According to Googles own data, the second-most popular health-related search on its engine in 2019 was, What is keto? Thats a slightly lower ranking than last year, when What is keto? was the number one health-related question people typed into Google. but its still disconcertingly high. The staying power of the ketogenic diet (what keto is short for) has simply gotta be admired; how does a diet that is largely bad for you remain something people still want to know about?

People who do keto talk about it as if theyre being paid to. Like most other diets, ketos best advertisers are the people painfully dragging themselves through its rigorous limits: No carbs, no sugars, no alcohol, no joy, etc. Keto followers are supposed to obtain 75 percent of their calories through fats, like meat (and bacon!!!). Itinerant dieters are inordinately thrilled by this, maybe because most diets dont afford them any category of food from which they can eat anything they want, or maybe because its an extremely sharp shift away from the Fats Are Evil discourse that dominated the 90s. Yes, I can eat all the cheese I want!!!! may as well be the unofficial slogan of keto, even though eating all the cheese one wants isnt a wise or sustainable choice, and overeatingeven keto-approved foodswill still cause weight gain.

Keto is supposed to work by putting the body into a state of ketosis, a sort of shock-state where the body starts breaking down stored fats to gain energy. It also works because it limits carbs so severely, dieters cant even eat one (1) whole apple if they properly abide by the rules. Most varieties of restriction diets often work, at least temporarily, because while its still possible to overeat and gain weight no matter which arbitrary restriction rules youre following, its simply boring to eat a lot of a limited range of things after a while, even if those things include bacon. Many people who lose weight by following the keto diet mightve lost weight by paying attention to what they are eating in general, which is another thing any arbitrary restriction forces them to do.

But that wouldnt be any fun at all, would it? Its way less exciting to say, no, thanks to a post-lunch cookie than it is to chomp into a wheel of bacon-wrapped cheese (is this real?) while yelling, My diet allows this!!! Keto was born in this decade and unfortunately will probably not die within it; January is just around the corner, and many people will likely continue to type what is keto into their little Google search bars, looking for a way to lose holiday pounds that probably dont exist, and that dont need losing.

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Continued here:
People Are Still Googling One of the Most Annoying Diets of the Decade - VICE

Highlights

We are reaching the end of another decade in December 2019; looking back as a nutritionist, I see an increasing interest in diet as a tool for achieving health and well-being. This has also been a decade when India became the diabetes capital of the world and obesity a public health problem. So while diets are being explored extensively, they are mostly being looked as a tool for weight loss, more than anything else. In response to this trend, a number of diets are doing the rounds as the ultimate solution you would ever need. These fad diets help, but may not be doable or sustainable because of unrealistic diet plans, and many of them may actually harm you in the long run.

So, while thinking about the best diet of the decade, I realised that Ayurveda had the answers we were all looking for - which suited the availability of foods, seasons and regions of our country. Ayurveda is also one the most searched food system to help chronic disorders. Thus, for me, it is the diet of the decade. Ayurveda is a centuries-old medical system, which looks at health not just from the point of view of illness but also nutrition for the body to remain healthy. Its premise is based on achieving equilibrium between self (swasthya), which includes mental and spiritual, with the environment. What is the scientific evidence? It a practise almost three centuries old whose principles are the foundation of our daily meals at home, practised in scores of Indian families for generations. Today when these are being put to test in standardised clinical researches, they are being proven right.

So for me Ayurveda is the way to go! Ayurvedic diet is majorly plant-based, emphasises on seasonal natural foods, whole grains, local least processed oils and correct use of spices.

1. Mediterranean Diet: Although, not a product of this decade, it continued to be a popular diet because WHO recognised it as a healthy and sustainable diet this decade. It is actually an eating pattern of the people of the Mediterranean regions. It is typically high in seasonal fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and healthy oils. Proteins are from legumes and fish, moderate dairy and limited red meat. Ayurvedic eating also recommends similar foods and our traditional food also is quite like this. In fact, it is in sync with 11 of the 18 principles of Ayurveda.

