Category Archives: Diet And Food

There are several well-known factors that contribute to aging: smoking, stress, sun exposure and genetics, among them. But what you may not realize is what you put on your plate can also cause you to look beyond your year.

Everything that goes into your mouth affects your aging cycle, says Tina Martini, chef and author of "Delicious Medicine: The Healing Power of Food." Among the offenders are alcohol, refined sugar, and over-processed and fried foods.

When you eat fresh foods, as close to nature as you can get, you can slow down the effects of damage to your cells, thus slowing the aging process, she says.

One of the main damaging factors is acrylamide, an organic compound that is produced during the frying process of some starchy foods. This has led the American Cancer Society to recommend limiting French fries, potato chips, foods made from grains breakfast cereals, cookies, toast because they tend to have higher levels of this chemical.

Acrylamide can affect the skin in the same way that sun damage does, says Martini.

Reduce your exposure by soaking raw potato slices in water for 15 to 30 minutes and draining before frying or roasting. Also, when cooking, choose boiling or steaming to stop acrylamide from forming.

Sugar is the main source of energy for our bodies, but it can also contribute to a process called glycation. The excess sugar molecules attach to proteins, creating "advanced glycation end products" or AGEs, which are linked to the loss of collagen. Losing collagen can lead to wrinkles and creepy skin.

Remove processed sugary foods from your diet and eat fresh vegetables and fruits, says Lorraine Kearney, BASc, NDTR, an adjunct lecturer at the City University of New York. To get the maximum nutrients from fruits enjoy them whole instead of dried, blended or pureed.

Snack on organic peaches, cherries, apples and strawberries as they can help to fight the signs of aging.

Enriched and Fortified Foods

You will often find the words enriched and fortified on labels of prepackaged foods. Those words generally mean that all the nutrients were removed during processing, and the manufacturer put back what they deemed important. A diet high in processed foods can lead to oxidative stress, which occurs due to an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body and may lead to cell damage.

Eating a diet rich in colorful foods increases the amount of nutrients the body needs to heal on the cellular level, Kearney says.

Stock up on fresh and antioxidant-rich foods like blackberries, blueberries, beets, bell peppers and radishes as they mitigate the effects of oxidative stress.

While drinking some alcohols in moderation is known to have beneficial health effects, overuse can cause wrinkles, puffiness, inflammation and dehydration.

While you should always remain hydrated, be extra mindful when consuming spirits; and instead of having a full glass of wine, enjoy a spritzer made with seltzer. Staying hydrated not only keeps your skin supple but also flushes toxins from the body.

Skin care is very important in protecting our skin, but its really the moisture in our bodies that keeps us radiant, says Martini.

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Fruits of youth: Consider this your guide to an anti-aging diet - Elk Valley Times

CILENTO She wrote the most significant chapter in the culinary history of Italy, and didn't even know it. And all because of a respect for tradition and visceral love for her land: Cilento.

Located in the southwestern province of Salerno, Cilento is the envy today of countries like the United States and Russia, where globalization has caused a spike in instances of obesity and chronic diseases. It's also where maid and top-chef Delia Martinelli, 82 with her ladle and pots returned Italy to the top of a singular ranking as the country with the best cuisine in the world, both in terms of taste and health benefits.

For more than 30 years, from 1965 to 2000, she was the maid of the Keys household. It's a surname that in Pioppi, a small fishing village with some 200 inhabitants in the dead of winter, is as well known as that of Vassallo, the mayor of a neighboring commune gunned down in 2010 by members of the Camorra crime syndicate. A surname that, for adepts beyond the village borders, is code for the Mediterranean diet, which is more a way of life than a simple dietary regimen, and was recognized in 2010 as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

Feeding the family

It was in this capacity that Donna Delia found herself as a living witness to what became the career of Ancel Keys, the American physiologist who died a centenarian in 2004 after having chosen this stretch of Salerno shoreline as his dwelling of choice for four decades: for work and for pleasure.

Aside from eating well, we move a lot and we are never alone.

