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Should women be eating differently from men? How do the ideal diets for men and women compare? The answer is, to use the very common phase, same-same but different. The nutritional requirements for men and women are very similar, but there are significant differences in dietary details that women need to pay attention to, experts say.

Men and women are 98.5 per cent identical in their DNA, and their nutritional needs are more similar than different. Thats true for carbohydrates and proteins but not for fats, vitamins and minerals, says Dr Wafaa Ayesh, Director, Clinical Nutrition at Dubai Health Authority.

It comes down to biology, explains UK-qualified nutritionist, wellbeing expert and author Laura Holland. Women have monthly menstrual cycles and go through pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. For these reasons their requirements for minerals and vitamins are higher than for men, she says.

Iron and calcium are crucial for womens health, she suggests that women at any stage of their lives will benefit from the improved hormonal balance and better energy levels that come with iron- and calcium-rich foods such as seaweeds, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, avocados and dried fruits. We dont need more endless lists of what we should be eating, rather better guidance in becoming more aware of our bodys signals of imbalance and how to address this relative to our unique biology and biography!

- Dr Wafaa Ayesh, Director, Clinical Nutrition, DHA

Its important that women focus on themselves, Holland adds. Women are carers, usually of everyone else before themselves, this is the real challenge that we need to address to really help women to feel good whilst accomplishing all the amazing things that are being witnessed today. Their success should not be at the cost of their health and wellbeing, nutrition is a wonderful way to begin re-prioritising.

An age -related approach

With that in mind, Better Health asked the nutritionists to recommend the correct nutrition approaches for adult women across different age groups, from young adults to women in their golden years. Heres what they had to say:

Young adults

Women aged 19-30 need about 1,800 to 2,200 calories a day with 3 hours of physical activity per week, says Alaa Takidin, Clinical Dietitian, Canadian Specialist Hospital. She recommends a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds. Young adults should focus on important vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron and vitamins A, C, D and B complex. This is when you need to make sure youre drinking enough water and taking in enough sodium and fibre.

Consider eating more sweet potatoes, whole grains, oats, quinoa, beans and lentils, rather than sugary white bread and pasta, adds Holland. [Look for] complex carbohydrates to feed the brain for studying and to encourage sustainable energy and balanced blood sugar, which will help the mood too!

Child-bearing years

While its hard to delineate the best age to become a mother, women who are readying for motherhood, pregnant or breastfeeding, require a varied and balanced diet. A varied and balanced diet from the preconception period is essential for maternal well-being and favourable outcomes of pregnancy, Dr Wafaa says, adding that women in even the most industrialised societies have unsatisfactory diets in pregnancy and lactation.

Ensure youre getting enough Omega-3 fatty acid, iron, iodine, calcium, folic acid and Vitamin D. That means adding oily fish such as sardines or salmon, meat, beans, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and dairy products to your plate, as well as making sure you get enough sunlight. At this stage, think about your body mass index, she adds. Very high or low BMI over 35 or under 20, respectively is associated with difficulties in conceiving, complications during pregnancy, labour and delivery, and increased risk to the baby. Any disordered eating present must be addressed before weight gain or loss is encouraged.

Besides the recommendations for young adults, Takidin adds a few recommendations: Stay hydrated, dont skip meals especially breakfast, ensure regular physical activity, eat in moderation, and snack on healthy foods.

Pre-menopause

A woman in her 40s generally begins to think more carefully about her health. At such a time, women need 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day with three hours of physical activity per week, Takidin says. She recommends eating a diet high in whole foods and fibre, with plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, high-quality protein and dairy products, as well as foods rich in phytoestrogen (plant-based compounds that mimic the effect of estrogen in the body), and calcium to support bone health.

Think flaxseeds, chia seeds, organic tempeh, organic soya milk, broccoli, seeds, oily fish, almonds, organic live yoghurt, explains Holland. This is also when you need to think about limiting saturated fats, highly refined carbs, sugar and caffeine, Dr Wafaa says. And quit smoking if you smoke cigarettes, she adds.

Menopause

The transition into your post-reproductive years occurs on average between the ages of 45 and 55, but theres no fixed age range. The hormonal changes that your body faces at this point may force you to think about keeping the weight off while getting more exercise. With menopause come metabolic changes, reduced bone density and an increased risk of heart disease, Dr Wafaa says. Many women also face unpleasant symptoms, such as hot flashes and poor sleep. She recommends turning your attention to whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, high-quality protein and dairy products, and says phytoestrogens and healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids from fish, may also help.

You should be thinking about nutrient-rich foods that are low in calories to stay within your 1800-2,000 calorie daily limit. A varied, whole-food diet that you enjoy and find easy for you to digest, making sure to minimise sugar and anything that you know doesnt work for your body, Holland says. Think of a good selection of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans and whatever protein sources feel good for your body.

Post-menopause

By now somewhere in your 50s on average youll have begun to eat much more in line with your bodys needs, and its important to stay with a low-sugar diet thats rich in calcium, vitamin D, fibre, phytoestrogens and omega-3 fatty acids, Takidin says. She suggests aiming for 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day, depending on how active you are.

Other lifestyle factors become important at this point in your life, Dr Wafaa says, adding that theres always room to improve your health habits. This may mean being extra diligent about following a healthy diet and getting more physical activity. You may need to focus on weight loss but avoid fad diets and while any movement is better than none, energetic workouts can help keep your weight in check. Poor sleep quality may be an issue, and this can compound problems with weight gain so practice good sleep habits, she says. Thats advice that should stand you in good stead throughout your life.

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The definitive guide to women's nutrition | Health - Gulf News

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Dante Coxspends a lot of time at the Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover. Not only does he work 40 hours a week as a bartender at the hotels restaurant the Prime Rib, he also trains and boxes professionally in the casinos boxing series.

