Category Archives: Diet And Food

This weekend, after months of working on a positive mindset and more self-love, I was somehow launched back into my past ways of thinking.

Perhaps its because my regular eating patterns were disrupted, or perhaps its because I hadnt hit the gym as hard this past week.

Whatever it was, it nearly ruined a good part of my two days off.

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I was reminded of the girl I used to be in the first few years of college, the girl letting life pass her by because she was(miserably) eyeballs-deep into My Fitness Pal and Crossfit.

It didnt matter that Id put countless hours and effort into loving myself. I just had a few of those days.

Im smart enough to know that low points along the path to body-image recovery are unavoidable, and no journey is smooth sailing the entire way.

In the past year, Ive had a lot of these low points. Each time, though, I become a little more prepared to deal with them.

Heres what I do (and what you can do, too) to recover from a bad body image day:

This is the most important recovery tip out of the five. Having a bad body image day does not excuse you lashing out on your body.

Do you ever remember a time when treating something with hate actually fixed the problem?

Ive seen countless tweets, posts, snaps and texts of people saying, Going to the gym to work off that [insert treat] I just ate. This mindset is destructive; there is no better word for it.

Training your brain to believe you cannot enjoy food without burning it all off after makes it impossible to indulge without guilt.

If youre feeling bad about your body, dont force yourself through grueling workouts if youre sore and uncomfortable.

More importantly, do not skip meals or tell yourself you arent worthy of food.

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You had a doughnut for breakfast. You dont need to eat a burger for dinner. Way too many carbs, my inner mean girl scolded. You have to shut her down.

Many times, your body telling you youre not allowed to eat something is actually a cry for real nourishment. Dont confuse the two.

Eat for fuel, and remember that deprivation and restriction will only make you feel worse.

We all like compliments. Being told youre beautiful, skinny, pretty or successful is one of the most gratifying feelings.

Sometimes, though looking for compliments can add extra tension to relationships.

I find myself doing this once in a while to a friend, to my husband or to my family.

I just feel like I work so hard and never get anywhere, Ill say robotically.

They usually reply with something positive that I know I want to hear, which helps for a total of one second.

After the compliment is gone, however, that instant gratification is gone with it.

Remember: The best validation needs to come from within. YOU need to feel good about YOURSELF.

Waiting around for others to tell you how wonderful you look adds extra anxiety to the body image struggle.

Dont add stress to your positive relationships on your bad body image days by looking for ways to get compliments.

When I say nourish, I am not talking about a total detox.

Multiple articles exist on the web telling women that to recover from a poor day of eating, it helps to cut out all dairy, carbs, fats and sugars.

These are usually the articles that have links to tea detoxes and feature ways to lose 10 pounds in a week.

If youre struggling because your eating patterns have been disrupted with parties or events, or youve indulged in lots of tasty food for any reason, you do NOT need to remove any food groups from you next few days.

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What you should do is simply be mindful of what your body wants. Intuitive eating is a practice that must be learned, and there are a lot of resources regarding it.

But, simply listening to your appetite and hunger cues is crucial.

Do you feel parched? Drink water.

Are you exhausted, but hungry? Eat something with lots of vitamins, minerals and protein.

This doesnt have to be eight almonds and a PowerBar. It can be a delicious meal packed with nutrients.

It might even contain sugars, healthy fats and carbs.

These things are not the enemy; they are fuel. Although its 100 percent OK to have treats if thats what your body wants, you will find that sometimes your body wants true nourishment.

In these moments, give it the healthy and enriching foods that it needs.

Whenever you have a bad body image day, the best thing you can do is be prepared to deal with it in healthy ways.

Dana Suchow, mastermind of Do The Hotpants, refers to having a toolbox of resources to help get you through the bad days.

Save articles about body positivity that resonate with you. Cleanse your social media of thinspo accounts or anyone who makes you feel a lesser version of yourself.

Follow accounts with body positive messages (a few of my favorite are@nourishandeat, @girlmeetsweights, @dothehotpantsand @bodyposipanda).

