Category Archives: Diet And Food

Home Harvard Health Blog Sharpen your cooking skills and improve your diet (and even your social life) - Harvard Health Blog Posted March 03, 2017, 8:15 am

When I was in college, my cooking skills were limited to a giant skillet of Tuna Helper. Meals were chosen by how quick and how cheap. Nutrition? Never heard of it.

My outlook on cooking has changed since those days, and I now realize that despite my still limited culinary know-how, in the kitchen I have all the tools to transform my health.

Cooking is easier than people think, says Dr. David Eisenberg of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It is more fun and cheaper than eating out. And no matter your ability, anyone can learn to do it.

The more you cook for yourself, the healthier you live. It is that simple. People who frequently cook dinner at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less, according to a study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. The findings also suggest those who frequently cook at home (six to seven nights a week) also consume fewer calories on the occasions when they do eat out.

Cooking also expands your intake of healthy foods. For instance, people who live alone who are less likely to cook on a regular basis often have diets that lack core food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, and fish, according to a review of 41 studies published in Nutrition Reviews.

You dont need to be a contestant on Top Chef to improve your cooking. Instead of learning individual recipes, you need to learn techniques, says Dr. Eisenberg. This way, you can master a few basic staples and have the recipe for making all kinds of meals. Here are some basic skills he says people should learn:

In-person guidance is always better than learning from videos, says Dr. Eisenberg: You need someone in the kitchen to hold your hand, give you direction, and walk you through the process. Here is where you can find that kind of guidance:

Your new and improved cooking skills can heat up your social life. You may form a closer bond with your partner as you both become more involved with meal preparation, and you may be motivated to invite others to share a meal you cooked yourself.

You also might discover cooking can be a relaxing and liberating activity. People find personal satisfaction in cooking, or come to view the experience as a way to tap into their creativity, says Dr. Eisenberg. Cooking no longer becomes a chore, but something that gives them great pleasure. And you dont even need Tuna Helper.

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Sharpen your cooking skills and improve your diet (and even your social life) - Harvard Health (blog)

Mayor Ed Murrays tax would exempt diet drinks, and data show it could place a heavier burden on the people the tax is supposed to help. The tax would apply only to sugary beverages, and for a 2-liter bottle of Coke, it could add $1.35 to the cost.

Mayor Ed Murrays proposed tax on sodas exempts one kind of soft drink more typically favored by an affluent, educated and white population in Seattle and beyond: diet drinks.

The 2-cents-an-ounce tax would apply only to sugary beverages, such as regular sodas, energy and sports drinks, and bottled teas and coffee that are sweetened with sugar. For a 2-liter bottle of Coke, the tax could add $1.35 to the cost.

Money raised estimated at $16 million per year would be used to support various programs aimed at reducing disparities between white students and black and Latino students.

But this proposed tax could also place a heavier burden on the very groups its aiming to help.

Market data show significant racial and ethnic differences in patterns of consumption between sugar-laden beverages and their artificially sweetened counterparts.

When surveyed by research firm Nielsen Scarborough, 70 percent of Latinos and 66 percent of blacks in the Seattle area said theyd consumed a sugar-sweetened soft drink in the past seven days, compared with just 54 percent of whites and 56 percent of Asians. This disparity is consistent with national data.

Regular consumers of sugary drinks are also poorer and have lower levels of education, on average.

But diet drinkers have a very different demographic profile.

Asians and whites consume artificially sweetened beverages at a slightly higher rate than blacks or Latinos.

Adults who regularly drink sugar-free sodas are more likely to have a college or graduate degree, and theyre also a lot wealthier. In the Seattle area, they have a median household income more than $10,000 higher than that of folks who favor sugary drinks.

The survey data also showed the Seattle metro area ranks very low for the rate of consumption of sugary drinks 75 out of 77 markets.

According to Benton Strong, a spokesperson for the mayor, the proposed tax is intended to have a public-health benefit. Sugar-laden drinks have been identified as a major cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes, so the tax could act as a deterrent.

But if the assumption is that diet drinks are a healthier choice, the evidence increasingly suggests they are not.