The 29-year-old Anne Arundel County resident got his start competing in mixed martial arts in Las Vegas before moving to DC in 2015 to pursue boxing. While Cox says he was initially nervous about getting in the game at a later age than most professional boxers, hes found a good spot at the casino. (The restaurant even named a specialty cocktail after his boxing nickname, The Red Comet.)

There is a special rush that comes from fighting in what is essentially your home, he says. My coworkers from all parts of the casino come to cheer me on. Its like Im the home team and it gives me an extra boost.

Heres how he gets it done:

Ive managed to find a balance between work outside the gym and work inside the gym. Both are really important to me. Depending on how late I worked the night before, I try to get to the gym by 9 AM and train until about noon. Sometimes I will go to another gym after my first session to do strength training before I clock into work at 4 PM.

Most of the time, I dont eat anything before going to the gym. I feel like I get the best out of my body training on an empty stomach.But I do like to eat, and I am very mindful about what I put into my body. I look to food as a source of fuel and always think about what it will do for my performance. Right now, my diet is 90-percent plant-based. My body feels cleaner and performs better with a diet heavy in fruits and veggies, both raw and cooked, with a lot of smoothies and shakes mixed in.

One of my favorite smoothie combinations includes beets, coconut water, turmeric, and ginger, with some fruit to give it some sweetness. Beets reduce inflammation and are also a great pre-workout performance booster. When Im working at the Prime Rib, one of my favorite things to eat is the Buzzs Salad with romaine hearts, tomato, avocado, egg, Pecorino Romano, and a white balsamic vinaigrette.

Right before a fight, I change my diet to prepare for the weigh-in. Just as I weigh my body, I weigh my food with a digital scale and eat a lot of sashimi and seaweed salad. These foods pack in a lot of healthy nutrients with little weight.

I work 40 hours,four days a week at the restaurant. I get in around 3:30 PM to prepare the bar before we open at 5 PM. On weekdays, I work until around 11 PM, giving me plenty of time to rest before training at 9 AM the following morning. On weekends I work later, until 1 am, but I dont train on Saturdays, so staying out late doesnt affect my mornings too much. I still try to find time to have a little fun.

I exercise daily for boxing and incorporate strength training several times a week. For strength training, I do circuit-based body-weight activities and basic deadlifts. One of my favorite exercises currently is using the battle rope for a three-minute round of six exercises, each for 30 seconds. This is the same time as a boxing round, so if I can do the six exercises for three minutes, I know Ill be in good shape come fight time. Cryotherapy is big part of my recovery process. It has the same anti-inflammatory benefits as an ice bath, but you dont have to be in the cold for as long.

Motivation isnt hard to come by in boxing, especially if you want to be considered among the elite. Fighters you meet and train with always seem to be pushing themselves, trying to get to the next level. Ultimately, I feel if you want the best motivation, look in the mirror. Use yourself.

Its important to have downtime in this balance of work and training. I really enjoy reading Japanese manga, watching anime, and getting some gaming in as well. I also had the chance to do some commenting on a WBGR broadcast of a casino boxing event and would love to do more of that in the future.

Exercise and health have always been a huge part of my life. As a child, I spent a lot of time at the gym since my mother was a personal trainer. Fitness and wellness are two values I grew up with, and Ive always tried to incorporate fitness into my life. Couple that with the fact that Bruce Lee was my childhood role model, so by the time I was a teen, my mind was made up.

Starting at the late age of 19, I definitely had thoughts of its too late popping into my head. I decided to surround myself with strong-willed, motivated, and hardworking people, both in the gym and at the restaurant, and I have to say being in that environment has greatly impacted my growth as a boxer, despite the age at which I started.

My biggest accomplishment has been getting started on this journey in the first place. I began my professional boxing career at a later age than most, but I didnt let it affect my positive outlook and plans to have a great career in the sport.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Associate Editor

Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She previously was the editorial assistant at Walter Magazine in Raleigh, North Carolina, and her work has appeared in Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Adams Morgan.

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How a Professional Boxer Balances Bartending 40 Hours a Week, Three-Hour Workouts, and Maintaining a Plant-Based Diet - Washingtonian

You havent been eating your greens all these years just to appease your grandparents, parents, concerned uncles and doctors, have you? The latest research suggests that your diet doesnt just affect your physical health, it plays a significant role in regulating your mood and mental health as well.

Here's how: low blood sugar, low levels of hydration, use of alcohol and caffeine can all affect our mood that can devolve into feeling anxious. Similarly, eating meals at different times every day, without a set routine can also lead to hypoglycemia and cause emotional dysregulation.

Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.

Recently, a large study done by the University of Toronto looked into the connection between diet and the chances of getting an anxiety disorder. The study, published in theInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that unhealthy diets caused significant emotional impairment and were one of the risk factors for anxiety disorders.

All of this leads us to one clear conclusion: well-balanced diets that consist of complex carbohydrates, proteins, fruits and vegetables are our best bet for overall good health. But how do you get the requisite three to five servings of fruit-and-veg daily, without getting tired of eating the same seasonal fruits every day? Here are some ideas:

Getting the requisite servings of fruits and vegetables can feel boring and repetitive. Here are some ways you can make these targets more appetizing:

1. Start right:Include fruits and vegetables in your breakfast to get off to the right start and cover a part of the requirement before you even leave home. Have a banana or an apple as youre getting ready. Or a mushroom and spinach omelette. You can also add grilled tomatoes to your egg sandwich or have a hearty with vegetable juice with carrots and apple. A spinach-banana smoothie is another winning combo.

2. Keep the fruit visible:This is a handy trick since fruit is inviting to look at and is an easy snack to consume. If the fruit is accessible as you are leaving the house, or foraging for food, you are more likely to eat it over sugary snacks. Try setting up a gorgeous fruit basket in your living room, and notice if it encourages you to grab an extra orange while watching TV or guava on your way out of the house for work.

3. Make desserts a little healthier:Desserts allow us a touch of indulgence - often it is not practical to give them up entirely but you can modify desserts to remove the sugar and add fruit for sweetness instead. Try using a mix of fruits - mix seasonal berries with cream for a quick treat. Or have a baked pear with honey and walnuts if your sweet tooth can wait for the 40 minutes it takes to prepare this dish.

