A tiny, 3D model of the intestines formed from anti-inflammatory cells known as Paneth cells (green and red) and other intestinal cells (blue) is seen in the image above. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Cleveland Clinic used such models, called organoids, to understand why a Western-style diet rich in fat and sugar damages Paneth cells and disrupts the gut immune system. Credit: Ta-Chiang Liu

Eating a Western diet impairs the immune system in the gut in ways that could increase risk of infection and inflammatory bowel disease, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Cleveland Clinic.

The study, in mice and people, showed that a diet high in sugar and fat causes damage to Paneth cells, immune cells in the gut that help keep inflammation in check. When Paneth cells arent functioning properly, the gut immune system is excessively prone to inflammation, putting people at risk of inflammatory bowel disease and undermining effective control of disease-causing microbes. The findings, published today (May 18, 2021) in Cell Host & Microbe, open up new approaches to regulating gut immunity by restoring normal Paneth cell function.

Inflammatory bowel disease has historically been a problem primarily in Western countries such as the U.S., but its becoming more common globally as more and more people adopt Western lifestyles, said lead author Ta-Chiang Liu, MD, PhD, an associate professor of pathology & immunology at Washington University. Our research showed that long-term consumption of a Western-style diet high in fat and sugar impairs the function of immune cells in the gut in ways that could promote inflammatory bowel disease or increase the risk of intestinal infections.

Paneth cell impairment is a key feature of inflammatory bowel disease. For example, people with Crohns disease, a kind of inflammatory bowel disease characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, and fatigue, often have Paneth cells that have stopped working.

Liu and senior author Thaddeus Stappenbeck, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Inflammation and Immunity at Cleveland Clinic, set out to find the cause of Paneth cell dysfunction in people. They analyzed a database containing demographic and clinical data on 400 people, including an assessment of each persons Paneth cells. The researchers found that high body mass index (BMI) was associated with Paneth cells that looked abnormal and unhealthy under a microscope. The higher a persons BMI, the worse his or her Paneth cells looked. The association held for healthy adults and people with Crohns disease.

To better understand this connection, the researchers studied two strains of mice that are genetically predisposed to obesity. Such mice chronically overeat because they carry mutations that prevent them from feeling full even when fed a regular diet. To the researchers surprise, the obese mice had Paneth cells that looked normal.

In people, obesity is frequently the result of eating a diet rich in fat and sugar. So the scientists fed normal mice a diet in which 40% of the calories came from fat or sugar, similar to the typical Western diet. After two months on this chow, the mice had become obese and their Paneth cells looked decidedly abnormal.

Obesity wasnt the problem per se, Liu said. Eating too much of a healthy diet didnt affect the Paneth cells. It was the high-fat, high-sugar diet that was the problem.

The Paneth cells returned to normal when the mice were put back on a healthy mouse diet for four weeks. Whether people who habitually eat a Western diet can improve their gut immunity by changing their diet remains to be seen, Liu said.

This was a short-term experiment, just eight weeks, Liu said. In people, obesity doesnt occur overnight or even in eight weeks. People have a suboptimal lifestyle for 20, 30 years before they become obese. Its possible that if you have Western diet for so long, you cross a point of no return and your Paneth cells dont recover even if you change your diet. Wed need to do more research before we can say whether this process is reversible in people.

Further experiments showed that a molecule known as deoxycholic acid, a secondary bile acid formed as a byproduct of the metabolism of gut bacteria, forms the link between a Western diet and Paneth cell dysfunction. The bile acid increases the activity of two immune molecules farnesoid X receptor and type 1 interferon that inhibit Paneth cell function.

Liu and colleagues now are investigating whether fat or sugar plays the primary role in impairing Paneth cells. They also have begun studying ways to restore normal Paneth cell function and improve gut immunity by targeting the bile acid or the two immune molecules.

Reference: Western diet induces Paneth cell defects through microbiome alterations and farnesoid X receptor and type I interferon activation by Ta-Chiang Liu, Justin T. Kern, Umang Jain, Naomi M. Sonnek, Shanshan Xiong, Katherine F. Simpson, Kelli L. VanDussen, Emma S. Winkler, Talin Haritunians, Atika Malique, Qiuhe Lu, Yo Sasaki, Chad Storer, Michael S. Diamond, Richard D. Head, Dermot P.B. McGovern and Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck, 18 May 2021, Cell Host & Microbe.DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.04.004

Funding: National Institutes of Health, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, Washington Universitys Genome Technology Access Center, Washington Universitys Digestive Disease Research Core Center

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Finding the right diet to follow to manage your cholesterol can seem like an easy taskuntil you do one quick Google search and find pages and pages of recommendations. While there is no shortage of cholesterol-lowering diets to choose from, there is a shortage of diets that actually have proof to show that they work.

If you are trying to lower your cholesterol naturally, you can hop on the latest fad diet bandwagon that may or may not do anything for you long-term, or you can simply adopt the scientifically-backed Mediterranean diet.

Close your eyes and imagine that you are dining al fresco at a Mediterranean villa or seaside on a Greek island. What are you eating? Are you quickly scarfing down a fast-food cheeseburger and extra-large soda? Or are you leisurely dining on a dish made with olive oil, vegetables, grains, and seeds? And are you eating alone, or are you dining with other people and enjoying the process of eating a meal? (Related:What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Olive Oil.)

The Mediterranean diet is modeled after the way that most people eat when they live by the Mediterranean Sea. And although it is called the Mediterranean diet, it is actually more of a lifestyle that many people who live in this part of the world embrace. They dine with family and friends, stay active, and rarely stuff their faces when they have a free moment during a red-light stop in the car. The TV is off and they are focused on what they are eating.

Those who follow the Mediterranean diet tend to avoid added sugars, highly processed and refined foods, and heavily processed meats. Instead, they focus on whole foods that are nutrient-dense and loaded with antioxidants.

