We know. The words plant-based diet conjure nightmares of snacking on nothing but lettuce leaves and carrot sticks until the end of time. But it turns out this nutritious eating plan offers a lot of flexibility and delicious options that can boost your health and maybe even help you lose a few pounds. Here, your first week of eats on a plant-based diet meal plan, from breakfast to dessert.

RELATED: 15 Vegan Dinner Ideas Even Carnivores Will Love

Nope, its not the same thing as being vegan. In fact, you can still eat meat and animal products on a plant-based (or flexitarian, if you will) dietoccasionally. This diet is more of a concept than a strict set of rules, which means you have a lot of freedom regarding what you put on your plate. The idea is to consume meals that consist mostly of plant-based foods, plus modest amounts of fish, lean meat and dairy. The Mediterranean Diet is one example of a plant-based diet, as is veganism.

In general, youll want to bulk up on whole, minimally-processed foods, eat fish and lean meat occasionally (and red meat only sparingly) and exclude processed, refined foods. The more locally-sourced and organic, the better. While you can incorporate healthy fish, lean meat and poultry into your diet, the idea is to minimize your consumption overall (including eggs and dairy).

Here are a few foods to work into your day-to-day

Fruits and veggies

Legumes (like beans, lentils and peas), nuts and seeds

Whole grains (quinoa! farro! millet!)

Healthy carbs (like wild rice, sweet potatoes and fruit)

and a few to avoid often or altogether.

Refined and processed foods (wave goodbye to anything made with white flour, like regular pasta and white bread; refined grains like white rice; processed animal products like bacon, deli meat and sausage, and processed foods like potato chips, cereal bars and frozen dinners)

Red meat

Junk food

Added sugars and artificial sweeteners

Vegan junk food (steer clear of processed meat substitutes)

Story continues

Not sold yet? Maybe the many nutritional perks will sway you. First of all, cutting down on meat alone has a whole slew of pros. It could lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, diabetes and obesity, according to the American Heart Association. The only downside is that you may have to take a supplement, like vitamin B12, if you choose to exclude all animal products from your diet. Ask your doctor whats best.

A plant-based diet can also boost the immune system and reduce inflammation, according to the MD Anderson Cancer Center at The University of Texas website. Its also a surefire way to up your fiber intake and maintain a healthy weight. Evidence shows that the Mediterranean Diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and colon, breast and prostate cancers, as well as depression, according to the Harvard Medical School website. Plant-based diets are also great for brain health. Dairy, meat and fried foods high in saturated and trans fats can increase your risk for cognitive issues and Alzheimers. Avoiding these and replacing them with antioxidant- and vitamin-rich foods can have the opposite effect, says the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Did we mention a plant-based diet is also wonderful for the environment? Consuming fewer animal products saves water and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, says a 2019 study published in the journal Science.

Ready to get started? Heres one week of plant-based meals youll fall in love with.

A poached, runny egg makes everything better. It adds decadence (and protein) to a hearty mix of Brussels sprouts, arugula, sweet potatoes and a spicy harissa vinaigrette.

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Homemade sushi takes a lot of rolling, time and TLC. These muffin-tin gems come together fast without having to deal with messy raw fish. Stick with cucumbers, carrots and avocado or branch out to other veggies. The soy-sesame dressing will taste good on anything.

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Hate doing dishes? Youre preaching to the choir. Meet a 30-minute wonder in a sesame-soy sauce spiked with ginger, honey and red-pepper flakes.

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Its a good thing you had a light dinner, because this treat is seriously luxurious. Golden mylk, non-dairy milk mixed with ground turmeric, gets a whole new life in this coconut beauty made with vegan cream cheese.

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Old-fashioned oats turn creamy and flavorful after soaking in non-dairy milk and raw cocoa powder. Brighten up the mason jar with fresh fruit and coconut milk yogurt. Just skip the tablespoon of granulated sugar or swap it for honey.

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Dont look now, but youre the envy of the break room. You wont believe the creamy dressing is vegan and dairy-free. The secret? Raw cashews, olive oil and lemon juice. Well take ours with extra toasted hazelnuts, please.

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The juiciest veggie burger there ever was. Lentils and portobello mushrooms make for fiber-rich, hearty patties thatll fill you up just as much as beef would. Make it a lettuce wrap or swap in a keto bun.

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If youre like us, cookie dough only makes it into the oven *half* the time. And this version is vegan, paleo and gluten-free. Have it raw to your hearts content thanks to a mix of almond and coconut flours, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract.

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Blender, meet the best cruciferous veggie around. Cauliflower makes the sipper extra filling, so itll hold you over before lunchtime. Its also loaded with antioxidants (thanks, blueberries) and protein-rich, unsweetened almond butter.

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So, you went bar hopping and had two big pieces of birthday cake last weekend. Happens to the best of us. Enter the Crock-Pot cure-all thats made to cleanse your system. Its gluten-free and has lots of fresh veggies and herbs like spinach, snow peas, basil and mint.

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Have your pasta and eat it too, thanks to the most versatile gourd ever. Store-bought marinara (check the sugar content before you buy) is easy to spruce up with browned creminis, fresh thyme and rosemary and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

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Arent they gorgeous? Dont tell, but theyre also sugar-free. All their sweetness comes from pitted dates, cocoa powder and maple syrup.

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Spruce it up with diced bell peppers, spinach or sweet potatoes. Use brown or wild rice or substitute a broccoli or cauliflower crust instead. Were having ours with a side salad.

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Like takeout, only better. And healthier. Substitute beef for firm tofu, buckwheat flour and white chia seeds. If you really want to go the extra mile, peel your own cucumber and carrot ribbons.

