DUBAI: Drinking fluids is vital for every function of the body.

Fluids help transport nutrients to your bodys cells, flush out the bacteria and toxins from the bladder, maintain proper kidney function, and prevent constipation.

Proper hydration maximizes athletic performance, boosts energy levels and delays muscle fatigue.

Most people who fast during Ramadan will experience mild dehydration, especially if the weather is hot.

This may cause headaches, fatigue, constipation, and a lack of concentration. Studies have shown that even 1% dehydration (the equivalent of 1% of the body's weight in water loss) will produce negative effects on mental and physical function.

Remember that you might get dehydrated even when seated at your desk without much physical effort.

Secrets of hydration:

1. Drink water

Start your iftar with two glasses of water. Aim for at least 1.5 liters (6 cups) throughout the night until sahoor.

Do not drink all the required water at one time. This will put stress on your kidneys.For those wondering whether it is best to drink warm or cool water, this is my answer: If you are sweaty, overheated or have just finished exercising, cold water will both rehydrate and refresh you.

Warm water on the other hand will make you less thirsty and will help with digestion. Warm water helps blood circulation which is very convenient as a muscle relaxant and an aid against constipation.

Randas tip: Water is good any way you drink it and at any time. Establish a schedule for drinking or associate it with a certain task as a reminder (for example, every time you go to the kitchen or in between TV commercial breaks).

2. Be smart about the other fluids you drink.

Traditional Ramadan drinks:

Licorice (erk sous) and tamarind beverages helplower acidic secretions. Licorice is not recommended for those with high blood pressure.

The apricot-derived juice known as Qamar al-Din is known for helping with bowel movements and cleansing the intestines.

Remember that all of the above drinks are high in sugar and calories. Drink wisely.

Milk-based drinks:

A smart idea to consider is drinking milk or yogurt. They hydrate and provide calcium and other minerals and vitamins that are probably not ingested at main meals during this holy month.

Soup:

Do not skip your soup at iftar, especially if it is diluted with broth, as it not only hydrates your body but also provides you with the electrolytes lost during the day of fasting.

Fruits and vegetables:

Fruits and vegetables are both hydrating and loaded with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

Examples of water-rich fruits and vegetables include: cucumber (96% water), tomato (95%), spinach (93%), watermelon (92%), pineapple (87%), orange (86%), and apple (85%).

Watch out for fruit smoothies that have added milk, sugar, nuts, or oats as they are loaded with calories.

Beetroot juice:

Beetroot juice is my recommendation this year. A cup of beetroot juice usually has around 100 calories and 25 grams of carbohydrates.

Beets are a good source of folate,potassium, calcium, fiber,antioxidants, and nitrates. Not only do they hydrate, but they also lower blood pressure and increase stamina in athletes as they help transport oxygen by stimulating blood circulation.

Randas tip:

The vitamin and mineral nutrition incookedbeets is reduced through heating. Makingbeet juicefrom raw beets is a better option.

Ramadan Kareem.

Read more here:
The importance of a healthy diet for sport and exercise - Arab News

Don't get us wrong: Switching to a vegan diet has its benefits. We know it's better for the environment, it can be less expensive (plant-based proteins tend to be cheaper than animal proteins) and, if done properly, a vegan diet does a body good.

There are two reasons you might be constipated on a vegan diet, but both are easy to fix.

Image Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages

The downside, though? It may also require a big shift from the way you were eating before, which can have a big affect on your digestive system. That's why a common complaint people have when starting a vegan diet is constipation.

Here's why your bathroom habits may suddenly change on this plant-based eating plan and what you can do about it.

Adopting a vegan diet can alter your fiber intake pretty drastically, which can lead to pretty noticeable changes in your poop.

Fiber is the part of a (typically plant-based) food that, for the most part, is not digested in the GI tract. There are two main types of dietary fiber soluble and insoluble. They're both important for digestion but they do not behave the same way in your body, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

Soluble fiber: This type of fiberdissolves in water, so once in the GI tract, it soaks up water and turns into agel. This slows down digestion, making you feel full longer. Food sourcesinclude oat bran, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas and some fruits and veggies.

Insoluble fiber: This type offiber does not dissolve in water so it adds bulk to stool and appears to speedup the passage of foods through the stomach and intestines. It also helps to "sweep" the GI tract clean of carcinogens and other toxins. Foodsources include wheat bran, vegetables and whole grains.

