A healthy diet and regular exercise are essential if you want to build lean muscle and while it's important to push your body through exercise, without the right nutritional support your development will stall. Foods high in protein are crucial for building muscle but energy must also come from carbohydrates and fats.

If gaining lean muscle is your aim, eating more calories from foods that promote muscle growth each day and engaging in regular exercise should be your main priorities. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Functional Nutritionist Mugdha Pradhan, CEO and Founder of iThrive shared a list of nutrients to consume to build your muscle health -

1. B Vitamins: B Vitamins, especially B6, folate, and B12 are important for muscle growth and recovery. Both B6 and 12 help in protein metabolism. Also, because the B vitamins are soluble, our body tends to excrete them. Thus, regular intake of B vitamins is necessary.

2. Magnesium: Magnesium supports healthy muscle functions. It helps improve workout performance and also helps muscles relax after a tough workout session. One of its most notable functions is its impact on other nutrients. For e.g., Vitamin D gets activated in the presence of magnesium.

3. Omega 3: It helps minimize inflammation in the body, which helps in improving your strength and in post workout recovery. All in all, it helps in maintaining muscle health.

4. Creatinine: Creatine helps build lean muscle mass and muscle recovery. It assists in the production of energy which can help athletes get the boost of energy required for short bouts of exercise.

Aman Puri, Founder of Steadfast Nutrition, revealed, Exercise is an intense activity that improves ones overall health and well-being, leads to the release of feel-good hormones, and helps maintain an active lifestyle. However, exercising can lead to the production of more bodily stress which increases the demand for certain nutrients to support the healthy and normal functioning of the body.

He listed the macronutrients that contribute to a major part of our daily diets:

1. Protein: Proteins are made up of amino acids which play an important role in muscle synthesis, repair, and recovery. One can get protein from foods such as fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, legumes, soy products, yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, nut butter, seeds, and certain vegetables.

2. Carbohydrate: Carbohydrate is another macronutrient that ensures the supply of much-needed calories as well as energy to the body while working out. Whole grain cereals, pulses, legumes, oatmeal, vegetables, and fruits are a few of the many sources of complex carbohydrates that can be included in the diet for enhancing muscle build-up.

3. Fats: Fats are equally important in the muscle-building game as they help in the movement of muscles, blood clotting, protecting the cell membranes, absorption of other important nutrients such as vitamin A, D, E, and K, and help maintain the hormonal levels which are much needed for muscle growth such as testosterone- a hormone that naturally declines with age, and supports muscle building. People on a low-fat diet can have low levels of testosterone which can make it difficult for them to gain muscles. Include healthy unsaturated forms of fat in the diet through foods such as avocados, almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, and their oil, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, fatty fishes, olive oil, and others.

4. Micronutrients: Micronutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and potassium also play a vital role in supporting muscle growth by optimising performance during workout sessions. These micronutrients are generally required in small amounts by the body, hence one can easily get these by maintaining a balanced diet or by including a multivitamin supplement in their daily routine. Ensure a proper intake of water throughout the workout as it helps avoid dehydration, improves digestion, and transports nutrients to all the muscles.

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Diet tips: Nutrients to consume to build your muscle health - Hindustan Times

Tomatoes are rich in antioxidant lycopene and protect our skin from sun damage

Antioxidants have gained a lot of attention and praise in the last few years. Antioxidants as the name suggests, fight off oxidants. This means, foods rich in antioxidants help fight off toxins and other external radicals found in the body.

Eating an antioxidant-rich diet provides us with various health benefits. The weather around us also has a crucial role to play in the effectiveness and importance of the foods we eat. In this article, we discuss why we must add antioxidant-rich foods to our summer diet.

Here's why you need to add antioxidants to your summer diet:

1. Protects against the sun

The negative effects of the sun's UV rays are heightened during summer. Foods rich in antioxidants help put a shield over your body to protect it from damage. Antioxidant-rich foods may also help clear out external radicals from one's body and help detox the body.

2. Protects the hair

The hot summer weather along with the sun's harmful UV rays can significantly degrade the quality o your hair. Eating an antioxidant-rich diet can help protect your hair. Antioxidants can help slow down greying of hair, frizz, dryness, and many other hair issues.

3. Improves skin health

Antioxidants are known for their many benefits on our skin. For example, antioxidant lycopene found in tomatoes has exceptional qualities. Lycopene is responsible for providing tomatoes with their bright red colour. This pigment helps protects tomatoes from any damage that the sun's rays might cause. Upon consumption, lycopene may also help protect our skin. The harmful UV rays can otherwise cause wrinkles, fine lines, tanning, hyperpigmentation, and so on.

4. Anti-ageing properties

As discussed above, the environment around us can cause greying of hair and fasten wrinkles. The sun's rays, pollution, dust, and various components of our environment may cause premature greying of hair along with wrinkles and fine lines. Eating foods rich in antioxidants can help you slowdown ageing.

