Taking revenge is foolish

In the dealings between Iran and President Trump, there is constant reference to each taking revenge for what is perceived as wrong actions by the other.

Gandhi said it well in his response to taking revenge; An eye for an eye, and soon the whole world is blind.

By provoking others by taking revenge, we could cause a war which is unthinkable for the potential consequences: in addition to the human suffering, the pollution to the earth, bankrupting our deeply indebted country, and creating turmoil even chaos for the rest of the world.

Are we already blind?

Marjorie Atkinson, Seaside

A new reality show sponsored by taxpayers

In todays episode of The Impeachers, Team Trump will try to present a better case before Congress than the House Managers. The winners might get a free nights visit at a Trump hotel and the losers might be fired by Trump or Nancy Pelosi. Sound familiar? Some professors have suggested we need to change the rules. Since the Democrats believe the game is political and no proof of a crime is needed, we could level the playing field by having only members of congress on both sides. Certainly, it might be the highest-rated show on TV, since its sponsored by you, the taxpayers. And maybe when you vote you might think about who needs to be fired.

Bill Graham, Salinas

Animal pandemic strikes again

Fifty million Chinese locked down! Fifteen countries affected! Three confirmed cases in the U.S.! These dramatic headlines announce one more pandemic caused by our abuse of animals.

Indeed, 61% of the 1,415 pathogens known to infect humans originate with animals. These so-called zoonetic diseases, claiming millions of human lives, include Asian flu, Hong Kong flu, West Nile flu, bird flu, swine flu, dengue fever, Ebola, HIV, SARS, and yellow fever. The pandemic Spanish flu of 1918 may have killed as many as 50 million people worldwide.

Western factory farms and Asian street markets are virtual breeding grounds for infectious diseases. Sick, crowded, highly stressed animals in close contact with raw flesh, feces, and urine provide ideal incubation media for viruses. As these microbes reach humans, they mutate to defeat the new hosts immune system, then propagate on contact.

Each of us can help end these deadly pandemics by replacing animal products in our diet with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These foods dont carry flu viruses, or government warning labels, are touted by every major health advocacy organization, and were the recommended fare in the Garden of Eden. The internet offers ample recipes and transition hints.

Morton Chester. Monterey

Gun safety near schools

Thank you for the article about gun safety near schools. I absolutely agree with Wendy Root Askew that we need to take action to reduce gun violence. I have made the following suggestion to LOTS of politicians. None have responded.Lets push for legislation to treat guns like cars. Guns should be licensed, registered, and insured.

Owners/users should pass tests to show they know how to use and store guns safely. What do you think?

Steve Eklund, Salinas

Be careful what you wish for

In a recent letter to the editor someone suggested that if four Republican senators simply vote for impeachment Trump would be gone. Im wondering if the Democrats have really thought about what would happen if Trump is impeached. Pence would be the president and remember nobody hates Pence. Every Trump supporter would be mad. It would galvanize the Republican Party. It seems that the real question is do they want to win the White House or do they just want to satisfy their hatred for Trump by impeaching him. If they impeach him well still have a Republican president, theyll still have no good Democratic hopeful, and 2020 goes to the republican party. It reminds me of the old saying be careful what you wish for you just might get it.

Jim McCready, Monterey

Where is Rudy Giuliani? A Quiz

Circle all that apply. (OK to Google, for correct answers)

A. With Maria Yovonovich gone, Mr. Giuliani is having a heyday in Ukraine buying up oil and gas options from the remaining corrupt oligarchs, (friends of Putin).

B. Rudy is in Siberia, vacationing on Lake Baikal with Viktor Yanukovych who was ousted from Ukraine by the popular uprising in 2014 and looted millions of dollars from Ukraine.

C. Mr. Giuliani is in Moscow, drawing up plans for Trumps Penthouse Suite at Trump Tower Moscow.

D. Rudy Giuliani is on Fox & Friends, still. They cant get him off their couch.

E.Rudy and Lev Parnas are back in Kiev, raising money, again, for Trumps reelection.