Arriving in Naples in the 1950s, where rates of cardiovascular-related deaths were very low, the doctor decided to remain in Campania and to settle in Pioppi for extended periods of the year, taking many of the local dietary habits as his own. It was here, nestled between the steep hill of Pollica and the deep blue sea, that the scientist reached his most significant conclusions.

Comparing the dietary habits and rates of cardiovascular disease of the inhabitants of Salerno with those of six other nations, Keys showed that the main risk factors for heart and artery health are found, in addition to smoking, in the levels of animal fat present in the diet. He also discovered, interestingly enough, that the poor often eat better than the rich.

Thus, the myth of the Mediterranean diet was born, characterized by a large consumption of plant-based foods. Olives, chestnuts, figs, endives, Cicerale chickpeas and Controne beans are distinctive elements of the diet during this season. But in the fields and on the boats, the work is year-round: cultivating wheat, caring for lemon trees, picking vegetables and bringing anchovies to shore.

In Cilento, where Delia's son and his wife run a small trattoria often frequented by researchers from the oldest and most prestigious European and American universities, traditions persist. Signora Delia answers the phone at 7 p.m., but it is still early for dinner. "We eat little in the evening: some anchovies with lemon, a piece of bread, a glass of wine and fruit," she says.

Delia Martinelli Photo: A Casa di Delia Facebook page

Plenty of time, then, to reminisce. "When I arrived at the Keys house, I was 25 and had never been out to work before. But it didn't take me long to get acclimated. I was a housekeeper, like so many others, who took care of all the household chores. I immediately understood, however, that Mister Ancel and his wife Margareth were very interested in my cooking," Delia recalls.

We're not used to having rag often in my house.

That interest seemed strange to someone who recognized as tradition what two Americans considered an absolute novelty. After a few weeks, the "Kissi" couple, as Delia pronounces it, began to ask so many questions about the dishes that ended up on their table every day.

"The professor loved lentil and bean soups, but also anchovies and garden olives," she says. Delia cooked with what the vegetable garden offered, nothing more. "We used simple sauces as condiments, every now and then seasoned with fish. We're not used to having rag often in my house."

What she did use were lots of anchovies, which made their way into the dishes just hours after being unloaded from the boat of Signore Giannino, Delia's husband. "He spent a lifetime at sea," she explains. "He would go out every night and came back in the early morning when I was ready to start work at the Keys house."

Nourishing the heart

Delia gave a lot of herself to the Keys, but the exchange of knowledge went both ways. You can hear it in the way she talks about kilocalories, food pyramids and preventive medicine. And on the subject of why people in Cilento live longer than average, her ideas are clear.

"Aside from eating well, we move a lot and we are never alone," she says. "Having the ones we hold dear close to us is like eating a sweet every day" the difference being that such emotion nourishes the heart without expanding the waistline.

The ultimate goal is to establish a research institute on the Mediterranean diet in Pioppi.

For this reason, in an attempt to recover a lifestyle that is now largely lost in Italy, there are ever more legions of tourists choosing to immerse themselves in one of the 80 communes of Cilento National Park, Vallo di Diano and the Alburni mountain range. Their mission: a return to the origins.

"The Mediterranean diet must become a model of social, economic and cultural development," says Stefano Pisani, who took over as mayor after his predecessor, the fisherman Angelo Vassallo, was killed in a Camorra ambush in 2010. "Health advantages aside, this lifestyle has reduced our impact on the environment. Joining our cause means defending the planet during this crucial phase, in light of the ongoing climate change."

Considering that on the other side of the Atlantic, people are ready to spend hundreds of euros to receive a bottle of extra virgin olive oil pressed in Cilento, the ultimate goal is to establish a research institute on the Mediterranean diet in Pioppi.

"All this acquired knowledge must be integrated into the technological developments of our era, so that we don't lose it," continues Pisani. Something almost unimaginable for Nonna Delia, though it is already done by way of history books.

"I never would have imagined it, but I've lived like a queen here in the heart of Pioppi."

