Over the past several years, Tom Brady has become notorious for an unusual and highly specific diet that has not only become the lifeblood for how he trains, but has actually become a profitable little side hustle.

Brady has a new book coming out, "The TB12 Method,"that is already a bestseller. (See the cover art here.) That's in addition to his $200 cookbook that is routinely sold out and his TB12 delivery meal service. It feels like this all sort of popped up very recently, but Brady actually revealed in an interview with Willie McGinest on NFL Network that he started to head in this direction well over a decade ago.

And, in fact, it was apparently McGinest who approached Brady before the 2004 season, with Brady already a two-time Super Bowl champion, and told him that if he didn't change his diet and training regimen, he would struggle to stay healthy throughout his career.

"I love playing and I think all of the work that I've been able to do has really set me up for this. I've been working hard for a long time. Because of you," Brady told McGinest. "When I was out here in 2004 and couldn't go through a training camp practice without being hurt. You said, 'Listen, this is what you've got to do, you've got to go work with Alex [Guerrero]. You've got to start preventing these injuries, because it's no good if you're sitting on the sideline.' From that day, my elbow hasn't hurt, my shoulder hasn't hurt.

"And you just incorporate those continuing treatments with the right diet, the right nutrition, you keep doing it. That's what I love talking about, because I love football and I want to keep doing it for a long time."

Brady has long said that he wants to play until he's 45 years old. It sure does feel like an impossible feat, but he is already 40 and he is playing at a high level, having just completed an MVP-caliber season (if he had played all 16 games he might have won it) that culminated in the greatest Super Bowl comeback ever and another Super Bowl MVP award.

It's something that apparently has been in the works for a long time. It would be easy to assume that around the age of 35 Brady started to change his diet and incorporate new and different technology, dietary habits and exercise activities into his day-to-day routine. But it turns out it actually happened way back in 2004, when Brady was just a young (well, 27, but still) quarterback who was already feeling the wear and tear of the NFL growing on his body.

Now Brady feels better than he did a decade ago, and has shown no signs of slowing down as he gets older.

Go here to read the rest:
Tom Brady reveals exactly when he decided to change his diet and exercise habits - CBSSports.com

Researchers put volunteers with both higher and lower incomes on a Mediterranean diet, but only the participants with higher incomes showed health benefits.

The Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on olive oil, fish, and unrefined foods, has long been seen as a healthy way of lowering the risk of heart disease and leading a healthier life.

Researchers have shown that these health benefits are indeed real, but only for those who can pay.

A research team from the Italian Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed (Institute for Research, Hospitalization, and Health Care) studied more than 18,000 adherents to the Mediterranean diet. Their findings were recently published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

They found that when people followed this eating pattern, cardiovascular risk factors were only lowered in those with higher educational levels and/or higher incomes.

In those who had received less education or made less money, researchers observed no benefits.

Researchers say their findings should spark a discussion on how people learn about and obtain their food.

Participants were asked to adhere to an optimal Mediterranean diet.

They were measured by a score indicating their intake of fruits and nuts, vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish, fats, meat, dairy products, and alcohol intake.

Participants following an optimal Mediterranean diet came from various walks of life. So why did their outcomes differ so much?

Although we cannot definitely answer this question, we observed that, given a similar adherence to the Mediterranean diet, people with higher socioeconomic position (higher income, or greater educational level) showed more favorable eating behaviors overall, Marialaura Bonaccio, PhD, researcher at the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention and first author of the study, explained in an email to Healthline.

Bonaccio said that those with more favorable health outcomes were more likely to report a diet rich in antioxidants or polyphenols, as well as whole-grain or organic foods and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Such disparities persist within a comparable Mediterranean diet adherence, and possibly account for the different health outcomes observed in the socioeconomic groups, she said.

In other words, not all Mediterranean diets are created equal. The diet dictates what foods are eaten, but not the quality of these foods.

When asked what specific higher-quality foods might be inaccessible to those in a lower socioeconomic bracket, Bonaccio used olive oil as an example.