Susan Morse,Carmel

Read more from the original source:
Letters to the Editor: Jan. 29, 2020 - Monterey Herald

If you plan to make a New Year's resolution about improving your health, the American Medical Association (AMA) has some good suggestions.

"With too many holiday sweets and not enough exercise likely in the rear view mirror, now is the perfect time to consider your personal goals and how you can make positive health choices in the coming year," AMA President Dr Patrice Harris said in an association news release.

"The good news is that there are a few easy steps you can take that will set you on the right track for a healthier 2020," Harris added.

Learn your risk for type 2 diabetes and take steps to prevent or delay the onset of the disease. Get the recommended amount of physical activity. For adults, it's at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity.

Know your blood pressure and, if you have high blood pressure, take steps to get it under control. Doing so will reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Cut back on processed foods, especially those with added sodium and sugar. Eat less red meat and processed meats, and eat more plant-based foods, such as olive oil, nuts and seed. Reduce your consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and drink more water instead.

If you're prescribed antibiotics, take them exactly as directed. Antibiotic resistance is a serious public health problem.

If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation, which is up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

If you use tobacco or electronic cigarettes, talk to your doctor about how to quit.

If you're prescribed prescription pain medications such as opioids, follow your doctor's instructions, store them safely to prevent misuse, and properly dispose of any leftover medication.

Make sure everyone in your family is up-to-date on their vaccines, including the annual flu shot for everyone age 6 months or older.

Manage stress and maintain good mental health by eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep (at least 7.5 hours per night), doing daily exercise, and engaging in wellness activities such as yoga and meditation. Don't hesitate to seek help from a mental health professional when you need it.

Image credit: iStock

Excerpt from:
Some solid advice on New Year's resolutions that might stick - Health24

Vitagene is bringing something new to the at-home genetic test market tips on how to genetically hack your metabolism, according to Engadget.

While Vitagene offers the same reports on ancestry and heritage as other at-home kits in its packages, the company also offers customized diet, exercise, supplement and even skincare recommendations based on the consumers genetic makeup.

Their marketing isnt just health or family history based, Engadget reports. Instead, Vitagenes goal is to help people live healthier lives based on genetic insights about how best to help their bodies.

Vitagene will also allow users to upload their previously analyzed genetic profiles and receive personalized online nutritional coaching and supplements shipped to them for an additional cost a good option for those interested in their particular insights who have previously had their DNA analyzed by another company.

CNN reports that while the guidance offered by Vitagenes tests can reveal certain food sensitivities, genetic predispositions to weight gain and can help people develop healthier lifestyles, they shouldnt replace necessary consultations with medical professionals.

The at-home DNA testing market seemingly exploded in the past few years. Companies like Ancestry offer tests that can help you find long lost relatives, your ethnic makeup, and where your ancestors were from. And for $50, consumers can buy the AncestryHealth test, which includes personalized as well as generational genetic health reports and access to genetic counseling.

The company 23andMe offers similar tests, divided by tests that provide genetic information about a consumers ancestry and traits, or health and ancestry.

The explosion of interest in at-home genetic tests seems to have settled, CNBC reports. Just this month 23andMe laid off 14% of its staff.

See original here:
Vitagene DNA will give you a diet plan genetically tailored to you - Deseret News

Among the diet plans that have been trending in recent years is the Zone Diet. This way of eating is generated towards reducing inflammation, slowing down aging, and keeping you properly satiated in between meals. And the lifestyle has been said to help with weight loss, body fat, improving mental clarity and overall wellness. We went straight to the source and asked Zone Diet CreatorDr. Barry Sears to answer some of the most frequently asked questions aboutthe Zone Diet. Want to go deeper? Check out his latest book, The Resolution Zone, which gives readers an overview on how to help reverse the damage done by past inflammation and promote the ability of the body to repair.

