Category Archives: Diet And Food

My name is Courtney Smith (@coco.goes.lowcarb), and Im 40 years old. Im from Houston, Texas, and I am an account manager in group insurance. After finding out I was prediabetic, I decided to start intermittent fasting and following a keto/low-carb diet. I lost 105 pounds in two years.

I struggled with my weight from a very young age. In addition to being heavy, I was really tall, so I always stood out in a crowd. Most of my struggles took place during my childhood and teenage years. I owned who I was as an adult. I have a big personality and I'm confident, so I never really let my weight get to me once I decided I was okay with being overweight.

But after losing a close family member, I started self-medicating with food and wine. That's when I noticed that I was gaining weight rapidly, and I was also generally unhappy with some other aspects of my life. Instead of addressing my issues, I continued to eat whatever I wanted.

I was also dealing with knee and lower back pain due to arthritis. The weight exacerbated the pain. I was told I was prediabetic in early 2017 after going to the doctor for my annual physical. At my heaviest, I was 333 pounds. I was around 35 when I realized I had gotten so big. I was miserable but also had refused to do anything about it.

I was terrified. I saw what diabetes did to friends and loved ones, and I knew that the outcomes could be bleak. I was determined to take control of my health and stop making excuses.

So, I started eating differently and walking. I saw some results but knew I had more work to do. I got serious in January 2018, at 39 years old. I had a friend who was losing weight, and I just asked her outright what she was doing. She explained keto and some of the benefits of that lifestyle.

Keto and low-carb works for me because I am able to eat and create delicious meals that don't make me feel restricted or like I am being punished. I'm also able to go out to eat and make choices that don't alienate others or make me appear to be on some weird diet. This is important, as my profession requires that I attend work lunches, dinners, and sporting events.

I think dieting or lifestyle changes scare people because it can be challenging to figure out what you can eat when you're out at events or dinners, but being keto helps me with that. I saw how rapidly the weight started falling off, all while being able to still enjoy great food. I'm proud to say that this lifestyle has reversed my prediabetes as well.

I also typically follow a 16:8 fasting plan, meaning I eat within an eight-hour block of time. I eat between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., or from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. I don't snack very much, but if I do, I make low-carb choices.

I also walk at least three times a week. I started walking for about 20 minutes a day at work. It was a good way to step away and decompress while getting my body moving. My goal is to incorporate more exercise and yoga into my life.

I chose to turn my life around at almost 40 years old. I have a new lease on life and I'm so grateful. I've had times when I opted for the slice of cake or a few chips during this journey, but I don't park there and beat myself up. This lifestyle change is about balance. My biggest piece of advice is to not beat yourself up during the process. It isn't easybut it is so worth it.

Excerpt from:
I Combined Keto With The 16:8 DietAnd I Lost 105 Pounds And Reversed My Prediabetes - Women's Health

There is more to this diet though than just a list of healthy foods. Let's dig into everything you need to know about the Sirtfood Diet.

Sometimes a new fad diet hits the zeitgeist and all of a sudden the whole world finds themselves curious about how it works and if they should give it a try even. This week, the diet everyone seems to be discussing is called the Sirtfood Diet. Coming out of the U.K. by two nutritional experts, this new diet seems to have really risen to fame after none other than popular singer, Adele, posted a new photo of herself on Instagram this week and people cannot stop remarking on her noticeably slimmer figure.

At first glance, the list of sirtfoods allowed on this diet really don't seem all that bad, albeit, they're mostly insanely healthy withfoods like apples, kale, blueberries, green tea, citrus fruits, soy, buckwheat, strawberries, turmeric, capers, medjool dates, parsley, coffee, onions and olive oil. Thereally big ones that tend to get peoplequite excitedare dark chocolate and drink red wine, as you can still dine on these two foods while remaining a sirtfood rich regimen.

There is more to this diet though than just a list of healthy foods. Let's dig into everything you need to know about the Sirtfood Diet.

With celebrities such as Adele and Pippa Middleton said to have hopped on the Sirtfood Diet train, it has everyone interested asking how does the Sirtfood Diet work exactly. Promoted for bringing "effective and sustained weight loss", the diet is all about eating certain foods that will "activate" one's "skinny gene".Food Networkbreaks it down that all of the foods listed above contain a "natural chemical called polyphenols that mimics the effects of exercise and fasting".

If one sticks to the foods rich in polyphenols for a prolonged period of time, it can "trigger the sirtuin pathway to help trigger weight loss". Sirtuinsare specific proteins which are believed to "protect cells in the body from dying when they are under stress and are thought to regulate inflammation, metabolism and the aging process."

In terms of vast research and how long this diet has actually been around, it's still very young and there hasn't been enough in-depth investigation into the long lasting effects of maintaining a diet of only these types of foods for an extended period of time.

