Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 113«..1020..112113114115..120130..»

Home » Diets that Work » Page 113

Not so long ago, there was an open, healthy dialogue about the way news media worked Hollywood even made movies about it with big stars, Oscar-nominated hits like Broadcast News and Absence of Malice. That was around the time that I was studying to become a journalist, and questions of bias and media ethics were openly, enthusiastically discussed.

It's barely a generation later, and we've evolved with astonishing speed from serious, probing explorations of the news media to casual (and insidious) dismissals of "fake news" an epithet that is no longer the domain of extremist, but is used with alarming frequency by centrist Americans.

There's a suspicion, championed and encouraged by the president himself, that news media are biased, and an assumption that that bias is tilted toward the left. That appears not to be true.

A scene from Broadcast News

An objective analysis of bias in the media shows the reality most mainstream news sources aren't particularly biased, and most do a good job of filtering out their individual perspectives. The problem is that the ones with the biggest audience, the ones that grab the headlines and that get shared on social media, don't have that filter.

Through the late 1990s, there were only a handful of sources for information about what was happening in the world. You could pick up your local newspaper; watch a network newscast; tune in to round-the-clock "headline news" on CNN; or listen to news radio, the primary home of conservative and liberal commentators. In the newspaper or on TV, opinion-driven editorials were clearly labeled as such.

That's not to say there weren't biased sources of information they just weren't considered mainstream "news." This landscape dominated America's information and communication network when I was studying to become a journalist. When I finally became a newspaper reporter, it was only after years of intense training to learn how to write and edit in ways that limited the encroachment of personal thinking into the news.

We were taught how to identify words, phrases, thoughts and ideas that could be misinterpreted as bias and perspective in the news we were covering. When I worked as a city-government reporter, assigned to cover hot-button issues affecting redevelopment of a medium-sized city in Florida, the newspaper I worked for ran a full-page ad in which the publisher endorsed a particular ballot measure. I was incensed; the efforts I had made to be balanced and unbiased about the issue had been undone by the paid endorsement.

Photo by Fred Kearney on

"You can be angry about this," my editor told me. "You should be angry about this. But your job is to report on what happened, not how you feel about it." I was given the task to write, as objectively as I could, about the newspaper's decision to inject itself into local politics. I talked to sources who were shocked and angry about the ad, and I talked to the publisher, who gave me his perspective.

Then we left it for the reader to decide. It was our place to tell readers what had happened, not to decide for them if it was right or wrong.

I've thought about that incident a lot lately, because it's not far off from the challenge the media continue to have: How can you be angry or sad or enthusiastic or excited about the news you see happening, yet report it fairly? How can you keep in mind that there are readers and viewers who don't share your perspectives?

Most news media rise to that challenge a daily basis. But scroll through your social-media feed and it's dominated by CNN, MSNBC, Fox News. These are the equivalent of 24-hour editorial pages, filled with hastily (often angrily) rendered opinions.

Alex Jones of Info Wars

A news diet that consists solely (or mainly) of those outlets is like a nutritional diet that exists only of fats and sugars; it's possible to live on it, but you'll end up desperately sick. And to assume all news outlets exhibit such extreme bias based on watching those news outlets is like assuming all food is unhealthy based on eating at Burger King.

Reporters are human. Because they're human they bring their own perspectives and biases to the work they do. And then, if they're well-trained as journalists, they filter out those biases. They listen. They watch. They observe and report. They question. They analyze and evaluate what is said, and find others who can counter a single voice or perspective.

Theirs is the work that everyone should seek out. "Look for the helpers," Mr. Rogers famously said about dealing with calamity. "You will always find people helping."

When it comes to journalism, look for the fact-tellers. They are at your local newspaper, at your network news affiliate, at news wire services, at network news shows. They are at websites large and small. You can usually tell their work because it is filled with quotes from sources (even anonymous ones, who are never, ever anonymous to the reporter and their editor) and with citations for the information it imparts. Their work will almost always seek multiple perspectives and opposing views. It is information that is carefully gathered and often times hard won by people who are trained to do what they do for a living.

Their facts may or may not be your truth. Whether you like the facts as they are is a different issue altogether. But if you want the best information from which to draw your own conclusions, then do as Mr. Rogers exhorted: Look for the fact-tellers. You will always find them.

J. Joseph Watson is a writer and former journalist, who has worked for daily newspapers in Ohio, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, California and Oregon. He is a graduate of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California.

From Your Site Articles

Related Articles Around the Web

Read more:
Yes, news media bias is very real. And it's harder than ever to separate fact from fiction. - GOOD Magazine

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.

Continue reading here:
Turning the Tide A healthy gut comes from a healthy diet - South Coast Herald

Dates, a symbol of abundance and a rich source of fiber, potassium and calcium, have been the staple food of Ramadan tables ever since Prophet Muhammad advised fellow Muslims to break their fasts with the sacred fruit. Native to the Middle East and tropical and desert climates, dates have many types from sweet and fleshy Safawis and flaky yet chewy Khudris to juicy Medjools aka the "queen of dates," there is a type for everyone out there.

Besides being delicious, dates are truly a remedial reserve, especially when it comes to fasting. Thanks to their high carbohydrate content that packs a lot of energy in such a small volume, they help to quickly renew empty carbohydrate stores, suppress sugar cravings and thus help you control your appetite throughout the day.

High in body-building amino acids, vitamins A, B and C, as well as many minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, zinc, copper and selenium, dates are truly a powerhouse of nutrients. However, they are also mostly made up of simple carbohydrates, mainly glucose and fructose, therefore like all foods, moderation is key when it comes to eating dates. Nutrition and dietetic specialist Demet Cerit of Acbadem Atakent Hospital said excessive consumption of the sweet, syrupy fruit can lead to weight gain and imbalances in blood sugar.

Consuming a portion of dates, which is just two to three pieces, 1-1.5 hours after dinner is fine though, she said but cautioned to watch out for added sugars in the form of glucose syrup, which is used to sweeten and brighten dates.

Bar diabetics and those with insulin resistance, the health benefits of dates far outweigh its naturally high sugar content. Here are a few reasons why we should eat dates regularly, according to Cerit.

Helps you feel full

Dates are fruits rich in soluble dietary fibers, especially pectin. So how does this prolong satiety? Well, these fibers, which attract water, increase the fluidity of stomach content, therefore prolonging the time it spends in the stomach and provides a feeling of fullness, Cerit said. By including food high in fiber, such as dates in your iftars and sahurs and overall diet, as well as support this fiber intake by consuming plenty of water, you will have greater control over your appetite and be fuller for longer, she added.

