Category Archives: Diet And Food

Its also key that you get a good nights sleep, which can be difficult if were worrying about the following day. If you cant sleep get out of bed and listen to a podcast to help you unwind and distract your mind.

Following a balanced diet can make sure your brain is getting the right nutrients. In addition to getting enough fruit and veg, try to ensure youre diet includes foods which release energy slowly like wholegrain pasta or rice, oats and cereals or nuts and seeds. These can help keep your blood sugars steady, reducing feelings of tiredness or irritation to ensure good mental health.

Make sure youre staying hydrated too, at this is really important to aid concentration. Steer away from caffeine and alcohol though as these can aggravate any anxious thoughts you may have. Getting sugars from natural sources such as fruits affect your body different to processed sugars from sweets or fizzy drinks.

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Anxious about returning to the office after coronavirus? Heres how to handle it - Stylist Magazine

The three-month total lockdown and the subsequent work-from-home culture has contributed to unhealthy eating habits. With the lockdown still continuing in many regions of the country and peoples tendencies of trying out street food at home, eating late at night, destruction of sleeping patterns and eating lots of biscuits, Maggi and rice has resulted in weight gain in men, women and children. Dr Ritika Dua, an expert dietician & Ayurveda practitioner believes that planning your meals in the post-lockdown era is the need of the hour. If you have suffered weight gain as a result of the lockdown, heres what you should eat now to shed it all!Best diet to follow at home: Low-carb, high-proteinSince people do not want to go out much, they are preferring for a no fuss diet plan that doesnt need overly specific food products. Dr Dua suggests following a low-carb, high-protein diet comprising of homemade food. Popular diets like Keto, Veganism, Paleo, Mediterranian have their own merits. But most of them require food products that are not easily available in Indian kitchens. Nobody wants to make a run for the stores at this time. The low-carb, high-protein plan is simpler to follow in terms of availability and options of food items that can be consumed. Plus, it keeps the stomach full the entire day, significantly reducing the chances of cheating. This diet can be combined with intermittent fasting as well.

What should you eat in a day?Dr Dua recommends the following diet plan to easily shed weight while staying at home.

8:00 AM: After waking up- lukewarm detox water (Chia seeds water/Jeera Saunf water/Cinnamon water)8:30 AM: Pre-breakfast 5 almonds (pre-soaked), 2 walnuts (peeled). Can take milk tea but without sugar and with less milk9:00 AM: Breakfast- Veggie Sandwich/Oats/Poha with Green Tea or Green Coffee10:30 AM: Pre-Lunch- 1 Low-carb fruit like Apple/Kiwi/Pineapple/Pear without salt or chaat masala01:00 PM: Lunch- 2 Oats chapati with 200 gms vegetables, 200 gms curd and 100 gms green salad. You can cook any vegetable in 1 tsp oil except potatoes, carrots, peas and arvi (Colocasia roots). Take veggies like capsicum, beans, bottle gourd (Ghia or Lauki), ridged gourd (Tori), Indian round gourd (Tinda).04:00 PM: Mid-Evening- Green Tea/Green Coffee/ 200 gms roasted Makhane (lotus seeds) or Chaney (chickpeas)07:00 PM: Dinner- 200 gms Tofu salad with broccoli, mushroom, capsicum and onion. Or 4 boiled eggs without yolk. You can also make a salad of 100 gms boiled egg and 100 gms veggies. Take with a cup of green tea or green coffee.

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Planning your diet post-lockdown: What to eat in a day? - Times of India

The Covid-19 pandemic has completely disrupted our daily routines. With gyms remaining closed and the responsibility of working from home while tending to the home-schooling of our children, exercise and healthy eating may have taken a backseat.

We are now almost three months into lockdown, and unhealthy habits are starting to take their toll. It's reassuring to know that its normal to lose motivation and even more reassuring to know that there are ways to get it back.

Why do we lose motivation?

