When it comes to dieting, research shows the majority of people will regain some if not most of the weight they've lost.

While there are many reasons why this weight regain may happen, some popular claims online are that it's because dieting permanently wrecks your metabolism. But while it's true that dieting slows your metabolism, it also improves your metabolism in many positive ways.

When we talk about metabolism, we're typically referring to your metabolic rate. This is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Of course, the more activity we do, the more calories we burn.

In order to lose weight through dieting, you need to consume fewer calories than you're using. This forces the body to use its energy stores like fat to meet the shortfall. Your metabolic rate will also change as a result.

The loss of lean tissue (muscle) when you diet which burns around 15-25 calories per kilogram each day lowers resting metabolic rate, meaning you need fewer calories than you previously did. But the body also deliberately slows down metabolism to preserve energy stores and minimise weight loss.

When the body senses depleted fat stores it triggers adaptive thermogenesis, a process which further reduces resting metabolic rate and may stunt weight loss despite strict dieting.

Adaptive thermogenesis can kick in within three days of starting a diet, and is suggested to persist way beyond dieting even hampering weight maintenance and favouring weight regain.

One example of adaptive thermogenesis's effect was seen in a widely publicised 2016 study which looked at former contestants of US reality TV show The Biggest Loser.

It showed that participants had a significant decrease in their metabolic rate, even several years after initial weight loss. Participants needed to eat up to 500 calories less than expected daily.

Other studies have also shown metabolic slowing with weight loss, but with much smaller decreases (around 100 calories fewer a day to maintain weight). However, there's less certainty whether this slowing persists once people are weight stable.

Research seems to show that most adaptive thermogenesis happens in the actual dieting phase as a temporary response to the amount of weight being lost. Overall, we don't have conclusive evidence to support the notion that metabolic rate remains slowed over the long term (over a year post-diet).

It's worth noting many factors can affect metabolic rate, so changes to it after dieting may vary between people. For example, one study on fasting diets showed metabolic rate indeed decreases as a result but those who had the the greatest decrease in metabolic rate already had a higher metabolic rate to begin with.

Overestimaing metabolic rates at the start of a study or errors in predicting metabolic rate after weight loss could both also affect study results.

It's agreed that metabolic rate slows because of weight loss, due to both decreasing body size, and as a way of preserving key tissues and fuel reserves. But there's currently no consensus on how much it slows by.

Quantifying and predicting this slowing is something we're currently researching at the University of Surrey.

A decrease in metabolic rate is just one change that occurs with weight loss, however.

When we lose weight, the main change we see is a decrease in body fat. This decrease is actually our fat cells shrinking in size they don't actually disappear. This shrinking of fat cells signals the body's fuel stores are emptying, causing a drop in the hormone leptin.

Ordinarily leptin inhibits appetite and increases metabolic rate but when leptin levels plummet, metabolic rate slow and hunger increases.

The gut also releases fewer incretins (hormones which regulate appetite) when we lose weight, which could persist beyond dieting. Less leptin and fewer incretins may make us feel hungrier and can lead to over eating.

When fat cells shrink, they're able to take up glucose and store fat more efficiently to help restore lost fuel. Your body also creates more fat cells so that you can store more fat in the future to better cope with this calorie "crisis" the next time it happens.

But as contradictory as it sounds, all these changes actually result in a more efficient and ultimately healthier metabolism.

For example, smaller fat cells are better for our health, as over-inflated "sick" fat cells don't work as well in getting rid of surplus sugar and fat. This can lead to high levels of sugar and fat in the blood, increasing risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

So dieting doesn't technically ruin your metabolism but rather improves it by helping it work better. But without care, this metabolic improvement can conspire against you to regain the weight, and even overshoot your original weight.

Studies show exercise (or simply physical activity) may be one way to prevent weight regain, by improving our ability to maintain our weight and can potentially minimise metabolic slowing. Exercise can also help regulate appetite and fuel burning in the short term, and may make weight loss more sustainable in the long term.