One note that is catching the eye of the many people suddenly paying attention to this diet is that you can supposedly lose approximately seven pounds in seven days. This can supposedly be accomplished in the phase one portion of the Sirtfood Diet.According toHealthline, the diet takes place over two phases which take course over three weeks time. There is a Sirtfood Diet book that exists in which you can go by for fuller instructions and it's also full of recipes that enlist all of the sirtfoods in theirmeal plans.

For phase one, which lasts a week, it's basically set out to kind of jump start the weight loss. You basically drink three green juices per day, plus one meal, with a decrease to two green juices and two sirtfood-rich meals in the latter part of week one.

As you head into phase two, which lasts for two weeks, it's known as the "maintenance" phase in which you should continue to lose weight as you have three meals full of sirtfoods and one green juice per day. If you're looking to continue to lose weight, the book suggests that you can go back to phase one and begin the process all over again.

For some people, trying out the Sirtfood Diet might sound like a bit of a dream, especially if you're a vegetarian or someone who eats quite a healthy mostly plant-based diet anyway, but there are some drawbacks and things to think about with this new way of eating and weight loss. According toBBC Good Food, not all dietitians are on their way to promoting a diet restricted to only sirtfoods. Especially during phase one of the process, the calorie intake for that first week is between 1,000 - 1,500, which is warned that it could be awfully hard to achieve for a lot of people as that is not a lot of food and enough calories to keep up one's energy.

Also, a lot of diet experts would likely be concerned about the lack of protein and iron intake as well as how short the list is for the sirtfoods and how someone who is looking for a well-rounded diet needs to be eating all sorts of fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats or meat alternatives in order to get all the vitamins and nutrients they need. There is also cause for concern with sudden and rapid weight loss as it usually isn't the healthy way most doctors would recommend losing weight.So, before you dive all in, as usual, it's best to consult with your own physician and health experts in order to determine what meal and exercise plan is best for you and your health.

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The rest is here:
The Sirtfood Diet: Everything You Need To Know | Moms.com - Moms

My physicians support my low-carb lifestyle and, honestly, they are impressed with my tight control in less than a year out from my diagnosis, Alli tells Yahoo Life. (Photo courtesy of LowCarbDiabetic)

Receiving a diagnosis of diabetes can be shocking under ordinary circumstances. For Alli, the woman behind the popular Instagram account LowCarbDiabetic, the prognosis came right before she started medical school.

Im a career changer, and had some routine lab work done before leaving for medical school, Alli, tells Yahoo Life. My lab results showed dangerously high glucose levels. Glucose, aka sugar, is your bodys main source of energy, MedlinePlus explains. High glucose levels can be a sign of diabetes.

My doctor and I thought it might be an error because Ive been a runner and health nut for years, Alli says. But, after she did another glucose test, the diagnosis was official: She had diabetes.

It was a shocking diagnosis, but [it] made sense looking back at how Id been feeling over the last year, says Alli. She originally thought the fatigue she experienced and the fact that she was running slower than usual were due to school burnout. Alli also didnt pay a lot of attention to classic signs of diabetes, like having an increased appetite without gaining weight and being thirstier than usual.

Having diabetes is not for the faint-hearted, Alli says. If youre going to have good control, you have to find your inner warrior, she adds.

Alli now takes between four to six insulin injections a day and is very strict with her diet. She was already on a fairly low-carb diet at the time of her diagnosis, and shes maintained that.

But Alli admits she was confused when her doctor handed her a pamphlet from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) after her diagnosis that recommended she eat carbohydrates. It called for eating more carbs than I had in years.

Alli still gets carbs from fruits and vegetables, but shes cut out things like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. Along with running regularly, she says that sticking to a low-carb diet has helped her reduce her insulin doses and helps keep her glucose levels within her target range.

Story continues

Currently the ADA, notes on its website that eating too many carbs can raise your blood glucose too high. However, the organization adds, Eating too little carbohydrates can also be harmful because your blood glucose may drop too low, especially if you take medicines to help manage your blood sugar.

The ADA specifically recommends that patients with diabetes get their carbohydrates the most from whole, unprocessed, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes and green beans, and less from refined, highly-processed carbohydrate foods and foods with added sugar, like soda, white bread and cake. The ADA advises that minimally-processed carbs like brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta and oatmeal are also OK.

While a low-carb diet may work for some patients with diabetes, its hard to say that its the right fit for all diabetic patients, according to Katherine Araque, MD, an endocrinologist and director of endocrinology of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. Its not one size fits all, says Araque.

Leigh Tracy, RD, a dietitian and diabetes educator at The Center for Endocrinology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, agrees, telling Yahoo Life, that diabetics dont need to swear off carbs if they dont want to. Carbohydrates are not bad. They actually give your body necessary energy, she explains.

My physicians support my low-carb lifestyle and, honestly, they are impressed with my tight control in less than a year out from my diagnosis, she says.

After sharing her low-carb recipes with friends and family, Alli eventually decided to create an ebook of her recipes, called Beginners Guide for Low Carb Recipes.Its a lifestyle.

