Category Archives: Diet And Food

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June 12, 2017 Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Dieters who go vegetarian not only lose weight more effectively than those on conventional low-calorie diets but also improve their metabolism by reducing muscle fat, a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition has found.

Losing muscle fat improves glucose and lipid metabolism so this finding is particularly important for people with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, says lead author, Dr. Hana Kahleov, Director of Clinical Research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington DC.

Seventy-four subjects with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to follow either a vegetarian diet or a conventional anti-diabetic diet. The vegetarian diet consisted of vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits and nuts, with animal products limited to a maximum of one portion of low-fat yoghurt per day; the conventional diabetic diet followed the official recommendations of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Both diets were restricted by 500 kilocalories per day compared to an isocaloric intake for each individual.

The vegetarian diet was found to be almost twice as effective in reducing body weight, resulting in an average loss of 6.2kg compared to 3.2kg for the conventional diet.

Using magnetic resonance imaging, Dr. Kahleov and colleagues then studied adipose (fat-storage) tissue in the subjects' thighs to see how the two different diets had affected subcutaneous, subfascial and intramuscular fat (that is, fat under the skin, on the surface of muscles and inside muscles).

They found that both diets caused a similar reduction in subcutaneous fat. However, subfascial fat was only reduced in response to the vegetarian diet, and intramuscular fat was more greatly reduced by the vegetarian diet.

This is important as increased subfascial fat in patients with type 2 diabetes has been associated with insulin resistance, so reducing it could have a beneficial effect on glucose metabolism. In addition, reducing intramuscular fat could help improve muscular strength and mobility, particularly in older people with diabetes.

Dr. Kahleov said: "Vegetarian diets proved to be the most effective diets for weight loss. However, we also showed that a vegetarian diet is much more effective at reducing muscle fat, thus improving metabolism. This finding is important for people who are trying to lose weight, including those suffering from metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes. But it is also relevant to anyone who takes their weight management seriously and wants to stay lean and healthy."

Explore further: Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables could cut obesity risk

More information: Hana Kahleova et al. The Effect of a Vegetarian vs Conventional Hypocaloric Diabetic Diet on Thigh Adipose Tissue Distribution in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Study, Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2017). DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2017.1302367

Pro-vegetarian diets (with a higher consumption of plant-based foods compared to animal-based foods) could provide substantial protection against obesity, according to new research presented at this year's European Congress ...

People on a vegetarian diet, and especially those following a vegan one that includes no animal products, see better results than dieters on other weight-reducing plans. In fact, they can lose around two kilograms more on ...

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Most of us know what sort of food we should eat to optimise our health and help avoid lifestyle diseases like obesity and heart disease. But we don't stick to our ideal diets.

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Dieters who go vegetarian not only lose weight more effectively than those on conventional low-calorie diets but also improve their metabolism by reducing muscle fat, a new study published in the Journal of the American College ...

Carrying less weight may make female runners faster, but a new study from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows it may also put them at a higher risk for injuries.

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Vegetarian diets almost twice as effective in reducing body weight, study finds - Medical Xpress

By Freddy Green

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Are you, too, fighting mad about Donald Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord? Then lets fight back three times a day by adopting an eco-friendly, plant-based diet.

Yes, our diet is pivotal. A 2010 United Nations report blames animal agriculture for 19 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, 38 percent of land use, and 70 percent of global freshwater consumption.

Carbon dioxide is emitted by burning forests to create animal pastures and by the fossil fuel industrys use of farming machinery, trucks, factory farms and slaughterhouses. The more damaging methane and nitrous oxide are released from digestive tracts of cattle and from

animal waste cesspools, respectively.

In an environmentally sustainable world, meat and dairy products in our diet must be replaced by vegetables, fruits, and grains, just as fossil fuels are replaced by wind, solar, and other pollution-free energy sources.

Each of us has the power to protest Trumps failure to maintain Americas leadership in moderating climate change, simply and effectively, by what we choose at the grocery store.

