Have a craving for salmon you can't shake while expecting? Try these foods that are safe to be consumed during pregnancy.

Pregnancy nutrition is often confusing. as women wonder whether it is safe to eat certain foods during pregnancy. Many women love eating fish and seafood. It is a tasty and healthy choice of healthy fats and lean protein. However, most women wonder if they should continue to eat the fish once they become pregnant. The simple answer is, yes, you can continue to eat fish just make sure it is low mercury fish, which doesn't usually include smoken salmon. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that pregnant women eat at least eight to 12 ounces of fish every week.

RELATED:Can You Eat Smoked Salmon While Pregnant?

For women who love smoked salmon, there are still questions about its safety. While it is true that salmon is considered low mercury, there is an issue when it comes to preparation. It is important to realize that some varieties tend to be undercooked. This can make the salmon unsafe to eat during pregnancy. It is important to be careful about what you eat when you are pregnant. Smoked salmon can be harmful not just to you but to your unborn child. If you must eat salmon, avoid eating cold-smoked salmon. Eating undercooked seafood is harmful.

It is important to understand the different types of smoked salmon available. Smoked salmon can either be cold or hot smoked. The curing method used will determine the type of smoked salmon. Cold-smoked salmon is dry-cured. It is then smoked at 21 to 32 degrees centigrade. This salmon is not fully cooked and it has a soft texture, is brightly colored and it has a strong fishy flavor. The hot-smoked flavor is brine-cured. It is smoked to more than 49 degrees centigrade leaving it fully cooked. The result is salmon that is firm and flaky with a smoky flavor.

Eating seafood can be very beneficial during pregnancy. Fish and seafood can be great sources of iron, protein, and zinc. These nutrients are vital for the babys growth and development. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that include docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which helps in the development of the babys brain.

It is very important to take precautions when eating seafood during pregnancy. You should avoid consuming large predatory fish. Eating fish like swordfish, shark, tilefish, and mackerel can expose you to mercury. You should also stay away from uncooked fish and shellfish such as sushi, oysters, and sashimi. Uncooked fish can contain harmful viruses or bacteria. Find out the local fish advisories before buying your seafood. Make sure that you cook all seafood properly before consumption. It can help to talk to a nutrition expert about the best cooking methods.

Fortunately, just because you cannot enjoy your usual smoked salmon does not mean that all is lost. There are seafood options that will satisfy your craving for smoked salmon.Eating seafood that is low in mercury can be very beneficial. Options to consider include herring, sardines, freshwater trout, anchovies, and pacific mackerel. You can also safely eat shrimp, tilapia, cod, canned light tuna, catfish, and Pollock.

Cooking fillets or whole fish thoroughly will help to kill listeria, parasites, viruses, and other harmful bacteria. Cooking will help you to avoid food poisoning. Properly cooked fish should be opaque. The flakes should separate easily when you slip a knife into the flesh and pull it aside. Choose oily fish that is high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Tinned tuna will provide the nutrients that you need and it is a good option. When prepared well, hot cooked prawns can also satisfy your craving.

While it is true that seafood contains many nutrients that are beneficial for pregnant women, you can get what you need without salmon. You can get omega-3 fatty acids from other sources besides seafood. Some sources of the nutrients include foods like flaxseed, canola oil, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. You can also get the essential nutrients from milk, yogurt, and eggs. Taking nutritional supplements that contain omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil can be helpful. It is, however, important to talk to your doctor before taking supplements while pregnant.

It is important to be careful about what you eat while you are pregnant. Cravings during the pregnancy period are common, but you need to choose foods that are safe for your unborn child. Your babys development is important. Fish and seafood help to promote healthy cognitive development for the baby. As long as you avoid high mercury fish, you can include seafood as part of your pregnancy diet plan.

NEXT:New Study Shows Benefits For Babies Of Eating Fish While Pregnant

Sources: babycenter.com, mayoclinic.org, healthline.com,

Firefighters Save Toddler Who Got Stuck Between Two Walls Chasing Dog

I have been a writer since 2012, and have enjoyed the journey thus far. When I am not busy writing like there's no tomorrow, I enjoy spending time with my three daughters and watching Netflix.