Despite her controlled diabetes, Alli says her condition is always on my mind. I just have to deal with it, she says. There are people with much more severe illnesses. I got a bad deal, but its really not that bad at the end of the day. Ive taken as much control as I can.

See original here:
The controversial diet that helped one woman control her diabetes - Yahoo News

Powerlifter Stefi Cohen set three new world records earlier this year, taking her total up to a staggering 25. It was a feat that involved her dropping 10 pounds pretty much overnight, in order to be able to compete in a lower weight class a drastic process she said she doesn't recommend or endorse to anybody outside of the sport. When she's not in competition, however, Cohen's diet is pretty consistent and she makes sure it accommodates favorites like beer and ice cream.

In a recent interview with BarBend, Cohen broke down her nutrition regimen, explaining that she's cutting and "pretty lean right now" at 130 pounds, so eating 1,800 calories a day, compared to the 2,500 calories she eats each day when she's in a strength cycle.

Macro-wise, Cohen eats 130 grams protein, 180 grams carbs, and 50 to 60 grams of fat. Some athletes eat more carbs on days they train to give them more energy, but Cohen keeps her intake level throughout the week. And she tends to eat the same thing every day. Here's what an average day's meals look like:

When it comes to vegetables, Cohen prefers lower-fiber options like mushrooms and spinach, as she finds fiber too filling (one of the reasons it's good for weight loss, but not if you're eating lots of calories while training). She also like probiotics such as kimchi, as they help the body break down and absorb foods more efficiently.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Cohen enjoys a beer with dinner every night. "If you fit it into your calories in the day, yeah you can," she says. "Obviously I would never advise that someone add three or four drinks a day, because I guess that's not good for you, but yeah, you can fit in a glass of wine or a can of beer a day."

Cohen is also a sucker for junk food, and will often make space in her daily calorie intake for sweet treats, finding that a well-timed sugar rush can help in her training. "Sometimes I order a McFlurry, sometimes I order an ice cream cone, or I have some Oreos with milk... it gets wild sometimes," she says. "It can help your performance, if you eat it at the right time, you know, you can have a can of regular Coke half an hour before you train, get 40 grams of sugar straight into the zone, ready to go."

Read more:
Record-Busting Powerlifter Stefi Cohen Just Shared How She Stays Shredded Without Giving Up Beer - Men's Health

The role diet plays in determining your lifespan is well established but the best diet to follow is still open to debate. How much meat to include in your diet, for example, has historically been a flashpoint. In recent years, however, the case for giving up meat altogether has become persuasive.

Research exploring the link between plant-based diets and longevity has yielded some encouraging results.

Onelarge reviewof vegans and vegetarians in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Japan suggests that this subgroup has a nine percent lower risk of death from all causes, compared with omnivores.

Anotherstudyexamined Seventh Day Adventists in North America.

The Seventh Day Adventist diet is typically plant-based, rich in whole foods, and free of alcohol and caffeine although some may incorporate small amounts of eggs, dairy, or meat.

READ MORE:Heart attack: Worst food group which significantly raises your risk

The study suggested that vegetarians and vegans may benefit from a 12 percent lower risk of death, compared with people who eat meat.

When separated from the rest, vegans had a 15 percent lower risk of dying prematurely from all causes, indicating that a vegan diet may indeed help people live longer than those who adhere to vegetarian or omnivorous eating patterns.

One possible explanation is that plant-based diets are a potent weight-loss weapon.

Manyobservational studiesshow that vegans tend to be thinner and have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than non-vegans.

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In addition, severalrandomised controlled studies the gold standard in scientific research report that vegan diets often trump others on the merits of weight loss.

In onestudy, a vegan diet helped participants lose 9.3 lbs (4.2 kg) more than a control diet over an 18-week study period.

Obesity forms part one part of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that hike your risk of developing life-threatening complications such asheart disease.

Opting for a vegan diet may also lower blood blood sugar levels, an essential bulwark to developing type 2diabetesand warding off complications if you have it.

Researchshows that vegans tend to have lower blood sugar levels, higher insulin sensitivity and up to a 5078 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Bolstering the claim, studiesreport that vegan diets lower blood sugar levels in diabetics more than the diets from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Heart Association (AHA) and National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).

In onestudy, 43 percent of participants following a vegan diet were able to reduce their dosage of blood-sugar-lowering medication, compared to only 26 percent in the group that followed an ADA-recommended diet.

Otherstudiesreport that diabetics who substitute meat for plant protein may reduce their risk of poor kidney function.

If you strictly follow a vegan diet, it is important to make sure you get all the nutrients your body needs through alternatives to dairy and meat products.

Non-vegans get most of their calcium from dairy foods (milk, cheese and yoghurt), for example, but vegans can get it from other foods.

According to the NHS, good sources of calcium for vegans include:

Vitamin D is also important for supporting the muscles and keeping bones healthy.

As the NHS explains, fortified fat spreads, breakfast cereals and unsweetened soya drinks are great alternative sources of vitamin D.