Many researchers now say that drinking diet soda does not help with weight loss, and could in fact contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes, just like regular sodas. There are more questions than answers regarding the long-term effects of consuming these artificial sweeteners, but there is enough concern for the Harvard School of Public Health to conclude: Diet soda may not be a healthy substitute for sugary soda.

In January, a soda tax similar to the one proposed for Seattle went into effect in Philadelphia the first in a major U.S. city. But there are a couple important differences.

Philadelphias tax is a little lower, at 1.5 cents per ounce, but it is also broader, applying to both sugary and diet soft drinks. The approach spreads the burden more evenly among racial and income groups.

According to Strong, the city will analyze the proposed taxs impact on racial equity before releasing the final plan.

Read more here:
No soda tax for diet drinkers? Seattle's plan excludes drinks favored by rich and white - The Seattle Times

Good governance is about as sexy a topic as a high-fiber diet, eight daily glasses of water, and regular exercise.

But, just as those three things are important to your physical well-being, responsible administration is crucial to the health of the body politic. It help keeps state finances regular.

Evan-Amos | Vanamo Media

Last week saw an excellent in-depth article in the pages of this paper exploring Maines cash pool. While the intricacies of state finance arent the most titillating subject, having the Maine bank account in the black saves all of us money. If it goes red, the state treasurer has to borrow funds with interest to make sure the checks dont bounce.

From 2008 through 2015, Maine taxpayers werent so lucky. The General Fund kept spending dollars that hadnt yet been collected. So we kept borrowing for short periods of time, paying interest. Of course, we also found interest-free financing not paying Maine hospitals the bill run up by government programs, for instance. Not particularly responsible.

Yet, like an aircraft carrier, Maines finances have finally turned around; it just took time. We arent reading headlines about the need for tens of millions in emergency funding to carry our safety-net programs to June 30, the end of the fiscal year. Instead, we can make policy free from crisis.

Thats important. Every two years in Augusta, the largest policy document enacted by the Legislature is the states biennial budget. For over a decade, it jumped from shortfall to shortfall, with the structural gap the amount required to be spent under existing law versus the amount forecast to be collected from taxpayers in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Gov. John Baldaccis tenure was in near-perpetual budgetary crisis, in large part due to the $1 billion structural gap he inherited from his predecessor, Angus King.

Damir Sagolj | Reuters

As we continue through the final two years of the LePage administration, there is an opportunity to take a longer-term view with the budget. Thats good; there are many large questions facing our state, the answers to which will likely chart the course of Maines future.

There will be a significant debate about what our tax code should look like. Question 2 and its tax increase giving us the second highest marginal rate in the nation, behind only California is likely to come under question. It eked out passage in November by approximately 9,500 votes; it won in Portland by over 11,000. Not exactly a resounding statewide mandate.

The other half of Question 2 school funding is likely to be a subject of debate as well. LePage proposes spending all state funds directly in the classroom, giving municipalities responsibility for administration. The administration proposes innovation grants to encourage, rather than mandate, collaborative regional solutions. Without a pending crisis in benefit programs, we can explore these reforms and resource them.

Of course, there will also be debates around our safety-net programs. Charges are already being levied that the changes previously made to public benefits went too far. The Department of Health and Human Services proposes refocusing more dollars on elderly and disabled Mainers, further reducing eligibility for those able-bodied adults without children. Regardless of your position on those issues, we now have a chance to make clear-headed decisions; we arent looking for $70 million to bail out already-promised cost overruns.

And as we try to find the appropriate places to spend tax dollars, other programs can be looked at on their merits, rather than as a source of easy money to solve an immediate problem. With a new governor taking office in 2019, the rumors of potential candidates have begun to swirl and the potential field is large. If everyone rumored jumps into their respective primary battles, we could have 15 candidates on the ballot next June. Under the so-called Clean Election Act, they would each be eligible for up to $1 million in their primary race. Are political campaigns the best use for $15 million from the public treasury? We dont have a massive hole to fill, so we can decide that on its own merits.

State finances are boring, but they impact policy every step of the way. And regardless of what you might think about the governor or his policies, he has led Maine to a position where we can have those debates free from a budgetary Sword of Damocles.

So the reward for good governance? Knock-down, drag-out fights over ideas instead of dollars. In politics today, well call that progress.