Supports immunity

Studies show that dates can have a stimulating effect on the immune system. This effect of dates is associated with their beta-glucan content, which is a polysaccharide, the better and more complex type of carbohydrates doctors advise we should consume. In addition, dates also contain high amounts of phenolic compounds and carotenoids (both which have great cancer-fighting properties) as well as vitamins, all of which are thought to play a role in supporting the immune system thanks to their antimicrobial effects and antioxidant properties.

Sugar cravings no more

After prolonged periods of hunger or fasting, our body directs us toward sources with high carbohydrates, namely sweet foods, so that our blood sugar can rapidly return to its normal levels and replace those empty food stores.

However, to prevent weight gain and avoid irregularities related to blood sugar, using the natural sugar content of fruits (instead of artificial sweets) to meet our needs for something sweet. With their distinctive flavor and rich sweetness, dates can be a good choice for all your dessert needs, Cerit said.

Constipation relief

Foods such as dates with high dietary fiber should have an important part in a healthy diet. To keep everything running smoothly, dieticians recommend consuming at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Studies have shown that upping your dietary fiber intake increases stool volume and shortens its intestinal transit time, thereby helping prevent dreaded constipation. In Ramadan, you might as well take advantage of the rich fiber content of dates to aid digestion and prevent consideration, which is a frequent and unfortunate side effect of reduced food and water consumption during this period.

Good for the heart

Dates are known as an excellent source of potassium, an essential mineral responsible for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. Potassium is involved in ensuring neural conduction, regulating our pulse and blood pressure. Research reveals that a diet rich in potassium helps to lower blood pressure, maintain cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of stroke.

Protect against eye diseases

Dates also contain compounds that help stop age-related eye diseases from developing. Studies have shown that dates are a strong source of zeaxanthin and lutein, which are types of carotenoids present in eye tissue and have antioxidant properties. Therefore, these compounds are thought to be useful in preventing the development of cataract and macular degeneration (macula: the central part of the retina) in elderly individuals.

Nervous system and energy

Dates, which contain moderate levels of B1, vitamin B2 and niacin (B3), as well as vitamin B6, help us meet our daily vitamin B needs. The aforementioned B vitamins are involved in metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins and fats, i.e. getting energy from these nutrients. They also play an important role in the healthy functioning of the nervous system. When you are running low on these vitamins, you will most likely complain about fluctuating and decreased energy levels, weakness, fatigue and concentration problems. This is all the more important when you are fasting when brain fog is a real challenge.

Key for strong bones

When it comes to bone health, the first mineral that comes to mind is calcium. Cerit said calcium absorption is just as important as its intake.

Calcium and phosphorus are two minerals that work together to protect bone health and their absorption increases when taken together. Consuming dates, which contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc as well as phosphorus, daily helps us improve our bone health and prevent conditions such as osteoporosis, Cerit said.

Fresh or dried, eat year-round

Though the nutritional value of dates depends on their type, whether they are fresh or dried, their degree of maturity and their growing conditions, dates are nutrition superstars. Thanks to their accessibility and long shelf life, they are mostly consumed when ripe and then dried.

Stating that while fresh dates are richer in protein and phenolic compounds, they do slightly lose some antioxidants and have a higher carbohydrate content when ripe and dried, Cerit said they are still highly beneficial for our overall health and the loss is minuscule. So consume this fruit "not only in Ramadan but also year-round, both fresh and dried," she added.

Read the original post:
8 reasons you should be eating dates, the fruit of Ramadan year-round | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

Its a simple concept. Whip together equal parts water, sugar and instant coffee. Then pour the fluffy, cloud-like foam into a glass of milk and voil!

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Dalgona coffee, aka whipped coffee is having a moment right now, especially because of how insanely easy it is to make. Registered dietitian Maxine Smith, RD, LD, shares how to make this tasty treat while balancing out the sugar and caffeine.

A traditional whipped coffee recipe calls for the following:

Because of the sugar, whipped coffee is a sweet drink. And unfortunately, the two tablespoons of added sugar in the recipe is going to blow most peoples sugar budget for the entire day.

The American Heart Association recommends that women eat no more than 100 calories (6 teaspoons), and that men eat no more than 150 calories (9 teaspoons), of added sugars daily.

If youre trying to steer clear of added sugar, youll need to find a bulky sugar substitute that will still melt together with the instant coffee to create the fluffy texture.

Smith recommends trying:

To cut the calories even more, make the recipe as is, but pour it over unsweetened almond milk or oat milk instead of traditional milk. Youll also decrease the carbs and sugar if you opt for some kind of nut milk instead.

If you like the idea of whipped coffee, but cant get behind the idea of adding more caffeine to your diet, try a decaf instant coffee blend instead. Using two tablespoons of regular instant coffee is the equivalent of drinking two additional cups of coffee.

Most recipes really only work with instant coffee instead of regular ground coffee. Instant coffee gives the components an airy texture when whipped together. If youre feeling inspired to create your own instant coffee, you can try grinding regular coffee grounds into a super fine powder. Youll likely need to run the powder through a coffee grinder a few times before it becomes the consistency of instant coffee.

If youre looking to give your traditional cup of coffee a make over, but trying to control your sugar intake, try adding a dash of cocoa powder, stevia or cinnamon to your drink. Or embrace unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened soy milk as your coffee creamer of choice. You can also add in a drop or two of vanilla extract or blend your coffee with ice and nut milk for a cold brew.

Visit link:
What Is Whipped Coffee & Can You Make It Healthy? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

During coronavirus lockdown, food has become a central part of our lives. But for Marie Lamensch, who suffers from an eating disorder, being at home and stuck with food is like her version of hell.

Marie Lamensch, 36, is a communications and project coordinator at the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) at Concordia University.

For most people, anorexia starts when youre a teen, but I developed an eating disorder in my late 20s. I used to have a normal relationship with food; I enjoyed cooking and eating. But for the last 10 years, its been up and down. At one point, I lost so much weight that I couldnt walk anymore. I had to move back in with my mother.

Ireceived treatment at the Douglas Institute in Montreal. Ive learned to manage my anorexia, but its not a way to live: I dont get my periods; I cant have children; I still eat very little throughout the day because whenever I eat, I feel guilty.

Even before coronavirus, I didnt go to parties or restaurants. I avoided those situations because my biggest fear is being surrounded by food. Im scared that if Im near food, Ill eat it and get fat. Thats what my mind says, anyway.

MORE:I am lonelier than I have ever been. No one has touched me in five weeks.

I also avoided being home. I used to get up at 6:30 a.m., work out at the gym for at least an hour, bike to my job, work non-stop and leave the office quite late.

During this quarantine, people on social media have been sharing tons of advice on wellness and self-care at home. The content thats been put out there assumes that everyones idea of home is the same; that home is a safe place. That isnt the case for me. Home is my nightmare; where theres always food and Im alone with my body and my negative thoughts. Now that Im at home all the time, I try to be as far away from the kitchen as possible. I also always have sound ona podcast or musicso I dont have to listen to my own thoughts about hunger. I always try to distract myself.