See the rest here:
How to live longer: Follow this specific diet to lower your risk of early death - Express

Steve Sando among the beans. Illustration: Margalit Cutler

Steve Sando has been living through a great bean rush. His company, Rancho Gordo, is the purveyor of choice for garbanzo geeks, and overwhelming orders have led to shipping delays for regulars and its semi-famous Bean Club. Most people have understood. But one guy called me reprehensible, says Sando, who also recently published The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide. Sando lives alone in Napa, California, where he gardens obscure vegetables, cooks for his mother next door, and trades beans with neighbors for duck eggs, wild mushrooms, and other foods. The bean boom also has Sando working six days a week, but hes still cooking all the time the way he likes to: repurposing and reusing ingredients, with a California sensibility. You could find him cooking his weekly pots of beans, marinating chicken thighs and pickling mushrooms, and baking his favorite cornbread.

Thursday, April 30I drink Peets French Roast made in an Italian Moka pot. Whole scalded milk. I used to use sugar but now I use BochaSweet kabocha sugar. Its not as good, but its not bad like most artificial sweeteners.

Super-dark European coffee is what I grew up with, when it was a total trend in San Francisco. Thats where I picked up on it. Theres a trend now for light coffee. I know people like to say dark roast is burnt and a waste of good coffee, but I think theyre nuts. Im sorry, Id rather drink coffee in Italy than almost anywhere. I think they know what theyre doing. I dont get Blue Bottle at all. In the early days of the farmers market theyd always want to trade with me, and it was like, ugh, no I dont want this.

During the quarantine, Ive been eating a lot. I get a CSA box on Tuesdays from a local charcuterie shop, the Fatted Calf. (They wrote In the Charcuterie the breadth of their knowledge of Italian, French, and even Mexican charcuterie is just shocking to me.) The box is full of veg from Riverdog Farm but I also get a lot of meat, dairy, and Spanish chorizo from Fatted Calf while Im there. I also tend to get Straus Family yogurt.

At some point later in the week, I also go to a local Mexican Market, La Tapatia, where I get tortillas, chicharrones, and vegetable basics like onions, limes, and chiles. Ill often get a pound of the carnitas they make there, the tortillas, salsa, and call it a day, because its really good. Ive only been to the conventional grocery store once since lockdown. It was very unpleasant and I would avoid it at all costs in the future. It was no fun. Between the Mexican market, the Fatty Calf, and my CSA, Im pretty good. Plus I have all the beans I want, which definitely helps.

I was affected by the Napa fires two and a half years ago, we were evacuated for two weeks; then weve had these rolling blackouts; and now we have this and its like I dont trust anything. I also think by having a garden, its like Im off the grid a little bit, Im out of the system, and Im a little more self-reliant. Now, Im not freaking out, but I dont like going to the store if I dont have to. At night, when Im coming home from work, I think, eh you know what? I can skip yet another day. Which is really bad for these businesses in general, but for me, its like theres a satisfaction for going, I can actually do a lot less. And its actually even more fun. Thats one good thing thats come from this.

For breakfast I had some leftover kale from my CSA box (made with Fatted Calf pancetta) tossed with previously cooked ayocote morado beans. I prefer dandelion greens, chard, or rapini to kale but with enough pancetta, anything is delicious. With kale, its a sort of penance it feels like youre doing your duty.I love the bitterness of the dandelions, and the chards slightly sweet. I just think theyre more versatile.

Im here by myself. My mother lives right next door, so I see her, and I have another family that lives on the property, but mostly Im here by myself at this point. I have extra food and bring it to my mom.

Snacked on mixed nuts. I buy a bag each of almonds, cashews, and pecans and mix them myself from Trader Joes. I live on this.

Pounded chicken thighs pan-roasted, with roasted asparagus reheated in the pan juices with a little chicken stock to get the bits from cooking the chicken. The asparagus was in the CSA box. I used to steam them all the time, but I think tossing them in olive oil and roasting them is great.

I like buying boneless, skinless chicken thighs and pounding them before marinating them. I marinated these in olive oil, banana vinegar from Veracruz that we have, salt and pepper, and oregano indio. I dont overkill it. I try to keep it as neutral as I can, but the banana vinegar is out of this world. Its true rotted bananas and plantains. I think a lot of the fruit vinegars are plain vinegars with fruit flavoring added.

You can heat up a steel pan or cast iron until very hot and cook about six minutes each side. Let it rest and cut them up. It has the same satisfaction as steak for me. Normally I buy a whole chicken and cut it up and use as needed, always making broth, but I got these from the grocery store when I went. They were so cheap I thought, Im gonna do this.

My thing is, you just want to keep reinventing the ingredients you have. Theres that great book, An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. I love the whole concept. Her thing is, food will never be as fresh as when you brought it home from the market. So do as much prep as you can up front. When youre tired, youre not going to sit there and create this beautiful vegetable medley. But when its sitting there in a container and ready to go, you can heat up some vegetables and call it a day. Then you incorporate beans and, for me either, the charcuterie or marinated chicken thighs you can do everything pretty quickly once you lay the groundwork.

