Category Archives: Diet And Food

COLUMBUS, Ohio There are plenty of waistline-related reasons to avoid highly processed foods, but a new study is adding yet another to the list. Ohio State University scientists report ultra-processed foods actively harm memory function within older brains.

Researchers fed a group of older rats a diet of highly processed foods for a month, sparking a strong inflammatory response in their brains. A number of behavioral signs of memory loss followed as well. Importantly, younger rats fed the same highly processed diet did not experience similar memory declines.

On a more positive note, study authors also found that providing the rodents with DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) supplements prevented memory issues from occurring and eliminated the inflammatory effects almost entirely.

The team used a specially crafted diet to re-create ready-to-eat human foods like potato chips, frozen foods, and deli meats containing preservatives.

The fact were seeing these effects so quickly is a little bit alarming, says senior study author Ruth Barrientos, an investigator in Ohio States Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health, in a university release.

These findings indicate that consumption of a processed diet can produce significant and abrupt memory deficits and in the aging population, rapid memory decline has a greater likelihood of progressing into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers disease. By being aware of this, maybe we can limit processed foods in our diets and increase consumption of foods that are rich in the omega-3 fatty acid DHA to either prevent or slow that progression, she continues.

With previous studies linking a highly-processed diet obesity, study authors say all older adults should do their best to avoid these products and opt for foods high in DHA, like salmon. DHA, short for docosahexaenoic acid, often comes in combination with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in various fish and other seafoods. DHA helps serve multiple functions within the brain, but perhaps the most important is its role in fighting off inflammation. Still, this research is noteworthy as it is the first ever to focus specifically on DHAs ability to offset brain inflammation due to processed food.

Study authors assigned a collection of three to 24-month-old male rats to one of three diets: Normal (32% calories from protein, 54% from wheat-based complex carbs and 14% from fat), highly processed (19.6% of calories from protein, 63.3% from refined carbs cornstarch, maltodextrin and sucrose and 17.1% from fat), and highly processed plus DHA supplements.

Older rats assigned to the highly processed diet showed gene activity linked to to a powerful pro-inflammatory protein. Moreover, these rats displayed other signs of inflammation within the hippocampus and amygdala. On a more actionable level, older rats eating a processed food diet also performed poorly and showed signs of memory loss during a series of tests. For example, the older rats appeared to forget about an area they had just spent some time in and failed to display anticipatory fear behavior to a danger cue. Both of these observations suggest abnormal activity and problems within the amygdala and hippcampus.

The amygdala in humans has been implicated in memories associated with emotional fear and anxiety-producing events. If this region of the brain is dysfunctional, cues that predict danger may be missed and could lead to bad decisions, Prof. Barrientos adds.

Adding in some DHA supplements, however, appeared to do a great job of blocking any processed food-provoked inflammation and stopping potential memory loss.

Its worth mentioning that all rats eating processed foods ended up gaining significant weight, especially the older rodents. Even those also given DHA supplements saw no difference in this regard. The research team stresses that this work shouldnt suggest that highly processed foods are OK as long as one also takes DHA supplements. The best option by far is to simply avoid such foods.

These are the types of diets that are advertised as being low in fat, but theyre highly processed. They have no fiber and have refined carbohydrates that are also known as low-quality carbohydrates, Prof. Barrientos concludes. Folks who are used to looking at nutritional information need to pay attention to the fiber and quality of carbohydrates. This study really shows those things are important.

The study appears in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

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Eating highly processed foods for a month can lead to memory loss - Fox 59

A new study had found good evidence that a calorie-restricted diet may slow tumour growth. Which is good news, but itisnt a new idea.

Theres a hundred years of research into the notion that the right diet could slow the progression of cancer or even cure it and calorie restriction has been one line of inquiry, and probably the most promising.

Previous studies have suggested that a calorie-restricted diet might slow tumor growth in some contexts, and such a diet has been shown to extend lifespan in mice and many other animal species.

But cancer and the way our bodies respond to food and drink are complex. Replacing mainstream cancer treatment with a diet of lettuce and tomatoes rarely ends well.

To take a broad concept (calorie restriction) and chisel out an effective treatment for cancer requires an understanding of why and how calorie restriction might retard tumour growth.

The new research, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), offers an answer to those questions, and thats why its exciting.

You may have heard the saying that cancer loves sugar meaning that cancer cells consume a lot of sugar (true) and, turning that around, sugar drives the production of cancer cells (sort of true, but simplistic).

The implication is that if you cut down on sugar youll starve your tumours.

As the MIT researchers explain it, this is why some scientists have hypothesised that either the ketogenic diet (high fat, very low carbs) or calorie restriction might slow tumour growth by reducing the amount of glucose available.

When the researchers gave both diets to mice with pancreatic tumours, glucose levels went down but restricting calories had a much greater effect on tumour growth than the ketogenic diet.

It appeared that glucose levels were probably not playing a major role in the slowdown.