The recent study in Canada focused on women and found that those who consumed less than three fruits and vegetables a day had 24% higher odds of getting anxiety disorders. Diets lacking balance and containing a limited amount of fruits and vegetables were associated with being overweight. If total body fat exceeded 36%, the likelihood of having an anxiety disorder increased significantly - by 70%.

Poor diets leading to excess body mass are known to cause inflammation in the body which, in turn, can cause anxiety. Consuming highly processed foods and avoiding nutrient-dense ones can lead to nutrient deficiencies and lead to inflammation as well.

An emerging field of study, the gut-brain axis is beginning to show the relationship between gut health and emotional wellbeing. The neurotransmitter serotonin is synthesized mostly by the gut microbiome (about 95% receptors are also in the lining of the gut) and alterations in this chemical affect brain functioning and mental health.

In short, eating at least three pieces of fruit a day and an equal number of veggies daily is the key to fitness as well as happiness. Eat five, and you get a thumbs-up from preventive cardiologists, too!

Read HowFruits Lower the Risk of Depressionfor more information.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

Updated Date: Feb 28, 2020 14:28:25 IST

Tags : Balanced Diet, Benefits Of Fruit, Diet And Anxiety, Diet And Depression, Diet And Mood, Diet For Good Mood, Diet News, Diet Study, Fruit In Diet, Good Diet News, Happiness Diet, Is Fruit Good For Health, NewsTracker, Vegetables For Health, Weight Loss

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Live to eat: How to add the right number of fruits and veggies to your daily diet - Firstpost

That pixie cut seemed like a good idea at the time. But nowyoure staring in the mirror, and the reflection looking back is more, Eek!than chic.

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Is there anything (anything?!) you can do to speed up the growing-out process? Dermatologist Wilma Bergfeld, MD, gives us the long and short of it.

The hair on your head grows in cycles. At any time, about80% of your hair is actively growing. The remaining strands are either in aresting state or preparing to die and fall out.

If your hair is shedding like crazy, see a doctor to rule out any illnesses or nutrient deficiencies that might be responsible. But if scissors not shedding are at the root of your problem, youll have to summon some patience: Hair grows a measly 4 to 6 inches per year.

When you want your hair to hurry up and grow already, Dr.Bergfeld recommends these tips:

Take care of your health issues, she says. Hormonal abnormalities, anemia and other nutrient deficiencies can short-circuit the growth pattern. Before experimenting with supplements and vitamins, Dr. Bergfeld recommends having your doctor do some tests to identify any possible deficiencies.

A well-rounded, nutritious diet is important for head-to-toe health, including the hairs on your head. Avoid diets that cut out entire food groups, Dr. Bergfeld cautions. And if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, make sure youre getting all the protein types and nutrients your body needs. A doctor or dietitian can help you create a well-balanced eating plan.

Hair thats weak and damaged will break long before it reaches great lengths (or even medium lengths). Avoid bleach and chemical treatments that can damage hair.

Like chemicals, heat styling can damage your hair. Try to avoid frequent blowouts and step away from the curling iron. If you cant resist, use a heat protectant before you style.

Fine, coarse, curly, colored different hair types have different needs. If your hair is dry, for instance, wash it less frequently and use a heavier conditioner. If your hair is fine or very curly, it can be easily damaged. Avoid brushing while its wet and use products designed for your hair type.

Scheduling a haircut can feel counterproductive when you want your hair to get longer. But regular trims keep hair from breaking and getting even shorter, Dr. Bergfeld notes.

Split ends run up the hair fiber like a rip in your stockings. You need to clip those off.

Look to the root of the problem, Dr. Bergfeld suggests. If your scalp is itchy or flaky, that translates to inflammation, which turns off hair growth. To keep your scalp happy, try anti-dandruff shampoos or avoid heavily fragranced shampoos and conditioners, which can irritate sensitive skin. If your scalp is healthy, your hair will be the best it can be, she says.

Dr. Bergfeld adds that its best to skip shampoos and serums that claim to contain hair-growing vitamins. Those dont penetrate the hair, she explains.

Sadly, theres no magic formula to transform you into Rapunzel at least not yet. Major cosmetic houses have some of the best chemical scientists in the world, she says. Lots of researchers are working on this.

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Is There Any Way to Make Your Hair Grow Faster? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

I believe convenience, time and lack of discipline are three blockages that can be hard to work with. Changing habits takes a discipline and if a person is not committed its easy to deviate from a healthier routine. Being busy, which is part of our culture, can make eating healthier and spending time getting exercise a little harder because it might be more convenient to just grab food out, rather than taking lunch or forgoing exercise to work longer or sleep longer.

As a part of my series about 5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve Ones Wellbeing, I had the pleasure of interviewing Val Minos. Val has been practicing yoga for 18 years and teaching for over five years. When she teaches she tries to create an experience for students that will leave them feeling strong, powerful and flexibility both physically and mentally. She currently teaches private and group yoga classes and is a holistic wellness coach both online and in-person, while also spending time writing on her blog where she speaks to yoga, holistic nutrition and wellness.

Thank you so much for doing this with us, Val! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share with us the story about how you first got involved in fitness and wellness?

Istarted swimming and dancing when I was 8. When I was 10, I started running and have been a distance runner ever since. Spending much of my life as an athlete, yoga seemed like the next step which has allowed me to slow down, listen and enhance inner and outer strength and flexibility.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

When I was a public educator, I would teach yoga to my kindergarten students. It turned out one of my students dads, who was single, was interested in yoga because his 5 year old would tell him about the poses she did in school. We ended up bonding over our similar interests in yoga and wellness. Eight years later, hes my husband and we practice yoga together while our four year old jumps all over us!

