Piling on the pounds in lockdown? Or just bored and want to try a new diet? Try this keto diet plan. Research shows that following a keto diet is an efficient way to send your body into 'fat-burning mode' so you will be slimmer faster, and this 1-week keto diet plan is a great way to start.

I am actually a bit of a fan of the keto diet as it does seem to work well admittedly I exercise quite a lot, but that's been less easy recently than before all this 'situation' kicked off.

So, I put together a 1-week keto meal plan to help you get started in your weight loss journey. Starting the keto diet can seem daunting but with the sample keto meal plan below, it should seem doable at least.

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When you try to put your own keto diet meal plan together, you will need to remember that in order for your body to go into ketosis a metabolic state when your body mainly uses ketones from fat for fuel as opposed to glucose from carbohydrates you will need to keep your carbs levels low each day. And we mean really low: calories from carbs should be under 5% of your total calorie intake and definitely under 50 grams a day. Strict keto even goes a step further and requires you to keep the carb levels as low as under 20 grams a day.

Best keto meal delivery services: ketogenic diet made easier with freshly prepared keto snacks and foods

Sure, following an effective keto diet meal plan means you will have to say goodbye to potatoes, rice, fruits and sweets, but in return, you can also say goodbye to body fat, cravings, mood-swings, insulin spikes and much more. Once you get over the initial 'keto flu' which is only a possibility, not a certain side effect you will feel more balanced overall and won't miss any of the sweet treats you used to have as a pick-me-up.

Best jerky: beef, vegetarian and vegan jerky and biltong for high protein and low guilt

And although you have to let go some of the popular food items when you're on keto, you will be rewarded with being able to eat more cheese and meat than you ever thought you could. Better still, even if you follow a relatively strict keto diet meal plan, you can still have a wide variety off food and take in ample amount of micro and macro nutrients.

How to get a six pack: a six-pack of top tips plus the best abs exercises to tone up to a flat stomach

(Image credit: Fresh n Lean)

Modern day ketogenic diet was introduced and still use for today to treat neurological diseases like epilepsy and therefore it has been researched extensively. Apart from epilepsy, there are studies showing that following a keto diet meal plan can help reduce risk of heart disease, treat cancer, reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and even to treat acne.

Lose weight at home: you MUST follow this top nutritionist's lockdown weight loss advice

As well as all that, keto can reduce insulin levels in the blood (lack of carbs/sugar spikes throughout the day) and many people claim keto diet made them more relaxed and "less on the edge".

From a dietary point of view, the effects of keto is similar to fasting: due to lack of carbs, your body will start breaking down fat into ketones and use that as fuel. Once you are on keto for a while, your body will get more efficient in breaking down fat, let it be dietary fat or the ones stored in your body, making you lose weight faster.

Most types of meat and cheeses are allowed on keto, so are eggs, cream, butter and healthy oils like avocado or olive oil. You could also have black coffee and green tea without any sugar.

Things to avoid: processed and low fat dairy products have additives and plenty of sugar in them, making them unsuitable for keto (and generally not healthy). Milk also has lactose (milk sugar) in it so be careful not to introduce too much milk into your keto diet meal plan.

Most of the green vegetables are good to go but bear in mind that many types vegetables will add to your carbs mainly, so thread them lightly. Try to keep them varied, even throughout the day so you won't get bored with any one of them.

Things to avoid: root vegetables such as potatoes, carrot, parsnip etc. All types of grains and rice.

Pro tip: spinach is best to have raw (washed, however), since wilted spinach just doesn't have the same mouthfeel. 100 grams of raw spinach with some olive oil, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar makes an excellent base for a salad.

PLEASE NOTE: The below carbohydrate content is /100grams.

Modern day fruits have been engineered through selective crossbreed crops to be super sweet and less fibrous so popular fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, oranges are not allowed on keto diet. Good news is, after the initial period of sugar deprivation, you won't crave for these anymore.

Either way, even the fruits listed here should only be eaten in small portions throughout the day.

Things to avoid: banana, grapes, mango, pineapple, pear, apple, kiwi, orange, peach etc

Pro tip: berries are great in smaller quantities and contain plenty of vitamins and some fibre too

PLEASE NOTE: The below carbohydrate content is /100grams.

Feel free to snack on dried meat like jerkies or biltongs

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You won't find any sugary sweets here, but you can have plenty of nuts, dark chocolate and a range of dips, too. Try making your own dips to avoid at home from fresh vegetables and avoid processed food with preservatives and high sodium content.