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Gochujang is the spicy condiment you need in your life ASAP. The Korean fermented chili paste is the backbone of the honey-tamari sauce. Swap millet or farro in for white rice and voil.

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It turns out that if you freeze, puree and re-freeze cubed watermelon, it transforms into the most refreshing frozen dessert ever. Genius.

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Bring on the protein and healthy fats. Ditch the tortilla (and the carbs that come with it) and wrap smoked salmon and baby spinach in an egg white omelet instead. Fill it with avocado, roasted red peppers, asparagus and any other veggies you have on hand.

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Tuna who? You wont miss the fish once you taste this fresh take on a Hawaiian staple. Melon, cucumber and microgreens make it refreshing while peanuts and sesame seeds add the most important factor, crunch.

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The ultimate vegan comfort food. Its secret is a rich cashew cream sauce made with garlic, lemon and nutritional yeast. Want to make it gluten-free? Ditch the breadcrumb topping for double the toasted pine nuts.

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Raw peanut butter. Cocoa powder. Oats. Shredded coconut. These treats are as wholesome as they are dangerously snackable.

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We know, we love the sugary stuff too. But this combo of rolled oats and white and black sesame seeds will give you the crunch youre craving and the energy youre lacking. Try it with macadamia, almond or coconut milk.

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Your go-to Chinese restaurant order, reinvented. The best part is you only need six ingredients to make it, and most of them are conveniently pantry staples. Swap white rice for quinoa and dig in.

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Fire up the grill for a main thats equal parts healthy, simple and delicious. Not only are the skewers dippable, but the chicken is cooked in lemon-yogurt marinade to boot.

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Your gym buddies will be so proud. A handful of freshly-roasted nuts seasoned with rosemary, oregano, garlic powder and flaky salt will hold you over until morning.

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Three ingredients + 30 minutes = the easiest, filling on-the-go breakfast. If you dont have a food processor to combine the ingredients, use the blender instead.

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We hope you brought your appetite. Sink your teeth into layers of walnut taco "meat," avocado, salsa and cashew queso. Itll only take you 10 minutes to put together. Just be sure to use a low-carb tortilla made with ingredients like cassava or almond flour.

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Your favorite local Thai restaurant will miss you. Transform a lowly can of chickpeas into a half-hour delight with the help of red curry paste, fresh ginger, lime juice and coconut milk.

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Oh, banana. Is there anything you cant do? We think not, especially with sidekicks like dates and natural almond butter.

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RELATED: What Is the Ketogenic Diet? Heres What You Need to Know About Keto

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A Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan That Isn't All Salads and Oatmeal - Yahoo! Voices

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Published: June 19, 2020 5:30:09 pm Are you including these important vitamins and minerals in your diet? (Photo: Getty)

While vitamins and minerals wont immediately turn you into a virus-fighting superhero but consuming them is extremely beneficial for your body and overall health. The current time has surely made us concerned about what we eat and how we can improve our diet. Ahead, take a look at these five important vitamins and minerals that make a world of difference when you consume them over time. They are known to increase immunity and fight infections.

READ| These 2-morning drinks will help you boost your immunity

1. Vitamin D: Vitamin D, which is found in eggs, fish, chicken and cod liver oil, is one of the most important vitamins and plays a crucial role in the activation of your immunity system whenever theres an exposure to pathogen-like viruses or bacteria. So its important to check your vitamin D levels and take the right supplements accordingly, says Dr Rohini Somnath Patil, MBBS, nutritionist.

However, the best source of this vitamin is when you are exposed to sunlight. The UV rays induce the body to manufacture Vitamin D from cholesterol present in your body. She mentions, The amount of sunlight needed ranges from about five to 20 minutes twice a week.

2. Vitamin C: Vitamin C is what makes your immune system strong. Make sure you consume Vitamin C rich foods like amla, lemon, kiwi, mangoes, oranges, etc. Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a potent anti-oxidant and co-factors many enzymes in our body. It holds a reputation as an immune system booster, says Dr Somnath.

READ| 5 superfoods to boost your immunity

3. Vitamin E: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps your body fight off infections too. Almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds are rich sources of Vitamin E.

4. Magnesium and zinc: Along with vitamin D and C, magnesium and zinc are minerals which play a crucial role in carrying out the enzymatic processes in our body, mentions Dr Somnath. Magnesium helps in converting vitamin D into its active usable form and zinc has an anti-inflammatory action in our body. This protects our body and responds to immune damage. In fact, even chocolates contain a good dose of magnesium and release feel-good hormones.

5. Selenium: Selenium seems to have a powerful effect on the immune system, including the potential to slow the bodys over-active responses to certain aggressive forms of cancer, says the doctor. Make sure you get your dosage by consuming garlic, broccoli, sardines, tuna and barley.

READ| Turn to these traditional immunity boosters for better health

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Immunity boosters: Include these 5 vitamins and minerals in your diet - The Indian Express

Stomach bloating is a telltale sign that your gut health has gone awry. It is usually the result of excessive wind building up in your gastrointestinal tract (GI), a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. With nowhere for the wind to exit, the tummy naturally inflates to free up some extra capacity.

Certain foods, such as beans and onions, are known to cause wind so cutting out these culprits should help to reduce bloating.

If the problem persists, a more methodical dietary approach may be required.

Fortunately, researchers from University of Copenhagen have investigated the diets that are most beneficial for gut health and have discovered a winning formula.

