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As summer approaches, looking good in a swim suit is on everyones mind. A quick Google search of, tips for weight loss will result in a lot of conflicting information that is largely unreliable. Sometimes you just need to take the word of an expert someone with years of experience shedding pounds, building muscle, and staying in shape.

The Daily Meal spoke with bodybuilding champ turned personal chef Carlo Filippone to talk about transitioning from the gym to the kitchen, clean eating, weight loss, and how to get defined abs for summer. Filippone is currently the personal chef for model and actor Tyson Beckford, and if youve ever seen Beckford (clothed or shirtless), youll realize that Filippone really knows what hes talking about.

The Daily Meal: What was the hardest part of transitioning from body builder to chef?

Carlo Filippone: Food has always been something that I loved. Creating healthy meals came very natural to me. That being said, I had to give very strong consideration to the menu items I created. I had to ensure that every menu item was not only nutritious, but delicious and appealing as well. Bodybuilders diets typically aren't the most flavorsome!

Is there a particular abs diet that helps get that six pack?

No two metabolisms are created equal, so when it comes to getting defined abs, each case is unique. However, there are some universal pointers that transcend natural genetic differences, such as consistent clean eating, moderate aerobic activity, moderate anaerobic activity, and mental stability.

A great dietary measuring stick from a macronutrient perspective is the 80/20 rule where you consume a combined 80 percent of your daily calories from lean proteins and complex carbohydrates and only 20 percent of your calories from fats. A great rule of thumb is to consume 50 percent of your calories from lean proteins (lean poultry, lean white fish, egg whites, and lean cuts of red meat) and 30 percent of your calories from complex carbohydrate sources (oats, potatoes, yams, rice, quinoa) and only 20 percent of your calories from fats (stick to olive oils, raw nuts, avocados, coconut oil, macadamia nut oil). Combine that formula with a healthy dose of physical activity and reduced-stress levels... and you have a perfect recipe!

Is there a safe way to lose five pounds in a week?

Yes! Some people will tell you to work out twice per day or hit the sauna or something of that nature, however... Most people's diets are so bad that simply cutting out simple sugars will work (sweetened beverages are the biggest culprits). Think about this: A Grande Frappuccino from Starbucks contains 72 grams of carbohydrates 69 of those from simple sugars! If you consume one per day, you would be consuming almost 2,000 calories from sugar in just the Frappuccino alone! And if youre not consuming sugars, then consider your sodium intake! Eliminating sodium-laden foods could immediately drop your body weight by eliminating water-retention.

What percentage body fat do you need to be before your abs are defined?

I've seen great ab definition in people with three percent body fat and then I've seen great ab definition in people with 20 percent body fat! Again, it comes down to genetics however, most of us fall into the eight to fifteen percent body fat bracket in order to show true abdominal definition.

What are the best foods to eat before (and after) lifting weights?

If you are going to consume fresh fruit... this is the time to do it! The natural sugars will elevate your blood-sugar levels prior to your workout and help them rebound post workout. If you are not a fruit person, then starchy "white" carbs (potatoes, white rice) will work well. At the end of a workout, you should consume carbs, but combine them with a high-quality protein either by way of a whey protein shake or a lean meat protein.

Are there any particular foods that should be avoided at all cost?

Yes... Absolutely! Processed foods! These include cheeses, bread, "snack" items, cured meats (bacon) and food items with added sugars high fructose corn syrup most particularly!

Original post:
Bodybuilding Champion Turned Personal Chef Talks All Things Summer Fitness - The Daily Meal

Pippa Middleton leaving her London gym. Photo: TheImageDirect.com

Pippa Middletons upcoming May 20 wedding to British man James Matthews may be under threat by normal people, but the royal sister-in-law isnt letting that distract her from getting ready for her big day. E! News reports Middleton has been prepping by working out at an exclusive London gym, in addition to following the Sirtfood Diet, which one expert warns is extremely restrictiveand can potentially cause long-term health problems.

On Wednesday, E! News published pictures of Middleton leaving private fitness center KX gym in Chelsea after an hour-and-fifteen-minute Pilates class, accompanied by a report that detailed Middletons use of the Sirtfood Diet, which was created by health consultants Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten. The diet is all about eating foods that are high in polyphenols micronutrients found in plant foods which supposedly help activate a persons sirtuin (or skinny) genes. In other words, the diet claims that by sticking with 20 so-called Sirtfoods including strawberries, kale, arugula, red wine, and walnuts youll burn more fat and your metabolism will speed up.