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Meet The Doctor's Maid Who Inspired The Mediterranean Diet - Worldcrunch

James Martin has incredible cooking skills and will give viewers tips on how to make tasty meals at home on shows like Saturday Kitchen and This Morning. Often appearing on the small screen, fans have noticed his frame notably change during this time. Speaking in the past, James explained he cut fat from his diet and used exercise to shed a whopping six stone.

Previously weighing in at 19st 7lb, the star signed up for the reality dance show, Strictly Come Dancing, which helped him beat the bulge.

Celebrities competing on the show will often lose weight with the intense training regime and James managed to dance off an impressive five stone.

Spilling on training routine, he said it was gradually upped to seven days a week for 10 hours a day.

He was encouraged to continue his weight loss after seeing himself on the TV.

READ MORE: Weight loss: Top five exercises for flat abs revealed - full workout plan here

Speaking to Mail Online, James said: "You kind of watch and go, 'Oh God there's a bit of chin happening there'.

And everybody's TVs are bigger now. Before you used to watch TV on a small one and now they're massive."

The chef was also encouraged to make a change after getting negative comments on social media.

I looked on social media and every comment was about me being fat, he told The Sun.

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So I lost a stone-and-a-half. And no doubt Ill lose another stone on this tour.

After already losing a considerable amount of weight, James made changes to his diet which saw him lose a further one stone.

It is reported he ditched butter when trying to get into shape and made an attempt to avoid fatty foods altogether.

Although some fatty foods can be good, there are some, such as saturated fats found in dairy products like butter, which can be damaging to the health.

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James Martin weight loss: TV chef cut one food from diet to shed a whopping six stone - Express

The Voice coach Gwen Stefani is an icon to millions of 90s kids. Her trademark rhinestone bra straps, retro-styled voice, and cherry-red lips made the No Doubt singer Insta-famous with hits like Dont Speak, and Spiderwebs. However, her diet and exercise routine are that much more impressive.

The 50-year-old mother of three is, arguably, the best shes ever been. Now, Stefanis personal trainer spills the secrets to achieving a rockin bod. Heres how to get there.

With an intense schedule, Stefanis workout has to be fast, efficient, and produce results. The busy mom previously revealed she keeps her time at the gym to just four days per week with each session lasting about an hour, or slightly longer.

I have no magic thing that I do to stay fit. I eat really clean, do my shows, and work out, Stefani told Shape. I always feel better when Im in a routine even though I sometimes hate it.

One secret Stefani admitted to the cardio portion of her routine? I play tennis, badly, with [Blake Shelton], she said.

Stefanis former longtime trainer, Mike Heatlie, previously told Shape Magazine, ahigh-intensity weight trainingroutine combined with some quality cardiovascular training, works wonders in achieving results like Stefanis.

He suggested choosing four to five exercises to perform without any rest between sets followed by one to three minutes of high-intensity cardiovascular work.

Some of the moves to choose from include full dumbbell squats, a standing lateral shoulder raise, kettlebell swings, and unbalanced lunges, to name a few.

Stefanis new trainer Gunnar Peterson recommends whole-body cardio to sculpt more muscles in less time. More importantly, he advises you find exercises or hobbies that bring you joy if you want to maintain results for the long haul.

If you can find a way to enjoy what were doing, enjoy the work, the end goal seems to come faster, he said. You stop looking at the destination and you start enjoying the journey. I know that may sound corny or contrived, but its really true.

Stefani diet is clear of meat and carbs, when possible. From the age of 12, the singer began following a vegetarian diet. Shes also gone full vegan off and on for years.

Heatlie said the best way to burn fat and lose weight is to carb-cycle, which helps drop levels of stored carbs (glycogen) in the muscles and liver. This process helps the body use stored fat for fuel. So how does it work?

Heatlie said reducing carb intake on certain days triggers the fat-burn process. That means cutting bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, sugar, and high-fat foods some days of the week or adapting some form of intermittent fasting (restricting your eating window each day) for faster results.

As for abs like Stefanis, Peterson said itll take more than standard sit-ups.