Adam Collins, Principal Teaching Fellow, Nutrition, University of Surrey and Aoife Egan, PhD Researcher, Mathematical Modelling of Weight-loss, University of Surrey.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read more here:
Here's What Dieting Actually Does to Your Metabolism, According to Scientists - ScienceAlert

When we're craving Tex-Mex, nothing comes to the rescue quite like a quick stop to eat Taco Bell. No matter what you feel like, the fast-food chain has a ton of menu choices to select from, and can satiate hunger like no one's business. If you love to indulge with a few tacos or burritos, that feeling of leaving stuffed isn't hard to come by and really tops off any trip to this chain.

While we love to make a taco run every now and then, the food from Taco Bell makes our body immediately go through some changes. To figure out exactly what happens when we dig into too many tacos at Taco Bell, we asked experts to weigh in on what to expect after we eat at the Tex-Mex megalith.

Read on to learn exactly what physiological changes happen after a Taco Bell run, and for more helpful eating tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

When you eat fast food, inflammation feels unavoidable.

"[A] fast-food diet is one that contains processed and ultra-processed ingredients, usually processed vegetable oils, added sodium, added sugars, as well as food colorants, dyes, fillers, and preservatives," says Dr Uma Naidoo, MD, Nutritional Psychiatrist and author of This Is Your Brain on Food. "These are all substances that are pro-inflammatory to the brain and body."

"We know from research that our gut microbiome changes within a 24-hour period so whatever you eat, healthy or unhealthy, has an effect," says Dr. Naidoo. "If you are selecting a fast food or junk food diet, the impact on the microbiome is negative. Poor food choices feed the bad bugs in our gut, helping them thrive and take over the good bugs (meant to help and protect us). Over time, the bad bugs cause inflammation, which can lead to leaky gut and neuroinflammation."

If you love the chain but have a hard time putting down the burrito, take a glimpse at 5 Ugly Side Effects of Eating Taco Bell, According to Nutritionists.

"There is little fresh whole food with fiber and nutrients in fast foods so they move through your digestive system quickly and you often feel hungry soon after, " Dr. Naidoo says.

This change comes as a result of an insulin spike. According to The Washington Post, eating at a fast-food chain like Taco Bell causes our insulin to spike while our blood sugar drops. This quick dive in blood sugar makes us feel that extra hunger, even after we eat a ton of tacos.

Here are 9 Warning Signs You're Not Eating Enough Fiber.

These same insulin spikes that make us still feel hunger also lead to feelings of anxiety and tension.

"Simple carbohydrates and processed foods move through the digestive tract very quickly as there is not usually healthy fiber or complex carbs to slow the process down," says Dr. Naidoo. "This leads to insulin spikes."

According to the same Washington Post report, these insulin spikes cause mood shifts and feelings of anxiety that come with them.

You may also want to steer clear of these 17 Foods That Make Your Depression and Anxiety Worse.

"With a diet high in unhealthy trans fats, added sugars, and processed foods, the brain struggles to think clearly," says Dr. Naidoo.

"Diets high in saturated fat can also have an effect on your cognitive abilities," says Jay Cowin, ASYSTEM's Registered Nutritionist and Director of Formulations. "Brain inflammation and insulin resistance, caused by saturated fatty acids, have been implicated in cognitive deficits."

"Often, it's the salt and sugar in fast food that's so problematic," says John Fawkes certified nutrition counselor, NSCA CPT, and editor at evidence-based wellness resource The Unwinder. "Sugar especially tends to be artificial to keep prices down, with both added to processed foods to keep them tasty. Folks who eat too much fast food like Taco Bell are increasing their chances of complications stemming from diets too high in salt and sugar. Think things like hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction to heart disease."

"For instance, just a side order of Taco Bell's Mexican Rice delivers over a third of your daily recommended sodium, which experts advise to keep around 2,000 to 2,300 milligrams a day," says Fawkes. "That's just a side portion, too!"

"Then look at something like the taco salad, which folks think is healthier but also comes in with a whopping 1,000 milligrams of sodium. Don't even get started with the salt and sugar levels in their sauces, including the ubiquitous nacho cheese."

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Continue reading here:
What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Taco Bell | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

When it comes to dieting, research shows the majority of people will regain some if not most of the weight theyve lost. While there are many reasons why this weight regain may happen, some popular claims online are that its because dieting permanently wrecks your metabolism. But while its true that dieting slows your metabolism, it also improves your metabolism in many positive ways.