Read books that empower you and teach you healthy practices, such as The Goddess Revolution by Mel Wells (another great account to follow).

The more tools you have to turn to on your bad days, the easier they will be.

The body positivity community online is incredible. These girls and guys show you that you are not alone in your struggle.

Use these tools to help overcome the bad days whenever you need to.

Recovery from disordered thoughts, eating, compulsive exercising and self-loathing is not an instant fix.

Changing a paradigm that youve been programmed to believe for years can be incredibly difficult to change. It can take months, even years, to really feel the changes.

The brain is a powerful and stubborn thing. It takes slow, patient coaxing to shift your mindset.

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All you can do is take it one day at a time. Be nice to yourself when you look in the mirror, and realize you are doing the best you can.

Sometimes, I will look at myself and think this:

In this very moment that I stand here, I am doing everything I possibly can to love myself. I will not punish my body. I am worthy of enjoying food. I do not need to earn anything.

Find your mantra, and chant it in your head over and over until you start to believe it.

Each little step in recovery is one larger step toward self-love. Although it can be daunting to look forward when youve been sucked back into the cycle, you can pull yourself out.

Eventually, the bad days become fewer, and the good days start to overcome them.

Youll get there, I promise.

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The 5 Things You Should Do When You Feel Guilty About Breaking Your Diet - Elite Daily

Pop a Pill for Heartburn? Try Diet and Exercise Instead New York Times While definitive evidence for most of the risks identified thus far is lacking, consumers plagued by acid reflux would be wise to consider an alternative approach, namely diet and lifestyle changes that can minimize symptoms and even heal damage ...

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Pop a Pill for Heartburn? Try Diet and Exercise Instead - New York Times

Step away from the scalesit may not be the key to improving your mental health.

Despite the message that the happiest you is just 10 pounds away, new research suggests that improving the quality of your diet may be the recipe to protecting and even improving your mental health, not losing weight.

Over the past decade, dozens of studies have shown that maintaining a healthy diet is associated with both a reduced risk for developing depression (paywall) and an effective strategy for treating existing depression. But a review of mood-food studies has shown that the clear relationship between diet and depression is quite independent of body weight.

This was reinforced in a recent world-first trial where participants followed a 12-week dietary-improvement program for the treatment of depression. Most of the participants in the trial were overweight and remained so at the end of the intervention. But despite not having lost any weight, those who improved their diet experienced significant improvement in their symptoms, and one third of them experienced remission of their depressive disorder.

Theres no disputing the health importance of being a healthy weight. But while being overweight or obese (and the associated metabolic problems with both) are risk factors for depression, it doesnt appear that being overweight prevents people from accessing the physiological and psychological benefits of eating well.

Our diet seems to exert its effects on mood through pathways that may not require change in weight.The biology behind this is not yet clear, but our diet seems to exert its effects on mood through pathways that may not require change in weight. For example, a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and plenty of fiber can improve the health of your gut microbiota through bacterial fermentation and the production of anti-inflammatory, short-chain fatty acids. This is likely to reduce the chronic inflammation that is a risk factor for depression, as well as other chronic diseases. This is because both microbiota and the immune system communicate with the stress-response system and enteric nervous system, which influences circulatory biomarkers that regulate our moods.

According to the evidence, a key step for good mental health is to reduce the amount of extras we eat: foods that provide energy, but offer little to no nutritional value, such as chocolate, cake, chips, and other snack foods. Were better off spending these calories on what are often referred to as brain foods, which are often high in fat, but just as high in important nutrients. Fatty fish like salmon or trout, olive oil, and nuts are foundational to the Mediterranean diet, which is known for its benefits to both the brain and body. These foods, as well as greens and whole grains, are broken down into molecules that feed our gut bugs, which help build neurotransmitters, fight inflammation, and protect healthy brain cells.

Making changes to our lifestyles to improve how we feel and function is challenging, especially when were not feeling our mental best. Losing weight is a long haul, but the good news is that the benefits of eating well can be felt relatively quickly, whether youre overweight or slim, and without maintaining a calorie deficit. Calories are necessary fuel, but the quality of calories matters.

