Category Archives: Diet And Food

Hot mama alert!

Jessie James Decker has a smokin' hot bodand she's finally opening up about her diet and fitness secrets. The mom of two and star of Eric and Jessie knows that it's hard to eat right and exercise, that's why she swears by the South Beach Diet and just 20 minutes of circuits every day.

"It's tough, but I think the great thing about South Beach [Diet] is that I have the food at my home and I keep the snacks with me," she shared. "But the great thing is even if you don't have South Beach physically in your hands, you can still do South Beach."

"It's heavy proteins, It's veggies and It's very low carbs. That's the philosophy I used to lose all of my baby weight," the songstress explained. "And so when I am on the road, I do grab the bars and the snacks to stay on top of it, that way I don't grab like a bag of Cheetos or something."

She continued, "It's really easy and you don't have to give up everything that you love. That's the important part. If you starve yourself, you're just going to go crazy."It takes more than simply eating right to get abs like those. So what is her go to exercise routine?

"I always say, you just need 20 minutes a day. That is it. 20 minutes to do really fast circuits and you can bring some weights with you to work. I don't know, sneak where you are. I'll do it in the hotel room," she shared. "There is many places you can do this, but you can write a list of little circuits to do, like 20 jumping jacks, 10 push ups, and you just do it over and over and over again until you break a sweat. 20 minutes, that's all you need."

Even her professional athlete husband Eric Decker has trouble keeping up with her! "She's very athletic. We did a workout with my trainer not too long ago and I'm huffing and puffing and she's just like, "Okay, what's next?"' he revealed.

"I'm just a little energizer bunny, I just have a lot of energy," Jessie explained. "I'm going to be that little old lady that's just like walking around and just like full of energy, probably with bright red hair or something crazy."

Even with their focused commitment tohealthy eating and exercise, they still indulge in the occasional cheat day. "My cheat days are bread, bread, bread and cookies. I love bread! I have these little cheese trays at home," Jessie dished.

As for Eric, fatty foods is the way to go. "Donuts. Donuts and cake," the NFL star revealed. "He cheats all day long and his body still looks like this," Jessie joked. "He could eat like 6,000 calories a day if he wanted and nothing would happen to him."

Get all their secrets in the video above!

Watch the season three premiere of Eric & Jessie Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 10 p.m., only on E!

Original post:
Jessie James Decker Reveals the Fitness and Diet Secrets to Her Super Hot Bikini Body! - E! Online

A large, 18-country study may turn current nutritional thinking on its head.

The new research suggests that it's not the fat in your diet that's raising your risk of premature death, it's too many carbohydrates -- especially the refined, processed kinds of carbs -- that may be the real killer.

The research also found that eating fruits, vegetables and legumes can lower your risk of dying prematurely. But three or four servings a day seemed to be plenty. Any additional servings didn't appear to provide more benefit.

What does all this mean to you? Well, a cheeseburger may be OK to eat, and adding lettuce and tomato to the burger is still good for you, but an excess of white flour burger buns may boost your risk of dying early.

People with a high fat intake -- about 35 percent of their daily diet -- had a 23 percent lower risk of early death and 18 percent lower risk of stroke compared to people who ate less fat, said lead author Mahshid Dehghan. She's an investigator with the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Ontario.

The researchers also noted that a very low intake of saturated fats (below 3 percent of daily diet) was associated with a higher risk of death in the study, compared to diets containing up to 13 percent daily.

At the same time, high-carb diets -- containing an average 77 percent carbohydrates -- were associated with a 28 percent increased risk of death versus low-carb diets, Dehghan said.

"The study showed that contrary to popular belief, increased consumption of dietary fats is associated with a lower risk of death," Dehghan said.

"We found no evidence that below 10 percent of energy by saturated fat is beneficial, and going below 7 percent may even be harmful. Moderate amounts, particularly when accompanied with lower carbohydrate intake, are probably optimal," she said.

These results suggest that leading health organizations might need to reconsider their dietary guidelines, Dehghan noted.

But not everyone is ready to throw out current dietary guidelines.

Dr. Christopher Ramsden is a clinical investigator with the U.S. National Institute on Aging. "There's a lot more information that's needed. They did a great job and they're going to have a lot more coming out of it for years to come, but it's hard to get it down to recommendations regarding food at this point," he said.