5. Fight off pathogens

Eating a diet rich in antioxidants and other nutrients helps build immunity against notorious pathogens and other issues. Antioxidants help protect the body from viruses, bacteria, and other organisms that might attack our bodies.

6. Versatile

Diet in summer is all about water and refreshing foods. Most foods rich in antioxidants are abundant in water and are very refreshing. These foods are also versatile to cook and can be incorporated into your daily summer diet. Some of the examples are sweet and savoury yogurt, dark chocolate, and so on.

7. Reduces inflammation

Inflammation is one of the most common allergic reactions caused in the body. Antioxidants have been proven to possess anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants may also help fasten allergic recoveries, etc.

In conclusion, there are various benefits of adding antioxidants to your diet. They not only protect overall health but also improve our health. Eating and drinking antioxidant-rich foods can ensure you stay protected as well as hydrated this summer.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Mapping out a diet routine can help you follow a proper diet

What is stress?

Stress is a common yet complex emotion. Stress on its own is a very normal emotion and may even be good for the body and mind. However, excess or prolonged stress can cause physical and mental tension in the body.

How are stress & diet linked?

Our body, mind, diet, and lifestyle are all linked. A change in one's mood can significantly influence their lifestyle, diet, workout regime, etc. The changes in hormones can trigger many responses in the body.

There are two ways in which stress can affect one's diet:

1. Overeating

Overeating as the name suggests causes one to eat more than they require. Stress eating' is a commonly used term for binge eating triggered by stress. These hormonal imbalances and shifts in moods can cause carvings from sugary and unhealthy foods that might seem comforting at the moment.

However, overeating is not a solution. Stress eating does not reduce stress and might even worsen symptoms. Prolonged stress and stress eating may cause obesity and various other health issues.

2. Loss of appetite

The other dietary response to stress is loss of appetite. Prolonged stress may cause one to not feel hungry at all. Many people have reported feeling heaviness which may cause them to reduce their food consumption by a lot.

Not eating enough food can trigger many health complications. Our bodies require various nutrients to conduct various functions in the body. Not eating enough deprives our bodies of these nutrients. This can leave us feeling even more low and lethargic.

How can one manage having a proper diet?

What we eat plays a huge role in how we feel and our stress levels. Overeating or not eating at all can both cause many health complications. If you are experiencing stress for a prolonged period, it may be ideal for you to keep a close eye on your diet.

A shift in diet is one of the most common responses to prolonged or excessive stress. Our diet may change due to many other reasons as well. However, trying to maintain a well-balanced diet can help you overcome stress and help you avoid other health issues.

Here are some ways through which you can manage having a proper diet:

1. Make a routine

Planning your day, in the beginning, can help you stay on track. In case you are experiencing trouble with your diet, it is important to lay out a diet routine. Make sure to follow your diet routine and try to eat as per your schedule.

2. Set goals

Setting small goals can help you maintain a healthy diet. You can begin with easier goals. For example, trying to have a healthy and filling breakfast every day.

3. Avoid junk food

Junk food may often work as comfort food for many people. However, junk food as the name suggests is extremely unhealthy and has low-nutritive value. Trying to cut down on junk food and replacing it with healthier options may help you manage your diet.

4. Don't give in to cravings

Cravings are another issue people face when they are stress eating. They might opt for sweet, fried, or savoury things as means to feel better. It is essential to try and avoid cravings.

5. Meal prep

Meal prep refers to pre-preparing food for the day or week. This may motivate you to eat each food throughout the day or week. Meal prep can mean preparing certain food at the beginning of the week and storing it for the rest of the week to eat. Some examples are chia pudding, juices, egg muffins, etc.

6. Follow the grocery list

You might want to snack on some chips if you have them at your place. Similarly, you might not want to eat because of a lack of proper food. Hence, it is important for you to try and make a grocery list that encompasses healthy foods.

Stress may be a response to work, interpersonal relationships, worrying future, and so on. Navigating what is causing stress can help you fight it off. In case you are experiencing prolonged stress, we encourage you to seek counselling. Talking to a health professional can also help you understand the right way to improve your stress levels as well as diet.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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If you enjoy eating hot foods, you probably add green chilies to practically all of the recipes you cook. Many people have one or two green chilies along with their meals. But are green chilies healthy to eat? Surprisingly the answer is yes. Green chilies are not only an ingredient that will spice up your food but also beneficial for your health as they are rich in many minerals and vitamins, which are essential to keep our body healthy and fit. It can be consumed raw, fried, or roasted as per your taste buds.

Here are 6 incredible benefits of adding green chilies to your diet:

No matter as weird it may sound, green chilies are low in calories and increase the metabolism in the body hence burning the excessive fat from the body. The thermogenic properties of the green chilies also help in reducing weight.

Due to its high dietary fiber and vitamin C content, it facilitates an easier bowel movement and hence enhances digestive health. Eating green chilies helps with digestion because foods that cause saliva to be released when chewing also aid in appropriate meal digestion. It may also lower the risk of developing ulcers. However, it is advised against eating green chilies if you have a peptic ulcer.