Taking simple steps, like swapping chips or chocolate for fruit and nuts, may not make much of a difference to our calorie scorecard, but the benefits for both our mental and physical health quickly add up. Unlike some of the other factors that contribute to our mental health, food is a domain over which we have some control. So keep in mind: Small changes matter to mental health, whether the scales move or not.

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Losing weight won't make you happierbut eating a balanced diet will - Quartz

With obesity rates soaring, many people are looking for ways to drop a few pounds.

Medical experts generally recommend against trying fad diets that promise to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. Rather, they suggest that you change your eating habits and make a healthy diet a mainstay in your life.

The most important way of introducing a healthier diet into your life is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and to be aware of the nutritional content of the food that you choose. And of course coupling exercise with eating better is sure to get the pounds off.

But no matter which way you choose to shed the fat, there are five seemingly innocent foods that can ruin your plans to have a slender, sleeker physique.

No. 5: 100-calorie snack packs

There are numerous 100-calorie cookies, crackers, bars and snacks to grab in the grocery store.

For many people, the snacks appear to be a good choice -- after all, the packages boldly and clearly say, "100 Calories." So many people think, "Wow, a tasty treat with minimal calories."

But while tossing the already prepared snacks in your grocery cart may help you control calories, the snacks may not necessarily be the best choice for nutritional intake.

In fact, preparing more nutritious snacks in small plastic bags is a better idea. A few healthier snacks would include almonds, celery or carrots. Grabbing any fruit would also be a good choice.

But if the 100-calorie pack of Oreo cookies continues to attract you, be sure not to make it a daily thing. And while eating proportioned and prepackaged snacks may derail your diet plans, so can drinking soda ...

No. 4: Soda

Don't even think about grabbing a soda -- diet or not -- if you want your weight loss plans to be successful.

Soda is one of those things that only provide empty calories. This means that there is no nutritional value of drinking a soda, so why even reach for one?

Instead drink plenty of water. Water makes up about 70 percent of your body weight. Water is also the most important nutrient for the body.

If it's tough for you to drink water, try dumping a flavored pack of Crystal Light, Wyler's or Special K into a bottle or glass of water to make it more of a healthy flavored drink.

If you don't have any on hand, add a slice of lemon. Not only will the lemon add a little flavor, it will help you burn about 70 more calories. It will also help flush toxins out the body.

No. 3: Salad dressing

Whenever someone tries to lose weight, salads are usually first on the list.

While salads are good for dieting -- well, actually, they are great -- be careful about the salad dressing you pick and how much you use. Be sure to measure it.

Don't just grab the bottle and begin pouring, because chances are that you will pour on too much. Use a tablespoon to spread the dressing and only use two tablespoons.

If this doesn't sound like enough, try putting your dressing in a separate container and dip sparingly. While cream-based dressings, such as ranch or blue cheese, may be more appealing, find a vinaigrette that is tasty.

And if you really want to be creative, whip up your very own dressing using olive oil and a low-fat recipe.

While salads may be part of your new health regiment when you set out to lose weight, be sure to watch your sodium intake ...

No. 2: Sodium

A lot of people do not realize that sodium or salt intake will decrease the chances of shedding pounds.

As you drop items in your cart at the grocery store, be sure to pay attention to the sodium on the nutritional value content label. If you really want your weight loss tactics to be effective, reduce your sodium intake to about 1,000 milligrams.

Sodium is a necessary nutrient, but too much of it will cause you to retain water.

Another way to avoid higher levels of sodium is to avoid processed foods, which are typically loaded with sodium. Also avoid salted nuts, chips and snacks. Instead of using seasoning salts that contain massive amounts of sodium, use herbs, peppers and vegetables to season your food.

But even if you decrease the amount of sodium, don't go crazy with smoothies ...

No. 1: Smoothies

There's a huge craze going on right now and it may just be packing on the pounds and you don't even know it. Smoothies can be healthy and tasty, but if not made with the correct ingredients can pack on the pounds.

