eating more plants is, in fact, a ticket to an overall health boost (namely because more plants mean more fiber, more satiety, and more gut support, to name a few benefits), but that doesnt mean you need to ditch animal products entirely.

People think plant based means you cant eat meat, chicken, or fish, Rissetto says. Plant based means eating mostly plants and beans as your source of protein, but high biological value protein (coming from animals) is also allowed.

Okay so some animal products in moderation are still cool (that sound you hear is meat lovers taking a collective sigh of relief), but exactly how much?

A good rule of thumb to follow is to aim for two meatless meals per day.

By Rissettos standards, you can eat meat on a plant-based diet as long as youre making an effort to reduce your intake and opting for plants as your primary fuel source when possible. (Of course, if you want to take your plant-based diet a step further and go vegetarian or vegan, that means youd forgo meat altogether and only allow dairy products if youre vegetarian.)

What that reduction looks like will vary from person to person (and how much meat you eat is ultimately up to youit is your diet after all), but a good rule of thumb is to aim for two meatless meals per day.

For example, if youre eating animal protein at every mealeggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch, steak for dinnerswitch to oats for breakfast and chickpeas and greens for lunch, but keep the meat for dinner, Rissetto says. However, instead of eight ounces [of steak], decrease to three ounces, plus additional greens. To me, then that is considered to be plant-based.

If youre looking to switch up your sources of protein, plant-based proteins can come in clutchespecially if youre hesitant about ditching the ground beef on your taco salad or a juicy burger off the grill. Subbing Lightlife Plant-Based Ground or Burgers gets you 20 grams of protein from real, recognizable ingredients like peas and beets, with all the savory deliciousness your tastebuds crave. So youcanhave your burger and eat it too on a plant-based dietjust as long as its usually a plant-based one.

Top photo: Stocksy/Tatjana Zlatkovic

Sponsored by Lightlife

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Is Going Plant-Based an All-or-Nothing Proposition When It Comes to Quitting Meat? An RD Weighs In - Well+Good

In an article published online on the Cleveland Clinicwebsite, Ohio-based cancer dietician Joseph Dowdell has explained what iscurrently known about the importance of diet in preventing the risk of cancer.

He says, The first things that tend to pop up are lists offoods you should eliminate because they cause cancer to grow. But we shouldntbe fearful of food. Instead, take a step back and look at the big picture. Thatwill allow you to focus on the diet changes that will have the most impact.

In general, food has not been shown to prevent cancer butdiet does play a key role in the prevention of certain cancers.

The American Cancer Society says obesity is one of the riskfactors for many cancers, including breast, colon, endometrial, esophagealcancer, kidney, liver, ovarian cancer, pancreatic, stomach, and thyroidcancers.

It has been found that at least 18% of all cancers and 16%of cancer deaths are due to obesity, physical inactivity, poor nutrition,sedentary lifestyle, and alcohol consumption.

Dowdell says, Food can help prevent many of the chronicconditions that increase your risk of cancer. Genetics and other healthconditions can impact cancer prevalence as well, but those are usually out ofour control. Obesity is something we can control through food and exercise.

So, to reduce the risk of cancer, Dowdell says it isimportant to maintain a healthy weight.

He recommends going Mediterranean, eating at least five to nineservings of fruits and vegetables each day, limiting added sugars, cutting downon alcohol, reducing salt intake, and taking vitamin D supplements.

Dowdell also suggests starting small if your diet iscurrently more fast-food fodder than plant-based paradigm. He adds, Making anychange is difficult. But setting small, achievable goals makes big goals mucheasier to accomplish.

The cancer dietician advises reducing unhealthy foodincrementally. He says, If youre used to drinking four sodas a day, shoot forone a day for the next week, and then the following week, shoot for one everyother day and see how that goes. Slowly cut down even more. You can makedrastic health impacts without feeling deprived.

However, Dowdell says it is important to know thateveryones body reacts to food differently. Whileall of these are healthy guidelines, nutrition should be individualized. If youhave digestive issues, for example, you should seek medical help, he adds.And always use reliable sources of information like the American Academy ofNutrition and Dietetics, the American Heart Association and the American CancerSociety.

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Cancer Dietician Explains the Connection between Diet and Cancer Risk - Myhealthyclick

What the health statistics show no matter if they come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, or the Milken Institute for Public Health is beyond disturbing.

The American diet is killing us.

So goes the health care world that new doctors from the UNLV School of Medicine and other medical schools will enter. The numbers show a poor diet is the leading cause of mortality in the United States, causing more than 500,000 deaths yearly. Not consuming the proper amount of 10 dietary factors fruits, vegetables, nuts/seed, whole grains, unprocessed red meats, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, polyunsaturated fats, seafood omega-fats, and sodium is estimated to cause around 1,000 deaths daily from diabetes, stroke, and heart disease alone.