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

When I started teaching yoga and fitness classes I was really bad at keeping my left and rights straight. I would say left when I was stepping my right foot forward and have to correct myself. Its gotten better but now I have decided to laugh and make little jokes about any mistakes or mixups. It helps my students to see that Im human and that I dont take myself too seriously.

Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fitness and wellness field? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?

After spending almost two decades working in health and fitness as a school classroom and physical education teacher, yoga instructor and holistic wellness coach on top of living with an autoimmune disease, I have found that family, friends and fitness class students have asked for help. Living with Celiac Disease means I have to be careful with my dietary choices and I have days where I need to tone exercise down. Im able to support clients in picking up the intensity to get results while allowing for self-care and down time.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I taught yoga, mostly for free my first year after teacher training mainly because I lived in a small town that only had two yoga studios and too many yoga teachers to count. I took a year off from my full-time job to have a child and focus on making private yoga my new career. Being super pregnant and later having a newborn, proved to be very difficult in starting a brand new business all on my own. I ended up getting a very flexible yoga teaching position at a local recreation center. It turned into the best opportunity. I build many relationships that ended up allowing me to continue to grow my yoga business by teaching private groups and at a local private golf club community. I owe the coordinators at the recreation center a lot for taking a chance on a pregnant lady with a dream!

Ok thank you for all that. Now lets move to the main focus of our interview. We all know that its important to eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, exercise more, and get better sleep etc. But while we know it intellectually, its often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the 3 main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives?

I believe convenience, time and lack of discipline are three blockages that can be hard to work with. Changing habits takes a discipline and if a person is not committed its easy to deviate from a healthier routine. Being busy, which is part of our culture, can make eating healthier and spending time getting exercise a little harder because it might be more convenient to just grab food out, rather than taking lunch or forgoing exercise to work longer or sleep longer.

Can you please share your 5 Non-Intuitive Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve Ones Wellbeing? (Please share a story or an example for each, and feel free to share ideas for mental, emotional and physical health.)

As an expert, this might be obvious to you, but I think it would be instructive to articulate this for the public. Aside from weight loss, what are 3 benefits of daily exercise? Can you explain?

Numerous studies have been done showing that exercise helps fight many life threatening illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Exercise can also help improve cognitive function for a time after exercise. It also boosts mood!

For someone who is looking to add exercise to their daily routine, which 3 exercises would you recommend that are absolutely critical?

Strength training, aerobic exercise and stretching is very important for aging. Specific exercises would depend on the person and her/his current activity level. Walking or biking might be a great way to start with aerobic exercise. Starting with simple body weight exercises like push-ups, planks and air squats would be a great place to start for strength training. Yoga or pilates are good places to start for working on flexibility.

In my experience, many people begin an exercise regimen but stop because they get too sore afterwards. What ideas would you recommend to someone who plays sports or does heavy exercise to shorten the recovery time, and to prevent short term or long term injury?

Making sure to stay hydrated and add protein right after or very soon after playing sports or working out can help keep the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) from kicking in at high gear. Adding some active recovery or massaging of sore spots can also help bring some relief as well. The most important thing to remember is to continue with physical activity!

There are so many different diets today. Can you share what kind of diet you follow? Which diet do you recommend to most of your clients?

Food as medicine and having Celiac Disease means I cant eat gluten but I also have other sensitivities so Ive found sticking to a grain free diet is the most helpful for me to maintain optimal health. Diets are hard to stick too and many people end up restricting food too much so I tell clients to make little sustainable changes that can be lifelong not just short term.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

Born to Run has been one of the best books Ive read in the past few years. I enjoy books that have real stories that inspire me to be better. Running has been a big part of my life and reading that book gave me the confidence to train for and run a full marathon, which is something I never thought I would do.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Using yoga and wellness practices to bring more awareness to the crisis our Earth is in. Being someone who is into health and fitness, taking care of myself goes hand in hand with taking care of the Earth. Consuming less, re-using and actively staying away from plastics and toxins as much as possible. If we put toxins into our body, we are basically undoing all the good from focusing on health and wellness.

Can you please give us your favorite Life Lesson Quote? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

Being like a tree, let the dead leaves drop. -Rumi

Ive always had a hard time letting things go. Keeping this in mind has allowed me to move forward, face things that seem scary or difficult and pursue my dreams.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them

Honestly, there is not one specific person I admire. There are traits I see in successful people that I aspire to like honesty, drive, willingness to help others and who dont apologize for their beliefs. People who stay true to themselves no matter how successful they are.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

Im on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and Facebook.

Instagram: @altyogavibe

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM2uqunvOX3k8hZhyLvuRow

Pinterest:www.pinterest.com/altyogavibe1

Facebook: @altyogavibe

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

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5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve One's Wellbeing, with Val Minos and Dr. William Seeds - Thrive Global

As a single woman, I'm familiar with those "joys of cooking for one" articles and books the pieces encouraging women to nourish themselves without needing a partner to justify the culinary effort.

It's all very romantic, the push to treat yourself as the love of your life. But I say screw self-partnering.

Instead, why not cook as if we're feeding our own imaginary kids? We all know offspring are far more special. They come from your bodily organs, whereas a partner only hails from an app or a bar.

For one week, I decided to devour this concept by eating the meals of a toddling child and reporting on my findings.

I am a childless adult, and damn do I eat like one. I love my kitchen time.

My mother is from a large Portuguese Malaysian family, so I grew up with exquisite fusion dishes that took both time and spice. I was the kid with tiered steel containers of homemade dumplings and a ginger-sesame reduction to make my white-bread peers weep.

These days, living far from home, I make an effort to cook for myself. I spend Sunday shopping for fresh produce, fondling avocados with the care of a prostate specialist, smelling herbs with the vigor of a mid-level apothecary owner in the 1600s. I spend most of the afternoon preparing meals for the week. I own seven kinds of balsamic vinegar. There's chili sauce in my bag. You get it.

It's fair to say I had the organizational, meal-prep aspect of this eating challenge covered. I just lacked the ability to keep flavors simple.