Green chilies are beneficial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle because they are a good source of beta carotene, antioxidants, and endorphins, which in turn balance blood sugar levels in the body. It lowers the bodys insulin production, which further contributes to blood sugar maintenance. They are very beneficial for people who have diabetes.

Vitamin A, an important component found in green chilies, helps to improve vision and reduces the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, both of which develop as people age. Green chilies also contain beta carotene, which enhances eye health.

Green chilies support preserving the cardiovascular systems health as it aids in boosting fibrinolytic activity, which effectively prevents blood clots from forming, a significant cause of heart attacks. It also lowers triglyceride and cholesterol levels, preventing atherosclerosis. Additionally, it lessens the risk of platelet aggregation and also improves blood circulation.

The rich content of Vitamin C in green chilies is responsible for the glowing and radiant skin you may get after adding them to your diet because vitamin C increases the collagen, which keeps the skin firm and healthy. Vitamin E also produces natural oils, which are good and essential for healthy skin.

When consumed in excess, it can irritate the skin and stomach. After handling green chilies, avoid touching your lips, nose, and eyes. Wash your hands as soon as possible. Rectal irritation could also result from it. Additionally, it raises the risk of allergies. To preserve excellent health, consume it in moderation because its high capsaicin content may also be hazardous to the body.

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6 Incredible health benefits of adding green chilies to your diet - Web News Observer

If you want to avoid feeling fatigued, making sure you include lots of sources of iron in your diet is really important. This is because iron is a vital mineral that the body needs to make hemoglobin, a type of protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from your lungs into the rest of your body. Without enough iron, we cant make enough red blood cells to transport oxygen, which leads to health problems and symptoms like extreme tiredness.

Women are more prone to iron-deficiency anemia due to blood loss during periods, and may want to consider supplementation as a result. There are also a few tweaks you can make to your diet to help absorption, such as consuming the iron with a source of vitamin C.

The absorption of iron depends very much on the health of the digestive tract, adds Dr Margarita Kitova-John, a GP, functional medicine doctor and founder of Lantern Clinic (opens in new tab). It starts in the stomach and predominantly takes place in the small intestine. The adequate secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach is essential for the initiation of the digestive process of proteins and fats, as well as the activation of Iron.

Dr. Jenny Williams, a GP and lead clinical operations manager at Thriva (opens in new tab), also adds: A lack of iron can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, which might cause tiredness, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. The good news is you can give your body enough iron by eating the right foods.

Here, the two experts give us their favorite iron-rich foods and explain why its so important that youre eating enough.For healthy meal inspiration, check out our easy Mediterranean diet meal plan or our 7-day plant-based diet meal plan.

Beans and pulses are great plant-based sources of iron that tend to also be high in protein and other vitamins and minerals, making them a great base for a meal. Canned beans and dried beans also have a long shelf life, so they can be a convenient and nutritionally-dense option on a busy day when you have nothing in the house.

Baked beans contain lots of iron, says Dr. Williams. Like other pulses, theyre a great source of iron and protein but contain less fat than meat. One 200 g can of baked beans contains 2.8 mg of iron. Thats 19% of your daily iron if youre a 30-year-old woman and 19% if youre a man.

Red kidney beans are particularly rich, containing 6.58 mg of iron per 100 g. Black beans have 5.34 mg per 100 g, and pinto beans come in at 5.4 mg.

Kidney beans are great in chili con carne and soups and flour of garbanzo beans can be used as gluten-free flour, adds Dr. Kitova-John.

Red meat is probably what people first associate with iron, and it is a rich source of haem-iron (the type of iron we get from animal sources our bodies more easily digest).

Beef steak contains 3.5 mg of iron per 100 g, while lamb has 1.55 mg per 100 g. However, research has shown that eating lots of red meat isnt so beneficial for our health, with a study in the Journal of Internal Medicine (opens in new tab) showing that reducing your consumption of red meat can help to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and increase longevity.

Red meat, like beef, is a good source of iron when eaten as part of a healthy diet, says Dr Williams. One 70 g serving contains 2.5 mg of iron. But you should avoid eating more than 350 g of red meat per week. Red meat, especially processed meat like bacon and salami, is linked to bowel cancer. You should try to avoid eating processed meats altogether. Meat and fish contain heme iron, which your body absorbs more easily than iron in plant-based foods.

While not to everyones taste, liver contains large amounts of haem-iron, which makes it a great option to supplement your diet if you have iron-deficiency anemia. Goose liver can provide 30.5 mg per 100 g, chicken liver contains 8.99 mg and veal liver around 6.4mg.

Dr. Kitova-John explains that you dont have to eat liver as a dish if you dont want to, and that it can be supplemented into other dishes. The liver contains a high amount of iron. It can be eaten as a pate or frozen and grated as a powder in soups and stews.