Preliminary analysis also shows that the manifestations of a poor diet can heighten the risk of death from COVID-19.

In an opinion piece published last year in the New York Times Our Food is Killing Too Many of Us Dr. Darius Mozaffarian, dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and Dan Glickman, a former U.S. secretary of agriculture, pointed out that 75 percent of Americans are overweight or obese and that many of those suffer direct health consequences. Obesitys total economic costs, including lost productivity, is estimated at $1.72 trillion a year, nearly 10 percent of gross domestic product. Because many young Americans are obese, recruiters face difficult challenges staffing our all-volunteer military.

What is making us so sick, and how can we reverse this so we need less health care? the authors asked. The answer is staring us in the face, on average, three times a day: Our food.

It is against this unappetizing backdrop led by non-nutritious processed foods that the UNLV School of Medicine and 55 other academic medical centers across the country are including a Health Meets Food curriculum in their training of physicians and other medical providers. Considered the most comprehensive culinary medicine curriculum for physicians and allied health professionals, the program leads the way in how medical professionals are trained so they can have more meaningful conversations with their patients about food and health.

Dr. Anne Weisman, the UNLV School of Medicines director of wellness and integrative medicine, is overseeing a nine-week program that started this month for 60 first-year students. In September, second-year students begin. On Oct. 2, Dr. Michael Greger, author of the New York Times best-seller How Not to Die, will speak virtually to medical students on the importance of nutrition. He will do a live Q&A with students following his presentation.

Everything we put into our mouths when we eat, can either improve or detract from our health, she noted. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said students will attend Health Meets Food classes virtually in their own home kitchens through Zoom. Part of the first session has students making tacos with healthy ingredients, including whole grain tortillas, vegetables, and black beans a departure from the traditional tacos in the U.S. that are high in calories, fat, and sodium where store-bought seasoning and flour tortillas contribute to health concerns.

Over time we can significantly change the health of our community, Weisman said.

Dr. Timothy Harlan, the nations leading catalyst for teaching culinary medicine to students in the health professions, contributed earlier this month to a class taught by UNLV faculty via Zoom. He recently joined the faculty of George Washington University in the nations capital and is now head of the GW Center for Culinary Medicine. Harlan, whos been spreading his food is medicine gospel throughout the world, is a former colleague of UNLV School of Medicine Dean Marc Kahn from when both men worked at the Tulane School of Medicine in New Orleans.

Harlan, a chef and restaurateur before becoming a physician, developed the Health Meets Food curriculum over much of the last decade while executive director of the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane. In addition to providing hands-on training for medical students, the center offers community cooking classes, free and open to the public.Dr. Harlans program is evidence-based, Kahn said.

The curriculum, used by medical students, residents, and clinicians, includes more than 30 content-specific educational modules. They stretch from: guidelines for changes in diet during pregnancy to identifying means of prevention for childhood obesity from the proper nutrition after a cancer diagnosis to nutritional needs for geriatric patients. Each module presents basic and clinical science related to evidence-based nutritional and dietary goals for specific topics such as polycystic ovary syndrome or the impact health care practitioners can have on controlling and managing symptoms of congestive heart failure through diet intervention. There are case presentations, recipes, cooking instructions, quizzes, and discussion questions.

Harlan said for the vast majority of Americans, diet is at the core of their illness. He said illnesses from heart disease, diabetes, and stroke to depression and Alzheimers disease are accelerated by an American diet of highly processed foods. During a recent interview, Harlan said that food-related issues were not that much of a problem until the last 30 to 40 years, when many Americans eschewed cooking with healthy ingredients in favor of buying highly processed foods full of addictive sugar and salt, either from the grocery stores or fast food outlets. Theres been an explosion of calorie-dense processed food, Harlan said.

According to Harlan, with many medical schools now emphasizing the importance of nutrition, the dialogue between physician and patient is being changed from Hey, you need to lose some weight, to action-oriented suggestions that meet best medical practices.

Weisman said that with medical students learning to shop for and prepare nutritious meals, future doctor-patient visits can be much more targeted and helpful when discussions arise about healthy diets. She said that once the pandemic is under control, medical students will go to community centers to teach the benefits of good nutrition. She also envisions a medical school partnership with the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality where the best in kitchens can be used to help teach community members the power of healthy recipes, as has been done at Tulane and George Washington universities.

Were teaching our medical students about the power of good nutrition and then they in turn will teach the community, Weisman said. The reward of good nutrition is better health. Our medical school, our students, will be making real-world positive suggestions that can make a difference.

Excerpt from:
Breaking The Cycle of Poor Diet to Promote Long-Lasting Health - UNLV NewsCenter