In their second experiment, the scientists found that in the calorie-restricted mice, lipid levels went down, but in mice on the ketogenic diet, they went up.

Why is this significant?

Lipids are molecules that serve as the building blocks of living cells, including cancer cells. These molecules are fats, waxes and oils among other compounds.

When theres a shortage of lipids, the growth of a tumour is impaired because cancer cells need lipids to construct their cell membranes.

Normally, when lipids arent available in a tissue, cells can make their own.

For that to happen, they need to maintain the right balance of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. This requires a particular enzyme (known as SCD) to convert saturated fatty acids into unsaturated fatty acids.

In the experiment, the calorie-restricted and ketogenic diets both reduced SCD activity but mice on the high-fat ketogenic diet had lipids available to them from their diet, so they didnt need to use SCD.

Mice on the calorie-restricted diet, however, couldnt get fatty acids from their diet or produce their own.

In these mice, tumour growth slowed significantly, compared to mice on the ketogenic diet.

Bottom line: While both of these diets reduced the amount of sugar available to tumours, the researchers found that only the calorically restricted diet reduced the availability of fatty acids, and this was linked to a slowdown in tumor growth.

Dr Evan Lien, lead author of the paper, said:

Not only does caloric restriction starve tumours of lipids, it also impairs the process that allows them to adapt to it. That combination is really contributing to the inhibition of tumour growth.

The researchers are not recommending that cancer patients follow a calorie-restricted diet, because it is difficult to maintain and can have harmful side effects.

However, they believe that cancer cells dependence on the availability of unsaturated fatty acids could be exploited to develop drugs that might help slow tumour growth.

The purpose of these studies isnt necessarily to recommend a diet, but its to really understand the underlying biology, Dr Lien said.

They provide some sense of the mechanisms of how these diets work, and that can lead to rational ideas on how we might mimic those situations for cancer therapy.

The researchers now plan to study how diets with a variety of fat sources including plant or animal-based fats with defined differences in saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acid content alter tumor fatty acid metabolism and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids.

Theres a lot of evidence that diet can affect how fast your cancer progresses, but this is not a cure, says Dr Matthew Vander Heiden, director of MITs Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and the senior author of the study.

While the findings are provocative, further study is needed, and individual patients should talk to their doctor about the right dietary interventions for their cancer.

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Not a cure, but some tumours can be slowed by calorie-restricted diet - The New Daily

While multiple factors can influence and affect the way a child's face and skull develop, such as genetics, nutrition, tongue position, and breathing, chewing is an incredibly critical one. The amount of time spent chewing (and what we are chewing), significantly affects the growth, shape, and position of the jaws.In my work, I've learned that people who tend to eat more processed and refined foods have smaller and often underdeveloped jaws than those who eat traditional diets with foods that require more chewing.

As a pediatric dentist, I know if we catch these issues soon in infancy and early childhood, we have a better chance of getting children back on track with proper facial growth, dental development, and breathing.And one strategy to use when trying to course-correct issues is encouraging families to engage their children in chewing more.

Babies and their growing jaws need stimulus at early ages, as their skeletal systems are very malleable and reactive.Chewing helps to strengthen the jaw muscles and initiate ideal bone development by assisting in laying down the bone matrix, thus allowing the jaw to develop to its fullest potential.

Other factors need to be considered, too, such as mouth breathing and improper tongue position, but working with an airway-focused or functional dentist from early on in your child's life can help you get to the root causes of issues and will offer guidance to get them back on track.

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We've Lost The Art Of Chewing: Why It's Vital To Oral Health & Development - mindbodygreen.com

On Twitter, creators routinely share advice for crash diets and encourage disordered eating, and some amass tens of thousands of followers in the process. Twitters algorithms automatically suggest related accounts and topics for users to follow, based on the accounts they view. When a Twitter user views accounts that promote eating disorders, Twitter recommends topics like fashion models, fitness apps & trackers, mindful eating and workout videos.

Twitter said that its policies prohibit content that promotes eating disorders or provides instructions or strategies for maintaining them, and that the company primarily relies on users to report violative content. A spokeswoman for the company said that its topic recommendations differed by account.

While we remove content that violates our policies on suicide and self harm, we also allow people to share their struggles or seek help, the spokeswoman said.

On Snapchat, users often form group chats dedicated to privately encouraging one another to pursue eating disorders. Some of the chats are focused on providing negative feedback, essentially bullying the participants about not fulfilling their diet goals. Others provide positive feedback.

After an inquiry from The New York Times, Snapchat said it would ban terms related to the group chats from being used in users display names, group chat names and search. The company previously blocked a number of common terms associated with eating disorders and provides suggestions for resources, a spokeswoman said.

Ms. Levina, the TikTok creator, said she did not think she needed to moderate her content to avoid influencing young people to start unhealthy behaviors. Instead, Ms. Levina suggested, teenagers were old enough to understand the information given and decide what to do.

But Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, the associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that young people are especially impressionable, so content creators should consider that they could be swaying teenagers into making dangerous health choices.