Many things might have changed since we went into lockdown. You might have been used to going to the gym regularly, to be motivated by the camaraderie of your friends in your running club, or you might have had some free time while the children were at school.

All of a sudden, you are forced to exercise on your own whether at home or going for a run without your clubmates. You might be feeling a bit lost, and the general stress of the pandemic might make you feel more fatigued than usual.

All the stress and anxiety associated with the pandemic can wreak havoc on our mental health. Suddenly, our brains are in survival mode and we just want to get through this nightmare without worrying too much about our waistlines.

Overeating and craving unhealthy foods can be triggered by stress and anxiety. In difficult situations, we want to soothe ourselves which more often than not involves sugary snacks and carb-rich treats.

According to Jenna Hollenstein, a certified dietitian and nutrition therapist, none of us were geared up to deal with a pandemic, so we are all in survival mode.

If our knee-jerk reaction to stress or difficulty involves any certain kinds of thoughts or behaviours around eating or body image, those are the things that are likely to be coming up right now, she states.

If you are privileged enough to be working from home, you might also reach for more snacks than you normally would in your office setting. You may have lost your sense of structure and set meals may have fallen by the wayside.

Quick fixes

Healthy eating and exercising are not only about keeping unwanted kilos in check it might also greatly benefit your mental and overall health, add structure and routine to your day, help you focus more on your work and alleviate the stress and anxiety of the current situation. And who knows, losing a few centimetres may even be an added bonus and make you look forward to the summer.

Here are some tips to get out of your rut:

1.Do it for your health, not for what you see in the mirror

During the current Covid-19 crisis, we should be celebrating our health by treating our bodies as well as we can. The more fruit and vegetables we eat, the stronger our immune system and overall health will be, not only to fight Covid-19, but also to avoid seasonal influenza and winter colds.

Change your attitude towards exercise and see it as an enjoyment rather than a punishment. If you despise doing crunches on a yoga mat in your lounge, find something else. Search for a free dance class online or go for a walk or run (with a mask, of course). As soon as you start enjoying exercise, you can think about additional goals such as improving your running speed or losing a couple of kilograms.

2.Design your day to work for you.

If you are able to work from home but still struggle to get up early, switch your day around so that it works for you if you are able to schedule your own day. Many people prefer exercising over lunchtime or later in the day.

3.Prep and plan your meals

Plan your meals and shop ahead not only will you be less tempted to order takeaways, but you will also eliminate unnecessary trips to the shops while we are still encouraged to stay at home.

If you are at a loss of how to start eating healthy, Health24s archive of nutrition tips may be able to help you.

4.Be realistic about your goals

If you havent exercised for months, you are not going to be able to complete 10km in record time, nor will you lose 5kg in a week. In the winter weather, you will also not be craving only salad and water. Make small changes that are achievable for you. If you havent eaten fruits or vegetables in a while, start adding some greens back into your meals. Do only 10 minutes of exercise. Drink an extra glass of water. Swap your normal slab of milk chocolate for two blocks of decadent but healthy dark chocolate.

Dont be hard on yourself if you do find yourself using food as a coping mechanism for stress. Food is comforting when everything else feels uncertain. But instead of indulging in loads of greasy chow, have fun experimenting with a recipe for a hearty curry or soup. And remember to go offline and destress.

5.Incorporate short bursts of exercise during your workday

When you work from home, it might feel like you can't get a moment to yourself. If you struggle to set aside a full hour for exercise, do short bursts of activity during the course of the day. Tend to the garden, do a bit of housecleaning or play with the pets in the garden, or dance around the lounge with your children. When you feel the endorphins kicking in, you will be inspired to carry on.

READ | How to eat for a robust immune system

READ | 5 healthy vegetarian recipes if you are tired of the same old chicken dinners

READ | Coronavirus lockdown: Stay fit at home with these tips

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Lost your motivation to eat healthy and exercise during the pandemic? You are not alone - Health24

Rebel Wilson in on a weight loss spree. She has been following a diet and exercise plan carved out by her trainer.

