Looking for an effective weight loss diet? Try the low-calorie, high-protein Atkins diet  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: The Atkins diet is popular among people who enjoy eating different types of food. The basic idea behind the Atkins diet is to impose restrictions on the intake of certain kinds of carbohydrates to aid the process and maintenance of weight loss.

It also helps in improving one's eating habits. This diet promotes the intake of healthy fats that can help improve levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol in the blood. Furthermore, it encourages protein intake, which would mean the consumption of fewer calories as protein induces a feeling of being full. The Atkins diet has four phases to it.

The foods allowed include eggs, sardines, salmon, coconut oil, avocado oil, chicken, pork, bacon, spinach, asparagus, kale, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, dark chocolate,green tea and coffee. Limited amounts of alcohol are also allowed.

The food to be avoided are candy, soft drinks, canola oil, soybean oil, wheat, rice, potatoes, bananas, grapes, apples, turnips, carrots, lentils, chickpeas and beans.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a healthy and easy to follow a diet to start your weight loss plan, the Atkins diet would be an effective choice to go with.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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Looking for an effective weight loss diet? Try the low-calorie, high-protein Atkins diet - Times Now

Maintaining a healthy diet full of fiber will go a long way to keep your colon healthy, according to Dr. Esther Cha, a colorectal surgeon at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne. She suggests patients eat25 grams of fiber a day by adding a variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals and breakfast bars to the menu. She also urges people to drink plenty of water to maintain good bowel health.

She suggests people begin getting colonoscopies around the age of 45. 50 used to be the suggested age, but she says doctors are seeing colon polyps and cancers in younger patients, perhaps because of changes in diet andlifestyle coupled withgenetics. Anyone with a family history of colon cancer should consider getting a colonoscopy at a younger age. Dr. Cha says problems found early are more easily treated.

She adds that changes in surgical procedures, such asminimally invasive and robotic operations are making procedures easier for patients.Incisions are smaller, there is less reliance on narcotics for pain management andrecovery time is faster. She adds that changes in post surgical care and protocols have also improved the time it takes for bowel function to return and for a patient to return to normal activity.

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Keep Your Colon Healthy with a Diet Full of Fiber - RADIO.COM

JYP Entertainment's resident psychiatrist gets candid about the pressure on female idols to diet and its detrimental effects.

On a special episode of You Can Talk To My Sister, a confessional type reality talk show under SBS Plus, a psychiatrist from JYP Entertainment got candid about the stresses that female idols face when they are told by the company to diet. The episode was broadcasted on December 10, 2020 and featured a woman who had decided to undergo gastrointestinal surgery to lose weight. She had gained the weight in the first place, from her first pregnancy, after which she could not get back to her original figure. After she shared her story of humiliation, feeling inadequate and unwanted from having gained so much weight and the lengths to which she was willing to go to lose the weight, the shows host arranged a video call with JYP Entertainments resident psychiatrist Yoo Eun Jung.

Dr Yoo revealed that whenever she speaks to idols under the company, they share their troubles and stresses regarding dieting and maintaining an ideal weight. She continued by saying that, There is so much pressure to be slim that many female idols go on extreme diets. Even IU and Jang Nara had bulimia. If you are stressed out, your stress hormones can go up and it can affect your body. It will turn your body into one that has difficulty losing weight." With this, she emphasized how stressing over losing weight can have adverse effects and in turn make it harder to lose weight.

JYP Entertainment is notorious for putting a particular focus on idols appearances. Previously, during SIXTEEN, Jihyo revealed the problems and humiliation she faced for not fitting the Korean beauty standard when it came to weight. In a past V-Live, Momo from TWICE also revealed that the one strict condition for her to be able to perform in her debut showcase was that she would have to lose 15 pounds in one week. For that week, Momo did not eat anything solid, spit all the time to remove water from her body and spent all her time in the gym. All she ate for that time was one single ice cube a day and when she went to sleep every night, she would fear for her life. Despite all that, she did not lose the assigned amount of weight in the stipulated time frame. Eventually, she was given more time and she could lose the weight. However, the question still remains at what cost?