Your core wraps around your entire body and supports you, Gunnar told Popsugar. When it comes to abs . . . theres a ton of work done in flexion and maybe at the most in extension. He said its not comprehensive enough to develop celebrity-like abs.

The key is adapting exercise moves that work the entire core such as a variety of planks with toe-touches and Supermans sprinkled in.

As for the milestone birthday, Stefani told Entertainment Tonight its not much more than a number. I feel the same as I always feel, which is horrified, she said. Nobody wants to grow older. But, you know, I feel like Im also in an amazing place in my life. I feel so blessed right now.

She credits her gratitude for finding some semblance of balance.

I always knew at this point in my life I was going to be turning this age, which is hard to even say out loud, but where I would be with my kids and what place they would be at and I feel so, like, Im in a good balance of being able to work and also be here a lot and enjoy being a mom and being there for them, she said. Its a good time in my life. I mean, I cannot complain.

Whether youre up for Stefanis diet and exercise routine or not, its totally achievable. With a little hard work, patience, and gratitude, you, too, can get in the best shape of your life.

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Gwen Stefani's Diet and Exercise Routine Are Totally Doable, According to Her Personal Trainers - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The 2020 presidential election is still a year away. For whichever candidates go all the way, thats more than a thousand meals, mostly eaten on the road while glad-handing and selfie-taking with voters around the country. From downing corn dogs for the cameras to eating the lumberjack special at a famed local diner, each public meal is an opportunity to connect with voters under the (ludicrous) pretense of being just another regular person or a vote-erasing disaster, like John Kerrys Swiss-cheese-smothered Philly cheesesteak in 2004. For most candidates, every single bite in front of a camera is a tight-rope walk over a pool of molten nacho cheese.

But then theres South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, whose gastronomical exploits, from the Iowa State Fair to the iconic Grimaldis Pizzeria, where he shamed former candidate and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasios dainty slice-eating manners, are already the stuff of electioneering legend. So its no surprise that when I asked multiple campaigns for permission to tail a candidate and document everything that went into their body for two straight days, the Buttigieg camp was by far the most receptive, allowing me full access often, I was the only photographer in the room while the candidate embarked on a bus tour across rural Iowa battleground counties that went for Obama in 2008 and 2012, but flipped to Trump in 2016.

The tour started in Cedar Rapids, at a fish fry fundraiser for Abby Finkenauer, a freshman congresswoman from Iowas First District. Every top-tier candidate made an appearance: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Buttigieg, who recently overtook Biden and Sanders in the latest Quinnipiac poll. The fundraiser was not a traditional food photo op like the Iowa State Fair or the Polk County Steak Fry, so the candidates largely hid out in the green room, though Cory Bookers partner, the actress Rosario Dawson, did wander out at one point to collect some fried Alaska walleye. Buttigiegs slot was late in the afternoon, and the team had already eaten Jimmy Johns, the college town sandwich chain of choice, for lunch, so he missed the actual fry but with the next stop two hours away, there was no time for fish anyway, just a cup of black coffee as the bus took off.

Next up was a rally in Decorah, a town in Winneshiek County. The town has a population of just 7,700, but more than a thousand people showed up to see Buttigieg, who is going all-in on Iowa. With a start time of 7 p.m., there was no set plan for a dinner stop. Food is always a surprise on these trips, said Sean Manning, Buttigiegs deputy Iowa press director. Where it comes from, when it comes.

Between the stump speech, Q&A session, and handshakes, Buttigieg spent an hour with the crowd, then returned to the bus and drank a Founders All Day IPA while answering questions from the press. While there were off-brand White Claws, red wine, and a bottle of Bulleit bourbon available, Buttigieg stuck to IPAs like his politics, a beer style that is progressive but ultimately safe over the two days I trailed him.