Here, we'll break down two of the most likely reasons you're constipated on a vegan diet and how to remedy your situation.

1. You're Getting Enough (or Too Much) Fiber and Not Enough Water

Healthy vegan diets tend to be higher in fiber. Indeed, a March 2014 paper published in Nutrients compared the nutritional quality of a vegan diet to vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pescatarian and omnivore diets. The researchers found that the vegan dieters consumed the most fiber about 41 grams each day while the omnivore diet consumed the least with 27 grams a day on average.

This builds on older research showing vegan diets tend to be higher in fiber, even compared to vegetarian diets.

Getting enough fiber is crucial for keeping you regular, but it only works if you're also getting enough water. (This is why it's always recommended to drink plenty of fluids when taking fiber supplements.) Water makes stools softer and easier to pass, and getting too much fiber without enough water can actually make you constipated.

The fix: To prevent this, make sure you're getting enough fluids. The Institute of Medicine recommends women consume 2.7 liters (or nearly 11.5 cups) of total water per day (includes food, beverages and drinking water) and men drink 3.7 liters per day (about 15.5 cups).

These are general guidelines, but every person is different and various factors like exercise, illness and your environment can all affect your hydration.

Need a way to easily track your daily water intake? Download the MyPlate app to do the job, so you can stay focused and achieve your goals!

2. You're Not Eating Enough Fiber

OK, we just said vegan diets tend to be higher in fiber, but hear us out: Over the past few years, the plant-based foods category has exploded in supermarkets, from meat alternatives to frozen dinners, to yogurts, cheese and jerky, and the list goes on. Sales in this category topped $5 billion in 2019, according to the Good Food Institute and the Plant Based Foods Association.

This innovation and growth offers options and flexibility for vegans, vegetarians and plant-based eaters, but these new foods are not always the healthiest. They are predominately highly processed, which means they typically don't offer the same level of nutrition as whole foods (and keep in mind that much of the research done on the benefits of a vegan diet has been based on whole foods).

These newer plant-based products may decrease the amount of fiber (and other nutrients) you're consuming for two reasons:

The fix: If you're new to a vegan diet or if you've been on a vegan diet and begin to incorporate some of these more processed plant-based foods, keep a handle on how much you're including and how it balances with the other whole foods in your diet.

If you're experiencing constipation, keep track of how much fiber you're consuming and try cutting back on these more processed foods.

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Vegan Diet and Constipation: Causes and How to Relieve It - LIVESTRONG.COM

New Delhi: In the current scenario, it has become difficult to source vegetables easily. There is also fear among people about the virus and hence, the consumption of meat, fish and poultry have also greatly reduced. In such times, it has become important for us to consume the dry sources of foods in a way that they help us in providing essential nutrients in our diet.

"Pulses and legumes are a highly nutritious and sustainable food source packed with proteins, fiber, and other micronutrients such as iron and vitamin B. When paired with rice, wheat, or other cereal grains that are high in sulphur-containing amino acids, pulses' proteins can fulfil the daily essential amino acid requirements without the need for consuming animal proteins and it is an affordable plant protein source. This kind of dietary strategy is called mutual supplementation in which you combine complementary partially complete protein food to supply adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids," says Pariksha Rao Co-Founder & Chief Nutrition Officer (CNO) LIL'GOODNESS & COOLMEAL.

For example - beans and brown rice, soy curry and rice; milk and oats, curd and rice, etc.

The powerhouse of nutrients

Pulses typically contain about twice the amount of protein found in whole grain cereals such as wheat, which for most populations in developing countries they

constitute a major source of protein. Pulses are an excellent complementary food for infants and young children to meet their daily nutritional needs. They can be incorporated into children's diets through family diets. Their high nutrient content also makes pulses ideal for vegetarians and vegans to ensure adequate intakes of protein, minerals and vitamins. When combined with food high in vitamin C, pulses' high iron content makes them a potent food for replenishing iron stores, particularly for women at reproductive age, who are more at risk for iron deficiency anaemia. Older people can also benefit from eating pulse. In today's COVID-19 pandemic, if one is not able to source fresh vegetables, add a little amla powder or a few drops of lemon juice to the bowl of your dal and enjoy with roti or rice.