The strange thing about anorexia is that I am attracted to food shows and magazines because Im always so hungry. I enjoy reading or watching because I know I can close the magazine or turn off the TV. But right now, wherever I look theres food. On the web, theres articles about baking bread or how to stock up your pantry. Even Quebecs public health director baked pastel de natas to relieve stress. It seems like cooking is calming a lot of people down, but for me, its the exact oppositeit stresses me out.

MORE:Quarantine nation: Inside the lockdown that will change Canada forever

After a decade living with an eating disorder, Ive forgotten what normal food portions look like. I eat very small amounts at a time. If you asked me to eat a whole apple, Id be full after half of it.I even dont remember what pasta tastes like.

Thats why it drives me nuts when I see people posting about weight loss or diets during quarantine. At the Douglas Institute, I learned that any type of food restriction can be detrimental. One of the reasons I developed anorexia is because of dieting and limiting what I allowed myself to eat. I lost control.

During the first week of lockdown, the food hoarding made me panic. Grocery stores are always scary places for people with eating disorders. I get overwhelmed by an abundance of food, but the idea of shortages is just as frightening because I survive on a narrow variety of fruits and vegetables like watermelon, lettuce and strawberries. The thought of not having access to these items worries me.

The gym was part of my everyday life, so when the YMCA closed, I started exercising outside. After a week of running on concrete, my feet got swollen and I couldnt walk for three weeks.This was a wakeup call because I realized how much anorexia has hurt my body. At first, eating disorders are like your best friend;a constant companion. But now I know its my enemyI just need to figure out how to beat it.

I talk to my parents almost every day and theyre really supportive. I have a couple friends who have had anorexia and we support each other. During the pandemic, Anorexia and Bulimia Qubec (ANEB) has also been hosting weekly online chats thatve been really helpful. Being in quarantine has brought so much disruption to my life that I reach out to my family, friends and support systems like ANEB now more than I ever have.

There have been some positive outcomes that have come out of being stuck at home. Lockdown has forced me to confront my fearsI was scared of being around the fridge and pantry because I thought Id binge eat, I was afraid of what would happen to my body if I didnt exercise, and I was afraid of not having structure, which is important to people living with anorexia. Im learning that this new routine is okay, even though it looks really different from my life pre-pandemic.

Ive learned that I can break the unhealthy habits Ive developed by enjoying other activities that give me joy, like reading or drawing.Im hoping that in the long term, this experience will help me get better. Im finding ways to control my fears, instead of letting them control me.

As told to Ishani Nath

View post:
Home is my nightmare; where theres always food and Im alone with my negative thoughts - Maclean's

Theres a saying in bodybuilding culture: The day you started lifting is the day you became forever small. Its often said lightheartedly, but theres a grain of truth within it. Although it originates from a tongue-in-cheek YouTube video from 2013, I heard it from person after person I spoke to who had, at one point or another, battled muscle dysmorphia.

Every morning, Julius Butcher looked in the mirror, his mind running in circles between satisfaction and horror. Though people some he didnt even know would go out of their way to tell him he was muscular and strong, it was hard for him to see himself as having achieved as much as he wanted to. I often find it so interesting how people view me. Id like to try it from their perspective if it was possible, he told me. As humans I believe its part of our nature to implicitly lessen the value of what we already have and strive for more.

For 29-year-old Nathaniel Shaw it was the same. Having started going to his schools gym to become bigger, eventually he realised he was the only one of his contemporaries still going. Then he was working out twice a day, eating until he threw up, unable to do things because to act was to burn the calories he needed to bulk up, obsessed with looking in the mirror. I hated the way my body looked. It made me feel suicidal, he said. I just didn't want to be here. Its hard to explain. It was disgust at myself.

Muscle dysmorphia or, as its sometimes known, bigorexia is a form of body dysmorphic disorder in which people, often very muscular men and women, become obsessed with their muscle mass or body fat, usually to the point of it inhibiting their ability to function as a member of society. It can manifest in many different ways: excessive gym attendance; refusing to eat meals you didnt prepare yourself; avoiding social functions to go to the gym; refusing to leave the house for fear that activities will burn calories you need for bulking. It also impairs social and occupational functioning. MD is characterised by body shame and embarrassment. Many report feeling elevated levels of anxiety and refuse to be seen without clothing in places such as a beach or public swimming pool, explained psychologist Dr David Boyda. Muscle dysmorphia can lead to steroid use and it can lead to death in extreme cases. In the age of the spornosexual body, its an increasingly pressing issue: the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation has estimated that about ten per cent of male gymgoers may have it. The question is: for people who have such a dependence on how they control their muscle mass and build, how are they coping in self-isolation?

When coronavirus began to loom larger over the UK, and before the UK government closed the nations gyms, people were already suspending their memberships and keeping away from these enclosed spaces which suddenly felt like hotbeds for contracting the virus. But some were not: as people began to stay at home, but before governments imposed lockdown, many were still going for their daily pump. In mid-March, Channel 4 News reporter Symeon Brown put together a package featuring the attendees of a Wolverhampton gym, who were still going in for a workout while the government had yet to give a final statement on whether the nations gyms should definitively close.

At the end of the day this is a place of health and fitness. Im just assuming everyones taking the correct precautions, said one gym-goer. Its a virus, everyones going to get it, said another. Youve just got to take it on the chin.

Needless to say, the social clips went viral. It was Brown who pointed out in the package that, for these people, going was simply such a part of their lives that they couldnt fathom giving it up. Its enough of a pillar for people that more than 21,000 people have signed a petition calling for gyms to immediately be reopened during a deadly pandemic. It was hard enough for those of us who had suspended our memberships under a cloud, and those who depended on exercise for structure and social interactions were so anxious that they were trying to rewrite medical advice to get to the squat rack. If this was how hard people were taking the end of gyms, how were people with muscle dysmorphia dealing with this sudden spanner in the works? Was the absence of the gym a killer or was the fact they now had fewer external factors trying to interrupt their routines actually a blessing in disguise?

The idea that one day I might walk through a crowded public space and, because of my body, attract revulsion is exciting to me

When he was a child, Michael Collins used to hold ice in his hands until it melted: a way of testing his bodys limits that would manifest in different ways over time. Through my teens and twenties, I experienced a strong desire to grow as large as I possibly could. He explained to me, in clear detail, that his interest was never to look like an underwear model or a movie star: it was to push his body to the extremities of bodybuilding, even beyond that. The idea that one day I might walk through a crowded public space and, because of my body, attract disbelief, confusion, and revulsion from average onlookers is exciting to me.

