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Deprivation is often the deal breaker of many diets. Weight loss on restrictive plans may occur in the beginning, but humans are wired to return to their comfort zones. In 2000, a diet called Volumetrics emerged as a way to enable weight loss without the additional challenge of feeling like youre giving something up.

Created by Barbara Rolls, the author of several books on the Volumetrics diet, this eating plan is structured around foods that are lower in calories yet high in nutrients like fiber-rich cruciferous vegetables, whole grains and water-based broths. The theory is that this combination of low-energy-dense but high-nutrient-dense foods could make you feel full on fewer calories.

The plan is divided into four groups based on how nutritious the foods are and how many calories they provide and it offers a road map for portions, which is essentially to eat more of groups 1 and 2 and taper off portions and frequency in groups 3 and 4.

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Group 1 includes non-starchy fruits and vegetables, nonfat milk and broth-based soups that are considered free foods. Groups 2 (lean sources of meat, starchy plants like legumes, and starchy fruits and vegetables) and 3 (salad dressing, cheese and pizza) have foods that must be carefully portioned. Lastly, group 4 includes crackers, chips, chocolate candies, cookies, nuts, butter and oil all foods you should minimize. In addition to the food groupings, Rolls recommends about 30 minutes per day of physical activity.

Maya Feller a Brooklyn-based dietitian and author of The Southern Comfort Foods Diabetes Cookbook, says the Volumetrics diet is truly "a no diet diet. A key strength of the eating plan, she points out, is its simplicity. Feller adds that since the Volumetrics diet focuses on types of foods that promote satiety, it may be easier for individuals to follow the diet and remain motivated during the first days, which can be the hardest psychologically.

The Volumetrics diet supports beneficial diet and lifestyle changes and its efficacy is backed by science, so its generally regarded as a sound eating plan, says Feller. In 2014, a small randomized control trial analyzed various methods for weight loss, including the Volumetrics diet approach of consuming low energy dense foods. The study included 132 participants and while all participants lost weight, those following a Volumetrics approach showed superior results in weight loss and were able to maintain it more effectively compared to the other groups. Additional research with a larger sample size of 9551 adults found that individuals following low energy dense eating patterns had significantly lower BMI, smaller waist circumference and were less likely to be obese.

Julia Zumpano, a dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic, says that the diet was designed to provide more sustained long-term weight loss, adding that there is certainly potential for short-term weight loss, especially if you significantly minimize category 3 and category 4 for the short term and adhere to exercise guidelines. Zumpano likes that the diet focuses on vegetables, fruits and foods that provide fiber, fullness and satiety. Like Feller, Zumpano believes the plan is simple to follow, suitable for dietary restrictions and various dietary preferences and backed by research.

There are, however, a few downfalls to the diet. Feller cautions that the meal planning aspect could be challenging and says that for people who don't cook at home, preparing all meals may be a barrier. She points out that eating out is allowed on the diet. But, she says, navigating a restaurant menu may be challenging when eating low energy density foods. She also mentioned that when following any diet from a book, the person misses the individualization and guidance that comes from working with a registered dietitian.

Zumpano further adds that watching portion sizes for category 3 and minimizing intake of category 4 is vague and self-directed, which can lead to consuming higher quantities of these foods than intended by the diet. In fact, a 2020 animal study found that highly palatable foods (as found mostly in category 4) impacted pleasure receptors in the brain that led to overeating and obesity. This could counteract the effectiveness of the plan and force Volumetrics dieters back into their comfort zones. Finally, Zumpano cautions that the diet may not meet the needs of those that would benefit from more structure.

If youve struggled with restrictive diets in the past and are seeking a more phased in approach, then the Volumetrics diet may be a good fit. However, both Feller and Zumpano believe that success with this diet ultimately depends on the individual.

The Volumetrics diet is one of the smarter and safer approaches that you can consider. Working with a dietitian or physician to structure a more personalized approach one that involves a plan for portion control in groups 3 and 4 and meal planning could be the healthy eating solution youve been looking for.

Kristin Kirkpatrick

Kristin Kirkpatrick is the lead dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a best-selling author and an award winning dietitian.

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What is the Volumetrics diet and should you try it? - TODAY

Jump to section:What to eat | When to eat | Reduce stress | Keep the weight off | Weight loss pills | Takeaways

Many eating plans that promise to help you lose weight are costly and unsustainable, not backed by scientific evidence, and may actually hurt your health more than help it.

Losing weight is not a one-size-fits-all approach. How you go about it will largely depend on your current habits, how much weight you want to lose, and your long-term goals.

However, eating right is paramount. It doesn't matter how much you exercise each day, if you're not making conscious decisions about what you're putting in your body, losing weight will be no picnic.

For this weight-loss guide we've combined advice from nutritionists, psychologists, and the published scientific database for how to eat right to shed pounds and improve overall health.

Chances are you're going to need to change your diet habits if you want to lose weight. Eating healthy isn't just about eating and drinking fewer calories, but also understanding your blood sugar, or blood glucose, levels.

Whenever you eat, whether it's a candy bar or bag of baby carrots, your body breaks it down into glucose and sends it into the blood. This triggers your pancreas to release insulin which helps your cells absorb the glucose.

When glucose enters your cells, it is either used for energy immediately, or stored as fat for later use. The key difference between the candy bar and baby carrot is that you digest the candy bar much faster, which can spike your blood sugar levels.

Research shows that blood sugar spikes will overload your system with glucose and insulin, so that your cells can't possibly use it all for energy. This means there's more residual glucose left over that your cells then store as fat.

Therefore, a regular diet of processed, simple sugars that spike your blood sugar levels can easily lead to weight gain. So it's important for weight management to eat foods that you digest slowly. Here's 5 tips on what to eat to lose weight.