The Zone Diet is an anti-inflammatory diet created by Dr. Sears, a dietary hormone response expert, in 1998. It involves structuring your meals to include a specific balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats, and can be combined with many other traditional dietary programs. The Zone Diet is considereda long-term eating plan, not a quick-fix diet.

Its going back to the original Greek root of the word diet, which means way of life, Sears says.

Related: 26 Things to Know About the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

According to Sears, this specific way of eating is geared at keeping inflammation in a zone thats not too high, but not too low. Sears explains that we need some level of inflammation to be able to fight off microbiome invasions and to allow any physical injuries sustained heal. But if we have too much, it begins to attack our body. So keeping inflammation in that zone is really the key toward treating chronic disease, he adds.

All you need to do the diet, per Sears, is one hand, one eye, and one watch. The first step is to visually balance your plate: one-third should contain a lean protein (no larger than the palm of your hand); two-thirds should be colorful fruits and vegetables (good carbs). Then, add add a dash of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatideally olive oil, because its rich in polyphenols (antioxidant-rich micronutrients) that basically will add to the polyphenol mix of the diet, Sears says. Its that simple!

If you like tracking your foods in an app like MyFitnessPal that calculates nutrients, here are the numbers you are looking for:40% of your calories coming from carbohydrates, a.k.a fruits and vegetables, 30% coming from protein and 30% from fat.

At one meal, if you have 25 grams of protein, about half of that should be fat, monounsaturated fat, maybe 12 grams and maybe about 30 to 35 grams of carbohydrates, primarily non-starchy vegetables, Sears says.

If youre using carbohydrates as your fruits and vegetables, with the emphasis on vegetables, the number of calories youre consuming is very low. Those meals should be about the 400 calories, but there are very large meals in terms of size, he says.

Sears says that the trendy concept of intermittent fasting is essentially a bookkeeping way of trying to reduce calories. But by doing the Zone Diet, you end up automatically reducing calories by balancing your plate because its the hormones that those proteins and carbohydrates generate that keep you satiated so you arent hungry. And if you arent hungry, you eat less calories. If you eat less calories, you live longer, Sears explains.

You look at your watch. If you have no hunger five hours later, that meal was a hormonal winner for you, says Sears.

Why is that important? Thats the driver of chronic disease, he says.

There was a recent study that demonstrated that if you eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per daythats two kilograms of raw fruits and vegetablesthat your likelihood of death decreases by about 31% decrease. Your likelihood of getting dying from cardiovascular disease decreases by 25% and dying of stroke also decreases by about 25%, he says, adding that this is due to the polyphenols found inside these foods.

Even though its a calorie-restricted program, its virtually impossible to eat all the food because on the Zone program, youre eating about 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Thats a lot of fruit. Thats a lot of vegetables. And so what your consuming for the average female is about maybe 1,200 calories per day and 1,500 for the average male, he says. What youre looking to do with your meals, says Sears, is to say, Im controlling the hormones so I can maintain enough adequate protein coming in so I can maintain my muscle mass. But basically balancing that protein with the right type of carbohydrates. So I dont overproduce the hormone insulin.

Related: Dr. Travis Stork Reveals His Battle With Chronic Painand Which Diet Helps

The secret, Sears says, is finding the low-fat protein, fruits and vegetables that you like to eat, and learning how to balance that plate. Thenput together about 10 different meals, which you can rotate around. People rarely eat more than 10 different meals at home. Theyll eat two different breakfasts, three different lunches and five different dinners. And if they go out to eat they might go to the same restaurants over and over again eating the same meals, he says. So you dont have to drive yourself crazy trying to perfect hundreds of recipes to make at home.

Remembering that the proper balance is key, here are some good Zone Diet foods:

High-glycemic carbohydrates. They enter the bloodstream very quickly as glucose. And then will basically pump up insulin, he says. In terms of what we call whole grains, whole grains are whole because they contain polyphenols. But the rate of entry of the carbohydrates in the blood is no different than a piece of Wonder bread, he adds. So Sears says to keep the amount of starches that you eat to a maximum of around one serving per day. We want about eight servings of vegetables, two servings of fruit, one at most and and ideally zero of the grains and starches.