According to an intervention study of healthy Danish adults published in Nature Communications, a low-gluten but fibre-rich diet changes the community of gut bacteria and decreases gastrointestinal discomfort such as bloating and is linked to a modest weight loss.

READ MORE:Stomach bloating: Drinking this tea could beat the bloat says dietician

The changes in intestinal comfort and body weight relate to changes in gut bacteria composition and function.

"We demonstrate that, in comparison with a high-gluten diet, a low-gluten, fibre-rich diet induces changes in the structure and function of the complex intestinal ecosystem of bacteria, reduces hydrogen exhalation, and leads to improvements in self-reported bloating," explained Professor Oluf Pedersen, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at University of Copenhagen.

He continued: "Moreover, we observed a modest weight loss, likely due to increased body combustion triggered by the altered gut bacterial functions."

The researchers undertook a randomised, controlled, cross-over trial involving 60 middle-aged healthy Danish adults with two eight week interventions comparing a low-gluten diet (two grams of gluten per day) and a high-gluten diet (18 grams of gluten per day), separated by a washout period of at least six weeks with habitual diet (12 grams gluten per day).

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The two diets were balanced in number of calories and nutrients including the same amount of dietary fibres. However, the composition of fibres differed markedly between the two diets.

Based on their observations of altered food fermentation patterns of the gut bacteria, the researchers conclude that the effects of low-gluten dieting in healthy people may not be primarily due to reduced intake of gluten itself but rather to a change in dietary fibre composition by reducing fibres from wheat and rye and replacing them with fibres from vegetables, brown rice, corn, oat and quinoa.

The results are not surprising. As the NHS points out, the most culprits of bloating are wheat or gluten and dairy products.

Some people may have a specific intolerance towards gluten.

According to the NHS, food intolerance can lead to bloating when:

A useful way to identify whether you have a food intolerance is to keep a food diary.

The NHS says to note everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most.

"But do not get rid of food groups long-term without advice from your GP," warns the health body.

If you notice your bloating is a direct response to eating bread, try an elimination diet, says Isabel Skypala PhD, specialist allergy dietitian at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.

This is where you completely cut out wheat from your diet for four weeks, then gradually bring it back in to see if symptoms reappear.

"When you bring wheat-based foods back in, I recommend trying Weetabix or pasta first for a few days before starting on bread," said Dr Skypala.

She added: "It's better to start with wheat in a more pure form, as bread has so many other ingredients."

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Stomach bloating: The diet proven to reduce bloating and boost gut health - what to eat - Express

In their recent public meeting, members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory (DGA) Committee forecast changes to the prevailing advice on alcohol. Long instructed to limit consumption to no more than two drinks per day, if they choose to consume alcohol, American men will now be told to cut themselves off after just a single serving of beer, wine, or liquor. The new guidelines also have advice for anyone drinking to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease or achieve other health benefits: dont. According to the Committee, at all levels of consumption, drinking less is generally better for health than drinking more.

The committee deserves credit for helping to clear the air on a topic of considerable consumer confusion. For decades, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have helped to fuel the myth that moderate alcohol consumption contributes to a longer life. As recently as 2010, the DGAs said things like Strong evidence from observational studies has shown that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The more recent guidelines dropped that statement, but they also stopped referring to the research linking alcohol and cancer. Undoubtedly, many readers were left wondering whether health benefits associated with light drinking outweigh cancer and other risks.

Our best evidence indicates that they do not. All of that strong evidence demonstrating the cardiovascular benefits of the occasional drink has not aged well. Researchers have documented a number of biases in the old observational alcohol studies.

New Mendelian randomization studies, which compare populations with genetic variants associated with lower alcohol consumption and are not susceptible to these biases tell a different story. Comparing these alcohol allergic subjects to those with more conventional genotypes, alcohol actually appears to increase the risk of some cardiovascular diseases. All of this has led experts like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conclude that its impossible to conclude whether the observed benefits in the studies are due to moderate alcohol consumption or other differences in behaviors or genetics between people who drink moderately and people who dont.

By contrast, the link between cancer and alcohol use whether light, moderate, or heavy is firmy established. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans should reflect this scientific reality.

Unfortunately, the upcoming recommendations, while a significant improvement, may fall short of their potential if, like the 2015 Guidelines, they omit a frank discussion of alcohols contribution to cancer. Popular media has bombarded us with click-able stories on the potential health benefits of alcohol. But alcohols link to cancer, although long-established and significant, has flown under our collective radar. According to recent surveys, less than half of adults identify alcohol as a cancer risk. Indeed, even among cancer survivors, awareness of the risks associated with alcohol is far from universal.

The lack of awareness reflects not just media bias but also public policy. We are warned that all kinds of substances cause cancer. Under Californias Proposition 65, retailers briefly had to include a cancer warning on coffee, not for the coffee itself but for a chemical called acrylamide that forms during the roasting process. However, because of an outdated federal law, which my group Consumer Federation of America and other public interest groups are trying to change, alcoholic beverages do not carry a cancer warning.

That is ironic, and unfortunate because alcohol is not like coffee. It significantly contributes to cancer risk. Researchers estimate that drinking alcohol is the third most important cause of cancer that is within a persons control, behind smoking and obesity; each year alcohol consumption causes more cancer deaths than exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Alcohols cancer risk increases with heavier levels of consumption, but the science shows that even moderate alcohol consumption no more than one drink per day increases the risk of developing several different types of cancers. The evidence linking moderate drinking and breast cancer is particularly longstanding.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans should present this evidence, and include a statement such as: For cancer prevention, the safest level of alcohol consumption is zero. This would help Americans to understand recommendations to drink less, and persuade many not to start a drinking habit in the first place. With accurate information, consumers will take better action to protect their interests, including their health, and public health across the board will improve.