Specifically, people who follow the Mediterranean diet eat:

Overall, it is a diet rich in whole foods and plant-based meals. Oh yeah, and you can have some wine with your meals too.

READ MORE: Wine May Reduce Your Risk of This Health Condition as You Age, New Study Says

In the United States, more than 12% of adults had elevated cholesterol levels in 2015-2016. Elevated cholesterol levels is a risk factor for developing heart disease, which is, unfortunately, the #1 killer of both men and women in this country.

Naturally, many people are looking for ways to reduce their cholesterol levels to help protect their ticker from giving them trouble later on in life. And embracing the Mediterranean diet can do just that.

The Mediterranean diet has been linked to health benefits since the 1960s. It was over half a century ago when researchers showed that people who live in the Mediterranean region experienced lower coronary heart disease mortality compared those who live in other areas of the world. Since then, a growing body of research has shown that following the Mediterranean dietary pattern can result in both a lower total cholesterol and LDL "bad" cholesterol level.

The results of an American Journal of Medicine study, suggest that following a Mediterranean diet appears to be more effective than low-fat diets in reducing cardiovascular risk factors, including cholesterol levels.

This diet continues to be a favorite in the medical community because of the tried-and-true outcomes that it offers. (For more:The Top 5 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Following the Mediterranean diet.)

Holistically speaking, the Mediterranean diet appears to help keep cholesterol levels healthy; however, there are some specific foods that are standouts when it comes to protecting your heart health and following this dietary pattern.

One of those foods is extra virgin olive oil. The Mediterranean diet is rich in "healthy" fats that come predominantly from olive oil and is extremely low in saturated and trans-fats. Olive oil is the main fat source consumed on this diet. And along with the healthy fats that it provides, it is also rich in antioxidants and is salt-free. The combination of these unique facts can play a big role in the heart-health benefit that it offers.

Another Mediterranean diet food group that has been linked to lower cholesterol levels is whole grains. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating whole grains lowered LDL cholesterol more than eating refined grainswith the greatest benefit seen when people ate whole grain oats.

Lastly, the diet's emphasis on nuts may also be a key way it helps lower cholesterol. The Mediterranean diet encourages consumption of nuts, and walnuts, in particular, can offer some benefit when it comes to cholesterol levels. Walnuts are a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition, thanks to the healthy fats, fiber, plant-based proteins, and antioxidants that they provide. In a meta-analysis and systemic review of 26 clinical trials published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that total and LDL cholesterol was significantly reduced when walnut-enriched diets were consumed vs. control diets.

As long as you get the green light from your personal health care provider, starting to follow the Mediterranean diet is simple to do with some small steps. And since small changes can lead to big results, it is best to choose a few principles at a time to adopt and then build on your new habits.

Some steps you can take to get started include:

Adopting the Mediterranean diet may be the missing link you need to help keep your heart health in check. And since eating as-if you are vacationing off of the coast of the crystal-blue sea is no sacrifice, there is very little downside to eating this way in the long run too. Bon Appetit! For more ways to protect your heart and manage your cholesterol levels, be sure to read up on these Eating Habits to Avoid if You Don't Want High Cholesterol, Say Dietitians.

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Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong goal. Each year, thousands of people go on diets to accomplish this goal.

I would like to think that if all diets were successful, the number of people with weight issues would be few, right? The sad reality is that most diets are unsuccessful for various reasons.

In this article, we will look at some of the common diet mistakes and how to avoid them.

Not exercising

In a recent interview with health expert Vanessa Ascencao, she said: South Africa has among the highest rates in the world of chronic disease and obesity, due largely to deteriorating lifestyles, low levels of physical activity, smoking and diets characterised by processed and sugary foods.

Studies show that South African women had the highest incidence of obesity in sub-Saharan Africa at 42%.

In conjunction with a healthy, balanced diet, daily exercise and physical activity are vital. Walk, jog, hike, work out at the gym or play at home with the kids for at least 30 minutes a day, every day.

Not managing stress

Ascencao added that stress can have a direct impact on weight and may lead to unhealthy eating patterns.

Levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, may rise when one is stressed or anxious, which may result in overeating. Increased levels of the hormone lead to higher insulin levels, causing blood sugar levels to drop and increasing cravings for sugary and fatty foods.

Manage stress by relaxing, meditating, or consulting a health professional, said Ascencao.

Skipping breakfast

Skipping breakfast seems like a simple way to cut calories, but it can make you hungry the rest of the day. They say this may lead to unplanned snacking at work and eating a supersized portion at lunch, making calorie counts soar.

Breakfasts high in protein and fibre can curb hunger throughout the day. In fact, studies show people who eat breakfast every day are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.

Ignoring your hunger cues

Dietitian Felicity Curtain says sometimes our habits take control of how and when we eat. She says if we can start to become more mindful and tune in to our hunger cues, it can tell you a lot about when you might feel like eating, or when its time to finish up and put the plate in the fridge to save for lunch tomorrow.

Ditching dairy

Full-fat milk, cheese, and ice cream are taboo for many dieters, but its said that ditching dairy foods may be counter-productive.

Research suggests the body burns fatter when it gets enough calcium and produces more fat when it's calcium-deprived. Calcium supplements dont appear to yield the same benefits, so dairy may have other things going for it. Stick to non-fat or low-fat dairy options.

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The worst diet mistakes you can make and how to avoid them - IOL

Throughout 2021, Good Housekeeping will be exploring how we think about weight, the way we eat, and how we try to control or change our bodies in our quest to be happier and healthier. While GH also publishes weight loss content and endeavors to do so in a responsible, science-backed way, we think its important to present a broad perspective that allows for a fuller understanding of the complex thinking about health and body weight. Our goal here is not to tell you how to think, eat, or live nor is to to pass judgment on how you choose to nourish your body but rather to start a conversation about diet culture, its impact, and how we might challenge the messages we are given about what makes us attractive, successful and healthy.