Eat an apple to boost heart health. High-fiber foods can lower triglycerides, or fatty lipids found in your blood. Aim for 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day with picks like oatmeal, beans and pears.

Greek yogurt with some almonds as a healthy fat source. Another option is slow-cooked oatmeal and an egg white omelet. Youre balancing protein to carbohydrate and then add some guacamole to the top of the egg white omelet. Both of these should keep you full for five hours.

A chicken Caesar salad. You get the 25 grams of protein with the chicken breast and the salad. But the salad doesnt have carbohydrates. So with that, youd have another two to three servings of vegetables on the side.

Think three servings of non-starchy vegetables, things like broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, cauliflowers. And then for protein, salmon or chicken.

Yes. Both groups eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. So, according to Sears, 2/3 of their plate is already completed. Vegetarians can add in eggs and dairy products for their protein sources and vegans can opt for a soybean protein product.

No.This way of eating doesnt place its focus on fruits and vegetables, Sears says, which he deems as being key for gut health. He also says people following a Ketogenic diet plan need to make sure that they are getting enough beneficial bacteria-feeding fiber, which can be tough to do. A Mediterranean diet is good pairing with the Zone diet.

If youre big on eating out, have a restaurant modify a dish until it works for you on this plan. People tend to go to the same 5 to 10 restaurants on repeat, which is a benefit to those doing this program. They might have a menu with hundreds of meals, but you eat the same one every time. So you keep telling them to adjust the meal, take off some of the grains and starches, add some more vegetables until you find whats the right meal for you at that restaurant. Then you can keep including that into your weekly repertoire.

Check out 100+ foods you can eat on the Mediterranean diet.

See original here:
Zone Diet: What Is Dr. Barry Sears' Zone Diet and How Does It Work? - Parade

A well-balanced diet has long been touted as a necessary component to a healthy lifestyle. When combined with routine exercise, a well-balanced diet can improve quality of life and reduce a persons risk for various diseases.

No well-balanced diet is complete without dairy. While many people may immediately associate milk with dairy, dairy products are much more diverse than that. In fact, including various dairy products in your diet can provide a host of diverse health benefits.

Dairy products are nutrient-rich

The United States Department of Agriculture notes that dairy products provide a host of nutrients that are vital to overall health.

Calcium: The nutrient most often linked to dairy, calcium is vital for building strong bones and healthy teeth. Dairy also helps to maintain bone mass, helping men and women combat age-related bone loss.

Potassium: Dairy products such as yogurt, fluid milk and soy milk are good sources of potassium. Thats beneficial because diets rich in potassium help men and women maintain healthy blood pressures.

Vitamin D: Like calcium, vitamin D is widely associated with dairy, particularly milk. Vitamin D helps bodies build and maintain strong bones, and products such as fluid milk and soy milk are great sources of vitamin D. Yogurts and cereals fortified with vitamin D also can be great sources of this valuable vitamin.

Health benefits

Osteoporosis is a condition in which a persons bones become fragile and brittle due to loss of tissue. Age is a risk factor for osteoporosis, but a poor diet that does not include sufficient amounts of dairy also can increase a persons risk for osteoporosis.

The Department of Agriculture notes that dairy can help men and women lower their risk for ailments other than osteoporosis. Adequate dairy intake has been associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Athletes may be especially motivated to consume dairy, as its effect on bone strength and maintenance can help them reduce their risk for injury while practicing and competing.

Adolescents and children can benefit greatly from diets that contain adequate amounts of dairy. Bone mass is built during childhood and adolescence, so foods such as dairy that promote bone health can help children and teenagers develop strong, healthy bones.