Nutrient-loaded combination of pulses in your daily diet

Add a combination of pulses along with cereals (to get all the essential amino acids). Besides pulses, other sources of legumes (rajma/ kidney beans, chana/chickpeas, lobia/ black eyed peas, cowpea), green peas, soybean, etc. can also be added.

Add roasted chana/ roasted dals/ roasted soy along with seeds cocktail as a protein snack.

Besan and sattu have been an integral part of Indian cooking and perfect sources of pulse protein.

One part soy flour can be added to 3 parts of wheat flour or other cereals while making chapati dough to improve protein content of daily diet.

Preety Tyagi, Lead Health Coach, Celebrity Nutritionist & Founder My22BMI shares some interesting options we can include the legumes in our daily diet.

Use daals, legumes, chickpeas, beans etc. to their maximum capacity as a source of protein, carbs as well as fiber. The whole dals are more rich in nutrient content and should certainly be consumed at least 4 days in a week.

Make use of all the high fiber grains stored in your kitchen pantries. Remember, whole grains are not only rich in Carbs, but are a great source of fiber as well. They have many other vitamins and minerals as well. They are excellent in providing us the much needed energy as well as the nourishment that we need.

Include Quinoa, Amaranth, Rajgira atta, Millets, Buckwheat flour, Sama rice in your diet. These are highly potent, dry sources of nutrition which are safe to be bought, stored and consumed during these times.

Remember, the lentils, beans, chickpeas etc. can be sprouted to enhance their nutritional benefits. Make use of this during these times of need. Make sprouted moong, sprouted kala channa, Sprouted beans etc, These can be used in preparing cheelas, chaats, salads, sauteed salads etc.

Soak the beans, chickpeas, whole lentils for a long period of time before cooking, to make them easy for your digestive system. Especially for people with gut health issues, it is advisable to soak the rajmas, chhole etc for a period of upto 24 hours, while changing water from time to time. It's very important especially during these times of sedentary lifestyle.

Eat the various nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds etc. These contain essential omega 3 fatty acids and are a great source of essential minerals as well. You could soak these in water as well for a few hours, to aid in easy digestion for your Gut.

Make use of all the essential nutrition rich spices we have in our kitchens. You can make a kadha using all essential spices to boost your immunity as well. Use turmeric, sauth, black pepper, and cardamom for the same reason. They are not only full of antibacterial antiseptic properties but are highly non inflammatory foods.

Original post:
Stay healthy, power up your diet with pulses and legumes - Onmanorama

Hafr Jlus Bjrnsson aka The Mountain from HBOs Game of Thrones is a beast of a man and the kind of things he does, sure earns him such recognition.

Its been six years since his character Ser Gregor Clegane broke open Oberyn's skull in Kings Landing, but the man himself continues to achieve new heights every now and then.

Recently, Bjrnsson, a well-acclaimed powerlifter made a new world record after deadlifting 1,104.5 pounds (approximately 501 kg) and shared his happiness with his followers on Instagram.

"I have no words. What an amazing day, one I will remember for the rest of my life," Bjrnsson wrote in the caption.

"I said I was coming for it and once I set my mind on something I'm a dog with a bone," the Icelandic actor added. "Want to give a huge shoutout to my family, friends, coaches, fans, sponsors and haters, all of whom helped this lift be possible."

Clearly he is on a mission to be recognised as the strongest man to ever walk this green earth, but what fuels him to be able to show such superhuman strength? What does The Mountain eat in order to maintain such an imposing physique and brute power?

Back in 2016, the actor/athlete shared his diet with the rest of the world, a whopping 10,000 calorie eating plan, which sounds a lot more tiring than guzzling down tons of burgers and fries at the McDonalds near you.

According to his Facebook post (which starts with a disclaimer asking his fans to not try it), Bjrnsson eats 12 times a day and most of his meals consist of high-calorie foods.

Heres The Mountains diet plan:

6:50: Morning workout. Cardio + CORE for 30min Bcaa, Glutamine + handful of almonds

7:30: 8 eggs + 200gm Oats + blueberries & strawberries + avocado

9:30: 400gm Beef, 400gm Sweet potatoes, handful of spinach & greens

11:50: Bcaa, glutamine

12:00: 400gm Chicken + 400gm potatoes, greens + some fruits

14:00: In a blender: 150gm oats or sweet potatoes, 2 bananas 150gm kellogg's rice krispies, frozen berries, handful almonds, peanut butter and glutamine

14:30: Training For Strongman, Bcca, glutamine, Vitargo

17:30: 60gm protein + 2 bananas

18:00: 500gm beef + potatoes, greens

20:30: 500gm salmon + 500gm sweet potatoes

22:30: 50gm casein protein or 6 eggs + avocado + 30gm almonds + 50gm peanut butter

He also drinks a lot of water throughout the day and is constantly sipping on juices to get more calories.