Things to avoid: sugary snacks, biscuits, milk chocolate, cashews etc.

Pro tips: to make the best salsa, cut up a larger, ripe tomato and make sure you don't waste pulp, that'll make the salsa less dry.

PLEASE NOTE: The below carbohydrate content is /100grams.

(Image credit: Bulk Powders)

Should you feel the need to supplement your diet, there are plenty of keto-friendly supplement options on the market today. These high fat and most usually high protein products can effectively top your vitamin and micronutrient levels. We have also listed some options to replenish electrolytes and introduce even more green goodness into your keto diet.

(Image credit: Fresh n Lean)

When assembling this 1-week keto meal plan, we followed these guidelines:

Each day has around 2,000 calories-worth of food

Daily carbohydrate amount is under 40 grams

We used a low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat template for each day (5% carbs, 20-25% protein and 70-75% fat)

Pro tip: try to portion your food out into five 400-calorie rations so you can eat five times a day which will help you feel more sated in the initial transition period.

PLEASE NOTE: this is not a medical diet and if you need to go on a keto diet for medical reason, please consult your doctor first. Also, going from a high-carb diet to a low-carb one can result in side effects such as nausea, light-headedness and headaches. The preferred way is to gradually reduce carbs in order to reduce the impact of keto diet on your metabolic system.

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Feel better and lose weight in 1 week with this keto diet plan. Not as hard as you think - T3

It is all about finding food that brings you back to the table

by: Hanna Erdmann

(WKBN) With summer just around the corner and stay at home orders lifted, there is no better time to start thinking about eating better.

Dr. Ben Biteman from Mercy Health explained helpful tips on how to focus on a better diet.

He says those looking to try different diets should find something that works for them; not every diet is the same for every person.

You want to find something that, you know, if someone decides to go on an all-protein diet, and they dont eat meat, its more difficult. If somebody decides they are going to go on an all-vegetable diet, and they hate vegetables, it is just not going to work, said Dr. Biteman.

Dr. Biteman says focusing on eating things that you know you like will help you achieve success.

Snacking is a common problem for many people. However, making small changes can make a big difference.

Choosing things that will keep your blood sugar up longer and less of a peak is probably a better way to snack, said Dr. Biteman.

Some types of snacks can help, including cheeses, small meat meals like chicken or tuna, nuts and avocados.

A popular diet that doctors say can work is intermittent fasting, where you eat all your calories in a small portion of the day and fast for the rest. Dr. Biteman says this can be a great plan, as long as you are consuming the right amount calories each day.

Drinking water is also very important. Not only is it good for metabolism and digestive health, but it works to keep us fuller, longer.

Health experts say the average person should be drinking 65 ounces each day.

A concern for people can be how much more money it is to buy healthier food options. There are ways to save money and not waste food.

Buying frozen or canned fruits and vegetables can last a little bit longer, but it is smart to keep some fresh options around as a treat.

Canned beans and meats are also smart to keep in your pantry to have options that will last a bit longer.

The best advice is all about finding food that brings you back to the table.

Read more here:
Local health expert weighs in on better eating habits for summer - WKBN.com

Simply put, this diet involves matching a person with food best suited for their blood type. For example, its recommended that someone with type A blood eat primarily soy, seafood, and vegetables

(Newswire.net -- June 17, 2020) --

Have you ever wanted to lose weight but find the vast choice of available diets confusing? Or maybe youve tried dieting, but it never works. It seems that theres a new fad or type of food available every week, so let us guide you through some of the more popular and effective ones.

The first thing to consider when talking about dieting is what type it is. You might have heard of vegan diets (cutting out all animal products, including eggs and milk) or of going vegetarian, but what about other common ones?

This has gained popularity over the last few years and is primarily considered a natural way to eat. In a paleo type of diet, processed food and dairy are out, and grass-fed and organic food is in. Think of it as being an ethical omnivore.

Simply put, this diet involves matching a person with food best suited for their blood type. For example, its recommended that someone with type A blood eat primarily soy, seafood, and vegetables in order to lose weight.

Another veggie-friendly diet type, this promotes the use of oil as an alternative to salad dressings and marinades, as well as cutting back on (not eliminating) red meat from your daily meals.

Some of these diets come from well-known companies, others are based on a type mentioned above, but all have been proven effective in some way.

Coming from perhaps the most famous weight loss company in the world, this diet involves a point system. Every type of food has points appropriate to its nutritional value, and the idea is to eat a set number of points a day/week to meet your desired weight.