IU has also admitted to suffering from eating disorders in the past. During an interview in 2014, she confessed that she would stress eat and sleep all the time but instead of feeling energetic and happy, she would be lethargic and plagued with anxiety. IU has since been receiving treatment to prevent relapsing into a similar situation.

It is clear to see, therefore, that idols have immense pressures of dieting which affect their mental health and overall happiness. As such, critics and haters should think a hundred times before commenting on someones appearance because we never know what they might be going through. This problem of body image within idols still persists and it is something that will take decades to change. However, no step is too small. As long as fans continue to show unwavering support towards idols, regardless of whether they're their favourites or otherwise, female celebrities will face considerably less pressure to conform to the beauty standards that society puts on them. With everyone doing their part, maybe the world will be a slightly better place eventually.

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While probiotics and prebiotics are just a small slice of our incredibly complex gastrointestinal system, they are very important for our health. Here's what you need to know about prebiotics and probiotics and how they benefit our body.

Trillions of little bacteria, along with viruses, fungi, and yeast, line every corner of our body and make up a miniature ecosystem, known as our microbiome. In our gastrointestinal system alone, there are around 1,000 species of bacteria, all of which can affect our health.

Prebiotics and probiotics are both important to the health of our gut microbiome, which helps digest certain nutrients and protect you from infection.

On the other hand, imbalances in gut bacteria known as gut dysbiosis can increase your risk of diseases like diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and cancer. Gut dysbiosis can occur due to:

"If you have any kind of chronic health problem, symptoms could be slightly reduced if we could add to your gut health and shift your gut microbiome to a more health-promoting microbiome," says Terry Wahls, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

To do so, it's important to understand the difference between prebiotics and probiotics, and how to get both into a healthy diet.

Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that the human body cannot digest, but can become food for the good bacteria in your gut. These fibers aid in the healthy growth of gut bacteria, and can be found in the food we eat such as raw vegetables, beans, and bananas especially when they aren't ripe.

There can be many benefits to consuming prebiotics, like:

Increasing calcium absorption. Ingesting prebiotics may increase calcium absorption in the lower intestines. Calcium is important for bone health and building bone density, especially for those at risk for osteoporosis, says Gail Cresci, PhD, RD, a doctor of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic.

Processing food quickly. The fiber found in prebiotics is important for normal bowel movements. A 2013 review found fiber's bulk and water retaining abilities can decrease the time it takes to digest in the digestive tract.

Controlling blood sugar levels. Numerous studies have found fiber from prebiotics can reduce your glucose absorption rate, which can prevent spikes in blood sugar, prevent weight gain, and decrease the risk of diabetes.

A large 2010 study in Caucasians, Japanese Americans, and Native Hawaiians between the ages of 45 and 75 found high intakes of fiber significantly reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Most people should eat between 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day. Foods high in prebiotic fibers include:

You can also take prebiotic supplements such as psyllium or methylcellulose, but Wahls says it's important to eat more vegetables and other fibrous foods first. That's because supplements won't provide important vitamins and minerals found in fiber-rich food.

"Everyone's needs are going to be unique, depending on your microbes living in your gut," says Wahl. "For example if you have more blue stools, perhaps because of inflammatory bowel disease, that's going to be a lower fiber intake. But if you're constipated, you'll have a much higher fiber need."

A doctor might recommend a low-fiber diet or one with less prebiotics due to Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or if you've recently had bowel surgery or a bowel-related problem.

Probiotics contain living strains of beneficial gut bacteria and yeasts. They maintain a healthy balance in your gut by boosting the number of good bacteria in the body and fighting off bad bacteria.

There are many kinds of probiotics, and each benefits the body in different ways. The most common species are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, both of which break down food and fight harmful bacteria.

The health benefits of probiotics include:

Strengthening digestive health. Probiotics may benefit people with digestive issues, such as diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcers.