At the start of 2020, Rebel Wilson who is best known for her movies such as Pitch Perfect, Isn't It Romantic and Cats among others shared with her followers that 2020 will be Year of Health for her. The Aussie actress wants to slim down to 75 kgs i.e. 165 pounds by the end of 2020 and her recent pictures prove that she is successfully marching down the road of weight loss. She has been following a grueling diet and exercise regime to achieve her weight loss goals. For the unversed, dietitian, and exercise physiologist Kate Save told Daily Mail Australia that she believes Rebel has lost up to 18 kgs already.

Rebel in an Instagram post said, "Ill be honest with you guys - with my 'Year of Health' mission Im trying to get to 75kgs and career-wise am trying to get one of my movies into production before the end of the year! Both of these things are requiring a daily effort and theres constant setbacks - but Im working hard x". Even though there is a global coronavirus pandemic, she is making sure to work on her weight loss regime. She had said, "I had to go out to the park and lie on the dirt doing my sit-ups.

Her fitness routine

For the unversed, she has been training under fitness trainer Jono Castano Acero. She gets one day off from her intense training week. And her working out sessions involves, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), mobility, weights and resistance. She also does weight exercises, squats, and lunges and then finishes off with ab exercises. In one of the videos, we can see her brutal stair run up the steps in front of Sydney's iconic Opera House. The pictures and videos prove that she is a fan of circuit training.

Even during her rest days, she makes sure to be fit by getting at least 10,000 steps every day. The Pitch Perfect actress also works on her core with a standing bandit trunk rotation and dead bugs with a medicine ball. Her trainer says these are effective, safe, and a great way to strengthen and stabilize your core, spine, and back muscles.

Her diet:

Speaking of her diet, she has completely changed it and has ditched junk food and sugar for healthier meals and snacks. Reportedly, instead of focusing on calorie counting, she focuses on her fibre intake. For the unversed, fibre is very important in weight loss as it prevents cravings, controls your blood sugar and makes you feel fuller for longer.

In an interview with Today Extra, she revealed, that for her it is more about working on my mind. She suffers from emotional eating a lot and the stresses of her job. She added, "I'm determined. So I am trying to lose a lot of my body fat and become a healthier person. It is not so much about a number." She also revealed that she was happy that the gyms finally reopened in Australia because she is ready to pump iron.

ALSO READ: Adele's Weight Loss Plan: Singer slimmed down by following THIS diet and exercise routine

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Rebel Wilson's Weight Loss Secrets Revealed: Here's the diet and exercise plan - PINKVILLA

A small square of gray paint in Sofia Rydin-Grays home symbolizes her realization that being productive had taken on a whole new meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She painted the mark in March when she planned to switch her 11-year-old daughter Nellys room from beige to a dark gray. By June, the only progress Rydin-Gray made was covering the mark with a drawing by Nelly.

I had these ambitious goals for me and my kids when we started being at home full-time, said Rydin-Gray, a clinical psychologist at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center. I needed to reprioritize. Painting the room wasn't a necessity. I needed to figure out how to work from home. I needed to figure out how to get settled."

Disrupted focus and lower energy are your brains response to the pandemic, according to Timothy Strauman, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke. A life-threatening danger like COVID-19 overrides planning and decision-making because brains are wired to drown out everything except the threat, he explained.

COVID-19 is this once-in-a-lifetime event that disrupts our focus and puts our desires on hold, said Strauman, who studies how people identify and achieve goals that are meaningful and important. Were more focused on surviving. So even though were home all the time, were psychologically drained from this permeating threat.

Our recent Google search for how to focus during a pandemic returned 532 million results. The struggle with focus is typical during challenging times, says McLean Pollock, assistant professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke. And feeling too drained to complete an extracurricular project or task is not a reason to get down on yourself.