For Collins, the idea that muscle dysmorphia is a byproduct of people [starting] as nice, normal gym-goers who just want to get fit and some kind of germ enters their system is incorrect. For him, and others he knows, the obsession with muscle was as deep-rooted, long-felt and guilt-inducing for him as homosexuality. Where does a fetish come from? Why am I gay? Mysterious questions and, in some sense, I feel its not helpful to dig too deep into them, he said before quoting Zizek: Enjoy your symptom. If something is causing psychological distress and unhappiness, then deal with it, learn how to live with it, but at the end of the day were all fucked up in our own unique way.

For some of the people I spoke to, however, muscle dysmorphia was something they realise only in retrospect and which began as a product of already going to the gym and exercising. Butcher started at 15, visiting his local youth recreation centre. But what started as a couple of sessions a week became more all-consuming: muscle-building is a long process that, whether done for the right or wrong reasons, requires a lot of discipline in every aspect of your life. For him, he thinks that devotion turned to obsession and muscle dysmorphia. Everything that surrounds this lifestyle affects how I look and progress, he explained. The effort at the gym, diet and sleep all factor into the appearance, so its with you 24/7.

[Bodybuilding communities] fully accept MD as an outcome of the growth/conditioning process to the point they do not see it as a disorder

Nathaniel Shaw started going to the gym at his school whenever the teachers left the door unlocked. For him, an unusually small kid in his year, it was a way of getting bigger and stronger to fight back against bullies. When youre small, you get targeted. My school wasnt a good school. With weights I felt I could get big enough to defend myself. Slowly, the overeating and the lethargy began to creep in. Although his relationship with the gym became unhealthy, it was also where Nathaniel learned what he was suffering from. It was only when he heard someone in the gym mention muscle dysmorphia, and dismiss it, that Nathaniel went away and realised what it was he was suffering from.

In isolation, its been up and down for Nathaniel. For the first week, he couldnt bring himself to exercise. But, once he started doing some home workouts, it made me feel a lot more happy. Meanwhile, hes trying to focus on his mental health with regular meditation. My muscle dysmorphia, especially at a time like this, is a mind thing. So Im trying to stay in control of my mind and be happy with how far Ive come. And still being active doing some exercise is better than no exercise.

Dismissal of muscle dysmorphia is not uncommon in the bodybuilding community. MD tends to be most prevalent in bodybuilding communities, but this community fully accepts MD as an outcome of the growth/conditioning process to the point they do not see it as a disorder, explained Dr Boyda. Within fitness communities, MD is less prevalent.

This denial is clearest when reading responses to previous articles about muscle dysmorphia. Due to the fact the people who suffer from it are usually incredibly muscular but think theyre not, stories often focus on just how much work theyre putting in at the gym to heighten this dissonance: the weights theyre lifting, the calories theyre intaking, the restrictions and the sacrifices. The response from the weightlifting community is often the same. Take a look at some of the Reddit comments on an excellent piece in the Guardian last year by Sirin Kale. In the Subreddit r/MensLib, the conversation is full of personal experiences, empathy and engagement. Then you go to the same article shared on r/bodybuilding, where the most common response is commenters calling the storys characters scrawny.

Im happy with my muscle dysmorphia. At least it never turned into a drug or alcohol addiction

What else am I going to spend my time on? I enjoy the struggle and discipline, said one commenter. The dysmorphia comes and goes over the weeks and months. Another rolled their eyes at the portrayal of one of the characters problematic relationship with food: The dude probably just didnt know how to diet. Thats what happens a lot in bodybuilding.

Im happy with my muscle dysmorphia. At least it never turned into a drug or alcohol addiction like so many others, said one commenter to a lot of upvotes. I think working out, eating properly and repeat is a pretty good baseline standard for any human being. This here is one of the biggest issues: the problem that exercise is a fundamentally healthy endeavour, and often the suggestion is that all people who engage with X numbers of hours of exercise, or want to put on Y pounds of muscle, must have real problems with muscle dysmorphia. If I go home from work every day and sit and read for two hours, I dont think many people would think of that as a problem, said Collins. If someones priorities dont make sense to you it doesnt mean theyre wrong. I guess the thing to watch for is if they seem like theyre acting in self-destructive ways.

This, as the doctors I spoke to also pointed out, is the important thing to discuss: muscle dysmorphia is not necessarily best gauged by the amount of work youre putting in, but rather the way youre putting the work in. Wanting to bulk up? You do you. But when you refuse to leave the house? Thats a danger sign. Unless youre prepping for a contest theres no need to be so strict with your food, said Maik Wiedenbach, a lauded personal trainer in New York. If someone is so rigid that they have to eat at three not 3.15, not at 2.50, I have to eat at three thats an issue.

Six years ago, Wiedenbachs friend Chris shot himself, in the head, in the gym because of his muscle dysmorphia. If that doesn't wake you up, nothing will, right? It was at that point that Wiedenbach sat back and began to look at the way some people had come to engage with weightlifting and how it had come to veer from his own approach. You think: what about this guy, Ritchie? He tells me he likes to stay home so he doesnt burn calories. Then theres Danny, who spends ten grand a month on drugs and doesnt work. Wiedenbach says hes seen, time and time again, people who need the money for enhancements or amphetamines moving into muscle worship escorting, appearing on the arms of older men at the Met. He himself got an email the other day asking for nude Zoom PTs. Then, all of a sudden, youre like... woah, these guys arent cool at all. Theyre really, really sad.

I would not go to a big gym anytime soon

He would try to tell these people that he was worried about them, but to no avail. They say: you dont have what it takes. Youre weak. Youll never be a great bodybuilder. And because Ritchie has his cult at the gym who admires him, and his sugar daddy, theres nobody who will challenge him. For him, the inability to process something was wrong was a huge sign that someone had muscle dysmorphia. Plus, when you talk to them, they are not capable of actually communicating with you. Youll say something and then theyll say, But what do you think of my shoulders? All they bounce back is statements about their physique.

Wiedenbach has not only seen the consequences of muscle dysmorphia first-hand, hes seen the consequences of coronavirus on a fitness regimen first-hand too. Hes just recovering from a bout of it himself when we spoke. At the peak of my illness I was eating 600 calories a day. Because I couldnt get anything down. That causes massive muscle loss, he explained. If you have muscle dysmorphia, thats obviously going to send you somewhere else. Even declared negative, hes still trying to get his lungs back to full functioning fettle: You need to spend two weeks just expanding the distance youre walking. And once youve done that you can do little stuff for the extremities, which dont require that much oxygen biceps, triceps and then you can slowly work to chest, back, legs. He said he has another five weeks before he can work out at full capacity again, meaning that, between incubation and full health, hell have taken eight weeks off his normal regimen. While he understands the importance of the gym for people who rely on it as a form of meditation, he still thinks opening them up anytime soon is a suicide mission. I would not go to a big gym anytime soon. I would invest in some equipment, talk to the super and install it in the basement of our building. But you would not get me to an Equinox. No way.