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Like a high-fiber diet, good governance keeps Maine's finances regular - Bangor Daily News

A poor diet while young may do more than just make it tough to fit into a pair of jeans: New research suggests it might also raise a younger woman's risk for breast cancer.

"A diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and red and processed meat makes it more likely that you may experience early onset breast cancer," said study senior author Karin Michels. She is chair of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, in Los Angeles.

An unhealthy diet appeared to increase that risk by more than one-third, but the findings can't prove cause-and-effect, Michels said. "We are talking about a link or association," she noted.

The study tracked data from more than 45,000 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study II. All of the women completed food frequency questionnaires about their teen and early adult diets, and were followed up for 22 years.

The researchers assigned the diets an inflammatory score, based on a method that links diet with established inflammatory markers in the blood. Eating a high-sugar, refined carbohydrate diet has been linked to higher levels of inflammatory markers in the blood, Michels explained.

RELATED: Many Breast Cancer Survivors Don't Get Life-Extending Therapy

Compared to the women with diets with a low inflammatory score, those in the highest of five groups during their teen years had a 35 percent higher risk of breast cancer before menopause, Michels and colleagues found.

And those in the highest inflammatory group during their early adult years had a 41 percent higher risk.

However, the inflammatory score was not linked with overall breast cancer incidence or with breast cancer occurring after menopause, the researchers found.

During the follow-up period, 870 of the women who finished the high school diet questionnaire were diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer, and 490 were diagnosed with postmenopausal breast cancer.

The researchers can't explain why inflammation may drive up the risk. And while the main components of the inflammatory diet were foods that aren't surprising (such as white bread, hamburgers and pasta), the list also included lesser amounts of certain vegetables, such as celery, green pepper, mushrooms, eggplant and fish.

That finding deserves future study, Michels said.

The study also has limitations, the authors said, including the possibility of error in remembering a high school diet when the women were in their 30s and older.

Leslie Bernstein is a professor in the division of biomarkers for early detection and prevention at the Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif. She was not involved in the study but reviewed the new findings and said, "It's a modest increase in risk."

Bernstein agreed that the mechanism for why inflammation may drive up risk is not fully understood by experts.

What advice would she offer women?

"Same thing I would tell them before this was written," Bernstein said. "Eat a diet that is healthy -- more chicken and fish than red meat, complex carbohydrates, eat a lot of vegetables, eat fruit and don't drink sugary drinks.''

The study was published March 1 in the journalCancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

See more here:
Bad Diet in Youth Might Raise Risk of Early Breast Cancer - Everyday Health (blog)

How can an eating pattern that came about decades ago in the rural areas of the Mediterranean possibly be the diet of the future? Well, today it is no secret that the Mediterranean diet is the gold standard of diets. Not only because it has years of research supporting it, but also because it is an eating pattern that tastes really good. The new, updated U.S. Nutrition Guidelines recommended it as a healthy eating pattern, a few days ago a report by prominent physicians and researchers also recommended the Mediterranean diet as the ideal diet for prevention of cardiovascular disease. The diet is the most researched diet that exists and is also considered a sustainable diet. The Mediterranean diet has been presented as a model and example for a sustainable diet by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

But somehow, even though we know this diet is good for our health, taste buds and the environment, people are not following it as would be expected. And even more so in Mediterranean countries such Italy, Spain and Greece where the diet originated. Why and what can be done about this? This is the question that a group of highly esteemed experts from around the globe gathered to answer. And what better place to discuss the renaissance of the Mediterranean diet than the Vatican?

The Food Values Conference "The Renaissance of the Mediterranean diet and significance for a 21st century world" took place in the Casina Pio IV inside the Vatican City, presented with the gracious hospitality of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. Conference speakers and guests included individuals from different backgrounds including researchers, media, health professionals and culinary professionals to look at the importance of the Mediterranean diet in the 21st century and the value we place on food.