Bjrnsso also consumes 50gm of casein protein or raw eggs in the middle of the night. According to Business Insider, this entire plan leads up to making a 10,000 calorie diet for a day.

Talk about meal planning and how it can be a daymare for the person who prepares those massive amounts of food for this guy.

Photo: HBO (Main Image)

Read the rest here:
The Mountain Eats A Whopping 10,000 Calories Per Day & Heres What His Wild Diet Consists Of - MensXP.com

The pillars of the new gastronomical trends is to prefer buying from small organic farms, with less use of pesticides, as well as limiting the intake of ultra-processed products, with significant loads of artificial ingredients and preserve additives.

The menu of options available today is adapted to the specific nutritional needs of each person, whatever the objective: having a healthier life style in general, lose weight, increase energy levels, gain muscle, decrease stress or improve sports performance, among many others.

The detail to take care of is that, having a healthy diet is like preparing to run a marathon: it is a process in which the person prepares mentally and physically, little by little, incorporates dishes and drinks to their liking and see specific results. You cannot aspire to be a sprinter at the level of Usain Bolt and get results quickly.

It has proven to be one of the healthiest diets that exist. It consists of consuming many fruits and vegetables, a high amount of monounsaturated fat (such as olive oil, olives, and seeds such as nuts, almonds, among other sources), a lot of fish and salmon, and legumes in different forms, such as beans, chickpeas, and lentils.

Rather than promoting weight loss, it cares for the health of the heart, reduces the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure and generally favors the reduction of risk factors for many diseases.

It was developed to lower blood pressure without medication. It encourages lowering sodium in the diet and incorporating a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. It includes many whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. Also some fish, poultry, and legumes, and encourage a small amount of nuts and seeds several times a week. It is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and total fat.

It has gained popularity as the population becomes more concerned with the environmental impact of mass production of animal protein. It promotes 100% elimination of animal proteins, such as chicken, pork and beef. Occasionally, it allows you to consume a small portion of fish or salmon. Promote the consumption of vegetable protein: legumes, beans, chickpeas, lentils, good fats (such as avocado, olives, olive oil, seeds) and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Allowable carbohydrates should be high in fiber, such as brown rice, quinoa, cassava, sweet potatoes, and corn. It is a very healthy diet and an excellent alternative, if it is carried in a balanced way.

It is based on foods similar to those that would have been eaten in the Paleolithic. Helps you lose weight or stay at a healthy weight. It usually contains: fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, lean meats (especially grass-fed animals), fish (especially those with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and albacore tuna). Avoid eating cereals, such as wheat, oats, and barley; legumes, such as beans, lentils, peanuts, and peas (peas and peas), dairy, refined sugar, salt, and general processed foods.

It is a low carbohydrate, high fat eating plan that offers many health benefits. It can help lose weight and improve health, including against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimers. In this, a moderate amount of animal protein is consumed, such as eggs, fish, salmon, chicken, pork or meat. Also a high amount of good fat, such as olive oil, olives, avocado, coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter) and seeds like almonds and pistachios.

We have presented here various options for healthy eating, so take your pick.

Follow this link:
Dietary Options For Going Back To The Habit Of Buying Fresh Food And Eating Healthy The Costa Rica News - The Costa Rica News

While the world is confronted with uncertainties brought about by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, we should also remember to focus on revitalizing our immune system, which acts as our natural defense against this virus.

Teddy Manansala is a Registered Nutritionist-Dietitian

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) recommends to follow the principle of a balanced diet using the Pinggang Pinoy as a menu planning guide, which emphasizes various portions of go, glow, and grow food, complimented by fats and oils and high intake of water.

Melatonin likewise revitalizes the immune system in todays challenging time amidst the pandemic. It regulates human physiological rhythm, alleviates related disorders like insomnia, acts as an antioxidant, enhances the immune system, shows anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effects, and facilitates the control of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity.