Freddy Green

Flushing

Posted 12:00 am, June 12, 2017

2017 Community News Group

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Honor Paris Climate Accord through diet - TimesLedger

The Trump administrations plan to slim future federal pension benefits, big-time, has electrified feds. They are nervous, whether they are decades away from retiring or have been retired for years. Feds and retirees (or their survivors, in both plans) have reason to be anxious:

FERS was set up to replace the more expensive CSRS program, and to take into account that only about one-third of the people who work for the government actually retire from it. FERS replaced the more generous CSRS pension/annuity benefit, but added Social Security and a generous 401k package, in which employees who contribute at least 5 percent of their own money get a 5 percent match (the equivalent of a tax-deferred pay raise) to their 401k. FERS is more portable than the CSRS program because of the Social Security and Thrift Savings Plan components.

At the time FERS replaced CSRS, many people suspected/feared that eventually, Congress would eliminate the CSRS program, forcing workers into the less costly (to the government) FERS plan. But that didnt happen, and now the number of people getting the more generous CSRS annuity is probably too small to make them a target. But both groups would be hit under the Trump budget if and it is a big if Congress goes along.

Some feds worry that if COLAs are reduced or eliminated, the next step will be to eliminate the retirement component of FERS for people hired in the future. Others worry that the matching government contribution to FERS employees TSP plans maybe on some future hit list. Meantime, heres a comment from a long-retired postal worker:

Nice article about grampa and pension plans. Like most CSRS retirees, I follow pension-related news using thepostalnews.com website. I am a retired (2009) mailman. I think its important to note in any conversation about federal retirements is the WEP/GPO. Mailmen do not pay into Social Security and anything they earn is greatly reduced or eliminated, including spousal survivors benefits. I know you know this. So, my take-home pension of $2,333, plus $154 SSI is not going to buy me that house on the Riviera. I feel its comparable to someone with 30 years substantial earnings for SSI, plus a 401k. I think most of the public assumes we get full SSI benefits and are surprised when I explain to them that we dont.

I consider the 401k system the biggest scam of the 20th century. I remember when it first started, companies would say that they would match employee savings because of the money they saved by not paying out a pension. Time and time again, my children have seen an end to employee matching, especially when the company is on the skids.

I also remember how some of my friends looked down at me for remaining a mailman. It was that whole public-sector snobbery. They were riding high with their expense accounts, medical benefits, and decent pensions. Now that that has been yanked out from under them, I hear a lot of pension envy out there. Well thats not fair, you shouldnt have that type of talk. Misery loves company.

And the whole COLA thing. Another sham. The only thing that hasnt gone up in my budget is my income in the last five years, for the most part. And they want to reduce it by another 0.5 percent. To be fair, Obama proposed using a different formula, which would have reduced it anyway.

So, here I am knocking on the door of 64 with an artificial hip and knee, contemplating going back to work. All because of Trump and the Republican party. And 40 percent of union members vote Republican. It used to drive me nuts when I was a steward to hear that. I remember being accused of violating the Hatch Act. Hell, my bosses probably couldnt even spell it. I still chuckle over that.

At times I get bitter, frustrated, angry, but the hell with that.

Ill just go back to work. And to quote Alec Baldwin in The Departed: The world needs more bartenders.'

Bob the mailman Drojarski

By Jory Heckman

Many of the residents of Churchill, Manitoba leave their car doors unlocked, in case someone needs to take shelter from wayward polar bears.

Source: Wikipedia

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Diet/no-cal COLAs would slam past, present & future feds - FederalNewsRadio.com

Norm Groot, For The Salinas Californian 3:01 a.m. PT June 11, 2017

When a consumer goes into to the supermarket to load up their basket with fruits and vegetables, amongst other items, little thought is given to where those products are grown. Shoppers typically look for the best price, either conventionally grown or organic, and then make their choices. Most shoppers dont stop to look at where the product is grown or how far it traveled to get there.

With the globalization of our food supplies, we are seeing more seasonal crops on a year-round basis. Peaches used to be an anticipated season each year when I was a kid; now we can find peaches, and most other stone fruits, year-round on the grocery shelves. Along with blueberries and strawberries, we consumers are spoiled in having once seasonal choices now year round.

And now we are moving into more convenience items in the produce aisle. Not only are we seeing complete salad packages (with dressing and other items like croutons), complete meals are being packaged for dinner using fresh vegetables grown in our local fields, and including a protein. Consumers are looking for simplicity in their meal preparations and local producers and processors are responding!

We are fortunate that there is an abundance of fresh berries, veggies, and leafy greens grown in our area, and that the local grocery shelves are stocked with items that traveled only a few miles to get there. This is the best possible outcome of eat local anyone could ever find!