Ended my night with Strauss whole milk Euro-style yogurt with Bocha Sweet kabocha sugar. This yogurt is so good, it takes the place of ice cream for me.

Friday, May 1Beans. More ayocote morado (and bean broth) with roasted cauliflower, pinch of Burlap & Barrel cumin and our own pimenton. I had made a pot early in the week, and then Friday morning I made this dish with them. It just keeps giving.

I go on jags, and this week, I was just on this jag of Spanish pimenton and cumin. Not enough that you can tell what either one is, because I think then youve almost used too much, so just a scant, scant amount. Its just this great combination. But, more than anything else, I love thyme. I actually dont think theres a better herb in the world, until I decide to use rosemary.

Also, chicharron con carne. When I went to my Mexican market, to buy tortillas, I couldnt resist the great carnitas and chicharrones they have. Its not just the skin. I dont know how to describe it but Im sure a full diet of these would cause gout. Theyre scary good. The fat just melts in your mouth in a completely appealing way. I dont do it often, but sometimes get one for the road. Its this perfect blend of meat and fat and skinny. Its not gristly fat. Pork fat by itself is disgusting to me. I dont know what the deal with this is, but its terrific.

Chicken tacos made with the pounded chicken thighs, plus white onions, cilantro, limes and, Cosecha Purepecha chipotle salsa. Thats from Michoacn. When I was there maybe 15 or 12 years ago, we actually went to the factory because my friends who live down there said, oh, this is great stuff. And I just loved it. Locally I noticed they had it at Tapatio, and Ive just been hoarding it. We make a chipotle salsa at Rancho Gordo, which is excellent, but with things I love, I dont limit it to us. I still buy other peoples beans, for example, and this chipotle salsa in particular is just great.

Saturday, May 2Made a soup with the last of the ayocote morados and their broth, a scoop of hongos en vinagre from wild mushrooms from Wine Forest. Connie Green is a local forager who wrote a great book, The Wild Table. She lives up here on the mountain, so sometimes well trade, and because she was really tied in with chefs she got stuck with all these fresh mushrooms. I had way too many, so I pickled them.

There are lots of recipes for hongos en vinagre online but I tend to follow Diana Kennedys instructions. If you find yourself with a lot of mushrooms, like I did, this is a great way to extend their life and you always have a good snack on hand. Its another fast food. (Ill just come home from work and put them in a tortilla and make a pickled mushroom taco and thats fine. I wouldnt serve it to company, but to get through the night its great.) The vinegar from the mushrooms was a perfect bit of acid for the rich bean broth. I used regular chicharrones as croutons. They make a real snap-crackle-pop sound and theyre delicious in a soup like this.

That soup was one of the most successful things Ive ever done. This is why you make beans for yourself, so you can have things like this bean broth. It was mostly bean broth and mushrooms and vinegar. To me its the most exciting thing: when you do leftover cooking and you come up with a great dish like that. I probably at some point would write about the soup it was so good.

I havent been baking sourdough, but the fact that people are so into sourdough some people roll their eyes I think it is one of the best things to happen. Its all about control. You can control the rising of water and flour? That must feel great. I think about this with beans, I can turn this rock into something creamy. Maybe Im wrong, but its little places where you can control things that helps you get through this.

Dinner was pan-roasted duck breast (from Liberty Duck in Sonoma) and sauteed Red Russian kale. I have a weird love of duck breast, also its sort of a challenge because theres nothing like it and theres nothing worse if you overcook it then it gets rubbery. I just did salt and pepper, then deglazed the pan with the kale cookings. I hadnt put the pancetta back in it and I thought, this is so rich, it doesnt need that. I also thought, how this would be great for two meals. Well, it wasnt. It barely made one.

Sunday, May 3Red Russian kale with pancetta, a fried duck egg I traded for with a neighbor I bet both thought we came out ahead and cornbread made with Antebellum coarse white cornmeal from Anson Mills. I used their skillet cornbread recipe but I replaced some of the milk with goat yogurt. I love that they dont use flour in those recipes.

Theres no consistency with Southerners. Despite what you hear, some say you do need to add sugar. Some say it has to be buttermilk. Its exhausting, and not being a Southerner and growing up on really crappy Jiffy cornmeal, I discovered the Anson Mills coarse grind and nothing is better with beans. The cornmeal is a game changer compared to what I had.

You can heat up the skillet with the fat on the stove, pour the batter in and it sizzles, and then put it in the oven. Its 20 minutes, and theres just nothing like it. Im just shocked by how good it is. If the pan is hot enough when the batter hits, it forms a crust thats not very deep but is almost like when you eat cheese and it has that crystalline thing going. Its the most subtle, sublime crunch-to-cornbread ratio. The only problem with this cornbread is it doesnt keep. And the other problem is deciding what the word portion means. Can I get away with eating the whole thing? You just turn into such a pig because its so delicious.