A large 2019 review assessed children aged 18 and under who took antibiotics. It found those who took probiotics alongside antibiotics were less likely to experience diarrhea.

Meanwhile, a 2014 review of probiotics and irritable bowel disease (IBD), found probiotics can aid in the remission of ulcerative colitis a form of IBD and pouchitis an inflammation after IBD surgery. But, there is little evidence that probiotics can aid in treating Crohn's Disease.

Improving mental health. Research has found that the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system communicate, most commonly referred to as the "brain-gut axis." A 2016 review found supplementing probiotics for four weeks was efficient in improving psychiatric disorder-related behaviors like anxiety and depression.

Similarly, a 2017 review found positive results when treating depressive symptoms with probiotics, but the probiotic strains and dosing varied, and further research is needed. It's always smart to talk to your doctor about improving mental health before attempting to treat it on your own.

You can get probiotics by eating fermented foods such as:

While some people may prefer a supplement, according to Cresci, it's better to consume probiotics through food.

"The yogurt has your probiotic in it, but then you have these beneficial metabolites that you'll also be consuming at the same time," says Cresci.

The number of probiotics you should consume daily varies greatly. Since there is such a diversity in probiotics, the amount is not set, and often it can depend on daily changes in your gut condition and your body's needs.

According to Cresci, people who should not take probiotics without a doctor's approval include:

That's because these individuals should not be introducing new microbes into their diet, says Cresci. But everyone should consult with their doctor or a dietitian before beginning new supplements or considering different strains of probiotics.

What we eat is incredibly important, both for our body and for our body's microbiome. Prebiotics and probiotics are both important for keeping our gut balanced and healthy. The difference between the two is prebiotics feed live bacteria in the gut whereas probiotics are the live bacteria in the gut.

"We want to be good stewards to our microbiome," says Wahls. "And that's having enough vegetables, having enough fermented foods so we're getting enough prebiotics and probiotics and then when necessary taking supplements to further support restoration."

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Prebiotics vs. probiotics: Differences and health benefits - Insider - INSIDER

Women with stage 1 to 3 breast cancer who adhered to a diabetes risk reduction diet had improved survival versus those who did not follow this specific diet, according to findings presented during the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Diabetes may be common in women with breast cancer, especially since 75%, or more than 2.6 million women, are at least 60 years or older, which means breast cancer survivorship must be managed in consideration with aging-related comorbidity such as diabetes, said Tengteng Wang, PhD, a research fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health during the virtual presentation of the study.

Type 2 diabetes, in particular, is a risk factor for breast cancer incidence and may be a predictive factor for breast cancer mortality. In addition, breast cancer increases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

Identifying modifiable strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes among breast cancer survivors may be very important to improve their survival outcomes, said Wang.

Researchers analyzed data from 8,320 women with stage 1 to 3 breast cancer from 2 large cohort studies: the Nurses Health Study (1980-2014) and the Nurses Health Study II (1991-2015). Validated questionnaires were completed every 2 to 4 years to collect information on diet among other factors.

This study focused on a diabetes risk reduction diet with 9 dietary components including higher intakes of nuts, cereal fiber, coffee, polyunsaturated-saturated fat ratio and whole fruits, in addition to a lower glycemic index of diet and lower intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages/fruit juices, trans fat and red meat.

The [diabetes risk reduction diet] has been associated with 14% lower type 2 diabetes risk in [a] previous publication of the Nurses Health Study, said Wang.

Researchers calculated an average score of adherence to this diabetes risk reduction diet through repeated measures of diet after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Follow-up was conducted for a median of 16 years after cancer diagnosis.

During follow-up, 2,146 deaths occurred, of which 948 were related to breast cancer. Women with higher diet adherence scores after diagnosis had a 33% lower risk for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.58-0.78; P for trend < .0001) and a 17% lower risk for mortality related to breast cancer (HR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67-1.02; P for trend = .03) compared with women with lower diet adherence scores.