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Eating Disorders and Social Media Prove Difficult to Untangle - The New York Times

Over the last few decades, scientists have discovered that long-term calorie restriction provides a wealth of benefits in animals: lower weight, better blood sugar control, even longer lifespans.

Researchers have largely assumed that reduced food intake drove these benefits by reprogramming metabolism. But a new study from University of WisconsinMadison researchers finds that reduced calorie intake alone is not enough; fasting is essential for mice to derive full benefit.

The new findings lend support to preliminary evidence that fasting can boost health in people, as trends like intermittent fasting continue to hold sway. These human and animal studies have added to the growing picture of how health is controlled by when and what we eat, not just how much.

The research further emphasizes the complexity of nutrition and metabolism and provides guidance to researchers trying to untangle the true causes of diet-induced health benefits in animals and humans.

The researchers discovered that, combined with eating less, fasting reduces frailty in old age and extends the lifespan of mice. And fasting alone can improve blood sugar and liver metabolism.

Surprisingly, mice that ate fewer calories but never fasted died younger than mice that ate as much as they wanted, suggesting that calorie restriction alone may be harmful.

The research was led by UW School of Medicine and Public Health metabolism researcher Dudley Lamming, his graduate student Heidi Pak and their colleagues at UWMadison and other institutions. The team published their findings Oct. 18 in Nature Metabolism.

Pak and Lamming were inspired to conduct the study because researchers began to realize that previous studies had unintentionally combined calorie restrictions with long fasts by providing animals with food just once a day. It was difficult, then, to distinguish the effects of one from the other.

This overlap of treatment both reducing calories and imposing a fast was something that everybody saw, but it wasnt always obvious that it had biological significance, says Lamming, who has long studied the effect of restricted diets on metabolism. Its only been in the past few years that people started getting interested in this issue.

To untangle these factors, Lammings group designed four different diets for mice to follow. One group ate as much as they wanted whenever they wanted. Another group ate a full amount, but in a short period of time this gave them a long daily fast without reducing calories.

The other two groups were given about 30% fewer calories either once a day or dispersed over the entire day. That meant that some mice had a long daily fast while others ate the same reduced-calorie diet but never fasted, which differed from most previous studies of calorie restriction.

It turned out that many of the benefits originally ascribed to calorie restriction alone better blood sugar control, healthier use of fat for energy, protection from frailty in old age and longer lifespans all required fasting as well. Mice who ate fewer calories without fasting didnt see these positive changes.

Fasting on its own, without reducing the amount of food eaten, was just as powerful as calorie restriction with fasting. Fasting alone was enough to improve insulin sensitivity and to reprogram metabolism to focus more on using fats as a source of energy. The livers of fasting mice also showed the hallmarks of healthier metabolism.

The researchers did not study the effect of fasting alone on lifespan or frailty as mice aged, but other studies have suggested that fasting can provide these benefits as well.

While the mice that ate fewer calories without ever fasting did show some improved blood sugar control, they also died younger. Compared with mice who both ate less and fasted, these mice that only ate less died about 8 months earlier on average.

That was quite surprising, says Lamming, although other studies have also shown some negative effects from restricting calories. The team also measured frailty through metrics like grip strength and coat condition. In addition to their shorter lifespans, these mice were worse in certain aspects of frailty, but better in others. So, on balance their frailty didnt change much, but they didnt look as healthy.

The primary studies were done in male mice, but Lammings lab also found similar metabolic effects of fasting in female mice.

The research reveals how difficult diet studies are, even in a laboratory environment. That difficulty is magnified for human studies, which simply cant match the level of control possible in animal models. The new study can provide direction to future work trying to answer whether fasting improves human health.

We need to know whether this fasting is required for people to see benefits, Lamming says. If fasting is the main driver of health, we should be studying drugs or diet interventions that mimic fasting rather than those that mimic fewer calories.

This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (grants AG050135, AG051974, AG056771, AG062328, AG061635, DK125859, R37GM059785, P30AG050886, S10OD028739, DK124696, F31 AG066311, T32 AG000213 and T32 DK007665) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (grant I01-BX004031).

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Fasting is required to see the full benefit of calorie restriction in mice - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Although she originally gained fame as one of the youngest members of the Kardashian family, Kendall Jenner has solidified her success over the years as a supermodel, social media influencer, and entrepreneur.

Because Jenner is well-known for her slender physique, many people are curious about what her diet and exercise routine entails.

This article takes a closer look at Kendall Jenners diet and workout plan to determine if its worth a try.

Although Kendall Jenner doesnt follow any specific diet, shes talked about which foods she eats in many different interviews.

According to SheFinds, Jenners trainer revealed that her breakfast usually consists of avocado over eggs or a bowl of oatmeal.

For lunch, she typically eats brown rice with grilled chicken and veggies. She also enjoys high calorie foods like fried chicken or pizza in moderation.