It certainly wasn't Christmas, but a tree and gingerbread person cutter were all I had first thing in the morning. Serena Coady

The last time I ate like a baby, it was when I had all four wisdom teeth extracted. The last time I ate like a toddler, I was a toddler. The last time I fed a toddler, I gave him homemade sweet-potato gnocchi with burnt sage butter. Evidently, some research was required.

According to the National Health Service, children ages 12 to 26 months old require omega-3 to support their rapidly evolving brains, iron for healthy blood, calcium for bone growth, and protein so they can get supremely jacked (just kidding).

As a vegetarian kidult, this meant I had to incorporate protein-rich ingredients like eggs, legumes, and dairy, and omega-3 rich ingredients like chia seeds and walnuts instead of fish.

I normally do this, but this time I needed to make the food bland, yet somehow more appetizing to a toddler.

The NHS also recommends avoiding salt, sugar, spice, and sweet drinks like juice or flavored milk. Another takeaway from my research is that toddlers do not drink alcohol.

Toddlers also require consistent meal times each day to regulate their appetite. For the week, I ate breakfast at 7 a.m., lunch at noon, and dinner at the humble hour of 6 p.m.

I've never loved porridge for breakfast, but apparently kids do. Or are expected to. Serena Coady

Armed with NHS knowledge and Pinterest screenshots of "colorful fun healthy kids food," I shopped for ingredients and meal-prepped for the week.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

I made sure each meal was packed with nutrients and color. It needed to look fresh, exciting, and appealing to a young child.

I also chopped everything to prevent choking. Even though I'm proud of my fully developed chewing skills, I needed to get into character.

By the end of the week, here's what I had learned.

I learned that boiled eggs are the most comforting breakfast. Serena Coady

I eat breakfast most days, but it's not a priority. I scoff Vegemite toast as I'm walking out the door or ladle granola into my mouth on the train. And when I'm hungover? Catch me in the McDonald's, station-side.

My week eating like a toddler changed this. The suggested mealtimes got me out of bed earlier than usual. Rising to prepare a filling breakfast and sitting down to enjoy it was satisfying; I was starting the day by taking quality time for myself.

One parenting guide proposed that the dining table be a distraction-free zone, so the child can focus on eating. So the phone went away. As a result, breakfast became more of a sacred time, which helped me mentally prepare for work.

Eating wholesome toddler's breakfasts also made me realize that I need to eat more in the morning. Or rather, eat differently. I usually feel hungry about two hours after breakfast and end up snacking to avoid my trademark mid-meeting stomach grumbles. After incorporating more protein into my breakfast this week, however, I remained full until lunch.

Boiled egg with soldiers was my favorite breakfast of the week. Chopping toast into fingers made me eat the bread slowly instead of wolfing it down in one heartburn-inducing chomp. It also helped me savor how delicious melted butter tastes in the morning.

This week taught me that breakfast should be enjoyable. It's a reward for bothering to wake up early.

Being this organized is fairly satisfying. Serena Coady

Sitting in the breakroom, surrounded by colleagues eating premade supermarket meals or last night's leftovers tossed into old Tupperware, I experienced a range of emotions.

My food stood out. It looked so curated. Most adults don't compartmentalize every ingredient in this way.

As I gazed down at the cheese, Emily Blunt's iconic "The Devil Wears Prada" bit came to mind: "Right before I feel I'm going to faint, I eat a cube of cheese." Perhaps my colleagues would wonder if I were on a crash diet.

At the same time, I felt strangely proud of my lunch. When I looked at the chopped carrots and perfectly bite-size tomatoes, I had to acknowledge it looked as if love had been put into it. As a child, I never fully appreciated the effort my mother put into my lunches every day. Looking back, I wish I thanked her more.

As I usually bring leftovers for lunch, having such a basic meal made me recognize the freedom that comes with not having to heat up food, too. With my packed container of goods I was more willing to head out for a picnic-style lunch. Fun!

One parenting tip I received was to finely dice prunes and sneak them into meals. I presumed this was another parental stealth tactic to summon stools out of their children, only I didn't understand just how well it would work on me. I will not be using this ingredient in the future.

Another toddler diet tip was to drink water between meals, instead of juice or milk, as these will only lead to "mealtime battles." Therefore, rather than drinking a midafternoon hot chocolate which never fails to make my jeans stress against a bloated stomach I stuck to water.

The disciplined nature of mealtimes also improved my routine. Avoiding stodgy beverages between meals and skipping beer or wine with dinner made me feel lighter and more ready to exercise later that evening.

Welcome to bland land: We don't have any condiments here. Serena Coady

Once I got into the mindset of eating to nourish a child, it was easier to refrain from eating junk and drinking alcohol. If I was in doubt about giving into my desires to demolish a block of chocolate or a pint of beer, I'd ask myself: "Would I want my niece or nephew to have this?"

One parenting guide implores parents to find out whether their child is actually hungry. "Try distracting him with a fun activity he might just be bored!" Strong4Life said. The presumption of gender aside, I figured this information would be useful.

When I found myself wanting to eat between meals, I took myself for a walk. Turns out it makes sense to step away from my desk instead of reaching for snacks.

Forgoing my standard dash of hot sauce was the most difficult part of the week, but eating basic meals with mild flavors made me appreciate the simple goodness of individual ingredients. In my typical diet, I would be less inclined to notice the sweetness of a cherry tomato or the umami hit of cheese because these would be drowning in Cholula.

In a millennial world in which Sunday drinks and midweek work meetings are likely to run overtime, I wouldn't be able to keep this rigid diet going, but there are elements I plan to take away.

By following a toddler's diet, I found that instead of lunch being leftovers, a selection of fresh vegetables that aren't just salad is an easy way to add variety to the midday meal.

By the end of the week I had given up on the cute presentation and the plastic plates. Serena Coady

I also learned that my breakfast lacks protein. I'm not being filled up with toast and granola alone. So, I'll add more protein-rich ingredients like eggs, scrambled tofu, or peanut butter to my morning routine.