When we talk about metabolism, were typically referring to your metabolic rate. This is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Of course, the more activity we do, the more calories we burn. In order to lose weight through dieting, you need to consume fewer calories than youre using. This forces the body to use its energy stores like fat to meet the shortfall. Your metabolic rate will also change as a result.

The loss of lean tissue (muscle) when you diet which burns around 15-25 calories per kilogram each day lowers resting metabolic rate, meaning you need fewer calories than you previously did. But the body also deliberately slows down metabolism to preserve energy stores and minimise weight loss.

When the body senses depleted fat stores it triggers adaptive thermogenesis, a process which further reduces resting metabolic rate and may stunt weight loss despite strict dieting. Adaptive thermogenesis can kick in within three days of starting a diet, and is suggested to persist way beyond dieting even hampering weight maintenance and favouring weight regain.

One example of adaptive thermogenesiss effect was seen in a widely publicised 2016 study which looked at former contestants of US reality TV show The Biggest Loser. It showed that participants had a significant decrease in their metabolic rate, even several years after initial weight loss. Participants needed to eat up to 500 calories less than expected daily.

Other studies have also shown metabolic slowing with weight loss, but with much smaller decreases (around 100 calories fewer a day to maintain weight). However, theres less certainty whether this slowing persists once people are weight stable.

Research seems to show that most adaptive thermogenesis happens in the actual dieting phase as a temporary response to the amount of weight being lost. Overall, we dont have conclusive evidence to support the notion that metabolic rate remains slowed over the long term (over a year post-diet).

Its worth noting many factors can affect metabolic rate, so changes to it after dieting may vary between people. For example, one study on fasting diets showed metabolic rate indeed decreases as a result but those who had the the greatest decrease in metabolic rate already had a higher metabolic rate to begin with. Overestimaing metabolic rates at the start of a study or errors in predicting metabolic rate after weight loss could both also affect study results.

Its agreed that metabolic rate slows because of weight loss, due to both decreasing body size, and as a way of preserving key tissues and fuel reserves. But theres currently no consensus on how much it slows by. Quantifying and predicting this slowing is something were currently researching at the University of Surrey.

A decrease in metabolic rate is just one change that occurs with weight loss, however.

When we lose weight, the main change we see is a decrease in body fat. This decrease is actually our fat cells shrinking in size they dont actually disappear. This shrinking of fat cells signals the bodys fuel stores are emptying, causing a drop in the hormone leptin. Ordinarily leptin inhibits appetite and increases metabolic rate but when leptin levels plumment, metabolic rate slow and hunger increases.

The gut also releases fewer incretins (hormones which regulate appetite) when we lose weight, which could persist beyond dieting. Less leptin and fewer incretins may make us feel hungrier and can lead to over eating.

When fat cells shrink, theyre able to take up glucose and store fat more efficiently to help restore lost fuel. Your body also creates more fat cells so that you can store more fat in the future to better cope with this calorie crisis the next time it happens.

But as contradictory as it sounds, all these changes actually result in a more efficient and ultimately healthier metabolism. For example, smaller fat cells are better for our health, as over-inflated sick fat cells dont work as well in getting rid of surplus sugar and fat. This can lead to high levels of sugar and fat in the blood, increasing risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

So dieting doesnt technically ruin your metabolism but rather improves it by helping it work better. But without care, this metabolic improvement can conspire against you to regain the weight, and even overshoot your original weight.

Studies show exercise (or simply physical activity) may be one way to prevent weight regain, by improving our ability to maintain our weight and can potentially minimise metabolic slowing. Exercise can also help regulate appetite and fuel burning in the short term, and may make weight loss more sustainable in the long term.

See the article here:
Dieting may slow metabolism but it doesn't ruin it - The Conversation UK

Switching en masse to a plant-based diet is essential to protect wildlife habitats and prevent the loss of numerous species currently facing extinction, according to a new report.

At the root of the problem is cheap food. While cut-priced comestibles may seem like a good thing, especially for low-income households, market pressure to continually reduce food production costs forces many farmers to adopt unsustainable, intensive methods that harm the land and overuse valuable resources like energy, land and water.

The study by researchers at UK think tank Chatham House, supported by the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme, notes that the race to lower prices increases food waste and degrades soils and ecosystems, making available land less productive.