During the day, she snacks regularly to keep her blood sugar levels steady. Hummus and veggies and chips and guacamole are a couple of her favorites.

She also enjoys the occasional treat, like Twix bars and Justins peanut butter cups.

In a Harpers Bazaar interview, she stated that she eats frozen yogurt twice per week and goes out for dinner at least once or twice weekly with her friends. Pasta, sushi, and Margherita pizza are some of her go-to takeout orders.

She doesnt eliminate any foods from her diet, though she did note in a Vogue video that she limits her intake of cheese in an attempt to keep her skin clear.

Hydration is another key component of her diet. She drinks plenty of water and sometimes drinks up to 12 cups (2.8 liters) of detox tea per day.

While Jenner doesnt set any strict rules for which foods she eats and avoids, she regularly eats:

Although Jenner doesnt eliminate any foods from her diet, she does limit her intake of dairy products to prevent breakouts. This includes foods like:

Kendall Jenner eats plenty of nutritious foods like lean proteins, veggies, and whole grains. She limits dairy, drinks lots of water and detox tea, and enjoys snacks like peanut butter, hummus, and guacamole throughout the day.

Kendall Jenner exercises regularly to stay toned and in shape.

According to an interview with Harpers Bazaar, she prefers working out first thing in the morning, typically around 7 a.m. She exercises for about an hour or less.

She works closely with a personal trainer and focuses on ab workouts to stay lean. She also lifts weights or does bodyweight exercises like squats or planks to build muscle.

According to a Who What Wear article, Jenner prefers resistance training over aerobic exercises like running. Regardless, she still does cardio occasionally.

Additionally, she enjoys participating in workout classes from time to time, including kickboxing or hot yoga.

Kendall Jenner exercises first thing in the morning. She does a combination of resistance training, ab workouts, and workout classes like hot yoga or kickboxing.

There may be several benefits associated with Kendall Jenners diet and exercise regimen.

Jenners diet is flexible and easy to follow.

Unlike other diet plans, it doesnt set strict rules and allows you to enjoy a variety of different foods so that you wont feel deprived. Not only can this be easier to stick to long term, but it could also help prevent overeating (1, 2).

It also encourages several nutritious foods, including whole grains, lean meat, and vegetables.

These foods are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, all of which play a key role in overall health (3, 4, 5).

Protein promotes muscle growth and keeps you feeling full between meals, while fiber supports digestive health and regularity (3, 4, 6).

Meanwhile, vitamins and minerals play a key role in everything from DNA synthesis to energy production, brain function, immunity, and more (5, 7).

Jenners diet involves drinking plenty of water and detox tea to stay well-hydrated.

Studies show that drinking enough water could help you eat less food, temporarily boost your metabolism, and increase weight loss especially if you start drinking water in place of sugar-sweetened beverages like soda or juice (8, 9, 10).

In addition to supporting weight loss, it may prevent side effects of dehydration like headaches, dry skin, muscle cramps, and fatigue (8, 11).

Whats more, staying well-hydrated can improve regularity, support digestive health, and prevent issues like constipation (12).

Regular exercise is another important part of Jenners routine.

Studies have linked regular physical activity with a long list of health benefits. For example, it may improve symptoms of depression, enhance heart health, protect against chronic disease, and help you live longer (13).

One small study in inactive adults also found that bodyweight training significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness, which is how well your heart and lungs provide oxygen to your muscles during exercise (14).

Additionally, some research suggests that exercising in the morning may be more effective for improving body composition, enhancing blood sugar control, and decreasing appetite, compared with exercising at other times of day (15, 16).

Kendall Jenners diet is flexible and not overly restrictive. It encourages several nutritious foods and emphasizes the importance of hydration and regular physical activity.

Even though Kendall Jenner has provided details about her diet and exercise plan in interviews, there are no official specific guidelines on how to follow her diet. Therefore, its not the best option if you prefer structured plans with detailed guidance.

If you have a difficult time moderating your intake of these foods, you may find the plan challenging, as it allows processed foods like pizza, pasta, and sweets.

Whats more, following Jenners exercise regimen can be expensive and may not be suitable if youre on a tight budget. Besides working with a personal trainer, she takes regular fitness classes that can cost $10$30 per class or more for private sessions.

Finally, Jenner has noted in some interviews that she drinks up to 12 cups (2.8 liters) of detox tea per day. Although its unclear which type of detox tea she drinks, some varieties contain caffeine or laxatives, which could be harmful in high amounts (17, 18).

In fact, some case reports have linked certain herbal supplements, including detox teas, to liver failure and electrolyte imbalances (19, 20, 21).

Furthermore, no research supports the use of detox teas or cleanses for weight management or eliminating toxins from your body (22).

Kendall Jenners diet and exercise regimen dont provide specific guidelines and can be expensive to follow. She also drinks multiple cups of detox tea per day, which could be harmful.

Kendall Jenners diet is simple, easy to follow, and not overly restrictive. It encourages many nutritious foods, getting regular exercise, and drinking plenty of water, all of which could benefit your health.