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Cold and flu season has arrived, which for many of us means loading up on vitamins and supplements to help keep us healthy. After all, who wants to be stuck in bed fighting a cold or dealing with the flu? Not me!

As a registered dietitian, I know the value of supplying my body with immune-supporting nutrients during these colder months. I don't give into all the "immune-boosting" solutions on the market, as many have zero evidence to back up their claims. However, I know the data suggests that vitamin C helps promote the production of immune cells, and vitamin D helps protect against respiratory tract infections, including the flu. So, I keep my immune-supporting regimen simple along with eating a balanced diet, sleeping well, and exercising, I give myself a daily supplemental boost of the immune-supporting trifecta that is vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D.

But while I may do a great job of buying my pills, I don't do as good of a job of actually taking them. I am super compliant with my supplement regimen for about a week, and then things tend to go downhill rather quickly. I get busy and forget to pop my pills, and ultimately the bottles start collecting dust and make their way into the supplement graveyard.

One day, while leisurely strolling through my grocery store aisles (which I frequently do it's my "me" time), I came across Uncle Matt's Organic Ultimate Immune (available in stores). Skeptical about whether a juice could meet my needs, I perused the label and was pleasantly surprised. This natural and organic OJ is loaded with nutrients that actually have data supporting their effects on immune health, including (per serving) 300 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C, 50 percent of the RDA of vitamin D, and 25 percent of the RDA of zinc. My beloved trifecta! Added organic elderberry juice gives this beverage antibacterial and antiviral benefits, while also giving it a pretty berry-colored hue that helps make each glass totally Instagram-worthy (priorities, right?).

Plus, because the base is traditional organic orange juice, it's naturally chock-full of important carotenoids including beta carotene, alpha carotene, and beta cryptoxanthin, which can help form vitamin A in the body, an important nutrient for immune function. Another bonus? Drinking 100 percent orange juice daily also provides my body with hesperidin, an antioxidant that has been shown to offer blood pressure benefits which means drinking this juice allows me to take care of my heart health as well as my immune health. Needless to say, I'm sold.

Being a tired working mom, having a solution that is as simple as pouring a glass of juice and sipping it is a welcome addition to my otherwise crazy life. This juice tastes good, contains a boost of nutrients that helps my body stay in fighting shape during cold and flu season, and is made from real organic orange juice with no added sugars. It's something my entire family now enjoys before running out the door for school or work in the morning.

Along with making sure to wash my hands frequently, getting quality sleep, and eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, enjoying a glass of Uncle Matt's Organic Ultimate Immune every morning is a no-brainer to help keep my immune system in check because the last thing I want this winter is to be stuck in bed for a week with the "ick." Nobody has time for that.

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I'm a Dietitian, and I'm Drinking This Juice Every Morning to Support My Immune System - POPSUGAR

If you've felt intense withdrawal from the lack of Marvel content due to production delays and release pushbacks, here's something to bring some color into your life: WandaVision is coming. While we still don't have a set release date for the Marvel Studios-produced series (though rumors say we're looking at a holiday premiere), we do know a little bit more about the mysterious show, thanks to its Entertainment Weekly cover story!

Initially, the Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan-led series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was meant to lead the charge of Marvel series on Disney+, but shutdowns due to COVID-19 pushed back production and put WandaVision at the time of the lineup. And thanks to the dizzying trailer that gives fans their first proper look at the six-episode limited series, it's safe to say we're excited for what head writer Jac Schaeffer described to EW as "a love letter to the golden age of television."

WandaVision's official tagline states that the show takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame and follows Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda and Paul Bettany's Vision as they move into the idyllic town of Westview. Well, something is rotten in the state of Denmark because we all know Vision "died" in Avengers: Infinity War, which means something strange is afoot. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige admitted that the idea for WandaVision was inspired by his growing up with Nick at Nite and love for watching old sitcoms because he "couldn't take the news anymore."

Olsen revealed that the opportunity to play Wanda for an entire TV season was a boon for her as well, noting that the series allows viewers to dig into Wanda's past and the full capabilities of her telekinetic powers, which the films have only ever hinted at. "You get to just focus on her and not how she felt through everyone else's story lines," she explained. "I already felt like I had ownership of her because Marvel always encourages you to be part of the process. But even more so now, I feel I have a really strong sense of ownership. If anyone wanted to ask me a question about the future or just a question about what she would think, I feel like this time has provided that."