(Also Read:What Makes Mediterranean Diet Healthy?)

Mediterranean dietcontinued to be a popular diet

2. Weight Watchers: This diet is based on calorie restriction, a low to moderate fat, low carb diet. It works on a point system called "smart points" where each food is given a point value based on nutrient quality and quantity limits. This way, it adheres to both Matra and Satmya virudha. WW has shown a good adherence by its followers indicating the wholesomeness and ease of following the plan with a consistent long-term result.

3. Juice Cleanses 2010: Juice cleanses are a huge hit among celebrities and are followed for days, even weeks. What does Ayurveda say about this? Well, my research has shown that while vegetable juices are recommended, they are done so at a personal level depending on your dosha. Ayurveda recommends a day of liquid diet as it is beneficial to calm the three doshas and this diet is found to have a lasting effect. If you want to do it right, find what suits you best.

(Also Read:11 Best Fruit Juice Recipes | Easy Juice Recipes)

Juice cleanses are a huge hit among celebrities

4. Dukan Diet 2011: Made popular by Kate Middleton, Dukan diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet, which is followed in three phases: the cruise phase, consolidation phase and stabilisation phase. You go from removing all food groups to reintroducing them. In Ayurveda, you start with finding out what suits you, so it is less painful and a health boost.

(Also Read:Dukan Diet: What It Is And How It Helps In Weight Loss)

Dukan diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet

5. Intermittent Fasting 2012: Fasting is a part of almost every culture, intermittent fasting has become a huge favourite and if done properly, it can be good. This diet recommends a cyclic eating and fasting method. There are various ways of going about this. 8 hours of eating and 16 hours of fasting, 10/14 is also used similarly, and so is fasting on alternate days, and so on. Ayurveda principles recommend that eating before sunrise and after sunset isn't a good idea. It, however, says that breakfast should be good and lunch the best while dinner can be optional. What a lot of people do is - have lunch and dinner and also don't really control portion sizes or make healthy choices.

Intermittent fasting has become a huge favourite

6. Paleo Diet 2013: Also called the hunter-gatherer diet or the caveman diet, its recommendations are similar to Ayurveda as far as fresh locally grown foods go, but this diet omits complete food groups like healthy whole grains and legumes. It is against processed food, which is good. Clinical trials have found benefits in Paleo diet but long-term effects are not known, it also seems a little impractical and is difficult to follow in the long run.

(Also Read:Paleo Diet: Should We Go Back to Eating What Our Ancestors Ate?)

7. Ketogenic Diet 2018: This is currently the most trending diet fad. A very low-carb, high-fat and moderate-protein diet, it was originally used as a tool for diabetes control and was found effective in controlling epileptic fits in children. Today, its popularity is more from the weight loss point of view. It has helped rapid weight loss, but does it stay on, is still not clear. Long-term effect of this high-fat and low-carb diet is also not known.

This is currently the most trending diet fad

Fad diets usually use one principle of good eating habits and create a story around it, Ayurvedic diet principles are rooted in natural balance and focus on a healthy mind, body and spirit. The best diets are those, which can be adopted as a lifestyle, lifelong. Choosing a diet is a personal call but I suggest doing it wisely.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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Top Diets That Made Their Mark This Decade; Which One Do You Follow? - NDTV Food

Really hard.

Turkey, ham, stuffing. Mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole. Cookies, caramels, pies, jellos The tasty temptations abound, splayed out across tables at family Christmas gatherings (and some families have a few of those), work potlucks and other group functions.

For a lot of folks, the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year is a time of food. A time to satisfy that sweet tooth, indulge those savory cravings, and get good and full or, as is often the case, overfull.

It creates a real challenge for people who are trying to eat healthy, or who need or want to follow a special diet. Dietary restrictions are becoming more and more common, with a growing number of people discovering they have food allergies, or needing or choosing to follow a gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian, low-carb, or Keto diet, among myriad others.

Staying on the wagon with these diets isnt always easy especially around the holidays.