"It really highlights the need for well-designed randomized controlled trials to answer some of these questions," Ramsden added.

The researchers noted that their study did not look at the specific types of food from which nutrients were derived. And, that, said Bethany O'Dea, constitutes a "major flaw from a nutrition standpoint." O'Dea is a cardiothoracic dietitian with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"For example, eating a healthy carb like an apple is more nutrient dense and better for you than eating a bag of processed potato chips," O'Dea said.

"Furthermore, the study did not take trans fats into account, which hold heavy evidence of being unhealthy and contributing to cardiovascular disease," she pointed out.

Current global guidelines recommend that 50 percent to 65 percent of a person's daily calories come from carbohydrates, and less than 10 percent from saturated fats, the researchers said.

Dehghan suggested that "the best diets will include a balance of carbohydrates and fats, approximately 50 to 55 percent carbohydrates and around 35 percent total fat, including both saturated and unsaturated fats."

All foods contain three major macronutrients essential for life -- fat, carbohydrate and protein. The optimum amounts a person should eat has been the focus of debate for decades, with the pendulum swinging from low-fat to low-carb diets over time.

For this study, Dehghan and her colleagues tracked the diet and health of more than 135,000 people, aged 35 to 70, from 18 countries around the world, to gain a global perspective on the health effects of diet.

Participants provided detailed information on their social and economic status, lifestyle, medical history and current health. They also completed a questionnaire on their regular diet, which researchers used to calculate their average daily calories from fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

The research team then tracked the participants' health for about seven years on average, with follow-up visits at least every three years.

The investigators found that high-carbohydrate diets are common, with more than half of the people deriving 70 percent of their daily calories from carbs.

High-carbohydrate diets have been linked with increases in both blood cholesterol and in the chemical building blocks of cholesterol, Dehghan said.

While the experts continue debating what's the best diet, what should you be eating?

O'Dea said, "Your diet should consist of healthy carbs, lean protein, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Remember to avoid processed snacks that contain trans and saturated fats, and opt for a healthy carb source."

The study was scheduled to be presented Tuesday at the European Society of Cardiology annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain. The research was being published online as two studies on Aug. 29 inThe Lancet.

Read the original:
Large diet study suggests it's carbs, not fats, that are bad for your health - CBS News

As much as I dislike stereotypes, the person sat at their desk politely declining sweet treats because Im on a diet is one weve all seen.

That person was me for years, and every time I was on a diet, it never worked out.

We see it all the time in magazines, plastered across articles online Girl loses HALF HER BODYWEIGHT after making one simple change.

Those of us who read these articles are often struggling with the exact same problems. In fact, were probably sat reading it over a bowl of sweets (guilty) and thinking thats a great idea. Starting tomorrow may as well finish this bowl of sugary goodness first I will get right on the diet. Time for a new me!

Then we strip our cupboards of all our favourite foods, sit down in front of a plate of salad, and last two weeks before someone offers us a glass of wine and we go oh, alright then.

Year after year, we yo-yo between miracle cures that claim to offer one simple plan, one basic exercise regime, for a reasonable price, that fits your budget, easily slots into your hectic lifestyle, and is so simple to follow youll have lost all the weight before you know it.

If that was true, thered be no need for viral articles praising someone who stuck with one of the plans and made it to the end. Wed all be following our regimes with such ease, none of us would be overweight, and I wouldnt be writing the words youre reading.

But because theres big money in advertising miracle solutions, and lots of people out there who love to eat cake, the diet factory, as I like to call it, will keep on churning out its produce until theres a major change in the way we think about food.

Having been on every diet plan under the sun, Im going to share how each of them panned out, and why Im not going on a diet to lose weight.

Talking is good. I will talk to other people who need to lose weight, connect with a group, and that will help me a lot, I thought as I dutifully paid a joining fee, printed off my pass and headed down to my nearest group one evening.

We had a brief chat about how to avoid temptation in the house, and why stocking healthy food is the way forwards. This was perfectly sound in its logic, and so were the healthy eating guidelines I was handed.

But when I looked at the food list, my allowance and how many calories that equated to, I realised I was just going on a 1500 calorie meal plan and having a weekly talk. I could do the same by myself without the bill. So I didnt go to the next session, followed the plan for a weekthen went back to my old eating habits.