Our results did not differ by breast tumor ER status or stage, said Wang.

During the discussion portion of the presentation, Wang said that she and her colleagues analyzed what may be the potential mechanism for this association. She said, We looked at how [diabetes risk reduction diet][ influenced gene expression in [the] breast tumor for [a] subgroup of our breast cancer patients, and according to our pathway analysis, the [diabetes risk reduction diet] is more associated with the pathway related to immune regulation and also cell proliferation, so this is, I think, an interesting finding.

When further adjusting for neighborhood socioeconomic status, the association between diet adherence and mortality risk was slightly attenuated, with patients with greater adherence having a 31% lower risk for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.6-0.8; P for trend < .0001) and a 14% lower risk for mortality from breast cancer (HR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.7-1.07; P for trend = .06).

Women who improved their adherence to a diabetes risk reduction diet after breast cancer diagnosis had a lower risk for breast cancer mortality compared with those with consistently low adherence to this diet (HR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.65-1).

In conclusion, we felt that a greater adherence to the [diabetes risk reduction diet] after breast cancer diagnosis was associated with better survival outcomes, which means promoting dietary changes consistent with prevention of type 2 diabetes may be very important for breast cancer survivors, said Wang.

A version of this story appeared on CURE as Dietary Changes to Reduce Diabetes Risk May Also Increase Survival for Breast Cancer.

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Greater Adherence to a Diet for Diabetes Reduction May Improve Survival for Breast Cancer - OncLive

Obesity has been associated with cancer for quite some time now, although the complete scenario still eludes researchers.

Now, anew Harvard studyunderscores some missing parts of this important information, discovering that cancer cells the higher availability of fat to starve immune cells of fuel and hinder them from targeting tumors.

High-fat diets are recognized for increasing the danger of many cancer types and reducing therapeutic outcomes, not to mention survival rates.

For example, aNew Atlas reportindicates, previous research has found that obesity may activate metastasis in "otherwise benign cancers," and fatty tissues can offer "hideouts" for cancer stem cells, enabling them to "come roaring back" following chemotherapy.

However, it is not that simple either; the said report specifies, inconsistently, obesity seems to enhance results for some types of treatments for cancer.

(Photo : Dan Kitwood/Getty Images/Cancer Research UK)A scientist cuts thin sections from a tissue biopsy that has been preserved in wax, to be then placed on microscope slides for analysis, at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.

In this new research, scientists at Harvard found that high-fat diets appear to lessen the amount ofCD8+ T cells, including their abilities to fight cancer. Accordingly, when fat becomes more readily available, tumors will renew their metabolism to eat up.

Meanwhile, the high-energy content fast-tracks their growth while simultaneously depriving T cells of fuel that could be otherwise used to combat cancer.

According to the study's co-senior author,Arlene Sharpe, "We know there is a metabolic tug-of-war between tumor cells and T cells that changes with obesity."

In connection to this, the co-senior author added, their study offers a road to discover this link, which can help them to start thinking about cancer immunotherapies and combination treatments in new ways.

The research team investigated this multifaceted relationship in mice that had different cancer types by providing some groups with high-fat diets and comparing the microenvironments around their tumors to mice that ate normal diets.

As a result, the study authors found that tumors developed more rapidly in obese mice, although interestingly, it was only applicable for mice that had immunogenic cancers, those that the immune system reacts to more readily.

Furthermore, the scientists noticed, too, that the tumor found in the microenvironment contained lesser free fatty acids, even though their quantities were quite high throughout the rest of the body.

This then prompted the researchers to search to discover that the cancer cells were This led the team to discover that the cancer cells were increasing their uptake of fat, leaving nothing for the CD8+ T cells.

In other assessments, when the researchers removed CD8+ T cells from mice, their diet did not affect the rate of growth of tumors anymore.

Through further research, the scientists zeroed-in onPHD3, a protein which, in normal cells, is slowing down fat metabolism.