Enrich your diet with the following food sources of melatonin:Cereals. Non-glutinous black rice contains twice the level of melatonin while the concentration is reduced to 1/3 less when rice is polished. For other cereals, melatonin was found relatively high in wheat, barley, and oats. Meanwhile, bread crumbs have higher levels than the crust.

Fruits. These are the highest containing in decreasing order: skin of grapes, cherries, and strawberry. Others include pineapple, kiwi, apple, pomegranate, mulberry and cranberry.

Legumes and seeds. Legumes and seeds such as white and black mustard, and sauted mung bean sprout (togue) are good sources. Meanwhile, melatonin is also found in lentils, kidney beans, barley seed, alfalfa, coriander, green cardamom, fennel, anise, flax and almond.

Nuts. Pistachio and walnuts are the top sources from this group of food.

Vegetables. Tomatoes and peppers contain relatively high concentrations. Other vegetables with varying levels of melatonin content are onion, garlic, ginger, black olive, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, cucumber, carrot, radish, beetroot, purslane, spinach, asparagus, chungitsu, taro, Indian spinach, Chinese cabbage, and Japanese butterbur, ashitaba and radish.

Beverages. Coffee, roasted beans, orange and grape juice, cacao and balsamic vinegars are all high in content.

Edible oils. Top contenders are refined linseed and virgin soybean oils. Others include refined olive, sunflower oils and extra virgin olive oil.

Animal food. Eggs and fish have higher content than lamb, beef, pork and chicken.

Consumption of melatonin-containing foods enumerated above may gain health impacts and revitalize ones immune system by increasing circulating melatonin in the blood stream, increased body antioxidant capacity, and where domino of good health effects may be enhanced.

BY TEDDY MANANSALA, RND, D/MENRM, MSC

About the author: Teddy S. Manansala is a Registered Nutritionist-Dietitian, was a scholar of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and holds two masters degrees from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and University of the Philippines (UP). He is an Assistant Professor at the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) of the DLS-CSB where he teaches Culinary Nutrition, Wellness, Food Safety, Sanitation and Security, among others.

Read more:
The importance of melatonin and diet in the midst of pandemic The Manila Times - The Manila Times

The latest research on the Diet Food & Beverages market applies both qualitative and quantitative data analysis to present an overview of the future adjacencies around the Diet Food & Beverages industry for the forecast period, 2020-2024. The all-encompassing study pertaining to the market share, growth and size equip stakeholders, business owners, and field marketing personnel to obtain a unique knowledge about the current business environment to offer a competitive advantage over the giants. Deep dive into past, present, and future industry trends include in the market intelligence report reveals a lot about the strategic capabilities business owners can leverage to gain a strong foothold in the business world.

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Geographically, this report split into several key Regions, with sales (MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Diet Food & Beverages for these regions, covering

North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

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Diet Food & Beverages Market Research Study including Growth Factors, Types and Application to 2024 Cole Reports - Cole of Duty

Every year, International No Diet Day is celebrated on May 6. It is a celebration of body acceptance, which includes all shapes and sizes. It raises awareness of body acceptance and body shape diversity. INDD is also dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle with a focus on health at any size.

Also read:GK Questions 2020 For May 4 | Daily Updated Quiz On National & International Affairs

No-Diet Day was brought to light by Mary Evans in 1992. Its sole purpose is to help men and women across the world appreciate their bodies. Mary Evans had gone through anorexia herself. She created the first No Diet Day toraiseawareness about the cause. Now, this day is used to help tackle tough issues regarding diet and body awareness, focusing on a number of protocols. Lets take a look at the International No Diet Day significance.

International No Diet Day is recognised for the purposes of:

Also read:International Day Of The Midwife: Theme For 2020 & Details About Previous Themes

The best way to celebrate No Diet Day is by recognizing that your body is beautiful exactly as it is. Worry less about your weight, body shape and more about being healthy and active. Losing weight rapidly or shooting for unrealistic body types is another way of causing yourself harm while sacrificingyour greater health. You can instead learn to love your body more and that way youll be happier and healthier.

Eat what you love and do not worry about the calories. Instead, eat what you truly want to eat because it tastes good. Let that be your only concern.Throw away your scales. Dont judge yourself based on a number. You will be surprised by how liberating this feels.Instead, celebrate and embrace your intrinsic qualities, such as your uniqueness, quirkiness, kindness, or strength, for instance! Happy International No Diet Day 2020!