The stage was set by Dr. David L. Katz director of the Prevention Center at Yale University and president of The True Health Initiative, who stressed the importance of prevention indicating that surveys have shown that 80% of premature deaths are due to diet, smoking and lack of physical activity. But he also discussed the problems with adherence to a healthy diet, adding that knowledge is not power when it comes to diet. Dr. Francesco So from the University of Florence and co-organizer of the conference discussed the importance of adherence, providing information to the public in the right way that resonates, but also learning from the past and identifying what is Mediterranean and what is not. Dr. Antonia Trichopoulou, professor and chairman of the Hellenic Health Foundation described what the traditional Mediterranean diet was, a diet that manifested through festivals and celebrations and the fact that it is not just a diet but a lifestyle. She stressed the need for greater exposure of the Mediterranean diet at a younger age, as today more and more young people particularly from the Mediterranean region are not following the diet of their forefathers.

Greg Drescher, vice president of strategic initiatives and industry leadership at The Culinary Institute of America stressed that in order to achieve a renaissance of the Mediterranean diet there needs to be more excellence in the growing, processing and preparation of the plant based core. Sara Baer-Sinnott, director of the non-profit organization Oldways, which created the first Mediterranean diet pyramid, pointed out that top consumer trends for 2017 include authenticity and healthy living, making this conference and the Mediterranean diet a timely discussion. She talked about common misconceptions of the diet providing evidence that it is affordable, but also easy to follow. The final presenter Simon Poole, physician, author and co-organizer of the conference said that it is necessary to look back to the value we place in our diet, redefining our relationship with the food which in turn will result in a reduction of chronic disease in the population. In closing, he presented three urgent issues that need to be addressed:

1. Government. Policy Makers must consider the nutritional, cultural, social and contextual value of food in respect to all policies, legislating to actively promote a more sustainable and healthy environment.

2. Education. Food Illiteracy is endemic in many parts of the world and education is key to improving skills in preparing food and ensuring a better understanding of its value and its role in health and well-being.

3. Industry. Those making a profit from producing food must have a greater regard to their responsibility of the impact of their products and marketing on the health of consumers.

Elena Paravantes is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Food Writer and a Mediterranean Diet Expert.

For more information, inspiration, tips and recipes on the Mediterranean Diet and Greek Food visit: OliveTomato.com

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Mediterranean Diet, The Diet Of The 21st Century? - Huffington Post

A few times a week or before you go grocery shopping, scan your fridge for what's about to go bad and pull those items to the front. Make a plan to use them soon in a meal.

A few times a week or before you go grocery shopping, scan your fridge for what's about to go bad and pull those items to the front. Make a plan to use them soon in a meal.

WSYR-TV - Fad diets and nutritional products aren't always supported by science.

A group of doctors with the American College of Cardiology are offering guidance on these nutritional approaches.

They warn that "juicing" actually concentrates calories, meaning you could be getting more calories and less fiber.

If you don't have a sensitivity to gluten, they want you to know a gluten free diet might not be for you it can actually lead to weight gain.

If you really want to protect your heart experts recommend skipping the antioxidant supplements. There is no proof they actually work.

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Investigation looks into fad diets - WSYR

One of the latest diet fads is the blood type diet. This is a diet, wherein the foods to eat and avoid are based on your blood type. A person of blood type O would have a different type of diet from a blood type B diet.

Popularized by Peter J. DAdamo, the diet is based on the theory that different blood types A, B, and O react differently to the food you eat. This is because our ancestors belonged to a certain blood type and we still have the genes passed on from them. So, this is based on the gene linkage theory.

Additionally, different blood types appear to have different reactions to factors such as stress and anxiety, and people with a particular blood type may be susceptible to certain diseases or health conditions, according to DAdamo.

The genetic markers (antigens A, B, and O) bind with certain food ingredients such as lectinsa proteinand cause agglutination of blood. This leads to various skin conditions and digestion issues. Our gut bacteria, which aid in digestion, also differ with each blood type. This factor seems to influence the way our food is digested.

But do these diets really work? What are the appropriate blood type B foods to eat? Does it matter what diet you pair with which blood type? In this article, well examine the blood type B diet along with blood type B diet foods to figure out if the diet will work for you. The answers to these questions may surprise you.

The various blood type diets that are going around are based on the premise that each blood type represents what their ancestors did and the types of food they ate. The blood type B diet is based on the idea that these people were nomadic.

They would have adapted to their surroundings and eaten the types of food that they would have come across, which were eaten by the other blood types. People with this blood type are highly adaptable, but there are certain foods like chicken or peanuts that their ancestors would perhaps have never eaten.