According to EW, what begins as a classic tale of a married witch and android living in the idyllic town, quickly takes a turn for the bizarre. As the newlyweds cycle through the decades and those classic sitcom tropes, they realize their black-and-white life may not be as picture-perfect as it appears. Cue the Pleasantville callbacks! But considering that WandaVision is said to tie directly to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in which Olsen will costar Benedict Cumberbatch it's safe to say things are going to get a lot whackier than we can imagine.

WandaVision will also feature a bevy of familiar Marvel faces and a few new ones. Kat Dennings and Randall Park will reprise their roles as Darcy Lewis and Jimmy Woo from Thor and Ant-Man and the Wasp, respectively. Kathryn Hahn and Teyonah Parris also star, and considering what we've seen so far, their roles are much bigger than they seem. Even EW couldn't get any of the cast or crew to give a hint about their stories in the show! But Parris, who plays the adult version of Monica Rambeau from Captain Marvel, promises that fans have a lot coming for them when WandaVision eventually premieres.

"I was like, 'Oh, I thought we were doing a little show,'" she told EW. "But no, it's six Marvel movies packed into what they're presenting as a sitcom." We are so ready for that!

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Is About to Get Weird, and It All Begins With WandaVision - POPSUGAR

Stress levels have skyrocketed for everyone amid the pandemic, and no one can avoid the anxieties and frustrations that have come with a year of such uncertainty.

That includes country star Carrie Underwood, whose biggest stressor is one too many parents can relate to: keeping her kids entertained. They require different things than we do. My little boys are so social, and were so used to being around lots of people and lots of other kids all of the time, Underwood tells Prevention.

During quarantine, every day around 3:00 p.m., she would turn to her husband, Mike Fisher, and ask what one-year-old Jacob and five-year-old Isaiah should do next. You have your morning routine and theres breakfast, and then you get ready, and then its lunch, and now what? she says of her familys routine. So, its been a difficult time.

Through the struggles of parenting amid a global pandemic, the 37-year-old singer has been trying to stay positive in the best ways she knows how: keeping up with her fitness routine, spending time in nature, and focusing on creative projects. Ahead, Underwood shares her top self-care tips for stressful times.

Like most of us, Underwood admits finding motivation to keep up with her fitness routine has been tough. It can be a challenge to exercise, especially when youre having a rough year in the world, the CALIA by Carrie Underwood founder says. Yes, it would be easier to sit on my couch, but thats not going to make me feel good and thats not going to keep me healthy. I want to choose whats best for me so I just get up and do it.

Not only does it keep her fit, but it keeps her happy, too. Its so important on every level, not just from a physical standpoint because you want to do it to look goodthats just a byproduct and its awesome when youre feeling good about yourselfbut for your mental and emotional wellbeing, she says. Even if youre getting up and going for a walk... theres so many benefits to movement and working your body.

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To get her sweat on, Underwood usually heads to her home gym to squeeze in a workout with her husband. It served as extra motivation and helped the couple spend quality time together (sans children!).

She recently launched a fitness app called fit52 this year, which she uses anywhere from four to six days a week. Its been a saving grace for me, she says. We had no idea this year was going to happen like it happened. So to have this app thats focused on bodyweight and minimal equipmentdumbbells and a benchits been a blessing in my life to be able to have that.

Typical exercises include burpees, pushups, squats, and resistance training moves like bicep curls using dumbbells. fit52 also offers a range of all-encompassing circuit training workouts, which Underwood compares to CrossFit type fitness. On top of that, she adds yoga and Pilates to sneak in mobility moves.

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Underwood has been focusing on her nutrition at home, too. The vegetarian hasnt eaten meat since she was 21, which she calls a lifestyle instead of a diet.

While she joked about the old COVID nutrition (because who hasnt been snacking like crazy?), shes been keeping up with her healthy eats by growing some of her own food, which has been a huge stress reliever for her.