Here in Italy, we have a wide range of products with different costs and different nutritional properties, she said. It is unlikely that a bottle of extra virgin olive oil that costs two or three euros has the same nutritional properties of a bottle that costs around 10 euros. Our hypothesis is that differences in the price may yield differences in healthy components and future health outcomes. Of course, those with higher incomes are more likely to buy the 10-euro bottle than subjects with low incomes, and this is a reasonable explanation of the fact that such disparities in access to food would provide different heart benefits over time.

The research team plans to expand on their findings by getting more precise information on exactly where people are getting their food, as well as the ways that ones socioeconomic standing impacts their access to high-quality food.

Beyond this, Bonaccio said, there are two areas in which to take action.

The first should aim to improve nutrition knowledge of less educated people by, for instance, giving more correct information on diet and its relationship with health, starting early in life (primary school), she wrote. For example, everyone is likely aware that eating fruits and vegetables is good for health, but few may know that variety in such foods may be as important as quantity.

The second step could be getting governments to invest in good health.

People should be put in the condition of adopting a healthy diet, said Bonaccio. In light of this, one could imagine that the expenses for high quality certified Mediterranean diet-related foods be at least partially deductible from state or regional taxes, or the related value-added tax (VAT) be selectively reduced.

As an example, Bonaccio suggested that taxes on olive oil of unknown origin should be higher than the taxes on extra virgin olive oil of certified origin.

Giovanni de Gaetano, director of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, said that the findings should frame the Mediterranean diet in a new light one that takes into account socioeconomic status.

We cannot be keeping on saying that the Mediterranean diet is good for health if we are not able to guarantee equal access to it, he said in a release.

Read more:
Not All Mediterranean Diets Are Created Equal - Healthline

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams does not sit in the cafeteria and gaze at teammates trays or get wistful as he smells whats being cooked. When Williams sits down to another vegan meal, hes not fighting an urge to push his plate aside and dive into one that includes meat.

He's happy with what's on his plate.

Temptation is something that comes along when youre doing something you dont want to do, Williams said. Its a choice. Theres no temptation. No one is policing me saying I can or cant eat meat. It was a decision on my part.

One that hell keep doing. Williams touts the Redskins offensive line as Hogs 2.0, but Hogs 1.0 were full of beer-drinking, meat-eating players. Williams, though, keeps looking for an edge, and this offseason that included altering what he eats. Theres a family history of diabetes, but theres also a desire by the five-time Pro Bowler to play a long time and find any way to maintain an advantage. There has been no drop-off in his performance during camp.

How much longer he continues eating vegan remains uncertain. Williams month doing so ended Sunday, and hes debating if he should stick to it or, per the advice of his nutritionist, add fish a few times a week.

Ill never go back to eating like I used to, Williams said.

Williams started on this path in part because of a documentary called What the Health. But, he said, he was already contemplating a change. When he decided to do it, he went (pun intended) cold turkey.

I set a date that I wanted to do it, and before that day leading up to it, I binged on everything I thought I would miss, Williams said. Barbecue, Mexican food, a good steak. All the stuff I had eaten a lot.

Heres a look at Williams typical meals now, compared with the past:

Breakfast: A smoothie, with fruit and kale. Williams adds a vegan protein supplement given to him by a nutritionist. Hell usually have two smoothies, totaling between 20 and 24 ounces. That suffices until lunch. In the past, Williams ate what he called a typical breakfast: a big omelet, maybe a waffle.

Lunch: Lately, he has been eating pasta with mushrooms or spinach and sometimes tofu. If he wants something with more substance, hell add french fries. Something that sticks to my stomach a little longer, he said. That holds him through the 3 p.m. practice. Before, Williams was like most of his teammates at lunch, eating a variety of food -- but always something with meat.

Dinner: Lately, he has had a lot of stir-fry vegetables or various forms of pasta, topped with vegetables. He goes heavy on the carbs to maintain energy and to help stay hydrated. But his favorite meal so far: a portobello mushroom burger. That was pretty good. Actually, it was real good, Williams said. It had a lot of flavor. After meetings, hell down another smoothie, around 20 ounces. Dinner before his new diet? Meat.

[Before], sometimes Id eat lunch and feel it in my stomach for hours, Williams said. Sometimes, Id feel sluggish. Sometimes I wouldnt eat breakfast before 1 p.m. games because I knew it would make me sluggish. Now I eat breakfast and my body burns it the right way.