As we mentioned in our article about the blood type O diet, there is very little scientific evidence to support claims that the benefits of this diet are related to blood type. What one persons ancestors ate might line up perfectly with this diet, but another persons ancestral diet may be way off due to their country of origin.

The diets also dont account for anything like medications or any food intolerance you may have. Theres no conclusive evidence that blood type B foods will help someone of blood type B, any more than the same diet may help someone who is of blood type A.

That is not to say that the diet may not work well for you. It may work, but not due to the reasons stated in the diet. Well explain with a look at the foods you are supposed to eat.

Foods for a blood type B diet are probably the most relaxed out of all the blood type diets. The restrictions are limited, and it promotes eating red meat and game as well as some vegetables. It also promotes regular exercise. And youre supposed to eat leafy greens, broccoli, and spinach.

Essentially, when you break it down, the blood type B diet promotes healthy eating and exercise as a way to lose weight. This diet is by no means foolproof or complete. The first thing your doctor will recommend if you want to lose weight is to eat healthier. Secondly, they will recommend more exercise.

The blood type B diet recommends you avoid chicken and pork, as well as eating dairy in moderation. It has very little in the way of bad fruits or vegetables on the list. The dairy products that you are supposed to avoid, e.g. American cheese and string cheese, are highly manufactured. Duck and geese are perfectly fine for you in moderation, but as far as poultry goes, they are a bit fattier than other birds.

Once again, dont be fooled by the smoke and mirrors. The reason this diet works is likely due moderation and healthy eating practices. They are right, consuming too much dairy is not good for your waistline; but once again, it has nothing to do with your blood type.

Diets will come, and diets will go. The more attractive and easy fix of a diet, or if the diet is a novelty, the more traction it will get with the public. A number of these diets may work or partially workthey just might not work for the reasons they claim.

The blood type diet in all its various forms is like that. It doesnt matter whether you follow a B positive blood type diet or a B negative blood type diet, the diets may work for you, but it has little to do with your ancestors or blood type. It has everything to do with changing your eating habits to healthier ones and adding more exercise to your routine.

Remember, if you are interested in a diet, do your research. Ask your doctor if the diet youre thinking about has any medical facts to back it up, and whether the diet will fit you and your health goals.

Related:

Sources: DAdamo, J., Blood Type and Your Health, Dadamo; http://www.dadamo.com/txt/index.pl?1001, last accessed February 22, 2017. Blood Type B, Dadamo; http://www.dadamo.com/txt/index.pl?1006, last accessed February 22, 2017. Leech, J., The Blood Type Diet: An Evidence-Based Review, Authority Nutrition; https://authoritynutrition.com/the-blood-type-diet-review/, last accessed February 22, 2017. Wang, J., Garca-Bailo B., Nielsen, D., and El-Sohemy, A., ABO Genotype, Blood-Type Diet and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Plos.org web site, January 15, 2014; http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0084749

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Blood Type B Diet: Does It Work? - Foods4BetterHealth

wbur Commentary

March 01, 2017

By Jean Fain

Ive been trying to bite my tongue about Oprahs new cookbook, I really have. Who am I to judge one of Americas wealthiest women for sharing her weight-loss secrets and her favorite Weight Watchers-friendly recipes? Who am I to question if one of the most famous "yo-yo" dieters in dieting history has made peace with food or has simply managed to call a truce?

Actually, who I am a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders is exactly why Ive got a problem with Oprah and every other celebrity who celebrates dieting. Because of who I am, Im painfully aware of the downside of doing as celebrity diet proponents say, but not necessarily as they do.

Which isnt to say I dont understand the appeal of celebrity diets. I do. Flipping through the pages of the new star-studded and fabulously adorned diet books, I found renewed inspiration to eat greens and grains. I also enjoyed sampling favorite recipes of various stars; some are as dull and diet-y as expected, but many are remarkably delicious and nutritious. Oprahs unfried chicken is yummy. Gwyneths detox truffles, heavenly!