Most importantly, studies and experts agree that to lose weight you should limit or cut sugar and processed carbs out of your diet.

Most processed foods are made up of simple carbs, which you digest quickly. This leaves you full for a shorter period of time and can lead to overeating and weight gain.

It also spikes blood sugar levels, which over time can strain arterial walls and hinder the body's ability to control insulin. This can lead to conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Popular diet plans like the ketogenic diet and Atkins diet restrict all types of carbs from the simple carbs in cupcakes to the complex carbs in whole grains.

However, complex carbs are important because you process them slowly, which can leave you feeling full for longer and stave off hunger pains. They're also proven to help protect against coronary heart disease.

Fiber and resistant starch are two types of complex carbs that you should include in your diet. Foods that are a good source of both include peas, lentils, beans, whole grains, and cold pasta.

Vegetables are often considered some of the most weight-loss-friendly foods you can eat. They're low in calories and high in fiber, which means you can eat a lot, feel full, and not spike your blood sugar levels.

Leafy greens, especially, are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. This can help reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies, which can be a problem for restrictive diets like the Whole30 diet and the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet.

Here's a nutrient breakdown of what the CDC considers to be some of the most nutritious greens you can eat.

Ruobing Su/Insider

Saturated fats are most ubiquitous in processed foods including meats, cheeses, and baked goods. These calorie-dense, low-fiber foods are already something to avoid when trying to lose weight.

But research has found that reducing saturated fats can also lower cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. That's why the USDA recommends no more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day for a 2,000 calorie diet.

Instead, focus on healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that you can get from fish, seeds, and nuts.

You may lose weight more quickly by cutting out carbs or fat. But these restrictive diets are not sustainable.

As a result, you'll likely gain back the weight you lost once you reintroduce carby or fatty foods. This can lead to an unhealthy cycle of yo-yo dieting where you're constantly losing weight and gaining it back, which can do long-term damage to your heart and kidneys.

Nutritionists recommend a diet that includes a healthy balance of healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates. The eating plans that are most recommended by dietitians include the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet.

A growing body of scientific research suggests that when you eat is as equally important for overall health as what you eat. This method where you only eat during a certain window of time each day is called intermittent fasting.

There's only limited research that indicates intermittent fasting works for weight loss. More evidence, from animal and human studies, points to other benefits from fasting like improvements in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders.

If you decide to try intermittent fasting, there are many different types to choose from, but two of the most popular are:

Equally important is what you eat on intermittent fasting. Stick to fiber-rich foods and get enough protein in your diet, because it can help you handle hunger pains during the fasting period.

If you use food as a coping mechanism, like for stress, it can be extremely difficult to lose weight and can even lead to weight gain.

Researchers have discovered that stress due to racism, homophobia, and physical or sexual abuse can trigger emotional eating.

Therefore, to stop emotional eating means overcoming the stress that triggers it.

"For example, every day, when you get home from work or school, you have a large glass of water and play a guided meditation to transition from stress to relax," says Jennifer Hollinshead, a registered counselor and clinical director at the counseling center Peak Resilience.

Other ways to reduce stress include:

Related to emotional eating is a more serious condition called binge eating. Binge eating is considered to be an eating disorder that requires specific treatment. Therefore, it's important to determine if you have a binge eating disorder and then take the necessary steps to stop binge eating.

If there's anything harder than losing weight, it's keeping it off long-term. The most sure-fire way to keep the weight off is to choose a sustainable eating plan when you first start losing weight.

It can also help to lose weight gradually. If you lose too much weight, too fast, your body may retaliate by increasing levels of ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger. In fact, there are many functions at play in your body and brain that makes it especially difficult to keep the weight off.

Experts recommend losing weight at a rate of 0.5% to 1% of your body weight per week (BW/Wk). For a 180-pound person trying to lose 40 pounds that would mean it would take 25 to 50 weeks to reach their goal weight of 140 pounds.

Ruobing Su/Insider

Also, avoid fads like reverse dieting, which claims to boost your metabolism so that you don't gain weight as you readjust to adding more calories to your diet. Metabolism is related to weight loss, but you can't easily manipulate it the way some people claim.

The FDA has approved five prescription drugs for long-term, sustained weight loss based on research of the pill's safety and effectiveness. These diet pills work, in that clinical trials indicate that patients lose more weight when taking these pills alongside a calorie-restrict diet and exercise plan compared to a placebo group.

In general, patients lose 5% to 10% of their body weight over the course of 3 months to a year. However, these weight-loss treatments can also come with serious side effects and may interact with other medications, so consult with a doctor before considering this option.

Shayanne Gal/Insider Diet pills aren't for everyone. Doctors often reserve these treatments for people who are considered obese with a BMI over 30 and have obesity-related complications like high blood pressure.

Other diet supplements marketed for weight-loss, like keto pills and probiotics, are not FDA approved or regulated and are not proven to work.

The best way to lose weight is an approach that helps you keep it off long-term. Trendy, restrictive diets that require you to cut out certain food groups, like carbohydrates, are unsustainable and, therefore, not recommended by nutritionists.

Instead, focus on eating the right balance of healthy fats, carbs, and proteins. Cut out processed foods. And find an eating routine you can stick with and enjoy.

Excerpt from:
How to lose weight and keep it off with the right diet and mindset - Insider - INSIDER

Its 9 a.m. and a small breathalyzer-like device called a Lumen which looks sort of like a bulbous silicone vape is about to tell me what I already know. I sleepily inhale through it, hold my breath for 10 seconds, then exhale back through the device and wait for the results to come in on the Lumen app. Yes, it's confirmed: I overdid it on the tacos and wings last night.