Often, the people I spoke to mentioned that there were two versions of their self-perception: the self they saw in relation to normal people, where they could register that they were muscly and big, and their perception of themselves when they were at the gym. Walking in the street, people would say my arms were huge, or kids would point at me and say, Look at the muscles on that guy! recalled Nathaniel Shaw. Then you still go to the gym and someone would say your chest is too small, your shoulders are too small. When theyd say things like that, it felt the same as when I first looked in the mirror.

Michael Collins, however, has always relied on community to help him escape the moments when dysmorphia takes hold. The only days where it feels like my mental image is warped in a dysmorphic sense are really bad mental health days, he said, and thats when I rely on my fellow gay musclehead friends to talk me back into a healthier state of mind.

The gym is a kind of third space, neither home nor work, and it offers a lot of the same social benefits that you might expect a faith community to offer

For Collins, the pandemic has not diminished his closest friends in the bodybuilding and weightlifting community: they still talk in their group chat, keep each other motivated. But, says Collins, the ambient sense of being part of a larger community is missing the people seen several times a week over years, people you might have a five-minute conversation with every now and again. People who he just happened to be at the gym with a few times a week would come up and compliment him on his hard work when he was preparing for bodybuilding competitions, and now those smaller encounters, that miasma of general support, is gone. The gym is a kind of third space, neither home nor work, and it offers a lot of the same social benefits that you might expect a faith community to offer, said Collins. It is currently in the deep freeze and I dont know what state itll be in when things finally thaw.

If the closure of gyms is hard enough for everyone, that makes the loss twice as hard for those with dysmorphia. For Dr David Boyda, managing expectations at this time is vital: Without resistance or weight, one should expect to see a reduction of their muscle mass coupled with some loss in conditioning (fat levels) as individuals become more sedentary. This is especially true, he says, if youre low in equipment and considering that theres been a rush on dumbbells, this will certainly be some people who are suffering most. He recommended bodyweight exercises classes on YouTube to maintain muscle mass as much as one can and making good use of whatever the current exercise allowance is under government guidelines.

Wiedenbach mentioned that perhaps one of the hardest things for people so focused on their bodies is not being able to get the validation of showing it off at the gym. Theres a difference between choosing isolation and being told you do not have your outlet, the place where youre being admired, he said. Your marketplace is gone. You cant show off. And if that was all you had? Well, suicides have doubled in New York City. Michael Collins said not having chances to passively show off, either at the gym or in casual hook-ups, meant validation was light on the ground for him. The little hit of positive reinforcement from uploading a picture to Instagram or Twitter isnt the same as an in-person encounter.

The leaner you stay through all this, the better your hormones when youre through all this and you go back to the gym

While Collins remains happy with the muscle hes building he gathered a fairly solid home gym together through a combination of determination and luck others have accepted that this might not be the time to bulk. For Butcher, the bigger concern is what this will mean for his diet. I need calories to maintain my weight, he said. If a certain kind of food from beyond our borders was in low supply Id of course be forced to change my habits.

With access to heavy weights limited, diets harder to follow and less natural daily exercise to supplement ones fitness regimen, Wiedenbach said that now is the time for people, especially those who place this much importance on their body, to swap priorities. What I would urge people is: stay lean. Dont worry too much about bulking. The leaner you stay through all this, the better your hormones when youre through all this and you go back to the gym, advised Wiedenbach. That is something you have to hammer into people and the average musclehead doesnt get. Hes gonna be like, Oh, fuck, Ive lost all this weight, Im gonna eat. But the truth is you dont have the equipment to gain that muscle back quickly. Unless you have a really good home gym, which most of us dont. Even Wiedenbach, a man with an exceptional physique and a unique ability to pound on muscle mass Im a genetic outlier has appreciated that the most he can use at the moment is a couple of resistance bands to try and maintain.

Butcher said that towards the start of the pandemic in Sweden he found himself out for two weeks with what he is certain was Covid-19. But, rather than panicking about what it might mean for his body, the break from his exercise regime was actually a helpful period of recovery. He also says that, as some doctors also confirmed, time is often the greatest healer of muscle dysmorphia: having worked out the way he has for six years, the darker thoughts are easier to dispel, self-knowledge overcoming self-hatred. Even though I believe Ill have some degree of muscle dysmorphia for the rest of my life, I do believe Im way better at noticing my inner monologue now, he said, and when that depressing voice of no gains pops up I can rest assured its temporary.

OnlyFans is the hot, but controversial, new way to get your porn fix

Zac Aynsley is the bodybuilder who defies expectations

Inside the world of medical concierges, the fixers of private healthcare

See more here:
What its like to have muscle dysmorphia during lockdown - British GQ

Right now, during the COVID-19 outbreaks that are stillshowing upacross the country, doctors say that in order to be your healthiest, you should consider going veganor at least mostly plant-based.Amid the coronavirus pandemic, more and more attention has been drawn tothe benefits of plant-based nutritionin boosting immunity and lowering yourrisk factors such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and other conditions that put you more at risk in the fight against COVID-19.

One group of doctors has created the non-profitPlant-Based Health ProfessionalsUK and is encouraging people to participate inNo Meat May.This campaign is dedicated to the idea that if we all eat a mostly plant-based diet this month, we will emerge healthier (as will the planet). The best defense against the virus right now is a strong immune system, and eating more plant-based foods rich in vitamins C, A, E and Zinc can help bolster your immunity.

Major study upon study connects eating meat and poultry and dairy with higher risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, breast cancer, kidney stones and many other significant health problems that are also risk factors for complications from COVID0-19.

A good diet is the most powerful weapon we have against disease and sickness," writes T. Colin Campbell in The China Study. Dr. Joel Kahn, a leading plant-based cardiologist advocates foreating an even more colorful fruit and vegetable-based diet now, to boost immunity, and says he has added"therapeutic foods" such as purple cabbage, recently-harvested sprouts, onions, and garlic," to his diet to stay healthy during the pandemic."Im also eating gigantic salads, which I always did, but theyre now the center of my meals."

Dr. Gemma Newman, who bills herself asThe Plant Power Doctor, wants the public to knowjust how detrimental an impact factory farming industry has on global health: Some politicians and commentators blame China. They do not mention that all of the recent major disease outbreaks have been caused by tampering with animals, or that our chicken salad and pepperoni pizza could be the next big health risk, Dr. Newman said via herInstagram account.

In the wake of the global health pandemic, Plant-Based Health Professionals have also released a PSA onhow to maintain a healthy immune system through dietand lifestyle. Some of the key points may be ones you already know, but they bear repeating:

Eat the rainbow, get plenty of vitamin C from fruits and veggies, and consume nitrate-rich vegetables like arugula, rhubarb, and cilantro since severalstudieshave suggested that nitric oxide may inhibit the replication cycle of viruses such as SARS, another coronavirus. Another important food group? Fiber-rich foods like avocados, chia seeds, and yes, Newmans favorite non-pandemic sparking lentils.