Before I went to Uni, I decided to egg my way to a summer body. It was not pretty. Pan after pan of boiled eggs got forced down my gullet. I figured that cutting out most major food groups and eating lots of protein would be the miracle cure I was looking for.

Sure, my breath stank. I developed a constant headache that put me in an awful mood. I had no energy. I spent my time either sleeping, trying not to fall off an exercise bike or forcing down eggs. But I was going to look AMAZING. Who cared if I had no life?

I tweaked my diet so it included meat and veggies, and dutifully followed the low-carb life for the next 18 months.

But I became terrified of carbs. Id lost weight by cutting them out. Oh my god I could never eat bread again. Pasta could never touch my lips. Or I would become overweight in a flash. Months of hard work ruined. No, it was simply not going to happen.

Meals out were a nightmare Id sit in the corner with a bowl of nuts, stomach rumbling, saying it was fine, thats all the restaurant had that served my dietary needs, you all go ahead and enjoy your chocolate sundaes ITS FINE I LOOK GREAT WHO CARES.

After a few years, I became sick of not knowing what normal eating was, and when a friend was cooking pasta one night I said Oh sod it and grabbed a bowl.

The overeating crept back, I gained the weight again, andyou know the rest.

This is supposedly how the cavemen eat, and were all cavemen really, right? Its who our ancestors are, and they didnt have access to all the sugary refined rubbish we can grab in supermarkets.

Besides, I was eating some types of carb, so really, eating berries and nuts was super healthy.

Granted, going paleo involves cutting out dairy, and I realised that I personally feel better not consuming much yogurt or cows milk. Im probably mildly lactose intolerant. So some good came out of it on a personal level.

But I felt restricted again. It didnt feel like I was living to be turning down the muffins that got handed round among friends, avoiding most alcoholic drinks and never feeling satisfied.

I wasnt enjoying what I was eating, felt cut off from the people I was with, and after a few weeks, I grabbed a muffin. Or three. Maybe a whole pack. Then possibly some chocolate. You get the picture.

I know going vegan isnt the same as going on a diet plan, and people who are vegan will have perfectly reasonable ethical or health-based arguments for cutting out all meat, fish and animal produce from their daily food intake.

But many people see going vegan as a way to lose weight, because cutting out food groups will often have this side effect. So I decided to cut out the chicken sandwiches I so dearly loved, say goodbye to the blocks of cheese Id graze on in front of Netflix in the evening, and switch to tofu instead.

After a few weeks of eliminating these food groups, I did lose some weight, but I felt like a fraud. Stocking up on vegan products just so I could try, yet again, to get a summer body, instead of doing it because I was genuinely committed to the lifestyle.

Plus, I still felt like there was a void. And that void had to be filled with food. Eating tons of tofu didnt solve the problem. So one night I went down to the shop and bought a chicken sandwich.

You should try them, honestly, my mate has all the shakes then eats an entire family size bag of Doritos every night and still loses weight, a friend told me, as if the shakes contained some sort of magical anti-fat powder that made you slim.

So I bankrupted myself by stocking up on shakes and healthy meal ingredients because I was allowed to eat one healthy meal a day, so that made me feel more balanced.

Thing is, if youve got a problem with overeating, and youre presented with tasty strawberry shakes, youre just going to sit there chugging the lot. Then run to the toilet and stay there for several hours. And realise you have no money for more food until the next week.

Fruit and veg is good for you. Its full of vitamins. So why not supercharge yourself by pumping your body full of them? In facthow about you drink nothing but those vitamins? Just drink juice. And nothing else. This was the logic I used as I looked up juicing plans.

Once Id done my research, I lugged back a bag full of fresh produce and threw it into a juicer. Gagging slightly as I knocked back the green mixture Id created, I went about my day feeling rather smug.

I was juicing, dont you know. And Ive got a bugger of a headache, but its fine. Im juicing. With mild dizzy spells. And now I feel nauseous. And everyone is annoying me and Im in an awful mood. But Im juicing. Im going to lose so much weight. Itll be great. Oh my GOD I AM SO HUNGRY WHERES THE NEAREST THING I CAN EAT.

Im not going to enter the debate about whether juicing has health benefits Im no expert. But for someone who cannot handle being deprived of food, drinking nothing but fruit and veg is probably the worst solution possible.