More people play on ESPN than anywhere else. Join or create a league in the No. 1 Fantasy Football game! Sign up for free!

Williams consulted with Redskins nutritionist Jake Sankal. Teammate Jordan Reed tried a vegan diet in the offseason but stopped because he felt he was losing too much weight. That was an issue for Williams early on as well. He played last season at 323 pounds, but he dipped below 310 after going vegan.

To be honest, I was scared to get on a scale, Williams said. I didnt want to scare myself out of it.

But he said he now weighs right around 320.

Hes in a good spot weight-wise, as good a weight as hes ever had around here, said Redskins coach Jay Gruden, who has lost 22 pounds on his own altered regimen of improved diet and exercise. We will see how it goes, but hes in contact with Jake.

The hardest food to give up, Williams said, was cheese and dairy in general. It has forced him to closely scan ingredient lists, and its why he now eats kettle chips as a snack rather than Cheetos or Doritos.

He did indulge one time, celebrating his 29th birthday on July 19 with a burger.

I tried to treat myself, but it ended up hurting, Williams said. It tasted good going down but sat in my stomach all night. During my workout [the next day], I could feel it the whole time. It took longer to digest than it used to.

Teammates pepper him with questions, wondering if they should try it, as well, including safeties D.J. Swearinger, Will Blackmon and DeAngelo Hall, who is looking for any help in recovering from last seasons torn ACL. Guards Arie Kouandjio and Isaiah Williams joined Williams over the last month.

You feel an overall difference with your energy, Williams said. I just feel better. ... If it keeps me healthier, why not?

Read more:
Redskins' Trent Williams hopes vegan diet helps body, performance ... - ESPN (blog)

Reuters Health - Eating foods high in fiber, such as those found in a Mediterranean diet, was tied to a lower risk of gallbladder surgery in a recent French study.

Compared to people who didnt follow a Mediterranean diet pattern, those who adhered to it most closely had a significantly lower likelihood of needing a cholecystectomy, which is the medical term for an operation to remove the gallbladder, say the authors.

We found that higher intakes of legumes, fruit, vegetable oil, and (whole grain) bread were associated with decreased cholecystectomy risk, and a higher intake of ham was associated with higher risk of cholecystectomy, wrote the authors in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

About 700,000 cholecystectomies are performed every year in the United States, according to the American College of Surgeons. Most are the result of blockage due to gallstones.

Gallstones are very common, but most of them are asymptomatic, meaning people have no symptoms. If you don't have any symptoms from your gallstones, there's no reason to have your gallbladder removed, said Dr. James Lewis, a gastroenterologist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia who was not part of the study.

The vast majority of people with gallstones never have problems from them, Lewis said in a phone interview.

When they do cause problems, then having your gallbladder removed is completely appropriate, he said.

The new study, led by Dr. Amelie Barre at the University of Paris Sud in Orsay, used information on nearly 64,000 women who were born between 1925 and 1950 and covered by a national insurance plan. Every two years, they answered questions about their health status, medical history, and lifestyle.

Over the course of 18 years, 2,778 of the women had their gallbladder removed.

Women who ate the most legumes, fruits, vegetable oil, and whole grain bread were anywhere from 13 to 27 percent less likely to have gallbladder surgery than were women who ate the least of those foods.

A western dietary pattern - including high consumption of processed meat, canned fish, eggs, rice, pasta, appetizers, pizza, potatoes, cakes, and alcohol - was not linked with either a higher or lower risk for the surgery. There was, however, an association of ham intake with cholecystectomy risk.

But when researchers assigned a Mediterranean diet score to all participants, they found that women with the highest scores were 11 percent less likely to have the surgery compared to women with the lowest scores.

This type of observational study cant prove that a Mediterranean diet was the reason for womens lower risk of gallbladder surgery, or that ham intake caused a higher risk. Furthermore, dietary intakes were self-reported at just one point in time. The reports may not have been accurate, and womens diets may have changed over time.

Still, Lewis said, the Mediterranean-style diet has consistently been shown to be associated with living longer.