Alexa Stelzer, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Essentia Health St. Marys in Detroit Lakes, said the biggest thing people can do to keep their food intake in check is to change their mindsets about the importance of food. To think about food less, and loved ones more.

For all people, whether on a special diet or not, Stelzer said, make the focus of the gathering be about connecting with and spending time with people, not so much about food Focus on having great conversations, rather than circling back to the food table. That can be really helpful.

In her role at Essentia, Stelzer works with clients one-on-one and in group settings, in both the hospital and clinic. Around the holidays, she commonly talks to them about how they can stick to their usual eating patterns in this unusually bountiful season. Some have strict guidelines they absolutely must stick to at all times of the year, such as a diabetes diet or a peanut allergy, while others are just trying to make gradual, healthy lifestyle changes.

I feel like more and more people are needing to follow special diets, she said. And I think a lot of people are becoming health conscious and are trying to follow diet patterns and eating patterns that they recognize can make them feel better in the long term.

Yes, Virginia, there is a healthy way to celebrate the holidays. (File Photo)

Her recommended diets vary from person to person, but no matter what, she always tells her clients to develop eating plans they can realistically continue for years to come.

There are pros and cons to most any way of eating, but for a diet to be successful long-term, it has to be a diet that you can stick with, she said.

This can be trickier to do around the holidays, not only because of the tempting foods all around, but also because of the extended duration of the season.

It's pretty easy, if you're following a diet, to stick to it over one day, Selzer said. It's when we have multiple parties that we're going to, and we're continuing to not follow our eating plans over a longer period of time (that we run into trouble).

To avoid the pitfalls of overindulgence and unhealthy eating, she suggests people fill their holiday plates half-full with vegetables before adding any other types of food. This ensures a sizable portion of low-calorie, low-carb, fiber-rich, nutritional foods, and leaves less room on the plate for less healthy options.

Also, she recommends leaving leftovers at the party, instead of offering to take them home. Or, for those who host, sending leftovers home with guests who want them.

Probably the most important thing anyone can do, though, at any time of the year, is pay attention to every morsel that enters their mouth.

One of the most common things that I talk about this time of year, with holiday eating, is practicing mindful eating whether youre following a special diet or not, Stelzer said. Mindful eating is being really conscious of what and how you're eating. With mindful eating principles, you really slow down and savor the foods as you're eating them.

By tuning in to the smell, sight and taste of the foods you eat, she explained, you become more aware of the act of eating, and more easily recognize when youre satisfied and have had enough.

That's something I work with people on a lot being aware of hunger and recognizing that full feeling in your body, and remembering that if you continue to eat, you're going to get really uncomfortable, Stelzer said.

If you practice mindful eating, focus on family over food, stack your plate with veggies first, and leave the leftovers for someone else, you dont have to completely derail your diet over the holidays, she added. A number of people put their healthy patterns on hold through the holidays and then try to 'catch up' afterward. But it doesnt have to be an all or nothing sort of thing.

Alexa Stelzer, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Essentia Health St. Marys, says planning is the key to successful holiday meals for those who are on a special diet, whether its vegan, low-carb, gluten-free or any number of others out there.

Stelzer offers the following tips for those who want or need to stay on the wagon:

Give the host a heads up. The host wants everyone at the party to have a good time and have options available for food, so a heads-up is usually appreciated. If they seem receptive, provide a little education about which ingredients to avoid and how to minimize risk of cross-contamination. Dont expect everything to be compliant with your diet, but the host can often make some modifications, such as cooking turkey and stuffing separately (to keep the turkey gluten-free), or making the salad a build-your-own option rather than mixing all the ingredients together ahead of time.

Bring a dish everyone can enjoy. Bring something that you absolutely love that complies with your diet. Then even if everything else is off-limits, youll still have an option you enjoy and that will satisfy you. Even better if you can bring a main dish and a dessert to make sure you get something hearty as well as something sweet. There are lots of specialized baking mixes that make the dessert side of things easy. And there is always the fresh fruit and veggie tray option, which is safe for most people. If cross contamination is a concern, be sure to bring your own serving utensils.