Have you seen a pattern yet? I was trying to find a miracle cure without looking at why Im overweight in the first place. Covering up the cracks by restricting myself, swinging between dietary extremes, and cutting out important nutrients in a bid to get the fat off.

So whats my current plan to lose weight? This is the top enquiry I get from readers following me on my journey. How are you doing it?

Well, theres no one size fits all solution. Everyone is different. Sure, were united in the fact that we all ate too much for too long, and now we need to look after our health. But we all have different reasons for doing so. Maybe youll figure out what your reason is after reading about why I let myself get so overweight.

What I do know is that losing weight isnt about going on a diet. Its about finding out what foods you can enjoy eating for life, that will also nourish your body. Its about loving yourself, loving your body as it is now, and wanting to make it even better than it already is by making it healthier. Its about not starving yourself, cutting out major food groups, or swinging between extreme styles of eating.

Put simply, its about learning to love food the right way. Knowing what will make you feel good, both body and mind. Combining that with exercise something I will start to cover in coming weeks. But, most of all, knowing that this journey is not primarily about losing weight. Its about loving who you are, and wanting to give yourself the best life possible. And one of the ways you can do that is by eating less crap.

If you believe your eating habits are disordered, or youre worried about a friend or loved one, you can contact Beats adult helpline on 0808 801 0677. They also have a youthline, which is at 0808 801 0711. The helplines are open 365 days a year, 3pm-10pm.

Alternatively, you can check out the support available onthe Beat website.

I used to just eat whenever I felt like it if I saw something that looked good, if I was bored, if I was watching Netflix. But actually, filling yourself with crap all day just makes you feel sluggish and irritable.

Every day, Id wake up with a headache that I just couldnt shake. Id wash down the junk food with a side of painkillers often those infused with caffeine, as Id be constantly tired, no matter how much sleep I got.

Instead of mindlessly grazing, I decided to be more mindful around what I was eating. Taking time to make something made me appreciate what I was putting in my body. Being aware of what I was eating made me think more about how I was fuelling myself over the course of a day.

The act of cooking in itself is incredibly therapeutic I had a housemate last year who told me he made time every night to cook for himself. Its my chill out time, when I can really relax and de-stress after a day of work, he told me. I can see what he means now.

Once Ive finished, if I feel like eating more, I wait 20 minutes. Most of the time, Im not hungry after that time has elapsed.

By being aware of what Im eating, how it makes me feel, and taking time to appreciate what food can do for me, Ive learned how to use it correctly.

Plus my headaches have disappeared. Funny, that.

MORE: Why did I let myself get so overweight?

MORE: The moment I realised I had to lose weight

See original here:
Why I failed every single diet I went on - Metro

(Photo: Getty Images)

One secret toFloyd Mayweather's takedown ofConor McGregor, which cemented his undefeated 50-0 record, has been revealed.

Mayweather ate like a beast leading up to the fightall in proportion to his workouts, of course.

TMZ went directly to the source,Floyd's chef J. Santiago.

A typical breakfast includes eggs, home fries, grits, various breakfast meats including bacon, turkey sausage, turkey ham and turkey Kabasa, and pancakes.

Floyd's "obsessed" with spaghetti bolognese. He's had it pretty much every day leading up to the fight.

Other favorites ... BBQ chicken, baked chicken with rice and gravy and all sorts of soul food.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Before his weigh-in, whereMcGregor popped an unsightly erection,Floyd cut back and only ate two bananas a day while drinking plenty of water.

In the weekend leading up to the fight, he has morespaghetti bolognese as well as some barbecuechicken, green beans, rice,sautedshrimpand salad, TMZ also reports.

What he ate on the day of the fight is unknown, but whatever it was... it worked.

See the original post here:
Floyd Mayweather's Chef Reveals the Shockingly Unhealthy Diet He Followed Before Taking Down Conor McGregor - Maxim

Weight-Loss Win is an original Yahoo series that shares the inspiring stories of people who have shed pounds healthfully.

Folland OConnor is 31 and 51 tall, and she currently weighs 135 pounds. In 2011, she saw an unflattering picture of herself that motivated her to change her lifestyle. This is the story of her weight-loss journey.