Visiting a restaurant with a presidential candidate usually involves more hand-shaking than eating, so essential meals are often consumed out of sight from voters, which presents logistical difficulties. Most meals are ordered and picked up while the candidate is still on stage, so its ready to eat on the vehicle by the time the event is over. In Iowa, the task of choosing where and what to eat falls to Buttgiegs Iowa press director Ben Halle, who went to school at the University of Iowa; state director Brendan McPhillips; and the advance team, which scouts locations and arranges logistics so things are already in place by the time the candidate arrives Seamless, but for everything. The team often surveys local volunteer coordinators for recommendations, but Jimmy Johns and Dairy Queen frequently win out restaurant chains are, at the very least, a known commodity.

Word from their volunteers on the ground was that the food from Toppling Goliath Brewing Company, which specializes in IPAs and barrel-aged stouts, is the best in Decorah, so the advance team ordered trays of tacos, chips, fries, and pizza to take back to the hotel. Buttigieg sampled from various trays before opting to wash down the chicken tacos with a Lagunitas IPA while chatting off the record with press and staff.

Buttigieg often begins his stump speech by asking voters to imagine the sun rising on the day that Donald Trump is no longer president of the United States. But the next morning, the sun rose on Buttigieg doing an intense workout before heading out to the bus to shoot campaign video. Of course, the advance team made sure that breakfast was waiting.

Buttigieg took a few bites from a box filled with hotel bacon and eggs before spying a tray of cinnamon rolls and maple pecan sticky buns from Rubys Restaurant. Ever the millennial, Buttigieg shot a photo of the fully loaded tray with his cell phone and tweeted it before microwaving one of the frosted buns and chasing it with a cup of black coffee. The bus took off for the first stop of the day, 67 miles away in Waverly.

The event in Waverly was at a local school gymnasium, packed with 568 people. Like in Decorah, Buttigieg spent an hour there, which gave the advance team time to get three platters of sandwiches from Sub City, a sandwich shop located in an old train depot that came highly recommended by Buttigiegs local volunteers.

Theres a sort of romantic notion that driving through the American heartland and visiting every diner along the way is the best way to see, and taste, what this country is really made of. Riding with a presidential candidate, this could not be further from the truth: The goal is to touch as many voters as possible, and a small towns sole diner is not an ideal space to corral hundreds of people, much less grab a quick burger. Eating mostly happens while the bus wheels are in motion.

Eating on a vehicle is good for portion control, said Buttigieg, noting that there isnt a big table where things can spread out. For lunch, Buttigieg took an Italian sub from one of the Sub City trays and loaded it up with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles so many pickles.

My team is pretty good about keeping me well fed, Buttigieg said as he drank a can of Diet Coke with his sandwich. He added a bottle of water and coffee to the mix as the bus rolled toward Charles City, about 30 miles away.

Energy was running low at this point: It was late in the afternoon, the room at the Charles City Elks Lodge was small and dark, and it had started to pour outside. The advance team took note of this and made a run to Dairy Queen to pick up Blizzards for Buttigieg, the staff, and the entire press corps. Two dozen Blizzards in vanilla, chocolate, M&Ms, and Reeses flavors were waiting on the bus by the time the event ended.

Buttigieg wrapped up after an hour and looked wiped as he boarded the bus, but perked up as he settled down with a Reeses Blizzard and conversations with the press corps turned toward football. The caravan sped toward the last stop of the day, 30 miles away in Mason City.

Mason City was the largest of the stops, and the gym at Lincoln Intermediate School filled up accordingly. The city is also home to Northwestern Steakhouse, which is sometimes considered the most iconic steakhouse in the state. There is, however, little campaigning advantage to visiting a nearly empty 65-seat restaurant in the late evening and having dinner there, so the advance team opted for more takeout.

Large platters of fried rice, pad thai, egg rolls, and fried dumplings from Thai Bistro and Sushi Bar were ready on the bus when the event ended. The sushi wouldve been a bit too risky, said Lis Smith, Buttigiegs fiery communications advisor whose New York-style media blitz approach has elevated a near-anonymous mayor of a midwest town to the top tier of the Democratic primary. Though her critique of landlocked state sushi is a bit outdated, she seemed pleased to get some Thai food into the mix, mentioning that whoever ordered some underwhelming subs earlier in the trip fucked up.