It also limits dairy products like milk and cheese, which have been linked to increased acne in some studies (23, 24, 25).

However, if youre looking to lose weight or improve your health, there may be better options out there, including evidence-based dietary plans like plant-based diets and the Mediterranean diet (26, 27).

For example, the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer. Meanwhile, plant-based diets could help reduce inflammation, protect against chronic disease, and support gut health (26, 27).

These diets also emphasize nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and provide clearer guidelines about which ingredients to limit in your diet.

Its also worth keeping in mind that some components of Jenners diet and workout plan can be expensive. Plus, they may not be suitable for everyone.

For instance, while her schedule encourages regular physical activity, most people benefit from a combination of cardio and resistance training rather than bodyweight exercises alone.

Its recommended to aim for at least 150300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week or 75150 minutes of vigorous physical activity. Muscle strengthening activities, such as lifting weights, are also recommended at least twice per week for healthy adults (28).

Furthermore, drinking large amounts of detox tea could be harmful, especially if youre drinking a variety that contains ingredients like caffeine or laxatives.

Therefore, its best to limit your intake of detox tea and talk with a doctor before using herbal supplements, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking medications.

Even though Kendall Jenners diet has several potential benefits, there are many other diet plans with research-backed health benefits and clearer guidelines. Furthermore, drinking large amounts of detox tea could be harmful.

While Kendall Jenner doesnt follow any specific eating pattern, she has opened up about her diet and workout plan in many interviews.

In addition to exercising regularly and eating foods like whole grains, proteins, and veggies, she also eats snacks throughout the day and enjoys foods like pizza, pasta, and sushi in moderation.

She also works out regularly, incorporating a variety of bodyweight exercises and fitness classes into her routine.

Although Jenners diet may be a good fit for some, it can also be expensive and doesnt offer specific guidelines for which foods to eat and avoid. It also involves drinking large amounts of detox tea, which might do more harm than good when it comes to your health.

Ultimately, its best to talk with a healthcare professional to find a diet and exercise plan tailored to your preferences, goals, and health.

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Kendall Jenner's Diet and Workout Plan: All You Need to Know - Healthline

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Did you know that getting the right nutrition is as important as putting in the miles when youre training for a marathon?

Thats right.

Just like any high-performance sport, your body needs the right type of fuel to perform at its best. So this means that you should eat high-quality, nutrition-rich foods that will keep you fit and healthy.

Remember

The rate in which your body burns calories is dependent on factors like your gender, age, and intensity of your workout. Thats why the diet of a marathon runner is different from the one of the best NFL kicker for example.

Many runners make the mistake of overestimating the amount of calories that theyve burnt and use this as an excuse to go all out with their meals.

Avoid this at all costs as this can actually lead to you putting on weight before your marathon.

So, use this calculator to get a rough idea of how many calories youre actually burning when you train. And from there youll be able to get an idea of just how much calories you should be consuming.

With all of that out of the way, lets take a look at what types of food make up the ideal diet for a marathon runner.

Pre-marathon Training

1. Breakfast

As a rule of thumb, breakfasts should consist of light yet nutrition-rich food that will keep you going but not leave you feeling heavy.

While working out or running on an empty stomach does help you burn fat, it also deprives your body of much-needed fuel.

This can result in you hitting the wall which definitely isnt great if youre trying to rack up the miles.

So rather than running the risk of running out of fuel, you should instead go for a compromise. Fuel up on a light but nutritious breakfast such as the ones weve outlined here:

2. Lunch

Come midday, chances are your body is starting to feel major hunger pangs. And while it may be tempting to grab something quick, hold that thought.

Lunch is actually a great opportunity for you to prepare your body for your evening workout, which is why you should skip the carb and load up on vegetables and protein.

Fun fact: while we often hear how important carb is for runners, protein is also equally important for a marathon runner. Thats because protein forms the building blocks of your muscles and encourages recovery.

As you run, your body breaks down muscles that need to be repaired and replaced.

And if that wasnt enough, protein keeps you full for longer and stabilizes your sugar levels meaning that you wont feel sluggish or sleep after lunch.

Ideally, load up on meals such as:

3. Snacks

When training for a marathon, snacks are particularly important as they keep you topped up and help kill those hunger pangs.

While there are no good or bad foods per say, your main focus should be on healthy snacks that are rich in nutrition and low on bad calories.

Lets take a look at potato chips and cucumbers as a snack for example. Both are crunchy and great snacks to have with you.

But remember: 100 calories worth of potato chips contain salt and added sugars which can be bad for your health.

Meanwhile, snacking on cucumbers will load you up with vitamins, nutrition, and even keep you hydrated. That way, youre ready and raring to go when its time for your evening run.

Here are some healthy snacks that marathon runners swear by:

4. Dinner

After a long day of working out and running, its important that you give your body everything it needs to recover.

Pile on good carbohydrates like brown rice and quinoa to build up your glycogen stores and pack on proteins like beef or chicken to help your muscles recover.