The turning point

I hate to say it,but I really never thought my weight was an issue. When I was fat, I never wanted to do anything active, or anything at all really, besides watch TV, eat food, and hang out with my friends. I never had high energy levels or interest in sports when I was bigger, so I never ran into major issues because of my size. What prompted the weight loss was mostly an aesthetic choice. I always wanted to be skinny but never had the willpower to actually get there. I just kind of accepted my body as it was and figured I wasnt built to be skinny. I thought I could never actually lose weight and that I was just built to be curvy or I was big boned.

My parents started expressing their concern for my health more often as I got bigger, but I thought they were just exaggerating and that I was an average weight. Looking back now, I just cant even fathom how I was so ignorant about my size.

I never realized how big I was until I saw a picture of myself from the side. The picture was taken at an event I attended and I happened to be painting something on a canvas when the photo was snapped. I wasnt able to pose or work my angles; it was just a picture of me from the side, not paying attention and I looked huge. The moment I saw that picture I vividly remember thinking, Oh my gosh Im fat. I had this huge epiphany.

I was wearing size 22 jeans, I couldnt buy a shirt in less than an XL, I had to buy bras in a plus-size store, but still, it was seeing myself in that photo that actually hit home. I was 25, 51, 220 pounds, and I was obese.

Folland OConnor saw a photo of herself that inspired her to lose weight.

The changes

Since college, I had always had some diet plan in mind or some workout routine I swore I would finally follow, but I never really committed to anything. I tried to eat healthy for a day or two but quickly fell off the wagon. I had zero self-control and knew absolutely nothing about losing weight or healthy eating.

When I finally accepted the fact that I was fat, I decided to simply start researching diets and weight loss as a whole. It was so overwhelming and complicated. I couldnt figure out whether carbs were bad or good, whether fat made me fat or not, whether artificial sweeteners would kill me, make me skinny or make me bigger.

Working out was a whole other bag of complications. How I should work out. Cardio? Weights? Yoga? I just couldnt get it straight. I decided to find a strict, clean, basic diet plan and just focus on eating first, because, more than anything, I hated working out.

Through my research I found some random site for a naturopath who touted a crazy weight-loss plan, so I met with her and she introduced me to the hCG Diet. Most people will have heard of it by now, and it is pretty controversial, but its what got me on the road to a healthy weight.

For those that dont know, hCG is an extremely strict, very low-calorie diet combined with a hormone shot. It was completely bonkers and probably not the healthiest way for me to lose weight, but it promised immediate results. So I bought all of the ingredients from this holistic voodoo doctor and tried it out.

Folland OConnor initially lost weight with the hCG diet.

Read More

I did two rounds of hCG, losing 60 pounds over the course of about four months. Losing that much weight that quickly was completely surreal and I fell off the wagon pretty fast once the rounds were finished. Over the next year or so I gained 30 back, but my life had been changed forever. I started becoming more active, my self-confidence skyrocketed, and I actually started to realize how unhealthy I was. Even after keeping 30 pounds off, I was still overweight, so eventually I started hitting the gym and actually focused on living a healthy lifestyle. I got my life under control, and my weight followed.

While losing weight, I felt like I could do anything. I realized that everything in my life was able to be changed. I changed careers, left my cheating boyfriend, bought a condo, joined a gym, and started playing roller derby. I felt confident and powerful, and my life was changing drastically in so many positive ways.

Keeping motivated isnt hard when everything in your life is positive. People were constantly complimenting me, my job got easier, I was succeeding in a new sport that I loved, and the weight kept falling off of me.

When I did hit a plateau, I just gave myself a small break, focused on maintenance and then reassessed my diet plan. My new boyfriend was alsovery interested in fitness, and he always had some awesome advice or a new recipe for us to try out together. He kept me strong, confident, and on track through the entire process. Even to this day, he is who I look to for inspiration.

The after

Everything in my life changed. The obvious things of course, my energy levels, my clothing size, and my health, but less obvious things also changed. My self-esteem and confidence levels sky rocketed, and my willingness to take more risks and be more outgoing all changed for the better, but the biggest change I experienced was in how people treated me. People are nicer to me now, they try harder for me to like them, strangers gravitate toward me, and I have to put in much less effort to forge relationships. Its amazing how people treat me like a completely different person, but in the most positive ways.