Buttigieg sampled a fried dumpling before settling on a plate of chicken pad thai, an egg roll, and a Pompeii IPA from Toppling Goliath Brewing Company.

Another day of campaigning for president down, 361 days of road food to go.

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What Mayor Pete Buttigieg Eats on the Campaign Trail - Eater

Paleo, keto, vegan three funky, unfamiliar words associated with health and fitness have begun to fill the aisles and shelves of grocery stores.

These three diet models Paleolithic, ketogenic and vegan are everywhere, promoted and endorsed by social media influencers and celebrities, used on food packaging for energy bars, gummy bears and ranch dressing and hailed by friends sharing testimonials about successful diet plans.

Isaac Mourier, a sports nutrition intern at the University of Georgia, said popular diet models are often shared along with success stories.

So they want to do it for one reason, but thats only because theyve seen somebody looking good or feeling good or whatever, and not really understanding it, Mourier said.

While popular diets are based on some research themselves, they are not wholly agreed upon by nutrition experts. The current ChooseMyPlate guidelines, the official guidelines from the U.S. government, are a dietary reference based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines created by a group of scientists who comb through relevant nutrition-related studies to produce a set of principles.

Within this framework, however, the scientists who conduct this research are not the ones who actually publish the guidelines that is up to the USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This gap in publication allows room for lobbying organizations to have a say in what gets released to the American public.

Elizabeth Klingbeil, a doctoral candidate in dietetics at UGA, said the amount of research that goes into these guidelines should not be brushed aside when considering ones diet. If the goal is maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Klingbeil said, following the Dietary Guidelines are a good start.

People think that, That cant be it, it must be a more complex problem, Klingbeil said. But time and time again a well-balanced diet where all of those food groups show up on your plate in their correct amounts works great.

Senior entertainment and media studies major Maryanna Reed followed the paleo diet with her family while living at home during the summer. Paleo is a diet model of refraining from consuming processed foods that werent available during the Paleolithic era. Reed said she felt better, had more energy and lost weight.

Though she is no longer following a paleo diet, Reed said she tries to have a day of eating paleo here and there. She said the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables is a deterrent, especially as a college student.

Maryanna Reed, 21, a senior entertainment and media studies major at UGA, poses for a portrait outside of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, in Athens, Georgia. Reed followed a paleo diet over the summer with her family in order to increase her overall health. She enjoyed following the diet and recommends it to anyone looking to up their dietary health. (Photo/Gabriella Audi, http://www.gabbyaudi10.wixsite.com/mysite-1)

Many popular diet trends are aimed at specific demographics that are able to maintain the diet people who can afford organic or specialized food and can control every meal they eat. The exclusivity, Klingbeil said, reflects the lack of sustainability of some diets.

Theres a lot of other options for people just because its in a can or a bag doesnt mean its necessarily bad, you just have to read whats on it, Klingbeil said.

Audrey Haynes, an associate professor of political science at UGA, followed a fairly strict ketogenic diet for about four months to reduce joint inflammation and lose weight. Her orthopedist recommended she cut out sugar, which was contributing to her inflammation.

Dr. Audrey Haynes, an associate professor of political science in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, poses for a portrait in her office at Baldwin Hall on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Athens, Georgia. Haynes adopted a keto diet for about four months to reduce bodily inflammation caused partly by added sugars as well as to lose some weight. She still follows a modified keto diet model and has a new outlook on health because of her experience with the diet. (Photo/Gabriella Audi, http://www.gabbyaudi10.wixsite.com/mysite-1)

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that pushes the human body into a state of ketosis, during which fat is burned for energy instead of glucose found in carbohydrates. The breakdown of fat cells produce ketones, organic compounds used to fuel the body. The goal of ketosis is to function either mostly or completely on ketone energy, essentially burning fat to be used for energy.

Haynes joints felt better within two days of following the diet model, though she attributes the decrease of inflammation to cutting out sugar. In four months of eating keto and exercising consistently, Haynes also lost 20 pounds.