Lumen is a new health product that officially launches Tuesday. Through the device and app, Lumen aims to give people more information about how they process food in order to achieve fitness and weight loss goals by "hacking" their metabolism. Each time you breathe into it, the device analyzes your breath, giving you a score on a scale of 1 to 5 to tell you whether your body is running on energy from your fat stores (the ideal "fat burning" 1 or 2 state), the carbohydrates youve consumed (a 4 or 5), or a combination of both (a 3). It follows with a recommended meal plan of approximately how many carb, fat, and protein servings you should be eating, with the ultimate goal of making your metabolism more efficient.

Lumen comes to answer some very basic questions users have ... how my body's functioning, how the things that I did in the past few days affected me, and what should I do today, what should I eat in order to achieve my goals? Michal Mor, one of Lumens co-founders, told Mashable.

The Lumen breathalyzer and app

Michal Mor and her twin sister Merav Mor are both Israeli physiology PhDs and triathletes who co-founded Lumen in 2016. Lumen ran an explosive IndieGoGo campaign in 2018, raising over $2.3 million with nearly 10,000 backers. Since then, the company has raised over $17 million in venture capital, according to Crunchbase, and has received press and praise for the innovation of bringing a test thats usually done in a lab environment to a compact consumer device. It distributed its first orders to backers earlier this year, and begins shipping out orders of the product, which you can buy for $299 on Lumen's website (that includes the device and app), Tuesday.

To actually understand Lumen, you need to know a bit about metabolism science, so bear with us for a sec. Measuring a persons metabolism usually takes place in a lab, and is not typically something people do regularly let alone daily. Surprisingly, the amount of oxygen you breathe in, and CO2 you exhale, can contain a lot of information about how you process food. When you go in for a metabolism assessment, one number you'll get back is your Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER), which is the amount of CO2 expelled divided by the amount of oxygen inhaled. This ratio reveals what kind of fuel a person is running on; lower ratio means fat, higher means carbs.

Lumens internal studies and a study conducted by San Francisco State University have found that Lumens measurements are comparable to an RER measurement taken by a traditional device. However, the experts Mashable consulted two members of U.C. Davis Health Sports Medicine program aren't entirely convinced of its accuracy, or usefulness. The SFSU study concludes that "Lumen can be seen to be an effective instrument for monitoring relative, individual changes in metabolic responses (within-subject consistency), rather than a substitute for laboratory-grade RER measurements." In other words, the Lumen scale is a relative score that can track change over time, but is not an analog for a measurement you'd take in a lab.

Without knowing how that correlates, its difficult to judge their scientific standard, Dr. Brandee Waite, the Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at U.C. Davis, said.

Ive been trying out Lumen for the past two weeks and am intrigued, if not totally sold. It has certainly made me more mindful of how the amount of carbs I eat, and the late-night snacks I consume Lumen recommends overnight fasts of around 12 hours might be undermining my weight goals in more physiologically complex ways than just packing in extra calories. For example, a Sunday Chinese food binge could prevent me from going into fat-burn mode for days. However, the daily breathing in the morning, and at additional times depending on other information the app asks for, is a bit of a slog, and Im not sure the information Lumen gives me is something I cant pretty much intuit for myself.

If the device is helping you figure things out, awesome, Judd Van Sickle, the head of the UC Davis Sports Performance and Wellness program, who runs a metabolic measurement lab, told Mashable. If not, it's a lot of breathing.

If the device is helping you figure things out, awesome.

Using my Lumen on day one started with an exciting unboxing. The actual Lumen device is sleek, friendly, and comfortable to hold, and the box greets you with a friendly "Hello, I'm Lumen." My new pal!

First off, I had to download the Lumen app, connect my device, and answer a series of questions about my health goals, physiology, and lifestyle. After a set-up day comes a "calibration day," which is when the actual breathing fun begins. On calibration day, you breathe into the device multiple times at certain intervals after waking up and eating. This is how Lumen gets to know your lung capacity, and what the founders describe as your baseline for how you metabolize carbohydrates, since that differs from person to person.

After that, Lumen is supposed to become a daily part of your routine. For the past two weeks, my morning has gone like this: First thing, I roll out of bed and make coffee (duh). But before I drink that coffee, eat, or do much of anything at all, I bust out my Lumen. The app guides me through a couple Lumen breaths, which involve inhaling steadily into the device, holding my breath for 10 seconds, and exhaling steadily until a soothing circle on the screen disappears. The design of the whole experience is easy to understand and almost meditative in its own right. There are worse ways to start a day than taking some deep breaths.

Once Ive breathed two to three times, Lumen gives me a score out of five. The ideal zone in the morning is a 1 or a 2 because it means my overnight fast successfully switched me into a fat-burning state. It's OK even good to score higher after carb-heavy meals. However, if I score above a 1 or 2 in the morning despite an overnight fast, which naturally depletes the energy from carbs (called glycogen), that seems to mean Im still burning the calories Ive consumed the previous day. The morning after the tacos and wings? I scored a 4. Yikes. On the flip side, on the mornings I woke up with a 1 or a 2, I felt triumphant.

Based on my morning score, and the scores over the past few days, Lumen delivers a daily food plan. This isnt a detailed menu, but rather a guide about whether you should be eating a low-carb, medium-carb, or high-carb diet that day.

We are not trying to recommend a specific food, [like] today eat chicken with rice and some vegetables," Michal Mor said. Thats not sustainable.

Instead, they want to empower users to make their own food choices, guided by the carb, fat, and protein serving parameters the plan suggests that day. The Lumen founders even promised me that on some days, Lumen would actually recommend I eat a high-carb diet. After three days of recommended low-carb diets (to which I thought, duh), I was amazed and, to be honest, THRILLED when Lumen suggested I have a medium-carb day. Lumen mixes in medium- and high-carb days when youve been in a fat-burning state for a while, to make sure your body doesnt get too carb-starved and start squirreling away carbs when it gets them, instead of using them like its supposed to (this is a popular criticism of the keto diet, which attempts to cut out almost all carbs).