When I say celebrity diet, I mean any structured eating plan endorsed by-- or in actress-turned-entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrows parlance, "curated by"-- a celebrity. Whether its a tailor-made plan that facilitates weight loss, like Paltrows organic, whole-food, sugar-free diet, or a more established program that a celebrity is endorsing, such as Oprahs own Weight Watchers, a diet by any other name is still a diet. However, one unusual food choice, like Kim Kardashians penchant for placenta, does not a celebrity diet make.

With their intoxicating blend of impossible expectations, misguided authority and restrictive guidelines, celebrity diets are predestined to fail spectacularly.

From where I sit, clean eating, lifestyle plans, weight management programs, juice cleanses, support systems... theyre all diets, and theyre all bound to fail. But with their intoxicating blend of impossible expectations, misguided authority and restrictive guidelines, celebrity diets are predestined to fail spectacularly.

So, while I see the appeal of celebrity diets, Ive also seen the disheartening and dangerous aftermath, and it aint pretty. Which is why Ive decided to damn the consequences and tell the ugly truth.

Here are my three main problems with celebrity diets:

1. Celebrities Dont Look Like They Do Because Of Their Diets

Stars look like stars because theyre either genetically blessed with high metabolisms and lean bodies, driven to perfection, or both. Whats more, actresses, models, celebrity yoga instructors and the like get paid the big bucks to look fantastic. And a good thing, because it costs a pretty penny to employ an entourage of experts to keep up appearances.

People with eating issues tend to believe their problem is limited resources. If they had enough time, money and a personal chef, theyd be all set. But the fundamental problem isnt inadequate resources, but unspectacular genes and wishful thinking. If only they could transfer meal planning and cooking to an expert, or so the thinking goes, theyll live slimly ever after. Somehow, they forget Oprah has had her pick of personal chefs, trainers and medical experts for decades now, and yet she still struggles with her weight.

2. Diets Dont Work

Diets reliably promote weight gain, not loss, thereby increasing the very weight-related health risks they aim to decrease. Its cruel but statistically true: A five-year study of 2,500 teens showed dieting is an important predictor of both obesity and new eating disorders.

The reasons why diets dont work are complex and intertwined, but suffice it to say the body couldn't care less about fitting into skinny jeans when it's protecting you from starvation, which is your bodys experience of dieting. It slows down your metabolism, ramps up hunger, activates stress hormones, and is hellbent on eating every last Dorito until it safely returns you to your enduring, higher weight.

3. Celebrity Diets Are Even Less Likely to Work

Celebrity diets backfire big-time for all the same reasons and more. Diets of the rich and famous tend to be expensive, costing dieters time and money they dont necessarily have. Some go to wacky extremes, eliminating such an idiosyncratic list of foods that social occasions become stressful events. Whats a restaurant-goer to order on Gwyneths 10-day detox, which excludes gluten, soy, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, red meat, white rice, shellfish, raw fish, peanuts, tomatoes, eggplant, strawberries, corn... ?

Celebrity diets are beyond doomed because of the toxic mix of negative comparisons, shame and self-criticism they inspire. As inspiring as it might be to watch your favorite celebrities diet down to size, the airbrushed photos of celebrity dieters looking like theyre doing better than you tend to make you feel worse and exacerbate the very eating issues their diets are meant to alleviate.

When youre self-compassionate, theres no need to count points or calories or carbs. Thats because you generally appreciate your body and the food you feed it.

Interestingly, Oprah and a few other celebrities do recommend, among many other things, the antidote to that whole toxic mix and the missing ingredient in most celebrity diets: self-compassion. But, as with her diet, O doesnt exactly practice what she preaches. She waxes poetic about loving her body, but also waxes euphoric about counting Weight Watchers points. Its a mixed message at best, and a misguided one.

Self-compassion means treating yourself like a beloved child with love and kindness. When your stomach cries out in hunger, you dont ignore its cries; you feed yourself. And when your stomachs full, you dont go back for seconds and thirds; you put down your fork.

Self-compassion also means never going on a diet. When youre self-compassionate, theres no need to count points or calories or carbs. Thats because you generally appreciate your body and the food you feed it. You naturally eat less and weigh less without dieting.

So whatll it be have what Oprah or Gwyneth or Snooki are having or have a little self-compassion? You really cant have both.

Jean Fain is a Harvard Medical School-affiliated psychotherapist and the author of The Self-Compassion Diet.