The keto diet is one of the more popular diets on this list, as various celebrities champion it. Effectively, it involves a high fat intake and a very, very low amount of carbohydrates.

In a nutshell, this diet involves completely cutting out certain food groups of your choosing for a solid thirty days. If you feel better after the month, keep avoiding those foods. Otherwise, try eliminating something else for another thirty days.

By all accounts, losing weight just got easier with this modern diet plan. It takes the form of two phases and is designed to make your body generate more hormones in order to burn fat. This diet emphasizes food and drinks with high antioxidants, such as green tea.

Diets based on a different countrys food culture are gaining popularity these days, and this is one of them. A macrobiotic diet is based on the Asian concept of balance. For example, if you have a meal of fish, you should also include food from the land on your plate, such as vegetables. Easy!

It almost goes without saying, but diets are very much an individual thing. What works for one may not work for another. Even so, there are some diets you might be best to avoid altogether.

Replace one meal every day for two weeks with...mushrooms. Just mushrooms. Suffice to say; anyone would get bored of this very quickly. Plus, it deprives your body of nutrients since youre eating an awful lot of mushrooms and not a lot of anything else.

You guessed it. Willingly put a tapeworm inside your body to help you lose weight! Obviously, this is a terrible, disgusting idea.

In theory, drinking nothing but juice and smoothies for a (little) while is an excellent way to detox while still getting vitamins and nutrients. However, many of these diets promote lengthy fasts - anything up to two weeks, in some cases. Two days, perhaps, but not much longer than that.

When we talk about healthy eating, a balanced diet is the best way to succeed in maintaining an ideal weight. However, bear in mind that sometimes food culture dictates whats best for us. For example, a typical Colombian diet is carbohydrate-heavy, while an Australian diet favors barbecued meat and fresh smoothies. If none of the above diets take your fancy, why not try following the diet from another country? You might be surprised at the results!

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5 Ways to Diet That Really Work - Newswire

Weight fluctuations are 100% normal and not always in your control. Depending on your macro intake, workouts, stress, sleep, hormones, etc. water retention can cause some drastic swings in your bodyweight.

Not to mention, if youre gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time, the scale wont budge even if your pants are fitting looser. So instead of living and dying by the scale, measure your progress in other ways.

The best way to tell if your hard work is paying off is by getting a body fat analysis done. This will show you exactly how much fat youve lost and how well your workouts are supporting lean muscle mass helping you look more toned in the end.

Other ways to measure progress include paying attention to how you feel, how your clothes are fitting, how your workouts are going, and daily progress photos.

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10 Things You Need to Know When Starting a New Diet - Muscle & Fitness

So, dear masters of spring superfoods, are you ready for your next challenge? Yes, yes you are. With summer rapidly approaching, now is the time to embrace these plant-based superfoods that are ideal for summer meals. Read on, and get excited for some eats that are wildly tasty yet brimming with wholesomeness.

You know the feeling: An annoying email from your boss or a spat with a family member over the foibles of face shields (thank you, 2020) and a day pivots from A-OK to awful. And then you dip into a bowl of fresh strawberries at their peak ripeness and all is well with the world. More reason to munch away? They contain vitamin A, C, and one of the highest natural sources of folates. They also contain flavonoids, anthocyanins and phenolic acids, which are compounds shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications, cancers and other conditions, says Mark Windle, BSc, RD, nutritionist for Fitness Savvy. The phenol compounds in strawberries detoxify free radicals thus preventing oxidative stress on the body and reduce cellular damage. The strawberry's antioxidant properties mean that diets high in them may protect the body from damage to the coronary artery vessel walls, which would otherwise make cholesterol plaques form easier, and cause the arteries to fur up.

Juicy, light, refreshing, bright, acidic. These are just a few of our favorite words to describe everyones favorite summer vegetable, ahem, fruit. Tomatoes are high in vitamins, high in water and have valuable fiber. Foods that are high in water and fiber can help you stay full for several hours and they help keep you regular. If youre trying to lose weight, tomatoes are very low in calories, says Amanda A. Kostro Miller, RD, LDN, who serves on the advisory board for FitterLiving. On the antioxidant front, tomatoes also deliver big time. Tomatoes contain carotenoids [a type of antioxidants] which can help reduce your risk of macular degeneration and reduce your risk of certain cancers. They work to reduce damage from free radicals.One of the most notable carotenoids in tomatoes is lycopene. Tomatoes also contain vitamin C, which plays a role in immunity, collagen rebuilding for fortifying muscles/bones, and aiding in iron absorption.