Thomas Gremillion is the director of Food Policy at the Consumer Federation of America.

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There's now progress on alcohol in the dietary guidelines | TheHill - The Hill

In recent times, there has been a growing trend among YouTube content creators to mirror the daily diets and training regimes of celebrities and athletes.

In rare instances, these can just be a bit of fun. However, when you are talking about an athlete like Mike Tyson, the task is anything but enjoyable - as YouTube uploader Will Tennyson found out.

Having recently teased a comeback after getting back into shape, 53-year-old Tyson takes his training very seriously and keeps a relentless schedule when it comes to both eating and training.

The first hurdle that Tennyson had to deal with when attempting to walk in "Iron" Mike's shoes was getting up at 4am - Tyson's preferred time to start his day with a jog of up to five miles! Tennyson manages a distance of four miles, before returning to bed.

The physical training continues later in the day in the shape of 10 rounds of sparring, with a minimal break in between rounds. Tennyson admits that the prospect of so many rounds is a daunting one.

"I feel like a lot of people underestimate just how hard boxing is on your cardiovascular system because you don't see a lot of running... But you're exerting so much force with the punches, that after ten rounds of 2 minutes I'm gonna be wiped."

There is little time to recover, though, as Tennyson then sets about starting Tyson's daily calisthenic workout. Comprising 2,000 squats, as well as 500 reps each of push-ups, neck crunches, tricep extensions and shrugs with a 30kg weight, Tyson's training programme is not for the faint of heart. Tennyson does pass on doing Tyson's usual neck bridges, though, citing safety concerns.

After completing just a small portion of the overall workout, Tennyson is already feeling the pace, but recognises that it is a necessary sacrifice for a top athlete.

"That was 1 round, and I'm already curled up in a ball," he admits. "This is insane, but if you want to be the best in your sport, you got to get outside of your comfort zone. Only the great ones do this stuff, and he does this 5 times a week."

The exercise portion of Tennyson's day is rounded off with more sparring andcalisthenics, followed by nearly an hour on an exercise bike.

You might think that the eating side of this would be significantly easier than the training side. However, Tennyson confirms that this is not the case.

"After looking at his diet, he doesn't have a variety of foods. Every meal is a carb and a protein. And it doesn't seem like he's not eating for enjoyment, he's just eating for fuel, and that's a true athlete to me," states Tennyson.

Tyson's breakfast is oatmeal, milk and vitamins. Lunch is not much more exciting either, consisting of a chicken breast, a small portion of rice and some orange juice. The final meal of the day is a sirloin steak with pasta. Everything is very bland according to Tennyson, with even Tyson's snack being unexciting - a monstrous serving of six bananas and a protein shake!

"It seems a little bit overkill, but I definitely need the carbs right now," admits a depleted Tennyson.

Having previously mirrored the daily routines of the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Tennyson is no stranger to these sorts of challenges. It seems, though, that taking on a day in the life of Mike Tyson was Tennyson's hardest test yet!

"I'm very sore. My neck is super stiff, and I know I'm going to be feeling it for a few days after this," reveals Tennyson at the end of the day. This challenge is probably not one to try at home!

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YouTube creator takes on Mike Tyson's punishing daily workout and diet schedule - GIVEMESPORT

Most people dont think about the pH of their blood very often. But you might if youre following the alkaline diet. This way of eating is based on a theory that food has a direct impact on the acidity or alkalinity of our blood. So-called acid-producing foods like meat, eggs and dairy are the villains to be avoided on the alkaline diet. Thats because these foods are thought to create an acidic environment in our bodies, allowing conditions like cancer, osteoporosis and obesity to take root.

The alkaline diet has science-y rules sprinkled in that make it seem legitimate. But a deeper dive into some of the diets dogma can leave a person pretty confused. Many of the tenets of this diet plan skirt around some basic facts about human physiology. For instance, the food we eat has virtually no impact on our bodys pH which is tightly regulated by our lungs and kidneys. The purported health benefits of the alkaline diet have been studied by scientists, and theres little evidence to actually support this way of eating.

Yet the idea that we can blame our health problems on acidic foods persists and its a selling point used to peddle products like alkaline water to unknowing consumers, according to Tanis Fenton. As a registered dietitian and epidemiologist at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, Fenton has analyzed studies that delve into the health claims of alkaline diets.

Diet culture is very heavily promoted in Western culture, and certainly in North America the idea that we could take definitive action to prevent or cure certain scary diseases, such as cancer, is very appealing, Fenton says. We need to be better at promoting activities that we do know prevent cancer, [such as] healthy diets with adequate fiber, active living and exercise, and limiting tobacco, alcohol and UV exposure.

Fenton explained the alkaline diet is based on a 100-year-old scientific theory called the acid-ash hypothesis, originally associated with osteoporosis research. The basic idea behind it is that the foods we eat leave behind a chemical residue or ash in our bodies thats either alkaline, neutral or acidic. Put simply, the theory states that a buildup of alkaline ash makes your blood more alkaline and has a protective effect. Acidic ash has a harmful effect, whereas neutral ash has no effect.

Using the example of osteoporosis, it was thought that acidic byproducts forced our body to leach alkaline minerals like calcium from our bones to correct this imbalance. But modern studies havent turned up convincing evidence that shows the acid-ash hypothesis plays a role in causing osteoporosis or any other health problem, for that matter.