My daily plan wasn't always low carb, and that was amazing.

I like that Lumen has education modules, presented sort of like social media stories, that taught me about metabolism, diet, and food. They were comprehensible and as easy to consume as delicious, delicious carbs except they were about topics like how exercise affects your metabolism. While the main time to use Lumen is first thing in the morning, Lumen also encourages users to get their Lumen score before a workout, to help determine if theyre sufficiently fueled up. Then, 30 minutes after a workout, you can take your Lumen score again to see how running, weightlifting, or yoga affected your metabolism. Seeing my score decline after a hard workout was gratifying.

After one month of using Lumen, and in subsequent months, I'll get what the company calls a Flex score. This is the long game of Lumen: to improve a persons metabolic flexibility, which is how capable a persons body is at switching between fuel sources at appropriate times. The daily plans of low-carb days with medium- and high-carb days in between are all in the service of working your metabolisms agility.

Metabolic flexibility is the main player that extends behind everything, Michal Mor said. Behind performance, weight loss, longevity, energy. So, we first want our user to achieve healthy metabolism, a flexible metabolism, and the outcome of that is weight-loss improvement."

While some recent studies and experts endorse the general idea of metabolic flexibility, the "flex score" is a calculation of Lumens own creation based on the weeks of data users submit. There is not a scientific analog of the score.

"I like the idea of metabolic flexibility," Van Sickle said. "What I see is that most people are metabolically inflexible in that they can't use fat appropriately, because of too much glycemic load [carbohydrates] in their meal for their activity levels. So, if we have a tool to help guide us towards better fat utilization, that's good."

I havent received my flex score yet, but I can see how monthly attempts to improve it would be motivating.

And thats how Ive come to see Lumen, mostly: as another tool for motivation. I cant say that Ive stuck to its daily plans in order to truly hack my metabolism, but seeing numerically that my metabolism is working the way its supposed to and working in overdrive when I house too many wings was great feedback for how I treat my body. The Lumen founders agree that this is one of its main benefits.

I think every diet, if youre sticking to it and making sure that you're eating healthy food I mean real food will work, Merav Mor said. The question is, how can you help everyone to stick to it? I think that [Lumens] feedback loop, once you see how the things that you did yesterday, how they help you and for how they affected you, will provide you with the motivation to keep to the healthy diet.

I've come to see Lumen mostly as a tool for motivation.

While the promise of a consumer metabolism device is appealing, experts still have doubts about Lumen's approach and some of the claims Lumen makes about its ability to hack your metabolism. Both Van Sickle and Waite of the UC Davis Physical Medicine department had a few main problems with Lumen.

First, they were not convinced of the devices accuracy overall. And even after reviewing the scientific literature sent by Lumen, the way the scores track with RER was a source of confusion.

Lumens home page says it's been scientifically proven to meet the gold standard of metabolic measurement, Van Sickle said. But when you look on their how it works page, it says Lumen exhibits similar trends to the gold standard. So, that's not the same thing.

There were some bigger picture concerns, too. Waite explained that a persons resting RER does not typically change day to day, so did not see the value in measuring it daily. She suggested that its a measurement you would typically take before and after, say, a month of trying a diet or fitness regime, to see how its affecting you. It's unclear how the fact that Lumen is a relative score not an RER score changes this assessment.

Metabolism measurement or mindfulness device?

Image: rachel kraus / mashable

Additionally, Van Sickle was curious about the premise of the device as a whole: that you base a diet around your metabolic state in the first place, rather than the activities youre going to be doing that day. He also questioned whether the goal of metabolic flexibility is really so well-reflected in a Lumen score. For example, if you eat a high-carb meal, but youre not partaking in physical activity, the fact that your body is running primarily on carbs afterward is not necessarily a good thing for him. I explained to him that the morning after I ate a big, delicious cookie shortly before I went to bed, I got a 3 lumen score in the morning, despite having a low-carb day otherwise.

That's where I get a little confused, Van Sickle said. So, they might say that's a sign of good metabolic flexibility, when I would think of that as not necessarily good flexibility because your body doesn't know what to do with that cookie. I'm not sure what the optimal case is.

Overall, Van Sickle and Waite had too many questions about the scientific claims and assumptions Lumen makes about both its technology, and understanding of metabolism and diet, to be enthusiastic about it. However, both saw its value in helping people be more thoughtful about diet and exercise. (As always, seek advice from a doctor before starting any heath or diet plan.)

It's definitely going to be making you more mindful about what you're doing, Van Sickle said. Some of the underpinnings I'm not quite sold on. But big picture, as a mindfulness device, I don't think its the worst thing you could do.

In the tech wellness landscape of devices that purport to help you by quantifying every aspect of your physiology, that larger assessment is all too common.

Sometimes new technology, whether it really does what it says it does, if it gets people eating right and being more active, the side effect of having a more healthy approach to your lifestyle is a good thing, Waite said.

Whether that good thing is worth a hefty price tag is up to you to decide.

Read more:
Lumen claims to 'hack' your metabolism. I tried it to find out. - Mashable

Have you noticed grabbing an extra bag of chips at the supermarket? Or eating more frozen dinners than you used to? Or even eating snacks that you havent eaten since you were a little kid?

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly every facet of our daily lives, from how we dress, to how we work, to how we exercise.

Its also changing the way we eat. As a registered dietitian and nutrition researcher, Im fascinated by the types of food people are buying during this strange time.

One recent survey found that 42% of respondents indicated theyre purchasing more packaged food than they typically would and less fresh food.

Sales of frozen pizza have almost doubled. Sales of frozen appetizers and snacks think Bagel Bites are over a third, while ice cream sales have increased 36%.

According to Uber Eats, the most common food delivery order in the United States has been french fries, while the most popular beverage has been soda.