Senior religion and Arabic major Sam Fisher has followed a vegan diet for six years. He does not eat animal products including meat, dairy, eggs and honey to avoid harming animals. This extends into a vegan lifestyle, such as avoiding leather and products tested on animals.

Fisher doesnt see the need for the addition of dairy to the Dietary Guidelines, especially since an estimated 30-50 million American adults are lactose intolerant. And many non-dairy milk options are fortified with nutrients and have more calcium per glass than cows milk.

Sam Fischer, 21, a fourth year religion and Arabic major at UGA, poses for a portrait on UGAs north campus on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in Athens, Georgia. Fischer has been vegan for six years and follows a vegan lifestyle so as to cause as little harm as possible to all living creatures, including animals. (Photo/Gabriella Audi, http://www.gabbyaudi10.wixsite.com/mysite-1)

Reed, who followed the paleo diet for about four months, said she did not know much about the USDA Dietary Guidelines except for the food pyramid she learned growing up.

MyPyramid, the predecessor to the current MyPlate guidelines, was widely criticized as being too confusing for the average American to understand. Klingbeil said the lack of education regarding the food pyramid could be a factor in why there has been a recent surge in diet trends.

As a dietitian, as a nutritionist, you try and implement something thats sustainable that is going to promote behavior change for life, Mourier said. Whereas a lot of these diets, because theyre so restrictive, they put people at risk of making them kind of go backwards.

From a nutrition standpoint, Mourier thinks its important for people to consider exactly what theyre cutting out when adopting a new diet. He said carbohydrates shouldnt be considered all bad because they are important for day-to-day bodily functions, especially for those engaged in athletic practices.

When it comes to calories, Mourier said its important to understand what a calorie is before labeling it as good or bad it is simply a unit of energy, whether eaten through a Brussels sprout or a McDonalds hamburger.

A calorie is a calorie, but how many nutrients do you get per calorie of your food? Mourier said. Its no longer about calories, its about the other things that are involved.

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Paleo, keto, vegan: The diets more people are trying for a healthier lifestyle - Red and Black

Looking to those who have lost weight for inspiration can be a good way for dieters to get motivated. One woman recently lost more than half her bodyweight, dropping from 20st 2lb to 9st 12lb. Initially losing weight as she was too embarrassed to go out with her family, she followed a diet plan to slim down.

Dieter Sonia Greensill, 52, from Staffordshire, would always make an excuse not to go as she didnt want to be seen out in public.

She said: I didnt want to be an embarrassment to my husband, or to anyone really. I used to think, if they meet me then theyll know hes married to a fat woman.

So Id find a reason not to go, because then I didnt have to face it. I missed out on so much because of that, but still it wasnt enough to stop me eating all the wrong things. I really wish it had been.

READ MORE: Weight loss: Top five exercises for flat abs revealed - full workout plan here

The pounds first crept on when Sonia was a teenager and she continued to gain weight as she enjoyed nights in with her husband and a takeaway.

The slimmer would tuck into unhealthy meals, eating white bread in the mornings and bacon sandwiches for lunch.

However, as she approached her 50th birthday, the mum-of-two decided it was time to make a change.

Wearing a size 26 dress, Sonia wanted to make a change and signed up for her local Slimming World group encouraged by her grown-up daughter.

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Although she was sceptical at first, Sonia began to worry about the possible health impacts of her diet.

Sonia added: When she first asked me I said Im not going there, no chance.

I hadnt stood on the scales for years, my attitude was if I didnt know then I didnt have to think about it. But I started thinking maybe my daughter was worried about me, and should I be worrying about me too?

Since joining the group, Sonia explained her diet changed and she began to make healthier choices.

She said: Ill have fruit every morning, or grilled bacon with poached egg and mushrooms at weekends, then Ill make my own soups for lunch in the winter, and have something like Cajun chicken with salad and veg or pasta for dinner.