You dont have to tell us twice to eat guac and cut up extra slices to stack onto burgers, hummus sandwiches, and, yes, toast, but it may very well be a good idea to find more excuses to eat avocados (think: slip them in smoothies, add them to salads, slice them atop your grain bowl) given their nutritional prowess. They are high in fat, but as part of a healthy plant-based diet, remember three-quarters of it is as monounsaturates (shown to prevent heart diseaseand regulate blood pressure), says Windle. Avocados are also a great source of the antioxidant vitamin E (another cardioprotective nutrient), and higher in soluble fiber than most other fruitssoluble fiber helps reduce LDL cholesterol levels which are the type that lines the arteries. Whilst the jury is still out on whether specifically eating avocados directly reduces LDL cholesterol, intake has been shown to increase the favorable HDL: LDL cholesterol level. For more on avocados and fats, read this article.

In the summer, were talking cherries, blueberries, and blackberries, and in addition to being one heck of a summer fruit salad trio, they also happen to be nutritional powerhouses. Dark berries have been shown to slow the rate of cognitive decline. Antioxidants in dark berries help fight oxidative stress on the body, which can happen in your brain. Antioxidants inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory markers like cytokines and CRP, and work against harmful reactive oxygen species in the body, remarks Kostro Miller. Diets that are rich in antioxidants can help reduce pain (i.e. joint pain), help your body function more effectively and may even help preserve cognitive function in the long term, she continues, adding that one study found that the equivalent of one cup of blueberries per day improved cognition in older adults better than a placebo.

Its summer, live a little and have those berries or that oatmeal with some creamy dollops of yogurt. Forager Project Cashewmilk Yogurtis one of my favorite summertime superfoods, offers Jenna Gorham, RD of Gorham Consulting Group. They use live and active cultures, offering plant-based probiotics. Probioticscan support a healthy immune system as well as healthy digestion. [It] tastes great in smoothies, fresh berry parfaits, and summer dips and sauces. For more great yogurt recs, check out our review of 12 dairy-free yogurts.

Just because youve ditched fish, doesnt mean you cant find ways to get omega-3s into your plant-based diet with a little extra effort. Hello, walnuts. Large amounts of omega-3 rich foods are trickier to incorporate in the vegan diet, not only because rich sources are harder to come by but also because in plant sources it is in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) - whereas the positive effects studied are primarily in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), normally found in marine oils (oily fish, etc), says Windle. ALA found in walnuts, can be used by the body however to make EPA, which in turn can convert to DHA. In a study by Chiu et al (2018)of 100 woman attending a fertility clinic who were struggling to conceive, those who had higher levels of blood omega-3 fatty acids (seen as a marker of dietary intake) had higher rates of live birth, he adds. Windle is a fan of adding walnuts to summer salads or adding them into a vegan banana bread recipe, like this one from actor Mayim Bialik.

Everything's better with a little crunch (sorry, creamy peanut butter fans). I love using Crunchsters sprouted mung bean snacks on all of my summer saladstry the Bacon flavor (it's vegan!) on coleslaw or broccoli salad! It adds the perfect flavor and crunch, states Gorham. Because Crunchsters are pure mungs beans, they offer a natural source of plant-based protein and fiber. Sprouting grains, beans, and seeds allow nutrients and antioxidants to become more available, offering more nutrition, she continues. For more on sprouted grains, check out this scientific review.

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7 Vegan Superfoods Nutritionists Want You to Eat This Summer - The Beet

The following editorial appeared in Thursday's Japan News-Yomiuri:

- - -

What kind of society should be created after overcoming a national crisis? It is difficult to say that such a substantial debate has taken place.

The ordinary Diet session has closed. Much time was spent on discussing measures against the novel coronavirus.

It is commendable that, taking into account the spread of infections, the ruling and major opposition parties worked together to pass the revised law on special measures against new strains of influenza, which became the basis for the government's declaration of a state of emergency, and approve the first and second supplementary budgets for fiscal 2020.

Many people cooperated with the requests to suspend business operations based on the special measures law. Although an explosive spread of infections could be contained, the impact on the economy has been severe. A budget that supports the livelihoods of the people is indispensable. It is important for the ruling and opposition parties to collaborate and take appropriate measures to deal with the crisis.

What is regrettable is that the old-fashioned confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties was noticable.

Up until the initial stage of the outbreak, opposition parties such as the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan continued to grill Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the issue of cherry blossom-viewing parties he organized. Since then, they have focused on the issues of subcontracting and outsourcing, criticizing the high cost of subcontracting administrative work such as for handling the cash subsidies to sustain companies that were included in the supplementary budgets.