While that may sound great in theory (especially the part about red wine), registered dietitian Brigitte Zeitlin told the Cut that the diet is actually quite dangerous. Thats because, as Zeitlin explained, the diet is broken down into two phases, as detailed in the creators book, The SirtFood Diet. During a persons first week on the diet, theyre only supposed to consume 1,000 calories a day for three days through three Sirtfood juices and one meal a day (recipes for such meals and juices are included in the book and online). Then, for the remainder of the week, the amount of calories they consume is upped to 1,500 a day, through two juices and two meals.

The second phase of the diet is a maintenance phase that lasts for two weeks, involving three Sirtfood meals and one juice each day. After that, a person can repeat the process all over again (starting from week one), or merely stick with the maintenance phase for however long they want. Zeitlin confirmed that yes, a person would likely lose weight on this diet due to its overly restrictive nature, but theyd also be starving themselves in the process and would merely gain the weight back once they started eating again.

Its unhealthy and unsafe to eat below 1,200 calories a day, Zeitlin told the Cut. In addition to not giving yourself the proper energy and nutrients you need each day youre on this fad diet, eventually youre going to go off of it. Youre going to gain all of the weight you lost back, and more often than not, youre going to gain even more weight back.

Brides who are hoping to get in shape for their big day or even those of us hoping to shed the doughnut weight from our winter hibernation should pursue a healthier option rather than follow Middletons lead, according to the registered dietitian. The best thing a person could do for their health, she said, is to ensure that theyre getting a variety of whole fruits and vegetables, as well as lean protein, each day. This is far healthier than yo-yo dieting, like you would on the Sirtfood diet, she explained, since going up and down in weight has been shown to be bad for your heart, to screw up your metabolism, to cause stress on your body, and to lead to inflammation.

Extreme diets like this dont work, Zeitlin said. Most brides usually burn out on them, and they get incredibly cranky because theyre starving themselves. At a time when youre already incredibly stressed out, the last thing you need to do is add in the stressful factor of not eating properly.

Besides, as Celebitchy points out, the photographs E! News published of Middleton leaving KX gym which, of course, just so happens to have a restaurant that features a Sirtfood Dietfriendly menu seem to be pretty staged, suggesting that perhaps, like most other things celebrity-related, Middletons wedding prep might just be spon-con.

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To me, the kind of person who can count how many times I've been to the gym this year on one hand (ahem, or one finger), it doesn't feel like I really have a need to drink a protein shake for breakfast, or to eat one of those high protein bars in between meals.

I don't exactly love just eating grilled chicken and eggs, either.

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But after speaking with Myprotein nutritionist Charlotte Campbell, who spends quite a lot of time looking at the health benefits of protein, I might just have been convinced. Because a high protein diet is actually also great for people who don't own or regularly wear a sports bra, it turns out.

Research suggests that a high protein diet offers a whole host of health benefits, whether you lift weights or just the TV remote. Here's why:

"By eating lean sources of protein, youll keep your stomach fuller for much longer," says Charlotte. "If you want to cut calories but dont know where to start, add a portion of protein for your mid-morning and afternoon snack - whether this is some chicken bites, a handful of nuts or a specialised protein product." If you incorporate this into your routine, Charlotte explains you're likely to find yourself consuming less calories without realising - with some studies suggesting you could drop over 400 calories from your daily intake using this method.

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"Protein has a higher thermic affect than carbs or fats, which means it can be very efficiently processed by the body and turned into energy to be burned off," the nutritionist explains.

And even if you don't particularly want to achieve the lean look, it's important to maintain muscle for strength, especially as we get older. Cutting protein from your diet, Charlotte says, would cause you to "lose muscle mass along with fat", which can "affect mobility and make you more prone to injury".

It's not just muscle that protein protects, it also helps the bones directly says the nutritionist. "Studies have shown that a high protein diet makes you less likely to suffer from osteoporosis and fractures, which is important news for women who are more at risk of osteoporosis the older we get".

As always, though, it's worth pointing out that the ideal kind of diet is one that's balanced. "A high protein diet does not mean only protein," says Charlotte, adding: "While protein provides many benefits it should be consumed as part of a varied diet that also contains carbs and fats."