Dried fruit can be an excellent source of iron and is also rich in vitamin C, making them a great option to eat for easy iron absorption.

Dried fruit like raisins, apricots, figs and prunes contain lots of iron just a small amount of it can boost your intake, Dr Williams tells LiveScience. But dried fruit contains lots of sugar, so try not to eat too much. One portion of your five-a-day is around 30 g or 1 tbsp.

Dr. Williams tells us: Dark green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and watercress are great sources of iron. Try adding them to meals as an ingredient or side dish to boost the amount of iron youre eating.

Dark green vegetables are also a great source of vitamin C, as well as iron, which is needed for the proper absorption of iron. Although they arent the richest dietary source of iron on their own, dark green vegetables tend to be very nutritionally dense and their vitamin C content makes it easier for our bodies to absorb the iron they contain.

Dr. Kitova-John mentions that as a plant-based source, spinach is a great option for an iron-rich base, particularly when combined with other sources of iron.

Although usually portrayed as the richest source of iron, spinach is actually a good source but not the best source. When compared with red meat, it contains almost the same amount: 100 g of spinach contains 2.7 mg of iron versus 2.6 mg found in 100 g of meat.

Whole chicken eggs contain 1.67 mg of iron per 100 g and are nutritionally rich in other vitamins and minerals, making them a good option for a snack or the protein element of a meal, particularly for vegetarians who may not want to eat other animal-sources of iron.

They also contain protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and folate, adds Dr. Williams. Your body absorbs iron from animal products like meat and eggs more easily than from plant-based foods. So eggs are a useful way of increasing your iron intake if you choose not to eat meat.

Fish are powerhouses of lean protein and also provide important fatty acids that can help to support health and brain function. They are also an excellent source of iron, with mackerel containing 1.63 mg of iron per 100 g, tuna 1.02 mg per 100 g and salmon providing 0.25 mg per 100 g.

Dr Williams explains that salmon is great because it is an oily fish, which means it contains a lot of other nutrients as well as iron. Salmon is a good source of iron. So are other fish, like prawns, mackerel, haddock and tuna. Salmon is also an oily fish. Oily fish are a good source of omega-3, a family of fats that help keep your body healthy.

Nuts and seeds are a great source of iron, as well as being rich in protein and other nutrients. Cashews contain 6.68 mg of iron per 100 g, pistachios have 3.92 mg per 100 g and pecans give us 2.53 mg per 100 g. You can also consume nuts as nut butter, which makes it even easier to get your daily iron requirements.

Peanuts are full of iron and protein, explains Dr Williams. They also contain important vitamins and minerals like vitamin E and magnesium. Try to choose a peanut butter that has as little added salt or sugar as possible. Tree nuts have lots of iron too, like: hazelnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, cashews and pistachios.

Seeds are also great for snacking on for an iron boost. Pumpkin seeds are rich in other vitamins and minerals, as well as iron, says Dr. Kitova-John.

Like nuts, seeds are a good source of iron. Theyre easy to add to food you already eat too you can sprinkle them on food like yogurts, smoothies and salads. Or you can eat them as a snack. Just a tablespoon can boost your iron intake.

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Eight sources of iron to include in your diet - Livescience.com

What happened to Gov. Ned Lamonts debt diet, if there ever was one?

Lamont is running for reelection claiming credit for fiscal restraint.

Yet, since Lamont took office, Connecticuts long-term borrowing has increased from about $25 billion to $27 billion. Moreover, in late 2022, the state is officially scheduled to issue another $1.3 billion of new bonds, and Lamont and crew have committed to issue $175 million of Community Investment Fund bonds as well.

What kind of diet is that?

Lamonts claim of engineering a fiscal turnaround of the state couldnt be further from the truth. That is not to say necessarily that he has mismanaged affairs, but rather to say that hes has had virtually nothing to do with the factors which have improved the states standing temporarily.

Three factors have been at play. The federal government has showered the state with COVID assistance money; the roaring bull market in stocks and bonds through December 2021 has produced a gusher of tax revenue from the states large population of wealthy investors; and, finally, automatic fiscal restraints adopted in 2017 before Lamont took office have limited spending.

Lamont was simply lucky at being there as governor as the three trends coincided. No one should begrudge him his good luck.

Yet, these trends have now reversed, as everyone knew they would eventually.

Perhaps, Lamont embellished his good-luck story with his debt diet fable as a hedge against the end of his good-luck run. However, if he had really embraced the reality that Connecticuts and his good fortune would eventually run out, he would have enforced a real debt diet.

Instead of really acting, Lamont perpetuated his fable and, indeed, enhanced it in the details of the budget that he and his fellow Democrats adopted in May 2021. Naturally, debt must be serviced, with interest payments and principal repayments on due dates. Despite the growth in the state debt, debt service has barely increased due to the abnormally low interest rates over the past several years. Over the last five years, aggregate interest paid has been between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion, or essentially flat.