When Carol Perlman was in fourth grade, she eagerly joined a school-sponsored group called the No-Thank-Yous. It was for kids who wanted to lose weight how sad is that? says the 48-year-old psychologist in Massachusetts, who looks back at the club she joined when she was nine as the starting point of four decades of on-and-off dieting. Ive hopped from one diet to another, including South Beach, Beach Body and Weight Watchers about a bazillion times, she says. Each time I lose about 10 pounds, but then as soon as I start eating normally, it comes right back. It takes an incredible amount of work to lose the weight, and it when I gain it back, its so discouraging it feels like Im moving backward.

Sound familiar? Perlman who falls well within what the Centers for Disease Control labels a normal BMI is just one of the estimated 55% of American women and 34% of men who lose weight and then gain it back over and over again, a phenomenon known as yo-yo dieting, or weight cycling.

That kind of up-and-down may seem so normal to so many of us that its not even worth discussing who hasnt dropped a few pounds before a class reunion or beach vacation, only to gain it back as soon as the event is history? But research is showing us that chronic weight cycling, especially if you start dieting as young as Perlman did, may be doing long-term damage to our bodies, not to mention our mental health.

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While losing weight by following a restrictive diet may not be difficult at first, keeping that weight off is often nearly impossible as your body reacts to what it suspects is a famine scenario by slowing down your metabolism and sending hunger signals to your brain.

This means the majority of dieters gain the weight back often adding on a few additional pounds in the process. This leads to a cycle of emotional highs and lows, first feeling great about yourself, then feeling like a failure, says Mary Pritchard, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Boise State University, who researches body image and dieting.

The very fact that youve lost weight in the past can make you feel more pressure to lose it the next time. We think, well, Ive done it before, why cant I do it again? even if that may not be realistic for your body, says Pritchard, who is currently studying this phenomenon in postpartum women, who can feel intense pressure to snap back after giving birth.

The more times a person weight-cycles, the greater their risk for depression

Pritchard also points out that social media has raised the stakes even higher, as we excitedly post photos of ourselves at our lowest weights and then have them there forever to remind us of how we failed when we regain the weight. Expecting yourself to have a 20-year-old body at age 45 is unrealistic for most people in addition to the changes in metabolism and the loss in muscle mass as we get older, hormonal shifts caused by pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause make weight loss more difficult, Pritchard points out.

Perlman agrees that the guilt comes from inside and out. When youve been at a certain body weight, its hard to give up the idea that you can still get back there, she says. Also, you see other people who are thin, and think, Why cant I be like them?

With this constant merry-go-round of emotions, it should come as no surprise that a large 2020 study in the journal PLOS One found that the more times a person has weight-cycled, the greater their risk for symptoms of depression, which held true for both men and women. The researchers theorize that internal weight stigma that inside voice shaming you each time you gain weight is the mediating force.

To be clear, weight cycling is not just an issue with adults who are trying to lose a significant amount of weight. According to the study in Nature, it is increasingly common with younger women even girls as young as five who are unhappy with the way they look (the study mentions the usual suspects of magazine images, Barbie dolls and trying to achieve a specific type of body to make a sports team as some of the motivating factors for girls to try to lose weight). Perlman recalls that when she first started dieting at nine, it was because she felt the clothes that were popular at that time were not flattering on her body.

Not only is it incredibly disheartening to think about grade-school girls trying to count calories and carbs, but the younger you are when you hop on the dieting merry-go-round, the more opportunities you have over the years to go up and down, back and forth, losing a few pounds here, then gaining a few back. And each time that happens, there is more physical and mental strain on your body.

Every time you gain weight back after a weight loss, there are subtle changes going on in your body and many researchers believe that the over time, all those changes can add up to some serious health risks. These include:

HEART DISEASE: In a 2019 study done in conjunction with the American Heart Association (AHA), researchers found that a history of weight cycling was associated with lower score on the AHAs Life Simple 7, which measures the risk of cardiovascular disease through seven categories, including BMI, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, smoking, physical activity and diet. Though its possible there are outside factors such as genetics that influence both the urge to diet for weight loss and the risk of heart disease, researcher Brooke Aggarwal, Ed.D, assistant professor of medical sciences at Columbia University Medical Center, points out that there was still a very clear connection: Not only was weight cycling associated with a poor cardiovascular health, but we found a dose response, too: Each additional episode of weight cycling was associated with a further reduction on the overall Simple 7 score, she says.

DIABETES: A 2018 Korean study that looked at nearly 5,000 non-diabetic subjects found that after four years, those who had the highest levels of weight cycling were at significantly increased risk of developing diabetes. And a large review published last year confirms that for people who are average weight, weight cycling appears to increase the risk of developing diabetes. That said, the science is less clear when it comes to those who are considered clinically obese: A long-term Korean study found that people with obesity who experienced more weight cycling were actually less likely to develop diabetes than other study participants, which could indicate that, at least in terms of diabetes, the benefits of losing weight even if it is inevitably gained back might outweigh the risks of yo-yo dieting.

But some health experts say its not so simple. The relationship of yo-yo dieting to diabetes is complicated and varies over time, says Paul Ernsberger, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, who explains that the decreases in blood sugar during weight loss are eventually regained, along with an increase in liver fat, which can make diabetes worse. Because diabetes type 2 is a lifelong condition, the long term is what counts. The outlook for repeat dieters is not favorable even if short term results appear to be good, he says.

MUSCULOSKELETAL DECLINE: The more times you cycle through diets, the weaker you may become as you get older. A 2019 study found that people who are "severe weight cyclers" are six times more likely to suffer from low muscle mass, and five times more likely to develop sarcopenia, a musculoskeletal disorder that makes you frailer and more likely to suffer from falls and fractures as you age.