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Why a high protein diet isn't just for people who work out - Cosmopolitan.com

My Why Is Meat a Risk Factor for Diabetes?postshows that meat may play a role in increasing the risk of diabetes, and How May Plants Protect Against Diabetes?discuss the potential protective role of healthy plant foods. But plant-based diets not only appear to guard against getting diabetes in the first place, they may successfully treat the disease better than the diabetic diets patients typically are placed on, controlling both weight and cholesterol.

Diets based on whole plant foods can result in significant weight loss without limiting portion size or counting calories, because plant foods tend to be so calorically dilute. In my video below, you can see the volume of 100 calories of broccoli, tomatoes, and strawberries compared to 100 calories of chicken, cheese, or fish. People just cant seem to eat enough of the plant foods to compensate for the calorie deficit, so they lose weight eating whole plant foods.

Most importantly, a plant-based diet works better. A plant-based diet beat out the conventional American Diabetes Association diet in a head-to-head, randomized, controlled clinical trial, without restricting portions and without calorie- or carb-counting. A review of all such studies found that those following plant-based diets experience improved reductions in blood sugars, body weight, and cardiovascular risk, compared with those on diets including animal products.

Cardiovascular risk is what kills diabetics the most. Theyre more likely to get strokes, more likely to suffer heart failure. In fact, [d]iabetes has been proposed as a coronary heart disease risk equivalent, which means diabetic patients without a history of coronary disease have an equivalent risk to that of nondiabetic individuals with confirmed heart disease.

A newer study used a technique to actually measure insulin sensitivity. It improved on both diets in the first three months, but then the vegetarian diet pulled ahead. The researchers also found that the LDL cholesterol fell significantly in the vegetarian group. Indeed, thats what we see when people are put on plant-based diets: Cholesterol comes down so much it can actually reverse the atherosclerosis progressionthat is, reverse the progression of heart disease.

We know about the beneficial effect of a vegetarian diet on controlling weight, blood sugars, cholesterol, insulin sensitivity, and oxidative stress compared to conventional diabetic diets, but what about quality of life and mood. How did people feel after making such a dramatic change in their diets? In a randomized, controlled trial, study subjects were assigned either to a plant-based diet group or a control group. The plant-based group ate vegetables, grains, beans, fruits, and nuts with animal products limited to a maximum of one daily portion of low-fat yogurt. The control group followed an official diabetes diet.

Quality of life improved on both diets in the first three months, but, within six months, the plant-based group clearly pulled ahead. The same results were seen with depression scores: They dropped in both groups in the first three months, but started to rebound in the control group.

The bottom line is that the more plant-based diet led to a greater improvement in quality of life and mood. Patients consuming a vegetarian diet also felt less constrained than those consuming the conventional diet. People actually felt the conventional diabetic diet was more restrictive than the plant-based diet. Disinhibition decreased with a vegetarian diet, meaning those eating vegetarian were less likely to binge, and the subjects in the vegetarian group tended to feel less hungry. All of this helps with sustainability in the long term, which is, of course, critical for any dietary change. So, not only do plant-based diets appear to work better, but they may be easier to stick to. And, with the improvement in mood, patients may exhibit desired improvements not only in physical, but also in mental, health.

In health,

Michael Greger, M.D.

PS: If you havent yet, you can subscribe to my free videoshereand watch my live, year-in-review presentations2015:Food as Medicine: Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet, and my latest, 2016:How Not to Die: The Role of Diet in Preventing, Arresting, and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers.

Related:

How May Plants Protect Against Diabetes? Why Is Meat a Risk-Factor for Diabetes? Lifestyle Medicine Is the Standard of Care for Prediabetes

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Plant-Based Diets for Diabetics Improves Quality of Life and Mood - Care2.com

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Professional athletes dont get to the top by accident. It takes superhuman levels of time, dedication, and focusand that includes paying attention to what they put in their bellies. In this series, GQ takes a look at what pro athletes in different sports eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the daily diet of Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ryan Murphy.

Here are the two most frequent thoughts that go through your mind when watching Olympic swimmers: Wow, they are fast and Wow, they have good absand not necessarily in that order. And with Aquaman Michael Phelps having officially retired with a mere twenty-eight medals, U.S.A. Swimming is going to need to find a newest set of fastest abs in the water. Ryan Murphy may just be that man. The 21-year-old went 3-for-3 in gold medals in Rio last summer, in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke and in the 4x100-meter medley relay (in which he set a world record for fastest 100-meter backstroke split in the process). He also just finished collegewinning the 100- and 200-meter backstroke national titles, the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year, and the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, all at Cal. Needless to say, he was not on the typical undergrad's Oreos and Easy Mac diet.