In terms of mindfulness, I hope to make more time to sit down and eat breakfast. This won't be realistic on days when I'm so beer-brained I press snooze six times, but I'd like to try.

Read this article:
I ate like a toddler for a week, and it transformed my relationship with breakfast - Insider - INSIDER

Alongside that realisation was an emerging body of research that showed the body has a biological imperative to maintain its weight.

Interval Weight-Loss for Women.

The concept of the set-point theory is that our bodies attempt to regulate themselves by returning to a certain set-point when we either eat too much or not enough. In the case of not eating enough, when the diet stops as it inevitably does, the bodys evolutionary response is to store a little extra fat for the next time it is starved.

According to the theory, we can redefine our bodys set-point without dieting, removing food groups or counting calories. Rather people focus on eating whole foods, paying attention to portion sizes and satiety as well as going slowly; aiming for one month of minimal weight-loss (about two kilograms) followed by one month of maintenance to allow the body to adjust and reset.

Set-point not only helps to explain why dieting or just eating less doesnt work in the long run, but it has also changed the approach of many clinicians working in the space, including Fuller's.

His latest book is Interval Weight Loss for Women.

[Women] go through significant life events that men never have to worry about, Fuller explains. We see these struggles with patients in our clinics.

Three of the biggest life events are transitioning into adulthood, pregnancy and menopause.

Theyre buying into social media influences, they are dieting younger and they are dieting themselves into a weight problem.

Were seeing the greatest increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the young, particularly young females, Fuller says. The young are following unhealthy eating practices, theyre buying into social media influences, they are dieting younger and they are dieting themselves into a weight problem when they may not have had a weight issue.

Pregnancy and becoming a parent often means less sleep, less time, more stress and unhealthy cravings as well as a sense of pressure to return to pre-pregnancy weight, he explains.

Later on in life, there is that transition through menopause and the struggle with weight that comes with that, Fuller says. Theres a large factor going on there with sarcopenia [progressive and generalised loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength] and the declining muscle mass ... and theres also the progressive decline of oestrogen from the ovaries which make certain areas more prone to weight gain.

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On top of this, Fuller adds, is the unfair targeting of women by the weight-loss industry, which means they are more susceptible to it.

There are a few surveys out there that its something like 60 diets by mid-lifetime that women and men have been on, Fuller says, And because women are unfairly targeted and more likely to do something about it ... this leads them to gain weight quicker.

Despite the title of the book, Fuller insists his aim is to help women escape the diet trap for good and, in doing so, improve their health in the long-term.

The purpose of it is to empower, particularly women, to understand what is happening in their bodies at these times in life and if you go and react to that problem, by buying into the $100 million weight-loss industry and the shakes that go with it, you will accelerate the problem, Fuller says.

Setting goals that arent weight-loss oriented, but about family, the life people want to live or their health, is an important part of process, he adds.

The book is named weight-loss because that is unfortunately what people are reacting to in terms of their struggle, Fuller explains. People are looking for that weight-loss solution and then, when they read the information, they understand the focus needs to come away from weight-loss and towards health.

Its equipping the person with the education around weight-loss and hopefully when theyve read that information theyre able to make that shift towards health.

Interval Weight-Loss for Women, RRP $32.99, is available through Penguin Life

Sarah Berry is a lifestyle and health writer at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Read more here:
Why we need to 'overhaul' our attitude to weight - The Sydney Morning Herald

Feb 22, 2020; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jessie Vargas in training camp as he prepares for his February 29, ... [+] 2020 bout against Mikey Garcia.

Ahead of his welterweight bout against former four-division wold title holder, Mikey Garcia (39-1, 30 KOs), theres a calm in Jessie Vargas (29-2-2, 11 KOs) that seems unnatural considering he's set to square off with one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing.

Maybe, its the fact that the former two-division title holder enters as a +425 underdog at the MGM Grand Sports Book (Garcia is a -500 favorite) despite him being the bigger fighter. Maybe its because hes in his own words had the best training camp of his career. Whatever the cause of this chill demeanor, in speaking with Vargas, I quickly understood that that calm stems from his overall confidence in self and that hes already visualized solving all the challenges Garcia will present him with this Saturday on DAZN (8 p.m. ET) at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, TX.

I spoke with Vargas on what made this training camp the best ever and how he envisions a signature win against Garcia.

You mentioned in an Instagram post that this is the best camp of your life. Why has this camp been the best yet?

Its been the best one because it has all been properly organized. Im not doing too much and not doing insufficient training. Its all scheduled to how my body is feeling while still pushing me to the limit but also giving me the proper time to rest. I think thats very important for an athlete at my level. There have been no distractions whatsoever and the focus has only been on the task at hand. My moments away from the gym, Im either relaxing, doing some studying and watching my opponent or watching the sparring sessions that Ive done.

Its been very calm, but very efficient because were always working on something new. When its time to spar, its been about working to perfection and making sure that things are just as we expect when were processing a punch, a step to the side or quick head movement. Its all been working in our favor and there has been nothing but good days in this training camp.

What can you contribute to that type of positivity?

I guess you can say its the experience that I have now at 30-years-old. I just feel that I have the experience to know what I need to focus on and I have a great team that continues to push me to do better. Theyre never happy with what Im doing because its always we can do better and I love that about them. They see good things but they see ways to make things better. Im a student of the game so whenever you bring something new to me, I accept it and take it in like a sponge. The diet has been helping me to benefit me in becoming strong each and every day in the gym. I dont feel tired, exhausted or depleted. Everything has just been working out.

There is a calm to you that you typically dont see in a lot of fighters this close to a fight. How would you describe the space youre in?

Thats a good way of looking at it. I feel very calm, very efficient is the word. I train hard but I make sure I put in the time to get enough rest on a daily basis to perform better the following day. That just comes with the experience after several of years. Youre definitely going to make some mistakes in the beginning and you learn from them in training camp and you get to a position where Im at where you better understand whats at stake and the sacrifices that come with wanting to be your best.