I have a garden outside, so Ive really gotten to get my hands dirty this year. Its such a wonderful thing to grow your meals, she says. We ended up eating a lot of zucchini, and I was finding all kinds of different ways to make zucchini because I had so much of it. Theres nothing like your own fresh tomatoes and basil.

In addition to gardening, Underwood found other ways to safely spend time in nature with her family. (For good reason: Even a short, 15-minute break outdoors is enough to lower levels of stress and fatigue, research shows.)

Most days whenever we could we got outside, wed go and have picnics or go for walks, and we have a four-wheeler that wed get on and ride around, she says. As for the ultimate family day out? She has horses at her home in Franklin, Tennessee, so shed take her kids out to feed and play with them.

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Underwood has also thrown herself into creative projects to keep herself busy. Were always working on things musically, she says. She even released a Christmas album during the pandemic, which brought a little joy to a difficult year.

That was just such a blessing for me to be able to go into the studio and shut out what was happening outside and just sing these songs that mean so much to me, so hopefully people can get that and hear that when they listen to the album, she says of My Gift.

Shes also worked on some new collections and pop-up shops for her athleisure brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood. (Find them in Nashville, Santa Monica, and Austin through Dec. 31!)

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We just kind of wanted to bring something fun and new to those areas and see what happens! I want people to come and be like, Oh my gosh, Im loving this collection, or maybe spoil themselves with a couple of things or get gifts for people for the holidays, she says.

The pop-ups are following COVID-19 safety guidelines, she ensures. Were requiring employees and customers to wear masks in the stores and disinfecting high-touch areas, and just doing all the things we need to be doing to make sure everybodys safe as they come and check out what we have going on.

Overall, Underwoods finishing out 2020 feeling a bit more positive about whats ahead. Im excited to spend the end of this year, hopefully with family, and start a fresh year, she says. I feel like everybody is. Lets all be positive and look forward to what could be in the new year.

Support from readers like you helps us do our best work. Go here to subscribe to Prevention and get 12 FREE gifts. And sign up for our FREE newsletter here for daily health, nutrition, and fitness advice.

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In case you missed it: Ron Weasley is officially a dad! Rupert Grint and his longtime girlfriend, actress Georgia Groome, welcomed a daughter named Wednesday G. Grint on May 7. Although the couple requested privacy shortly after her birth, Rupert created an Instagram account on Nov. 10 just to post a photo of their new baby girl and share her name.

"Hey Instagram....only 10 years late, but here I am," Rupert captioned the post. "Grint on the Gram! Here to introduce you all to Wednesday G. Grint. Stay safe, Rupert." As for the inspiration behind the name? Since Wednesday was born on a Thursday, we can't be completely sure. But, considering that Rupert posted his daughter's photos on a Tuesday, it's clear that the new dad was eager to share her with the world. Seems pretty fitting for a Gryffindor! Congrats to this sweet new family of three.

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From the moment Blaine Anderson grabbed Kurt Hummel's hand and ran through the hall, I was sold on Darren Criss being a part of Glee. Nov. 9 marked the official 10th anniversary of Criss's first appearance as Blaine on the show, and he celebrated it the only way a Gleek could: live-streaming his reaction as he rewatched his debut episode.

Throughout the IGTV, Criss let fans in on behind-the-scenes tidbits, including how he felt about the show picking Warblers to make him look as tiny as possible before singing along to the iconic "Teenage Dream" performance. He also shared a couple of photos from filming on Instagram, captioning the post, "People always tell me how Glee changed their life, and I'm always happy to remind them how yeah, it changed mine too."

What's even wilder than the fact it's been 10 years since Blaine first appeared and five years since the show went off the air, is the fact that Criss pretty much looks the same now as he did then. Now, if only he would bust out the Warbler blazer, I'd be a very happy Gleek.

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Plant-based diets have been extremely popular all around the world due to which people are going vegan currently. But are they really healthy and nutritious? Check what nutritionist Mugdha Pradhan, founder of ThriveFNC, has to say.

In the last few years, theres a popular belief that exclusively plant-based or vegan diets are the key to achieving good health. While plant-based diets consist solely of consuming whole grains, pulses and legumes, fruits and vegetables, it cannot be regarded as a complete dietary practice. Some flaws and deficiencies are inherent to a solely plant-based diet.