GQ: Youve been swimming since you were 4. How do you not get burnt out? Ryan Murphy: Until I was 12, I did football, baseball, soccer, and swimming. And thats the time when traveling baseball, traveling soccer, tackle football were all starting. I decided on swimming because theres always something to improve on: recovery, nutrition, sleep, strength, endurance, technique. Its almost like this little game. Youre striving for perfection in a sport that its not possible to reach perfection in. Its almost like an addiction, trying to be the best you can.

And whats your first meal every day? On days I do doubles, Ill wake up at like 5:20. Ill have a PowerBar and a banana before practice. After practice, Ill come back or go to the dining hall and have some eggs, spinach, some fruit, usually some oatmeal, maybe some Greek yogurt with granola and fruit.

You eat all of that? Sometimes Ill just make eggs and the granola, or eggs and the oatmeal. Usually I switch off between those two. And then, through my day, Ill usually have trail mix or something with me. Ill have a little sandwich for lunch. And then, after [the second] practicethis is something I got into a lot before the Olympics, not so much now because it kind of tastes badI make a smoothie and put it in the fridge. I buy raw beets from Whole Foods, chop that up. Put in the beet leaves, a stalk of kale, some spinach, some berries, some dry oats with some soy milk, and Id put in a sweet juicea splash of orange or cherry juice. And if I was pretty hungry, or I felt like I didnt have enough fat in my diet for the day, Id put in some almond butter. I scoff that down right after practice, just to make sure Im immediately getting nutrients.

And for dinner? I usually have a whole mash of stuff. Ill make pasta with tomato sauce, turkey, cut up some onions, throw some peppers in there, boil down some spinach and throw that in. That has everything that you really need in it.

Do you track calories? A little bit. I actually gain weight pretty easily for a swimmer. I would say Im probably around 4,000-5,000 calories a day. So [its] not like these crazy, 12,000-calorie diets. If Im eating chocolate chip pancakes in the morning, Im probably going to gain some weight. So I try to stay away from stuff like that. And super fatty foods I try to stay away from. I figure that way Ill stay decently lean.

What was the hardest thing to cut out? I mean, youre in college! Thats when youre supposed to eat whatever you want. I have a terrible sweet tooth. Im a big sucker for those Brookside Dark Chocolate Covered Acai and Blueberries. Im a big ice cream guy. Chocolate. I love those Trolli Eggs. Like once a week, I try to let myself have frozen yogurt or something like that. Because I think if I was just totally locked down on my diet all the time, Id probably go insane. So I think its good for me to have that one day to look forward to, like, All right. I can get through today because tomorrow Im going to have a dessert.

After you were done in Rio, did you congratulate yourself with whatever you wanted to eat? The line at McDonald's was always terrible, so I didnt actually go to McDonald's, but I just went to the dessert section in the dining hall, and my dinner after the last relay consisted of chocolate cake and the little ice cream bars and stuff like that. I just binged dessert for two weeks. I gained eight pounds.

Swimming has always struck me as one of the most painful sports. When you hit the 115-meter mark in a 200-meter backstroke, youre just over halfway and your legs are starting to hurt. But you train for being uncomfortable. So you can push through that and it just hurts. But by the time you reach 175 meters of a 200 back, hard to pick up your legs. Your legs just feel like theyre not moving anymore, these big bodies of mass just floating behind you and weighing you down, and you have to find a way. The last 25 is like, Ugh! Get. To. The. Wall. Im trying to look around, see where people are and use my competitiveness to get there. But its insane. Your legs just dont work. If you watch my reaction after the 200 back [in Rio], I physically couldnt celebrate. I was so pumped to have won, but I couldnt even lift my arm because I was so tired. So I just hung on my line and died for a little bit.

How much did your diet play into your success there? Eating right was huge for me this past year, probably the first year that I really took diet seriously. I cook most of my meals for myself, so it was easy to track how much oil I was using, what type of ingredients I was buying, and make sure that everything was prepared as healthy as possible. Essentially, I didnt have a bad practice for three months in a row, just because I felt like I was doing everything right.