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Weight loss diet: One woman lost a remarkable 10 stone with this plan - what did she eat? - Express

When we first spoke to Emily Simpson about her daily diet,The Real Housewives of Orange County mom admitted that her hectic lifestyle led her to fuel up on some"random" foods. At the time, she'd eat Pop Tarts and Diet Coke for lunch, thennibble on leftover macaroni and cheese for dinner. Butthings have taken anotable turn since then.

When Emily began to feel significant hip pain this past summer, she committed to a new eating plan to relieve some of the aching. "I just need to get some weight off to make me feel better," she said at the time. And now that she's at home recuperating after her October 28 hip surgery, the Orange County attorney is still taking a mindful approach to nutrition.

In an Instagram post from November 2, Emily wrote: "To be honest, I was nervous about the surgery, but I learned that specific nutrition BEFORE and AFTER your surgery can play a role in your recovery."

After revealing that she's been sipping nutrition shakes as she recuperates, Emily urged her followers: "If youre having surgery, talk to your doctor about a nutrition plan thats right for you."

The Feast is Bravos digital destination serving culinary inspiration and essential food news. Like us on Facebook and visit daily for diet and wellness trends, kitchen hacks and tools and the buzziest celebrity, chef, and restaurant happenings you need to know about right now.

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Emily Simpson Reveals the Diet Plan She's Using to Recover After Hip Surgery - Bravo

Andy Cohen is revealing the big secret to his new svelte physique and credits the big loss to a key change on his Bravo show, "Watch What Happens Live." Cohen appeared Tuesday during a sit-down with Hoda Kotb on NBC's "Today," and claims he has not had a drink of alcohol since mid-July. Not only has he refrained from drinking in his personal life, but Cohen also revealed he has nixed cocktails from being served during his nightly Bravo show.

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Drinking has become a staple of "Watch What Happens Live," with all types of celebrities, from Oprah to Jennifer Lawrence, stopping by to dish on the "Real Housewives" and enjoy a cocktail or three.

The show regularly promoted drinking games, like when fans had to take a drink every time they spotted a little cartoon Andy Cohen-like leprechaun running across the screen during a St. Patrick's Day episode.

There were even a few Clubhouse Cocktails that fans could make and enjoy while dishing on their favorite reality stars, including the Mazel on the rocks, the Whiskey Gingey ... and just the plain ol' whiskey.

Along with abstaining from alcohol, Cohen also told Hoda Kotb that he is monitoring his diet and "really watching what Im eating." He credits the change in lifestyle to an epiphany over the summer.

"So, this summer, I had a moment where I was like, I really felt like my suits were getting tight and it was beach season and I was wearing like button-downs to the beach and Im like Im not this guy, Im not doing this.'"

He also admitted that sitting in front of a monitor on "Watch What Happens Live" was beginning to frustrate him. "Im a pretty tough critic of myself and dont you find that seeing yourself in a monitor every day ... doesnt that mess with your head sometimes? he asked Kotb.

Cohen credits his big lifestyle change to his other big lifestyle change ... his baby boy! 51-year-old Cohen welcomed Benjamin Allen Cohen into his life via surrogate in February and has been documenting his journey as a first-time dad with fans. Little Benjamin has also just started crawling, so Cohen needed to be in good shape to keep up with the tyke. They also just celebrated Benjamin's first Halloween, and Cohen shared a photo of the two trick-or-treating around their neighborhood in NYC. The duo dressed up as an adorable Woodstock and his pal Snoopy.

Cohen has been loving his time with Benjamin, but Kotb asked if he would soon be getting a little brother or sister. "Does he need someone to go through life with?" she asked.

"Yes, he needs a girlfriend, and he needs a sibling ... I think maybe he does. I'm taking it one step at a time," Cohen responded after pondering the question. He explained that the decision to only have one child right now was done on purpose to make sure he was not overwhelmed.

"That's also why with the process that I did, I didn't go for twins ... I was like, I want to get kind of good at one before I decide whether I want to really have another one."

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Andy Cohen Dropped 12 Lbs. By Cutting This Out of His Diet - Yahoo Entertainment

Flax seeds are considered a staple in the nutrition world and is known for being an excellent source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.

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