Yet, there are items that we dont grow in Monterey County that must travel farther to make it onto our grocery shelves. This cant be avoided as weather and climate play a big part in where crops are grown, as well as seasons of the year. While we may locally produce our veggies and fruits nearly year-round due to the moderate climate we all enjoy, other regions must deal with more drastic seasonal fluctuations and the annual cycle of growing stone fruits, grains, and other staple crops.

Consumers have choices beyond what our grandparents could have ever imagined. I remember as a kid going to the small town grocer with my grandmother as she shopped for dinner items, one or two days at a time. It was a big deal when the first ears of corn came in, or the first blueberries showed up on the shelves. We actually looked forward to those seasonal fruits and veggies as a treat!

Now, we are confronted with so many choices its almost impossible to plan for a meal with a special item and not find it on the grocery shelf, no matter the season. We, as consumers, have trained our supermarkets into providing the widest set of choices ever, simply because we can demand fruit year round from all areas of the world. Our global economy has turned the seasonal expectations inside out and the newest generation of consumers has never experienced a grocery shelf not filled with choices year-round.

But back to the emphasis on local; the trend from the foodies is to have local fruits and veggies available as a way to minimize our impacts due to transportation and other energy consumption. But in reality, during the winter months, local fruits and veggies in New York come from our Salinas Valley, as well as the Imperial Valley, as these are the only regions producing during those months. So local is a relative term when it comes to the seasonality of crops.

Whether you shop at a farmers market, big chain supermarket, or local grocery store, you are most likely purchasing products produced here in the Salinas Valley. We remain one of the most significant growing regions in the world and local residents enjoy the benefits of this local bounty. Safely produced, under the strictest of all food safety measures, and at an affordable price, we are blessed with a multitude of local choices on a daily basis.

Local farmers have been doing this for decades and have continued to renew their local resources to continue this bountiful production of fruits and vegetables. Everyone is looking to eat healthier these days, and Salinas Valley farmers are the ones providing that healthy diet, locally.

Norm Groot is the executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau. Contact him at Norm@montereycfb.com.

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(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett) Elon Musk may make batteries for a living, but the billionaire entrepreneur once required a shocking amount of caffeine to stay energized.

At one point,the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was reportedly consuming eight cans of Diet Coke and several large coffees in a day to keep himself alert and on top of his grueling work schedule, Inc. previously reported.

This was back when Musk was working 100 hoursper week during the launch of his companies.

I got so freaking jacked that I seriously started to feel like I was losing my peripheral vision, Musk told Inc. He claims hisoffice now has caffeine-freeDiet Coke.

Sure, we're all guilty of craving acoffee pick-me-up, but thatis a ton of caffeine.

Most adults can safely consume 400 mg of caffeine each day. Diet Coke has 42 mg of caffeine in each can(more than any other type of Coca-Cola),whichmeans he was consuming 336 mg in just soda drinks.

Adding coffee into the mix likely put him over than 400 mg max. Atall coffee from Starbuckshas about 260 mg of caffeine per cup.

Musk isn't alone in his unhealthy eating habits.

Warren Buffett, who is 86 years old, has a McDonald's breakfast sandwich every day. On days when the market is down, Buffett claims he is more frugal and opts for the $2.95 Sausage McMuffin with egg and cheese. On good days, he'll order the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit for $3.17. Every morning, he tells his current wife, Astrid, to put the exact change in the center cup holder of his car.

When Buffett arrives at his desk at Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, he sits down to eat his breakfast with a glass of Coke.He drinks five Cokes per day.

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Elon Musk once drank 8 cans of Diet Coke and a ton of coffee every day - Yahoo Finance UK

Before the power of commercial lobbies, even the BJP government bows. The partys manifesto took a strong stand against GM foods; ignoring it, the Governments Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) green-lighted genetically engineered mustard in India. GM mustard is known to be more dangerous than GM cotton (which has caused havoc already) and GM brinjal (which was stopped in the nick of time).

Because mustard is used in every household every day in India, its health implications are of special importance to us. GM mustard is an HT (herbicide tolerant) crop. This euphemism means it uses a single herbicide, eventually becoming resistant and necessitating heavy use of chemical herbicide. Such excessive use has been linked to birth defects and childhood cancers. Almost all of Europe has discontinued the GM concept altogether because of health issues.