The interest rate outlook has changed in 2022, as was readily apparent in May of this year when the budget was adopted. Yet, the Governor and the Legislature agreed that Future debt service growth is expected to be limited due to three factors: 1.) improved market borrowing rates Really?

In December 2021, the state issued $800 million of General Obligation (GO) bonds at a 1.98% borrowing cost. Last March, the State issued about $200 million of GOs at a 3.23% cost, and, in May, another $1.0 billion at a 3.68% rate.

In less than six months, the state borrowing rate almost doubled. Thats improved market borrowing rates?

And thats without factoring in the Federal Reserve Boards 0.75% increase of interest rates in June and before the Feds inevitable 0.75% increase in late July, after this weeks announcement that inflation hit 9.1% in June.

Adopting a budget based upon improved rates is not just painting a rosy picture; it is promoting a deceptive and misleading narrative.

In fact, the Democrats lowballed the overall debt service cost for fiscal year 2023 even relative to the original appropriation for 2023 made in 2021 in a wholly different interest rate environment. The original 2021 appropriation for 2023 was $3.44 billion. The new appropriation set in May 2022 was $28 million lower, despite the much higher interest rate environment.

This borders on budgeting malpractice.

It is a certainty that the federal COVID assistance money will run out. Indeed, the $2.8 billion of American Rescue Plan money is budgeted to be spent by the end of the current fiscal year. By federal law it must be spent by the end of calendar 2024.

Yes, the state has a robust rainy day fund, or Budget Reserve, of about $3.6 billion. But that money can disappear quickly with the reversal of the three powerful trends which generated it in the first place, especially if even more money is needed to meet much higher debt service requirements than Lamont and Democrats are projecting.

Then what? Spending cuts triggered by the 2017 automatic fiscal restraints. Or, more probably, tax increases, so Democrats can evade the 2017 restraints and continue to spend.

Red Jahncke is a freelance columnist based in Connecticut.

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Red Jahncke: Time for Connecticut to go back on its diet - Journal Inquirer

Health food or exercise alone isnt enough to prevent chronic disease, new research shows. Contrary to popular belief, you cant outrun the toll of a poor diet and healthy eating, on its own, wont ward off disease.

Most people know that working out and eating well are critical components of overall health. But a sweeping study published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that hitting the gym wont counteract the consequences of consuming fat-laden foods, and mainlining kale cant cancel out sedentary habits.

Sensationalized headlines and misleading advertisement for exercise regimens to lure consumers into the idea of working out to eat whatever they want have fueled circulation of the myth about exercise outrunning a bad diet, the study authors wrote.

Previous animal studies as well as a few human ones have backed this up, suggesting that, at least in the short term, strenuous exercise can counteract the effects of overeating.

So an international team of researchers examined data from nearly 350,000 participants collected from the U.K. Biobank, an enormous medical database with health information from people across Britain, and followed up over a decade-long period. The study participants, median age 57, were healthy at the outset of the study, meaning they were not diagnosed with conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer or chronic pain.

Analyzing self-reported questionnaires, the experts broke peoples diets down by quality. For instance, high-quality diets had at least 4.5 cups of fruit and vegetables per day, two or more servings of fish per week, less than two servings of processed meats per week and no more than five servings of red meat per week. The study did not measure discretionary foods like soft drinks or desserts, said Melody Ding, the lead author of the study and an associate professor at the University of Sydney.

The researchers also measured activity levels using responses from another questionnaire that asked about the total minutes participants spent walking and engaging in moderate physical activity, like carrying light loads or biking at a steady pace, and vigorous physical activity that lasted more than 10 minutes at a time. The authors wrote that it was the first study to examine diet and exercise alongside both general mortality and specific lethal diseases, like cancer.

Not surprisingly, people with both higher levels of physical activity and better quality diets had the lowest mortality risk. Overall physical activity levels were associated with a lower mortality risk, but those who regularly engaged in vigorous exercise the kind that makes you break a sweat had a particularly lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. And even just 10 to 75 minutes per week made a difference.

Regardless of your diet, Dr. Ding said, physical activity is important. And whatever your physical activity is, diet is important.

Any amount of exercise is protective, said Salvador Portugal, a sports health expert and assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Langone Health who was not involved in the study. But you cant rely solely on your workout to maintain good health, he added.

These findings underscore what many doctors have seen in practice, said Dr. Tamanna Singh, co-director of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic who was not involved with the study. For instance, she said, there are many components of heart health, and optimizing one thing is not going to necessarily improve your cardiovascular risk.

She sees patients who classify themselves as amateur or professional athletes and are shocked when they suffer cardiovascular events, she said, without considering their diet. Often theyll come to me after an event and say, I work out so much. Why did I have a heart attack?

On the flip side, even those with the most nutritious diets in the study saw considerably worse outcomes without some form of regular fitness regimen.

That doesnt mean people cant treat themselves after a workout, Dr. Singh said. (Shes a marathon runner herself, and she looks forward to nachos after a long run.) If you are, for the most part, intentional about what you put into your body and intentional with how you move your body, youre doing enough.