Read more from the original source:
The Big Problem With Oprah And Other Celebs Who Tout Diets - WBUR

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) -- February is American Heart Month. Your heart health is dependent on your lifestyle habits. One of the most important behaviors is diet. One specific dietary habit in need of improvement in Americans eating patterns is increasing consumption of seafood.

Current advice from our government and national health organizations recommends eating two seafood meals each week. One serving of seafood is considered 3.5 ounces or cup of flaked fish. Thats about the size of a checkbook. This February, take a healthy heart pledge and eat seafood twice each week. If you are finding it difficult to eat seafood even once a month, start small. Make it a goal to eat seafood once a week and work your way up to our heart-health goal of twice weekly.

Needing ideas for how to make this possible? Your Hy-Vee dietitian can provide you with many family friendly seafood recipes. Here are a few dietitian tips to get your pledge started: START WITH A MILD-TASTING FISH - Develop a taste for fish. Tilapia is a good choice. It has a mild, somewhat sweet flavor and pleasant aroma. It flakes easily and can be prepared in numerous ways. Other mild fish to try include swai, crab chunks and shrimp. PREPARE FISH WITH A FAVORITE FLAVOR Swap out traditional protein sources in your favorite dishes with fish. Try tilapia fish tacos, shrimp stir-fry or pesto salmon with cheese tortellini. TRY SERVING WITH DIPS cocktail sauce, ranch dressing or tartar sauce may help ease you into liking the flavor of fish. Just watch your serving size because condiments in excess amounts can lead to hidden extra calories. ADD CRUNCHY COATINGS - Fish with a crunch may have more appeal. Try topping fish with crushed crackers, bread crumbs or cereals.

In addition to American Heart Month, try be eating more fish and shellfish year-round. Why?

* Eating seafood may reduce inflammation in your body, improve circulation and prevent you from getting heart disease. * Seafood contains healthy nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, iron and B-vitamins. * A serving of seafood is lower in saturated fat than the same serving size of other animal protein foods.

Hy-Vee makes it easy for you to make healthy seafood choices. Our fresh seafood cases have recently introduced Fair Trade Certified yellowfin tuna as part of our Responsible Seafood Program. This fish is caught or farmed safely, providing for its long-term viability and minimizing damage to the environment or other sea life. Not only is this tuna environmentally friendly, it has one of the highest levels of heart healthy omega-3 fats than any other fish. Do something good for your heart and the environment and choose Fair Trade Certified yellowfin tuna.

Pistachio-Crusted Tuna Steaks Serves 4.

All you need: 1 tbsp thinly sliced shallot 1 bay leaf 1/2 cup white wine 3 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream 2 tsp lemon juice 2 tsp chopped fresh dill, divided 1 tsp whole-grain mustard 1/2 tsp salt, divided 1/4 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see note) 1/4 cup shelled pistachios 4 (4 oz each) tuna steaks, 1 to 1-inches thick 1 tsp Hy-Vee Select extra-virgin olive oil All you do:

1. Place shallot, bay leaf and wine in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce until the wine is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard bay leaf and transfer to a small bowl. Add sour cream, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dill, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir to combine. 2. Put breadcrumbs, pistachios, the remaining 1 teaspoon dill and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Process until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Dredge both sides of the tuna in the pistachio mixture. 3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tuna and cook until browned, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve with the lemon-dill sauce.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 239 calories, 7g fat, 2g saturated fat, 49mg cholesterol, 400mg sodium, 8g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 1g sugars, 30g protein. Daily values: 3% vitamin A, 3% vitamin C, 3% calcium, 5% iron.

This information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.

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Hy-Vee at Midday: One Fish, Two FishHeart Healthy Heroes - KCRG

Atkins, Gluten-Free, The South Beach, The Zone, Paleo.

Do these sound familiar?

Its just a short list of fad diets youve probably heard at least someone talking about.

But what is it that about these food fads that keeps them coming back?

Registered dietician Lori Smart with Health BC says the reason why fad diets keep popping up is because people are always looking for a new way to better themselves.

A lot of the popularity around fad diets come from ones own personal beliefs that this is a diet that would be healthy for them, or this is a diet that would help them lose weight, she says.