Why then does India welcome these traps? There are three reasons: The vested interests of politicians, over-enthusiasm of civil servants, and the apparent ease with which watchdogs like GEAC can be compromised. Much of this is facilitated by the worlds most powerful lobbying groups, which routinely influence US government policies. (Barack Obama appointed several Monsanto executives in his governments food and agriculture supervisory bodies).

These lobbies are no less powerful in India. Remember those horrid, heart-wrenching videos of endosulfan victims in Kasargod areas? They are still therepitiably malformed children and men with bloated body parts. Every time such pathetic pictures of human suffering appeared on television screens, people would ask: Why doesnt the government ban endosulfan? And every time Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was confronted with the question, he would say: We need to do more tests to know if endosulfan is harmful. How thick can political skins get?

Insensitive politicians are aided and abetted by specialists in the governments planning bodies. Niti Aayog has argued in favour of GM mustard on the ground that the GM technology will substantially increase yield. This is a myth as UN statistics prove. Non-GM users have the highest mustard yieldGermany, France, UK, Poland, Czech Republic. Way down in the table are GM usersUSA, Canada, Australia. Why did Niti Aayog rely on other self-serving statistics? And why did it ignore social and health issues?

The bigger tragedy is that we cannot be sure of our watchdogs; under pressure, they become promoters rather than preventers of malpractices. India has for long been a victim of this malaise. In 2009, the Food & Safety Standards Authority of India, our only food regulatory body, saw Pepsi and Coca-Cola officials becoming members of panels to judge various technical matters such as sampling methods, additives and flavourings. With a board comprising representatives of the very companies it was supposed to regulate, what safety standards could FSSAI ensure?

Similar manipulations made the GEAC clear GM brinjal in 2009. Monsanto, described by The Guardian of UK as the worlds most hated company, infiltrated the GEAC and also gave various research assignments to field researchers and sundry agricultural scientists in the country. The result was that Monsanto-flavoured research reached the GEAC for Monsanto-flavoured decisions. Activist Kavita Kuruganti publicly charged that the chairman of the Expert Committee appointed to examine the matter was pressurised by the Agriculture Minister, GEAC and the industry to clear GM brinjal. We were saved from it only because an alert minister, Jairam Ramesh, put it safely in Trishanku Swarga.

The lobbyists turned smarter this time. They presented GM mustard as the product of a Delhi University teams research. This was followed by another report: The genes that went into the DU mustard were the property of Bayer, a merged part of Monsanto. Three giant corporations, including Monsanto-Bayer, control both the seeds market and the pesticide market globally. Its a win-win situation for them and Swadeshi scientists, too, necessarily work as their foot soldiers.

The only thing that can be done about technologies based on chemical pesticides is to eliminate them. Reckless use of pesticides in the cotton region of Punjab ruined a generation of farmers. Their tragedy was dramatised by the cancer train that took afflicted farmers daily from Bhatinda station to Bikaner (where the Acharya Tulsi Cancer Institute was more affordable). Biologist Pushpa Bhargava, appointed by the Supreme Court in 2008 to observe the GEACs functioning, was outraged by the manipulations he saw. Whatever Monsanto said was Gods own word, he said and warned: If BT Brinjal is released, it will be the single largest disaster in the country. Larger still will be the mustard disaster.

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With political help, lobbies put chemicals in our diet; BJP must honour its pledge to keep GM food out - The New Indian Express

Fasting during Ramadan is an important component of Islam. However, patients with diabetes who decide to fast need to observe certain precautions. Some do worry about how to do this safely, and how to fulfill this religious obligation without creating health problems for themselves. For this reason, it is important to understand what really happens to your body when you fast and what you can do to keep your diabetes under control during Ramadan.

Patients with diabetes fall under two categories, depending on the level of risk associated with fasting. Patients with Type 1 diabetes are in the high-risk category. The chances of them suffering from hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia when fasting are higher as compared to patients with Type 2 diabetes. All patients with diabetes however should consult their doctor before they undertake the Ramadan fast so that they are aware of all precautionary measures they need to take to make fasting a safe experience.

Keeping track of blood sugar levels all through the day during a fast is very important. Patients with diabetes should be aware of common signs and symptoms that could arise as a result of fluctuations in their blood sugar levels. Hyperglycemia, that is high blood sugar level, is accompanied by a dry mouth, increased thirst, fatigue, hunger, nausea, dizziness, headache and blurry vision.

If hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) occurs, patients could experience feelings of shakiness, higher heart rate, sweating/chills, anxiety, intense hunger, nausea, numbness and drowsiness. Other complications that could arise include dehydration, diabetic ketoacidosis and formation of blood clot in the blood vessels. If you experience such symptoms or know someone who does, contact your doctor at the earliest to prevent what could be a medical emergency.

Include whole-grain bread, whole-grain low-sugar cereals, beans and lentils in your daily meals to maintain a balanced intake of nutrients. Ensure a good serving of fruit and vegetables with your meal, to avoid dehydration and improve your fibre intake. It is also advisable to include protein rich food in your diet, as it causes a feeling of satiety, making you feel less hungry while you fast. Try to keep consumption of carbohydrates and fatty food to a minimum. Drink sufficient water and avoid indulging in packed fruit juices.

Remember that fasting during Ramadan is a personal choice, but one that must be taken after consultation with your doctor. Making any self-alteration in your medication is highly discouraged; any change in medication needs to be discussed with your doctor to avoid possible fatal complications. Being aware of your condition and staying in touch with your medical team throughout the holy month will ensure that you observe a healthy and safe Ramadan.

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What You Should Know If You Have Diabetes And Choose To Fast This Ramadan What You Should Know If You Have Diabetes And Choose To Fast This Ramadan

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What You Should Know If You Have Diabetes And Choose To Fast This Ramadan - Huffington Post India

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the U.S. dairy industry. At $27 billion annually, its impact on the American economy and diet is immense, and at its core, the sector is completely dependent on the health and productivity of cows.

Americans drink more than 6 billion gallons of milk per year, and another 10 billion gallons are used to produce cheese, not to mention the milk that goes into products such as ice cream and yogurt. Yet, its safe to say, most consumers take the well-being of dairy cows for granted. But the countrys 65,000 dairy farmers dont they cant afford to.

One of dairy farmers biggest concerns is the vulnerable and important period for the dairy cow that extends three weeks before and three weeks after calving. Her metabolic needs increase dramatically, and how she copes with this high-energy transition period influences how well she performs during the rest of the lactation.

During this transition cow period, diseases can result in milk yield decreases of 5 to 10 pounds per day at peak lactation,a considerable economic loss for the producer. And research has shown that there is a domino effect: when a cow suffers from one transition disease, she is more likely to develop another, such as mastitis, ketosis or postpartum metritis.

Field surveys done by Penn State Extension show that more than 50 percent of cows will experience one or more metabolic or infectious disease following calving.

So, dairy-nutrition researchers such as Penn States Alex Hristov have been experimenting with various dietary supplements to bolster the immune systems of transition cows. A professor of dairy nutrition in the College of Agricultural Sciences, he has concentrated on the effects of spicing up the diets of transition cows feeding them phytonutrients and essential oils that are known to boost and support the immune systems of other species, including humans and gauging the cows health response.

Phytonutrients and essential oils bioactive compounds that act as antimicrobials and antiseptics are not required by dairy animals, but ingesting the compounds could make cows healthier, according to Hristov. Some examples are allicin from garlic, thymol from thyme and oregano, capsaicin from hot peppers, eugenol from cloves, pinene from juniper berries, limonene from dill, cinnamonaldehyde from cinnamon, and curcumin from turmeric.

At first, Hristov and other animal scientists considered phytonutrients and essential oils as a way to improve or alter rumen fermentation with naturally occurring compounds rather than commercial additives or antibiotics. The objective in altering rumen fermentation is to reduce methane gas production and increase propionate and butyrate production, resulting in more efficient fermentation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

But in recent research, Hristov has been looking beyond the rumen. In a series of papers, including an invited review published this spring in the Journal of Dairy Science, he and postdoctoral scholar Joonpyo Oh focus on the intestinal effects of phytonutrients in dairy cows, especially capsicum oleoresin from chili peppers. Oh, who conducted the research as part of his doctoral thesis, concluded that phytonutrients appear to have positive physiological effects on the immune response in ruminants, and in lactating dairy cows in particular.