Prepare for questions. People will likely be curious about why you are eating the way you are. It is helpful to have some basic responses prepared. If you feel uncomfortable getting into details, leave your answers vague and say something like, I just feel better when eating this way, or I need to follow this diet for health reasons. You may also want to direct the curious to a relevant article or documentary for more information. You have no responsibility to educate and inform people if you dont want to. On the other hand, avoid educating and informing everyone you meet about the many reasons for your special diet if they arent asking or interested.

Express gratitude. Even the smallest efforts people make to provide appropriate dishes for you or to learn more about your special diet are worthy of a genuine thank you.

Consider being a host yourself. As a host, you have control over most of the food choices and the way they are prepared. You may want to avoid serving some of the out there foods from your special diet if your guests have never experienced them, unless you have an adventurous group. It be more crowd-pleasing to adapt classic holiday favorites to be compliant with your diet. The internet can be a great resource for finding appropriate substitutions, modified recipes, or entire diet-specific cookbooks. If guests want to bring a dish, make suggestions that would be safe for you, or just allow them to bring their favorites so you know theyll have an option theyre familiar with and enjoy. Be proactive and ask your guests ahead of time if they are following any special diets that you can help accommodate.

Stelzer describes this as a wonderful comfort dish. Serves 4.

Ingredients

Instructions

Cook the lentils according to the package instructions. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place sweet potatoes in a pot, season with salt and pepper, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook until potatoes are soft. Cool slightly before mashing. Set aside.

Fry the onions and garlic in a pan with the olive oil on low to medium heat until just softened. Add grated carrot and cook for a further two minutes. Stir in tomato puree, paprika and chili flakes and cook for a further two minutes.

Add cooked lentils into the pan with the onion and garlic mixture and mix well. Stir in chopped tomatoes and peas and cook on medium heat for about five minutes. Take the pan off the heat, add freshly chopped coriander and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the lentil mixture into an oven-proof dish and spread evenly. Top with sweet potato mash (use a fork to spread the mash evenly).

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mash is starting to turn golden brown.

Optional: For extra flavor, add a sprinkle of dairy-free cheese before putting it in the oven.

Submitted by Alexa Stelzer; adapted from fitfoodienutter.com

You wouldnt know theyre not regular brownies, Stelzer says. Serves 12.

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan

Prepare flax egg by combining 2 heaping Tbsp. flaxseed meal and 6 Tbsp. water in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and puree for about three minutes, scraping down sides as needed. The final mixture should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting. If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp. or two of water and pulse again.

Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.

Optional: Sprinkle with your topping of choice.

Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides.

Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Gently remove from pan, using a fork. The insides should be fudgy and moist.

Store in an airtight container for up to a few days; refrigerate to keep longer.

Submitted by Alexa Stelzer; adapted from minimalistbaker.com

Excerpt from:
Keep indulgences in check with mindful eating over the holidays - Detroit Lakes Tribune

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARYGetty Images

When riding, we tend to rely on fast-acting carbs such as gummies, gels, or energy bars. While these forms of fuel are great to prevent the oh-so-dreadful bonk, filling up on refined or processed carbs (think: white bread, doughnuts, and cookies) out of the saddle isnt the best for your overall health. Studies have shown it can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. And now, new research out of Columbia University finds that consuming too many refined carbs can even mess with your sleep.

The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at the diets of over 50,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 who participated in the Womens Health Initiative Observational Study over a four-year period of time (1994 to 1998).

The women filled out an initial survey that included questions about the types of carbs they consumed, all based on the Glycemic Index (GI), which, according to the study, is considered a measure of the quality of carbohydrate-based foods in the overall diet. For instance, foods such as fruits and vegetables are low on the GI scale because they contain minimally-processed, complex carbs. But foods such as bagels and doughnuts are high on the GI scale because they contain highly-processed carbs.

After a three-year follow-up, researchers found that the more the participants regularly ate foods high on the GI scale (refined carbsespecially those high in sugar), the higher the chances were of experiencing insomnia. Conversely, the more the participants regularly ate foods low on the GI scale (complex carbsincluding those rich in fiber), the less they had trouble sleeping.