If carbs arent really your thing, you can stock up on nutrient-rich foods like avocados, nuts, and beans to help your body refuel.

Ideally, your dinner should look something like this:

Also, dont forget to stay hydrated throughout your day. Keep a water bottle on hand and make sure to take regular sips of water.

If your body is dehydrated, youll perform poorly and run the risk of overheating your body or falling sick.

The bottom line

Nutrition is key to crossing the finish line in top form as the right food will fuel you up and keep you healthy.

Read up on the basics of sports nutrition and youll be surprised to see why good food is so important to a runner.

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What is the ideal diet for a marathon runner? - AW - Athletics Weekly

Bob Harper on a designed background

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In early 2017, Bob Harper had a heart attack at the gym in the middle of his workout. He was only 52 years old, and one of the biggest names in the fitness industry (you probably know him as one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser). His heart attack shocked many people, since he outwardly seemed like the picture of health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S., and someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds. While we know that certain lifestyle factors (such as poor diet, smoking or inactivity) can make you more likely to have heart disease, genetics can also play a role. After his heart attack, Harper found out that he has a hereditary condition which increases the lipoprotein(a) in his blood. Lipoprotein(a) transports cholesterol in the blood and can contribute to plaque in arteries and blood clots and can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. He told Today, "I did not know this condition that I was predisposed to. I'd never heard about it."

For the last four years, Harper has been an advocate for heart attack survivors. He helped pioneer the Survivors Have Heart program, which engages heart attack survivors and their loved ones through patient stories to celebrate survivorship. He helps his fellow survivors find purpose and live their healthiest lives. This year, he took portraits of survivors from around the country to help change the perceptions and stigma around heart attacks. (The photos will be displayed in the Flatiron Plaza in New York City from October 22-23. You can view the portraits here). He says, "I wanted the photographs to be hopeful and happy and show people that you can survive and thrive [after a heart attack]."

And Harper seems to be doing just that. After his heart attack, he worked with his medical team to make lifestyle changes that have helped him get healthier. He says, "I've been in the health and fitness industry for almost 30 years now, but I had to pivot my life and redefine the way that I ate and worked out." For starters, he now eats a largely Mediterranean diet. He says, "I went from eating a more high-protein, high-fat diet to being more balanced. I don't eat very much red meat anymore. I live on mostly fish, sometimes chicken and lots of vegetables."

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Even though Harper eats mostly whole foods, he says that his meals are far from bland. He says, "I like to eat clean, but it becomes a real experiment in the kitchen because I don't want to eat boring steamed chicken and broccoli. I'm never going to eat that that's not sustainable." And even though he dials back on the fat and sodium for his heart health, he still adds plenty of flavor to his food. He says, "Herbs and spices are your friend. You don't have to rely on oil or fatty ingredients to make your food taste good."

Related: Bob Harper Shares His Favorite Pre- and Post-Workout Meals

Harper swears by his cast-iron skillet for quick, easy and healthy meals. He says, "I'm from Tennessee, and I grew up on a farm. Give me any type of vegetables and protein. I like to make stir-fries. Trying to make everything in one skillet is a fun challenge for me." (We think he'd be into our One-Pan Chicken and Asparagus Bake, Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry or Mexican Skillet Quinoa!)

He says, "Rachael Ray is a really good friend of mine, and she's made me really good at my knife skills. I used to think, 'I'll buy these precut vegetables,' and she said, 'You'll never do that again.'" Now, he says he can't live without a "sharp, sharp knife" (like this one from Shun; $199 at Williams Sonoma) for his veggie prep.

For fancier meals, Harper says, "I love my Le Creuset Dutch oven. I can make a killer roast chicken with Dijon mustard, onion, white wine and garlic" (Buy it: $370 for a 5-quart Dutch oven; Le Creuset). Part of the Mediterranean-diet lifestyle is to eat without distractions and enjoy your meal with loved ones, and Harper tries to put this into practice each day. He says, "I like to have a nice glass of wine with my dinner, put a nice little table together and sit with [someone]. During the pandemic, I would have Zoom dinners with people." He adds that it's important "to enjoy your meal versus [thinking], 'I have to shovel this in because I have to get back to whatever.'"

Harper tries to practice this type of mindfulness each day. He says, "I'm in my 50s and I don't need to do the things I used to do when I was much younger. I find joy in simple pleasures more than ever I do hot yoga. That's something that really helps me and my stress levels. I meditate. I have two dogs that keep me calm. I read a lot more now than I ever have. It's the little things in life."

Harper is also big on practicing gratitude, and says that he finds this is true for many other heart attack survivors. He adds that when you have a near-death experience, your perspective shifts and you realize what's truly important in life. He says, "Emotions run the gamut: fear, anger, etc. But we all kind of get to a place of gratitude and love."