The study highlights the importance of viewing food and exercise as components of holistic health, Dr. Ding said, instead of calculating how many miles can cancel out a cookie.

Its not just about burning calories, she said. We need to shift that thinking.

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Exercise or Diet Alone Isnt Enough to Prevent Disease, Study Shows - The New York Times

The Mediterranean diet may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, according to new research.

The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open Thursday, over 6,000 Hispanic and Latino individuals who followed a Mediterranean diet and found that strict adherence to the diet was associated with greater cognition and less memory decline.

There are currently over 6 million people living with Alzheimers disease in the U.S., and that number is expected to rise to 13 million by 2050.

Data also shows that the risk of Alzheimers disease and other dementias is substantial among Hispanic and Latino individuals. The number of Hispanic and Latino people who have Alzheimers disease is expected to increase by 832 percent between 2012 and 2060.

The Mediterranean diet, which prior research has found to be protective against cognitive decline, may help mitigate that risk, the researchers say.

These findings support what other studies have found and strengthen the link between cognitive health and the Mediterranean Diet. Its great that the population was specifically Latino/Hispanic and that the foods were culturally appropriate because it suggests that anyone, anywhere, can benefit from a Mediterranean-style diet, Danielle McAvoy, MSPH, RD, a registered dietitian with Strong Home Gym, told Healthline.

The researchers evaluated the health data of 6,321 Hispanic or Latino adults who either loosely, moderately or strictly adhered to the Mediterranean diet.

Participants completed diet assessments and underwent two cognition tests.

Of the group, 35.8% loosely adhered to the Mediterranean diet, 45.4% moderately adhered to it, and 18.8% strictly adhered to the eating plan.

The research team found that strict adherence to the diet was associated with greater cognition and a lower risk of learning and memory decline than those who loosely adhered to the diet.

According to the researchers, the findings suggest that strict adherence to the Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimers disease in the Hispanic and Latino population.

While Mediterranean Diets have been consistently linked with reduced dementia risk, this study reminds us that rather than something specific to any particular dietwith any given label, or related to any one culturethe benefits come with eating robust amounts of foods that help maintain brain performance and health and avoiding or limiting those that likely cause harm, Dr. Scott Kaiser, a geriatrician and Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, said.

Healthy lifestyle habits have long been associated with a lower risk of dementia, even among those at risk for developing the condition.

According to Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes, a senior clinical dietitian at UCLA medical center, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding school of public health, and author of Recipe for Survival, the cognitive benefits of the Mediterranean diet have to do with the diets anti-inflammatory effects.

Research has shown that inflammation is closely associated with chronic diseases. Inflammation has also been linked to the buildup of plaques in the brain that are characterized by Alzheimers.

There are a lot of nutrition and epidemiological studies that indicate that healthy diets such as the Mediterranean diet lower inflammation, Hunnes said.

One of the best things we can do to slow down aging and cognitive decline is to eat a very healthy, anti-inflammatory, and primarily plant-based diet such as a Mediterranean diet, Hunnes added.

McAvoy says the Mediterranean diet is easy for most people to follow.

It does not specify portions or the amount of food you should eat you eat as much as you need depending on body size and activity level, McAvoy said.

According to Kaiser, the study also shows that we do not need to abandon our culture, tastes, or food preferences to maintain a brain-healthy diet.

Rather, within the frame of our likes and dislikes, we can aim to include generous amounts of brain-boosting beneficial foods and avoid or limit those that are most likely to do harm, Kaiser said.

The Mediterranean diet is comprised of nuts, seeds, and olive oil along with plant-based foods, including fruits, grains, legumes and vegetables. Fish, poultry, eggs and dairy are also key components of the Mediterranean diet.

Hunnes says you can also eat a Mediterranean diet that is fully plant-based and include walnut and algal oils for the omega-3 fatty acids.

Red meat, processed foods and butter should be avoided.

Following this type of diet is not only extremely good for your own personal health and cognition, but it is also healthy and beneficial for the environment and climate change, Hunnes said.

The Mediterranean diet may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, according to new research, according to new research. Dietitians say the Mediterranean has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, which helps combat the development of chronic diseases.

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The Mediterranean Diet May Help Reduce Risk of Cognitive Issues - Healthline

Food deserts and food inequality problems were issues that existed before COVID-19 that have only been made worse by the ongoing pandemic. With obesity rates climbing, there is plenty of concern that the pandemic has resulted in poor dietary decisions and habits that could exacerbate this growing issue.

And obesity is a well-known risk factor for plenty of negative outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and several other diseases and disorders.

In an interview with HCPLive, Colleen Ereditario, MPH, RD, LDN, Program Manager, Healthy Food Centers, Allegheny Health Network, Megan Klucinek, Manager, Ambulatory Nutrition, Allegheny Health Network, and Tori Vallana, RD, LDN, Project Coordinator, Healthy Food Centers,Allegheny Health Network, spoke about how obesity is connected to different diseases and why diet is so important for men in avoiding some of these outcomes.