As more forests and wild lands are cleared to grow crops and raise livestock, the feeding, breeding and living habitats of numerous species also disappear. Unless we change what we eat and how it is produced, the report says, the planets ability to support humans could come under threat.

Gut instinct

During the past half century, conversion of natural wild land for crop production or animal pasture has been the principle cause of habitat and biodiversity loss, the report, called Food System Impacts on Biodiversity Loss, says. Agriculture poses a threat to 24,000 of the 28,000 species documented as at risk of extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

But what happens next to the worlds endangered wildlife populations rests in human hands, and the rise in popularity of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products offers hope for the future.

Rearing crops in place of animals uses land and other scarce resources more efficiently, the report notes. While raising livestock adds to greenhouse gas emissions, switching to plant-based foods would free up grazing land that could be used for other purposes. A global switch to a predominantly plant-based diet would boost dietary health, help reduce food waste and eliminate the need to keep clearing new land for grazing. Switching the global populations diet to plant-based foods, for example, would free up 75% of the worlds cropland for other uses.

Alongside changing dietary behaviour, the report recommends protecting and setting aside more land for nature, avoiding converting it for agriculture. As well as preserving wildlife habitats from being destroyed, forests and wilded land serve as a natural carbon store absorbing pollution from the atmosphere, which helps counter the impact of the climate crisis.

Todays high-intensity chemical-reliant farming methods must be replaced by nature-friendly practices that support biodiversity and value sustainability over ever lower farm door prices.

Its important to note that the report is advocating a dramatic reduction in meat intake rather than replacing meat with plant-based foods. And, as the World Bank says, livestock farming supports the livelihoods and food security of almost 1.3 billion people. The Chatham House report says incentivising more diverse agriculture could lead to more resilient farmer livelihoods.

Two billion people in the world currently suffer from malnutrition and according to some estimates, we need 60% more food to feed the global population by 2050. Yet the agricultural sector is ill-equipped to meet this demand: 700 million of its workers currently live in poverty, and it is already responsible for 70% of the worlds water consumption and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

New technologies could help our food systems become more sustainable and efficient, but unfortunately the agricultural sector has fallen behind other sectors in terms of technology adoption.

Launched in 2018, the Forums Innovation with a Purpose Platform is a large-scale partnership that facilitates the adoption of new technologies and other innovations to transform the way we produce, distribute and consume our food.

With research, increasing investments in new agriculture technologies and the integration of local and regional initiatives aimed at enhancing food security, the platform is working with over 50 partner institutions and 1,000 leaders around the world to leverage emerging technologies to make our food systems more sustainable, inclusive and efficient.

Learn more about Innovation with a Purpose's impact and contact us to see how you can get involved.

Planting the seeds of change

Despite the compelling arguments for moving to plant-heavy diets, persuading the global population to abandon its love of meat will be no easy task. Around 80 billion animals are killed for their meat each year, UN figures show.

Many farmers are increasingly adopting unsustainable practices to create cheaper meat.

Image: UN FAO/Our World in Data

In 2018, almost 70 billion chickens, 1.5 billion pigs and more than 300 million cattle were slaughtered to serve our love of meat.

In general, meat consumption increases as incomes rise so the richer the country, the more meat is consumed, according to figures from the UN and the World Bank.

But for some the role of meat is beginning to change as awareness grows of the health benefits of plant-based foods and the impact of business-as-usual farming on the environment.

Consumer demand for plant-based food is growing.

Image: The Good Food Institute

The US plant-based food market was worth more than $5 billion in 2019, up 11% on the previous year and 29% over two years. Sales of plant-based meat substitutes increased by 18% year-on-year.

Demand for plant-based foods could see annual growth of almost 12%, reaching a market value of more than $74 billion by 2027, according to a Meticulous Research forecast. While plant-based demand is increasing in most global markets, takeup in Asia-Pacific is expected to outstrip other regional markets.

Changing consumer aspirations and a growing appetite among investors to back plant-based ventures are among the drivers of global plant-based market growth, the research showed. How far, how fast and how much demand for plant-based foods increases in the coming years remains to be seen, but the future of myriad species depends on it happening quick enough.