To me, these foods have one thing in common: Theyre the stuff we ate as kids.

Why might grown adults be reaching back into the pantry of their pasts? What is it about a pandemic that makes us feel like were teenagers at a sleepover?

The reasons are deeply rooted.

At its core, the purpose of food is to nourish. Of course food provides us with the necessary energy and balance of vitamins and minerals to power and fuel the body. But anyone whos reached for a pint of Ben and Jerrys after a particularly stressful day will know that nourishment is about more than nutrition.

During periods of stress, people tend to eat more and show a greater preference for higher calorie foods. The sweeter and saltier the better. Regardless of hunger, a tasty snack can feel comforting. Theres evidence to suggest that highly palatable foods, especially those high in fat and sugar, may elicit a response in the brain that is similar to the response from opioids.

Yes, a delicious slice of rich chocolate cake can be just as good as drugs.

We tend to call many of these foods comfort foods, but the definition of comfort food is a bit slippery. Food is deeply personal. The foods that comfort people depend on their cultural background, taste preference, and personal experience. We know, however, that food can induce feelings of nostalgia that transport us back to simpler times.

So perhaps its no surprise that, during a period of uncertainty that has many of us desperate for some relief and comfort, the foods of our childhood can act as a salve. For some of us, that bowl of Lucky Charms isnt just a sweet treat; its a reminder of days gone by, a time of safety and stability.

Theres nothing inherently wrong in finding temporary relief from chaos and uncertainty through food. But its probably best to view these changes in eating behavior as a temporary habit during a weird time. After all, a diet rich in macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets doesnt exactly set our bodies up for long-term success.

As peoples lives start to regain some sense of normalcy, diet can actually be a major part of the equation. Returning to a more health-conscious diet could be part of reestablishing your previous routines. And if youve never been able to find the time to prioritize healthy eating, now could actually be a good opportunity to start laying the groundwork for habits that become the new normal.

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Coronavirus diets: What's behind the urge to eat like little kids? - The Conversation US

One of the most frequent questions that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ask is: what should I eat?

It is clear that in addition to genetic factors, certain environmental factors, including diet, may trigger the excessive immune activity that leads to intestinal inflammation in IBD, which includes both Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the limited number and high variability of studies have made it difficult to confidently advise patients regarding which specific foods might be harmful and which are safe or may actually provide a protective benefit.

To help patients and providers navigate these nutritional questions, the International Organization of IBD (IOIBD) recently reviewed the best current evidence to develop expert recommendations regarding dietary measures that might help to control and prevent relapse of IBD. In particular, the group focused on the dietary components and additives that they felt were the most important to consider because they comprise a large proportion of the diets that IBD patients may follow.

The IOIBD guidelines include the following recommendations:

The group also identified areas where there was insufficient evidence to come to a conclusion, highlighting the critical need for further studies. Foods for which there was insufficient evidence to generate a recommendation for both UC and Crohns disease included refined sugars and carbohydrates, wheat/gluten, poultry, pasteurized dairy products, and alcoholic beverages.

The recommendations were developed with the aim of reducing symptoms and inflammation. The ways in which altering the intake of particular foods may trigger or reduce inflammation are quite diverse, and the mechanisms are better understood for certain foods than others.

For example, fruits and vegetables are generally higher in fiber, which is fermented by bacterial enzymes within the colon. This fermentation produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that provide beneficial effects to the cells lining the colon. Patients with active IBD have been observed to have decreased SCFAs, so increasing the intake of plant-based fiber may work, in part, by boosting the production of SCFAs.

However, it is important to note disease-specific considerations that might be relevant to your particular situation. For example, about one-third of Crohns disease patients will develop an area of intestinal narrowing, called a stricture, within the first 10 years of diagnosis. Insoluble fiber can worsen symptoms and, in some cases, lead to intestinal blockage if a stricture is present. So, while increasing consumption of fruits and vegetable is generally beneficial for Crohns disease, patients with a stricture should limit their intake of insoluble fiber.

A number of specific diets have been explored for IBD, including the Mediterranean diet, specific carbohydrate diet, Crohns disease exclusion diet, autoimmune protocol diet, and a diet low in fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs).

Although the IOIBD group initially set out to evaluate some of these diets, they did not find enough high-quality trials that specifically studied them. Therefore, they limited their recommendations to individual dietary components. Stronger recommendations may be possible once additional trials of these dietary patterns become available. For the time being, we generally encourage our patients to monitor for correlations of specific foods to their symptoms. In some cases, patients may explore some of these specific diets to see if they help.

All patients with IBD should work with their doctor or a nutritionist, who will conduct a nutritional assessment to check for malnutrition and provide advice to correct deficiencies if they are present.

However, the recent guidelines are an excellent starting point for discussions between patients and their doctors about whether specific dietary changes might be helpful in reducing symptoms and risk of relapse of IBD.

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I have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). What should I eat? - Harvard Health Blog - Harvard Health

We dont often think our diet could have an effect on whether we can conceive, but research shows it does. Good nutrition and a healthy body weight for both partners can have a significant impact on the ability to conceive.

Infertility affects about 9 percent of married women of childbearing age, according to a national survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To help with fertility, women need to maintain a healthy weight and choose foods that will promote a healthy baby foods that are high in folic acid, iron and calcium. Foods high in folic acid include dark leafy green vegetables, fortified cereals and breads.

Folic acid is needed to prevent neural tube defects. The neural tube develops into the brain and spine three to four weeks after conception, before most women even realize theyre pregnant.

Foods high in iron include red meats, spinach, beans, lentils, fortified cereals, whole grains and enriched long-grain rice. You can enhance iron absorption by adding vitamin C to meals from foods such as strawberries, bell peppers or berries.

And to boost calcium, choose dairy products such as yogurt, milk, cheese and cottage cheese, as well as vegetables such as broccoli and leafy greens.