Theres a kernel of truth to the acid-ash hypothesis but the alkaline diets interpretation is overly simplified. Different foods have acidic and alkaline properties. But for those of us with properly functioning organs and systems that are capable of regulating body pH, theres no need to worry about sending your body into acidosis or developing cancer because you like snacking on cheese.

(Credit: Milenova Elena/Shutterstock)

Yet staunch supporters of the alkaline diet are convinced its nothing short of miraculous and can remedy conditions like back pain or heart disease. Perhaps most troubling, though, are the claims around the prevention and treatment of cancer which are unproven, Fenton says.

Frequently cited are lab studies that have found cancer cells are weaker in alkaline environments. But whats often overlooked is that the research has studied cell behavior in petri dishes and doesnt take into account the complex way that cancer behaves in the human body.

We need to combat the trend of fake news, especially when it comes to health information, Fenton says. Some false claims about the alkaline diet, or products such as alkaline water, include claims around preventing or even treating cancer, which is very dangerous. Belief that this could prevent or treat cancer could cause people to avoid or delay evidence-based care, which we know is associated with worse outcomes.

Perhaps the only effect that might come from the alkaline diet is weight loss, but the reason isnt because of pH. The alkaline diet is restrictive and eliminates entire food groups, which often translates to caloric reduction, along with nutrient deficiencies not a great combination for long-term weight management or disease prevention.

Alkaline foods to embrace and acidic ones to avoid on the diet include:

Acidic: Meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, processed foods, some grains, coffee, alcohol and soda.

Alkaline: Most fruits, vegetables, legumes, tofu, as well as some nuts and seeds.

Neutral: Natural sugars, starches and natural fats.

Paradoxically, lemons and other acidic foods with a very low pH range are considered to be alkalizing on the diet. The thinking is that they cause the body to produce alkalizing byproducts after theyre metabolized. But lemon juice is unlikely to do much beyond adding flavor to your beverage or meal.

(Credit: BlueRingMedia/Shutterstock)

Normal pH of blood is between 7.35 to 7.45 a range thats slightly alkaline, or basic, no matter the food we eat. Fortunately, most peoples systems and organs do an excellent job of regulating this, for good reason. Even a slight deviation of blood pH could spell trouble.

If someone has a lung or kidney disease, or they are poisoned, then the body may not be able to maintain the normal blood pH, says Fenton. People who have a blood pH outside of the normal range are very sick and generally need to be hospitalized in an ICU to keep them alive.

The kidneys and lungs are the primary organs that work together to maintain blood pH, Fenton says. Our cells are always metabolizing oxygen and excreting carbon dioxide, which is slightly acidic. Some CO2 leaves our bodies each time our lungs exhale. But some CO2 stays in the blood and gets converted to hydrogen and bicarbonate ions, the two main substances that regulate pH. In chemistry, pH is an abbreviation of the power of hydrogen, and is a measure of how much is present.

Hydrogen is acidic, whereas bicarbonate is alkalizing. The kidneys play a significant role in balancing the bodys pH by getting rid of excess acid in urine and regulating the amount of bicarbonate in the bloodstream. This is why diet changes affect urine pH and not blood.

Fenton says another thing to keep in mind: All food goes to the stomach and mixes with gastric juice thats set at a low pH of around 1 or 2 so, slightly less acidic than battery acid. Then, food reaches the duodenum of the small intestines, where it continues to digest by mixing with pancreatic juice, which contains bicarbonate, an antacid.

(Credit: Timonina/Shutterstock)

In fact, bodily fluids and organs have different pH levels by design and checks and balances in place to keep them that way. In other words: Good luck trying to change your bodys pH through food.

There is no evidence to support the idea that diet can withstand these processes and influence the bodys pH, Fenton adds.

If the alkaline diet has anything going for it, its that it promotes eating fruits and vegetables and reducing processed foods. Countless studies have linked improved health to plant-based diets that typically have lower meat consumption and higher amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

But these health benefits have nothing to do with blood pH or eliminating so-called unhealthy food groups. Theyre rooted in boring ol moderation.

It is very trendy to promote avoiding certain groups of foods as an easy way to cut total caloric intake or prevent disease, Fenton says. There is no such thing as unhealthy foods, only unhealthy diets.

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The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That It Benefits Our Health? - Discover Magazine

Have you been toying with the idea of going vegan? Dabbling in plant-based living for a while but hoping to make a wholehearted shift? Still eating fish three times a week but youve ditched meat, eggs, and dairy for good? No matter where you fall on the vegan-ish spectrum, kudos. But if youre looking to take things one step further, these stories from plant-forward nutritionists may very well convince you to step away from the pizza, and make it a plant-based za.

I have been a vegetarian since I was 13 years old, so for nearly 20 years. I grew up loving nutrient-dense foods that came from plants. I began rescuing animals at around this age, which fostered the ethical part of my decision to go plant-based, says Shena Jaramillo, MS, RD, and vegan blogger at PeaceAndNutrition.com.

I became vegan as an adult after reading Dr. Campbell's The China Study, during my dietetic internship. Since I was already consuming mostly vegan foods, the transition seemed like an easy and rational one. Dr. Campbell demonstrated with evidence-based research the role of following a vegan diet in preventing chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. At this time I was also running a non-profit animal rescue group and knew some of the horrors bestowed among animals. The vegan fit seemed like the only logical one, she explains. For seven ways youll feel better after going plant-based, from energy to mood, read our article here.