When making or buying a smoothie be sure that it isn't made with some sort of pre-made concoction that will add calories. The best smoothies are made with fresh or frozen fruit, low-fat milk and yogurt.

If you use any additive such as fat burner or protein, pay close attention to the nutritional value. Be sure to check out the sugar grams so that your smoothie is truly a healthy addition to your diet.

And be sure to get a nutritional content chart when ordering from smoothie bars and fast-food restaurants to be sure that the smoothie is a good choice. You also may want to consider getting the smallest size because of course it would have the fewest calories.

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5 diet busters that will keep you fat - ABC17News.com

MANCHESTER You may have heard about eating heart healthy, but have you ever heard about eating brain healthy? The foods we eat affect our brains just as much as our hearts, and according to some specialists, its something we should be paying attention to.

The evidence is mounting that no matter what age you are, elementary school or even living into your 90s, the way we live our lives impacts our body and our brains every single day, saidCC Donelan.

Donelan isdirector of education atthe Brain Health and Wellness Center in Acton, which offers educational programs, consulting and coaching to individuals, families, and organizations in how to improve and care for the human brain. She will be speaking at the Manchester Community Center at a free event on Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. asthe second in a series of workshops that deal with memory loss.

The studies she will be presenting look at how lifestyle choices influence thinking and memory skills and how simple changes can prevent slow cognitive decline and possibly reduce the risk of Alzheimers disease.

Were all concerned about our brains these days, Donelan said. What we chose to eat and activities we chose do impact us.

Donelan first learned about the program after her father was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease in 2010, and it changed the way she lives her life. At the time I was taking care of my three children, buying fresh foods almost every day, thinking that was the key. Ive learned so much and my pantry has changed, Donelan said.

Im using mostly whole grains now. Nothing refined, she said. She also uses a lot more spices. This program highlights the incredible benefits of spices, she said.She is also supplementing animal proteins with plant foods in her diet.

You should really eat fish at least three times a week. It doesnt have to be wild-caught salmon top of the line you can get wonderful canned salmon that is very affordable, she said. Sardines are also heart- and brain-healthy, she said.

The big change is to cut refined sugar. The whole effort is to reduce sugar over all, she said. You dont have to give up desserts completely; she offered dark chocolate as a healthy alternative.

People should be aware of how much sugar they consume daily, according to Donelan. In many studies it is directly found to impact your brain, thinking, memory, and shrinks you hippocampus, Donelan said. The hippocampus,the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system in the brain, seems to bewhere Alzheimers disease begins. It also impacts your heart and overall body functioning.

Its not a diet, its a lifestyle, Donelan said. Its about coming back more in line with how we should be eating.

Becoming more aware of how food and lifestyle choices effect your brain can result in more energy, clearer thinking, and can help fight against cold and flu, she said.

I never really thought too much about what I eat affecting my brain until my dad was diagnosed and a whole new world opened up, Donelan said.

Mary Markos may be contacted at 978-675-2708 or mmarkos@gloucestertimes.com

If you go

What: How to eat brain healthy, a talk withCC Donelan of theBrain Health and Wellness Center in Acton.

When:Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m.

Where:Manchester Community Center, 40 Beach St.

How much: Free.

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Talk to explore brain-diet connection - The Salem News

By Amby Burfoot By Amby Burfoot March 20 at 7:00 AM

It hasnt been a great decade for fans of grain consumption not even whole grains. Popular diet books like The Paleo Diet, The Wheat Belly Diet and many others have argued for limited grain consumption. Meanwhile, apparent scientific softening on the fat-is-bad-for-you dictum has increased interest in healthy fat consumption. That, too, has put grains, which are mainly composed of carbohydrates, on trial.

Nonetheless, a recent and highly controlled study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition lends support to whole-grain consumption, especially in comparison to refined grains. The conclusions line up with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020, which recommend that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of a healthy diet, with six ounces from grains. (An ounce of grains is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or cup of cooked pasta or rice).