Smart adds they seem to crop up more often this time of year, when people coming out of the winter are looking to make lifestyle changes or lose weight and are looking for a way to do it.

She says a big contributor is the internet.

With so much information on the web it can be very, very hard to figure out whats true, whats not true or whats beneficial, whats potentially harmful.

Smart says its important to remember that some of these diets are meant for people with clinical conditions, for example people with celiac disease must eat a gluten-free diet, or people suffering from cardiovascular disease might take special care about what they eat.

It may be turned into a fad diet because others believe its beneficial, but they could really have a benefit for that person with the food condition.

She says if youre interested in trying a new diet you read about online, or have heard from a friend has tried it, its still best to speak to a healthcare provider, physician, dietician, or by calling 8-1-1 the nurses line. She recommends asking questions such as:

And she says its important to have an honest conversation about it.

Certain diets are okay as long as youre aware of the things, or the nutrients that you might be missing out on if you follow that diet. Now some are just not healthy in general, but thats why its always good to talk to a health care provider, especially a dietitian who has been trained in this area to help you navigate that information and then to point you to some resources that if you choose to continue follow that diet, you can do so safely.

Smart adds this is important because its also a good way to prevent yourself from falling off your new routine.

Its usually that people start off really strong and then they end up falling back on old eating patterns, she says.

Id say some [diets] are easy to follow, most are not easy to follow because a lot of them end up eliminating a food group or they become overly restrictive or they require a lot of extra work and preparation, which is why we always recommend that when youre thinking about going on, or adopting a different way of eating, you look at something that would be more sustainable long term.

Smart says if you plan on giving up something you love like bread, maybe try phasing it out so you dont end up breaking down and give up entirely

Smart says that means if, say, youre trying to cut out carbohydrates that you do it in steps, set yourself small goals, and work out a pattern that you can stick to.

As for the future of fad diets? She says it doesnt look like they are going anywhere.

The food industry, the nutrition industry, all of these things keep coming up, so theres all these new and better ways of doing things, she says, but adds that is constantly being mixed with opinions and peoples personal beliefs.

What I would hope is that theres more information available so that consumers and individuals can make informed choices about what they want to do with their own diet and lifestyle and then seek out advice and help from a health care professional.

But Registered Holistic Nutritionist Bridgette Clare raises caution, warning theres a never ending supply of new fad diets, not all of them created equal.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. They promise weight loss in seven days, or thirty days, or its the new miracle, that sort of thing thats simply isnt the truth, she says.

Clare says rather than focusing on excluding things, we should be looking at ways to include healthy, whole foods into our diets

Clare says the key is a well-balanced diet that isnt restrictive to the point of being uncomfortable.

The reason being is that even if you were to stick with it for say thirty days or sixty days especially if youre cutting out entire food groups, its not sustainable, its not teaching you positive eating habits or teaching you about new and exciting foods, its far too restrictive to keep going long term.

Clare says she hopes to see a transition from restrictive fad diets to more people adopting more balanced diets built around whole foods.

It almost feels like it needs to be crazy for people to buy into it. Like it needs to be something way more complicated than just eating a balanced, varied diet with a focus on more plants and more veggies.

Clare says thats tough with the competition between fad diets, each trying to distinguish itself from the others with some special feature.

She recommends the Whole 30 diet, which she says could be seen as a fad diet but boils down to fit with her core principles.

[It] has such a great back bone, really just focusing on eating more whole foods. It does require some restrictions; eliminating dairy I believe and sugar and that sort of thing, so it might not be sustainable in the long term but of all the diets Ive seen, its the one that has the most holistic sustainable view to it.

Clare says if youre looking for a magic pill or magic diet, youre out of luck.

But she says if you do plan on trying a fad diet, do your reading, see if it really will help your body, and make sure you are still getting balance in what you eat.

Tune into your body and if it doesnt work for your body dont do it.

With fad diets having a start date, it can either set you up for a success or you will inevitably revert back to old habits.

Clare saysits often best just to create lifestyle changes by making one small difference at a time and build on positive eating habits, rather than straining your mental well-being by focusing on an end date.

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CKNW Health Series: Why are 'fad diets' so persistent? - CKNW News Talk 980