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International No Diet Day: Meaning, history and significance of this day - Republic World - Republic World

Nevada offensive lineman Nate Brown is doing his best to eat right, like many football players and other college athletes scattered around the country without access to training facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound rising senior has stumbled a few times in college sports version of Weight Watchers, with no in-person classes or spring practices.

Maybe I would get Taco Bell because I do like Taco Bell, Brown said. Or maybe Ill have ice cream later at night. The meals that are maybe not super-nutritious, Ive been trying to keep that to one a day.

Athletes have been displaced from facilities with well-stocked training tables and easy access to healthy snacks and protein shakes. Some are home with family members, while others are largely on their own in off-campus residences.

To help them, schools have provided care packages, grocery tips, recipes and even cooking demonstrations on social media. And nutritionists or dietitians at schools there are 96 with at least one on staff, according to the College and Professional Sports Dietitians Association, with roughly two-thirds in the Power Five conferences have consulted with athletes from afar.

The challenge is keeping athletes already engaged in makeshift workout regimens on track when it comes to adding strength or avoiding unwanted pounds, even as it remains unclear when they can return to campuses or whether theyll play this fall as the country tries to reopen.

For some of them, its really good that theyre home, because they do have someone thats still making home-cooked meals for them, said Rachel Lukowski, Iowa States director of sports nutrition for football. And some dont have that, so its a matter of, OK, heres how we can help you out here or What can we do?'

Nebraska has offered curbside-pickup meals for athletes near campus and Memphis sent 225 care packages containing items such as snacks and protective masks to its athletes in mid-April.

Lukowski said Iowa States care packages included protein powder along with bottles allowing athletes to mix their own shakes without a blender, as well as grocery lists with tips for shopping for healthy foods on a budget and what to stash in the pantry. The school also posted cooking tips and recipes such as chicken dishes, egg muffins and pancakes, among others.

Oregon State sports dietitian Toni Langhans has tried similar steps with the schools Quarantine Kitchen Series on Instagram. She wants athletes to feel comfortable in the kitchen by making dishes such as overnight oatmeal, stuffed peppers, black bean burgers or homemade hummus instead of ordering daily takeout meals.

Its such a big important skill to work on that really affects the athletes overall relationship with food, and what theyre going to eat when they come back also, Langhans said. So thats what were trying to push for in doing these demos and trying to give people recipes something thats easy to look at and say, OK yeah, I think I can do that. Sometimes quality food can take three minutes.

Things have gone smoothly so far for Duke defensive end Chris Rumph II. Hes trying to strengthen his 6-3 frame while living with his parents in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has picked up 6 pounds (233) thanks largely to his mothers cooking.

We havent even left the house, so all Im getting is home-cooked meals, protein and all that kind of stuff, said Rumph, son of an assistant coach with the NFLs Houston Texans. So theres no fast food. I havent had fast food in I think two months.

Washington State offensive lineman Liam Ryan is staying in a house near the Pullman campus with roommates. Theyve been grilling so much steak, chicken, pork chops and salmon that they recently ran out of propane and had to get more.

The 6-5, 300-pound Ryan has focused on eating vegetables, brown rice and snacks like beef jerky or nuts. Hes also been checking the scales to ensure hes staying near his playing weight.

I think you just have to stay persistent on what you do because if youre kind of just slacking and you miss a meal or you dont work out I mean, thats what they do at the next level, Ryan said. At the NFL, the offseasons kind of by yourself. So you get a little taste of it right now.

Still, its hard to fight every craving for athletes removed from the hour-filling campus routines of weight training, practices and study hall. Ryan had a strong one for Chips Ahoy cookies, so he picked up multiple packages, then threw several cookies in a bowl with milk as though eating cereal.

O-lineman stuff, right there, he quipped.

Back at Nevada, Brown understands that challenge. He views it all as a test of practicing self-control when choosing what to bring home from the grocery store or picking up takeout from restaurants.

And yes, he has succumbed to the junk-food temptation. But when he has, he makes sure the next meal is a better one.

At some point everybodys going to come back, Brown said. I think the athletes that were able to eat well and really take care of their nutrition are going to be some of the athletes in better shape and be able to perform better. Thats really what it comes down to.

AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

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