[10 nutrition mistakes even really healthy people make]

The new study, conducted at Tufts Universitys highly regarded Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, found that a diet high in whole grains vs. refined grains led to a favorable energy balance. In other words, subjects on a whole-grain diet burned more calories while absorbing fewer. They also showed a trend toward improved glucose tolerance. According to the papers authors, the results may help explain epidemiological associations between whole-grain consumption and reduced body weight and adiposity.

Senior author Susan B. Roberts, professor of nutrition and senior scientist at the USDA Nutrition Center at Tufts (and founder of theidiet.com), agrees that many Americans eat too many highly processed and often highly sugared grains. She doesnt, however, find this a good reason to limit whole grains. I think the anti-carb hype has gone too far for a healthy society, she says. We should remember that whole grains in the diet are associated with lower cancer rates, so theyre good for long-term health.

Her perspective is shared by nutritionist Lauri Wright, who was not part of the Tufts study. Bottom line, whole grains have many benefits, says Wright, assistant professor in the department of community and family health at the University of South Florida and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Some didnt appear in this study, because even the refined grain eaters consumed a lot of fiber. Whole grains also increase the antioxidant level of a diet, which is important for health.

Unlike many much-publicized nutrition studies, this one was not designed for calorie restriction or weight loss. Instead, researchers constantly monitored subjects weights to make sure no one was dropping pounds. With that variable eliminated, they could focus more intently on the whole grains vs. refined grains question at the center of their investigation.

Eighty one subjects were divided into two groups who picked up all their meals each day at the Tufts nutrition center. Subjects had an average age in their mid-50s and an average body mass index of 25.6, slightly above the 25.0 upper limit of healthy BMI, but not overweight or obese. During the six weeks of diet manipulation, all subjects consumed diets of about 2,550 calories, including 53 percent carbohydrates, 28 percent fat and 19 percent protein. In other words, the diets were identical.

Except for one thing. A whole grains group consumed 830 calories a day of whole-grain products. A refined grains group ate 830 calories of refined grain foods. In refining, also called milling, the grain loses much of its fiber, iron and B vitamins. The latter two are often added back to refined grains, but the missing fiber usually isnt. The whole grains came from commercial, off-the-shelf supermarket products made from whole flours, because the researchers wanted to use foods that are readily available to consumers.

During the last week of the six-week diet, investigators calculated the resting metabolic rate of subjects along with the energy content of their feces. (Amazingly only one subject from each arm of the experiment failed to manage the required collection.) The resulting measurements showed that the whole-grain eaters had a resting metabolic rate about 40 calories per day higher than the refined grain eaters, as well as a greater loss of calories (about 50) in their stool. Together, the two findings gave whole-grain eaters a 92-calorie gap in energy balance (calories in minus calories out) vs. the refined grain eaters.

I think thats an amount many people would be happy about, says Roberts. Its one and a half Oreo cookies a day. When the researchers extended this energy-balance deficit over a 12-month period, it translated to an annual weight loss of 5.5 pounds. This agreed almost exactly with a study of whole-grain consumption and weight change published by Harvard researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011. That report evaluated results from more than 120,000 subjects.

Some consumers have become so accustomed to soft, bland, refined grains that they disdain chewier whole grains. Yet in the Tufts experiment both whole grain and refined grain foods received equal palatability ratings.

Its easy to move gradually in the direction of greater whole-grain consumption, notes Roberts. Just introduce a few more foods made from whole-grain flours. (Using cracked grains or whole grains like cooked brown rice or quinoa might prove even healthier than flours. Thats because the more intact the original grain, the longer it takes to digest.)

Americans consume an average of about 15 grams of fiber a day. In the Tufts study, the whole-grains group reached 39 grams a day while the refined grains group consumed 21 grams.

Most studies that produce a negative energy balance also report a decrease in resting metabolic rate. The opposite occurred in the Tufts study. We dont know for sure why that happened, Roberts admits. But I believe the strong trend toward fullness among the whole-grain eaters means the brain received no signals directing it to turn down metabolism.

In a related paper, the Tufts team reported their findings on the microbiomes reaction to a whole-grain diet. They found a modest positive effect of whole grains relative to refined grains on the immunity response to pathogens.