Decoding the benefits and drawbacks of a plant-based diet by Mugdha Pradhan, Nutritionist and Founder of ThriveFNC:

Positive sides of a plant-based diet

Firstly, the concept that only plant-based diets are good for us, and animal foods are bad, needs to be challenged. Plant-based diets are effective in overturning the symptoms of diabetes such as insulin resistance primarily because they eliminate a lot of processed, junk food thats cooked with vegetable oils. This is also why they are efficient in helping people lose excess weight. Also, a vast number of plants are proven to carry medicinal properties that work like medicine for a lot of ailments.

But this comes with a caveat, just like you wouldnt eat medicines all the time, you wouldnt want to pop medicinal plants and herbs without reason into your body all the time either. Which is why it is seen that plant-based dietary approaches are great for encountering various diseases and their accompanying symptoms during the initial phase, but thriving wholly on a plant-based diet becomes problematic.

Why it can be dangerous?

It has been seen that people who are on a 100 percent plant-based diet revealed multiple deficiencies of essential nutrients such as iron, protein, B-12, selenium, iodine, calcium, etc. This persistent deficit of essential nutrients in their body only grew with time, as they continued to stick to a plant-based diet unless they supplemented heavily. The thing is, plants can seem like a rich source of essential nutrients and minerals; however, due to their poor bioavailability and presence of antinutrients, our body is unable to absorb most of these nutrients. So, adhering solely to a plant-based diet does make you prone to a whole lot of nutritional deficiencies.

There are numerous misinformed views and discrepancies when it comes to the science of plant-based nutrition. For instance, not all plants are medicinal and fit for consumption. Some of them can also be full of toxins and cause major harm. Moreover, even plants that are benign atoxin-free when alive can initiate last-minute defence mechanisms at the point of their death. As no life-form on earth dies without putting up some form of fight, the defence mechanism in certain plants ensures that their would-be consumer is unable to gain the desired nutrition from that plant.

The defence mechanisms of plants operate like toxins in the body of their consumers and can cause unrest or trouble. This can prove quite effective for a life-form that is devoid of the ability to fight-or-flight. For example, people are prone to feeling bloated or flatulent after consuming rajma (kidney-bean). This is due to the formation of certain compounds known as Lectins in the plant which can even cause inflammation as part of the defence mechanism. Similarly, peanut butter which is generally regarded as a rich source of protein can have mold which can release harmful aflatoxins in our body.

It is essential to understand that each individual reacts, digests, and absorbs each food differently owing to the principle of bio-individuality. The ingestion and absorption of each person depend on their genetic configuration. People who exhibit protein deficiencies due to sustained plant-based diets can significantly overcome these by adding small amounts of animal protein in their diet. Animal foods are loaded with nutrients that are easily absorbed in their most bio-available or easily accessible form.

It is important to understand your body and listen to its constant stream of feedback. With an emphasis on bio-individuality, it is also essential to be aware of what your body accepts and what it is likely to reject. Animal products also have a crucial role in fulfilling our nutritional needs. In case you are averse to eating animal products due to certain ethics or belief-systems, be ready to consume a significant amount of supplements as compensation for the same. But when it comes to choosing your animal protein, make sure it is not factory processed. It is highly recommended that you select only free-range pasture-raised animals.

Conclusion

Balancing our nutrition is a subtle phenomenon that requires a fine balance. It pays to know what your body lacks and how to fulfil that particular requirement. Diseases strike when the body is overrun with inflammation, nutritional deficiencies and toxins. Being disease-free involves primarily perceiving your body signals and eating what it needs. If you choose to maintain a plant-based diet for ethical or religious reasons then understand that you will need really good quality supplements to fill in the nutritional gaps that plant-based foods can create.

Also Read:Nutritionist and fitness expert share exclusive tips on how to have a guilt free Diwali

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As any regular caf goer could attest, the popularity of gluten-free diets has been skyrocketing for many years. Research conducted in 22 countries around the world found that in 2018, 24% of respondents regularly avoided gluten. Asking that same question 20 years earlier would have netted a very different response.

This global trend has been linked to the controversial diagnosis of Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity (NCCS), a condition in which sufferers experience digestive problems in response to gluten consumption. As you might expect, the link between gluten and digestive problems remains contested. Understanding how gluten affects the gut is a crucial part of assessing whether this dietary movement is merely a fad or based in solid science.