You had to drop a considerable amount of weight, beginning around the holiday season. Was that something that was a struggle?

It wasnt that bad. The last time I fought was (last) April, so I guess I got used to it. You get used to the point where you know you have to maintain your weight and I dont like to go above 165, even on my off time. I like to stay between 160-165. I know what I like, and I know whats good for me. Ill take in as much protein as I can and as little carbs on my time off. Say in the wintertime, when Christmas hits, I might have one tamale and Ill pack on a lot of chicken on the side. I got my protein on the side and that way it feels like Im having more tamales.

I also drink a lot of water before each meal so that way I dont have the want to consume big meals. I have my own ways of cheating whenever I do want a cheat meal, but the minute that training camp begins, then everything changes. Thats when the full diet comes on. When I was moving up to 154, I was eating a lot more food and I felt like it was too much, but I would do it because I wanted to move up. At 147, Im just bringing down the portion of the meals, making sure Im taking in the proper amount of protein and the proper amount of carbs. On days where Im going to have a strong training session, I make sure to take in a ton of carbohydrates. Its a mixture when it comes to the diet and on my off time.

Feb 22, 2020; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jessie Vargas in training camp as he prepares for his February 29, ... [+] 2020 bout against Mikey Garcia.

What foods would you would consider your cheat meals?

Id say every now and then a pizza, burger. Those are the main ones with being in the U.S. and being an American (laughs). Those are definitely my weaknesses, but I also love chocolate any type of chocolate. Ever since I was a kid, I always enjoyed sweets too much of it actually. Ice cream also! Thats life for me. I love it.

Outside of the diet, what are the other methods youve used to aid in cutting weight?

In the beginning, it was longer runs just to keep the weight down and get in shape. Running steep hills just to work the legs and keep them strong. Now that its a little closer to the fight, now we start bringing in the speed and making sure that the body is performing quickly and explosively. Its all a matter of scheduling it properly. We worked the power shots at the beginning of camp and now its more of the combinations, explosive punches and now were making sure that we have quick and explosive leg movements.

At the reduce weight, in what ways do you feel different with your movements in the ring?

I feel faster and more explosive. My reaction is quick and thats going to be very important in this fight.

What do you visualize happening on Feb. 29?

I feel like its going to be a good fight. I see myself maintaining control throughout the entire fight. Garcia is going to come. Hes a warrior and I give him credit. Hes a good fighter and Im not going to take anything away from him. I think when he wants to come in, Im going to hit him until he decides to look for another alternative. Once that happens, Ill start applying the pressure and breaking him down, picking him apart little by little and shocking him with several big right hands right to the chin, which are going to be a big impact in the fight. Hes going to be surprised at the power that I possess and I see myself coming out with the victory in extraordinary fashion. After that, Mikey is still a good fighter and can still be champ at 140 pounds.

See the article here:
Despite The Odds, Jessie Vargas Expects Signature Win Over Mikey Garcia - Forbes

captionMuscle at rest burns very few calories compared to the brain, heart, and kidneys.sourceiStock

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that break down the food we eat into energy and muscle.

Though many people think that they will lose weight if they speed up their metabolism, this isnt necessarily true. Heres what you need to know about the complicated relationship between metabolism and weight-loss.

When people refer to metabolism being fast or slow what they are really referring to is a measure of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). BMR determines the number of passive calories that you burn these are the calories that your body uses up while at rest.

A popular misconception is that adding muscle will help you metabolize calories faster and while this is partially true, muscles at rest actually burn very few calories. Most of the metabolizing energy you expend is through your brain, heart, kidneys, and other organs that are constantly at work keeping you alive and healthy.

There is evidence that cardiovascular exercise can help boost your metabolism for a short period after you work out, but this effect only lasts for an hour or so and is not usually enough to cause significant weight loss.

Theres also the myth that eating certain foods will speed up your metabolism. But the reality is that even if certain foods can affect your BMR its not nearly enough to make a noticeable difference in your weight. In order to lose weight, you must create a deficit between the calories you consume through food and the calories you burn through a combination of diet, physical activity, and passive metabolic processes that are largely out of your control.

The sad truth is that its hard to change your BMR in any significant way. The fact that some people naturally have a faster BMR than others is largely due to genetics.

A review, published in 2011 in Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, that examined 9 twin studies and 19 family studies found that metabolic syndrome and some of the symptoms associated with it including obesity, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance are common among families, suggesting a significant heritability factor.

The exception to this rule comes up only for rare illnesses like Cushings syndrome or hypothyroidism, which both slow metabolism.

As you age, your metabolism becomes less efficient, or what we think of as slowing down, says Heather Seid, a registered dietician and Bionutrition Program Manager at Columbia University.

There are many reasons your metabolism slows down, including losing muscle mass and changes in your cells. But the main reason for metabolism change is that people become less active as they get older.

Unfortunately, you cant completely stop your metabolism from slowing down as you age but exercise may give you a boost. Studies show that keeping active as you grow older can help curb a metabolism slowdown.

Read more here:
How metabolism works and why you cant speed it up to lose weight - Business Insider

When financial journalist Janet Alvarez left business school in 2011, she was buried under a $150,000 mountain of student loans and medical debt.

It was incredibly stressful, Alvarez tells NBC News BETTER.

Alvarez lost her high-paying job as a communications director for a financial firm during the 2008 recession, and used the opportunity to go back to school. In 2011, she graduated with an MBA from Arizona State University, but was unable to nab a lucrative job at the time. The first gig she landed was as a finance writer a job that paid less than 40 percent of what she used to make. Whats more, she lost her health insurance while she was unemployed, and an unexpected illness left her swimming in medical bills.

Combining budgeting techniques with financial acumen, Alvarez slowly started to dig herself out of debt. While it was hard, Alvarez, 40, says the experience has given her the confidence to manage her finances when times get tough.

There is always something to be done, there are always ways to improve your situation, and no bad situation lasts forever, she says.