GALLSTONES: Carrying a lot of body weight is one of the risk factors for developing gallstones (masses of cholesterol, bile and calcium salts that build up in the gall bladder, causing severe pain). But according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, losing and gaining weight can also increase the risk: Large swings of body weight, especially the phase of weight recovery, are particularly sensitive to the accumulation of body fat and to the development of metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance, and thereby may facilitate gallstone formation, the report states.

There is still a lot of research being done to parse out exactly what happens every time you lose and then regain weight. But what we do know is this: After weight loss, your resting metabolism decreases, meaning that your body burns off fewer calories just going about your daily business of breathing, sleeping and digesting. And those changes tend to remain even after youve gained back the weight.

Then theres the repeated overshoot theory: Imagine you drop a rubber ball. When it bounces back up, it actually goes higher than where it started out. Now, think of that ball as representing risk factors such as blood glucose and cholesterol levels when you regain the weight you lost, all those numbers bounce back higher than where they were at the start, at least temporarily, Aggarwal explains. Over time, the continuous fluctuation stresses the cardiovascular system, and you wind up in a slightly worse position than you were at baseline, she says.

The third main factor is the increase in visceral fat: When you regain weight after a diet, the weight tends to come back not as muscle, but as fat and much of that is visceral fat that encases your internal organs, Aggarwal explains. This type of fat is strongly associated with cardiovascular risk compared with other areas of the body where you may gain weight, such as the legs, she says.

There's a revolutionary idea being espoused by anti-diet culture proponents, body positivity activists, and Health at Every Size advocates in a growing anti-diet movement: If you have to restrict your diet and bust your butt to lose that 10 pounds, only to see them slide back on as soon as you eat normally again, then perhaps its a sign that your body doesnt want to be that weight.

Eating food that makes you feel nourished and that you enjoy without counting the number of calories or carbs may be the key to remaining at a steady weight, neither up nor down, stabilizing both your emotions and your health. When people shift behaviors around food and eating and movement and stress management and sleep, even when their weight stays exactly the same, we see a decrease in the disease risk and an improvement in health, says Alissa Rumsey, R.D., a certified intuitive eating counselor and author of Unapologetic Eating. Intuitive eating is about taking care of your body rather than trying to punish or control it.

Eating food that makes you feel nourished may be the key to remaining at a steady weight

A lot of people think theres an all or nothing way of eating, adds Rumsey. It can really hold them back in life I know of so many people who wont do things because of their bodies, theyll say When I lose the weight, then I'll start dating or go on vacation or get my master's degree! Imagine if you decided to go ahead and just do those things, no matter what the numbers on the scale said.

After 40 years of dieting, Perlman says she still puts a lot of thought into her food choices, and thinks she always will, but shes focusing these days on eating for energy and health, rather than weight loss. I know now that you can be attractive, stylish and beautiful at any size, she says. I wish someone had told me that when I was younger. If I could go back, I would tell myself to learn what my strengths were and what made me wonderful and focus on that rather than the things I couldnt change.

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The Hidden Dangers of Yo-Yo Dieting and How It Affects Your Body - GoodHousekeeping.com

Dieting is not easy, it could get very overwhelming if you try to pack in a lot in a day. This is why many people develop cold feet just before taking the plunge. Even nutritionists often say that it is not a wise idea to try something completely alien and absurd. You could try with gradual changes and incorporate all things seasonal and local in your diet. This way, you do not shock your body and are also able to lose weight in a much more effective and sustainable manner. Indians are no stranger to vegetarian food. The country houses millions of vegetarians, vegans and plant-based diet followers. While it is tough to yield protein from the limited sources available, it is, of course, not impossible. In fact, many of these vegetables, fruits, grains and pulses bring a gamut of nutrients to the board.

(Also Read:8 Lunches From 8 Union Territories, Discover Culture Through Food)

Clinical nutritionist Rupali Datta says, "vegetarian food is extremely nutritious,number of studies have proved that all the things that help protect us against disease, be it antioxidants, fibre, minerals and vitamins are available to us through plant-based foods. Even the proteins we get from plant-based foods are very low in saturated fats. These diets are protective against heart diseases, diabetes and also various types of cancers."

(Also Read:11 Desi Recipes To Try For Weight Loss Diet - For Breakfast, Lunch And Dinner)

So, if you are a vegetarian or are trying to cut back on meat and eggs, here's an easy meal plan you can try to manage your weight. It must be understood that all bodies have separate requirements depending upon their weight, height and underlying conditions. This meal plan should be used as a reference only, and expert advice should be sought before any major alterations to the diet.

Easy Indian Vegetarian Diet Plan For Weight Loss

BreakfastYou can have a simple moong dal chilawith dahi, or a whole-grain veg sandwich made with veggies. Instead of jams and spreads loaded with preservatives, you can use chutneys.

Moong dal chila is a crepe-like dish made with moong dal

Morning SnackAround 11 a.m-12 p.m when you are slightly hungry, you can tuck into some fresh fruits or nuts.

LunchRemember to take your roti, dal, sabzi, dahi in moderation. Choose whole grains, whole dals over split dals, and a good amount of vegetables. "It is a good idea to fill one-fourth of your plate with grains, one fourth with dal protein, half with vegetables, dahi or milk on the side, finish it off with a fruit", says Rupali Datta.

Dal fry is one of North India's favourite veg preparations (Photo Credit: Istock)

Evening SnackSome roasted makhanas or a delicious fruit chaat could curb those untimely cravings.

DinnerYou can keep the dinner comparatively light. Home-made khichdi is an option, you can add a whole lot of veggies to your khichdi and even replace rice with something rich in fibre like bajra, Here is a bajra khichdi, you may like.

Here are some of our best vegetarian recipes. Try it soon and let us know how you liked them.