If people really want to think about what they should be eating in order to increase their longevity, it's very easy for me to recommend to them that they should try and follow a Mediterranean-style diet, he said.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently advised Americans to follow a diet that is very similar to a Mediterranean-style diet, Lewis noted. (bit.ly/2vHSL8h)

This is just one of many reasons that we should be following that style diet. If you look at the published literature on dietary patterns, what you'll see is that Mediterranean-style diet has been associated with a reduced overall mortality but also reduced cardiovascular mortality (and) reduced risks of cancer, he said.

SOURCE: go.nature.com/2wpsVSL The American Journal of Gastroenterology, online July 25, 2017.

Go here to see the original:
Fewer gallbladder surgeries with Mediterranean diets - Reuters

"The Cheese Trap" is the new book by vegan physician Neal Barnard, the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Barnard argues that avoiding dairy can improve health and promote weight loss. Wochit

Kim and Marc Ramirez of Clinton Township(Photo: Provided by Marc Ramirez, Provided by Marc Ramirez, Provid)

Do you want to lose weight?

Do you want to get off daily medications?

Dr. Neal Barnard says he can help.

Think chickpeas over chicken, peppers over pepperoni pizza, kale over kielbasa. And while youre at it, skip the cheese; its addicting.

Barnard, a vegan for more than 30 years, is a well-known advocate for adopting a plant-based way of eating. He maintains that a plant-based diet is the path to optimum health and a way to combat, and in some cases, reverse, chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

More: Vegan ice cream? Try it, you'll love it!

Over the years, Barnard has conducted and participated in several nutritional studies, including one about controversies explaining why trendy foods items like coconut oil, green juice and gluten-free wear health halos instead of delivering real heart-health benefits, like nutrient-dense, plant-based foods.

Barnard will make a stop in Detroit on Wednesday and Thursday to convey that message as part of a 10-city tour to kick off a 21-Day Kickstart Challenge to follow a plant-based diet.

Dr. Neal Barnard(Photo: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

Barnard is a psychiatrist with a focus on nutrition research. Hes the founder of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), and author of more than 18 books on health and wellness, including his most recent The Cheese Trap (Grand Central Life & Style, $27). The PCRM is a nonprofit that advocates for preventative medicine and higher standard for research.

It was 30 years ago that Barnard became vegan after working as an autopsy assistant and seeing the affects of certain foods on health.

I did two things that year: I was a smoking omnivore that threw out the Merit Menthols and threw out my Velveta, too, and never looked back, Barnard says.

The 64-year-old Washington, D.C.-based doctor will be at the Chass Clinic in southwest Detroit on Wednesday for a presentation announcing the kick-off of the challenge.

Barnard says he choose to start the effort in Detroit because we need the help.

More: Please, no more downtown Detroit burger restaurants

The adult obesity rate in Michigan is 31.2%, up from 22.1% in 2000, according to a September 2016 report from the State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The health indicators are not good. Theres a lot of obesity and a lot of type 2 diabetes, Barnard says. It doesnt make it unique because frankly, thats true of the entire civilized world. But Detroit is right up there.

Barnard also sees Detroit as a leadership city and says its where many things get started and spread elsewhere. We also have some terrific boots on the ground there, he says.

At Chass Clinic, Barnard will be joined by Marc Ramirez, a former University of Michigan football player. Ramirez, 50, and an AT&T operations manager, switched to a plant-based diet more than five years ago.

The Cheese Trap by Dr. Neal Barnard(Photo: Provided by Physcians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

On Thursday, Barnard will visit the Motor City Health Fest in the Eastern Market area in Detroit. Billboards are up around town about the event, touting Eat more fruits and vegetables and cut the dairy and meat. There, he will join Rameriz and Dr. Joel Kahn, a local cardiologist and owner of GreenSpace Cafe in Ferndale, and other support groups and plant-based diet experts.

After being sick for a decade, taking pills and getting worse, in 2 months, Im off my insulin shots and all Metformin pills and in three months, I lost 50 pounds, Ramirez says.

Ramirez also dropped 50 pounds within those first few months. Ramirez has a long family history of diabetes. Of his eight siblings, only one sister does not have diabetes, a disease that affects millions of Americans.