How many hours of sleep do you get a night? I usually try to shoot for at least eight. Last year, we trained four mornings a week, and then two afternoons a week. So on the afternoons days, I was probably hitting ten hours, and on the mornings, I was making sure I was hitting eight. And I took a lot of naps.

When are you training? On doubles day, it will be 6:00 to 8:00 A.M., and 1:00 to 3:30 P.M. So mornings are all swim. Afternoons, well do an hour of weight, then stretch for fifteen minutes, then come down to the pool. And those are usually more speed-oriented. Those days are brutal. Theres only five hours between practices, so youre still pretty tired going into that second practice.

And how do you suggest we get swimmers abs? We do a lot of abs, probably at least ten minutes a day. You want to make sure you dont have an arch in your back, so really working on the lower abs, so you can kind of shift your hips forward in the water. We do L-raises. You have to make sure your lower back is on the ground the entire time. If you arch your back and thrust, you can get your legs up, but controlling it is key. We usually do 20 at a time. A lot of plank holds, too, so plank on your stomach, plank on your side, you get the obliques. And then we do lower-back training, too, just to make sure all the stabilization muscles are working well. You gotta look good to rock a Speedo.

What other exercising are you doing in the gym? Well do weightlifting. And if were doing heavy squats, well combine it with box jumps. Because, in our sport, the races are less than two minutes most of the time, so you still have to have those fast-twitch muscles, so we dont really lose track of that when were in the weight room. And then well do medicine balls, abs, the typical pull-ups, push-ups.

And what about recovery? Massage. Ice tubs. Ill do cupping, depending on the time of season and how much time I have before my next race. It has to be pretty targeted. You have to know your body for that to be effective. It works pretty well in conjunction with other stuff, like stretching and lacrosse balling, making sure that youre working out the muscles after you get cupped. Because that just brings blood to the surface, so you gotta make sure you find a way to work that out still.

How often are you working out? We go six days a week. We have Sunday off. Im usually so tired by that point, I just sink into my couch, watch some football.

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The Real-Life Diet of Olympic Swimmer Ryan Murphy - GQ Magazine

Women are expert multi-taskers, so it should come as no surprise that some manage to squeeze the latest health craze into their daily routine. However, not having time to carefully research the pros and cons of these trends could be dangerous. Take for example, the decision to live diary-free.

Dairy-free diets have turned into a familiar fad in the United States. Onesurveyby the National Osteoporosis Society found that 1/5 of young adults under age 25 have removed or trimmed their dairy intake.Over halfof these young adults claim to have a dairy intolerance, but only 24 percent have actually confirmed it with a doctor.

AVOID TRANS FATS IN FOOD AT ALL COSTS

The society raised concerns about this trend. While young adults have the ability to bounce back from unhealthy habits, their overall nutrition sets the groundwork for their health later in life. During their early 20s, a young adults firm groundwork of healthy bones is of utmost importance.

The societys big concern deals with the amount of calcium that most people get from dairy every day. Both men and women who cut out dairy risk becoming deficient in calcium, leading to other health problems. Anyone adhering to a dairy-free diet, especially women, should ensure that theyre getting major nutrients like calcium from other sources.

Calcium

While calcium can come from some plant sources, women need to monitor their intake if they choose to eliminate dairy. A cup of milk contains about 300 milligrams of calcium, nearly 1/3 of a young womans daily recommended amount. Those who cut out dairy will need an abundance of plant sources to make up this same calcium level.

PREVENTING AND MANAGING CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Again, women on a dairy-free diet risk not getting enough calcium on a daily basis. Thiscalcium deficiencygreatly increases the risk of bone loss and osteoporosis in women.

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis affects over200 million womenacross the globe, and the foundation expects this number to increase over 200 percent during the next 30 years.

Needless to say, women eating little or no dairy must make up for the essential calcium with other foods and vitamins. They should consult a doctor about their diet change and recommended vitamin dosage to ensure safety.

Vitamin D

Another factor of dairy-free diets that women should understand is the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Currently, as many as50 percentof people seen in doctors offices have a deficiency already. This incidence will only increase as more people adopt dairy-free diets.

Vitamin D comes fortified in most dairy milk brands but does not occur naturally in many foods. People must get the recommended amount through fortified foods, vitamin supplements, and sunshine.

Every person needs sufficient vitamin D in order to properly absorb calcium. For women, however, recent studies show that the vitamin helps in another way. Onestudyfrom the University of Massachusetts found that women who experienced the worst pre-menstrual symptoms had the lowest levels of vitamin D and calcium.