Go here to see the original:
Report: We urgently need to move to plant-based diets - World Economic Forum

If your constant compliments don't excite your partner the way they excite you, you might have different love languages.

The concept of love languages, or common ways humans give and receive love, was coined in 1992 in marriage counselor Gary Oldman's book "The 5 Love Languages."

Insider asked three therapists to share their favorite gift ideas inspired by the different love languages.

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Gift-giving may seem straightforward when your partner's love language is receiving gifts. But putting thought into the meaning behind the gift can take it to a new level, Rachel Wright, a licensed marriage and family therapist in New York City, told Insider.

If you want to combine receiving gifts with another love language, Ric Mathews, a licensed psychologist and mental health counselor in New York City, suggested new bedding.

"It's a 3-in-1. For one, it's a gift. It's about touch. New sheets feel great on the skin. And quality time, because it gives you an excuse to 'break them in,'" Mathews told Insider.

"Sneak a peek at your partner's Amazon or Barnes and Noble account and see what's on their wish list. Buy it all," McCorvey told Insider, adding that it's important to be mindful of any boundaries your partner has about looking at their phone.

If you go this route, don't forget to hide the confirmation email so your partner isn't privy to the surprise.

Wright suggested a hand-written card on cute stationery where you can divulge just how much your partner means to you.

"I love this one because it's sweet and cheap, but you still have to put some thought into it," McCorvey said.

"Quality time is about energy and focus. So sitting down and putting down your phones can create an environment for some epic quality time," Wright said.

If your partner craves physical touch like hand-holding and hugs, take it to the next level with an at-home massage, new sex toy, or extra-large fluffy blanket for cuddles on the couch, McCorvey said.

If your partner identifies with acts of service, they feel loved when you do chores or run errands on their behalf, no questions asked.

Since running a load of laundry or washing the dishes doesn't sound super-sexy, McCorvey said claiming a specific chore as your own can make the gesture special.

"Find out your loved one's favorite charity and volunteer some of your time to it on their behalf. It shows that you not only care about them, but the things they care about," he said.

Visit link:
The best love language-inspired gifts and surprises, according to relationship therapists - Business Insider India

Cat owners who let their furry friends roam outside are familiar with the "gifts" they bring home. This behavior results in billions of birds and small mammals falling prey to a cat's claws, reports Jonathan Lambert for Science News. In an attempt to curb cats' impact on wildlife and investigate why felines still have the urge to hunt despite being well-fed, researchers at the University of Exeter in England designed an experiment to explore if a cats' extracurricular desire to hunt came from something lacking in their diet or from natural instincts, Science News reports.

When cats were fed a diet with a higher meat content or increased regular playtime, it reduced their hunting instincts and, in return, lowered the amount of wildlife casualties, reports Ed Cara for Gizmodo. The study was published this week in the journal Current Biology.

A total of 355 domestic cats from 219 homes known to bring back kill in England were recruited for the experiment. All cats were observed in their natural settings for seven weeks before any modifications to daily activity or their diet occurred, reports Gizmodo. These initial observations provided baseline data for how frequently each kitty brought home prey. Then, the researchers introduced one group of cats to a grain-free, high-meat diet. Meanwhile, another group got an extra five to ten minutes of play each day or a puzzle feeder enrichment toy meant to stimulate the feline's mind, Science News reports. The researchers also tested brightly-colored collars and bells to see if these devices deterred feline prey, reports Jack Guy for CNN.

Cats with the grain-free, protein-rich diet brought home 36 percent fewer dead animals than cats with unchanged diets, reports Layal Liverpool for the New Scientist.

"Some cat foods contain protein from plant sources such as soy, and it is possible that despite forming a 'complete diet,' these foods leave some cats deficient in one or more micronutrientsprompting them to hunt," says Martina Cecchetti, a graduate student at Exeter involved with the study in a press release.

Cats that received more playtime mirroring hunting behaviors brought back 25 percent fewer kills. This percentage reflects a drop in the number of mammals brought back, but not birds, Science News reports. On the other hand, the puzzle feeder caused the cats to bring home more prey, and researchers speculate it may have been out of frustration from their inexperience with the puzzle, Gizmodo reports. Cats with the bright collars brought home 42 percent fewer birds, but the same amount of small mammals, reports Science News. Meanwhile, bells did not reduce kills.