[Find 52 weeks of tips and motivation, with space to fill in your mileage and favorite routes, with the Bicycling Training Journal.]

So what gives? According to James Gangwisch, Ph.D., lead study author and assistant professor of clinical psychiatric social work at Columbia University, it has to do with how the sugars in refined carbs spike your blood sugar.

Consuming sugars and refined carbs spikes blood sugar, which results in an insulin response that can lower blood sugar to levels low enough to induce secretion of counter-regulatory hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that can awaken someone from sleep, he told Bicycling. Low blood sugar has been shown to produce arousal from sleep and substantially reduce sleep efficiency.

Gangwisch goes on to say that this study suggests that eating a diet rich in high-GI foods could be a risk factor for insomnia, whereas consuming dietary fiber, fruit, and vegetables could help ensure you get proper shuteye.

And while the study only included postmenopausal women, Gangwisch notes that the results would be applicable to younger women and men of all ages, since most everyone experiences a blood sugar spike after eating refined carbs.

So while processed carbs can help fuel your rides, its best to stick to your go-to gels or bars on days when youre doing hard intervals or riding over an hour. Otherwise, stick to complex carbslike whole grains, beans, and vegetableswhen preparing your everyday meals.

Link:
Study Shows the Types of Foods in Your Diet Can Hurt or Help Your Sleep - Bicycling

Oprah will be going on tour for WW in 2020

WW International Inc., more commonly known as Weight Watchers, is banking on another well-known name to drive growth Oprah Winfrey.

WW WW, +1.15% announced Monday that it has extended its partnership with Oprah through 2025. Oprah has been a board member, shareholder and advisor since 2015. She has also served as a face of the brand.

Oprah is scheduled to join WW on a nine-city tour next year, starting in January. A list of the cities on the tour, titled Oprahs 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus, and the celebrities that will join her is provided below.

UBS analysts think Oprahs presence on the tour, along with other famous guests and a supporting marketing campaign, will benefit WWs subscription plans. Moreover, analysts expect ramped up promotion of the companys new plan.

Read: Weight Watchers is launching a new program on Nov. 11, but shares sink 15% after revenue miss

UBS is modeling for 8.3% subscriber growth in 2020. Analysts say there was a spike in Weight Watchers searches after the launch of its latest program, but that trend has turned flat since.

Still, we think the new program launch in combination with more intense marketing efforts around New Years will lead to increased interest, analysts wrote.

UBS rates WW stock neutral with a $38 price target, which is below current levels.

WW stock, which rose 0.5% in afternoon trading Tuesday, has fallen 13% over the past year as the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.03% has gained 25%.

As part of the extended partnership, WW will grant Winfrey, subject to shareholder approval,a fully vested option to buy about 3.3 million WW shares at an exercisable price of $38.84 a share. The option represents up to 4.3% of the shares outstanding, and would cost Winfrey $127.3 million if fully exercised.

If approved at next years annual shareholder meeting, the company expects to take a charge of $62 million.

Winfrey is currently WWs second largest shareholder with a stake of 5.4 million shares, or 8.1% of the shares outstanding, according to data provided by FactSet. That stake was part of the original collaboration agreement announced in October 2015, in which Winfrey spent $43.2 million to buy about 6.4 million shares at $6.79. The stock price has increased by nearly 6-fold since then.

WW also disclosed Monday that Winfrey has established a stock trading plan to sell 2.9 million shares she acquired as part of the 2015 collaboration agreement, for purposes of asset diversification, charitable giving and liquidity. Based on current prices, the value of the 2.9 million shares Winfrey plans to sell have increased by about $94.4 million since they were acquired.

But it hasnt all been rosy for Winfrey since she took a stake in WW.

The shares took a tumble in November after the company reported a third-quarter revenue miss. Nicholas Hotchkin, the companys chief financial officer, said growing studio membership was key.

The company has seen less expensive digital subscriptions grow, but the studio subscription, which provides access to the perks of a WW location, have stalled.