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

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Easy Indian Vegetarian Diet For Weight Loss: Too Scared To Start Dieting? Try This Meal Plan - NDTV Food

"Beans, beans, the magical fruit "

Yeah, yeah, yeahweve all heard this little ditty (which has certainly stood the test of time since my kids now sing it themselves).

As a registered dietitian I know that beans deserve more respectand should notbe relegated as the butt of jokes.

Yes, beans give you gasbut they do so much more for you health-wise.

And, while we're rectifying the reputation of beans, let's get something else straight: The overall category of beans is actually called "pulses." Though the words pulses and beans are used interchangeably, they do have distinct meaning.

Men's Health

A pulse is the edible seed from a legume plant, including beans, lentils, and peas. They're a good source of plant-based protein, fiber, and essential nutrients.

People who regularly pulses in their diet can lower blood cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and help promote a healthy body weight.

And they're cheap!

Truth be told pulses just very well might be the most important food for your health, longevity, and wallet. Yet in some circles, theyve been poo pooed as having something called lectins, which are anti-nutrients said to block the absorption of certain minerals and cause GI discomfort.

The truth is, these naysayers are using nothing more than fear and scare tactics to promote their way of eating. Are there some people who have a tough time digesting beans? Sure. Are there many, many more whose health would benefit greatly from adding pulses to your diet? One hundred percent.

Why are they so magical? Where do I begin?

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To start, the USDA counts pulses as a subgroup of the vegetable group and as part of the protein foods group, as well, so they deliver two times the nutritional punch.

"Beans have a high nutrition content, as they provide antioxidants, fiber, protein, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc," says Patricia Bannan, M.S., R.D.N.

And then there's the fiber.

Men's Health

One study published in The Lancet found that for every 8 grams of fiber eaten daily, total deaths and incidence of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer decreased by five to 27 percent.

To put that into real food perspective, cup of most pulses offers at least 8 grams of fiber. In other words, a simple scoop of black beans, lentils or chickpeas to your salad or tacos, for example, might just save your life.

Research has shown people in Blue Zonesareas of the world where people live long, healthy liveseat pulses daily.

Its surely not the only secret, but one that cant be discounted.

The truth is, beans are the one food you should be eating more of for a variety of other reasons as well, in addition to their fiber and nutrient power, with sustainability for your body and the planet atop that list.

Photographer, Basak Gurbuz Derman

"Pulses are considered sustainable, eco-friendly crops because they have a low carbon footprint and support soil health, and use less water than animal protein," Bannan says.

In other words, by adding pulses to your diet, or swapping pulses with a portion of less-sustainable ingredients, you are supporting a healthy and diverse farm and food system.

You don't have to give up animal protein completely, unless you want to.

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Instead, you could take a beautiful filet of salmon and complement it with a side of lentils or other beans. Or maybe your steak salad could also include a cup of beans or a scoop of hummus, which is made from chickpeas, in addition to a variety of colorful veggies.

Even consider taking a seafood-and-vegetable pasta dish and add cannellini beans (a favorite in our house).

While Im certainly a fan of a simple cup of beans added to a salad, tacos, or even pasta, cookbook author and registered dietitian, Michelle Dudash, suggested this simple idea to for an easy to make, delish Slow Cooker White Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Swiss Chard from her upcoming book out in June, The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook.

In a slow cooker, combine 1 can drained cannellini beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 bunch chopped Swiss card, 2 cups vegetable broth, and 1/2 diced onion. Sprinkle in your favorite seasonings, like Italian seasoning, garlic, liquid amino acids, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.

A generous and hearty 1 1/2 cup serving of this vegan stew is only 182 calories, yet provides 9 g fiber, 11 g protein, and just a gram of fat. This nutritional profile leaves you with some room to drizzle on some rich-tasting, extra-virgin olive oil for added satisfaction, or pair with a glass of wine or kombucha, or square of dark chocolate.

Or more beans?

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Health Benefits of Legumes - The Healthiest Beans for Your Diet - menshealth.com

Worldwide, the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. Today, there are 650 million people who qualify as obese, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Obesity can lead to serious health conditions, like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and treating obesitythat is, losing weight and keeping it offis not easy.

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine endeavored to find the most effective way to maintain healthy weight loss. In a randomized clinical trial, the researchers looked at 215 participants with obesity and found that the most effective way to lose and maintain weight may be to initially control one's diet and then combine moderate-to-vigorous exercise with appetite-reducing obesity medication.

The medication in question, an appetite-suppressing hormone called liraglutide, is prescribed in the U.S. under names like Saxenda and Trulicity. Liraglutide is an analog to a natural appetite-inhibiting hormone GLP-1, which is secreted by the intestines when we eat.

RELATED: 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work

"Common side effects [of liraglutide] include nausea," Professor Signe Srensen Torekov, the lead researcher on the new study, tells Eat This, Not That! However, starting with a low dosage and increasing dosage slowly should help, she says.

Study participants were divided into four groups: two received placebo medication, and two received liraglutide. One of the groups receiving medication either performed vigorous exercise for 75 minutes a week or moderate activity for 150 minutes a week (or some combination of the two), while the other group did not have an exercise program. The same was true for the two placebo groups.

After a year, while participants in the placebo group with no exercise gained half their weight back, the participants who had exercise alone and medication alone both managed to maintain their weight loss. However, researchers found that the combination of exercise and liraglutide witnessed the most dramatic improvements. These participants lost more fat mass while retaining muscle mass. They also reported higher fitness ratings, reduced blood sugar levels, and improved quality of life.

While these results are promising, liraglutide is a prescription medication, and therefore not available to everyone. In fact, some registered dietitians, like Dr. Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, CDN may even advise against such appetite suppressants.

"I do not recommend appetite suppressants as your body gets used to them and you do not learn healthy behaviors," she says.