There are a wide range of symptoms that are attributed to NCCS, ranging from eczema to joint pain through to depression; however, one of the more common sets of symptoms resemble those of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In a report recently published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, a team of Australian researchers put the relationship between gluten and IBS under the spotlight.

The team ran an experiment with around 40 participants who self-reported as experiencing IBS-like symptoms as a result of NCCS. Before beginning the controlled diets they had their blood taken and were then moved onto a zero gluten, low FODMAP (another type of nutrient that has been implicated in IBS) diet.

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligo-, di-,mono-saccharides and polyols. They are short chain carbohydrates that are found in a wide range of foods, from fruits to grains and legumes. This group of nutrients is known to be poorly digested, however once again, their role in IBS is contested.

The participants diets were altered systematically. For a week at a time, the participants ate either a low gluten, no gluten, or high gluten diet. The participants were unaware of which diet they were on at any given time. Each participant tried each of the diets in a randomized order, and in between diets they reverted back to the no gluten, low FODMAP diet. At the end of each new diet, the patients had their blood tested for signs of digestive problems.

In order to test whether gluten does cause digestive problems, the first step is to agree on a way of measuring them. Commonly, this is done through assessing the symptoms that a patient presents with, but this approach can lead to a lack of precision when assessing the impact of different diets.

Another way to assess how gluten affects the gut is through inflammation, which can be measured with biological markers in the bloodstream. There are a range of candidates for this type of assessment. In order to make sense of the results of the Australian teams study, it is worth looking at what the biomarkers actually do. This involves a little bit of a deep dive into biochemistry, but bear with me.

The first biomarker is called I-FAPB-2, which is a protein that is expressed exclusively in the intestines. When the intestines are functioning normally, this protein transfers fatty acids across the cell membranes. If the cells that do this work get damaged and broken down, then these proteins can be found in the blood.

The second is called syndecan-1, which is another transmembrane protein, but it is expressed in many different cell types and tissues. It plays a role in cell proliferation, cell migration, and cell matrix interactions. In the context of the digestive system, these cell-matrix interactions are thought to be its key role. It is thought to help keep the layer of cells at the very edge of the intestines together. Like in the case of I-FAPB-2, when this layer is damaged, these proteins can be found in the blood.

The last two can be grouped together: LPS and sCD14. LPS is found in high concentrations in bacterial cell walls, and sCD14 is a human immune receptor designed for recognizing LPS. The theory here is that if the bacterial population in the gut is out of equilibrium or the intestines are damaged, then bacteria can be transported out of the gut into the blood stream. If this occurs, then the concentrations of both LPS and sCD14 will increase.

The key take-home message from this study is stunning in its simplicity. Gluten intake made absolutely no difference to the levels of any of the biomarkers. Whether a person was on the high gluten, low gluten, or no gluten diet, it had no impact on these markers of intestinal damage.

All of this would seem to act as a strong argument against the suggestion that gluten causes digestive problems. Of course, arguments could be made about whether these biomarkers are an appropriate proxy for measuring these issues. However, it is known that elevated levels of these biomarkers are present in other digestive diseases, like Crones disease. At the very least, these results show that gluten is unlikely to directly damage the intestines of healthy individuals.

There was only one biomarker that showed a significant increase as a result of any diet. When blood was taken at the end of the gluten free/low FODMAP diet, syndecan-1 levels were significantly lower than when patients were eating normally. Given that subsequent changes to gluten levels did not change syndecan levels, this suggests that lowering FODMAP intake lowers the amount of syndecan in the bloodstream.

A 2018 review of the studies into the link between FODMAPs and IBS found that there was insufficient evidence to recommend a FODMAP diet to IBS sufferers. This study examined nine earlier experiments that looked at the effect of altering FODMAP intake on the symptoms of IBS.

This same review found a large degree of variation between the different experiments, and commented that the three most rigorous studies showed the least variability in their results, but also the least improvement in symptoms.

This most recent data on the effect of FODMAPs on inflammation of the intestines certainly adds some weight to suggestions that these nutrients play a role in IBS. However, these results must be read in the context of earlier studies, and more work remains to be done.