See: IHOPs fast-casual Flipd breakfast chain should satisfy investors, analysts say

Intense focus on the business has led to consistently improving trends since the start of the year, and we expect year-over-year studio recruitment to turn positive in Q4, he said on the earnings call, according to the FactSet transcript. Despite these actions, the studio business continues to be a drag on our revenue metrics given the price of a studio subscription is twice that of a digital subscription.

WW is also facing competition from dietary plans like keto and paleo, which have become part of many peoples health-and-wellness plans rather than just a way to lose weight. Large food companies like Conagra Brands Inc. CAG, +1.35% and General Mills Inc. GIS, -0.40% have launched a variety of products found at the local supermarket to satisfy these tastes.

And Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. CMG, +1.13% has launched a line of Lifestyle Bowls, made with these sorts of diet regimens in mind.

Dont miss: Beyond Meat might not be the only plant-based burger McDonalds uses if it launches in the U.S.

But with word that Oprah was working her magic, KeyBanc Capital Markets analysts also posted a bullish note after third-quarter earnings.

The Oprah Winfrey 2020 Vision, Your Life in Focus, is more than 80% sold out nationwide, analysts wrote at the time. This demand was above managements expectations and we think the company should benefit from press coverage heading into Q4 and 2020.

KeyBanc rates WW shares sector weight.

Oprahs 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus tour dates and celebrities:

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Weight Watchers still banks on Oprah amid competition from other diet plans and its own subscription programs - MarketWatch

When Barbara McCourtney stepped on a scale and the number registered much higher than she would like, she decided it was time for a lifestyle change.

About 25 years ago I started trying different diets and I would start to lose, McCourtney said. I gained it back again and tried out a different diet.

McCourtney began to gain more than she lost with her lifestyle choices. After falling ill with a debilitating sickness, she found herself immobilized and gaining weight with no way to get rid of it.

I was bedridden for about four years, she said. I fell on my bed and I was crying. I just called after God and I said God, I dont know what to do It dawned on me that I had been talking to Him but I hadnt really stopped to listen. Two words immediately popped into my head and (they were) count calories.

McCourtney began counting calories about 12 years ago and she said that is the key to keeping your body healthy and happy.

I finally started realized thats what was wrong with these other diets, she said, explaining how many diets dictate you can eat all the broccoli you want as long as you dont eat cookies.

I just couldnt stick to those diets, she said. When you count calories, you can eat what you want but you have to set boundaries and most diets dont have enough boundaries.

She began keeping a journal of what she ate and the calories she took in.

I gradually kept losing weight, she said. Losing weight is the hardest thing Ive ever done, and I think thats what other diet books have wrong. Other books make it sound easy.

I was originally going to make my journey (and weight loss journal) into a magazine article, she said. But it kept getting longer and longer. I call this book my 12 year labor of love.

Barbara McCourtney, a self-proclaimed former fat lady, wrote a book to help all of those struggling with weight loss. While its main focus is counting calories, McCourtney also talks about the fatal four food groups and how it is OK to splurge sometimes.

McCourtneys book, Does This Diet Make My Butt Look Fat?: Confessions of a Former Fat Lady (and Still Working on It), is not only full of advice to help you lose weight and keep it off, but a personable personality.

One Amazon review said that the person felt she was talking to an old friend in her living room while reading my book, McCourtney said.

An entire chapter in the book is devoted to excuses she used to tell herself.

I wanted to tell people, youre making the same mistakes I was making, she said.

Along with a history of weight loss, McCourtney has a masters degree in psychology from Portland State University.

I wanted to talk about the psychology for those that are curious about what progress or dieting has to do with psychological matters, she said. Thats the purpose behind my chapter The Psychology Behind My Fat Behind.

Although shes lost a lot of weight and published a book on her tactics, McCourtney still struggles with weight gain.

I still fight it, she said. I weigh myself every day and as soon as Im up two or three pounds, I start journaling again.