Sometimes, the health lessons we learn don't come from books or research papers but from first-hand experience with loved ones. Growing up in the rural south I watched through my teen years many family members diagnosed with chronic illnesses in what should have been the prime of their lives. Heart disease was the primary disease I saw plague my relatives which led me to want to understand my own genetic risks, says Trista K. Best, MPH, RD, LDN, of Balance One. This research is the basis of my interest in nutrition and how food impacts our health. I knew that to decrease my risks I needed to address the factors I was able to control. To build a solid foundation I removed all animal products from my diet for many years and would now call myself plant-forward. I know by removing much of the saturated fat from animal sources from my diet and introducing a significant amount of plant compounds I am setting myself up for better health long-term and greater quality of life. If you're looking for a jumpstart to changing your diet, read this guide on how to start eating a plant-based diet, in just three hours.

Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian in the New York City area shares her personal journey to a plant-first lifestyle: When I was 18, I went to work at a sleep-away summer camp before starting college. For years, Id thought about going vegetarian but had no idea how to execute a vegetarian diet. Id tried over the previous year, but being a teenager living at home with my mom cooking most of my meals and me not knowing what [to request] for plant-based protein, it didnt go so well, says Gorin. That summer, I had the option of choosing a vegetarian meal plan, so I figured with someone else cooking and planning my meals it was now or never! Coincidentally, the day I decided this was also the day I saw the movie Chicken Run. Now, after being a strict vegetarian for many years, I follow a plant-based pescatarian diet. I eat plants at every snack and meal occasion, create plant-based recipes, and many of my clients come to me to help them figure out how to eat a plant-based diet.

I stopped eating meat when I was just shy of 12-years-old. When I first stopped eating meat, it was primarily due to ethical reasons. I found out the lead singer of my favorite band (Brendon Urie, from Panic at the Disco) was vegetarian, which led me down a rabbit hole on the internet to learn more about the harsh reality and cruelty of the meat industry. It's a bit comical nowadays when I mention that I made this major lifestyle change due to being influenced by a boy band, but it definitely makes for a good story, reveals Tiffany Ma, RDN,I then went on to study dietetics [as an] undergrad and learned more about the positive impacts a plant-based lifestyle could provide for both the environment and personal health. With all this newfound knowledge, I knew transitioning to becoming completely vegan was the right move for my health, and for the beautiful earth we live on.

As kids, we were never much fans of eating meat for many reasons and we never felt great after we ate it. As we became more serious athletes and very interested in nutrition, we noticed that while we could run after we ate any food, we felt heavy and like wed get sick if we ran after we ate meat and that just didnt feel right to us, share Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT & Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, The Nutrition Twins,weight loss experts & co-founders of the 21-Day Body RebootTM. By the time we got to high school, our mom would serve organic, grass-fed beef once a week as part of our family dinner and we were expected to eat it. One evening, Lyssies boyfriend came over just as we were dumping our meat down the drain behind our moms back and he spilled the news to our mom, who was not having it. On that day, we declared NO MORE MEAT and wrote it on big letters across the calendar and havent had it sinceand never looked back. These days, many extraordinary athletes are plant-based, from vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeketo Olympic gymnast, Aly Raisman.

If youre also a runner, review our article on how to lose weight and fuel your runs on a plant-based diet from the The Running Doctor.

The main reason I personally wanted to go more plant-based was simply for the ethical [problems] of eating meat. I found that I gradually could not stomach eating animal meat as I got older, shares Amanda A. Kostro Miller, RD, LDN, who serves on the advisory board for Fitter Living. Need more convincing going meat-free is the right thing to do for animal welfare and our environment? Just heed the words of wisdom from Jane Goodalland Paul McCartney.

Kostro Miller adds that vegetarians and vegans may be at increased risk of several nutrient deficiencies and stresses the importance of eating a well-rounded, whole foods-based diet and supplementing if needed.In general, vegans are at risk of nutrient deficiencies in protein, B12, vitamin D, EPA, DHA, iron, zinc and calcium, she says. I often suggest that vegans take a multivitamin (MVI) daily to make sure they are covering their bases. However, be sure to check that your multivitamin is actually vegan, she adds, since some multivitamins may be formulated with animal-based ingredients.

Read more here:
Plant-Based Nutritionists Share What Made Them Change Their Diets - The Beet

For more on recreational tennis during this unprecedented timeincluding the best quarantine workout; a guide to improving your ball toss from your couch; what the pros have done to stay active; nutrition tips, advice on how to cope with COVID-19; and drills while hitting against a wall (of any size)click here.

Cant dine at your favorite restaurants? Grocery stores out of stock? Struggling to land an Instacart delivery? Welcome to the new normal. Everything has been impacted by COVID-19, including your diet.

The kitchen is my favorite place in my house, but during the pandemic, Ive had to make some conscious changes so I dont ruin all the hard work Ive put into my fitness.

Irina Falconi, at the 2018 Australian Open. (Getty Images)

There are a lot of diets out there: keto, vegan, gluten free, paleo and Atkins, to name a few. (I like to call my myself vegan-ish because there are days where Im really craving a cheese pizza.) But a different kind of diet that a lot of athletes, including Novak Djokovic, have been tinkering with well before the quarantine began is intermittent fasting. An article in the December 2019 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine states that: Evidence is accumulating that eating in a 6-hour period and fasting for 18 hours can trigger a metabolic switch from glucose-based to ketone-based energy, with increased stress resistance, increased longevity, and a decreased incidence of diseases, including cancer and obesity.

If youre finding yourself snacking and eating meals from morning to night, fasting is worth looking into. Intermittent fasting means not eating for 14 to 16 hours (coffee, tea and water are allowed), and only eating during 8 to 10-hour windows. Youll quickly see that its not as drastic as it sounds: If you stop eating at 8 p.m., you can eat again by 10 a.m. the next day.