Heres how Alvarez, now the executive editor of Wise Bread, a personal finance website, climbed out of debt in just 6 years.

The first thing I did was start calling all of my student loan servicing companies federal and private loans negotiating lower interest rates where possible, putting loans on autopay, and finding other ways to reduce the interest rates for the federal loans, she says.

Alvarez managed to get on an income-based repayment program, a program for borrowers with federal student loan debt that allows them to lower their payments based on their income, she says.

While these types of programs can be beneficial, she says its important to understand that they are dependent on the government.

Be aware that just because you sign up for public student loan forgiveness programs, you sign up for income-based repayment, they may not be here 5, 10 or 15 years from now, she says. So you really need to plan ahead for that possibility.

Also, be prepared to be taxed on any student loans the government forgives, she says, since these loans will be treated as taxable income.

Alvarez became proactive about tackling her medical debt. She called up the hospital and physicians groups she owed money to. In talking to them, she learned of a number of medical assistance programs that could help reduce the amount she owed.

These programs apply even for people who are middle income in many cases, she says. Dont assume that you necessarily have income that is too high to qualify. In my case, it wiped out a significant portion of my debt pretty quickly, so then what I was working with was credit card debt, personal debt, and federal loan debt.

Even after landing her first job out of graduate school, Alvarez never stopped looking for new opportunities. She took on various side hustles, and continued to apply for jobs until she managed to find employment that was higher paying.

That enabled me to start paying off my debt much more quickly, she says.

A piece of advice I would give everyone is that like dieting, creating a budget requires you to feel a sense of restriction, and you dont want to restrict too much all at once, because youll go on a binge or youll end up on a diet youll give up on the budget, says Alvarez.

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To avoid this, she advises cutting back only on the expenses you arent going to miss.

For Alvarez, who enjoys eating out on a regular basis, slashing dining from her budget didnt seem like a realistic long-term goal to save money. Instead, she decided to cut back on housing. Living in a big, fancy apartment, she says, just wasnt that important to her.

For me, it was less painful to reduce my housing costs and to reduce my transportation cost because those things mattered less to me and so it doesnt feel like denial, she says.

Alvarez moved from her apartment in Palo Alto, California to a much smaller one about 10 minutes away that cost about $900 less in rent. She was able to use that savings to pay down a significant portion of her debt. She says she also negotiated a rent freeze with her landlord.

If you have a history of good on-time payments for rentals, theres no reason why you cant approach your landlord or your rental agency, and ask them to keep your rent steady once your lease renews, she says. More often than not, youll be successful. Many management companies and landlords are eager to keep good tenants people who dont cause trouble or pay their rent on time.

She says that slashing her expenses and using her savings to pay off debt helped her build up the confidence to stick to her long-term goal.

To pay off her debt as quickly as possible, Alvarez says she used the snowball method. The popular technique, created by businessman Dave Ramsey, requires you to continue paying the same amount on your debt even as you pay down your loans. For example, lets say you have five debts totaling $1,000 a month, and you paid off one of them, bringing the total down to $900. Using the snowball method, you would continue contributing $1,000 a month until all loans are paid off in full, allowing you to pay it off much faster than if you only paid the minimum.

The snowball method is wonderful because it allows you to start with your smallest debt, and once you pay that off you can use the extra money that you have now thats not going towards that debt and apply it to your next biggest debt, Alvarez says.

Once you start mastering your smallest debts, she says, you begin to build the confidence to tackle the larger ones. Plus, she adds, youll have more money to throw at them.

I really found that to be pretty successful in my case, she says, because at the time I really needed the motivation. I really needed to believe that I could handle the amount of debt that I was in.

But she says the snowball method isnt for everyone.

If youre someone who really feels confident in your ability to master debt, if youre somebody who has mastered debt before, if youre somebody whos really pretty financially literate, then it could be wiser to start paying down the debt with the highest interest rate first, she says.

Alvarez took advantage of various rewards programs layering the points and rewards on top of each other to maximize her savings.

I would say that I probably employ dining rewards, transportation rewards programs, cash back rewards, major retailers that I shop at regularly, and then cashback rewards, and then all the points from all of the credit card programs that I use, she says.

By stacking these rewards programs, she manages to receive about 5-7 percent cashback total on all of her expenses for the year, she says.

Thats very significant in my case, she says, that adds up to $5,000 a year thats extra money that I can use for the snowball method and continue applying it towards my debt.

To get started, Alvarez recommends beginning with a category where you spend money the most. For example, if youre someone who regularly shops online, you should look for rewards programs from internet retailers. If youre someone who travels frequently, look into travel rewards and credit cards that give you cash back for travel, as well as hotels and car rental companies that also offer rewards.

In my case, I eat out a lot, so I started dining rewards, Alvarez says, adding: Im finding that Im getting something like $150 worth of free dinners a month.

While Alvarez was paying off her debt, she also built up an emergency fund. She says it's important to have about three months worth of living expenses saved for emergencies.

Its better to have $5,000 in savings and $5,000 in debt, than no debt and no savings, she says. Because if you find yourself with no debt and suddenly your car breaks down or you have a medical expense, you have nothing in savings to pay it off with, and then youre in debt again.

When building your emergency fund, she recommends putting .50 cents of each dollar towards debt and putting the other half in your emergency fund until you have enough saved. She recommends contributing any windfalls to your emergency fund, including work bonuses or financial gifts from family and friends.

Alvarez, who now lives in Philadelphia, says combining these techniques got her out of debt by 2017.

It felt like I was where I needed to be; it felt like freedom, she says.

After a recent divorce, however, she has accrued some debt again, and she is still paying off federal student loans, she says. But shes confident she will be able to pay it off.

I know I have the skill set, I know I have the tools to handle this, too, she says.

Want more tips like these? NBC News BETTER is obsessed with finding easier, healthier and smarter ways to live. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Go here to read the rest:
The financial tactics this woman used to pay off $150,000 in six years - NBC News

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