The Tufts study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. The authors declared that General Mills had no input on the data collection, analysis or interpretation.

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Despite the anti-carb diet fads, whole grains are still good for you - Washington Post

Shell's Titanic Bet: Can Deep-Water Drilling Be Done on the Cheap? Wall Street Journal (subscription) MARS OIL PLATFORMRoyal Dutch Shell PLC is trying to reinvent its business with a concept that sounds oxymoronic: budget deep-water drilling. Here on a hulking steel behemoth 130 miles southeast of New Orleans, more than 170 roughnecks and ...

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Struggling with bloating, gas, and digestive stress despite eating a crazy healthy (apples, garlic, and mangoes, for example) diet? Certain carbohydrates, known as FODMAPs, may be to blame for those (unsexy) digestive woes. Following a different plan, the low FODMAP diet, may be able to kick digestive issues aside.

First thing first: what is a FODMAP?

FODMAP is an acronym referring to Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols.

These carbohydrates are made up of small chain sugars and an array of fibers that can be difficult to digest due to their osmotic properties, in whichthey pull water into the small intestine.

High FODMAP carbohydrates are also known as prebiotics, food for the friendly bacteria in the gut. These carbs are easily fermented (eaten by bacteria) in the small intestine, producing methane and hydrogen gases as a result.

As a result of these two processes, a host of digestive issues can arise. Many of the symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), abdominal bloating and distension, excess gas, constipation, diarrhea, and even abdominal pain can occur with consumption of high FODMAP foods.

Following a low FODMAP diet, and removing high FODMAP foods, can help to alleviate and combat these digestive issues, simply by modifying the types of foods consumed regularly.

FODMAP foods are made up of oligosaccharides (fructans and galactans), disaccharides (lactose), monosaccharides (fructose), and polyols (sugar alcohols).

Many foods do not contain these types of carbohydrates, however, and are naturally low FODMAP diet foods. These include some of your (probable) favorites: spinach, berries, and tomatoes, for example phew.

High FODMAP foods: asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, garlic, legumes and pulses, sugar snap peas, beetroot, cabbage, apples, pears, mango, figs, watermelon, peaches, plums, dairy products, rye, barley, wheat, cashews, pistachios, honey, agave, high fructose corn syrup, dried fruits like raisins and dates, chicory root extract, and sugar alcohol additives.

Low FODMAP foods: Arugula, bean sprouts, green beans, butternut squash, bok choy, bell pepper, carrot, fresh herbs, parsnip, kale, ginger root, eggplant, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, watercress, zucchini, berries, banana, orange, mandarin, grapes, melon, lemon, limes, rhubarb, papaya, pineapple, almond milk, hemp milk, lactose free dairy products, pure maple syrup, palm sugar, millet, oats, rice, quinoa, gluten-free bread, and low-lactose cheeses.

Individuals struggling with symptoms of IBS, digestive upset, bloating, and gas could benefit from following a low FODMAP diet.

Of course, always talk to a registered dietician, nutritionist, or medical practitioner to discuss FODMAP foods, IBS, and any other questions you may have before embarking on a new diet or food plan.

The FODMAP diet has mostly been studied and shown successful in managing symptoms of IBS. According to a 2016 study published in Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology, up to 86 percent of patients with IBS find improvement in overall gastrointestinal symptoms as well as individual symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal distention, and flatulence following the diet.

A 2014 study found that individuals with IBS had lower gastrointestinal symptoms while on a low FODMAP diet, compared to the subjects regular diet. The study also found that issues of bloating, abdominal pain, and gas were significantly reduced while on the low FODMAP diet.

Following a low FODMAP diet can be simple and manageable with some preparation and homework. Read ingredient lists to find sneaky sources of high FODMAP foods (like HFCS, garlic, and chicory root extract) and print out lists of low and high FODMAP foods. There are also phone apps (like the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet app) that deliver the information straight to your phone.