HCPLive: What are some of the diseases that can possibly be prevented with better diet decisions from men?

Ereditario: The main ones are obesity, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. So eating a healthy diet, along with getting enough physical activity and sleep can help prevent overweight and obesity, which can then put people at risk.

HCPLive: Specifically in gastroenterology, diet is used both as a preventative measure and a treatment when someone develops a disease like IBD. How important is it to continue to promote gut health diets with gastrointestinal diseases in mind?

Ereditario: So when you have some gastrointestinal diseases, it's really important that you seek help from your doctor and also a registered dietitian, because everybody's plan is going to be individualized and different.

So you want to make sure you have a plan as far as your nutrition goes. And also make sure you're taking your medications as prescribed. But what you are eating can have a huge effect on your stomach with these type of issues.

A lot of times, dietitians will put you on a low residue diet. That limits foods that are higher in fiber. So those are suggested when someone has Crohn's or colitis flares.

But it is important to make sure you're getting foods that include probiotics like yogurt, and also prebiotics like bananas. And this is where you know working with a dietitian, they can help you come up with a meal plan and different ideas of what you can eat.

Some foods that you want to avoid with IBD symptoms could be and again, everyone's different, but some of these foods that can irritate your stomach can be milk and other dairy products, caffeinated drinks, carbonated drinks, alcohol, fruit and fruit juices, spicy foods, fried or high fat foods.

Normally you tell people you need to eat a high fiber diet like whole grains. But when you're having a flare up, you want to decrease the foods that are higher in fiber, like whole grain breads, raw vegetables, beans, anything thing with nuts or seeds that can irritate the stomach.

HCPLive: What are some of the common mistakes men often make in regard to their diet?

Klucinek: Oftentimes men are known for skipping meals, possibly just working through the day and waiting to have one meal. Of course they're hungry, and they'll just eat anything and not be really mindful of perhaps what they're eating and might overeat at one meal.

Also what's in that meal. So oftentimes, they're highly processed foods, eating out, foods that are high in salt, high in fat, and cholesterol and calories. That can be an issue that we often hear with men.

Also something that is different from the CDC is taking a look at alcohol intake. And men are two times more likely to binge drink than women are. 59% of men say in the past 30 days that they might have engaged in that behavior compared to 47% of women.

So not only do you have issues with calories and not eating because you're replacing liquid and maybe not the best judgment with what you might be eating. But also it can increase your risk for obesity and for different cancers and for liver disease.

And something kind of unique, maybe not to men only, is they might have been former athletes and used to training and working out and eating a certain diet and a certain portion size of food when they work out to make up the caloric needs that they would have.

They kind of keep up with that intake, but don't keep up with the exercise at that same time. So that can predispose us to diabetes and some of the chronic illnesses that Colleen had mentioned.

HCPLive: How concerning are the obesity rates among men, which obviously is related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some other diseases? And are we actually seeing those rates come down a little?

Vallana: I always like to be positive. And this one, it's a little tough because we do see the obesity rates rising among men and women, particularly in the US. The Trust for America's Health, they took a look at those rates. And overall, we're at a 42.4% obesity rate in this country, for the last reported years of 2017 to 2018.

In 2008, just doesn't seem that long ago, but we were at 26%. If we keep going at this rate, this is not good for the whole country. And when we take a look at men, in particular, the latest CDC figures, one in three men are classified as being obese or overweight.

When we look at the age classes, the men who are ages 22 to 39, are coming in at 40.3%, obesity and overweight risk. To me looking at that, we have younger people that are experiencing obesity for a greater portion of their lives. And where might that lead them more, it's a little different than in previous generations.

And then for men 40 to 59, that rate is 46.4%. And men 60 and over is 42.2%. So we look at that perfect storm of increase of age and increase of weight that might leave us at greater risk.

And I think one positive thing though, is people have used the pandemic for different reasons.

During the pandemic, we saw folks that maybe took more time for eating and exercising.

But we also have more data to show that patients who were more obese had more difficulty recovering from COVID-19 and increased severity of COVID-19. So hopefully these things will make all men and women but particularly men take a look at their health and go to the doctors more and really start to address these things so we see the rates go down.

HCPLive: Are you afraid during the pandemic that many people developed poor dietary habits and poor routines that some of these habits may stay with people?

Vallana: Working at the healthy food centers, we focused on patients experiencing food insecurity. So coming out it from that angle, just seeing the amount of job loss or hours cut, you know, people are struggling with their budget, that's less money to spend on food.

If you're on that limited budget, you're probably not buying the fresh fruits and vegetables or things that are going to expire really quickly.

So I think it definitely did lead to poor diet quality among the existing food insecure population. And then we saw a lot of people that became food insecure throughout the pandemic.