You slather it with butter and its hot and you almost cant even talk its so good. Or you add beans and bean broth or even kale and the kale potlikker, and youre thinking, why arent we doing more of this? Id rather learn more about this than some obscure Italian preparation. Theres so much great simple food to eat at home, its frustrating we dont do more of it. A Southerner told me about taking the cornbread, breaking it up into a glass, and then you pour buttermilk over it. I thought, that just sounds as disgusting as it gets. I tried it and it was absolutely delicious.

Later, I made a quesadilla with onions, cilantro, Cosecha salsa, and crap jack cheese. Mexicans dont actually use jack cheese, but they use bland cheeses, so I dont think its such a crime. When I went to the grocery store, I just bought a ton of it because it was super cheap and the expiration date was far away. Its so funny where Im a snob and where Im not. There is a line I wont cross, but crappy cheese is fine. It has its place.

I also had a salad of garbanzos, Fatted Calf Spanish chorizo, Trader Joes marinated red peppers, onion, Olive Oil Jones Gata-Hurdes from Extremadura, Spain (home of pimento and the conquistadors), chives, and sherry vinegar. I love salads, I like lettuce fine, there are all sorts of interesting ones. But living alone, its really hard dealing with lettuce, and Ive discovered if I have super crunchy things, plus beans, its this creamy, crunchy combination that makes a great salad. Lately, Im loving shaved fennel. Not by itself, but mixed as part of something else.

Monday, May 3Penance, sort of. Even for me that was a rough four days or so. Okay, we need to slow down a bit here.

I try to skip breakfast as much as I can. I did have a half cup of homemade sauerkraut this morning, which would actually be a typical breakfast for me. Just having that so Im not dying, that works for me.

I always make it. This winter, we got a lot of cabbage from the CSA. I have a beautiful fermenting pot. I tend not to spice it while its fermenting, its probably fine, but I always worry about a little bit floating to the top and causing trouble. I find, though, you have to add tons of onion, which makes it 10 times better. I added tons of carrots, too, and I tend to like the red cabbage more just because it looks cool.

Chard and Anson Mills Carolina Gold rice. I did have pancetta leftover, and I opened a can of tomatoes, so I chopped up some tomatoes and added them as well, so it was a little more of a sauce for the kale. Theres a brown rice I love called Massa from Chico, California, its like eating nuts. But I had the Carolina Gold, and with that rice you want to keep it as simple as you can.

For dinner, I had Manchego cheese, a bit more Spanish chorizo, mixed nuts, and a sherry. Thats all. I was like, I just need to slow it down a bit. But I was about to start it all over again the next day. I had the CSA coming. It was just one day of simple eating.

Im not minding the shelter-in-place, until I do, and then it drives me crazy. I really dont love going to restaurants all that much unless theyre really special its not something I do casually. But almost every week I have a dinner party here, I have a couple of friends over, and thats the thing that kills me. I can almost bear all of this, but that part seems nice, and it seems like if we had mass testing we could take smarter, more calculated risks. But its not worth it at this point. Thats the thing: I want to open that door and see someone on the other side that would make me very happy.

I would much prefer to be cooking for more people. Im living for these meals, and theres this tiny bit of melancholy that comes at the end, like oh, its done. Its this one bit of pleasure of quarantining, and now its done. Im looking forward to the day that passes, I would say.

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Rancho Gordos Steve Sando Avoids the Grocery Store at All Costs - Grub Street

Mariah Huq looks great in curve-clinging denim these days and if you ask her, that's no thanks to carbs. In a recent Instagram post, the Married to Medicine cast member twirled around wearing a tight jumpsuit that showed off her slim physique. And in the hashtags she added to her caption, the fashion plate made sure to give credit to the popular diet she's following.

In one hashtag, the producer wrote "TRIMMING down," and in another one she spelled out: "Keto." Mariah has opened up about her low-carb, high-fat lifestyle before. Back in March she shared an example of the types of meals she's having lately and revealed herhack for beating cravings.

"I'm trying to stay fit so I'll just take an egg with spicy Guacamole!" she wrote. "When I'm on a diet I always cook [my family] everything I like or want, b/c I get full just from smelling it while I cook!" She does have her cheat days, though just like her fellow Keto enthusiast Briana Culberson does.

Showing a fried fish sandwich with coleslaw in a May 6 Instagram share, Mariah wrote: "YES fried fish Samich! What ya'll know bout that? Don't come hating either talking about spaghetti goes with this! This is more than enough for my cheat day!" She added "no Keto today" in the hashtags.

But whatever she waseating or not eating on the day she took this photo, it's clear that Mariah was feeling and looking fantastic.

Back in December, Mariah revealed that she had shed 14 pounds in five weeks. "Chile the struggle is real!" she wrote back then. "I'm letting have at Christmas..probably gain ever pound back#FACT." Or, maybe not.