Ramirez and his wife, Kim, are certified Food for Life Instructors by PCRM. They founded Chickpea and Bean, which offers plant-based lifestyle seminars and cooking classes.

Today at 50, Im the oldest Ive ever been and in the best shape of my life. How does that happen when at 43 I was so sick? Ramirez says.

In April, Ramirez launched a 21-Day KickStart program in Macomb County. Nearly 100 people took the challenge of following a plant-based diet for three weeks. The group averaged an 8-pound weight-loss within those 21 days. And among the 74 people who participated in blood tests, Rameriz says, there was a 15% drop in LDLs (the bad cholesterol), and good cholesterol (HDL) went up 8%.

Barnards 21-day Kickstart pilot program started in 2009. Barnard said 500,000 to 600,000 people have done it worldwide. The program is available in many languages, too.

Two things happen, Barnard says, when people do the challenge: They lose weight and blood sugars improve.

Apart from the physical benefits that they are experiencing, their tastes are changing in a way they didnt forecast. They all say I used to be a cheese-aholic, but no, its not calling my name so much.

Barnard says when switching to a plant-based diet, the average weight loss is a pound a week, which is slow and steady, but theres 52 weeks in a year, and it become effectively a one way street and very healthy direction.

If you want to know more

Dr. Neal Barnard will make an appearance at these metro area events:

The Plant Based Nutrition Support Group will host Barnard at its meeting Wednesday at Seaholm High School in Birmingham. Doors open at 5:30 and the event presentation begins at 6:30. Barnard will sign copies of his latest book The Cheese Trap which will also be on sale. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For tickets go to: http://www.pbnsg.org.

21-Day Kickstart Kick-off: noon -1 p.m. Wednesday at Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) Center, 5635 W. Fort Street, Detroit. To reserve at seat, call 313-849-3920, ext. 5163. The event is free and open to the public.

Motor City Health Fest: 6-9:30 p.m. Thursday at the Eastern (in the Eastern Market area), 3434 Russell St., Detroit. At the health fest, there will be a screening of the film Forks Over Knives, which looked at how following a plant-based diet may ward off chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. There will be free health screenings, nutritional information, food samples and cooking demonstrations.

About 21-day kickstart

This program started by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine includes a 21-day meal plan, weekly meetings, Webcasts, an app that gives you a meal plan with photos, directions, ingredients and nutrition facts for all meals and snacks and demonstrations by Food for Life instructors.

Stir-fry vegetable salad with Asian dressing.(Photo: JESSICA J. TREVINO, Detroit Free Press)

Stir-Fry Vegetable Salad with Asian Dressing

Serves:6 /Preparation time:15 minutes /Total time:45 minutes

Serve this salad warm or cold. You wont use all the dressing. It keeps for 2 weeks and can be used in stir-fries and other salads.

1 package fresh Chinese noodles, optional. Look for fresh Chinese-style noodles in the produce department.

DRESSING

1 1/2cups low-sodium soy sauce

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 bunch green onion (about 6, white and green parts), chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon agave nectar (or to taste)

1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 1/2 cup cold water

SALAD

1 tablespoon canola oil

12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced about 1/4-inch thick

2 large carrots, peeled, julienned

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, julienned

1/2 head green cabbage, finely shredded

3 baby choy sum or baby bok choy, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

1 bunch green onions (about 6, green parts only)

1 cup chopped cilantro

1 bunch mint, chopped

1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, lightly toasted

If serving the salad over Chinese noodles, cook them according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

To make the dressing:Place all the dressing ingredients in a saucepan and bring to just a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. The dressing will thicken just a little. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. When completely cool, strain the dressing into a glass measuring cup or jar (discarding solids) and refrigerate until ready to use. If not using right away, strain the dressing into a jar that has a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

To make the salad:In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil. Add the mushrooms and saut until just soft and tender. Add the carrots, red pepper and cabbage and saut about 1 minute. Add the choy sum, edamame and green onion and saut 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the cilantro and mint and toss to incorporate. Drizzle with about 1/3 cup or more of the dressing. Serve over noodles with additional dressing on the side. Garnish with almonds.