LOSE WEIGHT NATURALLY WITH THESE FOUR EASY REMEDIES

In addition, one small Italian study gave women supplements about five days before their expected periods. After a few months of taking the vitamins, these women had lessened PMS by over 40 percent in contrast to those not taking vitamin D.

For young and middle-aged women, one cup of fortified milk contains around half of their total daily recommended vitamin D. Other high sources of the vitamin include fish and eggs. If these women choose dairy-free diets and happen to dislike fish, they will need vitamin supplements and outdoor sunshine to get the levels they need in a day.

Simply put, women benefit from the major nutrients and vitamins packed within dairy products. Women considering a dairy-free diet must understand the risks to their health, especially deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D. Before cutting out this healthful food group, women should consider eating a well-rounded diet instead. Then, they can gain all the benefits of both dairy and non-dairy foods that contain calcium and vitamin D.

This article first appeared on AskDrManny.com.

Dr. Manny Alvarez serves as Fox News Channel's senior managing health editor. He also serves as chairman of the department of obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive science at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Click here for more information on Dr. Manny's work with Hackensack University Medical Center. Visit AskDrManny.com for more.

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Why women need dairy: Risks of a dairy-free diet - Fox News

Athens, Ga. - High-fat foods are often the primary target when fighting obesity, but sugar-laden "diet" foods could be contributing to unwanted weight gain as well, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Researchers found that rats fed a diet high in sugar but low in fat-meant to imitate many popular diet foods-increased body fat mass when compared to rats fed a balanced rodent diet. The high-sugar diet induced a host of other problems, including liver damage and brain inflammation.

"Most so-called diet products containing low or no fat have an increased amount of sugar and are camouflaged under fancy names, giving the impression that they are healthy, but the reality is that those foods may damage the liver and lead to obesity as well," said the study's principal investigator, Krzysztof Czaja, an associate professor of veterinary biosciences and diagnostic imaging in UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine.

"What's really troubling in our findings is that the rats consuming high-sugar, low-fat diets didn't consume significantly more calories than the rats fed a balanced diet," Czaja said. "Our research shows that in rats fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, the efficiency of generating body fat is more than twice as high-in other words, rats consuming low-fat high-sugar diets need less than half the number of calories to generate the same amount of body fat."

Over a four-week period, researchers monitored body weight, caloric intake, body composition and fecal samples in three groups of rats. One group of test subjects consumed a diet high in fat and sugar, another group was fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet and a third group was given a balanced or "normal" diet.

Both the low-fat, high-sugar and high-fat, high-sugar groups displayed an increase in liver fat and significant increases in body weight and body fat when compared to the balanced diet group. Liver fat accumulation was significant in the high-sugar, low-fat group, which Czaja said "is a very dangerous situation, because the liver accumulating more fat mimics the effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease."

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by fat buildup in the liver, and serious forms of the disease can result in liver damage comparable to that caused by heavy alcohol use.

The unbalanced diets also induced chronic inflammation in the intestinal tract and brain. Former studies in rats conducted by Czaja have shown that brain inflammation alters gut-brain communication by damaging the vagus nerve, which controls sensory signals, including the brain's ability to determine when one is full.

"The brain changes resulting from these unbalanced diets seem to be long term, and it is still not known if they are reversible by balanced diets," Czaja said.

This study expands upon the researchers' previous work that determined high-fat diets alter the gut microbiome, the collection of bacteria, viruses and other microbes that live in the digestive tract. The recent study found that the unbalanced diets decreased the microbiome's bacterial diversity, and the low-fat, high-sugar diet increased gut bacteria that are associated with liver damage.

The study was published online in the journal Physiology and Behavior and is available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938416309489. Co-author Claire de La Serre, an assistant professor of foods and nutrition in UGA's College of Family and Consumer Sciences, conducted metabolic analysis for the study.

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'Diet' products can make you fat, study shows - UGA Today

EO file photo

Sagar Sathuvalli, a potato breeder with Oregon State Universitys Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, shows off potato varieties in November 2014.

EO file photo

Michaela Ewing flips potato flatbread while grilling it for the crop up dinner at HAREC in August 2016 in Hermiston.

The U.S. potato industry has taken umbrage with a popular dietary fad, which is based on the premise that humans ate healthier during the Stone Age than following the advent of agriculture.