"We were surprised diet change has such a strong effect. Nutrition seems to have some bearing on a cat's tendency to kill things, and some cats that hunt may need something extra," says Robbie McDonald, an ecologist at the University of Exeter and co-author of the study, to Science News.

Most cat foods contain high-quality proteins. However, they're often plant-based and may send cats in search of micronutrients missing from their cat food, Gizmodo reports.

McDonald and his team plan to further look into how cat predation on wildlife can be reduced by either combining two or more methods they investigated in their study, or analyzing exactly what it is nutritionally that cats crave from their kills, Gizmodo reports . The researchers hope that their work inspires cat-owners to use these less controversial methods to protect wildlife from their felines.

"We hope that owners of cats who hunt consider trying these changes," McDonald tells Science News. "It's good for conservation and good for cats."

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To Protect Local Wildlife, Feed Your Cat Meatier Meals - Smithsonian

In many ways, diet soda is a healthier alternative to its sugar-filled counterpart. It's lower in added sugar and calories, both of which contribute to obesity and chronic health issues like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. However, it's still not the perfect solution. In fact, you may be better off just choosing a low-sugar soda alternative over one that's completely sugar-free.

Here's why: one of the most popular diet sodas out there, Diet Coke, uses an alternative sweetener called aspartame. The artificial sweetener has been under fire since its debut in the 1980s for its potential cancer-causing effects. While the American Cancer Society states that research around those effects is inconclusive, there may be another reason to be skeptical of the alternative sugar. (Related: 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work).

According to a 2008 study published inThe Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology, people who drank aspartame-sweetened Diet Coke were more likely to experience moderate to severe fatty infiltration in their livers than those who drank non-diet sodas, including Sprite and Fanta. Why is this an issue? This infiltration can lead to a condition called, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) where fat builds up in the liver and causes cirrhosis, otherwise known as late-stage liver scarring.Cirrhosis can eventually lead to liver failure if not addressed early on.

There are other known health issues associated with the artificial sweetener typically found in diet soda. A 2017 Nutrition Reviews special article that reviewed nearly two decades worth of data on aspartame concluded that consuming aspartame in quantities even within recommended safe levels may "disrupt the oxidant/antioxidant balance, induce oxidative stress, and damage cell membrane integrity, potentially affecting a variety of cells and tissues and causing the deregulation of cellular function, ultimately leading to systemic inflammation."

Another reason not to reach for diet soda daily? One study suggests drinking just one of the artificially sweetened beverages daily was linked to an 8% higher risk of type 2 diabetes; however, the meta-analysis looked at observational studies, which can only show correlation, not causation. And another study indicated that consumption of artificially sweetened drinks was associated with a 21% percent higher risk of developing the condition in older women (again, the study showed a correlation, not causation).

At the end of the day, there is research that supports both sides of the argument on whether or diet soda is harmless or harmful for your body. Our advice? Cut down on your intake to play it safe. If you can't shake the craving, consider limiting yourself to three servings of diet soda a week and then try, eventually try to drop it down to just one serving a week.

For more, be sure to read29 Most Popular Diet SodasRanked!

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One Major Effect of Drinking Diet Soda Every Day, Says Science | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

At 54 years old, Salma Hayeks skin is glowing, her locks are as shiny as ever, and she is still rocking a bikini like it's nobodys business. Recently, her Instagram account has been filled with a stream of images, showing off her gorgeous figure and makeup free face. (Shes also been in the news for describing how she started to sob while filming a sex scene for her hit film Desperado; although still friends with her director and co-star, she has since taken her body image into her own hands.) So, what are her fountain of youth secrets? Here is everything the actress does to look and feel great. Read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus.

Salma Hayek is such a fan of juice cleanses, she started her own company, Cooler Cleanse. "When I feel stressed, I turn to food for comfort," she explains on the juice cleanse delivery services website "After doing a juice cleanse, I'm motivated to eat healthier and not emotionally. Cleansing is like my meditation. It makes me stop, focus and think about what I'm putting into my body. I'm making a commitment to my health and hitting the reset button."