I think theres this myth that if we find ourselves with more time then we should accomplish more, Pollock said. Thats simply not the case. Resting is critical for our livelihood. It gives us time to reflect and reenergize. Thats something we all need right now.

At the onset of the pandemic, Samaiyah Faison, office coordinator for the Center for Muslim Life, had plans to sew blankets and unpack lingering boxes from when she moved homes in February.

But between job responsibilities and helping her 5-year-old granddaughter Mawiyah with schoolwork, Faison couldnt muster the energy for the extracurricular personal tasks and often retreated to the couch at the end of a day to watch The Great British Bake Off.

It was this internal battle, Faison said. I had to learn how to forgive myself for allowing time to watch television. Were all dealing with a lot. Its nice to give myself an hour to watch people bake on the TV.

Pollock said its important is to not pressure yourself into completing a task or feeling guilty for not being as productive. Fighting what your mind and body want will lead to stress, irritability and fatigue. A break, rest or time off helps you reset and can improve mood, concentration and reflection for problem-solving.

Life was already challenging without the pandemic, Pollack said. COVID-19 adds a whole other obstacle that you need to take a break from.

Rydin-Gray, the clinical psychologist at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, fully embraced the concept of rest when she took her first nap in nearly a decade during a warm Saturday afternoon in June.

Up until the pandemic, Rydin-Gray never considered taking a nap with her free time. There was work to complete, laundry to fold, errands to finish or a daily run or walk to complete. But three months into working from home, Rydin-Gray was able to put aside obligations for 30 minutes and rest her eyes.

It was the best thing ever, she said. I never would have allowed myself to do that before the pandemic. I felt so restored.

Help share the proactive and extensive work being done by all Duke community members during the COVID-19 outbreak. Send ideas, shout-outs and photographshereor writeworking@duke.edu.

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It's Okay to Rest Your Brain Even in a Pandemic - Duke Today

Ginger is a kitchen regular in most Indian households. It has also been used as a popular herb in traditional medicines like Ayurveda and naturopathy for curing various ailments, thanks to its antioxidants, phytochemicals and anti-inflammatory properties. Now, recent research suggests that ginger can be your best weapon for weight loss. It can also offer potential benefits against chronic disorders like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc, observes the study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. This report is a review of 60 experiments carried out on cell cultures, lab animals and humans. Also Read - Obese people struggling to manage weight amidst the pandemic: 4 easy ways to cut extra kilos

The findings of this review suggest that having ginger can potentially increase calorie burn while suppressing your hunger, both essential for weight loss in obese adults. An animal study reviewed by this report finds that there has been significant weight loss in rats after they were fed with ginger. Apart from this, ginger also brought down their systemic inflammation, cholesterol and blood sugar levels while guarding them against the harmful effects of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This pungent spice can also stem the process of cellular ageing while reducing your risk of atherosclerosis, a condition characterised by fat build-up in your arteries. Also Read - Weight loss: Can the colour of your plate influence the numbers on your scale?

Ginger is endowed with compounds known as gingerols and shogaols. A growing body of research suggests that they stimulate certain biological activities in your body that can have an anti-obesity effect on your body. They also speed up your metabolism, a significant factor contributing to weight loss. Here is how you can add ginger to your diet. Also Read - Want to lose weight fast? Eat dinner early

You can add ginger to your lemon juice for weight loss. Lemon juice can act as an appetite suppressant. Additionally, it can give you your daily dose of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that ups your immunity. Also, squirting a few drops of lemon to your ginger tea or drink may keep you hydrated and full for long in lesser calories. In order to maximise the weight loss benefits of this spice, have a ginger and lemon beverage twice or thrice every day.