As the study shows, even without liraglutide, participants who followed a moderate-to-vigorous exercise regimen were able to maintain their weight loss even without the appetite suppressant. Focusing on diet, as all the participants did during the first part of the study, is crucial.

"I recommend behavior modification, portion control, creating healthy habits, and choosing healthy foods which are not too calorie-dense. And of course, exercise is key too," explains Young. "It's important to create a lifestyle program you can sustain."

For exercise tips, be sure to check out3 Workouts Proven to Change Your Body Shape, Says Exercise Expert.

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This Diet and Exercise Combo Is the Key to Long-Term Weight Loss, New Study Says | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Illustration: Ryan Inzana

Since moving to the U.S. from London in 2016, This American Life producer Bim Adewunmi has been dismayed to find certain aspects of American culinary culture lacking. This is probably sacrilegious to an American magazine I dont want to make enemies! but I think the sweets are better in the U.K., she says. The radio producer and playwright (her debut, Hoard, premiered in London in 2019) has a bunch of new projects in the works, most of which shed rather not discuss yet. This week, she investigates the comparative oat lattes of Bed-Stuy, considers whether she can justify the price of an airport Kind bar, and tries to make do with Welchs fruit snacks.

Thursday, May 13I just moved back to Bed-Stuy after four years in Crown Heights. It came down to the pandemic. Suddenly you discovered the habits of your neighbors that you wouldnt normally knowbecause you were at work, but then work became home and home became work, and my downstairs neighbor, it turned out, loved nothing more than playing incredibly loud gospel music and also frying fish. The fish smell would waft up and the ground would be vibrating from the music he was playing downstairs the combination was heady. After a year of that, I was like, You know what, I work in audio! It doesnt make sense to be living in what is essentially a rave, cheap as it is. And it was a steal. But I couldnt keep doing it. It had been four years of really cheap rent maybe that was my gift. It was time to go elsewhere.

I never knew how long I was going to be living here, but one of my goals, before I leave the city, was to live in a brownstone, and now I am. Its a lovely apartment and its quiet and I love that.

Around 9:30, I walked down to Nagles Bagels on Tompkins, and ordered the Veggie Nagle: eggs, baby arugula, feta, and chili jam on a salt bagel and then punched in my reward card. Their bagels are good, theyre filling, theyre all that stuff, but I was really coming for the chili jam. The chili jam is fantastic. Im very slowly eating my way across Bed-Stuy, so that I get my bagel here, but Ill get the coffee elsewhere this is part of me trying to re-acclimatize to the neighborhood so I crossed the street to Brooklyn Kettle and got an oat latte. One Dance by Drake is playing in the store, and I am instantly taken back to the summer of 2016. That was my first summer in New York. Id come to report the election for BuzzFeed. I remember just dancing a lot to Drake that summer. I look back at it like, Oh God, were we ever so young? Because I am always charmed by the squat shape of the bottles, I also get a bottle of Martinellis apple juice.

The sandwich filled me all the way up, even though I ended up discarding about a quarter of the bagel. Im fresh out of Ramadan, and it still feels like my stomach has shrunk in the last four weeks. It takes a while to re-adjust to three square meals. Im not the most observant Muslim in the world, but one of the things I really, really, really love to do is Ramadan. There is something that I find very soothing and unifying to know that across the world, during this one particular period of the year, all Muslims of a certain age and disposition are doing exactly the same thing.

Then I get to work. I was flying to Minneapolis for a story the next day, so it was a lot of logistics. All through the day, I drank from a bottle of Polar seltzer, a habit I picked up when I moved to the U.S. I am a huge fan of Polar like, huge because I mean, its everywhere, and they have a fantastic range. Every summer they have limited-edition flavors, which Im very into. Todays flavor is blueberry lemon.

Lunch is a not really affair: I have a slice of toast from a semi-disastrous attempt at a Nigella sandwich loaf I dont know how I messed it up! toasted and buttered, plus a heavy-handed serving of Bonne Maman raspberry jam. Back in the early days of the pandemic, I attempted sourdough starter like every other Brooklyn media person, but the starters would just not take, and many frustrations later, I moved on to making regular bread. Mostly, I use the no-knead recipe from The Kitchn, and now, every couple of weeks, I think, oh, yeah, I need some bread, and I bake it. This loaf, though, landed on my counter like a brick. I thought, this is a weapon. But is it edible? Yes, it is edible. I dont believe in throwing food out, not usually, so I was like, You know what? Godspeed. Were just gonna go with this. I also crunched a couple of handfuls of Trader Joes maple pecan granola while Im waiting for the toast, and I made a cup of Yorkshire tea to go with. And water! The week after Ramadan is always spent telling yourself to drink more now that its allowed again.

For dinner, I debated cooking the chicken thighs I had in the fridge, but laziness won out and I ordered from Skips, as influenced by my friend Erin Evans, whod posted about it on Instagram a few months ago. I ordered some shrimp and fries, plus fried okra. I love okra. All forms of it. A lot.

Unfortunately, I was delivered somebody elses dinner rice and peas and chicken and mac and cheese of unknown provenance. I felt bad for throwing the meal out but I didnt know where it came from! I was profoundly disappointed and starving. It felt like a message from the universe, but in my mums voice: You have to cook the food you buy! So I did a slightly modified version of Melissa Clarks famous lemony garlicky chicken, with bone-in, skin-on thighs. Its perhaps the most perfect chicken recipe in the world.I just re-seasoned my Lodge cast-iron skillet so that was a nice test to see if it had worked. It worked! I ended the day just after 2 a.m. with a cup of tea. Yorkshire, with a splash of Lactaid 2 percent.

Friday, May 14I was up again at 3:20 a.m. The day before travel or a big interview or whatever, I tend not to sleep anyway, especially if theres travel involved. I get very stressed out about missing a plane or a train. I have a tweet that I return to a lot, which is, My personal kink is arriving at the airport two hours early. I love that shit. I refuse to be stressed out at an airport.