While full of diet tactics, Does This Diet Make My Butt Look Fat?: Confessions of a Former Fat Lady (and Still Working on It), also has a few of McCourtneys favorite recipes.

Dieting is a lifetime commitment, she said.

She has dessert recipes in the book to satisfy that sweet tooth while also being smart.

While McCourtney said the book is mainly geared toward women, any gender and age can read it.

I say everybody should talk to a doctor in the book, she said. Especially teenagers and pregnant and nursing women.

Read more here:
A second lease on life | Life - The Reflector

Turns out, taking a chance on those leftover chicken salad sandwichesthat had been sitting out on the free table at work all day wasnt such a greatidea.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Now youre home with dreaded food poisoning, splitting timebetween the couch and the bathroom.

While we think of food poisoning, or foodborne illness, as one thing, its actually a broad term that encompasses more than 250 kinds of disease-causing germs, including Salmonella, E. coli and rotavirus. And those germs can cause varying degrees of nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, depending on a number of factors.

Gastroenterologist Christine Lee, MD, answers some commonly asked questions about how to get through a bout of food poisoning.

A: You get foodpoisoning from eating or drinking food that is contaminated with pathogenicviruses, bacteria, toxins, parasites or toxic chemicals. It doesnt always comefrom rotten or spoiled food. It could come from perfectly good food that wasjust improperly handled or cooked.

A: It depends on what the culprit is, how much was consumed and a persons individual immune system. For example, common food poisoning like Bacillus cereus can set in within 6 to 16 hours. But there are some foodborne illnesses that are latent, meaning they have to reproduce in your system and get into a large load. Hepatitis A virus, for example, can take 15 to 50 days to present.

But in general, most common types take 4 to 24 hours to set in.

A: That alsodepends on the individual. In general, 1 to 10 days, but it can be longer insome circumstances.

A: Yes,viralorbacterial food poisoningcan sometimes produce fever.

A: Its best to stick to a BRAT diet. That would be things like bread, rice, rice pudding, applesauce, toast and bananas. Something bland. Or chicken noodle soup.

You want to stay away fromfood that is more challenging for your digestive track to digest, like greasy,fried or spicy foods.

You want to drink lots offluids, and not just water. Water is isotonic. If youre ill and youre losinga lot of water through diarrhea, or if you have a fever and youre sweating,the best replenishment isnt exactly water. It really should be a not-isotonicfluid. That would be something with salt, sugar or electrolytes in it, likeGatorade, broth, ginger ale or juice. When you consume that kind of fluid, youtend to keep it in your body its less likely to just run off or go straightto your kidneys where youll urinate it out or you have diarrhea output.

Consult your physicianif you have a medical condition that limits yoursodium consumption, such asheart, liver or kidney disease.

A: Bismuth subsalicylate (PeptoBismol) is generally fine to take. It has soothing and anti-inflammatory effects. But be aware that it will turn your stool toblack due to the bismuth. (This is normal but can be alarming if youre not expecting it!)

I would not recommend taking something like loperamide (Imodium) to stop diarrhea, as its better to expel the toxin out of your system rather than keeping it in.

A: Formost of us with healthy immune systems, we can usually recover from foodpoisoning on our own. As long as youre able to keep food or liquids down, thenyou can try to hydrate at home and let it run its course.

But if your nausea is sosevere that youre unable to keep any fluids down, you need to seek medicalhelp. IV fluids can be administered for hydration and to replete lostelectrolytes. You should also see a doctor if you develop a high fever, bloodydiarrhea or extreme pain.

For people who are on immunomodulatingdrugs or medications that suppress the immune system, or who have medicalconditions that suppress the immune system, I recommend seeking immediatemedical attention.

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Food Poisoning: How Long It Lasts + What to Do When You've Eaten Something Bad - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

All photographs courtesy of Jade Womack.

Want to be featured inHow I Got This Body? Whether you lost weight or gained it, got toned or gained muscle, I want to hear from you! Email Mimi Montgomery at mmontgomery@washingtonian.com

Who:Jade Womack, 26, government employee and bartenderLives:Adams MorganHeight: 54Pounds lost: 45 lbs.How long it took: Since March, I went from a size 10-12 to a size 4-6 and a 36DD to a 36C.