Adapted from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin (Grand Central Publishing, $29.99).

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Analysis includes noodles and 1/2cup of the dressing and almonds.

333 calories (30% from fat), 12 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 47 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams protein, 908 mg sodium, 5 mg cholesterol, 7 grams fiber.

Vegan Linguine with Shitake mushroom sauce.(Photo: JESSICA J. TREVINO, Detroit Free Press)

Vegan Linguine with Shiitake Cream Sauce

Serves:6 /Preparation time:10 minutes /Total time:30 minutes

According to the Vegetarian Times, Mark Reinfield, author of several vegan cookbooks, revamps a classic Italian recipe, replacing clams with a combination of shiitake mushrooms and arame, a sea vegetable available in the Asian food aisle of supermarkets.

12 ounces dry linguine

2 tablespoons arame, optional

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

3 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy, rice or macadamia nut milk

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine, optional

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

4 teaspoons pine nut or walnuts, chopped and toasted

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta. Meanwhile, if using arame soak it in 1/2 cup hot water.

Meanwhile, in large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms, wine and lemon juice; saut 5 minutes, adding about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water (if needed) to prevent sticking.

Reduce the heat and add soy milk, nutritional yeast, margarine (if using), red pepper flakes and arame with soaking liquid; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Divide linguine among 4 plates, top with shiitakes and sauce, and garnish with parsley and pine nuts.

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

386 calories (21% from fat), 9 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 65 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams protein, 114 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 grams fiber.

Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/2vKBewn

Read this article:
Eat a plant-based diet lose weight, shed medications and get healthy? - Detroit Free Press

What?

MealKitt premium portion controller (mealkitt.com, 34.99) is a unit of containers analogous to food groups, filled within strict constraints for every meal.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, knowing his weight-loss plan permitted but 50% of one peck of peppers. The upshot is hes dead now.

There are only two other Kitts I know of: the divine Eartha Kitt and the talking car from Knight Rider. The latter a marginally more credible character than David Hasselhoff playing a detective is possibly related to this one, because there is a bossiness to MealKitt. But not a charming one. Practically, it is a set of portion-controlling food scoops. Ideologically, it is the blueprint for a totalitarian diet: an iron-fisted, planned-economy jurisdiction that will crush you.

I have a lukewarm go on it, cooking courgette frittata with green salad. I have to count out half a green box of cherry tomatoes (about five) and measure out my dressing in a tiny yellow liquid fats thimble. I have to fit my wedge of frittata into a blue carbohydrate sizing box, which is the wrong shape. I hate it with my soul. Hate squashing food into sterile, rectilinear containers, hate this way of thinking about meals, where a crusted salmon bake is reduced to a gross of grains plus a quota of proteins. I hate the suppression of joy, the submission to an inflexible system. (If abandoning individual agency appeals, why not check out the rest of the range, including political traumas of the 20th century and synchronised swimming?)

MealKitt is simple to use, by turning mealtimes into a fascistic checklist, and has echoes of the phenomenally popular Joe Wicks SSS plan, which is genuinely what its called. I would rather line my stomach with pebbles. It is acceptable to embrace rationing if you live in a warzone or you are adrift on a raft. Otherwise, why bother? Learn to love vegetables more and eat as much of them as you want. That might sound hard, but better than eating austerely kids-menu sized meals for the rest of your days. Screw the green box. Eat the peach, dont count it. Better to measure out your life in coffee spoons than blue cups of carbohydrate.

The cups look like tools a child might play with on the beach if, instead of sandcastles, they were erecting office blocks.

Mausoleum in the Red Square. 1/5

Read this article:
Kitchen gadgets review: MealKitt portion controller the blueprint for a totalitarian diet - The Guardian

K

ISSIMMEE, Fla. Twelve-year-old Cecily Vamminos eyebrows shot up as she closed her lips around the veggie pie. It was a subtle mlange of carrots, potatoes, and zucchini, surrounded by a vaguely sweet crust, and it was not working for her.

Cecilys jaw carefully dispatched the invader while her left hand slid the remaining threat to a place where it could not harm her.

Uh-uh, she said, shaking her head.