Levels of PHD3 were found to be substantially lower in cancer cells in environments with obesity compared to the opposite. When researchers overexposed this said protein, they became more slowly and could not eat up much fat.

The researchers said the new findings could help in the improvement of cancer immunotherapy. After all, they said, "the CC8+ T cells are usedin CAR-T cell therapy," where samples of immune cells of a patient are taken out, modified against cancer, and introduced again to the body.

On the other hand, PHD3, or any other related protein, could turn into a new treatment target. The research finding could help customize too, other cancer treatments for obese individuals.

ALSO READ: Emergency Use of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Recommended by FDA Advisory Committee

Check out more news and information onCancer Research on Science Times.

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Fatty Diets Feed Cancer and Starve Immune Cells - Science Times

The ketogenic, or "keto," diet has become widely popular in recent years, as celebrities like LeBron James and the Kardashian sisters have touted it as a surefire way to drop pounds fast.

In fact, a 2019 survey of registered dietitian nutritionists ranked the keto diet as the most popular diet in the US. Here's how you can follow the keto diet and critical information to know about its health benefits and risks.

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan. "[It is] low enough in carbohydrates that it would induce ketosis," says David Levitsky, PhD, a professor in the division of nutritional sciences at the Cornell University College of Human Ecology.

Ketosis is a physiological state in which your body burns fat rather than carbohydrates for fuel, which can help some people lose weight.

According to Levitsky, if you're eating keto, you should minimize your intake of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as:

You should also aim to maximize your intake of fatty foods, such as:

Here is an example seven-day Keto meal plan you can follow. However, you should consult with a registered dietitian to determine the right serving size and nutritional breakdowns for your own unique health needs.

Avocados are a good source of healthy fats. Photo by Cathy Scola/Getty Images

Breakfast: Baked avocado with egg and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste

Lunch: Chicken salad with onion, feta cheese, olives, and a small amount of oil-based dressing

Dinner: Beef stew with carrots, shallots, bell peppers, and your choice of herbs and aromatics like thyme and garlic

Roasted chicken is high in protein. Douglas Sacha/Getty images

Breakfast: Whole milk greek yogurt with almonds

Lunch: Roasted chicken breast topped with mozzarella cheese

Dinner: Fish tacos with lettuce wraps instead of tortillas top them with guacamole, pickled red cabbage, radishes, and a squeeze of fresh lime

You can add tuna salad over lettuce. DebbiSmirnoff/Getty Images

Breakfast: Crustless broccoli quiche

Lunch: Tuna salad with avocado, capers, and a small amount of mayo

Dinner: Cauliflower crusted white pizza with cheese (no sauce) and your choice of healthy low-carb toppings like basil, mushrooms, olives, jalapenos, pepperoni, or chicken

Top your omelette with sriracha for added spice. abbesses/Getty Images

Breakfast: Southwest breakfast omelet with cheddar jack cheese, scallions, and bacon

Lunch: Hummus with carrots, bell peppers, and celery wrapped in freshly sliced turkey

Dinner: Riceless (or cauliflower rice) stir fry loaded with chunks of chicken, snap peas, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots with a sprinkle of peanuts

Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. gbh007/Getty Images

Breakfast: Onion and green pepper hash with chicken sausages

Lunch: Deviled eggs with a small side salad

Dinner: Roasted salmon with a side of spicy Brussels sprouts

Stuffed peppers are easy and delicious. BDMcIntosh/Getty Images

Breakfast: Cottage cheese with cup of raspberries

Lunch: Grilled shrimp lettuce wraps topped with a spicy chipotle aioli and side of unsweetened coleslaw

Dinner: Stuffed peppers with seasoned ground turkey and melted cheese on top

Buttered chicken is high in protein. Cavan Images/Getty Images

Breakfast: Breakfast bowl with fried eggs, avocado, chopped green peppers and cauliflower rice

Lunch: Salmon pesto zucchini noodle salad

Dinner: Crockpot butter chicken with plenty of roasted vegetables and no rice

Eating keto may improve your health in a few ways, according to research:

It can help you lose weight. A 2020 meta-analysis found that overweight or obese people lost more weight on the keto diet than they did on low-fat diets, especially those with type 2 diabetes.