The simplest way to have these two ingredients is to just blend ginger and apple cider vinegar (ACV) and drink. The weight loss properties of ACV, added to those of ginger will work wonders in your battle against the bulge. Moreover, the probiotic elements and antioxidant properties of apple cider vinegar will offer additional health benefits while you make efforts to lose those extra kilos.An interesting way of having these two ingredients could be adding two tablespoons of ACV to your ginger tea. However, make sure you mix it only after the tea cools off. Hot water can kill the healthy bacteria of apple cider vinegar. You can also squeeze a bit of lemon to this beverage for more benefits. Ideally, you should have this tea on an empty stomach in the morning.

While it comes to weight loss, having green tea with ginger is like having the best of both worlds. Both of them have properties that help you shed those extra kilos. One common factor between them is their capacity to boost metabolism, essential for your battle against obesity. Slice ginger into small, thin pieces and put it in your green tea while boiling. You can have this beverage twice a day.

Adding a little bit of honey and lemon juice to your ginger water will take the pungent taste off this popular India spice. This ginger drink will also offer immune boosting benefits while keeping you hydrated. You can add mint for garnishing. One or two ice cubes can also make this drink a little more interesting. Have ginger juice once a day to suppress your hunger.

Published : June 22, 2020 8:44 pm | Updated:June 22, 2020 8:48 pm

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Weight loss: This is how a ginger diet will help you battle the bulge - TheHealthSite

ICYMI, its now ~officially~ summer. Country music star Carrie Underwood, 37, celebrated the huge event by sharing an Instagram bikini picand she looks amazing.

"First day of summer! Loving this swim combo!" she captioned her abs-olutely fabulous post, before tagging her activewear line Calia by Carrie. The black and white bikini is super cute and Carrie looks super toned and strong, of course a fact that plenty of people noticed.

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You look incredible!! one person wrote. SMOKE SHOW!!! her trainer, Erin Oprea said.

Yeah... its kinda hard to miss the fact that Carries abs look ridiculous in this photo. Theyre cut, and she has what appears to be the beginning of a six pack. Of course, Carrie works really, really hard for that body.

For starters, she tries to work out every day. If I can work out seven days a weekwhich doesnt happen, but if I canIm going to, she recently told Women's Health. Because the next week, I might get two days.

When she works out, she usually does a combo of strength training and cardio, and she doesn't hold back. Carries leg workout, for example, consists of six sets of three moves, each done for three or four sets, like tuck jumps, Romanian deadlifts (with 30- to 35-pound dumbbells), walking lunges (with 20- to 25-pound dumbbells), and elevated sumo squats (with a 50-pound dumbbell).

For cardio, she likes to run outside or do small challenges on the treadmill. I have to set goals for myself: Every 15 minutes Im going to hit 1.25 miles, then by the end of an hour Ill have run 5 miles, she said.

She also just completely owned a push-up challenge on TikTok like it was NBD, with form that is totally on-point.

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On the food front, Carrie said that shes pretty regimented with her diet. I love rules, she told Women's Health. This is how I feel good about myself, and this is how I operate. So, she tracks her calories and macros (the amount of protein, carbs, and fat she consumes daily) on the MyFitnessPal app, with the goal of eating 45% carbs, 30% fat, and 25% protein on the reg.

She tends to reach for a tofu or egg-white scramble, Ezekiel toast, berries, and coffee in the morning, followed by a sandwich with Tofurky, tomato, avocado, red onion, spinach, and mustard for lunch. Shell have a green smoothie or protein bar for a snack and then dive into roasted veggies and a piece of vegan chicken or a tofu stir-fry for dinner.

Carrie is so on-point with her fitness that she actually wrote a nutrition and fitness book that was released earlier this year called Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong With Fit52Life, along with trainer Eve Overland and nutritionist Cara Clark.

And that, my friends, is how she happens to look like that in a bikini.

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Carrie Underwood, 37, Just Showed Off Her Super Toned Abs In A New Bikini Instagram - Women's Health

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For the last few months, the world has been gripped by a scary and infectious disease. The public have done their best to practice social distancing, flatten the curve and lessen the spread of coronavirus.