In regard to which dairy products to include in ones diet, the Department of Agriculture notes the importance of avoiding foods that are high in saturated fat. Dairy products high in saturated fats can contribute to high amounts of bad cholesterol in the blood, increasing a persons risk for coronary heart disease. Low-fat dairy products make for a healthy alternative to dairy that is high in saturated fats, and men and women can discuss such products with their physicians.

No balanced diet is complete without dairy, which benefits the body in myriad ways.

Excerpt from:
The benefits of including dairy in your diet - Thecountypress

Physicians are well aware of the difficulties in effecting dietary changes in patients, especially in light of the ubiquity of unhealthy and convenient food options, along with the multitude of conflicting information on the Internet and in the scientific literature regarding what constitutes a healthy diet. Moreover, most physicians, who typically receive only basic instruction on dietary counseling during their training, report feeling ill-equipped when it comes to providing guidance in this area.[1] By forming a strong partnership with registered dietitians and incorporating a few simple tips into practice, however, physicians can successfully guide patients on the correct path toward healthier eating habits.

Here are five things to know about effecting successful dietary modifications in patients.

The primary focus of the preventive cardiology program at our institution is to reduce patients' risk factors for, and prevent first and future, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events. One of the key elements of this program is a healthy diet. With all of the conflicting information and hype on "fad" diets that abound in the media, particularly on the Internet, patients may be confused about what truly constitutes a healthy diet; many have the misconception that weight-loss diets are synonymous with heart-healthy diets. For example, while the currently popular low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets may be effective for weight loss,[2] replacement of carbohydrates with the high amounts of animal protein that are recommended in these diets can increase serum cholesterol levels and may be associated with a higher risk for death.[3] In contrast, diets that replace carbohydrates with plant-based proteins have cardioprotective benefits.[3,4]

When discussing dietary modifications, an effective way to initiate the conversation is to ask patients about their personal goals. This will help clinicians better align patients' desired outcomes with clinical goals, especially in patients at increased risk for ASCVD.

See the article here:
Effecting Dietary Modifications in Patients: 5 Things to Know - Medscape

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic says his vegan diet is the secret to his success.

Djokovicwho is currently ranked the world No.2 best in mens singles tenniscomes from a family of food-lovers; his parents used to own a pizza restaurant in Kopaonik, Serbia. He still loves food and has even opened his own vegan restaurant, Eqvita, where he lives in Monte Carlo.

But for Djokovic, food isnt just gustatory pleasure. Its the key to his success. Because of my family, Ive always had a love for food,he explained.But as an athlete, it became something more.

[Food is] the fuel that determines how I play, how I recover, and how alert I am on the court, he added.I attribute a great deal of my professional success to my diet.

In a bid to convince others of the benefits of a plant-based diet, he joined the 2018 documentary The Game Changers as an executive producer. The filmwhich features a number of successful athletes including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lewis Hamiltonis all about debunking the myth that meat is a necessary form of protein.

According to Djokovic, he became involved with the film toward the end of the project, because he wasnt very vocal about being a plant-based athlete.

They heard that during Wimbledon last year when someone asked me in the press conference, he said. They wanted me to be a part of it.

I was definitely very happy to be a part of a very impressive group of people,he added.From sport, the movie industry, different fields of life, very successful people who are eating plant-based, being healthy, happy and successful in what they do. This is what it is all about.

Formula One driver Hamilton has also attributed his success to his vegan diet. He recently told GQ,ultimately, you want to feel great. You want to have energy, to be consistent, you dont want to have to the big oscillations and highs and lows in your energy levels. Veganism has eradicated that.

Summary

Article Name

Novak Djokovic Says a Vegan Diet Is the Secret to Great Tennis

Description

Vegan athlete Novak Djokovic attributes a great deal of his professional success on the tennis court to his plant-based diet.