The Paleolithic diet coined by Colorado State University emeritus professor Loren Cordain promotes foods that would have been available to hunter-gatherers more than 10,000 years ago, such as grass-fed meat, wild game, nuts, fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

In addition to processed foods and salt, the popular diet frowns upon some of the major commodities produced in the Northwest, including potatoes, cereals, dairy, sugar and legumes. Cordain reasons the foods werent present during the Paleolithic Period, and humans, therefore, havent adapted to eating them.

Cordain vows Paleo dieters achieve weight loss, reduced diabetes and diseases, increased energy, fewer allergies, better digestion and increased muscle. Critics counter that modern foods, developed over centuries of selective breeding, dont resemble Paleolithic foods. They also note the diets conspicuous absence of Stone Age dietary staples such as rats, mice, squirrels, stripped bark, insects and lizards and question the wisdom of emulating an ancient people who typically died in their 30s.

The potato industry still seeking to improve consumer perceptions affected by the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet craze recently launched a campaign highlighting the importance of the spuds protein, vitamin C, potassium and carbohydrates to athletic performance.

I think a lot of people are really getting tired of all of these really restrictive diets and are more interested in learning how to eat properly in a way they can work into their lifestyle, based on the basic ideas of moderation and good diversity, said John Toaspern, chief marketing officer with Potatoes USA.

The organization has been publicizing a paper critical of the Paleo diet, published in the December issue of the American College of Sports Medicines Health and Fitness Journal. The author, Katherine Beals, an associate professor in Utah State Universitys Department of Nutrition and Integrated Sociology, has consulted for Potatoes USA in the past, though her paper wasnt commissioned by the industry.

During the peak of the Atkins diets popularity, Beals conducted a clinical study finding its benefits were short-lived, and werent sustainable beyond a year. She has similar suspicions about the Paleo diet, and her recent paper found no scientific basis to support eating like a caveman.

Beals, who serves on the committee that ranks the best and worst diets for U.S. News & World Report, recommends diets that dont restrict food groups, but rather promote consuming a broad variety of foods in moderation. She emphasizes exercise is often overlooked in diets, and peoples survival depended on being active in the Stone Age.

I find it irritating that people are making money off of unsuspecting consumers that are truly looking for a way to become healthier and lose weight, Beals said.

Cordain, who credits his mentor Dr. S. Boyd Eaton with developing the concept for the Paleo diet in a 1985 landmark paper, said 25 scientific reviews confirm its long-term effectiveness.

Millions of people worldwide have been following the Paleo diet for more than a decade, suggesting that it is indeed sustainable and healthful, Cordain said.

Cordain points out that USDA-sanctioned vegan diets also restrict entire food groups, and USDA guidelines support Paleo diet goals of reducing consumption of refined grains and sugars, as well as processed foods. Furthermore, he said the vitamin content of wild and domestic plant and animal foods is nearly identical.

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Potato industry targets trendy Paleo diet - East Oregonian (subscription)

Newswise Athens, Ga. High-fat foods are often the primary target when fighting obesity, but sugar-laden diet foods could be contributing to unwanted weight gain as well, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Researchers found that rats fed a diet high in sugar but low in fatmeant to imitate many popular diet foodsincreased body fat mass when compared to rats fed a balanced rodent diet. The high-sugar diet induced a host of other problems, including liver damage and brain inflammation.

Most so-called diet products containing low or no fat have an increased amount of sugar and are camouflaged under fancy names, giving the impression that they are healthy, but the reality is that those foods may damage the liver and lead to obesity as well, said the studys principal investigator, Krzysztof Czaja, an associate professor of veterinary biosciences and diagnostic imaging in UGAs College of Veterinary Medicine.

Whats really troubling in our findings is that the rats consuming high-sugar, low-fat diets didnt consume significantly more calories than the rats fed a balanced diet, Czaja said. Our research shows that in rats fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, the efficiency of generating body fat is more than twice as highin other words, rats consuming low-fat high-sugar diets need less than half the number of calories to generate the same amount of body fat.

Over a four-week period, researchers monitored body weight, caloric intake, body composition and fecal samples in three groups of rats. One group of test subjects consumed a diet high in fat and sugar, another group was fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet and a third group was given a balanced or normal diet.