A woman who is underweight may have irregular menstrual cycles or stop ovulating altogether. In addition, those who participate in high-intensity exercise (like gymnastics or dancing), or those who have an eating disorder or follow highly restrictive diets, may be at an increased risk for reduced fertility.

A healthy weight is important for men as well because male obesity may alter hormone levels and lead to low sperm count or motility. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends loading up on fruits and vegetables, which contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that may help create strong sperm.

Who knew fruits and vegetables were so important to having a healthy baby?

Theres even a fertility diet, published by a team of Harvard researchers in 2007. In the fertility diet study, they found that women with ovulatory infertility who followed the diet had a 66 percent lower risk of ovulatory infertility and a 27 percent reduced risk of infertility from other causes than women who didnt follow the diet.

Women following the fertility diet chose:

Less trans fat and more monounsaturated fat (from foods such as avocados and olive oil)

Less animal protein and more vegetable protein

More high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrate-rich foods (including whole grains)

More vegetarian sources of iron and fewer meat sources

Multivitamins

High-fat dairy instead of low-fat dairy

The bottom line? Eating more vegetables and a variety of types, eating healthy monounsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fats, making at least half your grains whole grains and getting enough calcium-rich foods including dairy will help meet nutrient needs, promote a healthy weight and conceive a healthy baby.

Q: Avocados are high in calories. How can they be good for me?

A: Its true avocados are high in calories due to their fat content, but the fat is considered a good (monounsaturated) fat, like olive oil. More than 75 percent of an avocados fat is unsaturated.

Studies show that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat while staying within calorie needs is more effective in reducing the risk of heart disease than simply lowering total fat intake.

Fresh avocados are a smart, vegetarian substitute for animal fats in baked goods, sauces, smoothies and salad dressings. Like any fat in your diet, the key is moderation.

Heres a recipe to incorporate avocados healthy fat into your diet. These Chocolate Avocado Energy Bars are a no-bake bar that deliver a boost of energy when you need it.

1 cup pitted dates

1 cup almonds, toasted, slivered

1 ripe, fresh avocado, halved, pitted and peeled

cup coconut, shredded

cup chia seeds

cup unsweetened cocoa powder

cup raw shelled sunflower seeds

Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Process dates, almonds and avocado in a food processor until mixture is finely chopped and sticky. Add coconut, chia seeds and cocoa powder, and pulse until mixture is well combined. Stir in sunflower seeds.

Press mixture into prepared pan, and refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 2 hours. Cut into 16 bars, and store in refrigerator.

Makes 16 servings (serving size: 1 bar)

Per serving: 140 calories; 4 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams fat (2 grams saturated); 5 grams fiber; 0 milligrams sodium

Charlyn Fargo Ware is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Ill., and the media representative for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Contact her at [emailprotected], or follow her on Twitter: @NutritionRd, or click here for additional columns. The opinions expressed are her own.

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Charlyn Fargo Ware: Fertility and Your Diet Are More Linked Than You Think - Noozhawk

Sports

Lorena Torres, performance director for the Philadelphia 76ers, shares how shes making sure the team is supported at home.

Sixers performance director Lorena Torres in the weight room with Ben Simmons before the coronavirus pandemic. / Photograph by 76ers photographer Alex Subers.

Over two months ago, the NBA announced it would be suspending the remainder of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision came minutes after the Sixers beat the Pistons at home, leaving players, staff, and fans wondering when or if games would ever resume.

Since the hiatus, Sixers players and staff have pivoted their in-person operations, so that the team could continue working out and eating well in the comforts of their own homes. To find out how exactly the Sixers have adjusted their fitness and nutrition routines, we chatted with Lorena Torres, the teams performance director, about keeping the players healthy amid a suspended season. Shes also tweeting out exercise training plans, so if youre looking to work out like the Sixers, head to her Twitter.

Philadelphia magazine: In a pre-COVID world, what did your typical day look like?Torres: My role involves overseeing everything related to performance that isnt basketball itself: running both our strength and conditioning program and our sports science program, balancing players intensity and recovery loads, tracking their nutrition, and monitoring their mental health.

Because my job is very player-centered, I spend a lot of time with the guys. If I didnt, I wouldnt know how to best serve their individual needs or build trust. With that said, I typically spent my days [prior to the suspended season] supervising players in the weight room and on the court, eating breakfast with the team, meeting with coaches to discuss progress and get feedback.

How did your role change once the pandemic hit?When the NBA first suspended the season, my main role was to support the organization in every way I could. The focus shifted from having a successful season to supporting the health and safety of the team.

The night of the announcement, I was drafting up individualized workout plans for each player, making sure theyd have their supplements, working to get them at-home gym equipment, and coordinating meal planning with our team executive chef, JaeHee Cho. Basically, I was making sure the team had everything they needed regarding fitness and nutrition while at home.

Watch 76ers Executive Chef JaeHee Cho teach you how to whip up a French omelette here:

So what kind of nutritional guidance are they following?Weve provided individualized nutritional guidelines and support for all of our players, whether theyve remained in the Philadelphia area or returned to their homes across the country. Across the board, they are all eating a diet thats rich in vitamins and nutrients, low in sugar and includes a combination of protein and healthy carbohydrates. For those who remain in market, we offer a service that delivers balanced meals prepared by our team kitchen staff.

We have some players who are vegetarians, others with allergies, so each meal plan is adapted to make sure they are getting what their bodies need. For those out of market, we give them general recommendations for calorie intake and the type of foods they should be eating. And something often overlooked that is so important is hydration. When theyre training they must be consuming even more water to recover and stay hydrated.

Torres with Matisse Thybulle before the coronavirus pandemic. / Photograph by 76ers photographer Alex Subers.