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How Bob Harper Changed His Diet After His Heart Attack: "I Had to Redefine the Way I Ate" - Yahoo Lifestyle

Growing up, you were probably told to limit sweets. That meant not overdoing it on Halloween candy, for example, or having that extra bowl of sugary breakfast cereal. While adult-you might be tempted to throw caution to the wind and eat whatever you want, maintaining a healthy diet is more important than ever.

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One way of looking at a healthy diet is considering where foods fall on the glycemic index.

The glycemic index is used to classify foods that contain carbohydrates, their potential for raising blood sugar and how quickly they raise your blood sugar, says endocrinologist Alexander Williams, MD.

The glycemic index is based on the understanding that not every carb is created equal. Say someone said that you could have 100 grams of carbs a day, says Dr. Williams. If you had that all in soda, intuitively you would understand thats not the optimal way to get your carbs when you can instead, eat whole grain rice, vegetables, fruits and other things.

The reason for these differences comes from how carbs react in your body. Simple carbohydrates say, the sugars found in soda and sweet desserts are broken down faster than the more complex carbohydrates found in some vegetables and whole-grain foods. As a result, your blood sugar spikes and then falls rapidly. Over time, doctors believe these constant surges and retreats play a part in people becoming insulin resistant.

To determine glycemic index numbers, doctors observe how healthy peoples blood sugar levels change after ingesting carb-containing foods. By measuring subsequent blood sugar levels and comparing it to a baseline they can determine where a food falls on a scale of zero to 100, where 100 represents pure glucose and zero is a food with no sugar at all.

Essentially, the glycemic index is trying to show that not everything that contains the exact same amount of grams of carbs will behave the same way in your body, says Dr. Williams. You actually measure how your body responds to a cup of orange juice versus how it reacts to other food items: a banana, 25 grams of candy or 25 grams of whole-grain bread.

Doctors have measured the glycemic index numbers only for certain foods or classes of foods. Not every single food item, not every vegetable or fruit or piece of bread, has been studied, says Dr. Williams. However, you can use existing data and make a good estimate for foods that arent studied.

A low glycemic index diet is one based on foods that wont cause wild swings in your blood sugar. Eating foods with a lower glycemic index means they will cause a slower and lower rise in your blood sugar, Dr. Williams says, noting this will help you absorb food more slowly and stay full for longer, and therefore eat less. Foods with a high glycemic index, or simple sugars, give you this quick burst of energy with a rise in blood sugar quickly.But then youll tend to feel pretty tired afterward and will get hungry quickly.

Certain kinds of foods fall into these categories for example, Dr. Williams notes that foods higher in fat and protein tend to be absorbed slower, and therefore have a lower glycemic index. But the glycemic index isnt necessarily a measure thats easy to use as a nutrition guide, the way that you can with calories. And foods with a low glycemic index arent necessarily packed with nutrients. Eating a balance of foods from all five food groups fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy is still a better rule to follow.

In fact, Dr. Williams agrees with the American Diabetes Associations assessment that the glycemic index numbers are not easily accessible for meal planning.

I dont know how important the numbers are if youre thinking about going to the store and deciding what to prepare for dinner, he says. Its more about thinking what kinds of foods have a lower glycemic index and trying to make sure that theres a good portion of these in each meal instead of other foods that have a high glycemic index.

A low glycemic index diet can improve your overall health and help prevent certain illnesses. There is increasing evidence that foods with a low glycemic index can reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, says Dr. Williams. If you already have diabetes, it could potentially reduce the risk of long-term complications. Other studies show that its beneficial for certain cholesterol levels.

It stands to reason that a diet full of high glycemic index foods would (among other things) up your risk for Type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance. It can definitely contribute to weight gain, and then the complications that go along with that, such as stress on the cardiovascular system, Dr. Williams says. Its definitely going to make your cholesterol metabolism worse off.

Dr. Williams says there arent many downsides to a low glycemic index diet, save for a few exceptions. If youre already on insulin and drastically change the way you eat without changing insulin dosages, this could put you at increased risk for low blood sugar, he says. Additionally, if your cholesterol increases after going on a low-carb diet (for example, the keto diet), a low glycemic index diet also might not be the best choice.

Dr. Williams says low glycemic index foods are ones with a number thats 50 or less. Some of these include:

High glycemic index foods tend to have a number over 70 and include:

Going by the University of Sydneys glycemic index database, here is a sampling of the glycemic index numbers for certain foods:

Dr. Williams cautions that determining the glycemic index ratings for individual foods is an imperfect science. Its going to be different for each food, depending on how its processed or prepared, and then how each individual person responds, he notes.

For example, he says one study of instant oatmeal showed that it had a glycemic index of 79, which is the high range. Yet steel-cut rolled oats have a glycemic index of 55, which puts it in a medium glycemic index.

Different versions of the same food will also vary due to ingredients. Yogurt thats marketed for kids is going to taste delicious because it has a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners, like high fructose corn syrup versus plain Greek, regular fat yogurt. They might have very similar amounts of carbs, but the glycemic index is very different because of the number of proteins and fats and the quality and quantity of the sugar thats in there.