A few things surprised me about the weight-loss process. It was not actually that hard to lose weight when I was 220 pounds, even though it seemed so daunting at the time. But, with all of the knowledge Ive gained, Ive realized that I was so large I actually had to eat a lot of calories every day to maintain that weight. As soon as I started eating less, I lost weight. It was truly quite simple. Its much harder to cut weight now that Im smaller every calorie counts.

Folland OConnor was surprised by what changed in her life after losing weight.

I lost ring sizes and a whole shoe size! I knew I was losing weight, and a lot of it, but it never occurred to me that my fingers and my feet may have also been carrying extra weight. I went from a size 9 ring to a size 6.5, and I went from a size 8 1/2 shoe to a 7 1/2 shoe. That still totally amazes me.

The maintenance

I follow the Strong Lifts weight routine and hit the gym three to fourtimes per week. I also play competitive-level roller derby with the Anarchy Angels Roller Derby team and practice on skates two times per week. I eat a low-carb diet and try to keep my calorie intake around 1,200. That might sound low, but keep in mind, Im only 51.

I eat with purpose and awareness. No more mindless snacking unless Im on a cheat meal and, yes, I allow myself cheat meals not cheat days every so often. I live life with moderation and try not to reward myself with food. Whatever I do eat, I really try to enjoy. Dieting doesnt need to mean bad food.

Folland OConnor is inspired by her boyfriend.

My boyfriend has lost 55 pounds himself and trains harder than anyone Ive ever seen. He wants to be the best version of himself and pushes me to be the best version of myself. We make tons of different low-carb recipes together and support each other through all of our transitions. He keeps me on the right track and always pulls me back on that wagon when Im distracted by Thai food and doughnuts.

The struggles

Obviously, I have impulse-control issues with food. You dont become 220 pounds without having some issues with eating. I am still constantly fighting my own urges when it comes to my diet. To this day, I can easily out-eat a grown man (including my 64 boyfriend). If I let myself go, stop being diligent, or give up my gym routines, I will quickly lose control again. It is a constant battle, but it is worth it because every pound I lose and every pound I keep off means one more minute on this earth living my life to its fullest.

Advice

Its calories in versuscalories out. At the end of the day, diet was always the most important part. No matter how hard I tried, I could never outrun my fork. I work out, but thats mostly because it makes me better at sports. Diet to look good, lift weights to look good naked.

All photos courtesy of Folland OConnor.

Need more inspiration? Read about our other weight-loss winners!

Weight-Loss Win is authored by Andie Mitchell, who underwent a transformative, 135-pound weight loss of her own.

Have a weight-loss win or beauty story to share? We want to hear it! Tell us at YStyleBeauty@yahoo.com.

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Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, andPinterestfor nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow@YahooStyleand@YahooBeauty.

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The hCG Diet helped this woman lose 85 pounds, but this inspired her to keep the weight off - Yahoo Health

This is key for both meals and snacks; basically, you want to have protein on your plate whenever you eatno excuses. You lose muscle mass as you get older, and protein (along with weight lifting) helps you preserve and enhance lean muscle, making it a particularly key nutrient. Interestingly,research suggestsyour body can use protein more effectively for muscle-building when you include protein-rich foods throughout your day, explains nutritionist Christy Brissette, president of80 Twenty Nutrition. As a general rule of thumb, make a protein-rich food a component in every snack and strive for 30 grams of protein at every meal. That means you'll need about four ounces of chicken, fish, lean meat, or plant-based protein like lentils, beans, or soy. For snacks, include an ounce of nuts, two tablespoons hummus or nut or seed butter to meet your protein needs, adds Brissette. (For even more healthy snack ideas don't miss these12 snacks nutritionists eat to curb cravings.)

See more here:
10 Ways Your Diet Should Change After 40, According To Nutritionists - Prevention.com

Asian elephant. Credit: MEME

New research has shown that there are significant differences between the Asian and the African forest elephant - and it isn't just about size and the shape of their ears. It is about what they eat and how they affect forest ecosystems. See video here.

As megaherbivores and the largest of our land animals, elephants have a significant impact on their habitat. In Central Africa, forest elephants act as ecological filters by breaking tree saplings and stripping them of foliage. But we have much more to learn about the impact of elephants on Southeast Asian rainforests. And new research suggests that the Asian elephant is a daintier eater - preferring palms, grasses and bamboo to tree saplings.