An even simpler way to control your diet during a time of decreased exercise is to reduce your intake. If youre used to a breakfast of two scrambled eggs with two pieces of toast, try having just one egg on one piece of toast, and throw in a healthy smoothie (spinach, kale, bananas, berries and ice) if youre still hungry.

What if the kitchen is still calling your name? Try to spend more time upstairs, in a bedroom or an office. Being in sight of the kitchen or even around a dining table naturally makes you think about food. And before you reach for more eats, have a tall glass of water; dehydration has become even more common during quarantine since your routine is thrown off.

Kitchen time might be easier to reduce than screen time. Everyone is online more, and that means scrolling through countless food and baking content on Instagram. The moment you see someone whipping up something delicious, you may be tempted, or bored enough, to see if you have the ingredients to make it. Your children and spouse will be grateful for your new kitchen skills, but your waistline might not.

If theres a safe way for you to split up your homemade goods amongst your friends and family, do so. If not, bake goods that can be frozen for later. Youll improve your baking skills and make happiness levels go up while still watching your diet.

One positive of the quarantine is that its forcing everyone to embrace simple cooking, since grocery stores are high-risk zones with limited supplies. Even if youre not a huge salad person (like me), salads are a great base for as simple meal by adding almost anything youve got in your fridge or pantry.

Heres a quick recipe: 4 cups chopped spinach1 cup quinoa1/3 cup of dried cranberries1/4 cup of sunflower seeds.

Thats your base, and you can add chicken, fish, shrimp, steak, guacamole, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, pesto, hummus, pastas and/or beans. The possibilities are endless! It may not seem grandiose, but remind yourself of all the nutrients youre putting into your body.

Last but not least, be mindful of what youre eating. Focus on your plate and savor each biteeven if its enjoyed at home instead of date night at the hot new restaurant.

Irina Falconi has reached the third round of the French and US Opens, and is a co-host of the TENNIS.com Podcast.

More:
Food for Thought: Nutrition advice for players during the pandemic - Tennis Magazine

Image: iKnife cutting into a tumour. Credit: Jeroen Claus, Phospho Biomedical Animation

Its no secret that what we eat and drink can affect how certain medical treatments work.

You may have heard that we should avoid taking ibuprofen on an empty stomach and that grapefruit juice can interfere with medicines like statins and antihistamines.

There has been some evidence that diet could play an important role in responses to cancer treatments too.

For example, a few years ago, a group of researchers found that some cancer cells depend on the amino acidasparagine to grow and spread, and that limiting it in the diet could stop cancer from spreading in mice with breast cancer.

On top of that, a different team found that excess amounts of another amino acid histidine makes leukaemia cells in micemore sensitive to the chemotherapy drug methotrexate.

However, a new study published yesterday goes a step further and suggests that eating the right foods or in this case, avoiding the wrong ones can tweak a tumour's metabolism to make it vulnerable to treatment.

The study, carried out in mice and published in Cell, is one of the first to show that by avoiding certain foods we can make an otherwise useless treatment effective against cancer. In other words, its not just that diet makes the treatment more effective it ensures it works.

The study, led by Dr George Poulogiannisand his colleagues at the ICR, looks at a new class of drug known as cPLA2 inhibitors, which are used in clinical trials to treat inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or dermatitis and are now being considered for trialling in cancer. The drug can target a key molecule known as cPLA2 and directly influence cancer's energy supply in mice.

Cancer cells use certain metabolic pathways to break down and obtain nutrients in ways that support their uncontrolled growth and spread. These pathways are often seen as a potential weakness that we can take advantage of. How? For example, by using a drug that blocks the pathway, which would deprive cancer cells of necessary nutrients.

Dr Poulogiannis, leader of the Signalling and Cancer Metabolism teambehind the research at the ICR said, It takes a lot for cancer cells to divide as often and spread as much as they do. They need lots of fuel.

In this new study, researchers found that cancers with mutations in the PI3K signalling pathway which has been linked to almost all human cancers rely on omega-6 fats to grow and spread.

The molecule cPLA2 in PI3K-mutant cancer cells releases arachidonic acid a type of omega-6 fatty acid that fuels the cancer and allows it to keep growing.

Dr Poulogiannis explained:

We believe that when cancers acquire mutations in genes that are part of the PI3K signalling pathway a key signalling pathway promoting many key functions such as cell survival and growth cancer cells are able to take advantage of this pathway and become more reliant on certain fat to sustain their rapid growth and proliferation.

Meat and dairy products are major sources of arachidonic acid. However, other omega-6 fatty acids such as linoleic acid, which can be found in sunflower oil, can also be converted by the body into arachidonic acid. This means that there are many different ways in which this cancer can obtain the fuel it needs to grow it can release it, or it can use the arachidonic acid from foods we consume.

Researchers used cPLA2 inhibitor drugs in mice to block the cPLA2 molecule from releasing arachidonic acid. However, because Western diets contain high amounts of omega-6 fats, researchers also had to feed mice a diet free from processed meat, dairy and processed vegetable oils. These are all foods high in omega-6 fatty acids, and by eliminating them from the diet, researchers enabled cPLA2 inhibitor drugs to work effectively against cancer in mice.

By getting rid of all the fat that sustains cancers growth through combining an experimental drug and diet changes we can defeat cancer in mice by targeting its metabolism, explained Dr Poulogiannis.

These findings open up the possibility of running new clinical trials where diet plays a key role and suggest that avoiding certain foods in combination with a targeted cancer drug could help attack tumours metabolism in future treatment strategies.