Author

Charlotte Pointing

Publisher Name

LIVEKINDLY

Publisher Logo

Excerpt from:
Novak Djokovic Says a Vegan Diet Is the Secret to Great Tennis - LIVEKINDLY

Keto Mediterranean chicken, photographed in the Post-Dispatch studio, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com

Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup pitted kalamata olives

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoons dried oregano

1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt

cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Liberally sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and cook half of the pieces, skin-side down, until the skin is deeply browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is deeply browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.

2. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the fat (if on the keto diet, keep all the fat in the pot). Return pot to heat and add garlic; cook until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the olives, capers, vinegar, oregano and cup water; stir to combine and to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Return chicken pieces to pot and stir to mix.

3. Cover and cook at a simmer until chicken is done, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and boil the sauce to reduce it by half.

4. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, parsley, mint, lemon zest and lemon juice, plus a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.

5. Serve the chicken with its sauce, and the yogurt sauce on the side.

Per serving (nutrition calculated using all the fat from step 2): 627 calories; 48g fat; 12g saturated fat; 285mg cholesterol; 42g protein; 5g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 2g fiber; 1,146mg sodium; 91mg calcium

Adapted from a recipe by the Food Network

View original post here:
The keto diet: Its highs and lows plus 5 recipes - STLtoday.com

These carrot drinks can be easily made at home.

Highlights

It's best to include seasonal food in your diet as these freshly produced foods bring a wealth of health benefits. Although, carrots are available almost throughout the year, the best ones are around only during the winters. The season-special carrots are a powerhouse of nutrition. This bright red, crunchy veggie is known for its juiciness and slightly sweet taste. It brims with vitamin A and dietary fibre; and, as it is also low in carbohydrates, it is a great pick for your weight loss diet. If you've had enough of gajar ka halwa and ignored your weighing scale all through this season, try these carrot-based drinks for your healthy diet.

This healthy and delicious drink cannot be missed, especially during winters. After carrot pieces are boiled in water, some salt and spices like mustard powder are added, and they are left to mature to absorb maximum flavours. Carrot kanji has a unique sweet and salty taste, and makes for a super refreshing drink.

(Also Read:Weight Loss Tips: How To Include More Carrots In Your Winter Diet)

Carrot kanji is a nutrient-rich winter drink.

Drinking carrot juice every day is a ritual in many households during this season. Grate and juice the carrot or add other vegetables like beetroot and spinach. Add some lime juice and wolf down this nutritional drink. Carrot juice is said to improve immunity, skin health and also eye sight.

Mix carrots with fruits like bananas, apples, pineapple and make a smoothie by adding yogurt, some cinnamon powder, ginger and honey. A powerful breakfast smoothie will be ready to fuel you with energy and nutrition. You can also make this smoothie with milk instead of yogurt.

Level up your drinks with some red hot colour and refreshing taste from carrots. Make your own virgin carrot martini by mixing carrot juice with some grated ginger and a dash of lemon. Gobble it down and feel the high of wellness from the delicious drink.

A light soup that you can just drink up. Boil carrots along with beetroot, garlic and ginger; add some spices. Drain the soup and pour this liquid-y warm carrot soup in a bowl. Slurp through this warm soup for dinner while tucked into your cosy blanket.

(Also Read:5 Delicious Carrot Desserts You Must Try This Winter)

Carrot soup is a deliciousdrink that may bring you warmth.

Bid adieu to winters after enjoying the most of seasonal carrots while they are still around. These drinks with carrots are also easy to make at home, so are definitely worth a try.

About Neha GroverLove for reading roused her writing instincts. Neha is guilty of having a deep-set fixation with anything caffeinated. When she is not pouring out her nest of thoughts onto the screen, you can see her reading while sipping on coffee.

Read the rest here:
Healthy Diet: 5 Carrot-Based Drinks That Are Delicious And Easy To Make - NDTV Food

Hafthor Bjornsson is one of the strongest (and largest) men on the planet. The six foot nine inches tall, four hundred plus pound Bjornsson has nine Worlds Strongest Man podium appearances, including a win in 2018, and a third place finish after suffering a torn plantar fasciain 2019. Hes a five-time Europes Strongest Man and a two-time Arnold Strongman Classic champion. The man casually deadlifts eight hundred pounds plusfor repsand was cast as The Mountain on HBOsGame of Thrones.