Related On Organic AuthorityDo You Need An Elimination Diet?What Foods Give You Gas? Find Out With A Cool New Gadget (and 7 Possible Culprits)3 Ways to Tell Lactose Intolerance Symptoms from a Dairy Allergy

Kate is a Nutritionist with a Master's of Nutrition from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon and the blogger and photographer of Vegukate. Kate believes in nourishing the whole body with real, vibrant foods that feed the mind, body, soul, gut, and every single little cell. Her philosophy is simple when it comes to food and nourishment: cut the processed junk, listen to your body, eat by the seasons, eat plates and bowls filled with color, stress less, and enjoy every single bite. When she's not cooking in her too tiny Portland kitchen, Kate can be found perusing farmer's markets, doing barre classes, hiking, reading, and exploring.

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Do You Need to Go Low FODMAP With Your Diet? - Organic Authority

Youre slowly replying to emails, finalizing your spreadsheet inputs, and reviewing your to-do list as you start to feel your energy waning and unfortunately, you cant blame it on a late night out on the town.

Heres another answer you quickly conjure up: your job must be super-boring. Why not blame your commitment to your cubicle for your head unintentionally dancing back and forth like an untamed bobble head? A sudden shift of attention to the latest online opportunities for job-hoppers becomes your ten-minute solution.

But the answer to your unforgiveable fatigue may be even simpler than that. You might not have to change your job; just change your diet.

Many studies have revealed that poor nutritional habits are a leading cause of low productivity levels worldwide.

Pay close attention to the foods you consume: some foods deplete energy levels, while others leave you feeling like the Energizer bunny. If youre looking for an energy boost throughout the day, throw out the white, starchy, fried, or sugar-packed products that youre hiding in the bottom drawer of your cubicle. Sorry, no more Doritos. Treat yourself to these five energy-boosting super nutrients, and you might just accelerate your advancement to the top of the promotion list.

When it comes to fighting fatigue, protein is a nutrient you cant go without. In diets where your body is not obtaining its balance of carbohydrates and fat, protein steps in and provides the body with energy.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends eating protein, because it remains in the belly longer than carbohydrates, which leads to a steady source of energy and repair for damaged tissues. This helps if youre seeking to combat depression, stress, and weight gain all symptoms of fatigue. Just cut down on red meat and start adding more fish and beans to your meal plans. Sites like Weight Watchers Online are filled with sortable recipes, including those high in protein.

Unexplained fatigue and eye twitches during your managers superb presentation could be a sign that youre suffering from low levels of magnesium. And youre not alone. Research reveals that 70 80% of Americans are not getting enough magnesium in their diet.

Magnesium is a mega-mineral used by every organ in your body to help you produce energy. When youre low in valuable nutrients such as magnesium, youre more likely to choose sugary, calorie-filled foods for cravings. That can really throw a wrench into diets, like Nutrisystem, that consist mostly of frozen or prepared foods. And the energy you get from these short-lived treats wont keep you awake for that 9 p.m. conference call. Choose almonds, pumpkin seeds, spinach, bananas, beans, and other foods that are high in magnesium to maintain alertness.

Make sure youre getting an average iron intake of 18 milligrams per day (women) and 8 milligrams per day (men) if you want to limit depression, inattention, and fatigue. Skipping iron intakes can lead to weakness, brittle nails, and fatigue all symptoms of anemia. Try the frozen food aisle in the supermarket and grab some iron-rich foods like spinach, dried fruit, beans, liver, and artichokes.

Feeling sluggish at your 9 a.m. staff meeting? Changes are high that your lack of nutritional fats is to blame. Fats have long been demonized, but your body needs some fat for healthy cell maintenance and energy production.

You can skip the saturated and trans fats, but youll need omega-3 fatty acids to combat depression, pessimism, and impulsivity. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease the glycemic index of foods and serve a potent role in providing the bodys energy source. Fats leave you with slow-burning fuel for long-lasting energy. You can count on walnuts, ground flax seeds, salmon, and omega-3-fortified eggs to give you the good fats you need for satiety and preventing extra snacking that can lead to fatigue.

If youre still feeling ravenous even though you just ate lunch two hours ago, dont be tempted to sneak away from your desk to buy enriched white pasta or, even worse, cookies. Youll have another dilemma: drowsiness.