I discovered what a gym was five years ago. But like a lot of people, I thought there were quick fixes to losing weight. Going to graduate school [in Ithaca] from 2015 to 2017, I fell off the workout wagon. In March 2018, I discovered CrossFit and continued going to District CrossFit when I moved back to DC (Im a native!). Im not sure what happened, but I started seeing fitness as a challenge of what my body was capable of versus a painful exercise [to work off] what I ate the night before.

Around the city, I like to take Rumble boxing classes with Sharon Kim, Flybarre with Christie Horan, and Flywheel with Christine McDonough. Ive done the Bar Method as well, and taken a few yoga classes offered by Vida. Another way to keep this fitness journey sticking besides building consistency and habit is to mix it up. So when I travel, I try to stop into different gyms when I can, or I follow fitness influencers on Instagram such as @collegecleaneating and incorporate her movements into my routine.

Sherelle Wilson at Corporate Fitness Center, which is part of the government gym system, has been really helpful. Sherelle and I are training for our first half-marathon together for the Rock and Roll Marathon. Ive been able to run longer distances a lot easier and I think a lot of that has to relate to having less weight on my body. Im currently at a 9:30 pace for the first 5 miles! [The gym also hosts]challenges, and this summer there was one to win an Amazon gift card for attending the most work gym classes. I won the challenge.

Now that Ive built the habit of going to the gym, I want my body to finally reflect the hard work Im putting in. And a lot of that has to do with my diet. I started really tracking my food with MyFitnessPal and practicing a more Paleo diet. I started walking home and to work from Adams Morgan to NOMA and making sure I was eating when I was hungry, not when I was bored.

Cinnamon Toast crunch cereal.

What has made it stick is consistency. Although I lost a lot of weight in the past nine months, in 2018 I tracked my fitness with a calendar. I would put a sticker in my planner every time I went for a workout as a visual reminder of my progress.

Another thing is building it into your schedule. I plan where Im going to go [work out] and if I need to bring workout clothes to [the office] in advance. Or Ill change up my schedule: if I have a meeting, Ill need to work out after work and [then Ill] take a spin class versus using the work gym. Or if Im going out later, [Ill plan] what Im going to eat for lunch to balance my macros. These small considerations really help. I read once that you dont slice all your tires because you get a flat. If you fall off the workout routine one day, its okay. You can get back on.

I love my quads. Theyre rocks. I was at one of my favorite wine bars on 14th Street and this guy came up to me and wanted to cheers to my eyes. He said they were the most beautiful ones he had seen. And I told him that was stupid because I dont work on my eyesI was born with them. I then flexed and told him to feel my quadshe should cheers to them instead. I work on my quads. They werent made overnight!

I have a lot more energy and better skinthe biggest thing Ive noticed from sweating more is having a clearer complexion. Internally, I would say better self-care: I consider my gym time my me time. [Its my] time to plan out my day or to reflect. I really check in with my body: If Im too tired, Ill change my workout. If I havent slept enough, Ill sometimes skip a workout. If Im sore, Ill eat Halo Top ice cream in my bathtub and soak. And that mindfulness of really checking in with myself is something I didnt do a lot and is something I dont think we do enough. Fitness sort of forces you to. And with knowing yourself [comes] a sense of self-esteem and confidence I didnt know I had.

Have fun with it and ask questions. I didnt know what I was doing when I first lifted weights, and CrossFit really helped. Now that I use my work gym, I ask the trainers all the time [for guidance]. Alsobuild it into your schedule and routine if you want it to stick, or to come up with a sustainable plan.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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Associate Editor

Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She previously was the editorial assistant at Walter Magazine in Raleigh, North Carolina, and her work has appeared in Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Adams Morgan.

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How I Got This Body: Flywheel and Rumble Classes, Food Tracking Apps, and Still Making Time for Eating Ice Cream in the Bathtub - Washingtonian