Levitsky says that weight loss can help lower blood sugar and blood pressure levels, which is quite beneficial for people with diabetes or high blood pressure, as well as those who may be at risk for these conditions. However, people with type 1 diabetes should not try the keto diet, as it may cause serious side effects.

It can prevent epileptic seizures. The keto diet was originally invented as a possible treatment for epilepsy in the 1920s. Some research in mice has found that it can reduce brain inflammation, though the exact mechanisms for how it can treat seizures in humans are unclear.

A small 2018 study found that 87% of adults with "drug-resistant epilepsy" reported that their quality of life had improved after three months on a keto diet. About 76% had less severe seizures, and more than 50% had fewer seizures overall.

Although eating keto does not have any known "long-term deleterious effects," says Levitsky, it is not without risk. Some risks of the keto diet include:

Therefore, it's best to adhere to the keto diet for a short period of time, Levitsky says. The recommended minimum is two to three weeks the typical length of time it takes to reach a state of ketosis and the recommended maximum is six to 12 months.

Some people should avoid the keto diet entirely. This includes those with existing conditions affecting the following organs or body parts:

The keto diet is a relatively safe and effective way to lose weight in the short term. However, once you incorporate carbs back into your diet, the pounds will likely creep back on, Levitsky says. To lose weight, you should talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian who can help create an individualized plan for your goals.

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Intermittent fasting is having a moment. Whether you prefer to eat keto or plant-based or are just trying to make up for some extra indulging over the holidays, everywhere you turn someone is extolling the virtues of this simple, flexible diet strategy, where you eat for a window of time (usually 8 hours) and then fast and let your body go without any food for a longer window (usually 14 to 16 hours). This allows your your body to metabolize the food you eat and then shift from burning that as its fuel to burning fat for fuel.

Adam Sandler to Kourtney Kardshian swear by intermittent fasting for weight management and other health benefits, according to the founders of Zero, the worlds most popular fasting app with 7 million users. Launched byDr. Peter Attia, a fasting expert, this app's popularity shows that it's not always as intuitive as itsounds, and some people need a little helpful coaching, insights, tracking, custom plans, in order to make intermittent fasting work.

If you're one of the millions of intermittent fasters who havetried it recently and not had great luck with it, or didn't see the weight drop off, there may be simple shifts you can make (like what you're eating during the on hours) to get the results you crave.

If you need a little help losing weight and eating healthier, while you're intermittent fasting, an all you're hearing is how "great" and easy it is from friends, we say turn to a source you trust, since expert advice is always the way to go. We asked Nicole Grant, RD, CNSC the lead dietician for the Zero Fasting app, the most popular IF coach in the app store, for her best tips on how to do IF right

Nicole Grant:While some people believe that fasting is another fad diet, the practice has been going on for centuries. So, it isnt an entirely new concept. However, I believe the uptick in popularity has come from a wider understanding of the non-weight loss related benefits. There are so many other positive outcomes from IF that can be experienced including boosted energy, reduced inflammation, accelerated cellular repair, improved body composition, and it can even be an effective tool to mitigate risk for metabolic syndrome.

Nicole Grant: Every individual body responds to fasting a little differently, due to genetics, current health, pre-existing conditions, and lifestyle, to name a few. However, for an average healthy person, there is a general timeline of expected metabolic responses. Between 0 and 4 hours after a meal, your body is still going through the process of digesting, utilizing and storing the last thing you ate. It takes the carbohydrates, protein and fat you consumed and turns them into glucose, amino acids and fatty acids to be used as energy or to be stored for later use. Once your body shifts out of that anabolic phase, the next 416 hours are dedicated to catabolism, [the breaking down of food into smaller molecules to burn as energy] lowering of blood glucose, lowering insulin levels, and triggering glucagon, to start breaking down glycogen (stored glucose in the body).