Dietary science is inevitably a controversial field. The human digestive system is impossibly complex, poorly understood, and a great deal of money can be made selling particular diets as cure-alls to digestive ailments.

While the work reported in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research shows fairly conclusively shows that gluten does not cause damage to the intestines, the volunteers who participated in the study had digestive problems that they presumably thought were alleviated by removing gluten from their diets. Whether this effect is purely down to a placebo effect or there is some physiological process at play has not yet been resolved.

Understanding how gluten affects the gut is, however, a question that can be resolved and work like this, that looks systematically at the effects of nutrients like gluten and FODMAPs, is the only way that the questions in this space will ever be answered.

Reference: M Ajamian et. al. Effect of Gluten Ingestion and FODMAP Restriction on Intestinal Epithelial Integrity in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Self-Reported Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity, 2020, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201901275

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We all know that when it comes to weight loss, dropping the pounds is the easy part. Its keeping weight off that's hard. In fact a 2001 meta-analysis of 29 long-term weight loss studies concluded that most dieters regain more than half the weight theyve lost within two years and pile 80 percent of it back on after five years.

There are all sorts of reasons staying slimmed down is tough, but in the final analysis they all boil down to one thing to keep the weight off you have to consistently eat fewer calories than you did prior to losing weight. Its been estimated that to maintain lost body weight over two years the average person needs to chow down on 170 fewer calories per day than before.

This is because when you lose weight, there's less metabolizable you meaning your resting energy expenditure drops. But the effect is often magnified by metabolic adaptationessentially your body becomes more energy efficientwhich magnifies the drop in metabolic rate.

So reverse-dieting, which claims you can train your body to maintain a new lower body weight at a higher calorie intake, is raising a few eyebrows in the nutrition world.

Social media is awash with before and after lean body pictures, with captions alleging you can increase your food intake by 200, 300 or even 500 calories a day while still maintaining a svelte frame, or even continuing to lose some pounds.

While this would be fantastic theres very little science to go on. But its an area that researchers are beginning to take a look at, and it may not be as crazy as it sounds.

Also referred to as the diet after the diet,reverse dieting has its roots in aesthetic sports where bodybuilders severely restrict calories to look ripped for a competition, then slowly increase food intake again in an attempt to go back to eating more calories without a disproportionate gain of fat mass.

But the practice is gaining traction among average eaters too, with reverse dieters increasing daily energy intake in a very controlled wayusually 30100 calories a weekafter the completion of a weight loss program. The aim, over several weeks, is to reach a higher level of food and calorie intake that (hopefully) becomes the persons new normal for weight maintenance.

Advocates assert that this can reignite a metabolism made sluggish by months or years of calorie restriction and yo-yo dieting, while restoring hormone balance in favor of better appetite regulation.

Among the more overblown claims are some nuggets of truth.

There is something to [reverse dieting] if it is done in a smart way, says Lilian de Jonge, PhD, assistant professor at the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, George Mason University, Virginia, and collaborator on the weight loss trials POUNDS LOSTand CALERIE. Its well known that weight loss decreases metabolic rate beyond what can be explained by the loss of lean mass. There is some evidence that if you trick your body into eating more, metabolic rate can go up and this is especially true if this is done by increasing protein intake.

Dr de Jonge is planning to run a trial on reverse dieting, but for now it is on hold due to COVID-19. However her previous pilot study showed that reintroducing calories slowly over eight weeks prevented weight overshoot and preserved lean body mass in weight training athletes who had lost weight for competition.

A randomized controlled trial study into reverse dieting is already underway at the University of Colorado, with a scheduled study completion date of December 2020. This study has recruited normal subjects (not athletes), which is a crucial and interesting difference. It could be expected that the results hinge quite heavily on how well the participants adhere to the exercise portion of the intervention.

A downside of reverse dieting is the need to track calories so closely, which at best is a faff and at worst could trigger obsessional eating. You can certainly see this played out on Instagram where reverse dieting often barely disguises a dysfunctional relationship with food and fitness.

That said if youre a numbers nerd, reverse dieting might prove to be a weight maintenance approach that works well for you.