Loneliness and isolation have been one of the hardest parts of lockdown for many, and fortunately, the internet has provided connection to others and laughter amid the bleakness.

But between the funny memes and tweets about exes sliding into DMs, theres a repeated joke that has harmful effects.

From a slew of before and after photos, to have you gained the Covid 19 pounds?, youve probably seen some form of fat joke come up on your timelines.

They all roughly follow in the same vein - the quarantine 15 is the new freshman 15, or Ive finished all my isolation snacks, or Im not going to be able to fit into my clothes after lockdown! - and they all contain the underlying themes of fatphobia and disordered eating.

This obsession with staying thin begs the question - why are we worried about gaining weight in a time as scary as a pandemic?

Ultimately, the idea that gaining weight is bad and losing weight is good is a message that everyone, especially women, are taught from a young age. The message is then consistently reinforced via the media and pop culture, who intrinsically link weight to health - even though you cannot tell how healthy someone is just by looking at them.

Weve been taught diet culture since birth, says Grace Victory, a columnist and TV presenter who is well-known for her inspiring words and fierce fashion sense. We have ingrained in us that your self-worth is pinned on what you do, what you achieve and what you look like.

Diet culture, as Megan Crabbe explains it, is our culture's obsession with fitness and weight loss, and one certain body type being the route to happiness.

Megan runs bodyposipanda, one of the most successful body positive accounts on Instagram. Her goal is to normalise varied body sizes, shine a light on other marginalised bodies, and help everyone, especially young women, know that having a few rolls is not a bad thing.

Be wary of the companies that are using the pandemic to capitalise and sell products that don't work - diet pills, detox teas, wraps, whatever it is, Megan says, Be wary that they are trying to trick you - it is only about making money, it's not about making anyone any happier.

Since lockdown started, Megan has been posting reassuring messages to her followers, such as I will not blame my body for changing during this time and Hey, your body is trying its best to carry you through a really f**king scary and uncertain time. Maybe give it a break if it gets a little softer in the process.

At the beginning of lockdown, we were getting lots of posts through from Italy about what people were doing in their communities, Megan said. People were playing instruments on balconies. And I saw something that said, figure out what your instrument is and use it.

For me, my instrument is how I try to make people just be a bit kinder to themselves. And Instagram is the main place that I do that. So I figured I'm just going to carry on doing that, amplify it to match the level of anxiety we're all feeling, and do my best to keep putting out some comforting, reassuring stuff.

Among Megans messages have been that jokes about leaving lockdown 100lbs heavier arent funny, theyre fatphobic.

I think people dont realise that every little joke adds up to our perception of fat people, she says, using fatness as a punchline won't make you feel any better about your body, but it will reinforce oppressive belief systems that lead to stigma and prejudice against fat people. Peoples bodies aren't punchlines.

I understand people's fear of gaining weight, says Grace Victory, referencing the lack of education around food and exercise. Women are now being told not only to be slim and toned, but to have a flat stomach but also big boobs, a big bum, but slim thighs - do you see how ridiculous this sounds when saying it out loud?

Weve been sold a dream - some people have woken up from it, and some people havent. And this is why I spread the message of really streamlining and using social media for you, and only following people that uplift you.

On the weight-gain memes that have been circulating, Grace says: I know that people don't mean it to be offensive a lot of the time, and people will say its just banter. But it's not. It's just banter until someone takes their own life. It's just banter until someone's got suicidal thoughts, or until someone develops an eating disorder.

"On Twitter or Instagram, people think it's just jokes. But unfortunately, often those memes are of real people. A day-to-day person, or a person who could be working for the NHS or be on the frontline. And you're mocking them because of the way they look.

Michelle Elman, an author and life coach who runs the popular account @scarrednotscared, is also making social media more varied place.