All this is to say, Bjornsson needs the proper fuel to achieve those accolades. Weve covered Bjornssons dietextensively (plusdiets hes considered trying), and are not strangers to eating challenges. So it makes sense that we, two very normal sized dudes who are not strongmen, would eat calorie for calorie what Bjornsson eats on a normal training day:

Before going into the specifics of why Bjornsson eats what he eats in the way he does, lets take a look at each meal for the food and macro breakdown:

200g Ribeye Steak-372 Calories

1 cup White Rice 182 Calories

1 tbsp Butter 102 Calories

1/5 cup Carrots 9 Calories

100g Baby Spinach 23 Calories

1/5 cup Red Bell Pepper 8 Calories

22.5g Dextrose 83 Calories

330ml Coconut Water 64 Calories

200g Ribeye Steak 372 Calories

1 cup White Rice 182 Calories

1 tbsp Butter 102 Calories

1/5 cup Carrots 9 Calories

100g Baby Spinach 23 Calories

1/5 cup Red Bell Pepper 8 Calories

22.5g Dextrose 83 Calories

75g potatoes 131 Calories

1 Banana 105 Calories

330ml Orange Juice 156 Calories

200g Ribeye Steak 372 Calories

1 cup White Rice 182 Calories

1 tbsp Butter 102 Calories

1/5 cup Carrots 9 Calories

100g Baby Spinach 23 Calories

22.5g Dextrose 83 Calories

75g potatoes 131 Calories

1 Tomato 11 Calories

330ml Orange Juice 156 Calories

200g Ribeye Steak 372 Calories

2 cup White Rice 364 Calories

1 tbsp Butter 102 Calories

1/5 cup Carrots 9 Calories

100g Baby Spinach 23 Calories

22.5g Dextrose 83 Calories

330ml Orange Juice 156 Calories

200g Ribeye Steak 372 Calories

2 cup White Rice 364 Calories

1 tbsp Butter 102 Calories

1/5 cup Carrots 9 Calories

100g Baby Spinach 23 Calories

22.5g Dextrose 83 Calories

1 Orange 86 Calories

330ml Coconut Water 64 Calories

1 Liter Full Fat Milk 609 Calories

64g Casein Protein 231 Calories

1 Banana 105 Calories

Let us preface that this is A LOTof food. If you combined David and Is bodyweight at the time of this challenge, we still would not weigh as much as Bjornsson.

But we came ready and confident to gluttonously tackle multiple days worth of calories within eight hours.

David and I had just completed several of Primal Swoledier Eric Leijas Kettlebell Flows right beforehand so we were definitely hungry for a big breakfast. We discovered that David is an extremely fast eater while I am the polar opposite.

We chatted through what we were most weary about going into the challenge. For David, it was how much orange juice and coconut water we were going to have to consume because sugary drinks are usually difficult for him. For me, it was the sheer volume of food because I was already feeling my belly getting heavy after the large bowl of loaded oatmeal.

Despite those lingering concerns,we crushed meal 1!

About an hour and a half after breakfast, it was time for some rice and rib-eye. In case it was a mystery, neither of us were hungry after the 1,715 calorie breakfast.

Knowing we would each have to eat seven cups of rice over the course of the day, we were pretty excited about all the butter that was used to cook it. More butter (read fat) equals more flavor; something Bjornssons diet isnt lacking as he eatsnearly one full stick of butter every day.

It was my first ever experience with dextrose but to my surprise it actually made the food taste very good. Turns out, adding a scoop of sugar does improve the flavor of a meal, even if it is meant more for its digestive benefits than its flavor profile. If you want to know more specifics about dextrose, we discuss it later in this article.