Instead, add more fiber to your diet. Fiber is a powerhouse nutrient that delays the absorption of sugar and promotes steady blood glucose levels that help suppress cravings, so youll feel fuller faster.

Add the recommended 25 grams of fiber to your plate by incorporating more broccoli, nuts, beans, avocados, and even pineapple. Pineapples are fluid-filled, fiber-rich super-snacks that can help prevent dehydration, one of the most common culprits of drained energy.

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5 Super Nutrients That Will Help You Fight Fatigue At Work - Huffington Post

As a registered dietitian , I dont believe in diet "cheat" days or meals. Well, I dont really believe in diets either, but since many people are on some diet or other, they're still worth discussing. If you are on a dietor just trying your hand at healthy eating in generaland youre indulging in cheat days or cheat meals, let me explain why I cant get on board.

Eating seems to have devolved into the territory of the morality police: good versus bad . Dirty versus clean. Cheating versus staying loyal to your eating plan. But food is just thatfoodand making it into a moral issue is unfortunately becoming the new standard.

Before we dive in, it's worth noting that as with any diet or plan, cheat days may work for some people. A piece of 2016 research in Journal of Consumer Psychology found that "cheating" on a diet can actually help you lose weight because it wards off feelings of deprivation.

But for many people, it's not that simple. Here's why.

My primary concern with cheat days is the emotional implications of morally categorizing your eating habits. Sure, you can go overboard on a cheat day and eat a ton of crap and feel physically sick from it, but I think the emotional consequences can almost be more damaging.

Meaning, if you cheat, then overcompensate out of guilt by restricting your diet for the days following the indulgence, then overeat because youre restricting, it can become a soul-sucking binge cycle. The rapid influx of sugar , fat, and refined carbohydrates that make up many cheat meals often exacerbate this, leading to an extended binge either due to guilt, that "last chance" feeling, or through the actual composition of those foods. Obviously this defeats the purpose of the cheating concept, but it can also lead to feelings of failure.

This diet merry-go-round is a common reason why diets (or cheat days/meals on diets) dont work for most people.

Restricting food for a particular day can create tension around eating and cause you to crave, then overeat, the very foods that youre trying to avoid. As anyone who has ever been on a diet knows, that forbidden-fruit feeling can be very real. Obsessing about the "bad" foods youre going to take a swan dive into once your cheat day arrives is distracting and unhealthy, not to mention often a precursor to going overboard.

If you feel like you're eating "good" foods out of obligation so you can get to the cheat days, eating becomes merely a means to an end, which is pretty much the opposite of what it should be. Finding pleasure in food and nourishing your body and soul is a healthier, more satisfying way to view food. Instead of choking down a salad and then dreaming about the many cupcakes youre going to eat on your cheat day, wouldnt it be better to eat healthy food you actually enjoy ( it doesn't have to be salad !), have a cupcake whenever you want it, and move past the whole good/bad thing?

I work from a perspective of normalizing all foods. That means that even though some foods are healthier than others, its not a big deal to have an indulgent amount of a less-healthy food every day, then just get over it. Treating yourself often enough can defuse the attractiveness of those "forbidden" foods.

My clients find that eating this way is not only easier and more enjoyable, it also has no bad repercussions on their weight. On the contrary, it makes eating an overall healthy diet simpler because theyre stepping away from the obsessive "can't have this" mindset. No foods are off-limits and only allowed when you're cheating, aka being "bad." Think of it as the 80/20 or 90/10 rule. Im all for it.

If cheat days work for you and are helping you get closer to your health and fitness goals, thats great, and by all means you should continue with them! But if you feel that method isn't working for you, try a different approach. The best diet is one that you can live with for the long term.

Keep in touch with me on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook . For diet reviews, blog posts, and recipes, check out Abby Langer Nutrition .

You may also like: How To Make Healthy High-Protein Avocado Boats

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Why 'Cheat' Meals Can Actually Sabotage Your Healthy-Eating Goals - SELF