Experts from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and a team from the University of Florida have been taking a closer look at the foraging impacts of the Asian elephant, and they've been puzzled by some of the results. Their research, 'Foraging Impacts of Asian Magafauna on Tropical Rainforest Structure and Biodiversity' is published Wednesday 30 August 2017, in the scientific journal Biotropica.

The study was led by Professor John Terborgh, of the University of Florida, Gainesville, a pioneer and leading expert in tropical biology and conservation. The research took the team deep into Malaysia's dense closed-canopy forests where thick vegetation normally precludes direct observation of elephants.

Using traditional forest sampling techniques the team looked at forest structure, composition, and diversity in two Malaysian forests - the Royal Belum State Park which is home to 14 of the world's most threatened species including the Asian elephant; and Krau Wildlife Reserve, where elephants have not roamed since 1993. The results were compared with results from African forests.

In the two Malaysian rainforests, the team found clear differences in tree density, composition, and diversity. The density and diversity of tree saplings were higher in Krau where elephants are now absent. Palms, gingers, pandans and bamboos (monocots) were also more abundant. In Belum, however, monocots over a metre tall were virtually absent.

Dr Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, from the School of Environment and Geographical Sciences, and Principal Investigator of the Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME), said: "Our initial expectations were that Asian elephants would have similar impacts to those described for African forest elephants in Gabon where John Terborgh and Lisa Davenport have conducted previous work. However, our results show that Asian elephants have an important impact on forest dynamics but these impacts seem to be very different from the ones produced by African forest elephants."

The clearest difference was in monocot plants - palms, grasses, bamboo. These were found to be abundant where Asian elephants are scarce but rare where elephants are present. We also found some puzzling results in terms of tree scars - signs of elephant feeding - that suggest that elephants might not be eating tree saplings (small trees) as much as we assumed.

Dr Campos-Arceiz said: "Asian elephants seem to be more interested in monocot plants, especially palms. These results have very interesting and important implications in terms of elephant ecological impact. Maybe this is the reason why Asian elephants do not seem to modify forest the way African elephants do. And human-elephant conflict is greater in Malaysia because we are planting palms which are the very food elephants love to eat. We are currently continuing this work through direct observations of elephant feeding in Malaysian rainforests."

Explore further: Genetic study shakes up the elephant family tree

More information: Biotropica (2017). DOI: 10.1111/btp.12488

Go here to see the original:
A big difference between Asian and African elephants is diet - Phys.Org

Low-carb diets have become extremely popular among the millions looking for the solution of losing weight and keeping it off.

While the South Beach Diet isn't as strict as many low-carb diets, it does limit the amount of carbs you can eat and encourages adding more healthy fats to your diet.

The following is everything you need to know to decide whether the South Beach Diet is right for you:

The South Beach Diet was created by a cardiologist in 2003, and it's considered to be a modified low-carbohydrate diet,according to U.S. News & World Report. It's based on the idea that carbs and fats can be either good or bad. If you decide to follow the South Beach Diet, you'll probably be getting fewer carbs and more protein and healthy fats than you're used to eating.

The diet is broken down into three phases, asoutlined by the Mayo Clinic:

Phase 1 This stage lasts only two weeks and is the most restrictive. Almost all carbs are eliminated during this phase, which is designed to jump-start weight loss and eliminate your cravings for refined starches and foods that are high in sugar.

Phase 2 This long-term weight loss phase is less restrictive and should be followed until you reach your goal weight. You can add in some, but not all, of the foods that are restricted in the first phase.

Phase 3 After you've reached your goal weight, you're supposed to take the principles learned in the first two phases to eat healthier for the rest of your life. Most foods are OK to eat in moderation at this point.

The diet also encourages exercise, includingwalking and exercises designed tostrengthen your core.

If you're following the South Beach Diet, you'll be encouraged to eat plenty of vegetables.For the AJC

Foods that are encouraged

The South Beach Diet calls for plenty of the following types of foods:

The Mayo Clinic says the South Beach Diet can yield some health benefits. If you eat more healthy carbs and more healthy fats in the long-term, you can see health benefits that go beyond weight loss, such as lowering your cholesterol levels.

It views the diet as generally safe, but cautions against restricting carbohydrates too severely. This can cause ketosis, a process caused by insufficient sugar in your body. Without enough sugar to use for energy, your body will break down stored fat, and you can experience ketosis and its side effects, including nausea, headache, mental fatigue and more.