What do the players at-home workouts look like?Our goal has been to provide our players with as many resources as possible to train in these unique circumstances. This includes providing players with both strength and cardio equipment, as well as workouts they can do in their homes. Its important to remember that each workout is personalized to fit the individual needs of our athletes, and some plays prefer stationary bikes, others like ellipticals or step machines.

In general, though, their daily workouts include a combination of cardio and strength training. We also recognize that this situation has required all of us to make substantial changes to our lives, so weve also encouraged players to include meditation and yoga to prioritize their mental health, too.

What do you imagine the first day back to basketball will look like?Everything is so uncertain in the world right now, and we are constantly asking, When are we coming back? and Who is going to be allowed to play? [Despite the unknowns,] the health and safety of our players and staff will remain paramount as we move forward. Im in daily communication with my staff and we are scenario planning for what a safe return to play may look like. Its truly a collaborative effort between the coaches, trainers, medical staff, front office, and the NBA.

When we do return, the first thing we will do is assess the players with technology to see where their bodies are physically and then well go from there. Theyve been at home for a long period of time, and were just making sure that when they come back, the players are protected and progressing safely, and that were supporting their long-term health and wellness.

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How the Sixers Are Staying Fit and Eating Healthy at Home Right Now - Philadelphia magazine

The Windows XP aesthetic will forever have a spot in my heart. It might not have the rugged charm or cult following of its predecessor Windows 98, but that corny green hill with bright blue sky, paired with the systems rounded corners and vivid color scheme, brings back fond memories of my very first PC and thats priceless to me.

Thats why I was delighted to discover XP.css a design system that makes it easy to create XP-inspired user interfaces. XP.css was inspired by 98.css, another CSS library which helps you design UIs in the likeness of Windows 98.

The library comes with several pre-styled elements, including buttons, windows, checkboxes, sliders, tabs, and dropdown menus.

Its also got a command prompt template, which Im a huge fan of:

Just like 98.css, XP.css relies onsemantic HTML and doesnt contain any JavaScript, which means you can easily apply it to a variety of frontend projects. It simply styles your HTML with a bit of CSS.

The best thing about this project is that its MIT licensed, which should give you enough freedom to override the styles and adjust them to your needs.

Those curious to check out the code behind XP.css can head to this GitHub repo.

Read next: Heres how public transport in European cities must adapt to the new normal

Read our daily coverage on how the tech industry is responding to the coronavirus and subscribe to our weekly newsletter Coronavirus in Context.

For tips and tricks on working remotely, check out our Growth Quarters articles here or follow us on Twitter.

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This CSS library makes it easy to design Windows XP-inspired UIs - The Next Web

Eat a balanced diet to maintain consistency in healthy eating

Starting to eat healthy is not as difficult is maintaining consistency in following it. Cravings, mood swings, hormonal imbalance, stress and fatigue can all make it difficult for you to stay consistent in a diet. And this is a major hurdle that people face when being on a weight loss or fitness regime. In this article, nutritionist Vandita Jain talks about tips and tricks that can help people maintain consistency eating healthy. According to Jain, it requires one to stay hydrated, practice moderation and have diversity in diet.

1. Know your body: Try to understand how it works, don't let it crave asthis would only slow down the metabolic processes of the body and would harm the reactions occurring in the system. Long gaps between your mealsand extreme fasting can really be harmful and affect you psychologically.

2. Respect your body: Food aversions, dislikes and likes are common for one and all; we are fortunate to have so many food options available to choose from; don't eat a specific food in compulsion if you don't like it; it would compress the body's internal system and would confuse the body. Eat happily and choose healthy.

Also read:Exercise At Home: Follow These Workout Tips To Maximise Results

3. Moderation is the key: A balanced diet is technically a combination of all food groups in your meal in your whole day. The best advice you can get from your nutritionist or a health care professional is to eat all the food groups in a day except for food allergies and other therapeutic concerns. Don't go off carbs or dairy,if you don't have any specific problem. Stay wise to your body, Eat right.

4. Know your plate:'My plate' is a reminder to find your healthy eating style and build it throughout lifetime. It talks about the right variety of foods in the right proportions whichcan help you be healthier now and in future:

5. Know the mantra: Focus on variety, amount and nutrition. Choose foods, beverages with less saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. Learn to study food labels to understand your food better.

6. Eat five colors a day: Eat a combination of fruits and vegetables. Aim at having five colours on your plate. It is an effective way to meet nutrient requirements of the body.

Include a variety of foods in your dietPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Heart-Healthy Foods: Top 5 Summer Fruits You Must Add To Your Diet

7. Go seasonal: Don't go looking for those fancy vegetables and fruits which have been once tagged healthy by a friend. Be practical, eat fruits and vegetables which are available seasonally. Avoid cold storage stored vegetables. Our body also adapts as the environmental conditions change. Nature has already been kind to produce the right crop at the right season. So eat what is available in the season in the market.

8. Hydration: Hydration is the most important factor which is often ignored during the chores of the day. Make sure you have a bottle or a jug filled with waterkept by your side wherever you are working. You can add mint leaves or cucumber to the water container. It can make you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

Also read:Water: From Preventing Joint Problems To Keeping Obesity Away, Why Being Hydrated Is Important

9. Go natural, avoid artificial supplementations and medicines: Try growing vegetables in your kitchen gardens, go organic and never be dependent on the artificial products until there is a crisis. Your body understands natural products in a better way, so don't overdo it, never self-prescribe the medicines which you actually don't need. Remember the last time you had an instance of an acid reflux, it might be the result of that protein shake which you were dependent on instead of your whole meal.

10. The grocery list: Believe this, it is the most important and simple aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle; don't buy unhealthy and then you don't eat unhealthy. Let go off the temptation of buying those calorie dense chocolates and juices; when it won't be available at home, in any case you are not going to eat it and divert.