The novel thing about this research is that we have shown that these phytonutrients can have downstream effects after the rumen, Hristov said. For the first time, we have shown that these compounds can bypass the rumen, which means they can avoid microbial degradation in the rumen. So they can be absorbed, through specific receptors, in the small intestine, which allows the cow to benefit from their physiological effects, including improvements in immunity, oxidative stress and insulin regulation.

He explained that the regulatory effects of phytonutrients on cytokines, acute phase proteins, blood immune cells, and oxidative stress status, including lipid peroxidation and endogenous antioxidants, seem to be beneficial for immune suppression of inflammation disease in dairy cows.

Although more research is needed to confirm results of Penn State studies, Hristov believes phytonutrient supplements such as capsicum oleoresin in the feed of transition dairy cows could have an impact on the dairy industry. The transition period is the most critical period in the life of a cow, so anything that can decrease metabolic diseases during that time could prove to be significant, he said.

Anything that improves animal health and immune response in these cows is important. And in previous studies we even saw an increase in milk production. That kind of direct impact, if proven, would be very important.

Follow-on studies are unfolding in Hristovs lab in collaboration with a Swiss company to develop a rumen-protected capsicum product to reliably deliver the benefits of phytonutrients to cows immune systems. Researchers are using capsicum oleoresin, Hristov noted, because after investigating other phytonutrient compounds, the peppers had the most pronounced affect on cows health.

But do cows like having their diet spiced up? From the several experiments we conducted, they dont seem to mind it, Hristov said. Cows consumed the spicy diet the same as the control diet. Perhaps, like some of us, they like it.

Original post:
Spicing up diet of transition dairy cows may be good for their health - ScienceBlog.com (blog)

The CSIRO has, perhaps surprisingly, launched a new diet that includes intermittent fasting three days a week.

It might sound counterintuitive, as fasting diets have traditionally been considered about as ineffective and nutritionally inadequate as the much-maligned Atkins or cabbage soup diets. But research now shows that they can be just as effective as standard, calorie-controlled diets.

The weekly Flexi program, which is available in pharmacies and offers a recipe book along with online resources, comprises three fasting or control days where dieters consume 40 per cent of their energy requirements, three kilojoule-controlled classic days and one free flexi day where there are no dietary restrictions.

Meal-replacement shakes, soups and bars are consumed on control and classic days in addition to whole, food-based meals and snacks.

The program is based on comprehensive research by the CSIRO which saw participants following a fasting diet in the 16-week trial lose an average of 11 kilograms each while also achieving improvements in cholesterol, insulin, glucose and blood pressure levels.

CSIRO research dietitian Dr Jane Bowen says the diet offers an alternative to traditional, calorie-controlled diets because it focuses on routine and energy intake over a full week.

This is something a bit different that will suit some people because the routine of the meal replacement can really help people know what they need to do, and a lot of people respond to that level of structure and prescription, she says.

Theyre able to vary their energy intake, so some days they eat less, which enables them to eat more on other days. We know that life gets in the way and often people will fall off the wagon [of a typical diet] if they have a wedding or a party.

Associate Professor Amanda Salis, from the University of Sydney, says a growing body of research shows intermittent fasting stacks up against more typical approaches to weight loss.

Whether youre doing a diet that involves continuously restricting the amount of kilojoules you consume from one day to the next or whether you do an intermittent fasting diet, the research is showing that at the end of three, six and now even 12 months that your weight loss will be similar, she says.

And even though meal-replacement products may sound like they belong with the fad diets of old, the experts agree they are an essential component of the Flexi program.

The fasting days are much more likely to be nutritionally incomplete its pretty hard to have a fasting day that meets nutrition requirements without using meal replacements, says dietitian Melanie McGrice, a spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia.

Crucially, however, the control group in the CSIROs research consumed an energy-restricted diet every day of the week and also lost 11 kilos, so nutrition research scientist Dr Tim Crowe says its important not to discount traditional approaches to weight loss.

The results look impressive, but the control group who were on a more traditional calorie-controlled diet for seven days a week, consisting of two meal replacements and one healthy meal of vegetables and protein, also had the same amount of weight loss, he says.

Fasting diets do work for weight loss, but not everyone has the same success. And when you compare them to more traditional diets, they dont offer an extra advantage for long-term weight loss.

Read more from the original source:
The CSIRO's Flexi diet weighs in as the fast way to avoid fasting - The New Daily