And when you strip away the hype, the tenet behind reverse dietingthat after you've successfully lost some weight, you absolutely need a plan to keep it off-is solid.

What we already know about who successfully keeps weight off comes from the U.S. National Weight Control Registry, a database of over 10,000 people who have shed at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year.

This database shows that while there is no one way to slim or keep weight off, there are some common characteristics across successful weight maintainers. These include eating breakfast (78 percent of participants), stepping on the scale at least once a week (75 percent), watching TV less than 10 hours a week (62 percent) and exercising on average one hour per day (90 percent)

Of course managing to avoid weight gain in the first place is the ideal, as youll never then need the diet after the diet. But if that ship has sailed its good to know that putting weight back on doesn't have to be inevitable.

Reverse dieting might prove a way to make it easier.

Original post:
Back Up a Bit: Is 'Reverse Dieting' the Key to Keeping Weight Off? - American Council on Science and Health

Many people swear by the weight loss benefits of the ketogenic diet. 37-year-old Abhishek Lakhwani's transformation story is one such example. Shifting from a diet loaded with 'junk food to following a strictly homemade food diet, the lockdown made an immense difference to Abhishek's health and lifestyle. Read below to know how he lost over 31 kilos in 7 months time.Name: Abhishekh LakhwaniOccupation: Commercial managerAge: 38 years

Height: 6 feet

City: DubaiHighest weight recorded: 118 kilosWeight lost: 31 kilos

Duration it took me to lose weight: 7 months

The turning point:

I was always careless about my health. My friends and family always asked me to "lose weight" but I didn't really bother to correct it, before it started to impact my daily life. I felt uncomfortable sleeping and tired all the time. It got awkward to a point that finding clothes my size was difficult. Hence the decision to change. I realized I needed to be happy about my size, and not find excuses.

I started consulting a nutritionist who is a Keto expert. At the same time, I was also following home workouts, with the help of online sessions because of the lockdown. This combination really helped me a lot.

It's difficult following Keto but my wife helped me sail through. She used to look for recipes which turned familiar favourites into Keto recipes! Think Keto butter chicken!

I had three meals a day, no snacking allowed between the day. Everything I eat is high fat, moderate protein and minimal carb.

My breakfast: 1 glass of lukewarm water with a pinch of Himalayan salt in it. After that, just 2 boiled eggs and a cup of black coffee without sugar.

My lunch: I like to experiment with my lunch, alternating between Keto dishes. Here are some examples:Grilled salmon fish with veggiesKeto style butter chicken (made in unsalted butter)Keto style paneer makhanwalaOmelette with veggiesKeto pizza (made of almond bread)Whatever I ate, I used to add avocado with my lunch and dinner and it helped a lot in weight reduction as its a healthy fat.

My dinner: Similar to the meals I had at lunch.

Earlier, I used to eat a lot of junk. Now, I watch what I eat and count my calories. Internet helps you so much. I believe it's neccessary to watch your calories initially and once you familiarize yourself, you can go ahead without help.

Pre-workout meal: 1 cup black coffee without sugar to boost my metabolism

Post- workout meal: I have my dinner after 1 hour of my workout, the latest by 8.30 pm and go to sleep by 12 am.

I don't cheat on my diet since anything non-Keto I have will push me off to ketosis and bouncing back will take at least a week's time. It's tough, but a conscious choice you have to make if you want to lose weight.

My workout: My trainer is based out of Mumbai and he has helped me immensely. I am losing fat and building muscles following bodyweight training. I can perform great pushups now, which I once believed I would never be able to. It's a great achievement for me. I actually enjoy my training.

Fitness secrets I unveiled: Weight loss is easy! Pushing yourself to stay consistent will get you the results you want. Hard work and dedication is all that is required.

How do I stay motivated? When people tell you, "Earlier, you used to look like an uncle, and now a young boy", you are bound to feel motivated.

I also have a 2.5-year-old child to keep me company and play with, so that helps.Whats the most difficult part of being overweight? I faced problems sleeping well. More than that, it was the sheer embarrassment of getting clothes fitted for my size as I had to visit a tailor every time to stretch the waist size.

See the original post:
Lockdown weight loss: 'I lost 31 kilos with the ketogenic diet' - Times of India