Both the low-fat, high-sugar and high-fat, high-sugar groups displayed an increase in liver fat and significant increases in body weight and body fat when compared to the balanced diet group. Liver fat accumulation was significant in the high-sugar, low-fat group, which Czaja said is a very dangerous situation, because the liver accumulating more fat mimics the effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by fat buildup in the liver, and serious forms of the disease can result in liver damage comparable to that caused by heavy alcohol use.

The unbalanced diets also induced chronic inflammation in the intestinal tract and brain. Former studies in rats conducted by Czaja have shown that brain inflammation alters gut-brain communication by damaging the vagus nerve, which controls sensory signals, including the brains ability to determine when one is full.

The brain changes resulting from these unbalanced diets seem to be long term, and it is still not known if they are reversible by balanced diets, Czaja said.

This study expands upon the researchers previous work that determined high-fat diets alter the gut microbiome, the collection of bacteria, viruses and other microbes that live in the digestive tract. The recent study found that the unbalanced diets decreased the microbiomes bacterial diversity, and the low-fat, high-sugar diet increased gut bacteria that are associated with liver damage.

The study was published online in the journal Physiology and Behavior and is available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938416309489. Co-author Claire de La Serre, an assistant professor of foods and nutrition in UGAs College of Family and Consumer Sciences, conducted metabolic analysis for the study.

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'Diet' Products Can Make You Fat, Study Shows - Newswise (press release)

Researchers at Kansas State University may just have found a safety net for dairy producers during times of limited water availability or drought.

Graduate research assistant Benjamin Saylor is reporting findings of a study showing that teff hay has the potential to replace alfalfa and corn silage in the diets of lactating dairy cows.

Teff is a warm-season grass native to Ethiopia, where the grain is also used for human consumption. Due to its physiology, it is well-suited to drought conditions.

The universitys feeding trials with high-producing dairy cows included a control diet and two alternative formulations of the teff diet.

In terms of intake, milk yield and milk fat percentage, there was no significant difference seen among the three diets, Saylor said. The only significant difference we saw was the two teff diets resulted in milk that had significantly higher protein concentrations.

Its a surprise finding in that teff grass is relatively high in fiber and somewhat lower in protein. You wouldnt look at the nutrients and say this is an exceptional forage, compared to something like alfalfa, Saylor said.

But in the feeding trials, it performed well, he added.

The three diets were formulated for similar dry matter, crude protein and starch concentration. The researchers monitored the cows for dry matter intake, milk and component production, body weight, body condition score and other indicators of performance.

When you go into something like that, its easy to say, well no one is going to adopt this because everyone has been feeding XYZ forever, said Barry Bradford, professor of animal sciences and industry, who supervised the project.

For me an important initial spark for this was five to six years ago. A really well-respected dairy nutrition consultant who was working with some big herds in western Kansas, called me one day and said that we need to do something different with those herds long-term. He asked, Are you guys doing anything on more water-efficient forages we can potentially use down the road?

Bradford said that helped to lead him and Saylor to this project, which is part of a larger collaboration with researchers in agronomy, agricultural economics and geography.

Doohong Min, an assistant professor of agronomy at K-State, was the lead investigator on a $70,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the viability of teff as a dairy forage, Bradford said.

Min coordinated a greenhouse study that helped to set the foundation for the feeding trials. In the greenhouse study, the researchers grew 240 teff grass samples to determine the effects of seed variety and the best time to harvest teff for yield, quality and digestibility.

They found that seed variety did not make a difference, and that in greenhouse conditions, cutting teff at 45 to 50 days after planting was the best time to optimize yield and quality.

The researchers are now working to incorporate an economic analysis, which could shed light on whether it would be profitable for producers to convert land to teff grass to help offset future water shortages.

I think one of the main limiting factors is that teff has not been grown in field situations across the United States, Saylor said. Prior to the greenhouse study, theres just not enough data for a farmer to say, OK, if I plant this, this is the minimum yield Im going to get. Its just uncertain. Some additional field trials need to be done across the United States, looking at rain-fed and irrigated fields. We need more data.

But, he added: We see in the future that this might be a significant issue. There are industry people that are expressing interest, and the idea is to get some preliminary work done prior to a (severe drought) event. If that time comes, we can provide industry with some options without scrambling.

Saylors work on this project is helping him to complete a masters degree at Kansas State. He plans to continue his studies in dairy cattle nutrition while pursing a doctoral degree at the University of Florida next fall.

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Study: Teff hay could serve as drought-tolerant forage for dairy cows - High Plains Journal

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