Between16 and 24 hours is generally when fat burning starts to become more dominant and 24+ hours is when we start seeing the body switch to a ketogenic state, where many of the longevity benefits start coming into play. Exactly which benefits you will experience depends on the duration of your fast as well as many of the individualized characteristics noted above (health, genetics, etc.). We suggest establishing a plan and approach thats best for your health, lifestyle, and specific goals in order to achieve the results you want.

Nicole Grant: We dont like to promote IF as a diet for rapid weight loss. Instead fasting should be seen as a tool that can be used in conjunction with better nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle practices to enhance overall health in a prolonged, sustainable way.In addition to that, we encourage people to establish and understand their why for fasting. By identifying what each individual wants to accomplish with fasting and having a clear goal in mind, it will help them to make safe and informed choices about what type of fasting and duration is right for them.

If the goal is to lose weight, the individual also needs to keep in mind where they are starting at, from a health perspective. Those who have more severe metabolic issues or who have more weight to lose will likely respond differently than those who start out a bit healthier.

Nicole Grant: The biggest pitfalls of fasting are the misconceptions that surround the practiceits not just a weight-loss strategy. There are many different benefits to fasting as outlined above, and based on the persons goal, fasting can provide different results and outcomes for people.Fasting is also not always the best choice for everyone. We do not recommend fasting for those who are Type I diabetic, pregnant or have had a history of disordered eating. In addition, those who take medications and supplements should also consult with a doctor prior to fasting to discuss any possible precautions that may need to be taken.

Nicole Grant: Zero acts as a personalized fasting coach that offers expert insights, tips, education, and resources for users. It also includes various helpful features, the timer feature for example is very popular and reminds users when they are able to break their fasts. Zero also recently announced Challenges which offers a fun way to stay motivated! Through Challenges, users can fast alongside Zero experts, invite friends to join, and achieve their goals.

Nicole Grant: When breaking a fast, consuming protein in the first meal is important because it helps to initiate the rebuild and repair phase. Some recommended plant-based options include organic, fermented soy, sprouted nuts/seeds and possibly some legumes/grains if those are tolerated and digested well in that individual. In addition, general nutrition guidelines of choosing whole foods, low in added sugars, and minimally processed items will be important to focus on outside of a fast.

Nicole Grant:One reason why I think fasting has become more mainstream is that it isnt a diet, its a practice that can be incorporated into a healthy way of eating throughout someones lifespan, and has a low barrier of entry. You dont have to pay for a system or regiment, its truly putting intention behind when you eat.

Unlike diets where people are on the program for a certain duration of time and then they revert back to their old eating habits, fasting is a timeless practice that can be used to benefit a variety of people.

The most popular fasting zone is catabolic,where you break down energy in the body, followed by anabolic where you build up muscle, followed by fat-burning, autophagy and finally deep ketosis.

According to data, a 16:8 fast is the most popular, where you fast for 16 hours and eat within the next 8, followed by 18:6 (fasting for 18 hours, eating in a 6-hour window), then 20:4, and then 13:11.Ascertain your best rhythm. Figure out what type of fast works best for you.

Setting goals is key to a successful fast. Managing weight is the #1 goal of those who fast, followed by increased energy, increased clarity, increased longevity, and finally detoxing.

Time isn't enough. Time restriction, caloric restriction and dietary restriction are the three variables that you should be keeping in mind when fasting, according to Dr. Attia, chief medical officer for Zero. "Time restriction is when you eat, when you dont eat; calorie restriction is how much; dietary is what you eat. The right way to do this is to have a strategy for all three and cycle through them."

People want to be healthier in quarantine and IF can help.Zero saw an uptake of 3M+ sign-ups since March, when the pandemic forced people into their homes for work and play, and your home became y our gym, so fitness and diet apps had a surge in popularity.

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Intermittent Fasting Not Working? Here's What Could Be Going Wrong, By an RD - The Beet