How much you eat of a certain carb-heavy food can also have an effect. For example, a small sip or two of soda wont have as big an impact on your body as a large portion of whole-grain rice even though the latter is generally perceived as healthier.

As with many diets, Dr. Williams stresses that moderation is key, as is striking a balance between eating low and high glycemic index foods.Were all human, he says. Its very difficult for most of us to try to eliminate any one kind of food if we like it. So its all about having portions that are reasonable and not going overboard.

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Lose Your Gut! Blast Your Belly!The New Secrets to Flat Abs Fast!Who can resist reading about the latest technique that promises A Tighter Tummy Today!

For those who want to target the area rolls over the waistband of her jeans. Here's the problem: There's really no diet or exercise that can perform "a surgical strike," a laser-focused attack on belly fat alone. And that frustrates many people when they don't get the super-quick results many diet programs promise.

"You can't spot reduce abdominal fat," says Melissa Daniels, RD, head nutritionist, and director of managed plans for G-Plans, a science-based weight-loss and wellness company co-founded by nutritional scientist Philip Goglia, PhD. "The key to shrinking your midsection," says Daniels, "is reducing overall body fat percentage."

Daniels advocates a three-pronged diet plan that will help the majority of people who tend to hold their weight around their waists: 1. eat enough of the right combination of macronutrients to maximize your specific metabolism; 2. fill up on proteins; 3. avoid pro-inflammatory foods and choose those that fight inflammation.

Read on, and for more on how to eat healthy, don't miss 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

Upwards of three-quarters of the population has a fat-and-protein-efficient metabolism, according to Dr. Goglia. That means they digest fat and protein more efficiently than they do carbohydrates. So, eating a diet that's higher in protein and fat and moderate in carbohydrates should help people with this type of metabolism lose overall body fat and maintain wellbeing best.

Daniels recommends that the breakdown of macronutrients in your daily diet be 50% protein, 25% fat, and 25% carbohydrate. (Related: What To Eat in a Day To Drive the Most Weight Loss.)

"Eat most of your carbs early in the day," she says. "Most people are more active during the day, so you will want to create a fuel pattern that keeps you going throughout the day. You're not going to run a marathon at night, so you don't need a bunch of carbs with dinner." If you find it challenging to get 50 grams of protein daily, try a protein shake in the morning. Here's The #1 Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss, Says a Dietitian.

Daniels points out that high carbohydrate intake in the evening prevents the body from going into deep REM sleep, thus disrupting sleep and recovery.

Your eat-them-early carbohydrates should come from single ingredient starches such as yams, sweet potatoes, oats, oat puffs, and quinoa. Fruit and vegetables will also make up the remaining carbohydrate of the day.

READ MORE:The 20 Healthiest Low-Carb Foods

Your dinner should be your biggest protein meal of the day to rebuild the muscle you have broken down, says Daniels.

An example of an appropriate dinner would be a piece of fatty fish, like wild-caught salmon, with a side of dark leafy greens such as sauted spinach or asparagus. Fish has anti-inflammatory and fat-burning benefits when eating at nighttime; this is when your body has time to rest and repair your muscle tissue. Using high-fat fish as a dinner choice increases the amount of omega fatty acids consumed at night, the result is a deeper sleep, increased growth hormone release, and reduction of inflammation.

When planning lunch, think about supporting your afternoon energy patterns so that you don't have late-afternoon energy dips or cravings, says Daniels. So, a good lunch might consist of a starch portion (like cup of rice or four ounces of yam or potato) with a 4-ounce meat source (like a grilled chicken breast) plus a cup of spinach or beets or a salad, she suggests.

Inflammation is your body's natural reaction to invaders like plant pollen or viruses.

Persistent or chronic inflammation, however, is unhealthy, and it is most commonly triggered by the foods you eat.

Chronic inflammation has been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and Alzheimer's disease. Inflammation also contributes to weight gain. Recent research has shown that inflammation can interfere with the hormone leptin that tells the brain when you've had enough to eat.

"You want to remove high inflammatory foods from your diet," says Daniels. Pro-inflammatory foods include processed bread, refined carbohydrates, fried foods, red meats, and sugar-sweetened beverages. "Consuming more of these types of foods will contribute to inflammation and distention in the abdominal region," says Daniels.

Read more: Popular Foods That Increase Inflammation, Say Dietitians

Instead, load up on foods that fight inflammation. And you can guess what they are: Fruits and vegetables, such as apples, blueberries, and leafy greens, all of which are rich in natural antioxidants and polyphenols, compounds found in plants that may protect against inflammation.

Read more: Popular Foods That Reduce Inflammation, Says Dietitian

These three diet practices won't melt your belly fat overnight, but they will begin to shrink fat cells all over your body, which you'll eventually notice when you slip on your jeans and they slip off you without a belt to hold them up. To speed up your slim down, also try these burning 40 Easy Ways to Burn Extra Calories Every Day.

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