11. Small frequent meals: Eat small frequent meals to fulfill your satiety levels and to avoid overeating in one meal. It leads to better digestion, better concentration levels and good energy levels besides other advantages. It is must needed if you want to sustain healthy eating habit goals.

Also read:Why You Must Eat After Every 2 Hours: No, It Won't Make You Gain Weight!

12. Don't follow fads: Must have heard about mediterranean diet, DASH diet, paleo diet, GM diet, popcorn diet; with all due respect the benefits from these fad diets are temporary and no long-term goals can be achieved by not following the balanced diet principle.

13. Take care of your bowels: Don't let problem of constipation hamper the consistency of your goals.It can cause irritability and stress; consume lot of fiber in your food.You can havenatural laxatives and herbs like triphla which can effectively help in dealing with constipation.

14. Regular exercise regime and meditation: Changing the mind game is directly related to healthy body and healthy soul. Exercise regularly to restrict the hormonal rushe to quit and indulge. Meditation does result in better understanding of self and hence aids the body processes. Reading motivational quotes right in the morning before starting the day have been proved to be beneficial and help in sticking to the goals.

Be consistence in exercising and being physically activePhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Watch: Alia Bhatt Is Stronger, Fitter And Better At Performing Burpees! Her Workout Videos Are All The Motivation You Need Today

15. Never overexert: If someday you feel like eating something in particular, do it. 'Once in a while' principle soothes the mind and will help you to stay on track. Try doing new dishes at home like air frying your favourite kebabs ortrying to cook a pizza base with millets instead of refined wheat flour at home? Even amultigrain bread pizza would do the job.

(Vandita Jain is Delhi-based nutritionist and Diabetes educator)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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15 Tips To Stay Consistent On A Healthy Diet From Nutritionist - NDTV

Dr David Glass - MBChB, FCOG (SA)

Last week we gave a brief history lesson describing the origins of the fibre hypothesis as basic to human health. This was based on the research of three icons of medicine in Africa Drs Denis Burkitt, (Uganda), Hugh Trowell (Kenya) and ARP Walker (South Africa). All originated from the UK, but spent many years in Africa as clinicians but also perceptive researchers.

ALSO READ: Turning the Tide: The importance of fibre in your diet

Today we will cover a somewhat controversial subject, leaky gut syndrome, which has a connection to the fibre hypothesis. It has long been propounded by alternative and integrative medicine practitioners, and more recently by functional medicine practitioners. However there are some gastroenterologists who now also recognise the condition, although perhaps would not blame this condition as the cause of as many diseases as the former practitioners would.

In our first article in this series on the GIT, we noted that the intestines are lined with a single layer of cells, spread out across finger-like villi and microvilli to increase the surface area through which nutrients can be absorbed. Just under the surface is an extensive capillary network which provides transport of these absorbed nutrients into the portal system which directs all blood from the intestines into the liver. The liver detoxifies harmful substances, and processes all nutrients into basic chemicals available for bodily functions. It is important for many reasons that this single layer of cells remains intact.

Although the lining of the gut is inside the body, it nevertheless is a vast area exposed to the outside world.

What happens when the integrity of this delicate barrier is breached through holes or tears? It is claimed partially digested foods, bacteria and toxins are allowed to pass directly into the blood stream where they can cause inflammation and chronic illness, including auto-immune diseases. Much of the research on this condition has been done in laboratories as basic science, rather than clinical research. It is still very controversial. Read an overview of the condition from Harvard Health, written by Dr Marcelo Campos HERE

I do believe the most important intervention to ensure a healthy gut comes from providing a healthy diet, which in particular includes fibre-rich plant foods. Other interventions include adequate exercise, control of stress through meditation and spiritual activities, avoidance of alcohol and dietary or environmental toxins.

Unfortunately many of the strong proponents of the leaky gut theory are also pedlars of all manner of supplements and fad diets. Many have blamed gluten or wheat or antibiotics or fruit as the cause.

In a later article we will address the gluten/wheat theory and also discuss the importance of fibre in both gut and general health.

One of the bright lights in the world in gut health is Dr Will Bulsiewicz a doubly qualified specialist physician and gastroenterologist who has written a just released book Fiber Fueled which is getting rave reviews in the lifestyle medicine circles. We will use some of the information from his book in future blogs to give a balanced view on gastrointestinal health.

In the mean time HERE is a really exciting interview with Dr B discussing gut health and Covid-19. It is over an hour long but so full of scientifically sound and rational information, all so very pertinent to our present crisis.

Next week we will introduce the subject of fibre and the microbiome. I wish I could share information directly from Dr Bs book, but we will have to rely on interviews with him for pertinent facts given the fact that access to books from the USA is limited, and it is selling like hot cakes.

Continue your good preventive habits. Until next week. Dave Glass

Dr David Glass MBChB, FCOG (SA)

Dr David Glass graduated from UCT in 1975. He spent the next 12 years working at a mission hospital in Lesotho, where much of his work involved health education and interventions to improve health, aside from the normal busy clinical work of an under-resourced mission hospital.

He returned to UCT in 1990 to specialise in obstetrics/gynaecology and then moved to the South Coast where he had the privilege of, amongst other things, ushering 7000 babies into the world. He no longer delivers babies but is still very clinically active in gynaecology.

An old passion, preventive health care, has now replaced the obstetrics side of his work. He is eager to share insights he has gathered over the years on how to prevent and reverse so many of the modern scourges of lifestyle obesity, diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, common cancers, etc.

He is a family man, with a supportive wife, and two grown children, and four beautiful grandchildren. His hobbies include walking, cycling, vegetable gardening, bird-watching, travelling and writing. He is active in community health outreach and deeply involved in church activities. He enjoys teaching and sharing information.

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Turning the Tide A healthy gut comes from a healthy diet - South Coast Herald

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