Like every other meal Cecily would be sharing with 19 other children and their parents this month, this one was freshly cooked and served by the crack staff of kitchen professionals who were working under strict orders: Give the kids anything they want, as long as its all organic, and free of gluten, dairy, salt, and processed sugar.

It was a grand medical and, in ways, social experiment. The children are all living with a rare kidney disorder called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or FSGS, in which their kidneys leak proteins into the bloodstream. The disease strikes 5,000 people in the United States each year, and for a subset of pediatric patients, like most of those here, treatments like steroids and immunosuppresants dont help. They face painful symptoms and, eventually, the prospect of kidney failure.

For decades, FSGS has represented a stubborn medical mystery, but in recent years researchers have unearthed clues that have led them to ask a simple question. In an age when seemingly every ailment is treated with a pill, could a change in diet essentially force this disease into remission and, possibly, save these childrens lives?

It would be huge, said Dr. Leonardo Riella, the black-bearded nephrologist who is leading the research team here. Were hopeful, but we will see.

To get to the answer, though, Riella and his colleagues had to first design a research trial that could control the childrens diet long enough to observe possible effects, in a place where medical and scientific protocols could be followed and, importantly, in an environment that might tempt families to sacrifice a month of their lives in the name of science.

Two ideas came to mind: camp and Disney.

Since it would be difficult to find an established camp in Orlando that could accommodate such dietary restrictions for a large group, Riella and his team at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston created a camp-like environment at a water park resort here.

For every time Cecily and her friends confronted veggie pies (and whipped avocado desserts), there were considerable perks: a romp at the water park, movies in a huge in-home theater, a private performance from former Ringling Bros. acrobats, and trips to Disney.

It was all experienced from the confines of luxurious houses with backyard pools. It was all for free. And it was all in the name of science.

R

iellas clinical trial has its roots in a bit of research conducted in the early 1970s, the results of which were published in the Lancet. That small pilot study suggested that a subset of patients with nephrotic syndrome, a condition related to FSGS, improved while on dairy-restricted diets. Despite multiple similar case reports that followed, most of the field focused on drug treatments instead of dietary changes.

But theres always been chatter about this, said Lauren Lee, director of research and engagement for NephCure Kidney International, a Pennsylvania-based advocacy group for people with FSGS and other protein-leaking kidney disorders. (NephCure helped recruit patients for the trial.)

Then, three years ago, the parents of a 1-year-old girl in Brazil with nephrotic syndrome reached out to Riella. The girls condition had failed to improve with conventional treatments. Her parents had read that modified diets had helped others, and wondered if their daughters disease might be related to food sensitivity. They asked a doctor in Brazil to guide her through a new diet.

Within two weeks, the girls kidneys all but stopped leaking protein, and she effectively went into remission. Her parents were ecstatic, but they also wanted the medical community to better understand the mechanisms of this intervention, in hopes that doctors would embrace it as a treatment.

They were prepared to anonymously fund a research trial, but they wanted it done quickly.

As in this summer.

I thought, No way could we make it happen, said Riella, back in one of the three houses the research team rented for the trial one of which serves as the cafeteria and medical-team headquarters.

Riella, who is associate director of the Brighams kidney transplant program, has published widely on issues related to nephrotic disorders and immune-related topics, and is currently investigating a drug that could increase the success of kidney transplants.

For the Orlando-area study, at least, there would be no need for lengthy Food and Drug Administration approvals because no drug was involved. But he still needed to design the protocol, have it approved by his hospitals review board, and set up the operation 1,300 miles away from his office.

And then there was the small matter of recruiting 20 families to participate.

We thought, could we make a fun environment for them?

Aside from attracting families who would appreciate weekly theme park visits and almost-daily water park trips, Riella suspected the camp-like environment would appeal to a group of people who rarely meet others with their condition. It would also provide an environment for educational programming, like health lectures, cooking classes, and shopping tips, to help them eat a more kidney-friendly diet.

The parents of the girl in Brazil agreed to foot the bill (while insisting on anonymity). The next step was to find participants.

The medical team reached out to colleagues worldwide and attracted families from Belgium, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and the U.S. While locking down commitments from 20 families, they designed a testing protocol that would enable them to ship samples overnight to their Boston lab for analysis.