She goes on to explain the many diseases that have been transferred over time from animals to humans, such as Spanish flu from poultry and swine flu from pigs as well as SARS-CoV (civets), MERS-CoV (camels), and others, infecting an estimated 2.5 billion people each year, according to Newman.

Whether we want to look at our dietary habits or not, one thing is clear: These massive factory farming operations are not working. Our industrial-scale poultry farms are like a ticking time bomb. This pandemic has brought us a visceral sense of what that can mean for humans. This pandemic also shows us how connected we are. What one person does affects another, Newman continues in her social media post. The same applies to the food choices we make too, and now this is more clear than ever before. I dont know when this pandemic will end, or how many lives will be lost. But one thing I do know. I can guarantee that lentils will not spark a viral pandemic anytime soon.

Echoing Newmans sentiment, Plant-Based Health Professionals UK director, Dr. Shireen Kassam, MD, a consultant hematologist, expresses the pressing need to ditch animal products, especially meat: More than 90 percent of the meat we consume is produced in industrial-scale factory farms, which provide the perfect conditions for the generation of novel infections with epidemic and pandemic potential, said Kassam, via VegNews, adding that as a result of the rampant use of antibiotics in these factory farm settings, weve seen a sharp increase in the amount of antibiotic-resistant infections impacting human beings. We have now entered an era where it is not uncommon for doctors to find themselves treating patients with bacterial infections for which there are no effective antibiotics, she says.

In the wake of the global health pandemic, Plant-Based Health Professionals have also released a PSA on how to maintain a healthy immune system through diet and lifestyle. Some of the key points may be ones you already know, but they bear repeating: Eat the rainbow, get plenty of vitamin C from fruits and veggies, and consume nitrate-rich vegetables like arugula, rhubarb, and cilantro since several studies have suggested that nitric oxide may inhibit the replication cycle of viruses such as SARS, another coronavirus. Another important food group? Fiber-rich foods like avocados, chia seeds, and yes, Newmans favorite non-pandemic sparking lentils.

Read the original:
Why Doctors Want You to Go Plant-Based in Light of Coronavirus - The Beet

There are many weight loss diets out there.

Some focus on reducing your appetite, while others restrict calories, carbs, or fat.

Since all of them claim to be superior, it can be hard to know which ones are worth trying.

The truth is that no one diet is best for everyone and what works for you may not work for someone else.

This article reviews the 9 most popular weight loss diets and the science behind them.

The paleo diet claims that you should eat the same foods that your hunter-gatherer ancestors ate before agriculture developed.

The theory is that most modern diseases can be linked to the Western diet and the consumption of grains, dairy, and processed foods.

While it's debatable whether this diet really provides the same foods your ancestors ate, it is linked to several impressive health benefits.

How it works: The paleo diet emphasizes whole foods, lean protein, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, while discouraging processed foods, sugar, dairy, and grains.

Some more flexible versions of the paleo diet also allow for dairy like cheese and butter, as well as tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Weight loss: Several studies have shown that the paleo diet can lead to significant weight loss and reduced waist size (1, 2, 3, 4).

In studies, paleo dieters automatically eat much fewer carbs, more protein, and 300900 fewer calories per day (1, 2, 3, 4).

Other benefits: The diet seems effective at reducing risk factors for heart disease, such as cholesterol, blood sugar, blood triglycerides, and blood pressure (5, 6, 7).

The downside: The paleo diet eliminates whole grains, legumes, and dairy, which are healthy and nutritious.

The vegan diet restricts all animal products for ethical, environmental, or health reasons.

Veganism is also associated with resistance to animal exploitation and cruelty.

How it works: Veganism is the strictest form of vegetarianism.

In addition to eliminating meat, it eliminates dairy, eggs, and animal-derived products, such as gelatin, honey, albumin, whey, casein, and some forms of vitamin D3.

Weight loss: A vegan diet seems to be very effective at helping people lose weight often without counting calories because its very low fat and high fiber content may make you feel fuller for longer.

Vegan diets are consistently linked to lower body weight and body mass index (BMI) compared to other diets (8, 9, 10, 11, 12).

One 18-week study showed that people on a vegan diet lost 9.3 pounds (4.2 kg) more than those on a control diet. The vegan group was allowed to eat until fullness, but the control group had to restrict calories (13).

However, calorie for calorie, vegan diets are not more effective for weight loss than other diets (14).

Weight loss on vegan diets is primarily associated with reduced calorie intake.

Other benefits: Plant-based diets are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and premature death (15, 16, 17, 18, 19).

Limiting processed meat may also reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease and dying from heart disease or cancer (20, 21, 22, 23, 24).

The downside: Because vegan diets eliminate animal foods completely, they may be low in several nutrients, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, iron, calcium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids (25, 26, 27, 28, 29).

Low-carb diets have been popular for decades especially for weight loss.

There are several types of low-carb diets, but all involve limiting carb intake to 20150 grams per day.

The primary aim of the diet is to force your body to use more fats for fuel instead of using carbs as a main source of energy.

How it works: Low-carb diets emphasize unlimited amounts of protein and fat while severely limiting your carb intake.

When carb intake is very low, fatty acids are moved into your blood and transported to your liver, where some of them are turned into ketones.

Your body can then use fatty acids and ketones in the absence of carbs as its primary energy source.

Weight loss: Numerous studies indicate that low-carb diets are extremely helpful for weight loss, especially in overweight and obese individuals (30, 31, 32, 33, 34).

They seem to be very effective at reducing dangerous belly fat, which can become lodged around your organs (35, 36).

People on very low-carb diets commonly reach a state called ketosis. Many studies note that ketogenic diets lead to more than twice the weight loss than a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet (35, 37, 38, 39).

Other benefits: Low-carb diets tend to reduce your appetite and make you feel less hungry, leading to an automatic reduction in calorie intake (40, 41).

Furthermore, low-carb diets may benefit many major disease risk factors, such as blood triglycerides, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, insulin levels, and blood pressure (34, 42, 43, 44, 45).

The downside: Low-carb diets do not suit everyone. Some feel great on them while others feel miserable.

Some people may experience an increase in bad LDL cholesterol (46).

In extremely rare cases, very low-carb diets can cause a serious condition called nondiabetic ketoacidosis. This condition seems to be more common in lactating women and can be fatal if left untreated (47, 48, 49, 50).

However, low-carb diets are safe for the majority of people.

The Dukan diet is a high-protein, low-carb weight loss diet split into four phases two weight loss phases and two maintenance phases.

How long you stay in each phase depends on how much weight you need to lose. Each phase has its own dietary pattern.