I think it's really indicative to how pervasive and powerful diet culture is that we're all focusing on body image in a pandemic. There are way larger things in the world going on. If the main thing youre focussing on is your body, its largely because it's a coping mechanism - not because there's actually something wrong with your body.

In a pandemic, weight gain should not be your main concern ##iaminmisery ##bodypositive ##bodypositivity ##bodyconfidence ##bodyconfident ##plussize

Its possible an increased focus on body image came as peoples exercise routines got thrown off in lockdown. With gyms closed and with exercise regimes limited at points, people werent able to rely on their normal exercise schedules.

This increased pressure to work out and make sure your exercise routine is the same as it was prior to the pandemic is unrealistic, says Michelle, We're having to process more emotions on a daily basis than we ever would need to prior to a pandemic.

We have so many more stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol pumping through our bodies - simply to just exist and survive this period.

Michelle has been taking to TikTok to counter harmful narratives and negative body image. Its even subtle things, like filming TikToks without make up, to show its okay to be lounging around the house, its okay not to be dressed up.

You know what they say about assumptions... ##blessyoursoul

A lot of people arent just worrying about weight, theyre worrying about grey hair or that they cant get their nails done. Those will bring up insecurities, so showing those off is just reminding people - it's normal, it's natural, it's human, you're beautiful no matter what.

I would be lying if I said that the constant jokes about leaving the pandemic with a six-pack didnt affect me, because people are so obsessed with leaving this pandemic not looking like me, Grace says.

But diet culture is just a way to keep us small, keep us rigid, and keep us in line. And when you you break free of it, you have all this emotional brain space to actually create a life that you love.

"You can't do that when you're trying to maintain a body that no one actually gives two damns about. Its a long process that will take years and years to unlearn. But you dont have to live with unkind thoughts about yourself all of the time.

Theres a life waiting for you if you would just stop trying to be small.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, you can find help here.

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You dont have to lose weight in lockdown: the social media stars on a body positive mission - Evening Standard

We all know the awful, blown-up feeling of being bloated. Often it comes from eating certain foods (why can't bread just love us back?) - but knowing your triggers doesn't make it any less difficult to bear when that trapped feeling hits.

Unfortunately, you can't always predict what will cause it. Bloating is caused by a build-up of gas in the gut produced as a by-product of bacterial digestion," says The London Nutritionist, Jo Travers. "Its actually not necessarily a sign that something is wrong, but it can be uncomfortable and it can be a suggestion that your microbiome is slightly out of kilter."

So, what can you do? Here's eight simple steps to minimising bloating, both immediately and in the long-term:

The first thing to do for bloating is to take a good quality probiotic. This will deliver lots of live bacterial cultures to your gut to help restore any imbalance, and is quick and easy to do. "Choose one with a high bacterial count and with a range of different bacteria. Gut Powered Ultimate from Holland & Barrett, for example, has over 50 billion live bacteria and contains Lactobcillus and Bifidobacteria. Once you have the bacteria there, look after it!"

Sorry to be crass, but sometimes your body bloating is just its way of crying out to release air. Letting it go - ideally in the privacy of your own home or bathroom - is a sure-fire way to have you feeling better in seconds.

Unfortunately prevention is better than cure when it comes to bloating, says Jo. But passing wind is one of the quickest methods! If you suffer from trapped wind, doing gentle abdominal exercises and also cat, cow and child yoga poses have all been shown to be helpful for some people."

It could be worth trying a herbal tea to see if it helps - some suggest peppermint. However, be aware that this isn't a proven technique. "Although fennel tea is often recommended, there isn't much in the way of evidence for this, explains Jo.

If youre the type of person who regularly suffers with bloating, you might want to take steps to keep it to a minimum. Diet is extremely important if you want to reduce your chances of bloating, and while we all have certain trigger foods, there are some considered by dieticians to be the most beneficial to the tummy.