The participants will be encouraged to revert to their normal diets when theyre home, and theyll be tested again one month later to compare results.

Other researchers are watching the trial with interest. There is no doubt that the scientific question is important and the evaluation of the diet and its impact in a strictly controlled setting is ideal, said Dr. Bradley Warady, a research physician who treats pediatric nephrology patients at Childrens Mercy Kansas City. Whether or not a one-month evaluation is sufficient remains to be seen.

T

aylor Faulkner, 21, slumped on a lounge chair at the poolside on a muggy Wednesday afternoon. I think were all a little tired still from Monday, she said.

Monday was the groups second theme park side trip, and the kids didnt get to bed until nearly midnight. Children with FSGS often tire easily, and the group was still adjusting to their new diet, as well as new beds, noisy homes, and 8 a.m. breakfasts.

Faulker, who is a musical-theater major at Northwest Florida State College, is the oldest participant by several years, and is the de facto big sister of the crew. Children gravitate toward her and she indulges them with applause, bright smiles, and laughter. She wears her hair in broad curls and a Despicable Me bandage over the spot on her arm where her blood was drawn.

Faulkner was 18 when she first noticed strange swelling in her ankles and a metallic taste in her mouth. The swelling is a telltale sign of nephrotic syndrome; swollen faces appear in the morning, and then, after a day of walking or sitting, the fluid settles in the ankles.

Often patients need hospitalization and a cocktail of drugs that draws fluid from the body, while replacing the lost protein. Patients also frequently need drugs to reduce the high blood pressure that accompanies the condition usually steroids, which are commonly prescribed to limit protein leaking.

The side effects from the medications, Faulkner says, are worse than the symptoms from the disease. Her current treatment, tacrolimus, is usually prescribed to people who undergo organ transplants, and it suppresses the immune system so she cant be around people who are ill.

Like most others in this study, such medications can generally control her symptoms, but because they dont control the underlying disease, her kidneys will eventually scar, putting her on course for dialysis or a transplant.

Thats something I worry about, a bit, she said.

But she and others in the group had heard that a couple of the kids had had their urine tested for protein leakage by their private doctors, and the diet seemed to be having an effect already.

We know somethings working, she said. She listed five different medications shes currently taking, and mused about the prospect of one day trashing them. That would be insane.

O

n the morning before exam day, Jodie Urias and four other veteran circus performers led the campers through 15-minute workshops in circus arts, including juggling, hula hooping, and tumbling.

True to day-camp form, most of the kids resisted switching from their favorite activities, but were quickly wrangled by the circus specialists, who played the part of sweetly stern camp counselors.

After an evening of movies and cellphone scrolling, they rested for the next mornings medical regimen. The children delivered urine and frozen stool samples to the medical team, stood for pictures (to track swelling), then underwent exams by Riella and had their blood drawn.

Some of the smaller children in particular clung to their mothers and wailed in fear of the phlebotomist, but most have endured so many needles that they barely flinched when the moment came. Cecily, for one, said shed been stuck with needles plenty in her life.

Despite some occasional struggles with the food, she said the camp experience has been positive mostly because she made friends after about five minutes.

Her mother, Dena, has been trying to continue her job duties as a software consultant while accompanying Cecily. She said Cecily has been lucky with her disease, in that her outward symptoms have been all-but-invisible, though her kidneys are as burdened as many others.

Indeed, one of the benefits of the trial, Dena said, was that Cecily can better understand the implications of the disease. It really hits home here, she said. And Ive learned so much, too, from the workshops and just getting to know everyone else.

Visiting Disney with severe dietary restrictions, though, can be tricky.

You see other kids walking by with the Mickey Mouse ice cream, and our kids are like following them, hoping a piece breaks off so they can eat it, Dena said, laughing. So yeah, it can be tough in the parks. I wont lie.

Senior Writer, Patients

Bob Tedeschi covers the patient experience for STAT, while also focusing on end-of-life issues. He previously covered technology, business, personal finance and a range of other topics for The New York Times.

Read the rest here:
Drug treatments didn't work. Can a simple diet help change these children's lives? - STAT