I smashed some avocado with Everything But the Bagel seasoning, chili flakes, onion salt, pepper and the juice from the half-lemon I didnt use in my chicken dinner, and spooned it onto two slices of lightly buttered toast. On one, I also put a little dab of the Fly by Jing Sichuan chili crisp. I ate one slice of the avocado toast as I walked down the stairs to the Uber and ate the other one outside Terminal 4 at JFK. Its my first flight anywhere since January 2020. I know for a fact theres no way I would have done it if I didnt have the Moderna coursing through my body. At the airport, I contemplated getting a coconut and almond Kind bar but $3.69. So thats a no on principle.

In the air, we were served almonds and Biscoff from the cart I ate the almonds and saved the biscuits for later, in case I got peckish. Once we landed in Minneapolis, my co-producer at TAL Aviva DeKornfeld and I walked to Hen House Eatery on the recommendation of our hotel desk staff and ordered the Two Eggs and Hen Potatoes with multigrain toast and chicken sausage and just kept asking for coffee refills. Then we had a full day of reporting.

All my reporting for the last year has been done on the phone or via email, so this was the first time I was like, out in the world, and by the end, I was knackered. I dont know how I used to commute and go places and then sometimes go out after work! It is exhausting to be alive and moving.

We got dinner at Tavola, the restaurant in the hotel. We each had the Brussels cacio e pepe, and the fettuccine with burrata, artichoke, tomato, and pesto, and I got a Parts Unknown cocktail, which is Aperol, Cynar amaro, and Galliano lautentico. It tasted a bit like grown up cough syrup. I ate dinner in my room, mostly prone, in a hotel robe, and got fettuccine on the sheets.

Saturday, April 15I almost missed my flight back to New York. I was so stressed out. The Ubers were so slow in Minnesota! I realize that Im a coastal elite idiot I know this. And then when we got to the airport, the handle on my suitcase broke, so I had to carry it like a baby. I was running through the airport, texting Aviva frantically shed already boarded, no problems and when I got to the gate, the gate agent was like, Oh, youre the co-worker, shes told us all about you! At this point, theres sweat dripping down my temple. My entire hoodie is wet at the back. But I made it. I finally got to my seat and proceeded to sweat gently for the next few hours.

Aviva got me a bag of Supernola banana nut crunch because shed gotten to the gate first, so I ate that very slowly while watching The Assistant (which is quiet and excellent) and also the first 30 minutes of Promising Young Woman, which I could tell was gonna veer left in a way I would not like. I read the Wiki summary as I got off the plane I was right.

I got home around three, and made a cup of tea with Chobani oat milk. I have tried them ALL, and Chobani oat might be the best milk on the market. Its the mouthfeel. Mouthfeel is a terrible word, but its just the facts: It feels good in your mouth. It tastes good. There are terrible out milks out there one in particular. I dont want to slander the wrong people, but its in an orange box. It is trash, I cant stress this enough.

There was no food in my house, so I ordered from Popeyes: a chicken sandwich and Cajun fries, plus a strawberry Fanta that I didnt drink immediately. Around six, I walked with my friend Neena to another friends house because she was having friends over in her backyard for her birthday. I nibbled on chips and guacamole I was still full from the sandwich. Mostly, I chatted a lot and hugged people. In a weird way, were in a glorious age of consent. Everyones checking in and checking again, Can we ? Is this okay? Is this okay with you? Thats what Im comfortable with, are you comfortable? I hope thats the one takeaway from this is that we all get so much better at enthusiastic consent. I missed the birthday carrot cake, though. Gutting.

I walked home, sipping more water, and then lazed around on my phone for a few hours doing nothing of consequence. I will tell you this: I dont know how it works out what you like, but the TikTok algorithm has got me down pat. Im just like, yeah, this is perfect. This is 100 percent the content Im here for. At the moment, that is a mix of dogs, babies, Black girls being amazing, lots of British comedy, lots of Black British content the bulk of it is babies and dogs, though, which are two of my prime interests in the world. I mean, fuck Skynet, but I see how Skynet got to where it got to.

Before bed, I took my vitamins and antihistamine with the strawberry Fanta. I also made a cup of peppermint tea, and I ate a couple of biscuits with itTates Coconut Crisp. A top-three biscuit.

Sunday, May 16My secret shame is I dont care about coffee it legit all tastes the same to me, or close enough. For the most part? I think its because Im not an addict. I just drink it when I feel like I need it. This one is a TJ Maxx or Marshalls buy, maple-nut-crunch-something I threw out the bag when I decanted it into an amber mason jar. I have no purity sensor whatsoever. I want coffee that tastes like it could be a little milkshake.

I had that with a slice of buttered toast, plus a boiled egg and some ketchup. The bread is from a sandwich loaf I made from a recipe in Real Simple easy and delicious and no kneading! After that, I ate a tiny bowl of Crunchy Nut cereal, which is unavailable in the U.S., so I have to get it sent from the U.K., and then I went back to bed with a cup of tea.

Generally speaking, I do very little on a Sunday. Im a big fan of sleeping. Its one of my hobbies, so I tried my best to partake in the hobby and had a lie in. I wasnt very hungry, but I had some leftover ila asepo (Nigerian okra stew with seafood) in the fridge from Divine Flavored Catering, so I grazed on that.

I did eventually go grocery shopping at the huge Foodtown in Bed-Stuy to stock up, and because I was peckish, I got some Welchs Fruit Snacks, even if they are inferior to Percy Pigs and Maynards Wine Gums, which are my top choices. Welchs taste like theyve been on a shelf, but Percys dont. Percys are fresh. Theyre zingy. They leave a cleaner feel on your tongue, they taste more fruity, more gummy I dont know, theres a richness to them. I sound like such a wanker, Im sorry. I truly love Percy Pigs.