How it works: The weight loss phases are primarily based on eating unlimited high-protein foods and mandatory oat bran.

The other phases involve adding non-starchy vegetables followed by some carbs and fat. Later on, there will be fewer and fewer pure protein days to maintain your new weight.

Weight loss: In one study, women following the Dukan diet ate about 1,000 calories and 100 grams of protein per day and lost an average of 33 pounds (15 kg) in 810 weeks (51).

Also, many other studies show that high-protein, low-carb diets may have major weight loss benefits (52, 53, 54, 55).

These include a higher metabolic rate, a decrease in the hunger hormone ghrelin and an increase in several fullness hormones (56, 57, 58, 59).

Other benefits: Apart from weight loss, there are no recorded benefits of the Dukan diet in scientific literature.

The downside: There is very little quality research available on the Dukan diet.

The Dukan diet limits both fat and carbs a strategy not based on science. On the contrary, consuming fat as part of a high-protein diet seems to increase metabolic rate compared to both low-carb and low-fat diets (60).

Whats more, fast weight loss achieved by severe calorie restriction tends to cause significant muscle loss (61).

The loss of muscle mass and severe calorie restriction may also cause your body to conserve energy, making it very easy to regain the weight after losing it (62, 63, 64, 65).

An ultra-low-fat diet restricts your consumption of fat to under 10% of daily calories.

Generally, a low-fat diet provides around 30% of its calories as fat.

Studies reveal that this diet is ineffective for weight loss in the long term.

Proponents of the ultra-low-fat diet claim that traditional low-fat diets are not low enough in fat and that fat intake needs to stay under 10% of total calories to produce health benefits and weight loss.

How it works: An ultra-low-fat diet contains 10% or fewer calories from fat. The diet is mostly plant-based and has a limited intake of animal products (66).

Therefore, it's generally very high in carbs around 80% of calories and low in protein at 10% of calories.

Weight loss: This diet has proven very successful for weight loss among obese individuals. In one study, obese individuals lost an average of 140 pounds (63 kg) on an ultra-low-fat diet (67).

Another 8-week study with a diet containing 714% fat showed an average weight loss of 14.8 pounds (6.7 kg) (68).

Other benefits: Studies suggest that ultra-low-fat diets can improve several risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and markers of inflammation (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74).

Surprisingly, this high-carb, low-fat diet can also lead to significant improvements in type 2 diabetes (75, 76, 77, 78).

Furthermore, it may slow the progression of multiple sclerosis an autoimmune disease that affects your brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves in the eyes (79, 80).

The downside: The fat restriction may cause long-term problems, as fat plays many important roles in your body. These include helping build cell membranes and hormones, as well as helping your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

Moreover, an ultra-low-fat diet limits intake of many healthy foods, lacks variety, and is extremely hard to stick to.

The Atkins diet is the most well-known low-carb weight loss diet.

Its proponents insist that you can lose weight by eating as much protein and fat as you like, as long as you avoid carbs.

The main reason why low-carb diets are so effective for weight loss is that they reduce your appetite.

This causes you to eat fewer calories without having to think about it (32, 40).

How it works: The Atkins diet is split into four phases. It starts with an induction phase, during which you eat under 20 grams of carbs per day for two weeks.

The other phases involve slowly reintroducing healthy carbs back into your diet as you approach your goal weight.

Weight loss: The Atkins diet has been studied extensively and found to lead to faster weight loss than low-fat diets (52, 81).

Other studies note that low-carb diets are very helpful for weight loss. They are especially successful in reducing belly fat, the most dangerous fat that lodges itself in your abdominal cavity (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36).

Other benefits: Numerous studies show that low-carb diets, like the Atkins diet, may reduce many risk factors for disease, including blood triglycerides, cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin, and blood pressure (34, 42, 43, 44, 45).

Compared to other weight loss diets, low-carb diets also better improve blood sugar, good HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and other health markers (52, 81).

The downside: As do other very low-carb diets, the Atkins diet is safe and healthy for most people but may cause problems in rare cases.

The HCG diet is an extreme diet meant to cause very fast weight loss of up to 12 pounds (0.451 kg) per day.

Its proponents claim that it boosts metabolism and fat loss without inducing hunger (82, 83).

HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone present at high levels during early pregnancy.

It tells a woman's body it's pregnant and maintains the production of hormones that are important for fetal development. It has also been used to treat fertility issues (84).

How it works: The diet is split into three phases. During the first phase, you begin taking HCG supplements.

During the second phase, you follow an ultra-low-calorie diet of only 500 calories per day, along with HCG supplement drops, pellets, injections, or sprays. The weight loss phase is prescribed for 36 weeks at a time.

In the third phase, you stop taking HCG and slowly increase your food intake.

Weight loss: The HCG diet does cause weight loss, but multiple studies conclude that the weight loss is due to the ultra-low-calorie diet alone not the HCG hormone (82, 85, 86, 87).

Furthermore, HCG was not found to reduce hunger.

Other benefits: Aside from weight loss, there are no documented benefits of the HCG diet.

The downside: Like most other ultra-low-calorie diets, the HCG diet may cause muscle loss, which results in a reduced ability to burn calories (61).

Such severe calorie restriction further reduces the number of calories your body burns. This is because your body thinks it's starving and therefore attempts to preserve energy (63).

In addition, most HCG products on the market are scams and don't contain any HCG. Only injections are able to raise blood levels of this hormone.

Moreover, the diet has many side effects, including headaches, fatigue, and depression. There is also one report of a woman developing blood clots, most likely caused by the diet (83).

The FDA disapproves of this diet, labeling it dangerous, illegal, and fraudulent (88).

The Zone Diet is a low-glycemic load diet that has you limit carbs to 3545% of daily calories and protein and fat to 30% each (89).

It recommends eating only carbs with a low glycemic index (GI).

The GI of a food is an estimate of how much it raises your blood glucose levels after consumption.

The Zone Diet was initially developed to reduce diet-induced inflammation, cause weight loss, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases (89).

How it works: The Zone Diet recommends balancing each meal with 1/3 protein, 2/3 colorful fruits and veggies, and a dash of fat namely monounsaturated oil, such as olive oil, avocado, or almonds.

It also limits high-GI carbs, such as bananas, rice, and potatoes.

Weight loss: Studies on low-GI diets are rather inconsistent. While some say that the diet promotes weight loss and reduces appetite, others show very little weight loss compared to other diets (90, 91, 92, 93).

Other benefits: The greatest benefit of this diet is a reduction in risk factors for heart disease, such as reduced cholesterol and triglycerides (92, 94, 95, 96, 97).

See the article here:
9 Popular Weight Loss Diets Reviewed - Healthline

Photos show the dramatic improvement in Helen Armstrong's health after adopting a plant-based diet (Photo: Supplied to Plant Based News. Do not use without permission)

When 76-year old Helen Armstrongs daughter moved in with her during the coronavirus lockdown, neither of them could have known the impact it would have on her life.