I dont like to diet and Im not good at it, she admits on her Cooler Cleanse website. In a previous interview with More, she revealed she has a love-love relationship with food. "Everybody has a weakness and mine is food," she said. "If you love food and you love red wine and they put you in France, youre in a good place and youre in a bad place at the same time."

Salma revealed to the New York Times that she follows one rule when it comes to dieting. The only thing I do is that I dont eat animals every day. I eat all kinds of meat, but I consume it sparsely, she explained. I would never eat two meats in a day. Sometimes I go several days without eating meat, but then Ill go back.

In addition to juicing, her meals are filled with fruits and veggies. One of her specialties? This unique "breakfast special"basically a chopped up salad of papaya, blueberries, mango, strawberries, pomegranate seeds, celery, red pepper, and cucumber, atop almond and coconut butter and yogurt. "It doesnt sound like it tastes great but its delicious, she exclaimed on Instagram.

Salma makes a lot of her own beauty treatments. In an interview with Buzzfeed, she revealed that she relied on a few key ingredients to keep her hair glassy, but theyre very stinky. Anything thats greasy is actually really good for your hair, she explained, recommending avocado, coconut oil and even egg yolks and even one popular condiment. Mayo is really good for your hair! claims Salma. Another go to? Apple cider vinegar is good for you in many ways, she said. One way she makes sure to infuse it into her diet is via her juices, which she recently demonstrated on Instagram.

Unlike other celebrities, Salma tries not to make exercise a chore. "Some people have the discipline to exercise in the morning, and I didn't develop that," she told People. Instead, she discovered a more creative way to engage her muscles. "I work with a woman in London who taught me how to hold my body in a way where the muscles are activated all day long. So even when you brush your teeth, you're working the muscles," she continued. "It's restorative yoga. She taught me how to tone [my muscles] without clenching them. You relax them and focus on the parts that need to be used, but never with tension. If you're aware of your body, you'd be surprised by the effect it can have."

When she does workout, she infuses it with fun. I hate working out, but I love dancing, she joked on Instagram, showing off her moves while walking on a treadmill. She also gets her steps in by walking her dog. "This is my version of exercise and these are my #dogs coaches These are my trainers!" she shared in one Instagram post.

RELATED: Simple Ways to Avoid a Heart Attack, According to Doctors

Hayek loves a good rub downbut not just on her body. "Massage oxygenates, activates the circulation, and keeps the muscles healthy and firm. I cannot tell you, even just for the lymphatic [system], what the massage does for the face," Hayek previously told Vogue. As for yourself: To get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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Salma Hayek's Secrets to Staying Healthy | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Aubrey Gordon describes herself as fat, specifically "very fat." She uses the word purposefully, as a descriptor, in the same way she has blondish-brown hair and is 37 years old.

For the past five years, she has been the anonymous writer behind "Your Fat Friend," the online essay series about the discrimination and hate fat people face. With the recent publication of her book, "What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat," Gordon started putting her name to her stories, both online and for her Self Magazine column.

The book, a series of essays, delves into the roots of fatphobia, the failure of the "war on obesity" and why it's not okay to tell fat people to love themselves. A former LGBTQ community organizer, Gordon, who identifies as queer, is now writing full time and co-hosting the podcast "Maintenance Phase," which debunks wellness and diet fads.

From her home in Portland, Ore., Gordon talked about what she hopes people will get from her book, and why she felt now was the right time to publish it.

Q: Why do you think people hate and I mean openly hate fat people, particularly fat women, so much?

A: It's a doozy of a question, right? There's misogyny wrapped up in it. There's ableism wrapped up in it. There are deep, deep, deep racist roots to all of this ... like even with BMI, that was based on the bodies of White Western European men and not people of color, so it does about a 50 percent job of predicting obesity in White people and then it goes down from there. We've been talking about a war on obesity for years, and that facilitates this kind of open season on fat people. Not only is it okay to have comments and opinions about fat people in some ways, it's sort of like you are being helpful to the greater public health.

Q: You share anecdotes about how people treated you horribly, from airplane behavior to strangers taking fruit out of your grocery cart, telling you it's "too much sugar." What surprised me is that when you tell your friends and family, they ask if maybe it didn't happen that way, or if you incited it.