I'm sure that it negatively impacted their diet quality as well. But beyond just that, a lot of people move to remote work through the pandemic. So just staying at home a lot more not getting out as much.

But hopefully, now that things are opening up, more people are getting back outside the weather's nicer. They're starting to get back into those healthy habits. And that's something that as dieticians, we're always trying to encourage.

HCPLive: How does food access impact the risk of disease in patients? And what can be done to improve these access problems across the country?

Vallana: There's definitely an association between lack of food access and poor diet quality and poor health outcomes, which is partially why the healthy food centers exist is to try and overcome that gap.

As dietitians, we're always telling people specifically how to eat or your doctor wants you to eat in a certain way. But if you can't afford those foods, or can't even get access to those foods, how are you supposed to be successful?

So we want to make sure we're getting people access to not just food but nutritious foods and foods that are appropriate for them and for their diet. So how do we fix that problem is a little bit of I don't know if I can solve that in this interview.

But on a smaller scale, doing things like the healthy food centers, giving people, just directly getting people the food, whether it's a produce distribution of food pantry, different forms of food distributions, but also the education that goes with it.

So just teaching people how to shop on a budget, what foods are low cost, but still going to be good for you how to stretch their food budget a little bit.

I think that's how we bridge it on a smaller scale. And then on a larger scale, looking at inequities and food access, looking for food deserts, how can we make sure that people have grocery stores in their area and have grocery stores that are affordable and that they can get you there on a bus line.

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Improving the Diet of Men, Reducing the Risk of Disease - MD Magazine

Wouldnt it be nice if there was a magic weight loss pill or perhaps some concoction that you could consume that will melt away all your unwanted fat?

Lets assume there was, would you have to take it for the rest of your life for the results to last forever?

And if you do take it in the long term, what would the side effects be?

Wouldnt it also be nice if those exercise routines promising a six pack in six days work, or if you could get your dream body in six weeks.

I once bought a fat burning cream that you apply on areas you want to lose fat, in the hope that I would not have to exercise or eat clean.

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I even bought an electric vibrating belt and several ab machines promising to give you a sixpack. But thats nothing compared to what my biggest buy was- a fat melting machine- salon style- which I imported from the United States.

With that baby in my life, I thought that if I ate healthy and used the fat buster I would never have to exercise again in my life if I didnt want to.

While I may have seen some difference in everything I bought- call it the placebo effect if you like- nothing really worked.

That aside, the problem with everything I bought is that it all had to used/applied regularly.

I didnt have the patience, time or discipline to follow the instructions and use as required. Weight loss is hard work, and maintaining your weight after weight loss is just as hard.

I have been on numerous diets or eating plans from the low-carb, whole-food diet to a high protein diet to the quick fix cabbage soup diet.

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The protein diet I recall all too well. I had met a prosecutor in court who I hadnt seen in months. She looked as if she had shrunk.

The second I had a free moment, I immediately went to her and started complimenting her weight loss.

She bragged that it was the protein diet she had been on for three months that had led to her weight loss.

She even detailed how it worked.

That night I went home and researched it and most of the comments or reviews of the diet were favourable.

So, before I knew it, I was on the protein diet and in a week or two I lost 1 kilogram. However, it wasnt long afterwards that I got sick and tired of only eating protein and that was the end of the diet.

These days I do intermittent fasting when it suits me, which is an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule.

However, the downside is that you can end up eating less calories which is actually bad for the body.

What I can say about majority of the diets out there is that a lot of them actually do work, however, it may not be sustainable in the long term, because you just get sick of them.

The key to staying at a particular weight is exercising and cutting out junk or unhealthy foods. But this is difficult to stick to because there are those days, where you crave a donut or chocolates or anything sweet. But thats okay, you are human after all.

However, its important to stick on the healthy side of food more than on the unhealthy side. Its even okay to have a cheat day, or even a cheat weekend, but dont overdo it.

I have always admired celebrities and have held a lot of them in high esteem, always wondering how on earth they manage to stay looking so beautiful and in shape at red carpets events.

But then when you look at unposed photos of them, snapped by paparazzi you realise they are not as perfect as you thought they were.

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For the movie Monster, South African born actor Charlize Theron put on 80 pounds or rather 13.6 kilograms.

It reportedly took her six weeks to lose the weight. Can you or me lose so much weight in that timeframe?

Maybe we can if we had a personal dietician, chef and personal trainer. But many of us are not that lucky.

These personal trainers are like alarm clocks that just wont stop going off. I mean they arrive at your home as scheduled and your training gets started. No time for procrastination.

As a working-class person, with no personal dietician, chef and personal trainer, its difficult to be disciplined especially when it comes to exercising and eating healthily.

In addition, for a lot of people not in the public limelight, they dont get paid for looking good, or having a Size 6 figure.

They do it for themselves.

The bottom line is that if you want to lose weight, or stay in shape there are no quick fixes, you have to put in the work, exercise and eat healthy.

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Opinion | Discipline and hard work - The Citizen