Armstrong, who lives in Doncaster, has suffered with many long-term chronic conditions - diabetes, arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, chronic constipation, and bipolar disorder - and was virtually bedbound when the order came for the vulnerable to be shielded.

Just before lockdown, her daughter, 49-year-old Belinda White, was called to her mothers house. Paramedics had already visited, and when White arrived,Armstrongwas hanging off her chair, unresponsive.

Together with her carers, White got her mother back into bed but by that evening, it was clear she needed more help. White called the paramedics back. They feared Armstrong may have sepsis or coronavirus and wanted to admit her but taking her to hospital was risky.

In the end, a doctor prescribed antibiotics and saidArmstrongcould stay at home so long as White stayed with her, and so long as she was brought in if her condition worsened.

"Those first few days were harrowing," White said in a statement sent to Plant Based News. "Her carers were trying to help me lift her upright as the tablets wouldnt go down while she was in bed. Mum was in agony being moved to be cleaned. Her eyes were sunken and her lips and fingers looked blue."

White made the choice to cancel the carers to remove the risk of them bringing the virus into Armstrong's home, and to isolate alone with her mum.

White called the adult social care team who she described as 'angels' adding: "They provided an electric bed, a wheelchair which was also a commode and could be used in the shower, and a turning plate."

And that is how the mother and daughter started their quarantine together at the end of March.

Belinda White made her mothersmoothies, fruits, salads, steamed veggies, roasted veggies, whole grains, plant-based bacon, noodles and wholegrain rice (Photo: Adobe. Do not use without permission)

White is a nutritionist and yoga teacher, and she put into practice all she knew from her own work and studies. At first,Armstrongdidnt want to eat at all, and so White kept her hydrated until she was ready for food.

"When she did start to eat she only wanted melon," saidWhite. "I gave her bowls full of it, and soon she began to manage smoothies, too. I packed them with delicious fruits and greens. She wanted fruit like it was a drug!"

From there,Whiteoffered her smoothies, fruits, salads, steamed veggies, roasted veggies, whole grains, plant-based bacon, noodles and wholegrain rice. In short, she fed her mum a vegan whole food diet.

This is a far cry from whatArmstronghad previously eaten - a typical diet of microwave meals, bacon sandwiches, fish and chips, roast meat dinners, cakes and convenience foods. Things started to change.

Whitebought a blood pressure monitor and a blood glucose monitor and kept track of her mum's metrics. She saw her mum starting to gain strength. After four weeks of consistent improvement,Whitehad a phone consultation with the doctor. From the readings she was able to provide, and from the improvementsArmstronghad made, he advised her thatArmstrongcould come off some of her medications.

Armstrongcontinued to regain her strength.

"She started talking about the past, and answering questions on the quiz shows we watched. It was like watching someone waking up from a coma, said White.

"She lost some weight and started to glow. She has used a Zimmer frame for years but because her strength seemed to be racing back I ordered a walking stick, and the miracle happened - she ditched the frame and began to stand up straight again."

The photos show the stark improvement Helen has made in just six weeks, from a pale, bedbound, elderly patient to a youthful, smiling woman with a twinkle in her eye and a lot of life yet to live.

So, what did Helen Armstrong make of the food, of ditching her old ways of eating in favor of a whole foods plant-based diet?

She told us: "All of the food I have had has been lovely. I cant tell the difference with the bacon and I dont miss bacon at all as it was tough and gristly compared to this vegan bacon. I love it with tomato and mushrooms. The green juices took some getting used to, but they are ok. The apples make them sweeter."

But the best news of all, she says: "I feel 100 percent better and I am in less pain. I sleep all night, I am sleeping better than ever. I feel brand new."

More here:
Chronically Ill Pensioner Transforms Her Health On Plant-Based Diet - Plant Based News

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson comes in many forms the Men's Health cover institution is a philanthropist, a tequila maker, a father of three, ex-professional football player-turned-serial weightlifter, wrestler and a cheat day destroyer. At one point, he was also Hercules the Greek hero and god at the forefront of 2014's release of the same name, directed by Brett Ratner.

The film, while polarising with critics, gained attention and press in other areas. Namely, DJ's enormous, battle-hardened physique that was worthy of Olympus itself. It was the result of a challenging task to realistically portray an ancient Greek demigod that was approached with a hardcore workout (more on that later) and a daunting shift in caloric intake.

Cue Dwayne Johnson's '12 Labours' diet: an absolute behemoth of an eating plan that saw the six-foot-five Hercules star, consuming seven meals a day across a 22-week plan. "For 'Hercules,' I went for the demigod look: big and mean. When you're playing a character like the son of Zeus, you only get one shot," said Johnson.

"The intensity of the training was definitely up, as was the volume of training. I really wanted to make it the definitive version of Hercules. We wanted to make it darker in tone and we based it off Steve Moore and Admira Wijaya's 'Hercules: The Thracian Wars' graphic novel, which is pretty dark."

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

To help fuel this extreme workout programme which was almost half a year long Johnson needed calories. Lots of them. In a Tweet from 2014, captioned: "our training is key, but diet is crucial", DJ shared the precise details of his immense meal plan. They were as follows.

"It was all about hard work, discipline, and balance. I had carbs with every meal, so there was always a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats," DJ explained. To help put this nutritional payload to work, Johnson dedicated an equally impressive amount of time into training.

"I start working out pretty early, around 4 a.m. When I'm filming, I do cardio and I lift before going to set. I train about six days a week, and even when I'm not filming I get up between 3 and 5 a.m. just to train. I love training when the sun is coming up because it allows me to put on my headphones and step off the crazy treadmill that is everyone's life. I have my headphones on and I'm listening to my music, and I'm 100 percent focused. There's no wasted time or effort when it comes to me and the weights," he explained.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

"I work out for about 90 minutes, or maybe an hour and 45 minutes. When I hit the gym, I'm coming! I train hard, I come to kick ass clanging and banging. With something like "Hercules," I was in costume and make-up for a few hours before shooting, so I'd have to get in the workout early." According to Military.com, Dwayne Johnson's Hercules chest workout looked a little like this:

Plus, his arms and abs session looks just as hardcore:

Sign up to the Men's Health newsletter and kickstart your home body plan. Make positive steps to become healthier and mentally strong with all the best fitness, muscle-building and nutrition advice delivered to your inbox.

SIGN UP

For effective home workouts, uplifting stories, easy recipes and advice you can trust, subscribe to Men's Health UK today

SUBSCRIBE

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

See the original post here:
The '12 Labours' Diet Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Used to Build Mass Quickly for Hercules - Men's health UK

Page 113«..1020..112113114115..120130..»

Home » Diets that Work » Page 113