The best gut-healthy foods are anything with fibre in them, says Jo. Fruits and vegetables, wholegrains and beans and lentils are all examples. Fermented food are also useful because of the naturally occurring useful bacteria like Lactobacillus. Yogurt, keffir, kimchi and kombucha all fall into this category. Getting a mix of these foods covers all the bases.

The Mediterranean diet is great for gut because it contains plenty of wholegrains and fruit and vegetables. But also what it doesnt contain is important too. Saturated fat, processed pork products, fried food and sugary food can all disrupt a healthy microbiome and contribute towards bloating.

Of course, its not always what youre eating that has an effect on your body; your mood can play a part, too. Aside from diet, stress can have a knock on effect to the health of your gut, but equally stress management techniques, such as meditation, can help counteract this, says Jo.

Likewise, it is important to ensure you get enough sleep. It may not seem like theres a direct connection between sleep and gut health, but evidence shows that only one night of poor sleep can disrupt the gut microbiome and this can in turn make you more susceptible to bloating.

If the problem persists, and switching up your diet isnt working (or even seems to make things worse) it could be time to visit your doctor to look at the possibility of IBS - a condition which affects around a third of adults in the UK, and can have a huge impact on day-to-day life.

IBS is not actually just one thing, but a collection of symptoms affecting the gut that someone may have one or more of, including (but not limited to) bloating, wind, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain or discomfort, and cramping, says Jo.

There is no specific test for IBS. It is diagnosed using strict criteria taking into account symptoms, what triggers symptoms and how often they occur. A GP should test for and rule out coeliac disease and other inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohns disease before diagnosing IBS, so if you have any of the symptoms above I recommend going to your GP and asking for these tests to be done.

"IBS is a very individual condition that affects people in different ways. Its affected sometimes by what we eat, but also things like stress. As well as the symptoms being different, treatment is often different too, depending on the triggers. Some people may find changing their diet may help whereas others may find stress management techniques helpful."

Remember, it's always worth visiting your GP if you're concerned about any bodily changes.

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Excerpt from:
How to stop bloating right now and in the future - cosmopolitan.com

By Sheri McIntosh, Saturday at 7:44 pm

As you go through the process of eating healthy make sure you include fiber in your daily food intake. Fiber is important for digestion and as my elderly family members would say it keeps you regular. (For those of you who dont have elderly family members with southern roots being regular means regular bowel movements.) Fiber also helps you feel fuller faster and longer. Consuming fiber can improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Some studies also show that fiber helps prevent some diseases including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and colon and bowel cancer.

What is fiber? The Merriam Webster definition for fiber says it is mostly indigestible material in food (such as legumes, whole grains, and vegetables) that stimulates the intestine to peristalsis and promotes elimination of waste from the large intestine. The Sheri definition is fiber is a plant-based nutrient that helps you poop. It is recommended that we consume 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day. Most of us do not count grams. It is easier to make an effort to include some type of fiber with every meal.

There are two types of fiber. Soluble fiber helps with the digestion process and lowers blood sugar and cholesterol. Insoluble fiber adds bulk and keeps the digested food moving through your intestines. You dont have to stress trying to figure out which foods you should eat for soluble or insoluble fiber. In my research, fiber rich foods usually have both types of fiber.

The good news is that there are a lot of high-fiber foods available for consumption. Different types of fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, breads and grains, and nuts contain fiber. For fruit you can eat bananas, oranges, apples mangoes, strawberries, and raspberries. For vegetables you can eat broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard and turnip greens, and peas. There are numerous types of nuts you can eat that contain fiber. If you eat bread and grains you want to eat whole grains meaning whole wheat, flaxseed, or oat bread. (Read the ingredients to make sure it says 100% instead of made with.)

You can develop a process that includes fiber in your diet that works for you. It may take some research; however, it will be worth the effort.

Read the original here:
The Importance of Fiber in Your Diet | Spiritual and Physical Wellness - ChicagoNow