In addition,experts told U.S. News & World Report that the first part of the diet is a little heavy on fat and that phases one and two may not contain enough carbs. They also caution people with kidney problems that the diet may not include enoughpotassium.

However, it also said that you should feel full while you're following this diet, because it contains plenty of fiber. This is also true since snacks are encouraged in order to help prevent you from getting hungry.

Read more here:
Everything you need to know about the South Beach Diet - AJC.com - Atlanta Journal Constitution

What it is: Otherwise known as the caveman diet, Paleo is a popular diet plan in which followers eat only foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have consumed. Founder Loren Cordain, Ph.D., says that because Paleo is more in line with what our genetic ancestors ate, the lifestyle helps people minimize their risk of diseases and lose weight. A Paleo diet is rich in meats, fruits, vegetables, seafood, and nutsbut low in grains; dairy; added salt; and legumes such as peanuts, beans, lentils, and soybeans. (Want to know more? Check out our beginner's guide to going Paleo.)

What that means for your skin: Lets just say theres a reason many beauty supplements contain protein-rich formulas: Proteins are essential for healthy skin. [They] are broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks for all of the proteins found in the skin, hair, and nails, as well as in the rest of the body, explains Hadley King, M.D., dermatologist at SKINNEY Medspa in New York City. So just as protein is the key to building muscle, its also necessary for building up collagen for healthy, elastic, strong skin.

But protein isnt the only dietary staple a Paleo-rich diet can provide. Sufficient healthy fats are necessary for the barrier function of our skin, King says. Translation: Healthy fats from foods such as olive oil and avocados can help your skin stay hydrated and protected from the elements.

Of course, one thing to keep in mind when you're eating a protein-rich diet is the type of meat. Theres still some concern around hormone-treated poultry, explains S. Manjula Jegasothy, M.D., CEO and founder of Miami Skin Institute. Foods that are high in exogenous [external] hormones, such as those extra-large, nonorganic chicken breasts and other animal proteins that have been treated with hormones on the farm, have been linked to higher overall cortisol levels, she says. Higher cortisol levels can mean higher testosterone and estrogen or progesterone levels, which potentially lead to acne, she explains.

Ultimately though, as long as your dietary restrictions dont result in a deficiency of any particular vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients, then following a Paleo diet will actually be good for your skin, King says, adding that avoiding added salt might also lead to decreased puffiness (a.k.a. no under-eye bags from that late night out).

Read more here:
Paleo? Whole30? Here's How These Popular Diets Affect Your Skin - Greatist

You cant go wrong with green. Dancing with the Stars alum Derek Hough spoke exclusively with Us Weekly about a newly-adopted vegan diet hes committed to trying with girlfriend Hayley Erbert while attending the Choreography Nominee Reception in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 27.

The 32 year-old TV personality, who has been dating the 22-year-old DWTS troupe dancer since July 2015, told Us: We both are trying the vegan thing right now and its actually really easy. People are like, Is it hard? and Im like, nah. Living in LA, its actually hard not to be [vegan]. I feel great. I have a lots of energy, my skin has cleared up, I feel great.

Hough and his love made the commitment to a plant-based diet to better improve their health and naturally boost their energy levels.

Its a health thing. It really is, the World of Dance judge said. I think its just something that you have to discover yourself and works for you. Its about energy for me. If youre waking up and youre tired and a little sluggish, then you dont have to live like that.

He continued: There is a life where you can wake up and have level 10 energy from the minute you wake up to the minute you go to sleep without having to take caffeine or take coffee. That does exist.

While Hough prefers to dine out at vegan restaurants rather than cooking his own dishes, he explained that for people who are curious about a plant-based diet, they should experiment with different food options to know what will work best for their own bodies.

But dont be fooled. While the couple make a conscious effort to eat healthy, the hunk admits that he and his girlfriend both had a moment of weakness on a recent night out.

I have the popcorn and I have the nachos. Thats my vice, Hough laughingly revealed. I go to the movies and I just eat tons of popcorn and stuff like that. And she had donuts. She loves sugar.

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'DWTS' Alum Derek Hough Is a Vegan, But Still Loves Nachos - Us Weekly