The opposition cannot fulfill its role as responsible political parties if it puts priority on trying to damage the image of the Cabinet, rather than making constructive proposals.

The government's actions also raise questions. The bill to revise the Public Prosecutors Office Law to extend the mandatory retirement age of senior prosecutors was criticized by the public for threatening the prosecution's political neutrality. The feeling cannot be denied that the government then seemed to emphasize the size of the two supplementary budgets.

Isn't the prolonged running of the administration and the numerical strength of the ruling coalition holding the most seats in both chambers of the Diet leading to complacency in the government? The prime minister must carry out policies with a sense of tension.

Resuming companies' production activities even in midst of the coronavirus crisis; promoting digitization to give rise to measures against infectious diseases; taking the lead in international cooperation in the face of the U.S.-China confrontation, while solidifying security policies.

The ruling and opposition parties should delve into this pile of domestic and international issues. The government needs to respond positively to deliberations to be held while the Diet is out of session and explain its policies carefully.

Debates between the prime minister and opposition party leaders have not been held, and are continuing to lose meaning. Because each debate runs 45 minutes, opposition parties are demanding a budget committee meeting in which they can ask the prime minister questions for a lengthy time.

It has long been said that there is a growing burden on national politics as the prime minister and Cabinet members are tied up in the Diet. The ruling and opposition parties should seriously consider how to reinvigorate debates between party leaders and conduct Diet deliberations in times of crisis.

The House of Representatives Commission on the Constitution has only held one free debate. It is urged that a bill to revise the National Referendum Law to make the referendum more convenient be passed into law promptly and substantive discussions on the Constitution be held.

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Make active use of deliberations to be held while Diet is out of session - The Advocate

Hamblin: If you can add a multivitamin and not change anything, then go for it. Whatever. I mean, you might waste your money.

Wells: Is there really no science behind a vitamin being good for you?

Hamblin: Not unless you have a deficiency in any of those areas.

Wells: And do people generally have deficiencies? Does our modern diet mean you have some deficiencies?

Hamblin: No, you need so little. And anything that you would be likely to get deficient in, we fortify. Even pastas and cereals, theyre fortified with vitamins in case you do just eat packaged foods all the time and never eat fresh produce.

Wells: Youre telling me that, like, my Cheerios have a multivitamin in them?

Hamblin: Oh, yeah. Theyre loaded with vitamins. The reason theres vitamin D in milk is because we add it to the milk. We found ways to make an ultra-processed diet that would avoid vitamin deficiencies. And thats actually a problem for us.

Wells: So our diet is already basically the equivalent of a multivitamin, where weve just randomly put vitamins in the crap we eat?

Hamblin: Thats what fortification is. Its one of those things that is sort of like oxygen. You are getting enough and getting more is not going to help you. The one outlier in the coronavirus-vitamin discussion is vitamin D. Theres almost nothing in our diet that gets us vitamin D. It shouldnt even be called a vitamin, in my humble opinion.

Wells: What is the definition of a vitamin?

Hamblin: There is no definition. Its derived from this marketing term, vital amines. We thought they all had an amine group on them and turns out they dont.

Wells: Thats what vitamin is?!

Hamblin: Yeah. A great book on this is Vitamania, by Catherine Price. It goes into the whole supplement industry and how these ideas started.

Wells: What are vitamins?

Hamblin: Its a random smattering of compounds. We call them micronutrients, as opposed to, say, macronutrients like fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Micro- nutrients are these tinier ones, which you need, like, the amount of the head of a pin every month. Most of them occur in food. Vitamin D is one that doesnt. You make it yourself being out in the sun. And you dont need a lot, just a few minutes.

There is not evidence that laying out and tanning is good for you. Thats still a major cause of skin cancer. As long as you have some exposure, even just sitting near a window, that should be fine. But there are some serious researchers who believe that there are people who are in a gray area, who might not be getting enough vitamin D, especially when told to stay home. When youre really limiting outdoor exposure, it could be good to take a supplement.

Wells: So its not that vitamin D somehow fights off the coronavirus. Its that if you dont have enough vitamin Dand there could be a slightly elevated percentage of people who dont have enough vitamin D, because were all staying inside a lotthen your immune system can get all wacky, and therefore you would want to take a supplement. What about vitamin C? At the beginning of this, I was taking a vitamin C supplement every day.

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Listen: The Empty Promise of Vitamins - The Atlantic