However, these findings do not mean that every cancer patient would benefit from a fat-free diet and they do not have any impact on existing, approved cancer treatments. After all, fat is one of the three main macronutrients that we need to survive, and completely cutting it out from our diet for no reason would not be healthy.

If the findings are successfully translated into humans through a clinical trial which is currently being planned, the approach could be relevant to many different cancer types with mutations in the PI3K pathway.

And Dr Poulogiannis believes the principles established in this study could mean that, when it comes to cancer, in the not-too-distant future, what we eat could have a much bigger role in how we treat.

He concludes: As we are able to unravel new evidence and understand more about the metabolism of cancer cells, using diet and nutrition to complement targeted drugs gets closer to becoming a reality.

Read the rest here:
Science Talk - Can we target cancer's metabolism by combining new drugs with a fat-free diet? - The Institute of Cancer Research

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- In addition to all of the physical benefits that Bryson DeChambeau is enjoying after a months-long process that has seen him add 40 pounds, perhaps the best one has nothing to do with golf.

It's his diet.

Specifically, the ability to eat, well, as much as possible.

"I eat whatever I want, whenever,'' DeChambeau said Friday.

So far, DeChambeau is devouring golf courses as well, adding a 64 during the second round of the RBC Heritage to a run of good golf that has seen him go 25 under par in six rounds

He heads into the weekend at Harbour Town Golf Club with another chance to win after missing a birdie putt on the final hole this past Sunday that would have put him in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

It's all part of a plan that DeChambeau put in place last fall to gain more muscle and get heavier with the idea of increasing his swing speed and hitting the ball farther.

In an era where strength is encouraged but not necessarily to the point of bulking up to big levels, DeChambeau is shattering a few myths and pummeling the ball to great effect.

DeChambeau, 26, used the three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic to gain another 20 pounds by constantly eating and working out. He had put on approximately 20 pounds in the fall and is up from 195 last year to around 235 -- and it not averse to gaining more.

"The distance gain has helped me hit 9-irons and pitching wedges compared to 7-irons and 6-irons into holes,'' DeChambeau said after his 64 left him a shot behind Webb Simpson. "That's a huge change for me that's allowed me to go and attack flags a lot more, be more aggressive, not really have to try and fit into this little spot down on the fairway out here and really attack those flags.

"So I feel like for me my game after quarantine, the distance has really put it to a whole new level for me.''

DeChambeau has been eating his fair share, but it's also been about better and longer workouts. The five-time PGA Tour winner said he basically spent all of his off time during the three-month PGA Tour shutdown in the gym, on the range or downing protein shakes.

Last week, DeChambeau averaged 340 yards off the tee at Colonial, and he presently leads the PGA Tour in driving distance at 323.8 yards.

And it's been difficult for those in the game to not take notice.

"What's impressive is how straight it's going,'' said Davis Love III, who in his prime was considered one of the longest drivers on tour and played with DeChambeau the first two rounds. "He not only got longer, but he got straighter, and it looks like it's under control, and it actually looks like it could go farther if he didn't try to make sure it went straight.

"With Trackman [a tracking device], with the training, with putting a lot of thought into it, you can figure out a way with your body and your swing to pick up some distance and still hit it straight. Technology and good thinking is helping these guys get longer and straighter.''

Rory McIlroy, one of the longest off the tee in the game, played with DeChambeau during the final round at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

"At the start of the year he came out and he was a bit bigger,'' McIlroy said. "You could see he was getting a bit of speed and stuff, and he was hitting it a long way. But he hit a couple of drives on Sunday that [caddie] Harry [Diamond] and I just looked at each other, and we're like, 'Holy s---, that was unbelievable.'

"He hit one into the wind on 11. I hit a really good one and probably hit it like 315, 320. He must have flew my ball by 40 yards. He hit it like 370, 375 into the wind. It was crazy. It was nuts. It's unbelievable. I mean, it's impressive what he's doing.''

Well, what exactly is he doing?

"It's a two-to-one carb-to-protein ratio, and I literally just have at it,'' he said. "I eat whatever I want whenever. Obviously, I'm trying to control the intake of sugars, but carbs are fine because I'm obviously sweating like crazy out here. So I just eat as much as I want right now. It's nice. And I don't gain weight. I actually lose weight, I've lost a little bit of weight this week.''

And that's just part of it, DeChambeau said. The time in the gym has been as important as the caloric intake.

"It's a lot of muscle,'' he said. "People don't believe me when I say it, but you don't understand my work ethic at that point if you're thinking it's not muscle. And I know there's a limit to how much you can gain.

"This is my first year of actually working out super hard. I know in a year you can gain around 30 pounds, and that's kind of what I've done in a shorter period of time. I haven't taken rest days off. I'm literally working out every single day as hard as I can.''

DeChambeau is known for his eccentric ways going back to college at SMU, where he won the NCAA title as well as the U.S. Amateur. Known as "The Mad Scientist,'' DeChambeau gained notoriety by playing with one-length irons; all of his irons are the same length as a 7-iron, a system nobody else at this level employs.

He can often be seen with an entourage of people when he practices, trying to maximize every technological advantage.

This latest endeavor will be watched with great interest.

"It's been really impressive to see what he's done over, say, the last year or so with his transformation and obviously some serious gain in speed and power,'' Rickie Fowler said. "But it will be interesting to see where the peak is. Where does it become almost counterproductive as far as too much speed, where [shot] dispersion becomes too great? There has to be some sort of peak in there.''

More:
Bryson DeChambeau's eat whatever he wants, whenever he wants plan seems to be working - ESPN