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By: Lifestyle Desk | Updated: May 9, 2020 5:47:40 pm Keep your blood pressure under control during the pandemic. (Source: getty images)

Early studies surveying people with the novel coronavirus disease found that up to 30 per cent of them had hypertension, according to a report by The Lancet. So, how are hypertension and the risk of coronavirus related?

High blood pressure in itself does not cause an increased susceptibility to coronavirus. But from what we have seen so far, about one-fourth to half of the COVID-19 patients who had to be admitted had high blood pressure, among other ailments, Dr Nishith Chandra, cardiology, director-interventional cardiology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, told indianexpress.com.

He said, It has been seen that a lot of patients of COVID-19 are asymptomatic or show minor symptoms, and get better. A person with high blood pressure or other heart diseases, who is exposed to the virus, however, is more likely to require hospitalisation or even ventilation, as opposed to infected patients without blood pressure.

Read| How to stay calm during the coronavirus pandemic

Any comorbidity or existing medical condition like diabetes or heart disease may result in a more severe impact of the virus on the body due to a weaker immune system. Those who have high blood pressure and are already on medication may have compromised immunity. Again, elderly people with coronary heart disease or high blood pressure are more susceptible to the virus.

That said, people with high blood pressure should not be paranoid. Hypertension is a very common condition, with nearly 30-40 per cent of the adult population in India suffering from it. The good news is hypertension can be easily controlled. One should ideally strictly control blood pressure during the pandemic, the doctor advised. Here are some ways to do it.

1. Adhere to a good lifestyle; follow a healthy diet and keep yourself physically active by exercising.

2. Avoid excess salt in your food.

3. Eat fruits and vegetables that are rich in potassium like spinach, broccoli, apricots, raisins and dates.

4. Drink three to four litres of water daily to remain hydrated.

5. Limit the consumption of alcohol and caffeine to keep your blood pressure levels in check.

6. If you are unable to control blood pressure, consult your doctor without delay.

Read| Coronavirus and the elderly: All you need to know

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine stated that blood pressure medicines do not put you at more risk of contracting the virus. Besides, on March 17, 2020, the American Heart Association, Heart Failure Society of America and the American College of Cardiology issued a joint statement to confirm that one should not stop taking the prescribed medicines for blood pressure. These medications dont increase your risk of contracting COVID-19. They are vital to maintaining your blood pressure levels to reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and worsening heart disease, the guidelines read.

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Being in quarantine,it's tempting to think the world is standing still. But in fact the seasons and your body are constantly changing and evolving, asAyurveda teaches us. Humans are merely an expression of nature a microcosm of the macrocosm. Thus, we are constantlymoving forwardalong with the seasons.

The respite Mother Nature is receiving from the hustles and bustles of daily human life traffic, pollution, waste, etc. is evident, at least in my part of the world. Spring has sprung in a way I havent seen in a long time. The birds are loud and every day is filled with the vibrancy of new life sprouting everywhere. It's like with us humans out of the way, the natural world has room to breathe and stretch and emerge stronger.

We can do the same for our bodies. Warmer weather invites us to shed some layers and become a little lighter. In this, the earth provides us with the means to do so: Abundant sunshine, warmer days, and food to help cleanse our systems and lighten our load. Notice the foods that your body is craving right now. As the thermometer rises, we may be feeling naturally called to more smoothies, salads, and light vegetables as opposed to stews, heavy soups, and rich sauces. While many of us may be curtailing the frequency with which we go to the grocery store or farmers market, when you are there, look at the produce first. What seems particularly alive right now?Seasonal Food Guide is an easy way to see what foods arecurrentlyabundant and ripe in your region.

In Ayurveda, we look more at certain tastes of foods to support optimal health as opposed to the macronutrients of food. As the weather turns warmer and the light stays in the sky longer, we turn from foods that are oily, heavy, sour and sweet tastes that can ground us and keep us warm - to foods that are pungent, bitter, astringent, dry andcitrusy tastes that help cleanse the system and put a little more spring to our step. Youll find Ayurveda is actually quite intuitive, as your body will likely crave more of these foods naturally.

1. Arugula: One of my favorite greens, it is easy to distinguish this green from others by its bitter, peppery, and astringent tastes.Arugula is a great base for any salad, packed with calcium and vitamin K which both aidin normal blood clotting.

2. Artichoke: Rich in fiber and folic acid and vitamin C, artichokes are easy to prepare. Simply steam for about 20-30 minutes and begin to peel away the leaves to reach the heart.

3. Asparagus: This is one vegetable youll see pop up all over the place right now and with good reason. Asparagus is high in fiber and vitamin K. Roasted with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper is the easiest way to prepare asparagus.

4. Strawberries: Yes, the perfect strawberry can be deliciously sweet but it is also light and an excellent source of antioxidants. A great option for a light breakfast or a sweet treat.

5. Cruciferous vegetables: These healthy veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are rich in folate and phytonutrients. Lightly steam them or roast them without excessive sauces or oils.