A: They are not trying to be hurtful, not in a million years. But it can be jarring and painful to hear about someone you care about in that situation. One of the ways we push away that knowledge is with straight-up denial. Part of it is that this is a world they don't actually personally experience, and that can be alarming.

Q: It seems there has been some success with the body-positive movement, with Cosmopolitan magazine putting plus-size women, such as yoga teacher Jessamyn Stanley, on the cover, for example. But that got a lot of pushback, with some people saying that it was "promoting obesity."

A: It does feel like there's some willingness to move forward from some media outlets, influential ones in women's and health media in particular. But the biggest thing I see is that there's a willingness to engage in a conversation about how we see and treat fat people. It's not as deep as a conversation as I'd like, but it's a start.

Q: As a fat woman myself, one of the things that really struck me in your book was that programs to address obesity, like Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign, do not include people with obesity in the planning.

A: Right. Thin people are the masters of weight loss although they've never had to do it. There's a community organizer saying, "Nothing about us, without us." And yet there are all these people talking about us and making decisions about our bodies without talking to us.

Q: How does that show up for you?

A: It happens in our individual lives where strangers come up to you and are like "have you tried paleo?" without knowing us or anything about us. The other issue is on a policy or institutional level. (Some people are) constantly ringing the bell on how dangerous it is to be fat, but that's not making fat people thin. None of our practices 95-98 percent of diet attempts fail have been shown to be successful long term. So it just ramps up the stigma of fat people as failures. If only we would try at this thing, which has been shown not to work.

Q: What do you hope people take away from your book?

A: I hope that folks are willing to accept that their ideas about fatness and fat people have not been particularly charitable. And they also haven't been particularly grounded in data or research or information or the experiences of the fat people in their lives.

Maybe people are willing to think about how they think about and treat fat people. Even if it's something like I'm not going to ask the fat person I'm with at the restaurant if they really want to get those fries.

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Katrina Kaif's fitness routine isn't for the faint of heartthe actor makes sure to sweat it out at the gym, while adding yoga, combat practice, dance and pilates into the mix too: Exercise for me is something that not only physically but mentally is also very, very important for me. It releases endorphins, it keeps you feeling upbeat, happy and energetic." But working out well is just half the battle. The actor knows that her diet is just as important. I don't follow a specific diet. Having grown up in London, my palate already prefers non-oily and non-spicy food. I try and eat healthy in general egg whites over whole eggs, and a lot of salads, fruits and vegetables, she shared back in 2015. But now, six years later, she has a more directed approach. We spoke to her nutritionist, Shweta Shah, founder of Eatfit247, about Kaif's current routine.

Katrina is very particular about her workout routine, just as she is her diet. She is almost a nutritionist in her own right. She knows her body well and she knows exactly what suits her and doesn't, says Shah. I was introduced to her by her trainer Yasmin Karachiwala and we instantly hit it off. Katrina follows her own diets, but I step in when we want some tweaks to be made, or she wants to achieve any specific health goals.

She eats two home-cooked meals a day, and doesn't like to snack, shares Shah. Even when she's shooting, and has a hectic schedule, she sticks to clean, organic eating that is dairy-free and gluten-free. Some examples of her favourite lunch or dinner meals include steamed fish, edamame and avocado salad, zucchini or quinoa pancakes, lentil stews, lettuce wraps and zoodles. Soups are another go-to, and Kaif likes a wide variety to prevent boredom, using vegetables like ashgourd, asparagus, pumpkins and chickpeas. And when she's craving something sweet? Homemade peanut balls are her must-haves.

Being an actor, her life does get a little more stressful when she's working, and this can affect her sleep, hair and skin. But she doesn't take over-the-counter pills to deal with it. She likes taking the natural route," Shah confirms. For example, when she's struggling with acidity, she drinks water steeped with black raisins and fennel. The former contains iron, copper, magnesium, and potassium. These are alkaline minerals on the pH scale and may help balance acidity levels in the stomach. The latter contains a compound called anethole, which works as a soothing agent for the stomach. If Kaif is ever bloated, she adds fennel and coriander seeds to her diet.

But what's the key to being healthy all year round? Consistency. She doesn't change things often, unless a role requires her to look a certain way, says Shah. She believes in clean eating rather than following any fad diets.

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