I munched on fruit snacks while I cooked the ~problematic~ shallot pasta. (A. Roman.) It came out perfect, as it always does. As I like to say: The shallots are blameless and delicious! I made spaghetti, not bucatini, because its always sold out and I have only one bag left, which I am rationing until I can buy more bucatini again. To drink: limited-edition grapefruit- and melon-flavored seltzer.

Later, before bed, I ate a slice of pecan pie from Foodtown they do a half pie, which is like a regular-size pie, but cut in half. I was like, what a good idea! Somebody finally is thinking of single people! I had that with a cup of Yorkshire tea.

Monday, May 17For breakfast, I got an oat latte from Odd Fox Coffee on Throop, but I decided not to get a pastry because I knew I had my Real Simple bread at home. I toasted a couple slices with butter and jam.

On Mondays, I work on my own projects its my day to write scripts, to work on my plays, and to sometimes do a bit of life admin. Im working on a couple of plays very, very slowly, and I have a couple of scripts that Im working on for TV comedies. This Monday was about revising. Also, it was tax day. I understand: Taxes happen every year! I know this. Im happy to pay taxes I love paying taxes! But also, theyre so much work, especially because you think to yourself, you know how much I owe, just tell me and Ill pay it!

For a mid-morning snack, I had pecan pie and a cup of tea with oat milk, and then I treated myself to some watermelon cubes from the fridge. Watermelon is my favorite summer fruit. I can eat a whole one in a single sitting.

Around 4:30, before the tax panic fully set in, I took a break and made some sabaayad Somali flatbread that Id seen on TikTok. Of the four that the recipe made, I think one was perfect, flaky, delicious. Twenty-five percent is not a bad return on a first time recipe, from TikTok, that Id never attempted before! I ate that with the leftover Melissa Clark chicken.

I had another cup of tea before bed, and a couple of biscuits, McVities caramel digestives sent to me in a U.K. care package from my friends Clara and Kirby in London. Its just a perfect biscuit. It does everything you need it to do. Its crunchy. Its salty. Its sweet. Its crumbly, but not too crumbly. You get introduced to digestive biscuits as a child and then they never leave your repertoire.

Theres some really lovely things American do with food. I just dont think biscuits and sweets are their strong suit. That could also just be a symptom of Little England mentality in my own head, but I feel like if I found a perfect thing, theres no need to go looking to improve on perfection. Why give yourself the work? Theres no need.

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Bim Adewunmi Runs on Tea and Biscuits - Grub Street

Even with the second season of her Hulu series, The Great, in production, Elle Fanning has been finding herself busy in her rare moments of downtimeclimbing into a closet, armed with a microphone, in order to record narration for One Click, a new C13Originals podcast franchise. Im excited to get into the podcast world, Fanning told Vanity Fair. I hope it grips people.

One Click is an adaptation of journalist Jessica Wapners article The Deadly Internet Diet Drug That Cooks People Alive, which was published in the Daily Beast in January 2020. The very first thing that stood out to me when I first learned about DNP was the heat, said Wapner, former science editor of Newsweek. When she began investigating 2,4-dinitrophenol, or DNPa chemical once used in WW Iera explosives that can now be found online sold as a diet drugshe learned that ingesting DNP essentially turned peoples bodies into furnaces. As victims heated up to dangerously high internal temperatures, they would lose weight before dying, having been more or less boiled from the inside. Wapners investigation traced the history of DNP, marketed as a miracle weight-loss drug since the early 20th century, through its recent resurgence and a related increase in gruesome deaths amongst young people in the United States and United Kingdom.

The article caught Fannings attention, and she reached out to see if Wapner would be interested in adapting it into a podcast. Wapner agreedWe were so aligned in our thinking and what we wanted to get out of this podcast and convey, said Fanningand the pair began pitching what would become One Click, a docuseries that explores how a single click on the internet can change a life forever.

The first season, which premieres on May 20, is a riveting look at the destructive consequences of DNPs second life as a fat-burning pill, and an exploration of the myriad societal reasons a dangerous chemical that has never been approved by the FDA for use as a drug still remains so enticing and easy to access. Over eight episodes, Wapner and Fanning weave together elements of science journalism, true-crime investigations, and history lessons, with a particular emphasis on sharing the stories of families who lost loved ones to DNP. Many families chose to speak to Wapner, who is writing the podcast, in the hope that sharing stories of their losses will result in a more severe crackdown on DNP sales online. The honesty and openness and time that theyve given to us has been incredible, said Wapner. And obviously, the podcast wouldnt be what it is without them.

Listen to an exclusive trailer for One Click below.

Fanning, who is 23, was moved by how many young people fell victim to DNP, struggling with insecurities about their bodies and weight. She was disturbed not only by the sheer accessibility of the drug online, but how its success hinged on a societal obsession with weight loss and achieving a perfect body at all costsa narrative that she saw becoming even more pervasive as the world entered lockdown, around the same time she and Wapner began collaborating on One Click.

So many more workout ads were appearing on my Instagram or just popping up, like, Get your revenge body back or Lets come out of quarantine looking good and having lost all this weight. Its just like, really? said Fanning. Sadly, its like they want to keep people insecure because that keeps these industries in businesswhich is what, to me, needs to be taken down.

Indeed, One Clicks release feels eerily well-timed to our current moment, as the world leaves lockdown and heads straight into swimsuit season. As author Jennifer Weiner noted in her recent New York Times op-ed, The Weight-Loss Industry Is Coming for Our Post-Lockdown Bodies, social media feeds have recently been flooded with weight-loss adsfor Keto diets, intermittent fasting, fat-shredding supplements.

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Elle Fanning and Journalist Jessica Wapner Investigate the Dangers of Diet Culture With the Podcast One Click - Vanity Fair