An hour or so after meal 2, we dove right into meal 3. We were not even remotely hungry.

This meal added in a bunch of potatoes and a whole banana, but otherwise was the same as meal 2.

I mentioned that, at this point, I was definitely slowing down physically. My breathing was also getting a bit more labored as David mentioned:

I can hear you breathing. I can feel you breathing.

As this meal progressed, David felt like he was going to pop and I started laughing uncontrollably for no reason. We were both feeling very uncomfortable.

Lets just wrap this one up.

A few hours later, we tackled meal 4. Its fitting Bjornsson is also known as The Mountain, because this challenge felt like climbing one.

By this point we had already consumed 3,729 calories. I adopted the strategy of leaning fully back in my chair to take any pressure off my stomach, which was definitely bulging at this point. On a positive note, my belly now made for a great table to rest my food on whilst I chewed.

David noted that the food in this diet was all fairly nutritious, albeit this particular meal included both an entire potato and a full tomato, the latter of which was to be eaten raw.

I never want to see food again.

After taking into consideration the physical state we were each battling halfway through this meal knowing there were three more still to go, two of which involved twice the amount of rice, we tapped out.

Meals 5 and 6 were attempted, but we surrendered a few bites in.

We were not going to let the challenge end without taking down the item that shocked us most when we first learned of Bjornssons diet.

He consumes a liter of full fat milk with 64g of casein protein which has the tendency to thicken pretty quickly. Oh, and also another full banana.

I was pretty ecstatic that this meal would not involve chewing. Drinking the dense 945 calorie shake was immensely difficult but we both successfully got it down.

Theres always room for dessert, right?

Although unsuccessful in the challenge, we did each manage to consume somewhere between 5,500 to 6,000 calories.

We proceeded to lay on the floor and not move.

Editors note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldnt take the place of advice and/or supervision from a medical professional. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Speak with your physician if you have any concerns.

You may have noticed this cheeky ingredient sneaking its way into most of the meals that Bjornsson eats. So what exactly is dextrose?

As David said during the educational interlude in the video, dextrose is a carbohydrate that Bjornsson adds to his meals because it may help stimulate the production of amylase, an enzyme that helps break down carbohydrates in the digestive system.

If you were to simply look at the macros on a dextrose nutrition label, you would find that it is entirely sugar. Essentially, dextrose is a carb that helps break down carbs during digestion.

No, it doesnt require that you eat standing up.

It was developed by bodybuilder, strength athlete, and Bjornssons nutrition coach, Stan Efferding, who says, The Vertical Diet is about eating nutrient-dense foods that are easily digestible in order to help you lose or gain weight, maximize workouts, and achieve better nutrient absorption over all.

Its a relatively low-fat, high carb diet. Weve covered the vertical dietextensively and why certain foods are best for it. We also discuss the foods that are forbidden by it.

If you want to try the vertical diet, it is always best tospeak with a healthcare practitioner before undertaking any new diet or weight loss program.

We may have come up short in the challenge but we feel like were part of the Strongman community now. It was certainly difficult but it only furthered our understanding of how unique the athletes who compete in Strongman truly are.

If youre interested in watching Bjornsson and other strongmen in action, the 2020 USA Arnold Strongman took place earlier this month, as did Britains Strongest Man. Also, Worlds Strongest Man hasconfirmed a date and locationfor 2020.

So there is plenty of strongman action to fill our plates this year. Oof, maybe that wasnt the best choice of words.

Hafthor Bjornsson is an Icelandic strongman and actor. He won the 2018 Worlds Strongest Man competition and is a two-time Arnold Strongman Classic champion.

He played The Mountain on HBOsGame of Thrones.

Hafthor Bjornsson eats the vertical diet created by his nutrition coach, Stan Efferding, that only incorporates easily digestible foods.

On a normal training day, Bjornsson eats approximately 8,000 calories.

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We Tried to Eat Hafthor Bjornssons Normal 8,000 Calorie Training Diet - BarBend