6. Radishes: Like arugula, the bitter and peppery flavor of radishes make them a springtime favorite. They can help detoxify the stomach and liver and are a natural diuretic, helping to cleanse the system.

7. Beets: All you have to do is take a look at the rich red color of beets to understand their power to support the blood and circulation. They are also a great detoxifierand taste delicious roasted in salads.

8. Spring onions: This time of year, leeks and ramps are a favorite ingredient of chefs who rely on local produce to create seasonal menus. Like their brothers and sisters, garlic and onions, they carry strong bitter and astringent properties.

9.Certain Spices: Thesecan be used to assist the body's cleansing process. Turmeric, ginger, black pepper, asafoetida (similar to garlic), cayenne, and mustard seeds are all supportive in ridding the body of additional phlegm and toxins (known in Ayurveda as ama) that may emerge this time of year. They also help support digestion. Consider adding these to some sauteed greens, making a homemade salad dressing with some of the ingredients or experiment with a spice blend including all of these ingredients and sprinkle on some roasted vegetables.

In addition, intermittent fasting is a good way to assist the internal cleansing process of the body and prevent disease. Eating one meal a day in the afternoon is recommended with potentially a light breakfast such as fruit and an easy to digest meal at nightlike a green soup or simply broth. Try to recognize when the body is full and resist overeating.

All of these tips will help ensure, like Mother Nature, you are bursting with energy and vitality as you spring into spring and summer. For light, summery dishes, check out our recipes tab on The Beet.

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Eat to be Lighter: 9 Foods to Add to Your Diet This Month - The Beet

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Updated: May 10, 2020 7:27:34 am Make sure your mother consumes a healthy diet. (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

A mother showers all her love and care for her children and works hard to make sure that all their needs are met. However, once we grow up to become independent, we sometimes fail to notice that our mother is ageing as well.

Have we ever given a thought to what she eats all day? While trying to give us a nutritious meal, has she been able to meet her own requirements? Though age is just a number, it still brings with it several physiological, metabolic and psychological changes in our body, explained Dr Meghana Pasi, nutrition consultant with Arogya Worlds MyThali program. Some of these are:

*Decline in physical activity, reduced digestion and metabolism, and decreased immunity.*Obesity among older adults puts them at the risk of chronic degenerative disorders like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.*Women are more prone to lower bone mass due to pregnancy, childbirth and later menopause, resulting in depletion of bones. The estrogen hormone, (responsible for maintaining bone density) drops considerably leading to a higher risk of osteoporosis.*Muscles lose size and strength leading to fatigue, weakness and reduced tolerance to exercise.

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Does this remind you of any complaints that your mom has had? Observational studies provide evidence that adopting a healthy lifestyle i.e. a nutritious diet combined with physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of premature death due to degenerative disorders. Help your mom stay healthy by making right food choices and eating a balanced diet. This investment will make a difference in the long term, said Dr Pasi.

Below is a daily food calendar

Put a personal note for your mom, print it out and gift it to her on Mothers Day!

*Include all five food groups: cereals/grains/millets, pulses/dals/legumes, egg/meat/fish, milk /milk products, fruits and vegetables in your meals which provide carbs, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

*Do not skip breakfast and have it ideally between 8 am and 9 am. Have idli/dosa, poha, veg parathas, eggs, salad, milk, cereals, fruits etc. These will provide complex carbs, proteins and fibre.

*Mid-morning meal should comprise of a handful of nuts and one fruit at 11 am.

*For lunch at 1 pm, make your thali by including salads, curd, veggies, dal and chapatis/rice. Include green veggies which are seasonally and locally available.

*Munch on a bowl of fruits, roasted chana, and peanuts over cookies, chips or samosas, with tea as evening snack around 5 pm.

*Make your dinner by 8 pm light with bisibele rice with curd, dal rice or khichdi and vegetable or soup with pulao.

*At bedtime, have a glass of warm milk with turmeric. This not only helps you get good sleep but also boosts your immunity.

*Hydrate. Do not forget to have 2-3 litres of water every day. Coconut water, lassi, buttermilk, green tea, lime juice are good options to beat dehydration.

*Red meat, refined processed and packed foods, oily and sweet foods, pickles, papads, namkeens.

*Protein-rich foods: Pulses and legumes, milk, and its products, soybean, eggs, lean meat, and nuts.*Calcium-rich foods: Almonds, milk and milk products, green veggies, legumes, fish, and oil seeds*Vitamin D: egg yolk, green veggies, fatty fish and seafood, milk, vitamin D supplements

These nutrients help in improving bone health, muscle recovery and increase immunity. Make sure to have:

*1gm protein per kg body weight*600mg calcium per day*600-800 IU vitamin D per day

*Exercise, go for walks. Expose yourself to sunlight for sufficient vitamin D.*Join a yoga class (online for now), play with your grandkids, do strength training 30 minutes everyday.

Happy Mothers Day to all mothers who have tirelessly and selflessly worked for building a better generation.

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Mothers Day 2020: Is your mother eating right? - The Indian Express